Entering the world of Assisted Conception...like it or not...

[Smille24]

Hiker that sounds amazing !!! I know you still have to wait and see if they make it, but it sounds like things are looking up. I said a prayer for you today and will continue to do so.

 

[star_e]

Hiked what promising news! 6 follies! So excited for you. My fx! Keep us updated on tomorrow. Sending you warm wishes and positive energy for tomorrow!

 

[Hiker1]

Thank you all! I'm feeling hopeful and positive.

 

[star_e]

i had my appointment today and nothing has grown yet. this happened on the cycle when i overstimmed too. it was nothing, nothing and then boom too many. i asked her if this was normal and she said "yes it will probably be a long stim, not as long as last time". last time my stim was 31 days! most people stim for 9 to 11 days i've read. im already on cd6 (meaning i've taken the stims for 5 days already) and am worried that my cycle is going to be very long. sometimes i think she forgets that when i did overstim i had also taken clomid 150mg on the same cycle and b/c i was not responding she decided to add to the protocol the injections. she deemed me clomid resistant, but when this other doctor there had to scan me when she was out he told me it probably did have an effect and that contributed to the overstimming. i think clomid did have an effect so if she is thinking of doing 75 until we get something it could be a very long time of nothing. im just worried.

are long stims less effective?

my next appointment is friday. i guess i should just ask her how long do people typically stim and mention that last time when i overstimmed i had also taken clomid.

 

[BronteForever]

You are using clomid for IVF? I've never heard of that. Is it a Mini IVF? What country are you in?

Why are they using clomid, instead of an injection medication?

Sorry I don't know anything about that in relation to IVF.

EDITED: never mind I think I read that wrong. So you used Clomid at the same time last time for IVF to stimulate you as well? What meds are you on? And what doses. 31 days seems super long.

 

[star_e]

sorry i was unclear.

when i overstimmed, i was trying to do an iui. they started me with clomid 150mg and i was deemed clomid resistant. in order to try to save the cycle, doc added FSH injections at 75 for 6 days. it was nothing nothing and them boom i had like 20 follies. so cycle was cancelled b/c it was an iui cycle and at that time i was not considering IVF.

now i am going to do IVF for the first time. and she started me at 75 gonal-f, but if people typically stim for 9 to 11 days and i have taken FSH for four days already (i put five days earlier, but technically i have not taken my dose today yet so when she scanned me she saw me with only four doses) and there is no growth thus far, i am afraid that she thinks i will overstim b/c she is not remembering that on the iui cycle i overstimmed i also took clomid. she thought clomid had no effect, but this other doctor told me he thought it did have an effect.

when she said it might be a long stim, i was totally confused. i should have asked more questions. i don't think we should do a long stim.

aren't long stims less effective?

 

[star_e]

they are also not giving menopur or whatever that drug is called. is that unusual? im only doing the gonal-f.

 

[BronteForever]

Oh okay, so you had already been on clomid for that cycle. I'd imagine that's partially why it took so long to take affect. I'm not sure the rational for stimming you that long either then. I'd ask. I was on two injections a day (150 Menopur in the morning and 150 Gonal-F in the evening - then I added in Ganirelix on day 6 I think to prevent ovulation). 75 of just Gonal-F seems like it might take awhile.

I've seen plenty of people only on Gonal-F or Follistim and I think by itself is fine. I think the reason for doing two seperate ones is just if they are worried one won't work you have a "back-up" if you will. If they know you respond to Gonal-F, I'm sure you are fine.

But if you are only taking once a day that's kind of low. Or are you twice a day with that dose? But there might be a reason for it. Maybe they are trying to replicate the IUI cycle somewhat when you had 20 follicles. Or they are worried about OHSS with you since you have PCOS so they are going slooowww. Seems odd though. Another lady on here with PCOS also said stimming faster and with higher doses helped on her second cycle. When I had to stim for 12 days instead of 10 which is the average, I was a bit worried. And I did end up overstimming. Though I think I would have been fine had I just gone even 1 day less.

I wouldn't worry you haven't responded much yet though. This is likely your first real scan and you should start to see growth alot in the next few days. If you are going too slow though, I'd ask the rational behind that. I'd be surprised if they didn't up your meds a bit after the next scan if you haven't grown much.

Good luck!

 

[star_e]

yea i need to ask for sure next scan. i wish i didn't find it so hard to ask questions. im going to try to work on that more.

i am on the 75 dose only once a day. and it does seem low to me, but maybe she's just afraid i'll get too many too quickly. i dont know. i know that i have responded to gonal-f well before. when i did my iui cycle she said i am very sensitive to it. it at least reassures me that you have heard of others using just gonal-f before. i guess i'll know more on friday.

going to ask her how many days she thinks i'll stim for and if she says anything more than 11 days, i'll follow up by asking her whether she thinks, for me, a longer stim is better than a shorter stim.

how many scans a week do any of you get when stimming?

for me this week, i'll have done 2, which makes sense b/c i had not growth so far, but hoping that when it gets closer to crunch time that its more than 2.

 

[BronteForever]

I went every other day for ultrasound and blood work. It worked fine until the end and if nothing else we learned I have to go daily then.

Don't be afraid to ask!

 

[lemon_tree]

Good luck, star!! I hope you don't have to stim for too long.

Hiker, I need an update! How are you?

 

[Hiker1]

Hi friends,
Sigh. Well the retrieval went ok, we got 4 eggs. They called this morning to tell us sadly only 1 fertilized. I know it only takes one, blah blah blah, but I'm trying to be realistic and I'm sure the odds aren't good. At first I was like oh well. No surprise, but now it's hitting me and I'm very sad. I asked if we might consider a day 3 or, if not and it does make it to 5, should we consider freezing it and going again? There is a noon meeting the nurses and docs have today and the nurse said she'd ask and get back to me. Any other questions I should ask? I wonder why thus happened? I seem to respond well on this protocol. Hubby and I took all the supplements, I meditated, did acupuncture, I'm off work so I'm not stressed, I cut out toxins, hubby and I both stopped drinking...I don't know what else I could have done?? Sigh again.

 

[lemon_tree]

I don't know what questions I'd ask. But I do know that it only takes one.

Big hugs to you. I bet you are so anxious about that meeting today. I hope they call you back quickly.

 

[BronteForever]

Oh, I'm so sorry Hiker. This stuff sucks, so much. I'm so sorry only one of them fertilized. You did seem to be responding really well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed so much for you that this embryo is perfect and makes it to transfer and does well.

I don't know what to tell you on Day 3 vs day 5, but I know it's a huge choice and really hard to decide. You have better chances at day 5, but if you do nothing and it doesn't make it you are left wondering "what if." None of this stuff is easy, so you just have to do what you think is best and that will be the decision for you!

This is my fear with trying all this stuff and it not working, because none of that has been proven to really have results, but at the same time, you want to try "something" rather than nothing. I honestly think alot of it is the stimming protocol. And unfortunately you don't know what one will work until you try it. That is so hard.

Any reason why they think there were only 4 there?

 

[Hiker1]

Thanks everyone - Bronte, not sure what you mean? I had 6 follicles but they only got 4. I know not every follicle has an egg inside, nor is it always possible for every egg to be retrieved. I was ok with 4. We'll see how this little one does, but if it doesn't take I'll definitely be asking what the next protocol will be, what went wrong with this one, etc. Unfortunately every time this happens, the docs just chalk it up to egg quality. But I'm left wondering, "how do they know for sure?" Could there be a sperm issue?

 

[BronteForever]

Yes that's what I meant, if they just chalked it up to not having an egg in there. I thought you had more overall follicles this time but you got the same amount of eggs, correct? Just curious if they gave you any other answers. When I had my retrieval the doctor pointed out that some of the "dark" spots could have been endo and not actual follicles for me. I found that odd, but interesting. Anyway, I was just hoping for more for you!

And I'm dealing with the same thing in regards to egg quality and frankly I've found out that I don't think they honestly do know. Egg quality is sort of the black sheep of the family it seems like and there's no way to really "know" exactly if an egg is good until you check to see how it responds or if it develops. One of the embryologists on Facebook told me there are certain characteristics that can help define it if an egg looks too mature, but it doesn't seem like most report that. Should be a standard thing to look at in depth, given that seems to be most of what causes failed cycles.

Anyway, keeping my fingers crossed for you!

 

[Smille24]

Oh hiker, I'm so sorry this happened. I hope the dr can determine why this keeps happening bc not only are these failed cycles devastating, but you're putting a lot into them. I really hope it happens for you soon .

 

[Hiker1]

Thanks Smille, I think, sadly, this is just the nature of DOR. Eggs are crap, things are failing in my ovaries...just have to accept this is going to take a lot of tries, and a lot of failures, and accepting that there's no guarantee any of it will work. But I feel we have to give it all we have, every chance we can, until we have no options left. Still not anywhere close to moving toward the donor egg route. And trying not to lose hope on this one little one we have going so far...

 

[BronteForever]

DOR does sound like it sucks. If you haven't seen this fertility clinics page, I love there page on egg quality, because it has drawings that make sense to me!

https://www.advancedfertility.com/eggquantityquality.htm

And sadly it does seem just about repetition. Why does it have to be so expensive to repeat all these?

Really hope this embryo came from a Green Dot for you!

 

[star_e]

hiker - don't really know of what questions to ask and honestly don't know about the day 3 vs day 5 decision. maybe ask your doc about the pros and cons. how long were you stimming for? i really hope that if you decide to transfer instead of freeze that this little bean sticks. you deserve it and im holding out much hope for you!

this entire ttc is so confusing to me. its too expensive to just be trying things and not really know. but of course they have to try a protocol to see if it works. i thought i was going to avoid the exploration part b/c ive done iui before and we are using the same exact drugs for ivf, but i can tell already that this protocol might not go my way. there is too much unknown, too much that has not been communicated to me. the endless worry....