Assisted Conception (and all the bits in between) volume 7

Hi all, thanks for your well wishes had my scan today ( clearly had my days all mixed up) and it showed everything was normal. So structurally I'm ok, which is a relief. Had hoped to get a response on my progesterone blood test today, but the hospital hasn't yet sent a copy to my surgery. Let's hope they do so next week as I suspect I might have low levels of progesterone. I seem to have cycles with early spotting, like this one. I'm only 10DPO and I had my first instance of spotting this morning, accompanied by period headache. I read an article on acupuncture/chinese med today (posted on one of the other threads) and it lists quite a few symptoms that I can easily identify with that result from it. Same for kidney issues....

Italian Haven't seen the adios ad, but def agree with your sentiment on the apprentice cover! I have to admit to a small crush on the goofy guy....

lissy have you had confirmation that you will have your ET tomorrow?

Lucy I've been taking EPO, grapefruit juice and Robitussin cough medicine - all at the same time! I drank nearly a litre of juice every day too, but it was clearly worth it. Oh, and I don't get ovulation pains, but I clearly ovulate, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Italian I agree. The cover to 'covered' was awful, but then again 'Hip Replacement' started out as the better idea but ended up being executed terribly too. If only Jim had negotiated better with the first advertisers they would have won I think (they should have).

rowing - 2 tests I asked my Gp for are on Level 1 immune tests adn they are protein C and protein S and according to my results my activated protein C is below threshold - and I am just reading De Beer's book on it to find out more. Gp has no idea!! To do with implantation and "sticky" blood I think - but will find out in 5 weeks or so when see the consultant.

Have you had Immune tests?

Hi all,

Keziah, I haven't heard of Protein C, what is that? [interested face]

Lissy great you are on for blastocyst - and hoping you get some to freeze too . Good to hear positive things about ARGC. I would happily stay where we are but the immune specialist dr is leaving end of August and we only see him for 1st time in 4 weeks so much depends on our results (know Factor V Leiden is an issue, Protein C from level 1's but not what treatment recommended yet or level 2 results or rest of level 1 results). Definitely not going to wait till 2010 but with my job London = staying there for duration and I can't choose when my hols are, grrrr.... so cost is but one consideration.

rowing hope things go ok for you in coming days.

Lucy - am afraid I have never known when ovulated by pain and ECWM is non existent so can't help, but each month is a chance in my book!!

Well good news here, physio has discharged me - still have exercises to do to improve balance and stamina for my left leg but she said "no issue for you to be pregnanat" - just need that in writing now if the clinic say "you can't cycle due to ..."!!!

Hi rowing- Glad to hear levels have dropped. So sorry for what you've had to go through.

scrummy- Good luck for ultrasound! Hope everything goes splendidly! Thanks for explaining things...

keziah- Ultimately you have to make the decision that suits you. I know ARGC are well versed on treating women with immune issues. My immunes results came back on the high side of normal, but they gave me intralipids as a precaution anyway. I really feel that I've gotten an excellent level of treatment.

Italian- When are you outta here?

AFM, call from embryologist yesterday. All 7 eggs are still fertilizing nicely, so it looks like I'll be having a blastocyst transfer on Saturday, barring any complications. It could be today, at Day 3, but was told it was highly unlikely.

In the meantime, have gone on an absolute DIY tear. We were redecorating our lounge anyway, but I decided to do it all in the days before ET, as once I'm incubating there will be no heavy lifting. So yesterday I took apart this massive IKEA shelving unit, and once disassembled, discovered that the wall behind it needed to be painted, so off I went to Homebase to get paint. That one wall turned into the whole lounge! Did the first coat last night, second one will be this morning (soon, it seems, as DH is snoring away next to me), then putting together new shelves that were delivered on Tuesday. The idea is to maximize the amount of space we have, as DH is in a wheelchair, so the more room the better, and everything that was in our lounge was too big for the space.

I'm off!

Hugs and chocolate boobs to all!

Hi all,
sorry I haven't been very good at updating you all! I went for the hcg on sunday and the levels had dropped more than the required 15%, so they are quite happy and I am scheduled for another blood test on the Sunday coming.
I am cramping and bleeding so it looks as if the shot has worked successfully.
However, of course I now wish I had gone for the surgical option and had the tube removed. There are all sorts of horror stories about women having ectopic after ectopic. Wah! So I have phoned the clinic to ask if it might be possible to have the surgery even though the shot is working - the nurse thinks I'm mad.

Lissy woohoo on the 7 little embryos, fantastic news!

Lucy not sure about the ewcm and ovulation, I would have thought it was possible. Are you feeling OK now or did the bugs get you?

Keziah how are the deliberations going? I can see you sitting there saying 'Yes London!' 'No London takes too long!' and so on until your head explodes.
Could you just have the immune treatment and do your next cycle at a 'regular', local clinic? It seems to have worked pretty well for a lot of women.
Quite a few go to Serum in Athens and Dr Gorgy, wherever he is and hit the jackpot. I have no idea what I am talking about, but I wanted to say something about using a local clinic so that you don't have to wait until Christmas 2020 or something.

Italian you back? [looks around for Italian]

Womanly sorry to hear about the bfn. Hope you are feeling OK?

Scrummy good luck tomorrow, let us know how it goes!

Hi Scrummy, they told me there and then, reporting on what they saw as they found it, and then I also got a follow up letter confirming what they told me. Apart from everything looking fine, I was told I was very photogenic internally. Hope that all goes well for you tomorrow.

It's a bit weird this limbo time. It was hard to swi this month with various bugs flying around and MIL staying, but we managed once or twice during EWCM. The thing is, I normally get ovulation pains and didn't this month. I know that my one ovary is far more active than the other, and that's the one I normally feel, so maybe the other ovary kicked in this month and I don't feel that one so much. Or maybe I just didn't ovulate, perhaps my body was confused after the drugs last month. Does anyone know whether if you don't ovulate, do you also tend to not get EWCM?

Scrummy what did you do to give EWCM a helping hand? I normally take evening primrose and grapefruit juice (not together I should add!) Am always up for a new nutritional/supplementary tip if you have one though

Keziah I'm sorry, I don't have advice on good places to stay in London. It must be frustrating if you're considering a London clinic and then having to work out the travel/work logistics around it. As if it isn't all complicated enough already.

Rowing how are your hormone levels now my dear? I hope they're still going down and that you're doing OK.

Hi to everyone else x

Hi Lissy EWCM=Egg White Cervical Mucus. Sorry if I'm teaching grandma to suck eggs, but it is the most fertile mucus, which your body produces leading up to ovulation. I've been quite 'dry' recently but had loads this month....i have tried to give my body a helping hand on that front, so was happy that it was working... impressed with your 7 eggs. Good luck with ET on Saturday.....ARGC, I'm thinking of just walking in and asking for a nosy....

keziah I know travelodge do a deal if you book in advance and for a period that covers a weekend. There are some decent hostels in nearby neighbourhoods too and being London, you could look for a short term flat share. You might get away with £100/week.

italian £100 is a bargain in London...

womanly really sorry for your BFN.

rowing how are you?

I've got my pelvic US tomorrow. Will they tell me there and then what they see?

Italian - we will get out immune results and really think about where is best to go. Also with my job don't know if I could get all the time off for London, until next summer unless I can time a Christmas/Easter but I guess most places close then. Decisions.....

hope all well.

That's fab news Lissy, I'm sending those fertilized eggs 'divide and grow' positive thoughts!

Hi to everyone else, hope all are doing OK x

Fantastic eggs Lissy - 7 fertilised is brilliant, hope you get to blast... we got to blast and I must say that although it failed when we reviewed it we realised the egg they would have put back at 3 days was one that didn't make it to blast and the one that got grade 2 blast would not have been chosen at day 2/3. All best for ET and the wait.

Yes, am seriously thinking staying in London is the way to go - however my one experience of a not great place we stayed in (that cost over £100 for a night) puts me off - a few weeks of that is not cheap, but it may be the only way to go if we get that far. I am liking what I hear about london clinics and where I am now the main dr is leaving to start a new clinic in central london!!

thanks lissy and italian
best of luck for ET lissy - hope sat comes fast for you.

womanly- I'm so sorry for your BFN. July will be here sooner than you think!

rowing- How are those levels doing? How are YOU doing? Keep your chin up, sweets...

Keziah- I've spoken to loads of women at ARGC who don't live near, and basically come and stay in a hotel or hostel for their two weeks of stimulation. I even think there are some hotels in the area of the clinic who might give you a discount given their familiarity with the process.

lucy- EC done under general anaesthetic, and when you wake up in the recovery room, there are ladies who have had other procedures in beds right next to you. It's a real communal experience.

Italian- When are you off?

scrummy- What does EWCM mean? I have to say I was a bit annoyed to find that ARGC didn't have an open evening, and before I started my first cycle I went to the one at the Lister. We also went to one at CRGH as well. Despite the factory feel, I really do think I have received the best and most personalized treatment at ARGC. The intensity in the last couple of weeks has actually been comforting, and despite all the waiting around, I have met the loveliest ladies and heard the most wonderful success stories.

AFM, egg collection yesterday yielded 12 eggs. A call from the embryologist this morning to say that of the 12, 9 were injected, and 7 fertilized! It looks like they're going to try to go to blastocyst with these, which means ET will be Saturday, but I'll get another call tomorrow with an update.

Hugs to all!

Sorry to hear that womanly, I hope you're not too disappointed. At least it's not too long to wait until next cycle.

Lissy I hope the EC went OK. What's it like?

Rowing were you tested again today? Is it still going down?

Hi to everyone else

womanly sorry for your bfn, glad you know what is happening next - hope it works for you.

rowing I did test on friday- bfn but am ok. We did all that we could..and the outcome is so not in our control. Glad to her the levels are no longer increasing and are starting to drop.

Hi, sad to report but I got a bfn on June 10 - this is cycle #2 of IUI.. so now am waiting for next round. They typically let this cycle go and then start in the next one.. so typically I might be in round #3 in July. Am doing ok - -
Thanks for keeping an eye out for me lucy and scrummy and keziah - - Wave to everyone :)

Makes total sense scrummy - good to get a range of tests too. my recent one was for immune testing, so just happened to be day 16 - FSH 6.1 and LH was 24.

Wishing she lived nearer London now for hospital choice. Anyone hear not near London but still treated there - how did this work, was it expensive to travel lots or stay there? Thinking about future treatment as not over happy with the consultant we saw recently at review of our failure who said if had immune issues I couldnt' have treatment anyway as I have no IgA - which I know to be wrong as if my IgG levels get lower I would be on IVIG for life by my immunologist (not a fertility one) so very concerned that this consultant is meant to be good at immunes and telling me this.

Hi keziah I ovulate on CD11-14 so I guess he wanted to play safe? I ovulated on CD12 this cycle, so that will be 6 days after. I'm assuming that will be ok.....

Lucy that makes perfect sense and from what I heard from lissy on how intense the treatment is as ARGC, it sounds just what the doctor ordered!

lissy wow, Mr T himself! Hope it goes well tomorrow.

Italian Jag talar flytande svenska :-) Hoppas ni har det trevligt!

Lissy, yay! Hope it all goes very, very well x