Assisted Conception (and the bits in between) Volume 6

[rowingboat]

Hi all,
I just went to post on the old thread and noticed it had been locked, so here is a new one!
Come on in!

Sorry to hear you sad news Penguin

Oh - sorry to post false hope, got told no treatment (will not go into details don't worry) so there is no hope, apart from a natural miracle of my husband's sperm working, which it hasn't done for years and years, if ever.

Italian - your AF turned up at my house this evening. Do you want her back? I'll put her on the bus with a packed lunch and a flask of tea if you like?

Soontobe - congratulations!

Hi Penguin - so sorry to hear your news, that's very sad. Big hug xxxxx

Vallinnapod - what is going on with your clinic at all??? How's the sniffing going?

Oh Lissy if it makes you feel any better I feel exactly the same re: sadness and envy of people getting pregnant (yesterday I found out that a 3rd person I know is pregnant with her 2nd baby in the time it's taking me not to have even one). I can't take any of your sadness away, but I'm sat right there beside you xxxx

Hi there BB - what did your nanny have to say for herself?

Good luck with your cycle KC - keep us posted (literally!!)

Hey BagofHolly! Are you lurking?

Italian - I think your DD sounds very clever, I imagine that it actually takes more effort to remember text than it does to work out how to read it!! The Italian-puppy and I would get on very well!!

Lateatwork - how are you? Are you in the UK? Just wondering re: insurance. I have private healthcare here in the UK and would be interested to hear if I could possibly get any tests done on it, but if you're in the US just ignore me!!

Rowing - when are you off to the Czech Rep?

Keziah - how goes it?

Finally got rid of my headache, it actually came back after I said it had gone! Probably partly hormonal disruption due to today's arrival of my period and not just caffiene withdrawal. Next up is cutting out sugar - I was reading Zita last night and apparently (and I quote) too much sugar can have a devestating effect on fertility. And I do wonder because sugar apparently damamges eggs and for my age my eggs / ovaries seem a little pants quality / function-wise. This is gonna be hard but I'm looking forward to the associated weightloss!

Just popping in to say Hello to everyone! I'm still lurking - I find it hard to post off my iphone and don't get chance to fire up my laptop very often.
Penguin, so very sorry to hear your news, that's so sad, and such a hard position to be in.
KC11 I had all the immune stuff done too - my NKs were knackered! What did they charge for that? It's so heartening to hear that this approach is spreading! Best of luck!
Hello and best wishes to everyone! x x x x

Keziah so sorry, can you not take this up with another clinic? Email me if you wish to talk.

Iscream yes, please send af my way, I know it is odd but I miss the old bitch! Oopse, language, Timothy! envy] Yes, I am envious of friends who get pregnant with number 3 almost by accident!

Rowing hope you are getting your head around it all.

Sontobe, Val, Late, KC11, BagofHolly, Penguion Horton, Lissy, BB and all love and hugs

Is everyone out there with their sparklers this evening? I've been watching a fab fireworks display from my bedroom window (we're high up on a hill) with DH and the folks after cornbeef has and treacle tart - that's what I call a Bonfire Night!!

Sparkles to everyone xxxx

Hi all,
rubbish bonfire night and tonight. It has rained torrentially both last night and tonight.
I don't know if anyone is a clothes line person, but I have had a line of completely sodden clothing hanging out for a day and a half. Don't even have the heart to bring it in.

Hope you are all having a better time of the weather.
I have been having a discussion with people about the cold Winter last year, and how to predict a similar season. I hope it isn't too bad in Czech Rep in December. Brrr!
I've booked flights for the 29th returning on the 3rd or is it the 2nd??
I have managed to order the progesterone, oestrogen and steroids (prednisone). It is hilarious, came to just over thirty quid. So funny when you are accustomed to paying huge sums of money for IVF drugs.
Hope it arrives in time for AF. [shriek]
DS has seen a baby toy on TV, kind of Winnie the Pooh thing for babies, with a rattle which makes Pooh dance or something. He has decided I need to 'born another baby' and then we can buy this contraption. He's being quite persistent, better get that sorted out then!

idream I live in the UK... my insurance is with the Pru.. the reason I can get the tests is because I have had 3MC- in fact i believe its the only good result from having 3 MC so far..

bb bloody funny re DS and EC scans. made me more than giggle!! and re mood swings with you and DH.. at least you arent 'peaking' at the same time... that is always a little more hellish... but deep breaths and c a l m thoughts going your way (oh and dont resort to self administered acupuncture like i considered one day...)

rowing uniqlo has some nice cheap down coats which will take care of the cold (even if the zips do bust pretty easily)... but the 29th will come around quicker than you think am sure!

afm... i am off to do my immune bloods at argc this morning... and a scan... am more worried about getting it all done and then being back home by 12 for work conf call thus have been up since 0530 prepping for meeting before DD wakes (OH leaves at 0600...)... deeep breaths...

LOL BB - it's when he starts talking about it loudly in the supermarket you're in trouble Hope it all goes well this week!

LAW good luck with the tests.

Still sniffing away here, wishing my life away until the 16th :)

Idream--Thanks for the pep talk.

Rowing--Sorry about rubbish bonfire night. The Czech Republic is going to be great! How did you manage to get your fertility drugs for only £30??

BB--I agree with Late...breathe deeply and find your mantra. Everything will be ok...I also find it hysterical about taking DS with you. Hey, it was a learning experience!

Val--Good luck with the sniffing.

Late--Am pretty sure DH and I have settled on ARGC, although we've rescheduled our open evening at CRGH just to be on the safe side.

Kezia--Don't give up! These people just shrug their shoulders and throw in the towel because they have nothing to lose. Narrow minded prats is what they are! There are plenty of clinics that will help you, I know it!

Afm, I've been pretty low this week. Having a hard time getting out of bed. I seemed to have started feeling better, until Saturday, when the letter from the consultant came. It reiterated everything she told me on Monday, and ripped the band-aid right off again. The upside was seeing a good friend from college that I haven't seen in 14 years.

In-laws have offered to help again with the next cycle, which is amazing. Still feeling quite stressed out about money, although DH assures me that we'll be fine. Trying to spend as little as possible...

lissy it is stressful. but its great to have nice friends about at any time!! good news about the in laws too. its expensive all this stuff... yes no doubting that.

i like argc so far. this morning went well. i have a very skinny file and am hoping to keep it that way . depending on outcome of immunes, and what we decide to do and what is recommended.. we may be able to start cycle in december. which would be great timing as my OH and I have more time over christmas (lots of bank holidays...) and my work is pretty slack over that period.... AND did i mention i just about have the best boss in the world who knows about our probable treatment and will allow totally flexible working during the whole time!! i wanted to hug him- how bloody good is that eh?

BB sorry the nursery are being unhelpful about DS behaviour. I have found schools etc seem to emphasize the bad. Like my DD not doing very well academically at the moment. Rather than good! Just my opinion. Yes, my DH was there for treatment but aside from wanting him there for the usual (nice if the father is present at the conception type thing! ? well not exactly the conception as that has already happened! but also you are advised not to drive after ET and our clinic is only reached by car so I would need someone else if not DH!

Val don?t wish your life away.

Rowing thinking of you honey.

Lissy all the best, good that in-laws want to help out, let them help they are probably so happy your DH has a shot at a family with a golden girl like you (in my head you have long golden locks!) and so want to be helpful, so nice of them.

Iscream how are you doing?

I thinking I?m going do-lally, the dogs trust advert is making me want to cry! Look here
Well, went to doc today to say that I had not has a period for over 3 months. I said 'I've done three pregnancy tests and they were not positive so I'm not pregnant." To which he replied something like 'Ah, good.' To which I replied, 'No, not good, we?ve been trying to get pregnant for years!' He explained he was used to talking to teenagers who reported lack of period and were pleased not to be pregnant! How funny that the news of a pregnancy/lack of pregnancy can be greeted with such delight by some or sadness by others. Apparently after 40 it is not considered unusual/notable not to have a period. Doc pointed out that after all our treatment there was nothing usual about me so that was flattering in a weird kind of way! Anyway, I was feeling sick and dizzy today so it was all a bit odd. Doc has scheduled in a blood test and I will be scanned internally. I always feel a bit odd about a first internal scan after they found a tiny embryo on one scan, years ago (which I was not expecting to see). I must admit as it has been about 10 months since I last saw my insides so I am almost (sadly) looking forward to it.

Love to all.

Hi all,

Lissy, sending you a big ((((hug)))). Hope it is easier to get up tomorrow. It is great to have the financial support there.
The drugs were cheap because, well I don't know, but they just are. [shrug] I think progesterone supps were always quite cheap.
I'm doing a FET so don't need to produce hundreds of eggs or anything complicated.

BB thank goodness the nursery have relented. I' sure the hospital would have thought of something, but it's not ideal to have a small child tagging you around during ET.
I don't remember whether DP was with me for any transfers, just the way things worked out. I think his being there after egg collection was much more important to my mental health.
I found the transfer an anti-climax after all the prodding and jabbing and discomfort of the first part of IVF.
How is your DS at home? Do you think he senses something is 'up'?

Italian what is that about a tiny embryo, is that when you had your DD, or something you haven't previously revealed...? [interested face]

LAW when do you hear about the immunes. Must be quite exciting.

Valin time is passing, slowly....is it another scan on the 16th? What actually happened at the last scan, was the lining too thick?

No sign of my oestrogen, but fortunately no sign of AF either, so no panic yet.
I don't feel as if I have any time to think about this process because there is so much going on in general.
LAW I saw those uniqlo coats, they are nice. They don't seem to have a very long coat at the moment, all jackets.
Speaking of coats, I wore my new long riding coat today, it was hosing down, and the coat was fantastic. I stayed nice and dry and cosy. Finally, got fed-up with having wet legs when I wore my Berghaus jacket, just seemed to direct the rain down my thighs. Brrrr!
Have some gorgeous wellies too, with a little bow on them, so I'm all set for the coming deluge.
How is it where you guys are?

Rowing It has rained like mad! But was OK on Sunday. The embryo was my missed miscarriage 4 years ago, in January 2006 and we were going for treatment and it showed a tiny embryo on the scan. We had a weekend of not knowing if it was 'viable' and then found out it was not. Had we had a baby they would have been born in September so would be four this year. A friend of mine did have a baby (in fact two friends) so their girls are the age my baby would have been. It's a bit morbid to think of it like that but actually I don't think of it in a morbid way. It was such an early miscarriage that in many ways it was not traumatic but the loss was quite traumatic to me and I did end up being in hospital for the night. It seems a long a time ago now but maybe it has left this tiny residue in my mind that when I go for a new scan (having not been scanned for 10 months now) I do wonder what they will see!

Anyway, enough of me. Love to you.

Rowing - last scan was...errr...dunno really! It was on Day 2 so still surfing the crimson wave (said a la 'Clueless' ) The one on the 16th is to check my inactive ovaries are still inactive!

Italian I only wnet about 4 weeks between my last scans and was getting withdrawal symptoms...tee hee! It becomes something when a Brazilian wax is one of the least intrusive parts of your week...!

LOL BB, whatever distracts you! Fingers crossed you petri dish is buzzing with action

Hi all,

Italian, hopefully, you will have a nice straightforward scan and no surprises.

Val I'm a bit rusty on the whole procedure, but was that the 'baseline' scan you had, where they attempt (and usually fail) to count the number of antral follicles. Are they checking the lining has thinned next time?
Oooo, it brings it all back. Had enough of all that personally, but it must be exciting to be in the midst of it all.

BB I'm surprised you didn't have an urge to go and put your tummy in the freezer, to calm things down a bit. Was it all OK, not too uncomfortable? How was the anaesthetic?

My drugs all arrived today and no sign of AF, which is all quite reassuring.
Still have nowhere to stay in CZ, but I'm sure it will all work out [crazed laughter].

Good luck BB, hope it all works out this time.

bb a whole load of sticky thoughts coming your way!