Devasted - No Follicles

Hi All
Have just arrived home from my ultrasound test - first one for my first IVF/ICSI. The woman's prodding and moving that wand around like no one's business and inside my head I'm thinking its taking some time. She's still searching and said something that I mistook for 'five'. Actually I have no idea what she said apart from she could see nor find any follicles.

What? I ask again, she repeats what she said. From that moment on I just deflated and thought why me, why all those cramp like pains, what is that all about? No follicles - NONE??

Blood test was s***, student nurse tried too many times to jab me. Lots of platitudes from the senior nurse. By now I'm not really listening - just trying to focus on what questions to ask but just couldn't think of any. Those nurses sure shoo you out quick. Not one asked me if I was okay.

I'm home now, seething with rage at my body, eating a great big chocolate cake and drinking tea. I don't actually feel like doing any more today. I know I'm in a funk but hell, to find out I have no follicles whatsoever is pretty soul destroying.

I'm unsure how all the ladies do this but tonight is going to be Jab 9. I have to still take the synarel, jab and go for a blood test on Monday. I've enough Puregon until Monday night. Nurse recommended no further ultrasounds for now. I'll get a phone call later to tell me what my bloods are like.

So dear BellyBelly ladies can you advise what questions/demands I should be asking of my FS/Nurse and what stats should I be asking about my blood test?

Are there any other ladies over 45 going through this?

Thanks everyone for letting me vent. Just going to finish of that chocolate cake now!

No advice, just :comfort:

I'm sure one of the wise ladies will be in with some good suggestions for you.

Sorry to hear of your disappointing scan. I know I have come away with news of just a few follies and that is bad enough.
I am not over 45, but I am 40 and I have done five stim cycles and two FETs. The most eggs I have had is four, which was last cycle in January. I have only done antagonist cycles so no synarel.

I sometimes jab for 14- 16 days before pickup. What is your dose of gonal f/puregon???

I am not sure how old you are but have you had your AMH and fsh tested??? They are a good indicator of ovarian reserve.

What, if anything, is your clinic recommending as the next step?

I hope you enjoy your choccie cake x

Hi LuluHB and Nothing2Lose

No phone calls yet from the nurses. Am on the internet now researching what to do/say/ask etc.

I am 49 years old. First time IVF and have been trying with my partner for a few years now. It's only now we have the money to do it. My AMH test in January was <1.1 pmol/L, which I've been told was good for my age!

I know I'm 'older' but I felt things on the inside of me were working albeit not at the full speed of a majority of ladies.

Phew...what a mind blowing experience this is. Didn't expect to get knocked out at the first hurdle.

p.s Stimming at 450iu with Puregon from the start.

pps - Phone call from nurses received a few minutes ago. I definitely need to go to my other clinic on Monday. I managed to ask about my levels. My Oestrogen level is around 43 (?) and usually for follicle stimulation itshould be around 500. That's really low in my opinion. However the nurse said it's not unusual to see such figures on day 9 of jabs/stims and to wait until Monday. I really don't see how 3 more jabs are going to do anything extra?

Hi Sonia321,

Very sorry to hear about your first ultrasound. I just started my first IVF this Jan....so I'm new to this as well. I was also dissappointed with my first ultrasound, but when I came back 2 days later for another ultrasound, they discovered another 3 follicles. The nurse than told me that they are all there, but they are not big enough for her to record them.
I have read from other ladies, that some are told to increase their medication/injection halfway........

Fingers crossed, hope you have good news today :bd:

Feels awful when you ate expecting one thing and get another... Just never know with this ttc thing :(
I too find it hard to know what to ask... Maybe you could ask the question - so what do other people in my situation ask you usually..? Ha ha - get them to tell you what you don't know.... Sometimes I wonder - how am i supposed to know what to ask! That's your job!
Good luck - maybe it will surprise you! My kart follie was barely growing but then when I went back 3 days later I was ready to ovulate! So it grew heaps!
Anything can happen! Good luck.
Look after yourself and come and join us in the LTTTC and AC thread

Hi All
Hi Pumpkin and Myturn

Well the news is my levels apparently were lower than last time from the results of my bloodtest this morning. So I could have follicles but they would be teeny. So my first attempt at IVF/ICSI cancelled. Have to meet with the Prof next week. No doubt he'll spend about 5 minutes with me before shepherding me out of his office.

In one way I'm glad, it gives me more time to prepare my ovaries and further change diet/lifestyle but on the other hand I am so pi**ed off as I wanted to do only one round of IVF. If I could afford donor eggs and my DH changed his mind then I would do that.

My heart goes out to all the ladies out there on the fertility treadmill - I wonder why there is no stem cell research on follicles?? Anyhow I digress.

DH and I are going on a well deserved break at the end of the month and when back we'll start over again.

Good luck Sonia. Sorry about the results. HOpe the break serves you well and you come back beautifully refreshed and ready for the Prof :) K

just want to give u big hugs sonia :comfort: so sorry u had to had to go thru that, TTC can be nasty somtimes... hang in there xxxxoooo