IVF Aug/Sept 2015 Fresh & Frosties

[crystal8]

Hi Crystal, I am sorry you have to join a thread, but really glad it could be ours. Thanks for stating that your amh had different units. I had a little freakout when you said seven was low, but it makes sense now.

It sounds like your doctor is firmly in the quality versus quantity camp. When you do decide what you will be stimming with let me know. I am trying to keep more info on the first page if this thread so we can look at it and know who is on the same protocol as we are. I think it helps balance it when we see so and so got 50 eggs but I had say 10.

Beneathmywing, good luck at the dr. today.

Thank you so much for this wonderful group and the welcome! This process can really make people feel like they are going through it alone.

I for sure will keep everyone posted. I am leaning towards conventional ivf since I will have to do retrieval anyway (my big fear) and my gonal f is covered by insurance. I am very unlikely to get OHSS. If that is the route we choose I will most likely be doing gonal f and repronex. I will let everyone know once those details are ironed out.

 

[Wish2BMom]

that's awesome, beneath! how many frosties are you transferring? I'm sorry if you've already said this.

 

[beneathmywing]

that's awesome, beneath! how many frosties are you transferring? I'm sorry if you've already said this.

I'll be transferring 2! My Re's office has a 95-98 percent change thaw rate, which is great, but just in case one doesn't make it I'll have a back up!

 

[Psalm23v6]

Welcome Crystal! This is a great group of ladies so hope we can help answer any questions you might have. Just so you know, the last time I did IVF I was on quite a low dose and ended up with only 6 eggs. All fertilized (we have to do ICSI due to DH's poor sperm) but only 2 made it to transfer. This time I am on 300iU of Gonal F (doubling the dose from last time) and seem to be responding well. It looks like I have 9 follicles growing and 4 are already over 11mm.

BMW - how did it go today? Sounds like the new RE is awesome - brilliant thaw rates. How do you feel about twins?

AFM - my appointment went wll today. I start Cetrotide in the morning to stop me ovulating and carrying on at 300iU of Gonal F every night. Back in on Sunday. Dr. said we may do the intralipid infusion on Tuesday - it takes 2 hours apparently!!

 

[crystal8]

Welcome Crystal! This is a great group of ladies so hope we can help answer any questions you might have. Just so you know, the last time I did IVF I was on quite a low dose and ended up with only 6 eggs. All fertilized (we have to do ICSI due to DH's poor sperm) but only 2 made it to transfer. This time I am on 300iU of Gonal F (doubling the dose from last time) and seem to be responding well. It looks like I have 9 follicles growing and 4 are already over 11mm.

BMW - how did it go today? Sounds like the new RE is awesome - brilliant thaw rates. How do you feel about twins?

AFM - my appointment went wll today. I start Cetrotide in the morning to stop me ovulating and carrying on at 300iU of Gonal F every night. Back in on Sunday. Dr. said we may do the intralipid infusion on Tuesday - it takes 2 hours apparently!!

Thanks for the welcome! Glad you are responding better than last time. It's really interesting to hear about other people's protocols.

 

[beneathmywing]

Welcome Crystal! This is a great group of ladies so hope we can help answer any questions you might have. Just so you know, the last time I did IVF I was on quite a low dose and ended up with only 6 eggs. All fertilized (we have to do ICSI due to DH's poor sperm) but only 2 made it to transfer. This time I am on 300iU of Gonal F (doubling the dose from last time) and seem to be responding well. It looks like I have 9 follicles growing and 4 are already over 11mm.

BMW - how did it go today? Sounds like the new RE is awesome - brilliant thaw rates. How do you feel about twins?

AFM - my appointment went wll today. I start Cetrotide in the morning to stop me ovulating and carrying on at 300iU of Gonal F every night. Back in on Sunday. Dr. said we may do the intralipid infusion on Tuesday - it takes 2 hours apparently!!

It went well! Got the OK to start estrace and all my other meds. Ill be on steroids this cycle as well. My RE is awesome! I wish I found him sooner. He is super compassionate and understanding and I can email him any time of the day with immedate response. Does make this crazy process a tad easier.

Glad your appt went well! Ill be doing my Intralipids on the 24th. They told me two hours as well! Nervous about that!!

 

[Em260]

Hi everyone, may I join? We're TTC #2 and starting our third IVF/ICSI. We're doing genetic testing so the retrieval is this month and the FET will be in September. I started stimming last Friday and fingers crossed the retrieval will be on Monday or Tuesday.

A little background: we did two back-to-back IVF cycles in 2012 and froze the embryos due to a recurrence of ovarian cancer. I lost an ovary during my first bout with cancer in 2006. Luckily this time my oncologist was able to save my remaining ovary. My first FET was a success and now we're TTC a sibling for my daughter.

Looking forward to cheering everyone on in their cycles!

 

[Christie2011]

Christie - not long to go now! And all that stress over the flooring. How maddening. Hope that it all calms down for a peaceful August for you. Are you selling your house?

I am going to try to sell my house. I want to move to a quieter neighborhood (I live too close to Baltimore now) with better schools, and a bigger house for my (hopefully) growing family. I had a better day discussing carpeting options with a different company. Hopefully their install goes smoothly.

So many different protocols going on in here. Do your fertility clinics offer assisted hatching? I think I have to specifically ask my clinic to not to, if I didn't want it. Just curious if that's the norm.

 

[Hopethisyear]

Welcome Christie & Em!!

Beneath - Glad your appointment went well and your new RE is so much better. Yay for starting estrace! I'm right behind you starting on Tuesday

Psalm - Do you have an estimated retrieval date yet? So exciting!!!

AFM - I have my endometrial scratch tomorrow and later in the afternoon I'm starting acupuncture for the first time. Neither has been proven to work, but what the heck, it can't hurt right.

 

[Psalm23v6]

Welcome Em! How have the stims been this time around? What a lot you have been through - you must be so strong! Praying for you that everything goes well and keep us updated on whether the retrieval is Monday or Tuesday.

Hope - We don't have an estimated retrieval date yet. The Dr. seems to be taking it one appointment at a time. That's fine with me! I trust her and she knows what she is doing. We will probably have a better idea on Sunday (fingers crossed).

Christie - Our clinic has assisted hatching as one of the things you check off consent to, so I guess that's where you have to say no if you don't want it. They will do it if they think it is helpful. Last time we had assisted hatching.

BMW - glad the appointment went well and you are starting! A good RE makes such a difference. Just feeling like it is more personal and you aren't just another number makes a huge difference to me. I will let you know how the intralipids go so you can be prepared

Crystal - thanks. I think we had more follicles last time but not all of them contained eggs (not unusual). This time hoping for more eggs of course.

Not sure if I have told you all, but here in Dubai you cannot freeze embryos. Even if you have ones left over that would be good enough to freeze, you cannot. It makes this process a bit strange, because on the one hand we want to make enough good quality embryos but we don't want to make too many because we can't save them. You can however freeze eggs, so if we were to get enough we would potentially freeze half the eggs, so at least I don't have to go through the stimulation process again. We will see. For now, I am just concentrating on getting through this stage as best as possible.

Hi to everyone else!

 

[Wish2BMom]

What are these intralipid thingies? 2 hrs?? do tell!

so exciting with everyone starting different things!

welcome, em - quite a journey you've had for the last 9+ yrs. My hat is off to you - TTC'ing is hard enough, let alone throwing cancer in the mix. Twice! Congrats for beating the crap out of it.

psalm - that's really interesting about freezing. At least you're able to save the eggs, that's good.

Hope - good luck with your scratch and I hope you enjoy acupuncture. I haven't thought of trying that one yet.

christie - I did assisted hatching last time and it worked. I'm all for every little thing they can do to help me get pregnant!

BMW - that's awesome that you love your RE! I love mine too, but more the nurses in the whole process. I don't see my actual RE as often as them.

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a great weekend!

 

[Renaendel]

Welcome Em260. You are in like company. I had melanoma (genetic not from sun exposure) ten years ago and a minor recurrence 8. It is amazing how doable everything seems after going through cancer. I will get you added to the front page. We are going to make this happen.

Wish2bmom, happy Friday to you too. One week down, one closer to seeing our embies on the monitor.

Psalm, how interesting that you can't freeze embryos. It must be a religious based law. They tried to pass a similar anti ivf law here last congressional session. It passed the house and the senate just let it die. I am so glad because we do hope to freeze.

Hope, good luck for your endo scratch. I hope it isn't too uncomfortable for you. At least you can go in knowing you did everything you could.

My clinic offers it, but only if they believe it could be a problem. They want the eggs back in you as soon as they know the potentially viable ones.

Beneathmywing, I am so happy you are starting. I am glad you get intralipids. My doc won't even test for nk cells until I have failed uterine cycles. I am just given steroroids through retrieval and transfer for my AI. Here is hoping that that and my EPA work. I would hate to pay out all this money to find out I needed a scratch and il to make it work.

Crystal, cG, and everyone else happy weekend.

Afm, still anxiously waiting my Counsyl results. The scratch and Intralipids thing is bothering me more. I mean it would be wonderful if there wasn't an issue. All my recorded losses have been ectopic but I still had plenty of day 10-12 faint lines that never got darker and went away come my period. They were never blood tested so I have no proof that it happened. It makes me wonder. She thinks the steroroids will be good enough and they have outstanding rates. Why is it so hard to trust in the process?

 

[crystal8]

Welcome Em260. You are in like company. I had melanoma (genetic not from sun exposure) ten years ago and a minor recurrence 8. It is amazing how doable everything seems after going through cancer. I will get you added to the front page. We are going to make this happen.

Wish2bmom, happy Friday to you too. One week down, one closer to seeing our embies on the monitor.

Psalm, how interesting that you can't freeze embryos. It must be a religious based law. They tried to pass a similar anti ivf law here last congressional session. It passed the house and the senate just let it die. I am so glad because we do hope to freeze.

Hope, good luck for your endo scratch. I hope it isn't too uncomfortable for you. At least you can go in knowing you did everything you could.

My clinic offers it, but only if they believe it could be a problem. They want the eggs back in you as soon as they know the potentially viable ones.

Beneathmywing, I am so happy you are starting. I am glad you get intralipids. My doc won't even test for nk cells until I have failed uterine cycles. I am just given steroroids through retrieval and transfer for my AI. Here is hoping that that and my EPA work. I would hate to pay out all this money to find out I needed a scratch and il to make it work.

Crystal, cG, and everyone else happy weekend.

Afm, still anxiously waiting my Counsyl results. The scratch and Intralipids thing is bothering me more. I mean it would be wonderful if there wasn't an issue. All my recorded losses have been ectopic but I still had plenty of day 10-12 faint lines that never got darker and went away come my period. They were never blood tested so I have no proof that it happened. It makes me wonder. She thinks the steroroids will be good enough and they have outstanding rates. Why is it so hard to trust in the process?

I think it is hard to trust because so much of it feels like they are guessing. Educated guesses to be sure but there is still so much they don't understand and don't agree on. FX this is what you need and it works for you.

 

[Dizzy dolly]

Just been catching up on what I've missed welcome to our new ladies xxx happy weekend guys anyone got any exciting plans ? We're car shopping tomoz hubby's cars on point of giving up so we're getting rid quick haha

I'm more in the north of England near Leeds not too far from York x York is a beautiful city deffo a place t visit xxx

 

[crystal8]

I've started my Femara cycle and been tentatively given the go ahead to do estrace after ovulation this cycle to prime for ivf next cycle.
I'm hoping I actually ovulate on time this cycle and with no cysts.

Plans for the weekend include watching the opening ceremonies for the Pan Am games tonight while eating take out sushi. Then tomorrow going to visit my dad for his birthday. Nothing too exciting.

 

[Cowgirl07]

Hi new ladies!!
Plans for me include working and phone shopping

 

[Christie2011]

Hi new ladies!!
Plans for me include working and phone shopping

I went phone shopping last weekend. Still getting used to my new one. I will be painting this weekend. Part of my sell my house plan.

 

[beneathmywing]

Em -- Welcome! So sorry to hear about the cancer. Good luck this cycle!!

Hopethisyear -- Tuesday will be here before you know it!!!

Psalm -- Can't wait to hear all about the intralipids!!! Crazy how you cant freeze embies in Dubai!!

Wish2bemom -- Intralipids is an IVF infusion done a week or so before transfer that they believe will help your immune system not fight off the embryo. It's done for people with elevated NK cells. It's still fairly new and not may doctor believe or even test immunity. My doctor is a big believer, so hoping it does the trick for me!

I see my RE every visit, which is what I love the most!!!

Renaendel -- Keeping my FX for you that steroids will be what you need!!!

Dizzy -- Have fun car shopping! I have my brother-in-law's 40th bday party tomorrow so I will be at my sisters most of the weekend.

Sorry if I missed anyone. Have an awesome weekend everyone! I will be throwing alcohol drinks over my shoulder while no one is looking at the bday party so no one asks why I am not drinking

 

[Psalm23v6]

Ren - you are exactly right. It is a religious law based on not being able to confirm the parentage of the embryo so it is banned here. Trying not to focus on that and just hoping we have enough healthy and strong embies to transfer. So sorry to hear all you have been through! Gosh what a strong group of ladies we have here!

Crystal - I know what you mean about educated guessing! The first time around when the IVF didn't work the dr in NY literally said, yes we have no idea why it didn't work. You had great this and that but it just didn't work. I understand that they can't know everything but I was disappointed in his answer. Happy to have a new clinic and new dr that seems to be willing to try much more!

Cowgirl - good luck phone shopping. Do you know what you want? Since I was converted to iPhone a few years ago I have t had anything else.

BMW - enjoy the weekend at your BIL's birthday. I haven't yet had the issue of throwing a drink away. It's the month of Ramadan here so we can't eat or drink in public during the sunlight hours and then going out for dinner, there are places that won't serve alcohol. I keep thinking of saying "I am driving" so can't drink.

Christie - good luck with the house painting!

Dizzy - nice to hear from you. Hope all is well in sunny England.

AFM - we are about to do our second Cetrotide injection. (Yay) and then we are going over to our friends house for breakfast. She is pregnant with her second and is due in September, so it's hard some times to hang out given that they sneezed on each other twice and got pregnant, but she is a super friend. This is the second day of our weekend - our first being Friday - so we had a busy day yesterday at church and then cooking for our friends who came over for dinner. Hoping for a relax this afternoon!!

 

[Hopethisyear]

Psalm - That is really interesting that you can not freeze embryos. Have fun at your friends.

Ren - You should still be able to do the scratch the cycle before you do your ER. It's usually done around cd 21 the cycle before your IVF. I would have done it before I did my ER if I wasn't doing PGD hence FET. Did you ask you doctor about it? As for NK & intralipids, I feel the same as you. I asked my dr and he said you can never have to many NK cells and doesn't test for them. I've had so many 10-12dpo positives that turn into AF, I so fear an implantation issue and am hoping just the steroids work too. It's so hard not to second guess our dr.

Dizzy - have fun car shopping! any type in mind?

Crystal - good luck with Femara

AFM - I had my endometrial biopsy (boo!!!) and acupuncture (yay!!!!) today. (If you want details they are in my journal) Glad the first is over and can't wait to do the second again on Monday. My new diet per my acupuncturist is no sugar, caffeine, alcohol, dairy, wheat, spicy food, raw food, or items colder than room temperature. I've pretty much been doing this for the last few months but am bummed to give up my morning smoothies and lunch salads. Excited for the weekend though, we are hiking the waterfalls, playing paintball and doing a couple dinners with friends.