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Sara and BullieJ
FS suggested down reg for my next cycle, I didnt want to, as I cant tolerate the "pill". So I am moving into a Flare when AF arrives. We are going with the Prog Supp instead of crinone, what are you using after transfer Bullie.... I have just had the BT for DHEA - have you guys had the BT ?
Julie: FS's have a lot to answer for when they bombard us with negative info right before a procedure. I am starting to think MIVF holds back on TOO much info .....
I'm using crinone which I've used before - I seemed to do OK with it.
I didn't know you could have a BT for DHEA. Did your FS do this for you? Are they looking for a certain DHEA level? If you don't have that level, what next - will your FS prescribe the compound form of DHEA? or do you have another dr lined up for that?
I take it that you too have learned things well after the fact...I find this very irksome!
Yes, after my last negative IVF, I spent 45 minutes discussing every test I have ever read about on BB, my latest round of BT's are for Testosterone, Urea & Electrolytes, DHEAS & Anti Andrenal Antibodies.
Bullie, I am sure another BB member is currently waiting for DHEAS results as well, they take a few weeks to come back, and I guess we will go from there. FS did mention she would allow me to test as I have Graves Disease, and that is in the andrenal family, so warrented the BT.
Met a lady today who had successfull IVF, and a friend she met on another forum is 42 and had TRIPLETS !!!! This is our year girls
Buliej - sorry only 2 eggies but hopefully both will bcome perfect little embies for you.
I would be REALLY peeved if I had found out that detail after the fact. Totally changes how you felt about that cycle. Lack of fertilisation is actually an easier problem to fix and you may have been less anxious going into this one!
Buliej &WLAB Yep, that's me, Iam waiting for the DHEA results which will probably take another two weeks. FS said they don't actually take that long but she thinks they do then only now and then in batches. I guess by the time the results come back WTH will be back and we can ask her how to get the DHEA.
Heard on TV today that a quarter of all first time mums are 40 and over - sounded much higher than I had expected but looks like there is much more hope than I thought.
WLAB: when will you start your next cycle? TRIPLETS oops sounds great your instand family :D - did you hear about the octuplets in America last week, was aparently IVF as well and she already had six, can you imagine?
Buliej: Keeping fingers crossed for your fertilisation results tomorrow - will you do a day 3 transfer?
Just on the internet to buy tickets for the 2020 Cricket bushfire appeal game next Sunday in the SCG.
Sara
Merdith, sorry posted at the same time - how are you going hun?
Sara
This is a very sooky all about me post. Neither of the 2 eggs made it - one wasn't even good enough to fertilize and the other fertilized after ICSI but then turned abnormal. I'm so upset. I have a sore stomach that's bruised from the shots and not even a small chance of a baby. I am not sure what is next - our FS wants us to come in to meet with her to discuss. Maybe it's DHEA?? but I already know from talking to her that she doesn't believe it this so I'd have to find another dr to prescribe it and take it on my own. If anyone has a Melbourne Dr that has done this, please PM me.
Buliej :hug: I am so sorry, you must be shattered, it's just awful to go through the whole process and then don't have an embie to transfer as I know from my own experience.
Thinking about you - please disregard any of the below if it does not make sense to you, don't want to inturde but just thought I tell you my thoughts.
Looking at your signature it looks like you never did a normal downregulated cycle - did you ask your FS why that is?
Also wondering if you DH ever did a Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA) test? It tests for DNA fragmentation, my DP had big problems with that but it looks to us as if t we got it under control with Menevit and a change in diet.
Also wondering if you want to consider changing FS and or clinic, it sounds strange to me that your clinic does not do any BT during the Cycle, maybe you need someone who does some closer monitoring?
I am thinking that I'll probably change FS if my current cycle does not work and my FS does not come up with a solution that makes sense to me as it can't hurt to get a second opinion and I don't have any time to waste.
About the DHEA I think your GP could prescribe it as well.
Sara
Thanks Sara.
No - I never did a down regulated cycle. We are meeting with FS on Monday to talk about next steps which she said will involve discussing cycle types. She (the FS) did say that based on what the lab has seen, they really believe it is an egg quality issue - not a sperm issue - but I can ask about that. During this cycle, I did have a BT - to make sure I did not have the surge to indicate ovulation prior to pick up - but didn't have any others. I'm not sure whether they would matter though - are there any BTs during the cycle that tell you anything about the eggs?
Interesting about the GP and DHEA - I might go down that path - I didn't even think of that.
I don't have much experience with this, but I remember that I had a low LH level which was found through the BT, that's why I also had Pregnyl shots next to FSH and Orgalutran - WTH said something about those levels in an earlier post and she seemed to think that the Pregnyl would help to improve egg quality.
Sara
BullieJ - I PM'd you to say how sorry I am for not getting to transfer. Our clinic does do the full down reg, initialy my FS said "no" to taking the pill, b/c of my age, then this cycle she offerered it. I think they try a few cycles to see which ones work best.
BT wise: Sydney girls seem to have a lot of BT's for E during a cycle, and we dont. I forgot to ask why though
Sara: I am hoping AF doesnt arrive on the 1st March, if it does, I will commence a Flare Cycle then, I am hoping for a natural positive ...
OHHH it can take forever to log on some nights...
My endo rang me tonight with my latest BT results, all are within the normal ranges, including DHEA, I thought I would mention this for you Julie, so if you ask for the BT on Monday, the results wont be too fat away, my dhea was 6.2 .. if you feel like asking for the test
Will be interested to hear when your results come in Sara
Hi girls,
Sorry frantic at work so wasn't able to log on.
WLAB - that is interesting, do you know what the normal range is and does the normal range depend on your age? I think whatever my results will be I do it anyway, don't have much time left so will give it a try. Keeping fingers crosssed that AF stays away for you.
Buliej - good luck for the meeting with your FS, I hope she will give you some answers - do you already have an appointment?
Meredith - hope you're well.
CP - :hug:
WTH - hope you have a great holiday.
:hello: Kel
Sara
Hi Sara : I dont know any thing at all at this stage re the dhea, fs has gone on a week holidays, and the endo will send me a copy in the mail, so I will let you know what the path company writes, and if I can figure it out ..
Hi to everyone
Hi
My FS appointment is on Monday. I also just booked in with a dr who specializes in hormones and I know uses DHEA. I called a large compounding chemist in Melbourne and asked them if they knew of any Doctors who prescribe DHEA for fertility treatment with older women. And I got a name. Luckily, they had a cancellation on Tuesday - otherwise it would have been a month's wait. I suspect that I'll have a lot of blood tests for things that my FS hasn't tested for as he'll be much more focused on hormone levels etc than she seems to be. This is the only thing that gives me a glimmer of hope since Tuesday...at least I feel like I'm doing something to give us a better chance.
I hope things are good with all of you - I'm a bit of a downer these days.
Hi Buliej,
That sounds good that you were able to get in already next Tuesday, also great that it is a doctor who specilises. Very much hope it will give you some answers. Don't feel you have to excuse yourself for not being very positive right now, it's very much understandable, take your time and take care of yourself.
WLAB: Hope things are okay with you, would be great if you could let me know when you find out more about the DHEA.
Nothing new from me, still waiting for AF.
Sara
Sorry I haven't been in to support you guys lately. Things not doing so great here. My hormone levels are fine (but always are), yet started bleeding heavily and cramping today. This is almost exactly the same time my last pg went haywire so not holding out much hope.
I have never m/c naturally so i m sure there is still something in there but based on prior experience, it will probably die within the next week or so.
Just so gutted, I don't know what to feel or where to turn next. getting pg is hard enough but keeping them seems impossible.
Meredith just popping in here to give you a squeeze! letting you know that i am thinking of you and hoping for the best x
Meredith - I posted to you in another thread....but I wanted to add here that I hope it isn't over and that it's just a scare.
Merideth : Thinking of you and your family today, and I pray everything is ok xx
Meredith, :hug: to you and lots of sticky vibes sending your way...
Meredith :hug: hope your embies hand in there and the hormone levels stay up.
AFM very stressed as FSH level at 13, have not yet decided if starting or not but getting there.
Sara
Sara - I am not sure of any comforting words to say about fs, as I dont know too much about it, I hope everything is ok .. hugs
BullieJ - I hope FS has positive and productive suggestions for you tommorow at your appointment, will be thinking of you
Just returned from my FS appointment - not the greatest. She is trying one last protocol with the hope of getting 1 or 2 good eggs. I guess the plus side is it is injection free - I'll just be taking clomid to see if we can get my body to create a good one on its own (the idea being that my body will be 100% responsible for picking the best egg to grow for that cycle). The risk is ovulation prior to retrieval as I will be taking nothing to stop it (because she doesn't want any drugs interfering with the natural cycle). She did say if we don't get a good one from this she's going to be fairly pessimistic about proceeding without donor eggs. DH and I were so not prepared to hear that. I am holding out hope for tomorrow's appointment with the medical (non-FS) Dr who uses DHEA to treat some patients. I don't even know if he would be willing to work with me on this - or if he has ever prescribed DHEA for someone with fertility issues. Our last resort would be to take our file to NY for a consult. I don't think we can afford (both $-wise and holiday time-wise) to do a full cycle with a NY dr paying NY prices in US$'s! - but we are willing to spend the $ for someone to review our file and provide advice like for an hour consult or something if they are willing to do so.
So all & all - not good news - but not surprising. I think I'm in a bit of shock.
Buliej: so sorry to hear that, it's always a shock to get bad news. Really hope that the new protocol will work for your and that tomorrow's appointment will be better.
What I don't understand is that it seemed to me your very first cycle late last year had quite a good result if you even got a frostie, so why is she now completely pessimistic?
Is there any other FS in AUstralia that you've considered - maybe theres someone out there who has more experience with yoru specific situation than your FS?
Sara
She's pessimistic because she thinks that there are very few good eggs in there - she thinks that the bad cycles were more representative of the state of my eggs than the 1 good cycle.
We would think of other FS in Aus ... but I don't know where to start. Do you know if anyone from Melb has gone to Sydney? is this covered the same under Medicare as the Melb treatments. I think one of the reasons we'd somewhat "rush" to NY if things go pear-shaped is that the ticking biological clock can't get any louder - I feel like every month is so important. In fact, my FS recommended not waiting a month to start this clomid thing as she too thinks every month counts at this point.
All that being said I'd be very interested in hearing about any IVF clinics in Australia who really have expertise with older women. I'm not sure where to post this...maybe I'll start a thread in one of the more general sections.
Sara - I am really sorry to hear of your FSH levels. What does your FS think? I am pretty sure I have heard ladies on BB with higher FSH levels go on to have good egg numbers.
Buliej - Oh what a horrible shock! I guess your FS is just trying to be realistic but it would be nice to have some more optimism in there. I do think trying a more "natural" approach is certainly worth a go. I have a very good GF who did 8 yrs of IVF without a hint of HCG on any cycle. She also had very poor egg numbers no matter how high a dose of FSH she was on. Never got frosties. Her last cycle, she was told she would have to go the donor egg option. She decided to have some time off to consider things. Started doing acupuncture only. She did always cycle quite regularly on her own so obviously had at least one egg each mth. I am pleased to say she is now the mum of a 3yr old and a 1yr old both concievead without any ART or really trying that hard.She is 40yrs old. I know these miracle stories can sometimes make you think "that would never be me" but it does point out that the Drs are NOT always right and all the IVF drugs may not be the greatest solution to every woman.
Whilst you still have some eggs then there is still hope darl.
I would also defnitely consider a 2nd opinion even within Melb. I know my FS ( with Monash IVF) thinks i am "very young" in IVF terms ( i'll be 38 this yr). She is also very open to try anything and everything if it might work.
PM me if you want to know her details
AFM - the rollercoaster continues. Bleeding and pain eased off yesterday and early this morning i felt a bit more positive. Went to clinic as was due BT anyway. As soon as i got there, was hit with horrific pain and HEAVY bleeding again. Got a scan straight away. Twins again!! They both had HB and both measuring on track at 6w. No sign of where bleeding/pain coming from but can be hard to tell when its only just started. Obviously I am happy to still have some hope but still very, very scared about how long this will last. My last pg was almost exactly the same at first scan but 1 week later they just couldn't survive a massive bleed.
Meredith - this is such a rollercoaster for you :hug: But a positive result is something to focus on. Hoping that those two little heartbeats continue to get stronger.
Thanks Meredith - I too have heard stories (and I think Sayata (is that the right user name) is one of the good stories). I am going to PM you for details of your FS. I posted to you in another thread, but I am thrilled to hear that you have seen 2 heartbeats. I can't imagine the anxiety and totally understand, but so long as the hearts are beating you are pregnant with twins. I am sending you the strongest sticky vibes and wishes for two H&Hs. Are they willing to let you come back weekly for scans just to put your mind at ease and monitor the bleed in case the source becomes visible?
Merideth : Is complete bed rest an option for you, I know Bel had heavy bleeding early on and she was ordered complete bed rest, and she is well and truelly into a H & H pregnancy. I was reading an "old" pregnancy book, last night and even they suggested complete bed rest at any sign of bleeding. Apart from that I cannot offer any other advice, a wonderful sight to see twins and their little hearts beating, try and rest up Merideth (Hugs)
BullieJ : What a day for you as well, I think you should ring the clinic that Gavin Sacks works out of in Sydney, he seems pretty up with different approaches, so they may have info in file to help. I know of some girls in America on a TTC thread, I will email them now to see if they have any answers, and you could make some phoen calls from there...Will pm you as soon as I hear.. Dont worry its not over for you, we will find a place to help you.
Hi to Sara - still waiting on Endo to email me results so I can help you with dhea results sweets, make sure you ask for a copy of yours as well, so we can compare differnent info we receive...
I was going to mention the same Meredith, like WLAB said, Bel had complete bed rest until 14/15 weeks and the bleeding was so scary for her as well but she is now truely in the safe zone with two cheeky little bubs. Hope this will be the same for you hun! :hug:
Julie, I am so sorry to hear FS's view, that would be a shock! I think 'second opion' would be in order. Instead of going all the way to NY, maybe Sydney is a lot more convenient! Hope the natural cycle will work a lot better. I always feel that it really depends on the person how this IVF thing works, drugs can work on some people like wonders but does nothing (maybe reverse effect) on some people. I have also started to realize I am probably not among those lucky ones. Everything seems perfect but it just doesn't work for me. So I will be very interested to see how this cycle work it out for you.
That's right - Bel stayed in bed and is now doing fine. I remember how scared she was at the time.
I will google Dr Sacks - I've seen his name on BB - mostly associated with implementation and m/c issues, but he sounds like he really knows his stuff and maybe make a trip up to Sydney (Sydney is really easy for me because we have an office there and I wouldn't even have to take off a day of work).
CP - I will definitely be posting as I move into the next cycle - right now, still waiting for AF - she's not due for a week. I agree about the drugs - especially since my FSH levels haven't been that bad for my age (6.6 this last cycle - they bounce around a bit, but my highest was 9.7 and the one other one I had was in the 7's).
Meredith: two heartbeats - that's brillant, can understand that you're anxious and would also suggest what others have said earlier.
Buliej: you know what you're saying about the FSH makes me really doubt on how much meaning the levels actually have. Agree with you that second opinion is a really good idea, great that it's easy for you to go up to Sydney, let me know how this goes as I am also thinking about changing FS.
CP: how did your meeting go?
Sara
Hi girls,
Now talked to my FS, and have decided to wait for a month feeling much better with this. She thinks that my FSH is probably going to come down next month, since she is usually pessimistic, it reliefs me greatly.
My DHEA results cam back and my levels are slightly below what they should be at 7 (apparently they should be in between 7.9 and 57 - WLAB this is DHEA, my FS says it's the first time she has seen actually DHEA results usually they get DHEAS), so she said she'll fax the script to the pharmacy and I've already talked to them to pick it up tomorrow.
Kel: we may be going together next month.
Sara
Glad you made the decision Sara...and thanks for remembering the meeting...it actually went really well, I was stressing myself yesterday about what to say and half of my speech didn't get used. The director is happy to talk to MD about 4 days a week for me so we will see...;)
CP: that is good news. GL with FS appointment today.
Sara
Hi everyone,
Sorry I've been AWOL; I've had a bit of the doldrums for the last few weeks. The Pill has knocked me around a bit this time as far as my emotions are concerned.
Meredith: I am so sorry that things aren't running smoothly for you. I pray that your TWO little ones are alright. Is full bed rest an option for you?
Julie: I got a second opinion after the debacle with our last FS (FS2), and went to see Dr. David Molloy at QFG; he used to be the Director of the Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association, and has one of the highest IVF live birth rates in Australia (his pregnancy rate is more than 47%). Sydney IVF is apparently statistically the most successful IVF clinic in Australia, though, and much more convenient to you.
Sara: Cycle buddies again, it would seem. :) What's the difference between DHEA and DHEA-S? My DHEA-S levels were low (2.8 umol/L, normal range 2.7-9.2 umol/L), especially for my age; what is the implication on fertility?
AFM, still waiting for appointment with FS on the ninth. At least it's less than two weeks away now. My DH is going to be away for two months from the 21st of next month so we're going to have to use a frozen semen sample; has anyone else done this?
Hi to everyone I missed.
Meredith: Hang in there honey, you can only look after yourself and your 2 munchkins, and unfortunately the rest is out of your control. Sucks hey :pray:
ATM: No results in yet, hopefully should be within a couple of weeks. Feeling pretty crap today DH and I had our first argument (5 years) last night. He was trying to teach my DD 15 maths and of course it ended with him getting annoyed and her in tears. I honestly believe that parents should never try to teach their kids anything.
Hi Girls,
Kel: nice to hear from you I was a bit concerned about you. I am absolutely not the expert in terms of DHEA, my doctor was surprised that she got a result for DHEA for me she said it's the first time she has seen it before she only got DHEAS results - if my DHEAS result would have been low she would have put me on DHEA as she has now done. Ia mnot sure if you want to consider it as an option, you have much more time as you are younger. I am at a stage where I try anything as my next option would have to be egg donor and I dont really want to take that step now.
WLAB: Saw your question in the other thread: DHEA is a steriod, it's supposed to increase egg numbers and quality, for me it's numbers game so really hope it works. It has side effects my doctor meniton possibility of facial hair and deeper voice, ther phamacist talked about tummy upset, so basically it's a big gun. It also is not proven as there haven't been any double blind studies, google it and you'll find info on American IVF sites - aparently they use a much higher does in the US then here, I am using 25mg twice daily. It's also know as a youth hormone.....
Lisa: Good to hear from you, hope the results come soon.
Meredith :hug: hope things are going okay
CP: How was your FS appointment?
Buliej: have send you a PM.
AFM have now started the DHEA, also will go sailing this weekend, have a massage next weekend and go to a health resort the weekend after, then starting Acupuncture again and trying to do lots of exercise and meditation in between - really hope this all will help.....
Sara