Assisted conception and the bits inbetween Part Two!.......

[spook]

Hi everyone.
New thread starts here....

Hi - I have returned, from the scanning place. I can see how impressed you all are at my fluent grasp of medical jargon. Can't remember any of the names of departments or job titles of anyone I've seen.
Sooty - it just goes to show, how very useful toes are for walking. I have a friend who started power-walking and strained her toe, she was out of commission for a couple of weeks. Sounds divine there. it's kind of sunny and crispy here which is nice, but tomorrow comes the rain.
So the scan revealed something, she wasn't very sure what it was, but best guess is a large ovarian cyst, which she said was deteriorated, which would cause bleeding. This was my first guess when the bleeding started, it just felt very 'ovarian'. She reckons it is over the size where we ignore and wants me to contact my GP again to have a referral to a gynaecologist. This is all taking so long, and in the meantime I can't really start any treatment, so feel a bit sad.
I had a quick google when I got home and it looks as if large cysts and hormone treatment aren't very compatible.
Lottie I didn't do the 25k I did a couch to 5K plan, used to just jog years ago though for about 30 mins or so - back from work or the gym kind of thing.
Funnily, I did used to sprint on a school team and am more physically suited to that kind of thing (stocky), but jogging, I like that and walking. Nice!
The wee thing - OMG! How horrible! What do you have to do for EC?

Lottie, I have just emailed Jon, to cheer myself up. Now off to phone GP for an appointment next week.

rowingboat I totally understand your frustration at having to wait longer - I'm waiting for a Lap and Dye before continuing any treatment and it's so frustrating.. I think it'll be May before we get back to IVF - alomst exactly a year since we did our first go. Though we are planning another go in Sept/Oct if the May one fails, so hopefully it won't mean waiting so long between goes then. I can't believe how long everything takes (especially the saving up the dosh bit!)
LL What is this C25K thing? I did a 5k race for life years ago and spent 5 months preparing for it, having done very little exercise before that. It was really horrible and as soon as the race was over I stopped training again!. I did raise lots of money for Cancer Research though as all my friends were so amazed to hear I was running they all coughed up!

Lottie, I'm laughing about the C25K, I fainted at the thought of running 25K.
I did mention the cyst to Jon, so I will let you know what he replies. I have a very nice GP who specialises in women's health issues, so I hope to see her next Wednesday, to give the scanning place time to send the results.
NMM, it is a pain having to hang about isn't it! Not sure yet what will happen, I'm hoping now that the cyst is deteriorating (or so the sonographer thought) that it will push off on its own.
All this mucking around with hormones, it's so dodgy, I'll probably get 20 cysts and no embryos when I finally do IVF. Oh well at least they won't wake me up at night.
Lottie, I know what you mean about wanting to be a teenager, I'm tragic. Even DS calls everything 'ceeoool' and tells me he is totally playing with his scooter.

RB-thats really made me laugh. Your DS "totally playing with his scooter" My DS2 is 9 and he sometimes just sighs deeply and says "fine" in such a hormonal teenage way when asked to do something that doesn't excite him.
I'm sorry about the cyst but hopefully it's on its way out and a gynae will confirm this. I know how totally frustrating it is when its all held up. I feel your pain, I really do!
Well-I've had a mixed old bag of a day. I had 12 or 13 follicles this morning but they're all small (under 10mm) so it looks like EC is going to be put back till end of next week I know I'm being highly strung but I got really upset. After all these pains I expected something a bit more spectacular in the way of mahoosive follicles I guess. Made a bit of a tit of myself by getting upset really. The nurses were lovely though and they weren't unduly concerned by the size. They were just reassuring that the drugs were working.
I have to call the clinic tomorrow after 3 for a date for EC and the next scan.
God-if these embryos ever go back in, let alone stay in there I promise I will never eat another hooky selection box in my life.
Hi Lottie. Well done for running. Respect! The most exercise I get at the moment is walking the dogs and going to the fridge and back. Pmsl at your thinking it was 25k RB. I can't be arsed to drive that far
I'm not on Puregon Lottie. Don't know where I got that from...sorry. Its Menopur. Is that the same? All these different drugs flummox me! I'm on 4 ampoules of that (presuming thats 400?)

Me and DH took the hounds for a walk in the woods this afternoon and I had a really lovely moment. I came out of the woods at the top of a hill and the sun came out at that second really brightly. I felt totally at peace just for a minute. Like all the stress of the present wasn't there.Not like me to have seminal moments but there it was
Lovely jubbly.

Yummm, LL, hope the fish pie was good! I made some last weekend for friends on the 'everyone likes fish pie' principle and discovered that my pal's Dh doesn't do fish ... more for us though !

Thanks, Nappyvalley, I'll ask about the new test - I'm doing all the FSH-lowering things I can find (including eating seaweed, yuck, not trying that again) but an alternative test for eggs sounds much better. And thanks LL re the London Women's Clinic, I'll see if they want to answer the phone for £5000! How fantastic about your friend's result too.

Hi Spook, don't blame you for getting upset, I think this whole thing is designed to get us as strung out as possible. Big happy vibes to your follicles to use the time to get big and strong!

Spook, I'm laughing about not driving 25K. I didn't really think about how far 25K was, it is quite far isn't it!
When people ask me how far it is to the shops, I tend to say 'ten minutes'.
Is this day 7 for you Spook so they are suggesting that you would have the transfer on or around day 14 is that right? I would be impatient as well and say 'no I want the transfer on Friday please'.
I'm sure they know what they are doing, better do as you are told.
I don't think you should feel bad about being upset, it's hard to know what to expect after the discomfort, but it sounds like a nice healthy number.
I bet the nurses have seen a lot worse than you sobbing, they were probably relieved you didn't try to strangle them like a crazed harpy.
Sounds like you had a good day overall though, especially the lovely sunny hill.
Lottie, I haven't heard back from John yet, but I cancelled my Hungarian appointment. Didn't think there was much point in going there and wasting money on flights and accommodation when I don't really know what we are doing.
I am hoping the deterioration of the cyst means it is going away so that I can get on with the treatment.
How long did you stay in Norway for the actual treatment?

Morning girls and thanks for your words of reassurance last night that I am infact allowed to cry and stamp my feet whenever I bloody well like. Woe betide the nurse on the phone this afternoon who gives me bad news
I think my ET's going to be more like 15, like yours Lottie. She said "back end" of next week so I took that to mean Thurs or Fri. All will be revealed this afternoon I hope. I have to rearrange all my acupuncture appts too. Buggar.

Sorry you cancelled your Hungary appt RB but at this stage you mustn't put any pressure on yourself to get on with things. I'm glad in retrospect that they wouldn't let me start treatment straight after the miscarriage in October-we need to know our bodies are in the best shape they can be to take on the onslaught that is IVF. So-I think you were right.
Like Lottie, its not something that we can rush-though ironically its probably the thing in our life that we would most like to hurry bloody up (apart from the actual labour at the end of it )

God-talking about flights...I am SOOOOO desperate for a holiday. Anywhere would do atm. Just to get on a plane and be somewhere different. Its been a while because our IVF was originally in October, so not been anywhere since summer. I keep looking wistfully at pictures of beaches and imagining myself on one with a cocktail (non-alcoholic) in my paw. Ofcourse in a maternity bikini......

Hi Bumpless. No more seaweed do you hear me!

Hi Spook, poor old nurse, she doesn't know what's coming. Anyway, it could be good news so you can do elaborate air kisses down the phone and say 'I love yeeoooo' (in the true spirit of crazy IVF lady).
Lottie, using my fingers I calculate that you were in Norway for 11 days, is that right?
I think DP would come over for 4 or 5 days, with DS. Poor DS feel very bad at the prospect of leaving him for so long. He tells me not to go to work for a few hours 'no mummy I want to come too, I love you' as if I were going to war or something.
You never know the ERI might contact us soon with a cancellation and we could go there first, to get used to the whole thing.
Do you know how easy it is to move medical records between countries?
Bump there is some seaweed on the beach near me, can you eat any old seaweed? I can post some to you if you like, but I'm not sure how well it will travel.

Well ladies, you have all been busy!

Lottie - am very impressed with your running, in awe in fact. Am so used to walking at toddler pace that running anywhere seems a little ambitious, shall we say.

Spook well done on your number of follicles, and I hope you get a time for EC that suits you both. Hope for your sake the NHS is buying the extra drugs! My clinic says that women just take different times to get to EC - for the 15 of us due for EC tomorrow, I was 4 days early, 2 were 2 days early and one will be at least 3 days late. Just one of those things I guess, though very frustrating at the time

RB for moving medical records I think it depends. Think my clinic would charge £40 for a wholesale copying and sending of the records (mind you they are rather thick records - all my NHS stuff about the investigations, op, and now 4 lots of IVF). The NHS sent my records to the private clinic for free 4 years ago though.

Well, ET yesterday was fine and uneventful. The consultant was running late though, so I had an extra 45 minute wait with a full bladder, not the most pleasant thing. I had 2 grade 1 embryos put back, a 4 cell and a 6 cell. The other 3 embryos weren't so good, and we will see how they are by Friday and make a decision then. To be honest I'm delighted - I've never had grade 1 embryos before! Even DD was a grade 2 4 cell. Now I just have to wait and take things easy.....but we got back home last night after 10 days away with a car full of washing, a grubby house and general Christmas detritus everywhere, so I am finding it very difficult to take things easy. So far DH today has had to take the dogs out, hoover downstairs and put on 3 loads of washing, when he is actually supposed to be working from home. Tesco is due to deliver soon, so he'll have to race downstairs and carry things then too!

Maybe I'm being overprecious about this "taking it easy" thing, but I do want to give this my best shot. Half of me thinks that I should just get on with the cleaning and washing etc - after all I was carrying in logs the day after ET on the cycle I got pregnant with DD - but then I start worrying about doing too much.

OAP, firstly congratulations. I hear you about the full bladder, it's murder isn't it!!!!
secondly - we lived in a tip for a week after Christmas because we were all ill. The house is back to normal now despite the lack of tidying.
You can easily put things to rights in a few days, so don't stress. Embryos no.1 priority - don't want to have to do this again - no! The main thing is that you all have food and something to drink everything else secondary.
I am guessing you would still go for a stroll though - to keep your circulation moving?
As long as you put the refrigerated/frozen stuff away from the shopping, you can do the rest in stages - as long as you don't have mice. Oh, but you might have to keep your dogs out of the kitchen or they might eat it all mightn't they!
Our lovely cat is leaving home today - DP is dying from allergies with him being here, so he's going to live at my mums.
He's such a lovely cat, I will really miss him!
Lottie, I know it's pathetic, but I'm rubbish at calculating days in my head, always end up one short or one too many.
I like the sound of the Scandinavian efficiency, very heartening.
Now got to do something, have a bit of a cold so being a lazy slob, feeling guilty though.

Lottie. I am well hard. 15 days...bring it on!

OAP-that is tremendous news. 2 Grade 1's. Can't ask for better than that.
Don't feel guilty about resting. As RB says we don't want to have to do this again. God-the thought....
Unfortunately the NHS is not buying our drugs, but DH is a pharmacist so not hitting us as hard as it might. Am so annoyed I will run out of Synarel and have to get another sniffer literally for a couple of days.
I must admit, my house is looking like a bit of a health hazard but I am going to go to Topshop instead of mopping floors. Just to take my mind off things you understand...
(and find something my enormous belly can fit into)
Was it nice being in a bed on dry land last night??

Well. DH has put the shopping away, some of it is even in the right place. And the washing machine continues to wash endlessly, not sure the dry clean only faux fur throw will be the same again after a 40 degree wash, but hey, who cares! We have a lot of washing as DD was sick yesterday for only the second time in her life, but it was mostly over me, her and the chair. So there are some things that just can't be left for a week or so.... though I do take your point RB about things taking care of themselves as long as we have food.

Spook how irritating to have to buy more drugs. I wonder if it is more annoying to have left over drugs like me - £600 worth of puregon in the fridge - or to have to buy more mid-cycle? Rather irksome either way I think

And no, I slept really really badly last night, probably because I dozed all through the journey back home.

OAP - I agree not having a sicky chair is a very high priority as well. [bleuch face]
Did you get anything nice in Top shop Spook?
Lottie have just received an email from Jon saying he isn't allowed to transfer more than two embryos. Pooooo!
Poor old cat is on his way to his new home as I type. He was peering out of his little cat transporter, bit sad.

Well-I am officially in the "I'm So Hard I Can Take 15 Days of Stimmimg" Club Lottie.
EC next Thurs and ET on Saturday. In the big scheme of things 2 days isn't the end of the world. But my acupuncturist is away next weekend-aaagh-so hopefully she'll find a colleague to do my ET appointments. Its a shame because I trust her implicitly and really wanted her to be with me till the end. Bum.

I got a lush top in Toppy RB and a coat in French Connection that I have been coveting for many moons and it was in the sale! God I love a bargain.

DS2 has just taken up the cello and is practising in the kitchen so this looks like a good time to give the dogs a once round the moor.
Mowmi-how you doing sweetie?

Hi Ladies and happy new year to all. I have started on drug treatment now am on injections of Buserlin day 13, am suprisingly doing ok with the injections though i wont look at the needles and no side effects as yet that i am aware off apart from i have throbbing sinuses but dont know if that is a side effect. A work colleague commented that my boobs looked big today (could that be a side effect who knows). Go back on 22nd to see the fertility nurses to see how to inject the Puregon ......big hug mowmi

Hi everyone. This thread has moved so fast since I last popped on to say hi to LL that, even though I've been lurking, I'm not even going to try to catch up in case I miss someone out. I guess it's about time I officially joined the thread if you'll have me.

Have my first appointment at the IVF clinic on Monday 26th - my IUI clinic doesn't do IVF so had to transfer. Getting all my bloods repeated on Monday so really hoping FSH and LH are still good - it's two years since I first had them done. Never had blood count done before and hoping I don't have HIV or Hep. Is blood count affected by diet? Normally reasonably healthy but off work with cold and not much food in so might have to drag myself to supermarket tomorrow to stock up on healthy food.

Practicalities are starting to hit. You have been slightly scaring me with some of your stories - I don't have a dp to inject for me so will have to be brave and jab those needles in myself . Wondering if I have enough clothes that will still fit if I put on loads of weight from the drugs. No idea what I'm going to do about relaxing after EC and ET yet, a bridge to cross when I get to it. At least the clinic is part of the same organisation I work for and only two minutes drive from work so a couple of my colleagues have offered to nip out for an hour and drive me home. It would be less complicated if you could plan further in advance. I suppose I might have to bite the bullet and invite parents down, but usually they make me more stressed .

Good luck everyone with whatever stage of the process you are currently at.

Hi Roseca and Issy - the injections are fine, please don't worry about them. The first time you do them I'm sure you will fuss and spend half an hour reading the instructions (I did!) but after that you'll be a pro and taking 2 minutes tops (and that includes icing the area). And also, lots of the time the drugs are given to you in a pen injector kit, so you just have to press a button and the drugs are pushed into you. FWIW, I do find it easier doing alll this myself, no partner fussing around "helping".

I am still trying not to do too much, though I have now completed my tax return and done countless little things online that I've meant to do for ages. The weather here is cold, breezy and wet, so no inducement to go outside at all.

Issy, the only time blood count may be affected by diet is if you are low on iron maybe? Easily rectified. Good luck with the tests anyway

Rowingboat sorry your cat had to go. I know you can still keep in touch with him, but this probably isn't any consolation at the moment

Spook goodness you are lucky to find something in the sales you'd wanted anyway. Don't think I have ever managed that.

Hope everyone else is well