Long Term TTC & Assisted Conception - July 2008

tl, here's hopeing :pray: that all those signs are the right ones, keep the little one safe in there!
meridth, congrats on the bfp, must be such a relief to at least get over that little hurdle!
AFM, FS is happy with everything so EPU on Tues and et on friday! yahoo!! almost skipped out of there today, I can't believe its all happening again so quick :dance: 10 follies looking good so cross ya fingers for me that there's a healthy one and a few frosties. Gonna follow all your advice and do some acupuncture, the soonest I could get in is this tues night so now gotta book the before and after appts

:bluedust::pink-babydust: to everyone, have a great weekend!

Hi everyone - thanks for all your support over the past few days.

Hope you're all going well!

Just wanted to touch base with how you have all gone with work whilst on IVF. Last week when we were told our cycle would be cancelled I was pretty devastated as we weren't expecting that and I had two days off work as I was crying a lot. When I went back to work my boss called a meeting with me and my immediate supervisor and has asked for my doctor to provide a report on the potential effects of IVF and (as I also have major depression which is well under control) how it might affect that. Initially I was okay about it, but now I am thinking more why do they need a report? What happened this week was unexpected and I reacted as I think most people would - I know that we may get BFN in the future and I am prepared for that (at least as much as I can be) - but there was no way I could have been prepared for what happened this week.

So - why does my boss want a report? What would be the purpose of it? Do I have to provide it??? I do believe my boss has good intentions, but I kind of feel its a bit of an invasion of privacy - and there is no reason to believe IVF will impact on my depression (I hate it when people think any emotional reaction I have must be depression, when in reality it is just a normal emotion that anyone would have).

Wow! That's a long post!!! Anyway - if anyone else has experienced something similiar I would love to know what you did/would recommend etc. And if you are a manager it would be interesting to know what you might do as a boss.

Wow Kate I don't know what type of work you do but I'd be saying the same thing as you if my boss interfered... People have all sorts of personal issues going on, and its not up to your work to sort it out for you. The most caring thing that your boss should be doing is making sure you have enough time out to sort yourself out, and maybe you have access to councilling or similar though work that you can use as well. Sometimes i think work believes they control us!
Hey, don't take on their stress either, its a rocky enough road without well meaning help from your boss to add to how you're feeling. Trust yourself. Big :hug: to you tonight, sounds like you need a few drinks to chill out!

I'm struggling a bit myself with whether to tell my immediate boss anything at all about what i'm going through... its not that i don't trust him, more that i'm worried that he will change his attitude towards me when he knows I'm planning a family. Anyone solved that dilemma, would love to hear about it!

Hey Abbie - thanks for the reply! :)

It's not easy for us hey! Who do you tell, who don't you tell, what will they think/do etc because of what has or may happen....I'm heading off to counselling with our IVF provider next Friday so I think I will talk to them about it as well.

I know there are anti discrimination laws and everything - and they are great - but in reality it is very hard to prove if you have been discriminated against (not that in a million years I think my workplace would - they are pretty good).

I think its :hug:s all round tonight!

Hi kate
So sorry to hear your work is being so demanding, only 1o days ago my cycle was cancelled on day 12 because my follicles were not growing and my hormones were dropping. I was upset and rang hubby crying but he said go to work so your not sitting home thinking about it and im glad i did. That day i saw a number of patients very sick with cancer and thought well at least i have my health.

As for your work pullling you in and wanting a doctors report i find that really unreasonable all that should matter to them is that you can do your job. All i can say is im glad i have an understanding boss. Goodluck to you and i hope it all gets better for you..sending you all my hugs.

Bee (24) DH(30):hug:

bee: hope the change to gonal f and synarel works, that is what i was on and i didn't have any probs.good luck

abbie: hope epu goes well tue. fingers crossed

kate:hope you get some answers. bit personal what your boss is asking but i don't know as wasnt working when i did cycle. hope it goes well.
i think you handled it the same as anyone would have and i could not have worked thru all that.

afm: tired and busy. trying to be relaxed and calm and counting down to my frostie tfer. yeah.

hey Kate, reckon you're right there, the discrimination laws are there to protecct us but there's still so much of peoples attitudes that you can't change and legislate against. after my bfn just had to take a sickie though, just couldn't face work with emotions running that high. We treat ourselves too hard sometimes! :doh:

TL, any news sweetie? hope all going well for you, bring on those MS symptoms!:pray:
jbm, just gotta chill out till that frostie transfer, sometimes it seems too easy when you dont do the drugs for 2 weeks before!
Am just counting down till my midnight trigger injection now (better rug up!), then a whole day drug-free before the epu, woohoo!:dance:

TL just wanted to wish you lots of sticky luck will be thinking of you.

Had my BT and it made the frist courier so the test should reach Brissie at 10.10am.

No Idea when I will get the call but :pray: for a BFP juts waitingt thanks to you all :hug:

TL sending you lots and lots of :goodluck2: for today....

TL :pray: so hard for your BFP today!

Kate - I really think that your work is stepping over the mark with what they are asking for. I would call you counsellor at the clinic and get some advice from them. I personally would not want to give my work any medical information of detail. I am of the understanding that if you can provide a medical certificate, then your manager cannot question it (I have managed teams in the past and this is what HR always adviced us).

Abbie - I have not told my work that I have been undergoing IVF. I did tell my boss that I had a medical issue (non-life threatening) that would require some time of work. I told him that I could provide a medical certificate whenever they needed one, but that I did not want to go into detail as it was of a personal nature. My work are very good, and I belief that if I told them that they would be supportive. However, I am not willing to run that risk. It is personal, and as long as you can provide medical certificates, they should not require any more information than what you want to give. Anyhow, that's my personal viewpoint.

To everyone else - HI! I hope you are all well.

AFM, I had follow up BT on Saturday to check my hcg levels are tracking okay. My first test last Wednesday was 480 and the one on Saturday was 2,038! So everything is going along nicely at the moment.

Janie xxx

Hi Guys

TigerLinda I just saw your ticker, congratulations! You must be so excited!!! :dance:

I am back from my work conference and I have absolutely no hope in catching up on personals! Good luck to all those who are in the TWW or are trying to catch the eggie .

Well turns out I ovulated the day I left for the conference, and we that morning and the evening before, so I am in with a chance. But I had bucketloads of EWCM the following day (strange timing!) so I'm not confident about the calculation of O day. I think I am currently 9 DPO, but not really hoping this month.

We have an appointment with the FS in August 14th. Glenn Sterling in Brisbane, has anyone used him? I have absolutely no idea what to expect and I am dreading any internal (yuck!). Hubby is getting his swimmers tested again before then.

Thats all for me, I hope to catch up on personals later in the week.

Good luck everyone!

Tigger linda, so happy to see your shiny new :bfp: tag, wow, congrats to you and DH! :hug: Now you've got your work cut out for 9 months to make that happy bouncy baby
Janie, thanks for the note, its so much harder for us girls when it means a year off when IVF is successful!! guys have it so easy!
Oscaroscar, dont know your FS but my first appt was fine, internal was easy to deal with so hope yours is too.
AFM, had my EPU today, went in thinking there were 10 follies and he ended up with 19 eggs!! Wow!! :cheer:The only downside is that i'm in a higher risk for OHSS with that many, so no ET for me this cycle, I'll just cool my heels for another month. Feeling bloated and sore from the op, trying to guzzle water but no real sign of ohss yet so hope all is ok. Cant wait for tomorrow to see how many embies from that bunch! to everyone else, :grouphug:

Oh my goodness - Im away for a week and look what happens! Congratulations TL - I am so happy for you!!!!! Yay!!! :D :D :D *does happy dance*

Abbie - 19 eggs is a fantastic result! Am keeping my fingers crossed that you dont end up with OHSS, I had that last time and it really bites.

As for me, I got AF a week ago and have begun taken Progynova in preparation for our HRT FET. First bloods and scan will be on Monday, hopefully my body is doing the right thing. I am assuming that we will transfer one embryo this time round, but you never know - depends what happens when they defrost them.

Hi

Just wondering if anyone can tell me what to expect on my first FS appointment. I have already had quite a few blood tests with my GP (CD3 and CD21 Prog, estrogren, FSH, LH etc), chart, and had hubby's swimmers tested.

We feel a bit funny about IUI and IVF, we are just shocked that we have gotten to this point and really dont know whether to embrace it or to wait? :wall: Worried that if we wait we will just be going through unnecessary stress as we get BFNs, but also worried how i would deal with the stress of IVF.

And we dont know whether to hope that something is wrong and we can find it, or that nothing is wrong and its just bad luck? Im sure you all went through this!

HI everyone, I was wondering if anyone else felt nigglie little cramps in their TWW and then had a BFP. I have to stop reading everything into every little twinge and cramp I get! It is sending me bonkers!!

I hope your AF stays away Paula. Just a few more sleeps =)

My BT is on Saturday 2nd August.
Wait wait wait, I have wished this year away!

Best wishes from Queenh

Hi everyone, I heard this is a lucky thread, fingers crossed. I wish everyone a BFP this month! I have an FET scheduled for 08.08.08 so am a little later than most of you. I just wanted to say what an inspiration you all are in your TTC journeys and it is really good to know that we are all not alone. Best wishes x x

Glad to see you made it Baby Dreamtime :dance:

Paula, how you going :pray:ing that AF didn't visit you


AFM, I have spoken to my FS to discuss our second cycle and is happy to maintain the current Protocol of 125 Peregon and using Orgalutran however the only thing he would do differently is to slow down the egg pick up.
Meaning that he would like me to be put under (last time I was awake just twilight sedation)and when they draw up the fluid in the follie he then wants to wash the follie to check that no little eggies were left in there?!?!? Have any of you heard about this??
His main concern that with my levels (E2 14, 000 2 days prior to pick up)and the amount of follies I had prior to pick up (I think 13+) he would have thought that there would be more eggs.


Sending lots of :pink-babydust: :bluedust:

:cheer: Abbie - Awsome results for Pickup.. I had tried to get online to wish you luck but couldn't get on... Can't wait to hear how many embies you end up with... :pray: that OHSS stays well away...
Dee

Thanks Ladies I still have BT results from today but feeling some MS nausea

Abbie: That is excelelnt good luck sweet
Oscar Osacr: Your fisrt appointment can vary have a list of questions sweet

Sorry Gals busy at work I will catch up

TL - I know I don't belong in here, but PLEASE PLEASE keep me posted on your BT results!

LJ you belong in here sweet beacuse you are LTTC :hug:

TL - Ah, well I didn't think of that! I only looked at the AC part and thought I didn't belong in here.. I'm so very happy you got your long awaited BFP :D::loveshower:

Hi girlsthis rollercoaster that we call ivf certainly throws a few curve balls at ya - found out today that we only have 3 embies fertilised out of 19 eggs, the rest just didnt make it... :( very disappointed, this time FS had promised to defrost all the frozen tesa :sperm: (10 vials) to make sure we had the best ones but the scientists only did 1, drives me crazy to think that maybe it was handled badly.. shakes my faith in the ivf team anyway. Everyone says it only takes 1 to make it, but last cycle my 3 embies only gave 1 chance for FET, the rest didnt culture well enough to blast stage.* Sorry for the 'woe is me' post but its such a frustrating process, not to mention the $$ each cycle!* On the upside, taking it easy today and no sign of OHSS so pretty relived at that one. thanks all for the well wishes, you guys are a great support team!

Bec and BabyDreamtime, best of luck for your ETs and QueenH for your BT:pray:. Hey don't the chinese think the 8/8/08 is a lucky date, thats why the olymipcs start then! maybe thats your lucky omen
TL keep safe and well, those MS symptoms are good to hear even if you do feel :sick:!! Aahh, the trials we put ourselves through

to everyone i've missed, :grouphug:

BT Re****s are in 357 so we are PG for real and full steam ahead

I am going to have a BABY :cheer:

Abbie :hug: sweet I hope you are ok call if you need too

TL thanks for your support,:loveshower: DH has been great today and yesterday taking care of me:heartbeat:. I know we'll get a bfp eventually but its always such a tough road! You must be over the moon about your :baby:-to-be, bet you cant wait till the next scan to see how its going - you had two embies transferred right?

lilmisshaveachat, i know you only just starting on the AC/ivF journey so hope your FS visit goes well, at least you know more than i did when i started just be reading everyones posts here and info on web

Evening All,

Well I'm back after a trip away for work. How busy things have been in here.

My biggest of congrats to TL, Janie and MeredithD and anyone else who I have missed who got their BFP's this month. I wish you all the happiest and healthiest of pregnancies.

I have been away for only about 10 days but cannot catch up with personals sorry. Will start again from today.

AFM, had another appointment with FS today and lining is looking great...8.3mm, so I'm all go for a TF on Wed next week. Start the lovely pessaries tomorrow..YAHOO!! Am feeling really positive and strong going into this cycle. It is my 1st TF with my new FS and he has some great ideas. I'm going to be doing pregnyl for the 1st time as well as pessaries and will be having 2 of my frozen blasties transferred if all goes well.

Will catch up with you all soon.

Hugs Bel

Hi Oscar Oscar - were with Glenn Sterling and think that he and his staff at Life are fantastic. He's well researched, and will answer all of your questions (I suggest you have some ready and then take notes - its hard to remember whats said sometimes because youre exicted/nervous). Glenn's personality and professionalism will put you and your man at ease straight away.

Dont be nervous, and best of luck to you.
ps. they have a website with loads of info (if you havent seen it already) - lifefertility.com.au

Cheers
:)

Hi everyone,

I've been out of action for a few days with a naughty cough..

TL - that is fantastic news! Congratulations! I am so happy for you. I wish I could jump down the internet and give you a big hug, but this will have to do :dance:

Abbie - my heart goes out to you love. This roller coaster is nothing like I've ever been on before. Last week I was devastated when we were cancelled and thought it would never happen for us, but this week, given we are starting again soon, I feel certain 2009 will see our little :baby: will turn up. I also know that I am getting stronger through this - being by far the biggest thing I have ever gone through. That doesn't mean I don't cry or get upset, but I figure when my kids turn up I will certainly treasure them to the ends of the earth and beyond, and perhaps I'll be a better mum because of it.

Big :hug: to everyone - you are never far from my thoughts and prayers.

TL - what great results hon!!! I am so happy for you :)
Abbie- Sorry to hear of your fert results, I would be upset at my clinic as well! Will keep everything crossed for the rest of your treatment xxx

TL - I'm just so happy for you that I can't find the words........ :hug::hug::dance::clap::cheer:

Abbie - how are you today sweetie? 3 can still get you a BFP that is all we had at transfer sweet and day 3 transfer has got us here.

Hi everyone...haven't been chatting as much so I don't think I can catch up with everyone.... just sending a general message to everyone who is going through their cycle, that things progress just as they are meant to, and when they are meant to!

Abbie- it is a tough road and sending you a big :hug:. I know my emotions have been up and down this entire year really and now we are back into the uncertainty and lack of control of not knowing when it will all happen for us, and that alone can be hard. Thinking of you. Dealing with issues at work and people knowing can also be a challenge.

Kate- glad you are feeling more positive again. I crashed a bit after our BFN but now also feel more positive that 2009 will bring us our baby too. I guess we are all getting stronger through this and we certainly will cherish our little ones as you said!

nicole- I havent heard of that before (re the egg collection stuff) but I am new to IVF.

oscaroscar- I can relate to IVF being a big step to take. We felt shocked when we were told it really was our best/possibly only option, due to the loss of my tube, and my other tube being in bad shape. It's a lot to take in. Just take it one step at a time. :hug: I think in your situation, waiting and hoping would be potentially stressful too, just as IVF can be stressful. I guess only you and your DH can weigh up all the pros and cons given your particular situation. Good luck in deciding on the best step forward next.

Bel- welcome back...glad you are feeling so positive going into your next cycle. :pray: it brings you a BFP!

to everyone else :hug:

Hi everyone, I am still trying to catch up with everyone's situation, apologies if this take me a while. But I have been online every day now, gosh it can be addictive!

TL congratulations from me too, I can't even imagine how excited you must be (I've never had a BFP) and hope your luck rubs off on the rest of us for our next cycle.

I saw my FS this morning for my CD10 scan, endo is 10.6 mm thick (my best yet) so I am all good to go and am so optimistic that my ET is schedule for 08.08.08. I wanted to ask for a 8am ET but how far can I go with it? I hope it truely is lucky. I feel better about this month. I have the IVF companion hypnosis CD and have been listening to it every night, I must admit I feel much more positive. And my protocol has changed this month. The last two FETs I got my periods 7 and 8 day respectively past ET (when I think it should be 11 dpt based on a 3 day transfer). Has this happended to anyone else? I've still been temping and on both FETs got AF exactly 14 days after my temp rise and before I started progesterone, which doesn't make sense. Sort of felt like I had ovulated depsite being on a HRT cycle??? Any ideas. I discussed this with FS, he has taken this on board and double my Crinone dosage. But yikes, 3 weeks of double dose worked out to $540, though it is worth it.

Another thing, I have only done Day 3 transfers, in fact FS has not even suggested a Day 5 blast, not sure if this because of my embryo quality? I haven't seen Day 5 as an option on the consent forms, I go to John Flynn on the Gold Coast. Hmmm. I will have to ask about this.

Best wishes to everyone
xx

tiggerlinda..... I ve been away for a while but just got back and had to quickly come on here to check up on you.....

CONGRATULATIONS

I am so thrilled for you hun.... sooooo thrilled

:clap::dance: TL, im so happy for u.

thanks girls for all the well wishes:hug:, i'm ok at work when i need to be then just let my guard down at home - got DH to give me a back rub tonight which just made me all emotional, guess its true when they say the body is storing all of those emotions away till we deal with them! Thank god, no sign of ohss (apart from still feeling like my jeans should be bigger!!). Had to put my acupuncture visit off till next week (was on day of EPU) so hoping that helps with coping and relaxing:)

Kate and Possums, you are so right, we;re all on this journey to make us better mums and to value our little ones more because of it

TL thanks for the advice, i know it only takes one so i'm hoping :pray:that my little one follows yours soon. we'll try again next cycle, couldn't stand to wait any longer!

BabyDreamtime, haven't been through what youre dealing with but it sure sounds confusing, does your cycle know what its up to? crossing fingers and toes that ET goes well next week
phew, enough from me, time for zzzzzz :grouphug: to all

Hi everyone,

Baby Dreamtime - it's a confusing ride hey! 10 does sound good - well done you! As for the other questions - I think it is just so different for everyone that it is really important to talk with your doctor and other staff at your IVF place. I really hope it all goes well for you!

Well - this roller coaster is just crazy! And can you believe I love our bank?! We had heard nothing from our clinic and due to start next week after a cancelled cycle last time - so I called them today to find out what I need to do, when I need to pick up medication, how much I need to take, and how much we owe. Given our last cycle was up near $4000 and we didn't go through to egg collection, you can imagine my surprise when they said we would need to pay $3800 (as prices have gone up since the beginning of July). We'd estimated about $2000 - so yes, not so happy.

Well we figured we had another week to work out what we could do with regard to finances, and guess what! My lovely AF (which is never early and never late) turned up about five minutes after I found out about the extra money we would need to find.

:wall:

Was I happy? Oh no!But my darling DH called our fabulous fantastic bank and they have upped our credit card limit - so we will be going ahead! Yay!

I must admit I have been surprised by the lack of communication from our clinic - how have other people found theirs? I feel like we have to contact them and remind them who we are and then tell them what we are doing to get any direction...not real good after a cancelled cycle!!

Bye for now

Kate - After our first cancelled cycle, we nearly changed clinics because we felt the same thing - they didn't really know who we were and I felt like no effort was being made for just the basic things. We we lucky that they picked up their act after that though. I ended up speaking to one of the nice nurses who understood how I felt, maybe that helped, I'm not sure. Good news with the bank though - it's always nice when they come through for you :)

:dance:coming back to join you all in 4 weeks
we will try our last frosty bub and hope it thaws,so now i just have to wait for august af then i can start my natural FET # 1

good luk to you all