Any1 in 1st IVF Cycle???

[Chez67]

Hi Jo

Good to hear from you. Sorry I have been off-line for a while - we went away for the long weekend. That is a b*gger about your AF arriving yesterday and while you are still on the BCP as well!! My AF arrived about 2 days late but because she usually only visits for 2-3 days I was still okay for my first scan last Monday. All looked good - uterus lining of 2.2mm which is good apparently. So I started the GonalF injections on Monday morning and have my scan booked for next Monday when we will get a better indication of trigger and EPU dates. At the moment my body seems to be mostly co-operating. I am getting some sideaffects from the injections - sore boobs, headaches, fatigue and some ovulation twinges, so hopefully this is all a good sign. I am trying to keep busy with a new exercise routine and eating plan so that might be contributing a bit to my fatigue and headaches but it is keeping me distracted from the science of it all!

So where does this leave you now? Do you stop taking the BCP and let AF happen? I understand that you have been through some pretty cr*ppy stuff recently, so chin up hun, we are here for you :hugs:. Please send me an e-mail if you would like to chat more.

Cheryl xx

[Chez67]

Hi lovely ladies

Kimbe - glad to hear that your EPU went so well. Good luck for the transfer tomorrow. Maybe you will be one of the first time success stories?

Janie - hope your EPU went well also. Good luck with the rest of your journey.

My 2nd scan is next Monday from which the FS will determine trigger and EPU dates. At this stage we are hoping for an EPU later that week because my DF will be away the following week for work

To everyone else, hope you are coping okay with the meds etc and the routine. I am doing everything I can to distract myself from the process and the sideaffects - just trying to take one day at a time.

Talk to you all soon.
Cheryl

[Lenny]

Cheryl - everything sounds great! Good on you!
Your first follie scan will be exciting! Just to let you know you might have another one depending on how things go.

If you dont mind me asking what happened in your first attempt??? What does it mean now that AF came when it wanted to earlier that planned?

Hey Blayz - i don't mind you asking - We don't 100% know what the story is with me but I got 12 follies, 8 eggs, 6 mature, 4 fertilised and only one made it to day 2 and it was a really low grade with no expectation that it would implant. I am 30 with all my endo removed and i am fit and healthy with a BMI of 18 so i should ideally be the perfect candidate for IVF. However for some reason we found that my eggs were really poor quality. This could be because of the synarel (putting my ovaries to sleep tooooo much) or it could have just been unlucky random event. So we are trying again this time, and then if we get the same result (poor egg qual) then i will try one more stim cycle without the synarel. Then we'll see what happens.
Even though i have full blown AF, and i am still taking the BCP (weird!) the nurse/doc aren't worried by this. I am still having my u/s next friday and hopefully start Gonal F then. Seems all wrong to me but sometimes we have to trust the docs. U/s day will be CD 11 which seems late to me to be checking lining etc, but hopefully it is all still OK.

Kimbe - congrats to you too - it's such an exciting time, and transfer day is such an amazing milestone. Good Luck!!

Hey Missy

Sorry - very long post!

[Chez67]

Hi Jo

I wish I could offer some advice about how the timing is going to work with AF appearing now, but I have no experience here. I guess you are right, it is time to just trust the doctors but with lots of questions - don't let them get away with anything! I know what you mean about another scan.. the rest of the road is so unknown to me.. I am guessing that there could be b/ts as well before EPU? I am so unmotivated at work (for lots of work reasons mainly) that I am thinking about taking the week of the EPU off so that I don't have to deal with any of the resulting sideaffects at work, if the timing works out that way. It is such a hassle to try to organise all of these appointments while working full time and without anyone at work knowing or guessing what is going on! There are some pretty nosey people about - one in particular, who is a very nice guy really, keeps coming over and looking over my shoulder while I am on the computer (and it faces a wall as I sit in the corner) and sometimes I think he sees that I am on BB. No-one knows that we are doing IVF or even TTC, let alone people at work!

Anyway, keep in touch and let us know how you are going.

Cheryl

[Lenny]

Some clinics (mine) don't do blood tests. Which is good. I just had one follie scan on a friday and my lead was about 12mm (and had a few 8 & 9 mms) and i kept up with my same (low) dose Gonal and had another scan on the Monday and by then my lead was 18mm i think so i triggered the next night. So no blood tests - just all worked out via the u/sounds.
It would be nice to have the week off if you have it available. It saves having to take a day off (for EPU) then back to work the next day, then time of again for the transfer. But you don't really need it off, - you just need a really creative excuse for why you need to take a few days off!!!

[Chez67]

Thanks Jo. Won't the FS give me a medical certificate for at least the day of the EPU? I have a pretty good award that I work under and have some generous sick leave entitlements so if I can use them rather than my rec leave then that would be great.

[Lissie]

Hi Chez,
Hope you don't mind if i drop in. Yes your doctor will give you medical certificates but trust me i have done ivf numerous times and you will need at least 3 days off after egg pick up - at least i know i did every time, my clinic strongly suggests 1week off so they do the transfer in the same week - my clinic believes you need this time off - i'm lucky my boss is behind the ivf 100% and very supportive. Almost wraps me in cotton wool!
Good luck girls sending you all some

[Lenny]

Wow Lissie, that's great. It's nice to know some people are really good and caring.

Yes, my clinic is happy to give medical certs to me and to DH (he thinks it's funny when he has to take a Royal Women's cert in to work!)

[Chez67]

Thanks for the info Jo and Lissie - does that mean we will end up with medical certificates with Melbourne IVF written all over them and then everyone at work will know what we are doing?

[Lenny]

No - not MIVF as such. I've never actually asked for one from Freemason's but i guess the medical cert just has Freemasons logo on the top. The one i get from my FS has his details etc on the top, and the ones we have from the OPU and transfer say Royal Womens with the logo on the top.
If you are a bit worried about trying to keep things under your hat (and i understand - I sat next to a payroll person once and she couldn't keep her mouth shut over anything!) maybe you could get your cert from your doctor or your FS. They are generally very understanding and i'm sure they would help.

[Missy]

Just want to say good luck to all you ladies!!!

[randay]

Hi
I've just commenced my first IVF cycle - & I'm on Day 2 of using Synarel. Bit overwhelmed with not exactly knowing what to expect.
Also I have started cramping ... and not sure why
Randa

[Chez67]

Hi Randa

I noticed some ab pain a bit like AF cramps when I started the synarel as well, but these passed after a day or two. If you are getting any pain that is worrying you, call the nurses they are usually very friendly and more than willing to help out, and if they can't there is always your FS who you should be able to call.

Good luck with your cycle. Which clinic are you with?

Cheryl

[Lionfish]

Hi Randa
Good luck with your cycle. How do you find the spray? I start mine in 2 weeks, does it leave behind a funny taste? Do you think that the cramping is caused by the spray? I am sure someone will be able to give you info, like Cheryl said she experienced a similar thing. It is very overwelming the whole process not knowing what to expect and trying to remember what has to be done on what days! But once we have done it once I'm sure it wont seem as bad anymore. And lets hope once is all it takes
Best of luck and keep us informed on how you are tracking.

[Chez67]

Hi Blayz

I thought I would give you my 2 cents about the synarel spray - the first dose I took I thought "wow, no taste - that's really good - this won't be hard at all". The second dose - uh oh - I had the worst feeling like I had to sneeze and a horrible taste down the back of my throat! The sneezing urge comes on about 10 mins after I have taken the spray. I have found that if I time my spray just before breakfast and dinner that eating masks the taste. I actually prefer the injections over the spray because the taste of the spray and urge to sneeze lingers whereas the injections are over and are done with very quickly. Anway, Randa and Blayz - good luck with your cycles. I will be watching your progress.

Cheryl

[randay]

Thanks Blaze & Cheryl
I contacted my clinic this morning (East Melbourne) and they told me to have a panadol to help ease the pain - which I have done but unfortunately with no success..... I now feel even worse with a headache to top it all off.
I'll give them another call shortly to see if they can offer me any other remedies.
Randa

[Missy]

lol@ cheryl

I hated the spray the most. Thats the only thing that bothered me. The rest was ok. Blayz hun hope yours will be ok. Not long now.

Good luck all

[Lenny]

I actually prefer the injections over the spray because the taste of the spray and urge to sneeze lingers whereas the injections are over and are done with very quickly.

And sorry to break the bad news, but you never get used to it, and i doesn't get any nicer!! I hate it as much now as i ever did. The injections are a breeze in comparison!