Gonal Girls

[yoni]

I am on my first cycle of gonal f, 75daily.

I had a scan at day 8, today and I have a 18, 12 & 10 ml. Is that good, normal on schedule?! I never remember to ask questions!

I'm due for another on day 11, I think everything is on track?!

 

[Curliegirlie]

Drsquid and gaijin - are you both doing IVF? On one hand, I really want to do it, on the other hand, I'm a little sacred... If it doesn't work, does it mess up your chances in the future? Or if it DOES work, will any future children have to be through IVF? I just don't know. Why can't this be easier?

Yoni - I am quite new to this myself, but I think that sounds good! As long as you don't have more than 3 or so that grow. My problem is that I don't really respond to low doses, but then when the dose is upped I respond a LOT - we don't want to get 15 mature follicles or something like that.

 

[Chiles]

@yoni that is very good!!!! I am slow responder so it takes me about 8 days, and then they grow like wild fire. (pcos)! Good Luck!!!!!

@curlie girl, thats very understandable, I am a little scare to go through IVF and it fails as well.

AFM: it feels like AF is on the way...or I have UTI, or the unthinkable...I am pregnant (doubt that one) We have been having sex so it may be like a 1% chance. But I keep feeling cramps like AF is on the way, but then when I go to the Bathroom...nothing. It could just be a bad case of Ohss. ugggh. I am starting my birth control pills monday, and I am drinking plenty of digusting cranberry juice starting today.

 

[drsquid]

i am scared about but mostly the emotional part (ie this feels more definitive but the stats arent really that much better and it certainly isnt 100%, or even 50%). but ive upped the ante each time.. i was tired of the emotional rollercoaster and at least this way i know that if the problem is the eggs that is taken care of etc (im doing icsi as well cause that is recommended wth frozen sperm). so even if it doesnt stick at least i know there was an embryo not just eggs heading one way and sperm another.

as far as future problems? not that i know of. and do all your future kids have to be that way? well it depends on why you are doing it.. if your tubes are blocked, then yes. if it i cause you are impatient like me.. then probably no (i dont apparently even qualify for a diagnosis of infertile having only failed 4 months, and thenf inding out there was a male factor issue). but im tired of this and just wanna get pregnant. if i want a second.. well if i have frozen embryos (and no partner) then id use one of th frozen ones and that would be so much easier than going through all this crap again (though doc is kinda discouraging as to whether ill have frozen ones... but i think my eggs are fine it is just the sperm). we will see

 

[yoni]

Thanks so much for replying ladies

I've never had a prob with the ovulation, but my doc said as the stats for success are better with gonal-f than without he put me on it anyway. Kinda logical I suppose. I have to put my trust in him anyhow.

@Curliegirl pleased to hear it sounds good. 15, yikes.
@Chiles. I hope I'm not a slow responder too, we been having unprotected sex based on the 3 eggs

previously I've had follicle tracking and I've only had one egg a time, so hopefully this will up my chances without throwing out loads of eggs!

IVF certainly seems like the no messing option, I would go for it if I could. my insurance won't cover it, it would cost me about £8,000 a cycle. IUI better work!!

 

[norahbattie]

yoni, my understanding is that you don't want them to grow too quickly as they won't be good quality eggs, its the slow growers that are better, the ones that sprout usually aren't great, so hopefully your 12 and 10 will grow to 17mm by day 14 for you then to have your trigger.

Chiles - are you drinking plenty of water? i have heard that is good for OHSS, literally keeps symptoms at bay.

 

[yoni]

Thanks norahbattie, that really does sound positive then. They were getting to 21mm before releasing when we were having follicle scans and no treatment. I have no idea what this means though.

 

[gaijin]

I have a doc app tomorrow so I will have to wait and see what the cyst is like before I can start the next treatment. Another problem I have is that I am British but living in Japan so communication is quite difficult.

I am scared of IVf too. But I just have to tackle it the best way I can. We've just got to try our best and support each other.

xx

 

[norahbattie]

Well ladies I went for my final scan of this cycle and everything is going well so far, I have 2 follicles at 17mm, 2 follicles at 15mm and 1 at 12mm. My doc reckons the 2 follicles at 17mm will mature and rupture and I am due to take my ovitrelle tomorrow morning, an evening off without gonal F now.

Is it wrong to love my follicles so much and love them like a child??
Fingers crossed and to start the 2WW countdown, god I hate the 2WW, I am going to try and keep myself as busy as possible, good thing I am increasing my work hours next week so will be spending most of my time there

Good luck to all the ladies out there
N
xxx

 

[frustrated20]

Do you mind if I join you ladies? I know there are some on this forum who don't seem to like newcomers. I'm not new to TTC, but to the site. We have been trying for over 2 years. All of our tests have came back normal or borderline.

I'm starting my first round of Gonal-F tonight. I will be taking 100 of it daily for 4 days and then I have to get a scan on Monday to see how it worked. Then they will decide if I should up the dosage or lower the dosage. We bought a 900 pen that cost $1000 I'm quite nervous about the needle, does it hurt? I'm also having an IUI. I never got more than 1 follicle with clomid and femara so my doctor thought this might give me more. How many follicles do you ladies get with Gonal-F? Thank you everyone. I hope you all have a great day.

 

[Curliegirlie]

@ norahbattie - that sounds promising for the follicles! It's not wrong to love them! I bet most women who are TTC without asistance don't grow attached because they are not being scanned and don't know the progression of their follciles, but for us, it's so different! Every one that matures brings a little hope!

@frustrated 20 - don't worry about the pain - it doesn't really hurt. Sometimes after a few days it gets a little sore, but that's it. Where are you injecting? I use my stomach. For me, the biggest part was getting over the psychological aspect of injecting myself, but it doesn't really hurt. I've been TTC for about a year now, but have only done one gonal-F cycle, and I only got one follicle... which led to a BFN. In fact, I started bleeding 1 week after ovulation - not good. It sounds like you would be a great candidate though, and many people get a few good follicles.

I'm starting a new cycle on May 22 and I'm just counting down the days until then! I so hope it works this time... I really hate it when people make "when are you going to have kids?" comments. Of course, they don't know what I'm going through, but it feels like I'm being punched in the stomach every time. It leaves me feeling so gutted.

frustrated 20 - keep us posted on your progress!

 

[yoni]

Well ladies I went for my final scan of this cycle and everything is going well so far, I have 2 follicles at 17mm, 2 follicles at 15mm and 1 at 12mm. My doc reckons the 2 follicles at 17mm will mature and rupture and I am due to take my ovitrelle tomorrow morning, an evening off without gonal F now.

Is it wrong to love my follicles so much and love them like a child??
Fingers crossed and to start the 2WW countdown, god I hate the 2WW, I am going to try and keep myself as busy as possible, good thing I am increasing my work hours next week so will be spending most of my time there

Good luck to all the ladies out there
N
xxx

@norahbattie
Are you having the sperm washed and inserted or just normal sex?

I'm hoping to be told the same as you tomorrow, but hopefully they will do the insemination the next day. It's my hubby's birthday the Sunday and we were hoping to go away. Timing life around treatment isnt always easy!

@frustrated20
I'm very new to the group too, everyone has been very welcoming.

I was very nervous about the first injection, but it's all the build up. It doesn't hurt, you barely feel it. Not at all like having blood taken. My advice is to squeeze a bit of fat, that makes it much easier to break the skin. Good luck

 

[yoni]

@ norahbattie - that sounds promising for the follicles! It's not wrong to love them! I bet most women who are TTC without asistance don't grow attached because they are not being scanned and don't know the progression of their follciles, but for us, it's so different! Every one that matures brings a little hope!

@frustrated 20 - don't worry about the pain - it doesn't really hurt. Sometimes after a few days it gets a little sore, but that's it. Where are you injecting? I use my stomach. For me, the biggest part was getting over the psychological aspect of injecting myself, but it doesn't really hurt. I've been TTC for about a year now, but have only done one gonal-F cycle, and I only got one follicle... which led to a BFN. In fact, I started bleeding 1 week after ovulation - not good. It sounds like you would be a great candidate though, and many people get a few good follicles.

I'm starting a new cycle on May 22 and I'm just counting down the days until then! I so hope it works this time... I really hate it when people make "when are you going to have kids?" comments. Of course, they don't know what I'm going through, but it feels like I'm being punched in the stomach every time. It leaves me feeling so gutted.

frustrated 20 - keep us posted on your progress!

How long have you been trying Curliegirlie, I know when I told family and friends a massive weight was lifted. It's so nice to be open about it, they are all so supportive.

I haven't told work though, my boss would be lining up my replacement!

 

[yoni]

Is anyone else experiencing the mood swings from gonal f? highs and lows, hyper, tearful, eccstatic today unfortunately very angry. I've always had PMT massively the week before, I guess this has heightened it!

 

[norahbattie]

Welcome frustrated, the more the merrier I say, it is always so nice to see others join and share experiences, I have found that this particular thread and my journal really help me and I only really ever post in these two bits and nowhere else. If we can help each other through this tough time I say "jump on board"!

Injecting yourself with gonal F is not painful at all if you hit the right spot which tends to be the most fatty bit of your tummy, I injected on the sides and always did on one side, I pinched the skin first then after the needle went in i relaxed and pushed the meds in quite forcefully, last time I did it slowly and rotated amongst sites. I think it is the build up to the needle going in that hurts more literally jab it quick and it doesn't hurt, I never even felt the first time I did it and there is one time I couldn't even remember I had the injection Good luck with it

Yoni - I am just BD-ing with my dear OH all this weekend I don't mind continuing with TI as we are trying to be as natural as possible and this way just feels more intimate, ask me again in a few months though when I might be going down the IVF route. My goal posts are forever changing.

I suffered from severe emotions with gonal F, I was weeping at soap operas and dramas and I mean proper sobbing, the only other effect I have had is feeling incredibly hot but not unbearable, its been quite pleasant actually as I am always cold

Curliegirlie - I am frightened that even though there are a couple of near mature follicles there is still only something like a 20% chance of fertilisation and implantation. I am hoping since I have a few more than that percentage increases. I am trying to forget about the whole cycle and concentrate on being positive....it seems to be working so far...so I am going with that...that and the power of prayer and whole milk I have been trying all the different foods that affect fertility and maybe this has contributed to the growth who knows....all I know is that I have not peeed on one OPK or done one BBT and it feels great No more money wasted

If anyone wants to see a pic of my follies, I have uploaded a pic into my journal, so proud of them doing so well

 

[frustrated20]

Thank you for all of your warm welcomes My husband gave me my gonal-f shot and I didn't feel a thing. Yoni, I am not sure if it's my period or the gonal-f, but I have been a moody mega bitch all night long. I started getting very irritable a little after I had my first gonal-f shot so I am going to assume that is why I am feeling like this. It should be interesting to see how my mood is over the next few days.

Everyone knows that we are having a hard time getting pregnant, and I still get asked when I'm going to have a baby and start a family lol. It gets annoying because I have no idea. I thought it would have happened 2 years ago when I first started trying, but boy was I wrong.

norahbattie, they gave you pictures of your follicles? That's cool. Maybe I should make a journal.

 

[drsquid]

i actually liked gonal f.. far less mood swings than letrozole etc. i had energy and felt pretty good. im a bit worried about starting lupron tomorrow. gonna do that for several weeks, plus gonal starting june 1... fingers crossed

 

[yoni]

drsquid. wow I'm glad they haven't put me on the letrazole! I guess it's the nerves aswel but i am all over the place.

frustrated20, I know exactly how you feel. my sister was caught straight away and has 2 boys now. we are still trying 22 cycles and many tests later. the goal posts as norahbattie says are forever changing. it WILL happen x

norahbattie, I was wondering why we weren't offered the natural option, but actually it's the gonal part that is was the optional bit. I guess because the follicles are ripening on their own it's the sperm to the door that's the important bit for us!

outside clinic now, hopefully our final scan!

Fx'd it all goes well, I'll let you know

 

[yoni]

waiting in the clinic, my lead follicle is 22. and now theyve said they are closed on the weekends. so we might have to wait until Monday, as I ovulate regularly I probably will have already ovulated by then. so fed up

waiting for the lady to consult with another gyno as my appointment was with the locum

 

[yoni]

gonal 37.5 tonight
none tomorrow
ovitrelle lunch time Sunday
dh does his deed at 230 Monday
iui Monday at 5

so that's the plan, 3 consultants, bank holidays and weekend closures dealt with. nice to have one. it's been a fraught day.

let's hope I dont ovulate before that, my follicle is already 22mm!

oh and we are now off on holiday. dh's birthday on Sunday!