Assisted Conception (and the bits in between) Volume 10

Hi sorry I have not been on for awhile lurking so keeping up with you all.

Badger great news re minibadger and great re shopping.

Sunny have a lovely month off and enjoy the sunshine

Pocket can you not get a special weekend or overnight away somewhere?

We are holidaying in Sep really looking forward to it as last hols in May great but then it all went bottoms up. Still leaking conservatory fun in the downpour yesterday. Still need to decide what to do with the roof. We move slow.

Pocket hope the cycling gets going

Weller enjoy your hols

Sunny my love, selfishly I'm we won't hear from you for a bit but quite understand and really hope you have a lovely relaxing 'month off'. I bet you can't wait to see your mum. Have a wonderful time in Greece and hope the sun shines for you. Take care and do come back to see us soon xxx

Weller lucky you off to España. Have a fab time and rest well before you get back on this crazy bus again x

Badger really great to hear that all is going okay with MiniBadger. And lucky you also off to Greece. x

My cycle seem to have ruined any chance of a hol for us his summer so please holiday for me too - have that extra ice cream or bit of baklava on my behalf!

xxx

I have been lurking although not much to say! Mini-Badger's doing well and given me an excuse to buy some new clothes. 18 weeks on Sunday, Jeez!

Hello to you all and sunny I hope you have a wonderful month with your mum. We're off to Greece in September so save some sunshine for me!

Waves to everyone. Keep that public poking going...

I agree pocket and weller it's certainly very quiet here. But the olympics and this bout of decent weather has probably kept everyone pretty busy.

Actually I'm just writing to say I'm going to try and 'check out' of this fertility business for the next month. My Mum arrives from Oz on Sunday for a month and we are will have a week in Greece during this time. I cannot wait for a week of proper sun and eating and sleeping loads!. While she's here I want to focus on just that. Seeing her and enjoying the month so I'm going to return my millions of books with IVF in the subject line back to the library, try to stay away from my good friend Google and I probably won't be on here much, if at all. I just feel I need a month to try and enjoy the now, and hopefully feel refreshed at the end. Also hopefully with more of an idea of our next steps.

Vallinapod welcome back

Pocket I hope when I return there is muchos good news from you in terms of your new cycle.

weller have a fab time in Spain and I look forward to news of your new cycle as well.

And lots of big hugs, waves and baby dust to you all.

oxoxo

Hello pocket yes it has been very quiet. Olympics and holidays keeping everyone away :) hi Vallinapod welcome back on the merrygoround

I'm off to Spain on Sat for 2 weeks then seeing consultant the week we get back to start next cycle. Will be doing immunes testing first. My friend that went for egg donation in Barcelona had ET last week and they put 2 in so she is on 2ww !

Waves to all

Hi Vanillapod I do recognise your name. Good luck to you. Fx you have repeated success this time round

It's v quiet on here! How is everyone?

No news from me. Waiting for clinic to start synching me with donor. No dates yet...

Hi Vallinnapod I remember you. Good luck.

Hi ladies,

Not sure if anyone remembers me but I am just marking my place my place back in the AC fold

DS is 1 at the end of the month and we are just waiting for DH to get a bonus (November) before we go and liberate our two frosties (with fingers and toes crossed - us, not them!)

x

Oh Mini it's never simple is it. Lucky old consultant having the whole of August off - but a pain they you've to sit tight till then. Do some fun stuff while you can - and eat and drink all the soon to be banned food/drink! Let me know if you find that crystal ball, I have some questions too... x

Hello all

Thank you for your messages. Turns out latent tb is quite common, but as its latent most people don't know they have it. Am still undecided as treatment for latent tb is about three month of antibiotics and you don't treat over 35's unless underlying problem (eg immune compromised etc). Now I am still under 35 ( just) but am a little unnerved of this cut off as apparently risks of treating out weigh benefits if over 35. When you add that to the humira risks (and all the ivf drugs) it starts to look a bit unattractive. Specialist is away for August so we have another month wait just to see him to find out how long the tb drugs will be, so that's another delay. I know I'm obsessed with delays but just feels like a long wait. I still need to talk to Dh properly as has to be a joint decision. At the moment though leaning towards not treating tb so no humira but that should leave ivig and steroids as an option so is a bit of a halfway house. Now if only I could find that magic crystal ball....,

Idreaminchocolate FRANTIC HAND WAVES AS REALLY HOPE YOU WILL POP BACK ON AND SEE THIS.

Please message me! I miss you.

I am so sorry your journey had ended this way. But I am happy for you if you have found peace and are able to move on.

I know my Christian faith has helped me to find peace and the fact that we did manage to have our daughter despite the fact that my womb has since proved to be a very inhospitable place!

I was with my sister today and commented that it was actually 10 years ago last month we started trying for a family and 7 years ago this month we started trying for a second baby! Such a long time. I know you have had such a long journey dear choco. My heart goes out to you.

Earlier this year DH and I decided that we would go down the adoption route. I have three friends who have done it, one about 25 years ago, one about 4 years ago and one about 2 years ago. They are all very happy with the decision to adopt and that helped to spur me on to look into it. We had to wait because our final cycle was only this March just gone, but NEXT MONTH we can officially approach our local social services to get on yet another totally different roller-coaster.

Thinking of you dear Idreaminchocolate - chocolate boobs coming your way.

Keziah I am so very sorry.

Mini, just to add, IF you go ahead and treat TB and immunes, maybe your DH could give a sperm sample now and it could be frozen for future use? Just as a back up?

Mini, what a pain. Have you come to a decision yet? For what it's worth, when I went to ARGC I told myself that I would do whatever they told me to, as their great results are for a reason. My immune levels were 'borderline' and Mr T said it was up to me but he recommended Humira. I took it, because i figured if I didn't take it, got a bfp and then lost it, I would blame myself for not having taken the humira. I know latent TB adds ANOTHER delay, but in the whole scheme of things, waiting for an extra few months would be worth it. That's just my opinion and feel very free to ignore me! I hope you are happy with whatever decision you are coming to.

Sunny, I recommend ARGC completely. It might not be for everyone (intense, bit chaotic etc) but for me the only downside is how expensive it is, but it worked for me, I have my much longed for ds, so it was worth every penny. Please PM me if you have more specific questions.

Pocket, really hope your cycle starts soon xx

Hi to everyone else!

Oops meant to add...

How are our bumps coming along?

No news from me really other than cycle may start in august to have transfer by end of September. All still tbc though. Can't happen quick enough for us. I saw pics recently of DPs dad holding a new grandchild. The family resemblance was striking, I realised (again) how much I want this. And bawled my eyes out. Fx fx fx!!

Hello to everyone

Keziah so sorry about your news. Big hug to you x

Idreaminchocolate sending lots of love and luck to you and DP xx

Sunny I'm not with argc but I have only ever seen good stuff on here from others.

Mini crikey. Where did that come from. I'm with Badger in that I also thought it didn't exist any more! Hope clinic can give you the reassurance needed to move forward.

Hello to everyone

Oh Mini that sucks. I must admit I didn't even know that TB was around anymore. What is the treatment? Pills or injections? Can you cycle without being treated for it?

A hard one to decide I'm sure if your DH's results are currently good. I hope that what the specialist has to say helps you to decide on your next step.

Big hugs.

I'd like to have a word please with who dishes out rubbish test results and put in a request for a bit of a break please!

Turns out I have latent tb !!!! You have to have a tb test before taking immune drugs which seemed like a ridiculous admin faff as have has bcg and then got the call to tell me was flipping positive!

So now have to go to chest specialist for x ray and then likely three months of antibiotics. Then I can take humira. I need to digest all of this as really not sure I am game for treating tb plus the humira as both are not without risks (especially considering the wonderful array of drugs the ivf comes with which I already need to have). Just not sure how much more abuse I can subject my body to. Think will see what specialist days about risks of tb drugs and then decide whether to go with that and humira, neither or just the tb drugs and skip humira. Big part of me thinks should go with what argc wants as they have stats for a reason but immunes were only slightly up and latent tb is very common (according to my friend google) so most people dont get treated as risks outweigh benefits. Added factor is also time as dh's results are better now than ever and who knows what they will be in 6 month time.

[sunny] will try and figure out how to pm you with thoughts on argc

Hi all
DH and I are slowly thinking about our next cycle. I don't think it's going to be for quite a while, but I want to use the time to hopefully make the right choice.
One of the options I want to at least consider it going to ARGC. I'm not sure if it's even possible financially (it'd mean remortgaging most likely)but I just can't ignore those statistics. So I'd love to hear from any current or former ARGCers. On anything you're happy to share. On why it was good, what was bad, if it worked first cycle (or how many cycles it took) and if the costs worked out as you expected. If you'd prefer not to say or comment, then totally understand. Or I'd maybe pm if that's better. Sorry for group message but I can't remember everyone's bios!

Big hugs to all oxo

Keziah I'm sorry I only just saw your post. I'm very sorry for your loss.

keziah I am so sorry for your loss. You've had such a big share of heartache already and I'm so sorry to hear you've been handed another tough ride.

Have added myself to the roll call:

Waiting to cycle
Pocket, 45, donor iv/bfp/mc dec/jan, FET/bfn June. Matching with new donor, dates for first new cycle expected July/aug .
Sunnyg,35, IUI Nov bfn, IUI Jan bfn, ISCI egg-share donor May bfp - mc June.
Minih, 34, IVF April bfn, waiting for immunes to drop.

2ww

BFP
Scrummy, due 3rd January - expecting a boy!
BadgerFace due 21 January (2 days before my 35th birthday!)

Our graduates
Lissy, gorgeous Rosalie born Feb
Kezia, gorgeous David born Feb
Beginnings, gorgeous Catherine born April
Lucy, gorgeous Ben born July
Teds, a gorgeous girl and a gorgeous boy, born July