Support thread for ladies who have had 3+ failed IVF cycles

[bubumaci]

That's so bad It is good, that there are more good nurses than bad ones - but it only takes one bad one to do some real damage. That is the thing about these professions (which are seriously underpaid) ... If I make a mistake in my quarter end report ... I'll just correct it and no worries. In the medical profession, if you make a mistake, it can cost - worst case - someone their life!

 

[Sandy83]

Morning Ladies

How is everyone doing? It's gone all quiet on here

Bubmaci, Have you had any scans lately? Any updates?

Dovkav, How's the IUI going have you tested etc?

Unlucky, How you doing?

Hope all you other ladies are ok haven't heard from you in a while xx

 

[bubumaci]

Hi Sandy
It is very quiet, isn't it!
I am doing well, thank you! Had an appointment (together with DH) at my gynaecologist on Friday. Received my Mutterpass (the document we get here in Germany, containing everything about the pregnancy and should be kept with you the whole time) and we did get to see Pünktchen again Heart was beating away, and now that it is a teeny bit bigger, could really see it bang in the middle. Pünktchen had grown and was 1,18cm (measuring a day shorter than a week before), but doctor said that was nothing to worry about.
No struggles with the pregnancy so far - other than overwhelming tiredness. Have become slightly queasy on one our two occasions, but no dreaded morning sickness. Still peeing frequently. Breasts don't seem to be doing anything yet, the tenderness is only slight.
Here, a piccie from Friday

Dovkav - weren't you going to test today?

How are you and DH, Sandy?

Here, a piccie from Friday

Jo, how are you?

Clare, Sarah - where are you?????

 

[Sandy83]

Bubmaci, Love the pic glad to here everything is going well with a nice strong heartbeat

We are doing good, DH has been a lot better after this dose of Chemo and is actually going to work today and hopefully for the rest of the week if he is feeling up to it. Think he is just wanting a bit of normality at the moment. We are at the specialist today to talk about his donor stem cell transplant then got bloods this week and just wait for the phone call to say he is back in for 3rd treatment xx

 

[bubumaci]

That is great that DH is doing better! Do let us know how the meeting with the specialist today goes! xx

 

[dovkav123]

BFN today. I tested with a clear digital. Today is 2-3 days before my AF. The test was 96% accurate. I am out ladies.
My hubby wants to do again IUI. BUT I say NO MORE!
Now it is a time to decide about about dna fragm test. It could be ready by next IVF next month. Should we do it?
My hubby decreased his alcochol intake and I am loading him with antioxidnats.
If we have a bad sperm, what will it change?
Will we skip IVF?
Will we increase antioxidants?
Will we wait for 2 more months sperm to heal?

Sandy, I am sending blessings to your husband. Stem cell transplant is a huge medical discovery. It can treat many conditions. I hope and pray you'll find a donor soon!

bubumaci for a growing punktchen!

 

[Northernmonke]

Dovkav - YES do the DNA frag test, finally when we got told to do ours they said to do IMSI and hey presto, pregnant with twins and 2 in the freezer! Hubbys results were 34% bad by the way. x

 

[bubumaci]

Hi Dovkav - I agree with Northernmonke. It is much better to get a definitive answer than to suppose / wonder. At times, you have said his fragmentation is bad, at others, that his sperm are good ... You won't know, unless you get it tested. Due to the fact that he has such a lot of sperm, you really would be perfect candidates for IMSI, like NM says I am so sorry, that this IUI seems to have failed again!!

 

[Sandy83]

Dovkav, Sorry to hear IUI didn't work. I would love to give you advice on DNA frag but unfortunately me knowledge is limited on this but sounds like the other ladies have gave you good advice and Northern's experience with it seems to have been positive sending you lots of

Will update you ladies after the appointment xx

 

[Sandy83]

Well ladies had appointment yesterday and they didn't tell us anything new from what we already knew but went through the risks and % of successful transplant etc. Think it is all becoming real now! Was able to push it to the back of my mind before but the truth is DH has a 50% chance of surviving this which is becoming very scary!!!!!!

Why is life so damn hard for some people!!!!!

 

[bubumaci]

Oh Sandy! That is such a scary statistic! Is that what they have said? What exactly would the transplant involve?
I can't find the right words! Only wishing, praying, that you are in the 50% who survive category and much much strength going through this!

 

[Sandy83]

The transplant is a simple process where they kill off his full immune system with Chemo then replace it with a donor stem cells but there are so many risk the statistics are

10% mortality
40% of relapse within 2/3 years
50% of survival which can have potential possible side affect of Graft versus host disease which can be from mild to chronic stages or can have a full cure.

 

[dovkav123]

Fight that! Sandy
Do everything you possible can. He is a strong man, he'll make it!
You're in my prayers.

Thank you for a support, ladies. You are the best. I did call the clinic about a sperm dna test.

Congrats, bubmaci with a new preggo journal

 

[bubumaci]

Sandy, those really are frightening statistics ... I really pray, that you fall into the very upper part of that 50%!! Do they have reasons to anticipate which patient will fall into which category? Can they give you better chances?

Dovkav - what did the clinic say?

 

[Sandy83]

Thanks for your kind words ladies, it's greatly appreciated We are looking on the positive side as best we can and just taking one step at a time as there are still a lot of hurdles to get over before the transplant. xx

 

[Unlucky41]

Hi All have been missing due to working very long hours!

Sandy I am so sorry definitely keep you in my prayers but I agree with the others give your husband a reason to live and he will fight bad the bad cells. When do you get to know that the treatment is working ?

If it does relapse what would the options be then ? So sorry to hear this Sandy

Dovkav so sorry to hear that your last IUI didn't work have you worked out what your next steps are going to be now. Really do hope you get some good news real soon

Bub love your story

 

[Sandy83]

Well he will get a PET scan in the next week or 2 to assess if the chemo is working and then he really needs to be in remission after the 6 doses of chemo to have the best chance of recovering from the transplant. He should finish chemo about May/June time then straight on to transplant which he will be in hospital for a month and once he is released he should be out of immediate danger but within 2 years is the most cruical time for a relapse etc. With going through the donor transplant they do have more options open to them if he does relapse but haven't gone into full details about that yet xx

 

[bubumaci]

That is a pretty tough schedule!
Is the transplant giving him new stem cells? Or what does it entail?
How is he coping with the chemo? I really hope it is doing its job and killing off the cancer cells!!!!

I really am keeping my fingers tightly crossed for you guys!

 

[Sandy83]

Yeah the transplant is to give him donor stem cells so they will do an intense chemo treatment prior to the transplant to kill off his bone marrow and immune system hopefully eradicating the cancer cells then give him the donor stem cells to start producing a new immune system and bone marrow the procedure of replacing the stem cells takes about 1-2 hours but the chance of infection is extremely high which is why he is in hospital for a month as if his body is going to cause complications with the transplant it will do in the first 2-4 weeks.

He is coping with this dose of chemo really well, he has went back to work this week and he is a MET fitter with in a body shop for cars which is a really manual job so is coping extremely well at the moment xx

 

[dovkav123]

We are doing dna sperm test on Monday.
I have checked his sperm papers and found out that the first test almost a year ago was the best one. 19% morfology and super high volume and perfect motility. Last few months his morfology was 10-5% and motility on the low nr. He had a very stressful time, his dad was sick, we went from hospital to hospital.... we had little sex, little vitamins and lots of coffee.
March test was much better with morfology 20% and 30%motility. l am glad his nr improved. We expect good dna results.
Loads of vitamins and sex seems to help.
If we have high dna fragm, I'll look for a clinic who does IMSI and do the full stim IVF. There is a treatment. My RE denies it.