Long Term TTC & Assisted Conception - Jan 2008 #1

[jbub]

W1 that would be great if you can just hold out a couple more weeks to ovulate. How many embryo's will they transfer for you? They will only transfer 1 for me.
I had my baseline bloods today and my down reg worked perfectly so starting fsh tomorrow. Did anyone get any side effects from the FSH? I didn't really have much in the way of side effects with the lucrin.

Good luck everyone. I hope you are all feeling positive and happy.
Jayne

[Peta]

Hey there everyone. Thanks so much for all your warm wishes. It really is appreciated. I am back on deck today & looking to buy a new house & new car for the new year. This will definitely keep my mind amused for a while! On the TTC side, have appointment with FS on 25th as I only have one frozen embie left & I think at this stage that will be my last go. I don't think FS is liking my decision & so wants to talk to me & take a long time to make this cycle happen (wouldn't let me go straight on from this cycle, though still waiting for AF to arrive). Anyway, it will be really good not to think about AC & TTC for a few weeks.
Wow, this thread has gone crazy today, so I will try to keep up.
TL - So good to hear from you. Hope you are still enjoying the new job.
BecD - Would love to hear more about IVM and look forward to hearing about how you progress with this.
FM - don't think you are silly for hoping IVF would work first go - I think if none of us had that hope, then we wouldn't keep doing this. I know I can certainly relate to your feelings here.
JBub, Theresep & W1 - good luck this cycle, I hope the next 2 weeks go well for you all.
Vicki & Smithy - hi to both of you, good to hear from you, hope you are both well.
Hi to everyone else I missed (I tried to get everyone). Take care & I will speak soon.

[butterfly_warrior]

Saltprincess, I'm glad you decided to join us at last. So much of your post I could have written myself, and I'm sure many others here would feel the same, also. Especially the bit about isolating myself from people. I don't have any friends now who don't know about the IVF, because those I didn't trust to tell, I just don't have the energy to associate with any more.

You are certainly in the right place to find support from like-minded people who can share your journey and know how it feels. You'll find that there's many good times to be shared along the way, even though it doesn't look like it at times, and the support and company of others going through the same thing makes it all seem much less scary, terrifying and hopeless.

BW

[slyder]

Welcome Salt, and I hope we can all give you a bit of a lift along the way.

My advice to you would certainly be to avoid insensitive people and those who lack the general qualities of compassion and tact (and of those there are many), but do not cut yourself off from the world whilst you are on this journey. In my personal opinion the more you shut down, as you described it, and pull away from the rest of your life the more despairing and trapped you'll become in the world of assisted conception. I believe you need balance in everything in life, and isolating yourself beyond what is necessary is a recipe for poor mental health (again my opinion). Whilst this is one very major facet of your life, you need to give due consideration to being OK with being in the mainstream as well. Of course, this is my perspective and how I try and do it but how you choose to travel is a decision entirely for you.

I look forward to getting to know you better over the coming months.

[waiting1]

Salt welcome. I am very new to this myself and find it very helpful. All my friends know about ivf as well and are brilliantly supportive but there is something really useful about surrounding yourself with people just like you who are going through this at the same time. The one thing I have really learnt is just when you get down and feel really sorry for youself, you realise that there are so many people struggling so much more out there and so bravely and that they are so suportive despite the struggles they are facing. I hope so many of us get what we hope for this year. It feels lucky to me. Best of luck with your first cycle ! I am about to do FET #2 having 2 BFN's to date. Look forward to hearing from you as you go through things.
Waiting 1

[theresep]

Welcome back to BB Saltprincess - i'm sure you will find support, encouragement, compassion and plenty of optimism with all the ladies here - and Slyder! I guess for myself and DH, while ttc is obviously always on our minds, we are also conscious of not letting it consume us. We have many other interests that keep our lives full, and ttc is just one piece of the pie that represents our lives. Having said that, i also have found that i've reduced contact with some friends that have young children - but this is mainly because their children have become their lives, and is pretty much all they talk about - so a little full on for me when i'm struggling to conceive iykwim! As you said, life is full of wonderful little surprises - so be ready to embrace them when they knock on your door Warm wishes to you, and i truly hope that 2008 will bring many BFP's to all the ladies of BB. tp xx

[~BecD~]

Welcome Salt. I feel like one of the most important things for me is to surround myself with people who 'get' me and understand what we are going through, and the rollercoaster of emotions that we go through. I hope your BFP is not far away xxx

Had my bt/ultrasound this morning, i have 25 follicles on my left ovary and only 13 on my right, seems a bit odd to have such different numbers but they are happy with that. I should get a call this afternoon to tell me what day to start injections. My FS is away until the 14th and she is the only one who can do IVM OPU because its trickier than a normal OPU (smaller follicles, different technique?). OPU should be around the 14th but depends on what FS schedule is like when she gets back.

[Acacia]

Hi everyone,

It's got busy in here in the last couple of days! It's great to have lots of people back and lots of new people too!

Miss C's update: My down-reg scan has been shifted a day fwd. It was either a 7am scan, which I was (kind off!) happy to do if needed, or the day earlier at a better time, which FS preferred lol. I think it's mostly because she'll have more people calling her for down-reg scans for that day, and she's in surgery most of the morning. Spreading the load So I'm now having down reg scan / due to start stims on the 10th Jan. I'm having a much harder time on the Synarel at the moment, but there's a lot going on in terms of organising the move o/s and packing up the house, so I can't attribute the tiredness, moodiness and anxiety to just the Synarel. Just want AF to come as I expect that will bring some relief from the PMS symptoms at least. All will keep moving forward and I'm sure it will be fine.

Ooo! P.S. I became an aunt for the second time yesterday! How rude and selfish of me to forget that!? Little boy blue weighing 6.5lbs. I'm most happy that mother and baby are both well, and look forward to meeting the little tiger soon.



SaltPrincess Welcome back to BB. I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with the AC process You've gone through a great deal of trauma and been on that insidious rollercoaster we're all on for a long time - it's completely natural that you're feeling isolated and worn thin by the whole thing. Everyone here can empathise with you in their own way - including myself - and I know for me, it always helps. That, and hearing the advice and perspective that other people can bring - a new point of view can help lift things a little. I hope that us girls and guy in the AC threads here are able to help do this for you. And I hope that this year brings you the best news possible, and I wish you lots of luck

jbub I hope those FSH stims start off ok for you today, hun. Thinking of you.

BecD Congratulations on starting IVM! What an exciting start to the new year! I hope everything goes smoothly in the next week or so for you in the lead up to EPU. As to having 25 follies on one ovary and 13 on another - I don't think this is too unusual. I think a various times in women's lives one or another ovary becomes the dominant one for a time i.e. is the one that is stimulated for O every time. It does swap. But it sounds like the one with 25 (can't remember if you mentioned left or right) is your dominant ovary at the moment and has responded a little more. HTH. Good Luck!

theresep I hope that you have a wonderful time in Sydney with DH - enjoy!!

W1 how are you hanging in there, hun? I know you're waiting for O now - I hope it holds off so that you fit in this next FET sooner rather than later

Futuremum Like you, I think given I was healthy and we had lovely embryos from our ICSI I had this internal, rather subconscious expectation that our first cycle would be easy and that it (falling pregnant) would just happen in the circumstances. I think it's completely normal to feel that way, and to be a little shocked when it doesn't happen the way it's worked out in your mind. How are we meant to know what will happen? Especially when we're going through it all the first time? We have no expectations to hold on to other than that But you learn, and you learn to adjust your world view and expectations after a first failed cycle and I think it only has the potential to make you stronger and more sure of what you a focussing on achieving, giving you the ability to move forward and try again. Good Luck to you, hun

Hi to the other lovely people in here that I haven't addressed personally this time. Hope you're all feeling ok for now.


Hugs,

Miss C

[LeeBS]

Hi All and Happy New Year. Sorry I've been AWOL for a number of days.

I'm still just waiting on AF, hopefully will arrive on time on the 7th, then I have to ring on the 8th to get instructions. If no AF by then I'll be given Primolut again which could push ET back to February. Either way I'm in no hurry, I want to have the best possible chance for a BFP.

[waiting1]

HI Jbub
just one. Given its MF issue and I have twins in family going to do one at a time I think. FS believes that there will be more than one viable embryo in the 6 we have left so hopefully he is right - although the last two he said were beautiful and they didnt stick.... so hopefully. Good luck wiht the FSH.

W1 that would be great if you can just hold out a couple more weeks to ovulate. How many embryo's will they transfer for you? They will only transfer 1 for me.
I had my baseline bloods today and my down reg worked perfectly so starting fsh tomorrow. Did anyone get any side effects from the FSH? I didn't really have much in the way of side effects with the lucrin.

Good luck everyone. I hope you are all feeling positive and happy.
Jayne

[waiting1]

miss C

For the first time and it feels wierd saying it - hope AF comes as expected ! Good luck organising move - hopefully it will keep your mind occupied during hard waiting times !!!
I start the POAS ovulation tests next thurs. Have a new FS while mine is away for Jan - a lady this time. I think the change will be good. hope O takes at least 14 days so I can fit in with Lab opening. Im trying to think about it as little as possible. I have been doing my painting and think Ive lost some brain cells with the fumes.

[kellrobryan]

well still no sign of af but alot of the creamy discharge im now 5 days late and and i have some preg signs but i am trying not to look into it to much as i dont want to get to upset if af was to turn up
on a blood test when is it 100 % right if you were preg or not
im thinking of getting bloods taken tomorrow but wondered if that would be the 100 % answer
i took a wee test 2 days late and showed neg
what do you think
kell

[nanananny]

I don't have any friends now who don't know about the IVF, because those I didn't trust to tell, I just don't have the energy to associate with any more.

BW

OMG you too? I cut one off when I tried to tell her twice about my IVF and she wasn't even interested to enquire about what it was I wanted to tell her


And I really felt that her reply was going to be "but aren't you too old?" So I thought why bother, why bother with the friendship at all.

[butterfly_warrior]

Exactly! If a friend can't support you through the tough times, then I don't think they deserve to be there through the good times either. It's not like I don't have conversations about things other than IVF - it's just that I've narrowed the circle of friends where it all takes place.

BW

[briggsy's girl]

i've take a very similar approach. as much as ivf isn't the only thing in my life, it's a very big part of it at the moment, and the people i surround myself with need to have some understanding of what i'm going through, otherwise they won't be able to be there when i need them! it's not something that comes into conversation all that much, but just the "how you doin? you ok? do you need to talk?" kind of sentiments make life so much easier...

[Lionfish]

Hi all, wishing you all the success on your AC and TTC journey this year. It is a new fresh year.
Im back on board - ding ding round 2!!! LOL. I have 1 more little tiny OCP to take YAY! I hate the pill it makes me cookoo! And this time very sick. So I will be hanging out for AF and as waiting1 said that feels weird to be wanting it. So not long now til EPU which is the 24th Jan, Bring it on!

[tiggerlinda]

Just popping by to say hi

Kell - fingers crossed for you

FM - friends and family have been wierd with us too raging from support to you would be better at looking at adoption right after our MC. They have come back afterwards but for me the trust is not the same

Hope eveyone is well

[jbub]

Hi all
It is really interesting to hear if others have told friends or not about the ivf.
We have pretty much told everyone. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not but so far i think it is good. Just having people ask how things are going and knowing we have support is great. Also in social settings people accept that I really don't want to drink and know not to ask me if I want a drink. The only thing which will be hard i think is if we get a BFN. It will be hard telling people. But I guess then they will be there to support us too. One guy friend of ours has been way more supportive than i would have ever imagined. He is single and living the single life and I didn't think he would really understand. He actually told me if i was feeling really moody from the drugs that I could ring him and take it out on him instead of my fiance. I thought that was great! Luckily i haven't needed to though!

I have now had 3 days on stims and am having a bit of ovary pain and bloating. The pain is mainly on my right side which is the side I had a bleeding follicle on about 6 weeks ago. Will be interesting to see how it looks at my u/s this week.

Salt - it is great you are getting some professional help now. I know it is really hard for this not to consume you. I think it is really important to just live for today as much as possible. Try and put the future out of your mind and appreciate what you have now and try and just have fun. My acupuncturist told me that the best way to go into ivf is with the mindset that you don't care about it (hard i know). What he means is try and put it out of your head otherwise it is just really hard to deal with. I do think you also need to at times recognise it is hard, have a good cry or heart to heart and try and deal with those emotions as they come up without bottling them up.
I started learning the piano just before starting this. I thought that i needed something to distract me a bit and it is perfect. when i am playing i am only concentrating on the music. I don't even think about anything else. Maybe you could find something you have always wanted to do and just go for it. I'm thinking of you. I think you will find you are stronger than you think.

Hope everyone is coping ok.
J