Page 11 | Fertility Appointments and Beyond: Electric Boogaloo

thislittlebird · 2022-08-20T12:54:28+00:00

Hit capacity on the old thread, will tag you in!

JeanieJ · 26/02/2023 09:12

@Particularprick @thislittlebird @Kay00 thank you. It is getting easier now 🙌🏻 & no more leakage. Im on gonal f. The symptoms aren't too bad, but it's early days.
I have a scan tomorrow, so we'll see how I'm responding 🤞🏻

@thislittlebird that's shit about the antibodies 💔 what test did you do to find out?
xx

Original poster

thislittlebird · 25/02/2023 23:32

@Kay00 how was the wtf appointment?

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Original poster

thislittlebird · 25/02/2023 23:31

@Particularprick yeah they attach to the head or tail of sperm and attack them. So there’s basically no chance of them getting to an egg with such high levels, they’ll be immotile long before that. It explains a lot for us, I guess, but it’s hard to accept our chances are even worse than they were.

I’m waiting for my Nk cell test results and DH is waiting for another sperm fragmentation test. We’re seeing nhs andrology on Monday and then I suppose we’ll see our private clinic again in a few weeks.

@JeanieJ hope the injections are ok. Dh did mine, I couldn’t do it, at least not first of all. He’s much less chaotic than I am and more suited to it.

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Particularprick · 25/02/2023 20:54

How are your injections going @jeaniej? I remember freaking out and crying with my first one then by the end of round two doing them one handed doing them while simultaneously doing tequila slammers (not really but almost). I wouldn't run. Just take it easy, frustrating and boring as it is.

@thislittlebird what do the antibodies do? Live in the sperm and fuck it up?

@kay00 hope you're ok after your wtf appointment?

Nothing to report here. I still haven't booked any consultations or done anything regarding the next round.

Kay00 · 23/02/2023 19:15

@JeanieJ well done on your first injection! My OH also does mine 🙈 I'm far too scared to inject myself lol. We find it's an oddly bonding experience and it helps my OH feel like he's involved.

I will update you all about my wtf conversation with my consultant a little later when I settle down for the evening x

beckyCarlos · 23/02/2023 18:52

Sorry, missed the bit about AMH, good that they've picked it up and are increasing your dose, better to find it out now than after 😊 x

beckyCarlos · 23/02/2023 18:51

Some people do find thigh easier (personally I have some lovely belly fat, but my thighs are pretty muscly and the idea of it freaked me out haha) my acupuncturist was all about the thigh when she did hers though.

Glad you feel reassured 😊 x x

JeanieJ · 23/02/2023 16:04

Hi @beckyCarlos just had my scan & you're right, I feel much more reassured. The doc suggested I inject in my thighs because I have more fat there, but I dunno ... I'm just getting my head around doing my tummy.

My dose has been increased because it was prescribed based on an old amh test & I just got new results two weeks ago (my amh dropped alot recently).

Hope everyone is ok Xx

beckyCarlos · 23/02/2023 11:01

Im definitely in awe of people who can let their partners inject! My biggest fear was having to have whichever injection it is that goes in your bum, someone else has to do that, and its my worst nightmare lol.

Good idea with the list of questions, it'll reassure you loads! I once mixed my stims 'wrong' so I mixed to vials to half an ampule (because I forgot to flick the air to the top) and I had such a sleepless night 🤣 (everything was fine)

It just feels like injecting yourself for stims is too 'responsible' and like something a trained professional should be doing 🤣 x

JeanieJ · 23/02/2023 09:00

@beckyCarlos thanks so much for responding. Its reassuring to know I'm not alone.
I went to bed worrying it was all done wrong. I was already worried that my fridge got too cold for the meds last week, but that's another story.
I have a scan today, so Im gonna ask the clinic lots of questions today just to check everything.

Oh, my husband has to do my injections because I'm so squeamish, I can't do it. I can't even look. It's a real test of trust for us though 😂.

Hope you're ok today xx

beckyCarlos · 23/02/2023 08:38

@JeanieJ all of that is totally normal 😊 i think your super brave letting your husband do it, I couldn't bare thinking about that! (Hes too squeamish anyway lol, when I got comfortable with it I made him watch so he understood what I was going through and he had to sit down 🤣)

My first couple I cried because it was unfair, because I was scared, because I didnt know what I was doing, and felt so ill after I had to lie down for 10 minutes!

Sometimes theres a bit of clear fluid (assume its drugs but I'm not 100% sure) in a little blob at the injection site, totally normal and theyre still working. If youre like me sometimes it'll go a bit wrong and you'll have a little blob of blood - also totally normal.

I was also obsessed with/freaked out by the air bubbles, but as long as theyre at the top when you inject its fine, they wont go into you, and even if they do it's not going in a vein so it'll just feel a bit nippy or cause a bruise 😊 x x x

JeanieJ · 23/02/2023 08:02

Hey,

I just did my first injection last night, well DH did it ... I actually got really scared & burst into tears right before 😬😵‍💫. DH had to calm me down & bring me back to earth.

Anyway, there was a bit of leakage on the injection site after. Has this happened to anyone before?
I also can't get a bubble out of my pen. I'm in the clinic for a scan this afternoon, so I'll ask them too.

xx

Original poster

thislittlebird · 21/02/2023 13:36

@Tillybabs good to hear from you. Is the RI with your clinic? I just had NK cell bloods today, felt like they were taking all my blood but it turned out to be 4 vials when I turned round to look lol.

I’m so fed up of it all. Looks like dh has 100% antisperm antibodies. I just do not expect this to work now, I’m all out of hope and don’t even know where to start on how angry I am that no one checked this until 3.5 years in. The NHS semen analysis, and any basic one, is next to useless. He had 60% motility today and we’d never have got ivf funding if they’d seen that. But what good is 60% motility when they aren’t swimming forward? They’re all fucked up by the antibodies and barely moving.

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Tillybabs · 21/02/2023 07:36

@JeanieJ good luck with your cycle. I wouldn't run because there is a small risk of ovarian torsion if your ovaries become quite enlarged. I just wouldn't risk it. Walks will be good!

Nothing going on here and I still lurk now and then. I'm seeing a reproductive immunologist soon before my next transfer

Original poster

thislittlebird · 20/02/2023 23:10

@Kay00 keep us posted on how the follow up goes. I hate those meetings.

Sounds like various potential causes including but not limited to varicocele, mumps and trauma, he’s had all three at some stage over the last 40 years. Sigh.

There’s no cure, just more ICSI. Although the clinic did say they will have to prep the sperm quickly and use it straight away because the antibodies attack the sperm, I think they can wash them too to remove the antibodies. I’ve been reading up tonight and the internet suggests prednisolone could (or could not) improve matters and high dose vitamin c. We’ll discuss some of this with the clinic, I’ll probably book in with the immunes specialist there at some stage, maybe after the results are in. The other thing is that I can also develop antisperm antibodies 🙄. I’ll ask them if I also need to be tested for it, I’m going in for an immunes panel tomorrow anyway, getting NK cell bloods done.

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Kay00 · 20/02/2023 22:16

@thislittlebird I've never heard of Anti-sperm antibodies either, have they given you any indication of what causes it and what the cure might be?

@JeanieJ I never noticed any difference with my chilled injections either. Some let you bring them up to room temperature first, but I never did and it was always fine.

I have my WTF appointment tomorrow with my clinic following from our Dec 22 cycle. I'm hoping to get something hopeful out of it... We'll see.

Original poster

thislittlebird · 20/02/2023 18:54

@Kay00 we're leaning towards doing a cycle if we can. Age is very much not on our side, can't really believe how much time has passed.

My private clinic gave me the grippy socks and told me to wear them when I went down to theatre but they were HUGE lol.

@JeanieJ we're unlikely to be able to get it done in a month, got some tests to do and then have to see how long the appointment is.

I'm sure a cold won't do any harm to your cycle, it's only really fevers in men that seems to be an issue. I also second the protein advice from @beckyCarlos and maybe use a cold pack for injections.

@99pctpractice I'm kind of ok but never really, it just never ends. So he did the DNA frag test today so we're waiting a few weeks for results now. We're leaning towards doing a round in the Spring if we can, knowing full well we might throw another £7k down the drain. I just don't think we have time to waste at my age.

They also prepped his sperm today as if they were doing IVF and the person (embryologist?) called him to say his count is good (as usual) but only a tiny number of sperm are normal and not clumping, and they think he has antisperm antibodies! That's a new one on us, I've heard of it but it's the first time someone has said it. Always feels like there's another hurdle and I don't know if there's even a solution for it.

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JeanieJ · 20/02/2023 15:54

@beckyCarlos aww thanks for the tip 🙂
I love a hot water bottle & any excuse to eat eggs 😂
Hope you're doing ok xx

beckyCarlos · 20/02/2023 13:42

Hey @JeanieJ how exciting!! I kept ovaleap in the fridge and there was no difference to any of my room temperature injections :) my only other tip would be a hot (but not too hot!) Water bottle on your belly every evening (or whenever), to keep your womb warm abd promote blood flow, and try and keep your feet warm too :) oh, and eat/drink ALL the protein, I read somewhere once that eggs make eggs 🤣 x x x

JeanieJ · 20/02/2023 13:02

@Kay00 nope, not yet.AF due tomorrow-ish & I start on day 2.
I'm starting to feel nervous now.
The gonal F seems really cold in the fridge ... is it a bit chilly in the injection? xx

Kay00 · 20/02/2023 11:03

Hi Jeanie. That sounds great! How are you doing? Have you started stims yet?

JeanieJ · 20/02/2023 10:36

@Kay00 thank you for your advice, it's super helpful 💕
I've got some nice weekend plans in place to keep me distracted & im working throughout the cycle.
Hope everyone is ok this week xx

Kay00 · 17/02/2023 07:03

@JeanieJ it's exciting that you will be starting your first cycle soon ☺️

My top tips: plan some nice (non strenuous) things for you and your OH to do, maybe long walks on the beach or a local mini break as you will be dealing with a lot physically and emotionally.

Don't forget your fluffy socks for the egg extraction and egg transfer.

My mum bought us a tray of chocolates and we had one each after each injection, that made them slightly more fun to do.

Be super organized and set alarms for all the pills you take/injections you do.

Go running if you like, but my ovaries felt massive in the days before egg collection and running would have hurt, so I'd recommend nice walks instead xx

99pctpractice · 16/02/2023 14:06

Hi @thislittlebird hope you're doing ok. It sounds like you have a very difficult decision to manage but if the dna fragmentation comes back ok, then sounds like it might be worth doing a round now? Or would you consider egg freezing for this round until his sperm is in better shape and you have had the immune testing? Like you say, Sept is a long time to wait, esp when you're turning 40 in the meantime. And though there seem to be lots of people who have no issues having babies well into their early 40s and no clinic would say it isn't possible, it might become more difficult. I still live by the mantra of the nurse after my first embryo transfer : try not to do anything you might regret. If you think you might look back and regret not doing a round now, with all the "what ifs" there could be, then I'd do it now (in some shape or form, whether a full round or egg freezing). But at the same time, given how unhappy you were with how the last round went, you might need to think about how you'll feel if you get a similar outcome if you go ahead now and the sperm issues are not yet resolved. Sorry, i know this is going round in circles a bit - really hope you figure out what will be best for you. Sending hugs xxx

JeanieJ · 15/02/2023 11:37

How's everyone doing?

I'm due to start my cycle next week and have come down with a cold 😷🙄. It's not too bad, so I'm hoping DH doesn't get it.

I'm not sure how I should feel about this cycle. It's my first one, so I should feel hopeful, but I'm resigned to thinking this won't be our only cycle.

Anyone have any advice on how to stay sane during the cycle?
I'm gonna work through it & try stay as normal with my routine as possible. Might avoid the office so I can stay as germ free as possible.
I'd like to keep up my running, but I've read conflicting stuff online. What did you guys do?
xx