Calling all RMA Ladies (1st page updates)

[jchic]

Kins - Ugh. I am sorry you are going through this. Hang in there, it WILL get better. Remember its the darkest before dawn, ok?

Skittles - I went to RMANJ and was thrilled with my care. I love my doc (Dr. Morris) and all the doctors I monitored with. My nurse Adrienne was very attentive and wonderful. We transferred 2 embryos and 2 stuck, so I love RMANJ for getting me prego!

 

[MissyMaddy]

Hi everyone..

Spoiled n Iheart congrats... yay!

Hopeful .. fx'ed for you.. Dec 7th is right around the corner.

Kins. I know how you feel.. I have currently 6 close family members around me who are expecting without even trying..

SO I am on 5th day of placebo bcps and still no periods.. I thought bcps will help regulate it.. called my nurse today.. I didn't hear from here since last Monday. As she said she will call me and tell me about what's next but she never called. I called her a week before to remind her that she had to call me but still no phone calls.. feel like out of track. Lost.

 

[Spoiledangel]

Kins so sorry your your going through this, I know the feeling though my last m/c 2 weeks later a friend of mine was seeing a guy for a week & on major drugs boom pregnant 9months later a healthy baby was born & all I could do was think this must be some type of joke on me, I cursed & cried ugh but I realize maybe it was for a reason.

Skittles I love RMA, Dr. Rybak is my primary but I have been happy with Dr. Morris, Dr. Shastri, Dr. Forman a few others. Rhonda is my nurse and she's attentive but always seems busy I wind up talking to Bridgett & Josephine more.

AFM just twiddling my thumbs until my scan Friday which I am impatiently waiting for, praying my little ones have H/Bs & that B caught up to A heart when is your next U/S? Did they make you wait a few extra days too? I was Tuesday's and then bam Friday since I'll be 6w5d then.

 

[ashknowsbest]

Sorry girls that I've been MIA but nothing has been happening with me so I've been focusing more on work and school.

However, I did go for my WTF post IVF consult this morning and am .... feeling excited to get started. So, Copperman pretty much said that he really thinks it's an egg/fertilization problem and not an implantation problem and that we're going to do ICSI next time and also take it slower with the meds. He said something about tapering off the medication so that we get more eggs that are mature. It was honestly confusing and we went over a lot so I'm sure some things have slipped through but one thing that will stick with me forever is this...

I asked him when we move on from IVF ... like how many tries is medically appropriate for my age before moving on and he said that well ... On your first try you had a 60% chance, second time you have an 84% chance of success, 3rd you have 93% and 4th try you have 97% and it stays around 97% for the 5th, 6th, and so on. So ... What I took from that is after 3 if we're not successful I'm going to move onto surrogacy and then if that doesn't work out adoption. I know I'm thinking so far ahead but really it's not that far ahead considering it will only take us about 6 months to finish up with the last 2 IVF cycles. He said my prognosis is GREAT considering our situation and that I should stay positive because he is.

So I'm generally happy with the appointment and just can't wait to get started again. The lab is closing down for a month or so for inspections and what not but she said we will be able to start at my next period which should be here around the 20th of this month. So come on December 20th that way we can start this process and get the show on the road!

Oh I forgot to add something awesome too, he FINALLY ordered all of my immunology testing that I've requested and it's covered by insurance! I went and had to give a PINT of blood after my IVF consult which freaked me out because I hadn't had anything to eat yet all morning but it went fine and I didn't pass out or anything. But those results should be in within a week to two weeks!

 

[iheartqueens]

I totally forgot to give an update today... attached is a photo of the embryo and yolk sac, doc said that we should be on pace to see the heartbeat next week! I can't wait. I read that once you see the heartbeat the chance of miscarriage is less than 5%. Of course we're still cautious about what may happen. He said that my levels are perfect and the nurse called me today to tell me that my hcg is over 17,000 and progesterone is 32. Still trying to believe that I am actually, finally pregnant!

Spoiled - no extra waiting for me, once a week on Mondays I see them... today was 6w3d. Ugh, Friday seems so far away, hang in there! Fingers crossed for those babies!!!

Hopeful - that is great news, just a few more days... Good luck!!!!

Kins - that dreaded call about someone getting pregnant super quick, we all hate those. I second the quick congrats and move on and focus on yourself. If you have to avoid them so be it... just worry about you and your feelings right now. So sorry

Maddy - that sounds rough... maybe you can request to speak to someone else there? In the NY office it seems there is always someone knowledgeable around to answer a question. Maybe even contact your doc? Hope you get your answers soon!

Skittles - I love the NY office. I see Dr. Grunfeld and have been really happy with the professionalism and caring from all of the staff there. I am not sure if it was coincidence but I saw my doc during my last 3 monitoring visits for this past IVF which was nice so that I was able to get more information rather than another doc that is afraid to give any direction without my doc's input. He has also performed both of my post success ultrasounds and he takes time to explain what we are seeing, answers questions and even gives us a photo. I can only compare it to my experiences at another infertility clinic in NYC and this place is soooooo much more pleasant, less rushed and clearly knows what they are doing.

Ash - So glad that you have gotten some answers and that you are well on your way to a success It's crazy to have to think about surrogates and adoption at this stage but it's really good to know in your heart that you have a plan and that IVF isn't the ONLY option of having a family. That immunology testing takes a ton of blood - after all that mine came back inconclusive!!! DH's came back perfect so they didn't bother testing me again. Good luck on the 20th and hope you get some snowboarding in before then!

 

[Spoiledangel]

Iheart I wish they kept me every Tuesday ugh but they wanted me to come in at time that the HBs should be seen 6w5d so now I'm a bit freaked out as should be but I will try not to get myself as worked up as before LoL

 

[Kins]

Soooo I went in for my weekly blood work to see my HCG dropping.

Ya its 5.2 seriously... this is insane it really is comical that its not <5. My future baby sure if making me work for them

So anyway I am told now I just have to wait for AF and meanwhile set up a consult with the Dr.

 

[iheartqueens]

Kins - Really?!?!? That just seems downright cruel! Just try to remember that you're almost there and you're getting closer to having that baby you've always wanted, these things just take time. Wish I could speed it up for you!

 

[Helena_]

quick question: Does anyone have Bridget as their nurse in the West Orange office? Just emailed her to ask for a refill on the Metformin and got a message back saying she was out of the office. Didn't say until when, so not sure if it's just automatic because it's after hours. The info about when the message was sent and all that includes that the auto message expires in Feb. Just wanna know if I should call to speak to another nurse tomorrow. Any idea?

 

[Kins]

Kins - Really?!?!? That just seems downright cruel! Just try to remember that you're almost there and you're getting closer to having that baby you've always wanted, these things just take time. Wish I could speed it up for you!

Ya 5.2 to me is same as <5 so I'm just gonna wait for af. It just cracks me up how close it is

 

[jchic]

Helena - I didnt have Bridget, but perhaps call and speak to the covering nurse.

Kins - UGH! So close. I know its rough, hang in there. One more week and you should be where you need to be. This is going to work!

Iheart, Spoiled, Maddy, Gab - how are you all?

Ash - Glad the appt went well, looking forward to your updates on when you start up again. Dont look too far into the future, I know we can do that when we feel like something isnt working, but KNOW in your heart this WILL work.

 

[Spoiledangel]

I'm going crazy lol they moved my appointment from Tuesday to Fridays since its a bigger chance of seeing the hbs by then!!! Everytime I lose a symptom I worry my head off, if my BBs don't hurt I worry, if I don't feel sick ect. Last night oddest thing though My stomach was sore but very far up like severely bloated & hard odd..... Holding breath for Friday!!

 

[iheartqueens]

jchic - I am well... a little tired, somewhat nauseous at times but other than that I can't even tell that I am preggo. Weird, I thought I'd have a million symptoms by now! Still nervous but very excited and really looking forward to seeing the heartbeat next week.

I read about your nursery plans on your journal - sounds fabulous!!! The babies are going to LOVE it!

 

[MissyMaddy]

Hey jchic thanks for asking.. nothing new with me. I have been tested positive for alpha thalassemia carrier and now I have to wait another cycle till I get hubby result back.. so more of waiting.. why why why!!! How are you feeling?

 

[Hopeful_NJ]

Yay!!! everything looks good to move forward with my FET tomorrow!!! Can't wait!!! I have a good feeling about this time.

 

[jchic]

Good Luck tomorrow hopeful!!!

 

[Kins]

Good luck hopeful awesome news

 

[MissyMaddy]

Good luck hopeful.. I have heard tons of fet success stories..

Kins.. what's next?

 

[Kins]

Maddie- actually not sure what is next. I have a consultation on the 17th. She will prob talk about ivf b/c she talked about that a little when she thought I was having an ectopic. Im gonna tell her I def wanna do a hysterography before I start with meds again I want to be sure I can carry a baby. This loss was/is still hard on me.

I personally am thinking one more cycle of meds with bd'ing or IuI and then do ivf. I talked to my dr a bit about limiting how many eggs they fertilize because my personal feeling is that I don't want to have wasted or destroyed embryos. I don't mind freezing 1 or two for the future b/c then we would def try again but I don't want to freeze more then that or destroy them. I guess it's hard to do though b/c not all
Of them survive.

Oh man I never imagined in my wildest dreams I'd be in this position

 

[iheartqueens]

Spoiled & Hopeful - Sooooo..... how did it go?!?!?!

Kins - Sounds like a good plan, do only what you can right now. So sorry again for your loss.

I'd be a little concerned about only fertilizing so many eggs though because I think it's really hard to tell that that stage which ones will make the best embryos. I had 39 eggs and only 8 made it to transfer/freeze and in previous cycles I had 7 and 11 eggs and barely enough good embryos to transfer two. I am excited to have 6 frozen but there is a good chance that not all of them will survive the thaw or implant so it's hard to tell how many will really eventually become children. It is still really hard for me to think about the embryos that we've lost in this cycle and previous cycles but I realize that this is a necessary risk in this process. I don't think I couldn't live with destroying our embryos and we didn't create them to become a science experiment, we created them to become children. I plan to use all the frosties but if we don't we have decided to donate them to a couple that is unable to create their own or can't afford treatment cycles. It's definitely not for everyone, but it is an option - when I was researching this option I found a really heartwarming article in Good Housekeeping detailing a family who did just that.

Hopefully you won't have to make that decision though... praying that BDing or IUI does the trick for you!