BDT- fab news on your great numbers, rising nicely! really happy for you. live it up and enjoy yourself over the next 8 months. Best of luck for your upcoming scan.
Loula- wishing you the best of luck at your next appt on thursday
Mollygirl- enjoy your cruise hun, sounds lovely.
M2C- great to see you here.
to everyone. Best of luck with the stages your all up to.
Hi everyone,
This post is for Bridget, so sorry to everyone to put all of this in here, but I can't PM Bridget. Here is my history and what I did:
Unexplained infertility
Oct 07 BTs Day 2 FSH level 12.
Nov 07 Cycle #1 IVF down reg FSH 225, overstimmed, 20+ follies, cycle cancelled at day 8 as E2 levels were 25,000
Feb 08 Cycle #2 IVF down reg FSH 125, overstimmed, 20 + follies, EPU only, E2 at day 12 was 22,000, 19 eggs retrieved, 15 fertilised all frozen Day 1
May 08 Cycle #3 FET HRT, 1 x Day 3, 6 cell embie with moderate fragmentation. BFN
Jun 08 Cycle #4 FET HRT, 2 x Day 3, 5 and 6 cell embies with moderate fragmentation. BFN
Jul/Aug 08 Cycle #5 FET HRT, 2 x Day 5, 7 cell embies with moderate fragmentation. BFN. Out of frosties, they all seemed to be slow growing with fragmentation, maybe crappy due to high E2 levels at EPU?
Sep/Oct 08 Cycle #6 IVF down reg FSH 75, upped to FSH 100, 19 follies, 12 eggs, 9 fertilised, 3 blasts, 2 transferred, 1 frozen. BFN
FS ordered implantation failure and immunological blood tests, all clear. Decided to try Colorado Protocol anyway.
Dec 08/Jan 09 Cycle #7 IVF down reg Colorado Protocol (Prednisone and Augmentin for 5 days from trigger) FSH 100, 20 follies, 16 eggs, 7 fertilised, 4 blasts, 2 transferred, 2 frozen. BFN
FS referred me to Dr Julie Lindstrom at City Fertility Brisbane as he felt he had done all he could for me.
Jan 09 Met Julie, some implantation failure blood tests missing, new tests done, tested positive for MTHFR. Now on low dose aspirin daily for life, mega folate (5mg) daily for life and high dose B6 and B12. Recommended Clexane from ET or from postive BT (I pushed Julie for Clexane from ET as I had never gotten to BFP before). Continued to take Prednisone while not cycling at 6.25mg per day (quarter tablet) in case of NK Cells (though tested neg on BT, I never did a biopsy but Julie was happy for me to continue). Also tested thyroid levels, TSH, T3 and T4, they were a little off so took thyroid support.
Mar 09 Cycle #8 FET natural, 2 x average blasts transferred, Clexane from ET. BFN
Apr 09 Cycle #9 IVF antagonist cycle FSH 75, too low, 3 lead follies, converted to IUI. BFN but low hcg 9 and prog levels high, possible chemical pregnancy. I had sneakily done Clexane every second day from O day, I think this might have made a difference. Julie hadn't recommeded Clexane as it was not an ET.
May/Jun 09 Cycle #10 IVF antagonist cycle FSH 100, 20+ follies, 23 eggs, 14 fertilised with assisted hatching, 3 blasts, 2 transferred (1 hatching blast rated 10/10, 1 early blast rated 7/10), 1 frozen. Clexane from night of EPU. BFP.
What did I do differently?
Low dose aspirin, mega folate, B6 and B12 for MTHFR
Clexane from night of EPU (my thought was that by a Day 5 ET, it was a little too late).
Prednisone - I had 25mg tablets, CD1 to trigger quarter tablet (6.25mg), from trigger for 5 days (full tablet 25mg), then from there half tablet (12.5mg - in previous cycles I had dropped back to 6.25mg) - I had been on Prednisone since Jan 09.
I did assisted hatching for the first time, I had previously never had a hatching blastie.
This was the only cycle that I did NOT use Embryo Glue
This was the only cycle that I did NOT do acupuncture the day of ET, I had 1 treatment the afternoon of the day after (weekly treatments in the lead up).
I stopped taking Sharkey's herbs in Feb 09 after being on them for two years.
And the only cycle I had no caffeine at all from from CD1
I think it was a combination of treating MTHFR for a few months, being on Prednisone for a while, starting Clexane from night of EPU (my FS had said day after EPU), low dose aspirin, getting my TSH levels right, and a nice hatching blast.
I did self medicate by staying on the Prednisone between my Dec/Jan cycle and meeting Julie, she was of the opinion that I could test for NK cells via biopsy, if positive would then be treated with Prednisone, as I had very little reaction to taking it, she was happy for me to continue regardless. I did sneakily do Clexane injections earlier than Julie recommended a couple of times , and I stayed on low dose aspirin for pretty much the entire time except for a few days before EPU.
I hope this helps, sorry for the long post, please note I don't recommend self medicating, but I was willing to push the boundaries a bit because of my history. There are risks with doing this. But if I have to do this again I will push for the exact same cycle. I wish you all the best. xx
Last edited by Baby Dreamtime; July 27th, 2009 at 01:30 PM.
: forgot something
Wouldloveabubba - i hope syneral is going well with no nasty side effects. Hoping that #4 will be the one for you.
Dutchie - thanks for the babydust and sticky vibes - we need it in here! Hope #4 is the one for you too.
mummy2chloe - hello happy sniffing and good luck with this cycle.
Samand poppy - I know someone who just had success with the Colorado Protocol and am hearing good things. Hoping it's just what you need to get your BFP.
Mollygirl - I am so jealous right now - have a blast on your cruise. Hope your body decides to play nice in the meantime.
Cuddlepie - for your upcoming cycle.
Loula - wishing you luck with your appointment tomorrow. I hope you hear news that will soon bring you your BFP. Will be thinking of you, let us know how you go?
Hi to everyone else, there are a few of us right now on breaks or waiting, extra hugs to us, it's hard when nothing is happening.
AFM - no TTC right now, which is strange for me, not sure how I'm feeling. I think I need this break though. Will meet with our FS sometime soon to talk about where we go from here and hopefully get a plan. Will probably hop back on the rollercoaster in about 2 months time. Will send DH to my chinese medicine man in the break - he thinks he can help us so we'll give it a good try. quietly chuffed that DH will have to drink foul tasting herbs instead of me for a change!
That's a great summary post BDT and thanks for puting it together, also good for the rest of us...
Just out of curiosity, how do you get the Presidison and Clexane? Does your FS prescribe it for you then you get it from chemist? How often does she have to issue the prescrition? Are they expensive? Thanks hun!
Hi CP, yes, my FS wrote the script for each, normally at the start of each cycle or when I had run out, and I would just fill it at the chemist (most have Clexane as a rule so no trouble getting it). The Prednisone was something like $20 for 25 tablets, which lasted quite a while they way I was doing it. For the Clexane I was on 20iu, it comes in boxes of 10 syringes and costs $32. Normally FS would write me 2 repeats (20 syringes) which would obviously get me past BT day.
Sorry everyone else - I haven't worked out how to PM yet. I'm trying to get my FS to agree to try prednisolone and clexane but haven't been successful yet.
Bridget, just mentally prepared that it will be a challenge. I love my FS for many things but he is on the 'non-believer' side, so there is no option for me. I have to wrap up and change to Dr S completely in order to seek treatment on NK cell...but again, if that can help me to get a BFP, the hassel is so worth it. Have you checked your NK levels?
infinity- hope things are well with you. A break from ivf and ttc can be a really good thing. I'm often having breaks (not always my choice) and I can appreciate them more now because it's a break from the hormones, general stress of IVF etc and it allows me to step back a bit, regroup and not get too focused on ttc, as it can become consuming. GL with DH and the chinese herbs, there's NO way I could get DP to take any of that kind of stuff, I have a hard enough time getting him to take a stinkin' multi- vit.
Bridget- I hope you are able to find someone who will listen and work with you. Stick with it though hun, I had to ask atleast 4-5 times before my clinic did my immunology testing but I've had them done now. Best of luck with it.
MsP- Enjoy your time away!
AFM- tests results today showed nothing other than ANA which I already knew I had. OB mentioned my result was quite high and advised me to take low dose aspirin starting from day of +ve BT. but I wonder whether I should start from the day of TF rather than wait until we have a +ve pg test. I'm going to do a bit of reading and see what I can find out. Any opinions very welcome.
What a relief Dutchie...well done hun! About the ANA issue, I am sure I read some thread here so definitely check it out, the earlier administration can make a difference and I hope know this issue is just one step closer to a BFP!
Ms Pink, have great fun my friend and you totally deserve it!
Registered User
to everyone. Best of luck with the stages your all up to.
, and I stayed on low dose aspirin for pretty much the entire time except for a few days before EPU.
happy sniffing and good luck with this cycle.
for your upcoming cycle.
other than ANA which I already knew I had. OB mentioned my result was quite high and advised me to take low dose aspirin starting from day of +ve BT.
but I wonder whether I should start from the day of TF rather than wait until we have a +ve pg test. I'm going to do a bit of reading and see what I can find out. Any opinions very welcome.
Bookmarks