Anyone else about to start IVF?

[gardenpixie]

DH and I have our first IVF consultation in a couple of weeks and I just wondered if there was anyone out there who was in the same position?

We've had loads of tests done already so the Dr says we may well be able to start the treatment cycle sometime next month or early May.

We've been TTC #1 for 3yrs now and I am on cycle 5 of clomid so will continue with that until I start the IVF drugs. There are no obvious medical reasons why we haven't conceived naturally, just a case of unexplained infertility, I guess.

I know the odds of getting pg still aren't great but I am really excited about the fact that IVF even exists (isn't amazing what they can do?) and, although I am a bit apprehensive of everything it will involve, I am thrilled to be given the chance to see if it might work for us.

I would love to hear from anyone with any advice or who is in the same boat,

thanks for reading

Hi ladies
20mins for me for my first menopur injection, not too bad I think! Might get dh to mix the stuff up for me next time, he's much more careful!

Bodeccia - I definitely have a chocolate craving now as well, does that count as a side effect?

Caramel - hope your jabs went better today

Close - we were recommended IUI before IVF (had already done clomid), but when the latest semen analysis came back the drs decided that ICSI would be the way forward for us instead.

xxx

Great news skitoo :)

Welcome owl and I hope your Menopur jab goes better tonight. When the nurse was showing us what to do on Wed, and I wasn't sure if I could do it or not, DH said he'd be ok doing it, as he'd given cows injections before! Thanks, darling!

Hey everyone else, I'm looking forward to checking out the songs, am on my phone at the mo so will look when I get to work sssshhhh...

Yay it's Friday! Have a good one xx

PS fab news skitoo, we will be drug buddies after all! Have a gorgeous meal out - I think it's chilli for us, given the grim rainy weather oop north.

xx

Welcome owl
Bodecia glad that you're getting a hang of doing those injections.
luck the comment on injecting cows had me laughing out loud :)
Skitoo Great news about the absent cyst - hope the two weeks fly by quickly.
I picked up my drugs today - I am on fsh injections using a puragon pen. skittoo I am due to start when my period arrives - - so some time next week fingers crossed.

Hello ladies

Sorry I've not posted for a while, I've had quite a bit going on! I haven't caught up properly yet with everyone's news but wanted to say welcome to the new ladies and send big s and [hbiscuits] s to everyone.

Thank you very much for being so lovely about my rubbishy cancelled cycle - your kind words really did help enormously.

On TTC news, I have a review meeting with the consultant on the 26th of July with a view to starting short protocol as soon as AF arrives after that. AF turned up last week so I think I may well be starting again early next month (they wanted me to have at least one months of the drugs so I didn't go totally bonkers and I am VERY happy to do that!).

On non-TTC news, my main client found out that I have been doing IVF and promptly ended my contract. It is a bit of a bummer because I'd not been following up other options while on the drugs because I felt so crappy I wasn't really up to it so I now have a few things in the pipeline but feel really let down by it all. I am torn between feeling that the drugs made me feel like shit, cost me additional work that I couldn't follow up because I felt like shit, cost me my main contract, and didn't bloody work ... and trying to convince myself that it will help the Drs get the short protocol right.

However, I have decided that putting my life on hold on the off chance that I might fall pg has gone on long enough and I am currently working on a new business idea that I've been knocking around for a while. It will involve going on a training course and then doing some serious networking but I am genuinely excited about it - which I haven't felt about work since we started TTC - and think it could be a proper career rather than just a way to pay the bills. I feel I have been overlooking my need to have a stimulating and challenging work life because I've been lucky enough to find enough work to bring in some money and wanted to prioritise TTC - particularly IVF when I didn't have much choice other than to prioritise it.

So, if this lot of IVF works then that's fab and by the time I have a little person, I should be in a position to work pretty flexibly; and if it doesn't, I'll still have something to focus on.

Crikey, sorry, what an enormous memememe post!

Right, will go and catch up on everyone else's news immediately! Good luck to all injectors and sniffers and 2ww-ers!

lots of love to everyone xxxx

Hi ladies

Haven't posted for a few days and things have got really busy on here!

I've had a week mostly involving scans and blood tests....my scan on Monday showed far too many follicles and the blood results meant I had to lower my stims dose. Then had to go back on Thursday and Friday for more scans and bloods. I was starting to get worried that I might have my cycle cancelled as I seemed to be following a similar route to garden. They're trying to balance growing some follicles while discouraging the many others to grow. Never very reassuring when a nurse with a probe inside you sees your ovary and exclaims "oh my God"!!! By which point I was convinced I was heading straight for OHSS.... Anyway, back tomorrow for more bloods and another scan. My veins didn't behave yesterday so I'm glad they're getting a break today. I so hope I get to EC and beyond. I'll be so disappointed if I have to stop.

Bodeccia I'm so pleased your injecting sounds as though it's going well and I hope that you're rewarding yourself with chocolate accordingly

Welcome owl I'm glad you found us. Great that your injections are going well - yes I'm sure chocolate cravings are a natural consequence of this process she says, tucking into an M&S tub of chocolate cornflake mini bites

Caramel so sorry that your injections were taking a long time again. How were your tests?

Skitoo ace news about your cyst! I'm so pleased for you. Hope you have a great holiday and you can look forward to starting your treatment.

Hey luck, how are your injections going? It's funny that so many of us have ended up doing them at the same time! at your DH's cow comment!!!!

womanly hope your AF arrives when expected so that you can get going. I got confused as I thought you were on your 2ww?

Teds did you get to the evening? Hope so!

Garden, hello lovely! It's so nice to see you. You sound so much more positive and sorted, I'm so happy for you. Extremely at your main client , what bs! That's shocking. Their loss IMO. And actually it sounds as though that has triggered some really exciting future plans for you, so I wish you lots of luck. Great that you're able to have a break before starting the short protocol. I think I must have been going through similar emotions that you've been through this week with my over excited follicles....I'm down to just 75 of gonal F and have been for the last few days, so goodness knows if I'll get there or not. I'm lucky that I've not been feeling poorly with the stims though, so that's something.

Gosh, that was epic! Happy weekend everyone!

Hi kool I can def relate to the nurses being inappropriately vocal in their shock at the number of follicles! If they have given you a break from tests then that must mean they are happier with you than they were with me! On what dose did you start? I was on 150 and after my first scan they took me off it completely for two days so if they are still keeping you on it, that's great news. What day of stims are you on?

I am doing my bestest waggle dance to encourage some lead follicles to start sorting things out for you

I started on 112.5 which I was on for 6 days then went down to 75 which I've been on since Thursday. So I'm on day 9 now. They did say the follicles are consistently growing but I think the biggest yesterday was around 13mm so there's still a way to go and the main problem is the many others which they don't want to respond. It feels like a catch 22. I don't mind sticking with it if the drugs aren't making me poorly but the almost daily blood tests are a bit draining and I've a fear that after all this I'll end up being cancelled anyway! Were you given the choice between long or short protocol? I wasn't. Bless you, thanks for the dancing

No, I wasn't given the choice and even after the cycle was cancelled, I had to insist on it being discussed... But once i talked to the consultant, he seemed fine with it, so I don't really know why it wasn't raised at the start. Apparently ladies like us with our overexcitable ovaries are perfect candidates for it.

How many follies do you have? FWIW I was told that you can stay on the stims for three weeks without worrying about egg quality so don't worry from that point of view although I totally sympathise with the horror of regular tests.

Am sending soothing strokes to your poor veins!

Xxxx

Hello ladies

I've been having a little catch up with how you're all doing, but must admit to being completely confused by which stage you're all at. Lots of talk about injections - I was quite lucky and didn't get too squeamish about the whole thing, but there were definitely a couple of times when there was rather too much air left in the syringe and ended up with a small bubble of air just under the skin - yikes!

Kool hope your follicles behave and do the growing you need.
Garden can't believe your client responded like that to finding out you were doing IVF. But very glad you're feeling inspired to do something new. It's amazing how TTC takes over your life and stops you getting on and doing other things.
Hugs to skitoo, womanly, Luck, Teds, BellaB and anyone else I've missed.

Also I thought I'd let you know that I went for my first early scan yesterday (6 weeks?) and there was the little bean, with a tiny little heartbeat. (Actually the heartbeat was so tiny, that I wasn't completely convinced I could see it, but the nurse assured me it was there - me squinting at the screen and nodding sagely!) So all going well - it seems crazy just 4 weeks ago we were waiting to see if we'd get to blastocyst stage alright. It just goes to show it really can work and I hope that gives you all something to aim for. I'd kind of stopped believing that it would but somehow it did.

On the downside (though of course, there is no real downside to this!), I am currently either absolutely starving, or completely nauseous, with no warning about when I'm going to switch between them . Fine at the weekend when in easy reach of a fridge, not so good at work...

Garden the long vs short thing is weird, eh? I know Bondi did short and I think she said she was given the choice. Perhaps it varies between clinics, costs etc. I guess it's good to know it's there as an option (albeit a PITA to have to find out the hard way). Honestly not sure how many follicles I've got, I know there were over 20 on one side but I think 16 of those were responding. Fewer on the other side (8 active ones and other lurkers I think). It's a relief to hear that I can keep going for longer without a detrimental effect on my eggs, so thank you!

Bella30 I've been wondering how you are, that's awesome news re seeing the heartbeat, yay! I have read here and there about some sweet type things called preggie drops which I think are for nausea, might be worth googling. Wishing you all the very best!

Bella what lovely and inspiring news! So excited for you xxx

kool I think bondi's clinic was private so I just assumed the nhs wants to try the long protocol first...? Sounds like your follies are more manageable than mine though, I had over fifty! So I am sure yours will behave better than my overexcited ones!

Hello garden lovely to hear from you [hsmile]

[hhmm] fail

Well, I hope your progress is smoother, and its full steam ahead for your EC stage.

Afternoon everyone - just a quickie as got to shift my butt and finish packing.

Love the spell Bodeccia and hope it works for you Kool [hsmile].

Great to hear from you Garden and although I am completely & at your client , it sounds like you've taken a real positive out of it and have a new focus - sounds great, go for it!! Glad too that you have a follow up appt real soon and can get going on the short protocal.

Bella, fantastic news, its making me grin and believe that this awful process can work for all of us, making it all worth it in the end. Sorry you're feeling ick but hey thats a good thing .

Waves to everyone else - I hope you all have a good week in the various stages you're at, will be sending you all positive vibes from my sun lounger and making DH waggle dance round the pool for us!!

Lots of love xx

GP that's outrageous about your client! Do you definately qualify as self-employed, not an employee, how long have you been working for them? If its over a year it can be quite a grey area (I work in HR) - could be worth challenging them on it? But I really like your positivity about your change of direction, and your post perked me up so thanks for that.

waves to everyone else. sorry not to post much recently, have been feeling very sorry for myself. will pull out of it soon i'm sure. good luck to all of you taking drugs at the moment, i am thinking of you. x x x

care I am sorry you are feeling down. Would a big (((((hug))))) and a help?

I am self employed and they ended my contract the week before I would have been there for a year so I have no recourse at all... I am still shocked at how they found out though - my personal diary was on my desk and someone looked at a page covering a day I wasn't even working for them and saw that I had written in the name of one of the consultants at Guys, they then googled them and worked it out from there. I am quite sad as I had worked really hard to build a good relationship with their client team and since I started, their rating of the agency has gone from a C to an A and they mentioned me personally in the latest appraisal.

And they told me they were not renewing my contract by email at 10.30 on the evening before I was due to go in and sign a new contract!

But, I guess if they are going to treat me like that then I'd be best off not working there.

Ooooh, best go as DH is trying to unpack the shopping....

Lots of love to everyone xxxxx

Hi big hugs to you all. Garden - I cant believe your client did that to you, especially snooping around your diary, outrageous.

Well, since my last post I've had a couple of scans and blood tests and all looking goos so I'm booked in for egg collection Tues. getting quite anxious about it but at least its good news that thats going ahead.

Kool/Garen/Closelight I've gone private with IVF and its a short protocol. I did 3 rounds of IUI first and then onto IVF now. I'm 38, unexplained infertility.

Boddecia sounds like you're getting the hand of the injections, good for you. I'm fine with them now too, just takes a bit of getting used to. Only one more to go this eve plus Ovitrelle tonight too.

Re side effects, yes I'm now getting them - very heavy and sore boobies, very very moody (poor DH!) and just very tired.

Anyway good luck to you all, keep positive

xxxx

Shocking garden, you weren't working for news of the world were you?!! They don't deserve you IMO.

I'm booked in for EC on Wed so caramel you and I will be (almost) EC buddies. It sounds like we must be on different meds tho as I've been told not to do any more stims but just my ovitrelle tomorrow night and and still a half dose of my nasal spray. Maybe it's long vs short? Or maybe just depends on the reaction to the stims so far?

So thanks Bodeccia, your follie spell worked! Can I have some more spells now please?! [hsmile]

((((hugs)))) to you care, sorry you've been feeling really low. I hope you're getting plenty of RL hugs too.

Hello ladies, please can I join you too? We have one DS aged nearly 4 (Clomid plus bloody lucky I think) and TTC DC2 for 2 years, it turns out my hubbies sperm are completely lazy. So we are also about to start IVF (ICSI) as soon as AF arrives, hopefully next week. Had my coordination appt at Hammersmith on Friday, really nice nurse but my head is spinning about the injections...it all sounds complicated and I am worried about how I am going to manage scans and tests with work etc...so would really love to join you for hugs, and , and hopefully not too many tears. Good luck to everyone for this week x

Welcome Dannygirl, glad you found us! Sounds like it's all happening for you, good luck with everything. You'll be fine with the injections, mine get easier every day (although I do accept that I seem to have an easier injection pen type thingamajig!). Are you on short or long protocol?

Thanks kool I am also soooo glad I found you too, thank you to garden for starting such a fab thread! I know I am on some kind of short protocol as I am not taking any down-reg drugs, but my protocol is called 'antagonist' and I must say I don't know exactly what that means. I have asked a couple of times but never really understood anything more than it's a type of short protocol. Do any of you ladies know?

Oh, and kool loads of luck and hugs for your EC xxx

Hi Kool wow thats great, nice to have an EC buddy! Yes maybe the short protocol is different to yours. Not sure how I'm going to juggle the Menopur, nasal spray and Ovitrelle all in one night, will be one big drugs fest!

Welcome Dannygirl and don't worry about the injections, they really do get easier. I was completely overwhelmed after my first appointment but once you get your head round it you'll be fine. Re scans and tests - I only had to go in for 3 or 4 in total and it didn't interfere with work too much - I found it easier just to tell my boss what's going on though and she's been really supportive.

Hugs to all

xxxx