Calling all April IVFs! - Page 3

[Seedlings]

Originally Posted by Kat's Mommy

Of course, this is Murphy's law working with (or is it against?) me. My DH has been dropping off DD at daycare every morning, while I wake up at the crack of dawn to be one of the first in line for blood work before I go to work.

Tomorrow, he needs to get into the office really early, so I will be dropping DD at daycare, then heading to the clinic. And of course, the clinic wants blood and ultrasound from me...

Murphy's Law...

How did everything go this morning? Everything ok with dd and your appointment? Hopefully you did not have to wait too long. I hope you follies are looking great.

I go in tomorrow for my baseline ivf appointment. So bloodwork and u/s then if all goes well I'll start 300 of follistim Friday night.

Here are the meds that were shipped to me; Follistim, Repronex, Ganirelix, Novarel (hcg), Progesterone (cottonseed oil), Medrol, and Doxycycline. What do you all think? It's my first ivf and I am an oldie at 38.

Good Luck everyone! Please keep us posted about everything

[Kat's Mommy]

How did everything go this morning? Everything ok with dd and your appointment?

I woke up at 5am to get ready, woke DD up at 6am, we were out of the house by 645am, and I arrived at the clinic 15 minutes after they opened. I was still "late" in that they had a rush of women arrive right before I did.

I'm back on 75 of puregon, and I need another ultrasound tomorrow.

I was told that I have 5 measurable follicles, but a lot more to come because of my PCOS.

Here's a question for y'all...
How many embryos will you transfer during this IVF cycle? I am undecided. I already have a DD, so ideally, I would like another child. I would never forgive myself, if I only transfered one embryo, and it did work, I would be kicking myself because I "should" have transfered two embryos.

This is my only chance. We don't have the $$ to have another cycle.

Thanks!

Seedlings - I think I'm on the same meds, but they have generic names...let me check at home tonight, and I'll write another post later.

[marly33]

Originally Posted by soulshine

i am triggering tonight! i thought i would be on stims for 3 more days, but things went faster than guestimated so, retrieval is on 4/4, transfer on 4/7.

after getting cancelled, i am so thankful to be 'here', to at least have the opportunity to try and see what happens!
we are doing ICSI and AH. i am just hoping there are healthy eggs in all the follicles, and that we get a great fertilization report, with stellar embryos for the transfer!! everything has to fall into place 'just so'. it really wracks the nerves, doesn't it?
i have been on the antagonist protocol and am really pleased with the results. i find it all very fascinating, the way the different hormones work with eachother. the follicle counts, E2, and lining have all cooperated nicely, and its hard to imagine that it wouldn't work, yet i am not getting too psyched up because it could just as easily not work. but, mind as well stay positive...

vwchick, jempd, seedlings, goblue, marly, perdita, kat's mommy !!
any updates? i'd love to hear about how you are all doing, what you're thinking, etc...

hi soulsunshine !!
I don't have much of an update but i have finished agestyn on tuesday im still on lupron i still havn't gotten AF when i finally get it i have to the IVF coordinator and let her know then they start me on Gonal-F for stimulation so im waiting I've never wanted myAF to like i do now to get started with stimulation Good luck and keep us informed

[VWChick]

Originally Posted by soulshine

vwchick, jempd, seedlings, goblue, marly, perdita, kat's mommy !!
any updates? i'd love to hear about how you are all doing, what you're thinking, etc...

I am here and fighting a case of what they think is OHSS. Since the clinic is so far away, I called in with my symptoms and they basically told me if I got worse to come in before Friday (tomorrow... my transfer day... ). They did call me in some Zofran for the extreme nausea I've had since ER and some pain killers because I have been simply miserable and unable to even move around. I also look like I am already three months preggo thanks to retaining the fluids. Major discomfort! I am hopeful it will all be worth it though!

[soulshine]

vwchick,
i hope you don't have to go in and you will start feeling better soon. can you tell me exactly what you are feeling?! when did you start noticing it? right after retrieval when you woke up? i am a little worried about ohss, too. my estrogen sounds pretty high (well, they said it was fine but from my online googling, well, i don't know...), i am assuming it went up more since yesterday... i wonder if they will check it again before the retrieval? did they check yours right before? i have also gained quite a bit of weight from the meds. its no picnic, that is for sure! i really hope you got nice and knocked up! thanks for checking in!

marly,
it took 3 days for me to get af after my pills stopped. and, the nurse told me i might not bleed at all. but, like you said, i really was wanting it to start! so ironic. you can probably expect it anyday, right?! you are almost to stims! hurray!

kat's mommy,
our clinic gets really backed up too. i got there 10 minutes early on early morning and still had to wait 15 minutes. they have alot they are juggling. at any given point, they have initial consults, then they have people like me, doing their scans, then retrievals, which seems to be the most important and the most time-consuming because of having to go under, and transfers, phonecalls, etc! i can't believe any of them remember my name.
as far as the transfer goes, depending on how many embryos we end up with, we are putting 3 back in. i am 38, and i guess my r.e has this little system she has come up with, to plug in the patients age, diagnosis, previous ivf's, whether or not the have been pregnant or have any children, etc etc. and 3 is what she offered for us. we don't have to put 3 back in, but she definately recommended to transfer at least 2. they are not a clinic that has great stats on s.e.t's, but are conservative in that they are trying to keep the multiple birth stats low, as i guess it bodes not well for their national stats. even twins count against this for the clinic. the chances of ending up with 3 or more are really really low. its this delicate balance of wanting it to work and doing whatever you can to stack the odds of success in your favor, but on the other hand, i don't think anyone really wants to end up pregnant with triplets, quads, etc. i would feel fine with twins, but really, one is what we are shooting for! so, i am hoping for some stellar embryos to transfer! i am not going o have 'a ton' of embryos to start with as i know pretty much how many eggs they will retrieve. we'll see! i'll keep you updated

seedlings,
your meds sound just like mine did! are you on an antagonist protocol?
i'll be thinking of you on friday! i hope you are nice and suppressed and can start your stims on schedule!! let us know! also, that poem was intense! thanks for posting it.

perdita,
well, i love that the starts are aligning for you! lets hope for a smooth continuance! what are you doing for meds again? i had 3 med-free days too after bcp. are you also on antagonist? thanks for the update... keep em'coming!

well, i have to slip in a recommendation for the 'anji' ivf relaxation cd. it was $20 or so online and it really is tailor-made for what we are all going thru. do any of you have/use it? i listened to it for the first time today (silly to have waited this long...) and i really loved it.

i have a sore butt and i am feeling bloated and tired. i hope this is because i am an egg-making machine! that trigger was, well, my a$$ hurts today! but in a good way

[VWChick]

Originally Posted by soulshine

vwchick,
i hope you don't have to go in and you will start feeling better soon. can you tell me exactly what you are feeling?! when did you start noticing it? right after retrieval when you woke up? i am a little worried about ohss, too. my estrogen sounds pretty high (well, they said it was fine but from my online googling, well, i don't know...), i am assuming it went up more since yesterday... i wonder if they will check it again before the retrieval? did they check yours right before? i have also gained quite a bit of weight from the meds. its no picnic, that is for sure! i really hope you got nice and knocked up! thanks for checking in!

About an hour after ER, I felt miserable and started puking. I vomited seven times that day. The next day I felt even worse (when I should have felt better) and then I started swelling.

Two days before my ER, my E2 levels skyrocketed (almost doubled in 24 hours). So, they only wanted me to do 75% of my trigger shot. Of course, I followed their directions. They retrieved 29 eggs from me and for the first couple of days after ER, the nurses just kept saying "yeah, the more eggs we get the more sore you'll be." Only after I didn't get better even after 3 days (and was actually getting worse) did they say it could be something else. But, I don't want them to delay transfer tomorrow. So, I am eating salty foods and drinking Gatorade (ick) because they suggested that both of those things would help.

[soulshine]

wow vwchick!! 29 eggs! that is awesome!
oh i am so sorry you got so sick. that sounds terrible! i think you just can't tell how each person is going to react, and what our bodies are going to decide to do at the last minute... did you know they were going to get so many eggs? forgive me, but how old are you?! i am 38 and i am getting the feedback that 8 eggs are 'great' for my age but i have to say i have this lingering desire to have gotten more than that...

i am nervous about tomorrow! i am so focused on the eggs that i forget that i am going to have to go under. i hope its all worthwhile.

i hope your transfer goes really smooth! are you feeling marginally better?
you'll be in my thoughts!

[VWChick]

Originally Posted by soulshine

wow vwchick!! 29 eggs! that is awesome!
oh i am so sorry you got so sick. that sounds terrible! i think you just can't tell how each person is going to react, and what our bodies are going to decide to do at the last minute... did you know they were going to get so many eggs? forgive me, but how old are you?! i am 38 and i am getting the feedback that 8 eggs are 'great' for my age but i have to say i have this lingering desire to have gotten more than that...

i am nervous about tomorrow! i am so focused on the eggs that i forget that i am going to have to go under. i hope its all worthwhile.

i hope your transfer goes really smooth! are you feeling marginally better?
you'll be in my thoughts!

I went in to ER thinking I only had 16 eggs. So needless to say, I was shocked when they woke me and said they got 29. I am almost 32 (in a month). We had to do ICSI so they choose 15 eggs to inject. 8 actually fertilized. Last I heard, we still had 8 embryos but I guess I will find out more this morning. I am actually glad to be going in because the swelling has gotten even worse overnight and now I can't even lie down flat because I feel like I can't breathe deeply enough. I know that's a big warning sign. So, we'll see what they say.

Best of luck on your retrieval! It will be over before you know it (literally). When they woke me up, I was actually perplexed and wondering who the strange woman was in my bedroom talking to me! LOL!

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

Originally Posted by Kat's Mommy

Here's a question for y'all...
How many embryos will you transfer during this IVF cycle? I am undecided. I already have a DD, so ideally, I would like another child. I would never forgive myself, if I only transfered one embryo, and it did work, I would be kicking myself because I "should" have transfered two embryos.

Two here. Two every cycle. I considered transferring just one last cycle, but in the end chose two. It is not my preference to have twins - I don't have the energy and have really enjoyed having a singleton. I worry about the pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding risks. But it's a risk I'll take to maximize our chances of pregnancy.

[jempd]

Originally Posted by Seedlings

Good luck tomorrow .

Thanks!

[Seedlings]

Originally Posted by soulshine

wow vwchick!! 29 eggs! that is awesome!
oh i am so sorry you got so sick. that sounds terrible! i think you just can't tell how each person is going to react, and what our bodies are going to decide to do at the last minute... did you know they were going to get so many eggs? forgive me, but how old are you?! i am 38 and i am getting the feedback that 8 eggs are 'great' for my age but i have to say i have this lingering desire to have gotten more than that...

i am nervous about tomorrow! i am so focused on the eggs that i forget that i am going to have to go under. i hope its all worthwhile.

i hope your transfer goes really smooth! are you feeling marginally better?
you'll be in my thoughts!

Soulshine - How are you doing today? Hope all went well post when you can.

[Seedlings]

Originally Posted by VWChick

I went in to ER thinking I only had 16 eggs. So needless to say, I was shocked when they woke me and said they got 29. I am almost 32 (in a month). We had to do ICSI so they choose 15 eggs to inject. 8 actually fertilized. Last I heard, we still had 8 embryos but I guess I will find out more this morning. I am actually glad to be going in because the swelling has gotten even worse overnight and now I can't even lie down flat because I feel like I can't breathe deeply enough. I know that's a big warning sign. So, we'll see what they say.

Best of luck on your retrieval! It will be over before you know it (literally). When they woke me up, I was actually perplexed and wondering who the strange woman was in my bedroom talking to me! LOL!

Wow, you got dealt a lot to deal with. Do you have ohss or is this a possbile reaction to the meds and everything going on? I am sorry to ask but I am just courious. I really hope your feeling better.

Having 8 that fertilized is great . Let us know how you are feeling, rest and take care. We are all here for you!

[Seedlings]

Just a quick update.

I start 300 units of Follistim tonight. Then my next appointment is 04/09.

Usually they do not review the bloodwork results. So out of curiosity I asked about my fsh (which was 5.2 in September) and it was 8.1. Ugh I know thats not good. I wonder why it went up. I'd like a nice 3.2 or something, 8.1 is too close to 10 which is what the doc does not want.

[soulshine]

seedlings,
hurray on starting the follistim! how did it go? have you used it before? (having problems remembering anything...sorry!) did you use that pen? are you excited?!
i wouldn't focus too much on your fsh # right now... it's under 10 and that's all that matters at this point! you can start visualizing that follistim helping your body make perfect follicles filled with perfect eggs... that will assist/support/compliment your ivf cycle in a much better way than worrying about a number. they will moniter you and adjust your stims accordingly to what your body needs this time, right now. i think i heard my fsh # and it went right over my head- i don't know if it was good or bad, high or low, but the r.e. wouldn't continue the cycle if they didn't feel there is a great chance that you would respond well. but i understand you worrying about it- its hard not to!! i guess what i am saying is that at this point, you mind as well focus your energy on supporting the process! do you have the anji cd? wow, that really helped calm me down and focus my thoughts on the phyical process, not the scary stats.

well, my retreival went really well. i got nervous that i was going to ovulate before they got my eggs! apparantly that only happens 1% of the time... but i ovulated thru the lupron and that happens like one in 3000 times! so i was relieved when it was over and i woke up from the procedure. i was also nervous about the procedure, but it went smoothly with no complications and the nurses and r.e and the embryologist were all nice. we retrieved more than i was expecting, so now we wait. i am supporsed to get a call today to check up on me, and to tell what's going on with our embryos!

this part really floors me! we have little conceptions growing like 10 miles down the road in a lab! one of them could be our son or daughter! blows my mind.

they told me to drink lots of water, v-8, & gatorade. a friend turned me on to young coconut water, which i found at whole foods, and it doesn't have sugar, and it has the same nutrients/electrolytes as gatorade (yuck). they said i could take xtra strength tylenol for any cramping, and to watch for signs of ohss. so far so good. i did gain a few lbs but i'm not sure when- i forgot to wiegh myself before the retreival, so i am keeping a close eye.

i had acupuncture appt. an hour before the retreival, and that was very helpful with keeping me relaxed, and i listened to part one of the anji cd in the waiting room. i am so glad that part is complete! i wans't sure if my body would cooperate and make eggs that grew and allow the r.e. to take them... but it happened!

so, enough about me me me...

vwchick, how are you? i am hoping that if it was ohss, they have you stable and it is managable. how are you feeling? did you go in to get checked? when is your transfer? was it yesterday? i really really hope you are doing alright...

jempd, how did things go for you?!

[crazyrunningmama]

I'm just : ing and waiting for AF so I can go for bw, start the process for us.

Much much : to you all.

[VWChick]

For me it was/is OHSS but they seem to think it will resolve itself within a week or so. We transferred two embryos yesterday. So, I am on my 48 hours rest. Still feeling pretty rotten from the OHSS too so I am going back to bed now. DP just made us a delicious dinner and has tried really hard around here. I so love him!

Glad everyone else is doing well and wish I felt like writing more now.... See you guys in a couple of days. Good luck to all!

[soulshine]

vwchick,
that is great news about your transfer! congratulations on getting to this point! and i am glad to hear you have a super dp. did they tell you to do anything special to help with the ohss symptoms? i'll be thinking of you.

[goblue]

Soulshine, have you gotten anymore news about your embryos?!?

VWchick, hope you are feeling a little better. At least your IVF journey is nearly over! That's gotta feel really great!

QUestion for both of you...how many days did you stim? I know it's different for every woman but I'm trying to get a gauge on what's average. I'm just starting lupron, but want to have somewhat of a sense of what this month will look like.

thanks ladies....I'm hoping and praying for both of you!!

[soulshine]

goblue,
i stimmed for a whopping 7 days, 5 w/ganirelix. i asked my nurse why so few days, as i was prepared for 10, which is what was scheduled in on my med calender. she said 7-10 days is the average. it totally depends on how your ovaries, etc are reacting to the meds. my friend who is cycling with me did 11 days of stims.

the preliminary report is this...
out of 15 eggs retrieved, 10 were mature enough,
we ICSI'ed all 10, and of the 10,
1 bombed, 2 pooped out, and 7 are still growing.

so, 7!!

nurse is calling tomorrow to give more specifics and give us the time for transfer on monday. i am nervous, somewhat relieved, worried, and really excited that there are these 7 little lovelies with my and my husband's dna growing in the lab! it is a miracle!

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

Wonderful news, Soulshine! Lots of embie-growing thoughts coming your way.

I start Suprefact (suppression) tomorrow morning. Enjoying my sanity while it lasts...