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!

Rowing Good luck with your trip, when do you go?

Lissy hugs, how long until Purim, oh I yes I had to look up what the noise maker thing was, we have some sort of Purin service at church! Need to look like I know what it is all about. Aren't there biscuits that look like someone's ear????

Val how goes it?

Late How are you doing?

tholeon and Shirley what are you up to?

Horton No word from you for a while, do you still look in on us?

Now I know it is a long shot but often when I mention a name from the past someone does pop back and say hello so here goes....
Choco, BB, Penguin, Tracybeagle, Isle, Gingerwine and Poppy 'hello'.

MercinaryMom wanted to say hello to you down under I am sure you are a million miles from us all but you are in my thoughts.

Love to all - we used to say chocolate to you all!

Bagofholly special post for you sending you a big old hug to you and the twins.... XXXX and kisses.

Best wishes to Nooknook have you started injecting yet?

Cerunbina not long now is it. Please do send news.

LondonLottie sending you greetings too.

Now before I sign off, hello to Mojangles just in case you are looking in. kisses and hugs to all.

Italian- You crack me up! You're so on the ball when it comes to Jewish holidays! Purim is towards the end of March, and is one of the most fun Jewish holidays of the year. It's the Jewish person's Halloween. In fact, it's the one holiday where you're encouraged to get drunk. The noise thing is called a grogger, and we do eat triangle shaped biscuits called hamentashen that are supposed to be a representation of the bad guy's hat/beard.

Cerubina- I'm so excited for you! Looking forward to hearing great news.

Val- How you feeling?

late and rowing- Sending love and chocolate boots (ha ha!)

AFM- Clinic rang on Friday with immunes results, but didn't get back to me. Hope to hear today...

Hi Italian - not starting injecting yet, about a week or so to go I think. I keep going from feeling cool with it all to sheer panic. I started acupuncture last week so I'm hoping that will help! How's it all going with you?

Late - are you still on for egg collection tomorrow? I'm so excited for you!

Hi Italian, I look in from time to time but really not sure still if we want to do IVF again. I feel like that part of my life may be over. Have been thinking a lot about how it would feel to go back to the baby stage again and am not sure if that is really what I want to do. Thanks so much for thinking of me. You are a lovely person. Hope that you are finding that your own journey is leading you to where you want to be.

Very best wishes to all the rest of you and lovely to see that the BFPs are still coming.

Hi all. Immunes results are in, with everything normal except for my NK cells, which were outside normal parameters. Looks like I'll have steroids while stimming, and possible IVIG, but they'll do a retest before I start my cycle.

Hope everyone is doing well...

Hi all,
let me be upfront about who I am and why i'm here - I work for the BBC and i'm doing some research into how safe and how easy it is to go abroad for IVF (in Europe I think romania, Czech republic a couple of popular places). I'm hoping to talk to a family (mum-to-be...fingers crossed!) who are planning to go abroad for IVF and maybe film them going.

Sorry if i'm on the wrong thread - but equally if you know anyone who is going please put us in touch

thanks for your patience - must be a pain to have people like me cloggin up your forums :)

Hi all,

Lissy that's interesting about the immunes. Do you know how far outside normal parameters you were for NK cells?
I love when they give you the results so you can have a lovely time Googling them.
Good that you have something concrete to work on for next cycle.

Italian I'm not sure when I will be going, not sure how this cycle is going to work out. I'm not very regular at the moment. Think I will do some OPKs this time to see where OV is.

Horton, I know how you feel, it is a bit hmmm all this AC and you do start to wonder what you would do if you just stopped trying.
I don't have to face up to that yet, but I know it's round the corner for me.
Have you considered adoption? We are having to think about that because we are adopting an embryo and need to be ready for questions and so on.

LAW aaargh! I can't believe you are going for EC. How are you?

Nook I think the alternating cool-panic thing is a normal response to IVF.

Good Luck Late!

to all.

Stress bundle here. Started spotting again yesterday, awful craps today but no further red bleeds.

I am finding this (early pregnancy) by far and away more stressful, upsetting and nerve wracking (as well as immensely exciting etc) than any part of IVF :( I think I was fully prepared to be anxious/stressed with IVF and therefore wasn't. I though it was the hardest part but this waiting, hoping etc is. Sorry, I don't meant to sound ungrateful/self-centred etc, I just wanted to let my feelings out somewhere I thought someone may have felt the same?

Thanks ladies xx

vallinnapod using your full name to show strength of my feeling, bit hugs, really hoping it will all be fine. Try not to worry, try to rest. Really hoping and praying all will be fine.

KateBBC Thanks for being up front. I can?t tell you anything about going abroad but wish you all the best with your work.

Lissy can you tell me what your NK cells numbers are? If you are willing to share! I am not sure if I should get my NK cells tested. Our consultant says based on all our info that I am not a high risk person for this. Bagofholly any advice? We are with Care not the one everyone talks about! Yes, Lissy I know my Jewish holidays. I went to college in North west London in a very Jewish area, my cousin is married to a Jewish lady, so I guess their daughter?s are Jewish, and my dad worked for a Jewish man who kindly bought the lovely green and white dinner plates (we still use) as a wedding gift - but more so I think being in a church you get to hear about it all a lot too. I remember once suggesting we added milk to the mashed potatoes at my churches (attempting to be very authentic) Passover supper! Luckily no one added milk!

Horton thanks for your kind words, you are lovely too. Wish we could meet up for real one day! It is so weird all this virtual world. Well, I too am not sure at times how I feel about the prospect of going back to pregnancy, birth, early days. DD talks about babies a lot and I feel I want to do this for her, but for me, I am not sure, I want it and I also feel if it is not to be then I want to know soon. I want the waiting to be over. Like the bit in the film, Clockwise, John Cleese?s character says something like?It?s not the despair. I can take the despair. It?s the hope I can?t stand.? Don?t get me wrong, hope is fantastic but sometimes it is time not to be hopeful about it all. For me I am not there yet! But I want to wish you all the best, Horton with whatever you do.

Nooknook sheer panic normal. I think not feeling panicky would be odder!

Hamster is still great; my sis asked me how I can love a hamster! What is not to love? He is cute, clean, cheap (now we have the cage) and I love him!

Is anyone watching the biggest Loser? It's total car crash TV but I think they are learning from it and me on my sofa watching it with a bag of Cadbury Nibbles, I am learning too!

Too tired to name-check properly so thinking of you only! All of you I mean.

Love to all

Vallinnapd BIG hugs not bit hugs, of course!

hi everyone! I had EC this morning and all went ok. feeling bloated and sick and blah but have been told to drink lots and lots of water. they are a little worried about the DH sample so have suggested doing 1/2 icsi and 1/2 ivf. i am sure dh was miffed...but hey ho no room for ego's in the assisted conception game...

rowing any more boots this week?

lissy well done on getting the immunes back. seems a lot of people at argc have some sort of top up drug as a result. mine were only slight out so am taking some steroids.

katebbc hi...we are in uk based clinic.. but would be happy if you wanted to film us in return for help with costs of treatment... ...

late - how exciting. Hope you're feeling OK. Not long now hopefully till your 2WW. I'm sure Dhs ego will be fine.

Vanilla - try to relax. In a few months time you'll be blooming and ready to push the little thing out.

Babyb - you don't sound too positive abut stuff. I know it's hard when things don't go according to plan, but there's no reason why next time won't be good. Third time lucky and all that.

Nook nook - good luck. I know what you mean, you're so excited to start, but all the implications attached are overwhelming. It's all good though.

I've got my first acupuncture session on Monday and am looking forward to a bit of me time lying down with pins in me.

Katebbc - just UK treatment for me I'm afriad. Good luck.

Hi - glad all went ok for you Late

For those who remember we now got the letter - Italian thanks for asking, it has taken this long to get. Not initially great, far be to be honest, not one positive - but we are going to send it and pray! literally!! Don't want to be more specific, so sorry if this is ramble to most, please ignore!!

Keziah good that you got the letter. let us know how it goes if you wish to.

Late all the best. How many eggs or can' I ask??

BB yes it is tough knowing how long to keep trying, but third time lucky I hope. Three is the magic number (so the song goes). This is kind of our third go at IVF so maybe May for me too. Oh please Go let us be BUMP BUDDIES!

hugs to all
and Chocolate BOOTS!

Italian-Don't know what my levels are, they just told me that it was outside normal levels. As I'm not going to start treatment until April, I'll have time to retest and take it from there.

Keziah-Glad to hear you finally got your letter. Keeping fingers and toes crossed for you...

Late- Hope EC went well and you're feeling better. Any details?

Val- Thinking of you! Try to stay calm and stress-free...

valinn totally understand what you mean.. its like constant anxiety all the way through... all has gone well so far though so looks like bub is quite comfy in there!!

rowing spotted a lovely pair of boots this morning and thought of you!!

italian I got 18 eggs. As of this morning, we have 14 embryos. Am dead chuffed and feel bloody lucky.

bb hats off to you for a 3rd try- you are a stronger woman than me. i was talking to my partner on the weekend and right now there is no way i can drag myself through this again. having trouble doing it once

shirly ahhh acupuncture... enjoy!!

Hey ladies - thanks for the words of support.

Another scan today, all doing well. we're 7 weeks, 8.7mm and even got to hear the heartbeat - pretty damn awesome!

Clot still lurking so could be some more bleeding. Back in two weeks for another (thankfully - not sure I could have lasted the 5 weeks until my 12 week scan!)

Vallinnapod - great you got to hear the heartbeat. And great you getting regular scans too. Any photo's?

Re letter - having read it I guess they will ask me to send them the medicaiton back, ie - no treatment, no anything like we had for months now. I am not good enough to even try IVF and fail it.

Shirly - thanks for the support!

I had my first accupuncture session last Thursday and it was great! Very nice lady who has worked with many women going through IVF.

Am going to disappear from here - it is great you getting treatment, having children, waiting for treatment, trying again, supporting each other - but it is final, I can never be a Mumassisted conception like others on thread so in wrong place,.

Keziah* I am so sorry, please email me or speak to us if you want to talk. We are here for you.

Hi all,
woah, busy!

Keziah I'm so so sorry this isn't happening for you.
I would seriously say look into something like embryo adoption or IVF abroad.
They have asked me for information about my 'physical' health as in any stds, pap smear etc... but nothing else. My GP had no idea that I had been away for treatment the last time, there seems to be absolutely no communication, which is good and bad.
Obviously this is about how you feel about going through this process as well. Being away from home is stressful, but if you treat it like a holiday it does give you something positive as well. Send me a message if you do feel you would like to ask anything.

Nook I'm glad you enjoyed the acupuncture. I found it quite helpful, although was a bit apprehensive.

Italian bless your little hamster. They are cute aren't they! I used to have a hamster, it bit me all the time, but it was soo sweet, apart from the biting obviously.

LAW I was laughing about your 'no room for egos' in IVF. So true, it's hilarious. Shoot me now!
Rather shamefully, I have been looking at boots again, uggs this time....It's not as if I have any money left.
I hope your tum is ok and you are still drinking lots of water.
(what were the boots like incidentally......rowing is dragged away by bank manager)

Shirley how was the acupuncture? What pins did you get?

Lissy I feel we are being short-changed with no actual figures for the NK cells. We want to obsess over them. Can't you tell the hospital about us and how we all want to Google the results??? [shrugs]
Have they said you would definitely have other treatment on top of the steroids?

I still haven't managed to do an OPK, it's been a bit nuts the past few days and I haven't been feeling great so just doing a lot of sleeping and looking at boots online.
Have actually been sleeping since 9pm and got up for a drink of water and a quick browse.

just about to go for another accupuncture session. Received some rather worrying news that a tyroid problem that I was told was not there aparently IS there and so not sure where this leaves IVF in the short term. Can't get hold of my consultant and am very cross and upset!