Assisted Conception (and all the bits in between) volume 7

[Italiangreyhound]

Hi ladies Pumplinjoy, Shirley, Lissy, Keziah, Womanly,Val, Late, monkeybumsmum, tametortie and Rowing* - hugs to you all.

woowa of course you can join us.

Choco and Horton and londonlottie do you still look in on us?

Can you all find us?

Hi lucylookout and all.
I have just upped from 30mg to 200 mg as I'm due to start in about 12 days. What stage are you at? I too have low ovarian reserve (2.4) so I'm turbo charging up. I'm also drinking well over a litre a day and taking fish oil capsules and a general womens supplement too. It's really important to eat about 60g protein everyday so eggs in morning and then portions of red meat, chicken or fish I know this sounds a lot but it's easy fit in.
Keep heart folks. We have had several years of it, ops, drugs the lot but disappointment just shows you still have faith and hope that it could have happened. It's not easy to deal with but shows how strong you are Xxx

Hi all,

Tortie, I'm so sorry, I was actually laughing at how bad your day got, it was like a conspiracy. You poor love, at least it sounds like you got your dropped prescription back. As if the hormones aren't enough to cope with!

Lucy I can totally relate to the crabbiness, it's awful! It's not you you know, it's them - the drugs talking! We are all perfectly reasonable (well not all the time, but you know) and then we take hormones and all hell breaks loose.

I have been getting really worked-up about DS going to the park to meet his friend, who then ignored him and went off with a kind of homeboy type of person, who I overheard saying very obscene things to the friend. I know he is only 6, but grrrr! I felt like going over and telling the friend he was dumped due to being completely disloyal to my darling boy (who is far too good for him!) and sweeping off with DS. When do I stop the hormones!

Hi all, hope your first day back after the weekend has been ok. tortie, hopefully things have calmed down a bit today and you're feeling better.
rowing I know where you're coming from with your son. My ds made friends with a little boy at Playgroup who not only is very naughty (cue sleepless night that ds was getting in with the wrong crowd already) but is also pretty horrid to ds most of the time. What I'm saying to my son is to pick friends who are kind to him etc., what I'm thinking is that I'll move him to a different Playgroup to get him away from the little brat! Not rational but I couldn't bear to see him being upset by him. He's only 3, goodness knows what I'll be like when he gets older and everything's more complicated. I hope you've sorted things out re work and transfer too.
On a more, ahem, delicate matter, are any of you on progesterone pessaries? Since mc I start spotting about 9 dpo, so was prescribed cyclogest to give progesterone a boost. Thing is, I was getting itchy and irritated using them vaginally, so for the last few days have been using them anally (nice, I know, sorry ladies!) the instructions say this is ok to do but was wondering if this affects how well it works? I'll ask my consultant next time I see him but have started spotting today, 13 dpo.
How are you Italian? Did you have a good weekend? And keziah hope you're feeling ok. Thanks for info about q10 bucksfizz, sounds like our amh is similar, mine was 2.8 first reading, and 4.25 the next. I've been taking royal jelly too to improve quality. Anything that might help!
Finally, before I finish this rambling post, got my appt for ARGC today. ELEVEN weeks away! Good grief, I know they're busy but I was still a bit shocked. Will call and find out how their cancellation list looks.
Have a good eve all x

Gosh tortie what a horror time. However am sure it will all go ok, pma is good!

Well I had bad day yesterday (mum had heart attack - was with her at hosptial 2hrs away all day and night - she is stable,) then today a bit better as had physio assessement who said:

• have physio at home straight away
• I need an OT assessemnt to be safe at home, so on list for that.

Shame it taken them 3 weeks to realise, but.....

Lucy cancellation list good idea, however I have a 12 week wait with another clinic (although right now ivf not relevant as need to get well, but... times seem to be long).

Hi all,
Lucy it is so hard to be calm and rational when they are PICKING ON YOUR SON!!! [crazed animal face] and breathe. Hope you find a nice playgroup.
The progesterone can also be used in the back door so to speak [Does Les Dawson face and gestures downwards] I have read of a lot of people doing that. Don't want nasty itches!

Keziah what a shock for you, in your state. Your poor mum must be so shaken, but I'm happy to hear she is stable and has you there.
All good about getting the help you need, and about time, as you say.
Take good care of yourself, you can't help your mum is you over-do it.
Sending you get well vibes.

I'm getting in a bit of a pickle organising next week. Need to have a bath and a bit of a big deep breath. Horrible boss not helping.

Glad to see it's not just me who has a child who seems to get picked on at every turn DD loves the kids in our cull de sac but a few of them are sly and nasty. They tell tales on Dd and make her cry. It doesn't help that my poor baby is really clumsy and ham handed and always seems to hurt one of them by wobbling off her bike into them or tripping into them. Have seen it time and time again when she has accidentally tripped into one of them and they have accused her of pushing them over she is so soft and gentle though she ends up apologizing and going way over the top to make them like her. I hate it. At one time her confidence was rock bottom but since starting brownies a year ago, she has been loads better. She has also started horse riding and gets on well with the girls at the stables.

Keziah- really sorry to hear about your mum, you really have been through the mill recently. Have a hug ( )

Lucy- you can put cyclogest up your arse. Just as effective to, bum hole is very rich in blood vessels for absorption.

Italian- hello my love, have read your kind words from yesterday a couple of times today. You are so positive and supportive, thanks. As you all are!!!!

Rowing- where are you in treatment now? Whereabouts abroad are you being treated?

Nook nook- how you feeling??

I have had a better day today. Hcg shot yesterday has made me feel shitty but sickness wore off as day went on. I'm not worried anymore, what will be will be.

Love to all, sorry if I've missed anyone XXXXXXX

Hi all

I have to go to hosp tomorrow morning for first of every-other-day blood tests plus US scan. But my DH is away for a few days and, despite putting a reminder in my phone i'm terrified i'm going to forget to go! Buserelin wipes my memory... I'm sure I'll remember as soon as I wake up that I need to go to hospital... but what if i forget!? Am clearly in rubbish menopausal state that was predicted by nurses. I remember this from last time too. Well, as least that means I've got memory loss to look forward to in actual menopause in a few years time.

Waffle waffle. Looking at egg collection on may 16th. The days can't go by fast enough at the moment. argh.

keziah sorry you're having such a terrible time of it at the moment. I hope there will be good news for you at the end of it all.

tametortie glad to see you're looking on the brighter side today - all hope it not lost. Your news has planted the seed in the head that my scan could be like yours tomorrow...let's see.

Sigh.

btw, what is ARGC? Is it a private clinic? We're just with the private clinic side of our local hospital, which sees us immediately. I didn't realise private clinics could have such a long waiting list. Does it have a very good success rate then? It should do with a waiting time like that.

Off to watch Toy Story 3, have been warned that it will make me cry a lot. Just what I need in this delicate emotional state i'm in anyway!!!

night all

Keziah...poor you. I hope your mum feels better soon x. Hi all, tametortie I'm also just posting off for the argc. It's a private clinic that at times are a little controversial as they use some non- standard practises but that doesn't make it unsafe, just pioneering hopefully! Great success rates but 10 week wait list... Crazy town!

Hi all,lucy can I ask if u responded well to iui/ivf, if you used it? Sorry I'm not clear on your journey. Its just helpful to know othere with low amh as We have been given warnings that I may not respond well because amh low. I was told to go straight to ivf over ICsi as I've had tumour removed from ovary and endo, so I'm trying to catch s break with ivf!

Woowa- Watch out! You'll definitely need loads of tissues for Toy Story 3...

tametortie- Oh sweetie, I'm sorry to hear about your scan! But it's true about the short protocol. Loads of women don't go through the down-regulating phase of a treatment cycle and still get pregnant. Step away from the Google!

Keziah- I'm sorry to hear about your mum. Hope she makes a full and speedy recovery. Hope to hear you're on your way to a full recovery too!

Lucy- Positive vibes work best! I know that we don't want to get our hopes up so we don't get disappointed, but that's no way to go through life. After my first two cycles, I was told to put the pessaries up the pooper (I'm such a crass American ) for the first few days, then it was up to me where I put it. I'm at ARGC, but I only had to wait six weeks for my appointment. That was in the fall. I hear if you hound them for cancellations they're pretty good, but you have to be ready to go on a moment's notice.

bucksfizz- ARGC is the Assisted Reproductive and Gynecology Centre in London. The centre's got really high pregnancy rates, basically because they tailor the cycle to your cycle, are extremely thorough with blood tests and scans (when stimulating you're there every day for blood tests, and sometimes twice a day), and they do immunes testing. They test your blood (which they send to Chicago) for thyroid issues or elevated natural killer cells, which they think is the cause for recurrent miscarriage or cycle failure. Also they recommend to all women that they go for a hysteroscopy, so they'll know exactly where to go for the embryo transfer. It's pretty intensive from what I hear, and so far I'm very happy with them.

AFM, Suprecur is making me miserable. AF due any minute, but I'm so grumpy and grouchy it's awful. Might not be able to have hysteroscopy at The Wellington, it's all down to timing of AF. If I have to have it done at ARGC, private insurance won't pay for it. Argh. Feel like crying, but I'm so tired I can't work up the energy. Hope everyone has a better day tomorrow!

Hi all,

Tortie, I can almost see your DD wobbling around, she sounds like a little sausage, completely adorable. Give her a kiss from me.
I'm going to Czech Republic, there are lots of clinics over there and very popular with the Brits.

Lissy feeling your pain at the horrible hormones! I'm always grumpy and grouchy so it's the perfect cover for IVF. Do you want me to cry for you, as you are lying there in a heap?

Woowa you sound like you are feeling a bit 'where am I'? Good luck tomorrow.

Italian where are you dear?

I'm supposed to be organising flights now, aaargh! Hate this bit of treatment abroad. I will be going for the FET either next Wednesday or Thursday.

Keziah I am so sorry about your mum. I really hope she will be better soon.

Rowing all the very best for your time in Czech Republic ? is it really called that still? May it go really REALLY well.

woowa Stick a note on the toilet seat so you don?t forget.

Lissy I will join others in crying for you.

Tamtorie thank you so much for your kind words. So sorry to hear about your DD but glad he brownies and horse riding are helping. It is always painful when kids find it hard. MY DD hates join in at parties and I just ache for her to get involved but she will not! Just give her loads of love, reassure her all the time she is fabulous and soon those other horrid ones will realise what a treasure she is. Also I expect she will grow out of the clumsiness, my little one was a bit clumsy but seems a bit better now.

Lucy Almost naked animals is hilarious, it is on CITV, check it out! Try not to stress about a play group friend. At Toddlers there was one little girl who seemed to be nasty to DD and now they are great friends and she is the sweetest little girl. What are you doing with the Royal jelly? Is that recommended?

bucksfizz1 so sorry to hear about the tumour you had removed. Hope all is now healed up. Wish you all the very best with your treatment.

Hugs to Pumplinjoy, Shirley, Womanly,Val, Late, monkeybumsmum, and all* - hugs to you all.

Have I missed anyone, sorry if I have. Does anyone want to join the roll call, not compulsory!

Italiangreyhound 46, DD aged 6 (from IUI), MC 2006, IUI/failed IVF, awaiting IVF donor eggs May 2011
KeziahHopes 36, no children, male factors and testing for immue issues, failed Ist ICSI March 2011, no frosties.Waiting to see consultant in July.
Lateatwork 40, DD aged 2.5 3 MC, frozen eggs 2006, IVF at ARGC twins due October (using fresh ingredients...)
LissySilver 36 (almost 37) DH is T4 paraplegic, so IVF a must. 1st cycle May 2010 successful, miscarried at 8 weeks. Cone biopsy following an ERPC. Second cycle Oct. 2010 unsuccessful. Starting at ARGC next week!
Monkeybumsmum 35, DS aged 4, 2 MC's 2008, 2nd trim. loss 2010, failed cycle IUI 4/11, 2nd cycle about to start.
Nooknook 32, low ovarian reserve and thyroid issues, on 1st IVF cycle.
Tametortie 30, 1 dd with previous partner, unexplained fertility, TTC 4 years- 1 mmc in may 2008, currently egg sharing at crm in Coventry.
WomanlyTales 35, PCOS, Clomid resistant, 1st cycle IUI failed, Waiting for next steps
Woowa, 32, DH is C5/6 incomplete tetraplegic, IVF with ICSI only possibility. DD 14 months from 1st cycle, now onto second cycle...

I?m feeling good. I am trying out a Christian eating disorder group to see if this helps with my food issues. I feel very positive about our treatment and just want to get started.

keziah I'm so sorry to hear about your Mum, and hope she makes a very speedy and full recovery.

Hope you made your hospital appt woowa, I imagine you had post its all over the house to remind you when you woke up this morning.

bucksfizz, Sorry to hear about your tumour and hope you're feeling fully recovered. my current clinic (Viveka/CRM London) advised IUI because despite low reserve I have been pregnant recently (well, nearly a year ago now) and despite DH's high abnormality rate (98%) he has v high count (98 mil) so you could argue he has as many normal sperm as the average man, so they thought there was a reasonable chance of it working. BUT I am not sure they advised us correctly, which is why if the IUI cycle I'm about to start isn't successful, I'm going to move to ARGC, as I'd like a slightly more aggressive approach. I'm a bit worried about FSH (first reading was 9.9, second was 5.2) as ARGC only take under 10 I think. What's your reading? So in short, I haven't started any treatment yet, but AF looks like it's arriving today so I'm about to start IUI.

Lissy you're right about positive attitude, of course. I'm feeling much better today, I think because AF is arriving so I know I can start drugs and get moving. I think those last few torturous days were getting to me, where I knew I wasn't pregnant and was just waiting for AF. Sorry to hear the drugs are making you feel rubbish and hope AF cooperates so you can have hysteroscopy at Wellington. I had an HSS (hysterosalpingosonogram) at Viveka, I wonder if ARGC will want to do a hysteroscopy too. Probably.

Rowing good luck with going to the Czech Republic, I hope it goes really, really well and that you manage to enjoy a bit of the country too. Are you going to Prague? It's so beautiful there.

italian royal jelly is meant to help egg quality. I think it follows the logic that a bee is normal until she eats royal jelly and then she becomes a queen bee capable of producing thousands of eggs. I just take it in capsule form, from Holland and Barrett. I'm so pleased you're feeling positive, both about your eating disorder group and your treatment.

I've added myself in to the roll call:
Italiangreyhound 46, DD aged 6 (from IUI), MC 2006, IUI/failed IVF, awaiting IVF donor eggs May 2011
KeziahHopes 36, no children, male factors and testing for immue issues, failed Ist ICSI March 2011, no frosties.Waiting to see consultant in July.
Lateatwork 40, DD aged 2.5 3 MC, frozen eggs 2006, IVF at ARGC twins due October (using fresh ingredients...)
LissySilver 36 (almost 37) DH is T4 paraplegic, so IVF a must. 1st cycle May 2010 successful, miscarried at 8 weeks. Cone biopsy following an ERPC. Second cycle Oct. 2010 unsuccessful. Starting at ARGC next week!
Lucy Lookout 39, DS aged 3.5, low ovarian reserve, DH has high abnormaility rate, 20 week termination Feb 10, 8 week mc June 2010, about to start IUI cycle. ARGC appt in July.
Monkeybumsmum 35, DS aged 4, 2 MC's 2008, 2nd trim. loss 2010, failed cycle IUI 4/11, 2nd cycle about to start.
Nooknook 32, low ovarian reserve and thyroid issues, on 1st IVF cycle.
Tametortie 30, 1 dd with previous partner, unexplained fertility, TTC 4 years- 1 mmc in may 2008, currently egg sharing at crm in Coventry.
WomanlyTales 35, PCOS, Clomid resistant, 1st cycle IUI failed, Waiting for next steps
Woowa, 32, DH is C5/6 incomplete tetraplegic, IVF with ICSI only possibility. DD 14 months from 1st cycle, now onto second cycle...

Have a good day all x

Hi all,
Italian what is that group like, have you been yet. Are you thinking of Czechoslovakia not existing? It divided into Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, after the collapse of communisim (thank you Wikipedia)

Lucy I'm going to Brno, which I think is quite industrial. It might have nice bits, well people say it does have nice bits, you know, down manholes and that kind of thing. I am imagining lots of factories pumping out toxic fumes and open face coal mines all over the place. Can't wait!
Better sort out flights...

rowing- FINALLY! Get going on those flights! I remember my sister going to Prague in the early '90's, and she said that it was so beautiful, but everyone seemed so sickly. I think that's just an American's opinion of what Eastern Europeans look like.

lucy- Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better.

Italian and rowing-If you must cry for me, cry with joy...that's the best kind of crying.

AFM, hormones are turning me into the worst kind of monster. DH is afraid of me...I've been saying and doing the most awful things. I think I'm having a bit of a wobbly about having a baby (or very possibly two) with a DH who is in a wheelchair (woowa will know what I'm talking about). I don't think it's necessarily the fact that he's in a wheelchair, more along the lines of how helpless and stupid men are in general. Can't they do anything on their own? Sorry if I'm generalizing...these hormones really are making me act like SuperBitch. Still no AF. I feel like once I get it, maybe I'll start feeling a little less like a crazy insane person...

Hi all, Lucy-fsh was about the same ie 9. I'm about to start a round with herts and Essex they recommend up to fsh 15, so I'm nearly at the limit with argc too. I'm sorry it's been so hard for you. Your plan sounds like a good one and argc would be a good next step. It's exactly where I've just applied to if this cycle doesn't work. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Lissy sorry that maybe did not sound right about crying for you, what I meant was if you are too tired to cry and feel like it, let me do it for you! Bit like when a friend goes to the loo and someone will say 'Do one for me!' Or is that a British thing.

Hope you are not stressing out too much. I had my stress out last week, am I doing the right thing etc, and have decided I am.

Woowa is your hubby in a wheelchair too? Ignore me if this is a rude question but are you quite active in the disability rights side of things or not? I am curious that is all. As a woman I always feel I need to defend women's rights (it to a point) and I am always interested to hear how different groups get a good response to equality etc. Sorry if that sounds way too nosy!

Rowing mega hug, oh please let us be bump buddies!

bucks, hope the treatment at herts and Essex goes well, have you started already? You might be able to tell I'm slightly supplement obsessed but wheatgrass is meant to be v good to reduce fsh, and acupuncture is meant to help too.
Hello to everyone else. Due to start drugs tomorrow, hoping I won't turn into a crazed hormonal madwoman!

Sorry, just reread and see you're about to start treatment

hard to keep track of this thread :)

um, excuse me, what's a hsyteroscopy? Assuming I may have had one and not known given that i'm on second IVF cycle!!

Progesterone pessaries... I got mine today (woo) and the nurse said that at my hospital they are now advising up the bottom, a change from when I last did it! I seem to remember that when put up the, er, other, it just all leaked out, so maybe putting it up the "Rear passage" keeps it in better? Anyone got any experience of this delightful comparison?

italian - yes DH is a wheelchair user, and I don't mind you asking at all. But no, we're not into disabled rights, more just getting on with life trying not to get too cross when things aren't right. Most people genuinely have no idea what it's like for wheelchair users, this isn't their fault, so we try to be gracious and accept the situations that we come across. Hope that answers it?

Endometrium looked ok this morning and some follicles are there, so starting on the meri-whatsitcalled tomorrow. eek. INterestingly, my last cycle was NHS funded, and when I was pg i went in and gave back the left over drugs and syringes - well, i didn't need them. Today the nurse asked if I'd kept them because if I had have done I could have used them and been charged less for this private cycle!! Well, no-one told me that then! When you're pg you're not really thinking about next time. Anyway, this time, whatevr the outcome, I will hold on to those valuable drugs.

Thanks for the education on ARGC. INteresting what different places do - sounds amazingly technical. Do you mind if i ask how much it costs, just out of sheer nosiness?

Night all.

Woowa thanks for sharing.

I am watching the multiples film, amazing!

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010tbn8

here

If interested you have four days left to watch it on this link!

It is fascinating but I am not jealous of them! Two might be fun but three, or four or more! Not sure what I would do!

Woowa, definitely less leakage up the back passage

thanks lucy tee hee

Got in a flap mixing my drugs this evening and managed to squirt it all over the bed. Probably hundreds of £ of drugs wasted. ARGH. I had forgotten the fiddly ness of mixing up 3 vials of stuff then changing needles and injecting it. Will have to ask for more of it. So cross with myself.

woowa - it is hard, I always got dh to do the menopur as he better at that, I just injected it! Hope it goes well... you may not need more if you stimm really well when they scan you.

End of May we have our review for failed cycle.

Woowa and Keziah my DH used to inject me and one day he forgot to put the drugs in and just injected me with sterile water! I pointed it out, we started to get ready to inject again and he was all ready to do it again! Men!

Interesting programme on BBC1 tonight, caught a bit of it, called ?Inside the human body?.