Fertility Appointments and Beyond.... the journey continues

[Gracie2021]

New thread for us to continue our fertility clinic appointment progress...

Some of us are waiting for initial appointments, some are having tests and some are starting treatment!

@tillybabs
@thislittlebird
@kay00
@jeaniej
@PurpleUnicorn01
@paintfairy
@dogmam
@flutterby8
@Ughmaybenot
@dancingfairydreams
@beckycarlos
@jkjellyhead
@juno231
@decaffe
@bumble44
@BritinNZ
@tinkerbell098
@pinkginpls
@thedaydreambelievers
@everymumday
@wanderlust16
@lori23ttc

I'm so behind with messages and just caught up.

Just wanted to say @PurpleUnicorn01 I'm so sorry to hear your sad news.

@dogmam congratulations!

How are you all?

All quiet here. CD6 on 7th TSI cycle so last day of Letrozole today. First full cycle with steroids and progesterone support so will see if that does any good. Dreading the crinone already but if it works......

@PurpleUnicorn01 are you starting your down regs this week? How are the emotions starting into the new FET? X

How are you all managing the Christmas parties and zoom calls etc? Have to admit I'm struggling. My team is very baby heavy and the content of the calls is tough sometimes. Had a low key gender reveal on the last one.

@PurpleUnicorn01 I've got my 8 week viability scan tomorrow (earliest my clinic does) and I'm bricking it.

I'm about to call my clinic and say that my period is almost two weeks over its already delayed time (sodding second covid vaccine! I've never been this late in my life), so just waiting to see what difference that makes (if any) to my treatment plan. Also have another baseline on weds to check if I have a small polyp (last baseline was day 1 of period, as this one might be too, I'm spotting but not 100% on yet)... the joy! 🤣

@Gracie2021 i know what you mean when it comes to being surrounded by pregnancy stuff.

Erm i feel a lot more nervous this time for sure. Yes i down reg from Thursday. How come they gave you steroids if you don't mind me asking.

@paintfairy yes the first scan is scary. I hope it goes well.

@beckyCarlos oh gosh that is so annoying!

@beckyCarlos what an absolute pain, hope this doesn't interfere with the plan 🤞

@paintfairy best of luck for the scan and hope it gives you reassurance for the weeks ahead.

@PurpleUnicorn01 there's so much of emotion attached to this whole process but I'd say it's even tougher after your experience. Here if you ever need support or just a rant. On steroids and baby aspirin as I'm positive for auto immune markers specifically ANA+, likely have a diagnosis in my future but for now no symptoms. However it's the one outlier in my health and studies have proven ANA+ women have a tougher time getting pregnant and staying pregnant so I pushed for prednisolone for a couple medicated cycles in what I like to call the "throw the kitchen sink pre IVF Hail Mary" strategy.

@Gracie2021 thank you.

Lol i love the strategy. I think im going on blood thinners and baby asprin at some point. Im not sure when. Il have to ask the nurse.

@PurpleUnicorn01 I'm mentally preparing myself for bad news......
I hope your transfer goes well and everything goes much more smoothly. Fingers crossed the clinic have a handle on it now. 🤞

@paintfairy fingers crossed for you. Keep us updated.

I think when you go through so much you automatically prepare for the worst as not to disappoint yourself

@dogmam they said they’d add cyclogest and lubion to my file, whatever that means. I guess as preferences? I’d rather try cyclogest first of all, I’m not keen on more injections straight off :/

I haven’t heard back from them yet about anything else, no email with meds etc. Other people at guys seem to have had a different experience where they were emailed by fertility2u etc.

They didn’t officially say I’m having a freeze all, I asked for one. I wasn’t super confident in my trainee doctor, I don’t know how you know you’ll be having a freeze all or not. Do they wait to see how you’re doing if no one has officially planned it?

@Gracie2021 you need to work where I do, we don’t have any zoom calls or parties . Low key gender reveal sounds terrible. Women in my team already have adult kids or had ivf themselves or adopted, it’s a weird situation actually but it helps to work with other people with different situations.

I’m waiting to see when my period turns up this month. Who knows! I’m guessing the 26th right now based on when I think I ovulated. But it’s a guess. 26th would still keep me in my ivf window.

No, not the 26th. DAY 26. I’m confusing myself. Which would be the 23rd, so just inside my ivf window in January if the next month was the same. Need to decide whether to take some progesterone this month, I have some here.

@thislittlebird freeze alls are usually determined once they see how your responding to the medication I think? Ie if you look like OHSS is likely they make the decision there rather than pre-emptively, as you might react completely unexpectedly to the meds.

@Gracie2021 Ew who does that in a zoom call??

@Juno231 that’s what I’m hoping anyway, because that doctor had no thoughts on me having a freeze all, since she didn’t even consider that I had high AMH, I had to ask if it was possible. I’ll cross that bridge when we get there I suppose.

Hi Ladies, can I join? Had initial appointment at CRGH and now waiting for appointment at Kings.

@jemInher40s welcome!!

@gracie2021 thats really interesting what you say about the auto immune markers. I have the HLA-B21 gene and lots of random inflammatory issues. I'm not sure I have been tested for ANA+ but apparently there is a high correlation between the two. PCOS can be caused by auto immune issues too (for some women). Maybe I need to have a chat with my consultant about it.

@Kay00 I asked my GP to do some PCOS tests. He’s sending me off for blood tests. He said he would not count me as having it based on the follicles alone and would guess the tests won’t show much but since I asked he’s doing them.

Also, how do you guys know you have these ANA markers? I’ve not heard of them but I have immune issues and have considered I might need pred at some point. Which I absolutely hate and will do my best to avoid, my moon face from the spring is only just waning slightly

@JemInher40s welcome and hope you get your appointment soon.

@thislittlebird if always heard freeze all vs fresh decision would be made along the way as they have to assess your risk for OHSS. Anecdotally if you're at high risk of OHSS (eg tons of follicles etc) this can be decided early or after egg retrieval. Glad it's looking like your January window is going to work. So excited for you.

@Juno231 it was more an offhand remark that turned into a reveal but the chat on the virtual party was all babies and sleeping etc etc. And someone got a puppy so the talk was all about sure stuck with the puppies, you don't want the sleepless nights with a kid not was just bad.

@Kay00 @thislittlebird my GP ran my immune bloods a few years ago because of family history and that I have a couple indicators of it. Under regular monitoring and no new symptoms etc so it not a factor in my life yet. In terms of studies on the low dose prednisolone, there's only been two real proper studies I can find but my mam was on immunosuppressants when she had me and my siblings and I just have it in my head that it's worth a shot..... probably doing absolutely nothing except giving me a moon face but we shall see.

Anyone else have days where they really just struggle with all this?

Anyone due for embryo transfer in Jan?

Love and hugs to you all.

@PurpleUnicorn01 yeah, many of those days. Right now I’m not too bad because I know ivf is coming up, but at the same time I’m obsessed with the potential negatives of all of it. I’m scared about it, scared it won’t work, scared what the drugs will do to me/how they’ll make me feel. Am I harming myself and so on? It’s hard not to spiral. Last night I was obsessing over post-partum bodies and was down about how we don’t really get to enjoy any of this like a ‘normal’ woman, even if it works, you go straight into a very anxious pregnancy and then into the difficult post-natal era. The fear of everything that’s happened to date won’t go away.

If we get an embryo it’ll likely be transferred Feb-April, not sure yet. You’re in for a transfer in January, right?

@Gracie2021 I’ll have to look into the immune bloods, I don’t know a lot about it. I did my PCOS bloods this morning.

I didn’t mean to attach that, was trying to find it to say I had hba1c, but I’ve not looked up what that is yet.