Fertility Appointments and Beyond.... the next chapter

[Tinkerbell098]

I have created a new thread as the previous one is about to fill up. I've tagged some of us here, but apologies if I have missed anyone.

The thread is for anyone who has started/ about to start fertility investigations or treatment. Come join us, we are a lovely bunch :)

@tillybabs
@thislittlebird
@kay00
@jeaniej
@PurpleUnicorn01
@paintfairy
@dogmam
@flutterby8
@Ughmaybenot
@dancingfairydreams
@beckycarlos
@jkjellyhead
@juno231
@decaffe
@bumble44
@BritinNZ
@tinkerbell098
@pinkginpls
@thedaydreambelievers
@everymumday
@wanderlust16
@lori23ttc
@Gracie2021
@Sofasogood1
@99pctpractice
@magnoliasinbloom

@kay00 @timkerbell098 @tillybabs woo, even having someone vaguely on your timeline helps!

@gracie2021 yey! Thats really good! Whens your official test day? X

Thanks guys. Officially test day is next Monday 🤞🤞🤞

So glad the way things are lining up for all of you to head into the next round together. I found the rounds where I was "alone" the hardest to do. Whereas having others going through just really helped. Fingers crossed it all lines up nicely for ye.

@gracie2021 that feels like a long time! P.s. hives have gone now, thank god for antihistamines amd sudacrem!! I get tiny ones sometimes if I'm too warm or my shower was too hot, but these were seriously next level... I had to try really hard not to google 'histamine, hives, ivf' 🤣 I knew no good would come of that!

@Gracie2021 next Monday is ages away!!

@beckyCarlos Glad the hives are gone and LoL at your almost googling. My search history has some very random things that I hope no one gets to see! Looking forward to starting with all of you (IF my clinic can fit me in). We can all support each other X

@tinkerbell098 I know 🙈 I just kept telling myself 'NO good can come of this' haha I hear that, I think I've googled everything under the sun (including 'can you wee out an embryo' 🤣) the internet has a lot to answer for!

I've googled the wee out one and the hives one @beckyCarlos @Tinkerbell098 and those aren't even the worst things I've googled 😂😂🙈🙈

Have a dilemma for next Monday actually. Currently booked into my local clinic where I only get the results on Tuesday. Planned it that way half expecting the results to be confirmation of a negative when the timing wouldn't really matter. Debating now moving it to the main clinic and booking the day off work and if hear that afternoon. Tbh switching it feels a bit jinxy...

Ooh @gracie2021 a toughie! Do you have bloods to confirm? I'd leave it at the local because I wouldn't want to jinx 🤣

@Gracie2021 same as Becky, I wouldn't want to jinx it. One day wouldn't make a big difference, you can still POAS to confirm too as those are pretty accurate anyway!

It was partly so I could meet my friend for a distanced lunch afterwards but think you guys are right. And actually four hours in a car probably not the best thing if it's avoidable either. I'll just have to wait it out!

@Gracie2021 I would say stick to the appointment you have. I'm so pleased all is looking good for you 😃

So it looks like a few of us will be on similar timelines which is nice {mention:Kay00}@beckyCarlos@Tinkerbell098

I've been really lucky not to have any side effects so far and can't believe I'm on the home run now with 3 weeks left

@Gracie2021 😁 that's fantastic to hear about your line being even darker today!!

@Tillybabs @Tinkerbell098 @beckyCarlos a cycle together would be lovely xx fingers crossed 🤞

@Gracie2021 so pleased the line is getting darker! That's amazing. Totally get the fear of any jinxing, but tbh it's the mammoth car ride vs lunch with a friend that would probably kill it for me 🤣🤣this is not the weather for sitting in a car!

I'm meeting a friend for lunch tomorrow who is about to start ivf and wants a download. Any top tips you wish you'd known before starting you think I should share with her?

I had a hysteroscopy yesterday and they found nothing unusual / unwanted which is good. Just hoping now to have something from this cycle to try to hatch into my uterus! I'm on such a cocktail of drugs now - thyroxine, clomid, viagra (!) plus max dose stims and all that plus the early starts to get for the clinic for bloods at 7.30am is definitely making me start to flag. Probably doesn't help that yesterday I was at my desk at 9 after the hysteroscopy at 6.30am and then my oh wanted to watch the end of a series before we went to bed. I definitely need to get some early nights / naps to regenerate! I might take a day off work on Friday...

@99pctpractice viagra?! Whats that for?! 🤣 you're amazing for going to work after your hysteroscopy, I probably could have but I felt very shaky and spent the afternoon on the sofa lol. Glad it went well though! X

@99pctpractice that's good that your hysterocopy came back ok.

I know viagra is shown to help thicken the lining is that why you're taking it?

Advice for your friend @99pctpractice is too keep an open mind going in and the first round can often just be a trial run to see what suits your body and adjust accordingly. I think she's ahead of the game already as she has you to chat to and so won't feel so alone as some of us do heading into it. My other thing is to be careful who you tell because if they don't react as you wish them to, there's no taking it back.

Wow yea that's a whammy of a cocktail. I'd heard of viagra before and was intrigued. Hope it works it's magic for you. You're definitely due some early nights and a bit of pampering. Can you even buy in some ready meals to give you both a break from cooking etc? Glad the hysteroscopy went well and is behind you.

I think you're all right. The car ride is the clincher for me. Went to the cinema Sunday and was uncomfortable enough sitting that long in a comfy cinema seat let alone the car. I'll be patient and wait it out til Tuesday.

@Gracie2021 @Tillybabs yes the viagra is to thicken the lining because apparently clomid can sometimes block the thickening of the lining. The clomid is meant to try to recruit some more of the little follicles! When I went to the pharmacy to pick up the prescription, the pharmacist looked at me very oddly and then said he'd put a few extra ones in the prescription with all but a wink - not sure if the extras are meant to be for for my entertainment or for my oh!!!

@beckyCarlos I'm not sure it was a good idea but I only found out about the hysteroscopy on Saturday so I didn't have time to reorganise everything at such short notice...I'm definitely not going to do the same thing with egg retrieval!

Omg @99pctpractice that's hilarious about the pharmacist!!! I did clomid every round after my cancelled cycle and really think it helped my numbers.

@99pctpractice pahaha that's so funny.

Oh that's interesting because I read about it and wanted to ask my Dr about using it because I had lining issues before when medicated but I'm under the NHS and not sure if they would entertain it. Are you under the NHS?

@99pctpractice lol that pharmacist! Fascinating! Did not know that about viagra and clomid! I felt high as a kite after my egg collection, not away with the faries high, but I felt very spaced out, I couldn't tell you much about the rest of the day, definitely couldnt have driven or made any big life decisions 🤣

I echo @gracie2021 s advice about thinking about who you tell, it took me a long time to tell people, and I had to be confident in it myself, and know I was over the 'shock' of needing IVF (and having the ovaries of a woman 10 years older) and able to tell people to get f**ked if they said anything ridiculous about it. Also 100% see the first round as a trial run. And (I think this only works if you're a glass half full person) but it really only does take 1, so if she finds herself taking ages to respond, and only having two folicles, then only getting one egg, just knowing that she did the best she could to get to that stage, and that one could be all it takes, where there's one, there's hope!

Just had a call from a counsellor from the clinic too book an appointment as we requested one. She was asking where I was with treatment and I said I was told to ring up on day 1 of my cycle to start. She said "hmm we have that bank holiday coming up so not likely you'd start now". I think she's made me depressed even before I started counselling. I hate being in this limbo!

@tinkerbell098 call your clinics nurse line, play 'dumb' and just say you wanted to check that if your CD1 falls over the Bank Hol that you'll still be going ahead (maybe you need to plan work etc...) im always stunned when clinics dont schedule bank hols, what if you need extra stims and the timings slide etc! It'll either put your mind st rest, or youll get to rage and move on (I'm sure the former 😊) x

I e always called my clinic when the timing has been dodgy with a bank holiday @Tinkerbell098! In fact this transfer was done on a bank holiday as I expressed concern of timing otherwise. Defo give them a shout. They should be able to manage something. I've also started meds before on day two of a bank holiday weekend and had my scan on day 5 when the clinic was open. There's definitely ways around it.

Agree with all of that advice @beckyCarlos! Wise as always.

@beckyCarlos @Gracie2021 thanks both! Very wise advise as always :)
CD1 would either be tomorrow or Friday, so I'll know pretty soon if they can fit me in. I think she meant that collection/transfer may fall around that time, which would create "logistical challenges" for them. I know there should always be ways around it, and glad they managed to work around a bank holiday for you Gracie. I will keep pushing if they say no. Between which days do they usually do the baseline scan before you start stimming?

Fingers crossed they get you sorted @Tinkerbell098. Baseline is usually 2-4 in my clinic before stims.

Wondering why ye think of these ladies? Not seeing much progression the last 3 days and beta results are still ages away....