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Infertility

Our Infertility Support forum is a space to connect with others in the same position, discuss causes, treatment and IVF, and share infertility stories of hope and success.

The mind numbing boredom of infertility

999 replies

icy121 · 14/09/2015 20:16

Two years. Month in, month out, and no change. I'm finding a huge part of this whole nightmare is trying to cope with the boredom. I bore myself incessantly googling variations of the same question, staying up late at night to the glow of an iPad, reading more and more obscure medical research abstracts. Asking my doctor friend if I can borrow her password so I can see whether the BMJ has any updates from last week. It's fucking monotonous. Nowhere else in my life have I had to strive so hard to get absolutely nowhere.

I don't talk to friends about it, they don't want to hear it and frankly I've cried too many times when it's come up for them to have any sympathy left. They're bored. So we just ignore and and plod on, except I'm not bloody plodding on. I'm wallowing side to side and achieving absolutely fuck all. And secretly dreading the fact they're all getting married and their babies will be on the horizon. I'm going to lose my friends.

I decided not to put my life on hold, got a new job in a small firm, booking holidays but it all feels very empty because what I'm really doing is waiting. And it's so fucking tedious.

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CatnipMouse · 27/11/2015 10:41

You'd better think of something nasty but cureable and short duration for your husband. Nothing chronic or you'll be maintaining this lie until you can't bear it any more and leave your job... (ideally to go on mat leave...) Or you could just go down the 'I don't want to talk about it' icy stare route. That's probably better!!

I'm peeing on ovulation sticks this month. Because obviously last month's failed IVF cycle means that that I'm REALLY LIKELY to conceive naturally this month. Not.

Lauraqc · 29/11/2015 00:57

Hey all - just had a bloody good laugh at some of the posts on here! You all bloody rock!

Open day at the clinic next week, we've gone from being convinced we'll do our first cycle abroad to thinking we'll egg share to save costs to just going ahead here in Herts & throwing £5k at the problem....but I'm quite excited to actually just get on with the sodding treatment finally.

Catnip thanks so much for the prep talk on drugs, hopefully it'll go ok. Have already warned DH that I may be some devil bitch...he reckons any improvement on the status quo will be nice Grin

loopylou1984 · 29/11/2015 09:52

I'm fairly sure my transfer had failed, bfn yesterday at 9dp5dt. Am totally gutted, dh and I had got carried away about how we could tell our families at Christmas. This would have been an August baby. It's looking more and more likely that I won't even have a 2016 baby now, and I thought I'd be a mum in 2014 :(.
How have you guys got through this? I can't stop crying. Xx

tigerdog · 29/11/2015 10:34

Sorry to hear that sammy. Big hug. Look after yourselves and give yourself time to grieve for this lost cycle. My IVF cycle ended after a short lived bfp and I was devastated but gradually got better as I focused on the next steps we could take. Hang in there x

CatnipMouse · 29/11/2015 10:38

Hey Sammy I'm sorry. It is totally fucking horrible and so very unfair. It's fine to cry and scream and shout. I was where you are two weeks ago and it's so painful. You will get through it but you can let yourself have a few days where you don't to try to be tough.

Can you ask someone to organise some distractions for you? Trip to the cinema is always a good one, the right film can be immersive and stop you thinking about stuff fit a couple of hours.

PotatoesPastaAndBread · 29/11/2015 10:45

sammy I know what you mean. I've been planning a "Christmas miracle" announcement and of course it won't happen. I'm so sorry for what you're going through. I don't think there's more I can say than to take care of yourself Flowers

Fractiousfractions · 29/11/2015 11:05

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

loopylou1984 · 29/11/2015 13:24

Thank you all, it's so much harder than the normal 2ww - I think because I actually felt like we had a chance this month.

Dh has been amazing, but the thing is he is very positive saying things like 'we have four more, we'll try again' which is great and I don't want to take that away from him... I'm just not there yet.

I'll be ok, i just need some time. Dreading work tomorrow. Xx

loopylou1984 · 29/11/2015 14:35

Well I'm bleeding so that's that. Didn't even get a temp drop today so I guess my thermometer is broken. Dh not home so he doesn't know yet. X

Fractiousfractions · 29/11/2015 14:57

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loopylou1984 · 29/11/2015 15:12

No I can't, someone in my team already has the day off so it would make it awful for everyone else if two of us were off.

I'm in awe of people who go through this several times... I'm struggling to contemplate a second attempt right now. Xx

karlafox · 29/11/2015 15:21

Sammylou1
Sorry to hear your news. Life can be so cruel.. And crap sometimes.
I can't imagine being in your position but it will more than likely happen that way early next year. I guess you just have to take a very deep breath and soldier on! It's all any of us in this shit situation can do but give yourself some time to come to terms with it, otherwise you'll go stark raving mad! FlowersWine

CatnipMouse · 29/11/2015 16:02

You don't have to think about a second try just yet Sammy. No need to think about that just now. Give it a few days/weeks, whatever feels right. X

Fractiousfractions · 29/11/2015 17:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PotatoesPastaAndBread · 01/12/2015 08:16

Flowers Sammy
How are you today?

loopylou1984 · 01/12/2015 17:57

I'm ok, I think the awful hormone fog is finally lifting now.
I'm still sad, and feel sad for the little embryo who didn't make it too, but I can see a way forward now.
I have a counselling session included with my package so I'm going to that on Tuesday, it'll be good to be able to talk openly without the worry of upsetting dh.
My case will be reviewed at the clinics team meeting tomorrow and they'll come up with a plan. I still have to test tomorrow though in case I'm one of those ladies who bleed through pregnancy (haha!).

I've asked them to look at my lining thickness, I'm worried 6.9 was still too thin - what were your clinics minimums? Xx

tigerdog · 01/12/2015 19:34

Hi Sammy, glad you're starting to feel better, I think the hormone crash and emotion are so so hard on top of everything Flowers. Re the lining, I'm no expert but it does sound on the low side - did they give you any feedback at the time? Did you get given oestrogen as well as progesterone during the 2ww? I think it is standard at my new FC and supports thickening of the lining, might be worth asking for if you do another FET. I hope your appt is helpful too.

My brother and his wife had their baby today. So happy for them but can't help thinking that it should have been us, if our ivf bfp had worked out.... Sad

loopylou1984 · 01/12/2015 21:44

Tiger - their cut off is 6.5, so at my scan when it was 6.7 they said it was fine, and the consultant said it looked excellent at point of transfer when it was 6.9.
It was a natural cycle so no drugs at all.

It's so hard when people close to you have babies, my sil is due any time and keeps posting things all over Facebook, it's like a knife through my heart every time. Xx

icy121 · 02/12/2015 23:36

Sammy - block all that on fb. you can still be linked to people, but just change your settings to stop all their photos from coming up on your feed. I do it to everyone I know who gets pregnant. Because you're not blocking them you can still click onto their page if you need to have a quick scroll through/check, but I've found it helps a lot.

hope your counselling session is helpful, and the clinic's report is ok. Good luck.

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loopylou1984 · 03/12/2015 07:28

Yeah I might have to Icy, it's getting really hard. I do think it's sometimes harder to have the updates in person though so as you say would have to have a quick scroll through their new feeds before seeing them! Xx

karlafox · 03/12/2015 18:41

So since IUI last Friday, I have only had 1 day of PMT freeness.. So far constant stomach ache, spotting, heavier spotting and back ache. I tried convincing myself that it was a side effect of IUI but when that didn't work I convinced myself it must be work and Christmas stress but have now given up and resigned myself to that fact my body doesn't want to be, or even try to want to be pregnant! Still over a week until AF is due!
So, one more try of IUI for what it's worth then I will be jumping on the IVF band wagon with some of you guys.

Rant over, hope you are all ok. Keeping the Christmas spirit going and all that Smile

loopylou1984 · 04/12/2015 18:44

Sorry that you don't think things have worked out Karl's, how are you feeling now? Xx

karlafox · 04/12/2015 21:37

Thanks for asking sammylou1.
Not quite sure how I feel! Think the realisation of a long road ahead is sinking in. While we were having treatment over the past few months, it gave us new hope but now it's all abit daunting.. Plus we have to fund treatment ourselves so that's an added pressure. I think we will go for the 3rd IUI cycle after Christmas... I need a break from the constant prodding and poking plus there's a bottle of baileys with my name on it!

Lauraqc · 06/12/2015 20:17

Hi all. Lost you again there for a bit - no idea why my settings keep 'unwatching'?

Sammy so sorry to hear about the treatment, it must be really hard, especially around now. Every time I have to write my date of birth for anything I feel insanely sad (it's quite often as I do competitions in my spare time!)

Comes to something when I appear to be the only active one left on another TTC thread....so as we're on the 'mindnumbingly boring' one I'll keep you all up to date with our shenanigans: we went to a fertility clinic open day yesterday in preparation for our private cycle - was nice, met lots of the staff and even managed to fit in an AMH blood test. we've booked a consultation for 13th Jan and we're going to do egg-sharing. Just didn't want to be there at all.

However, i've been having fairly regular cycles since Jan 2015 and if I ov'd on the day I thought last month i'm now 2 days overdue. 2 tests later - still BFN. can't actually be bothered to worry about it though; just figure I've fucked up my dates or body yet again. Gah.

Friends have had a new baby and we've got to visit it next weekend. Have told DH he's got to go and buy card and gift as it's mentally beyond me to do it. I don't even feel guilty about it.

karlafox · 07/12/2015 20:24

Lauraqc how are you feeling now? I think all this Christmas stuff stirs up all the feelings again doesn't it.
Went on my Christmas work party Saturday night, first time ever that I have driven. Seeing everyone getting drunk and merry made me feel even more bitter!
It's hard to think where we will all be this time next year, there has got to be some good news for some of us on here!
I'm currently contemplating whether to try and fit our last cycle of IUI before Christmas or to give up, drink myself stupid and stuff my face and then brave it in the new year! Does that sound selfish?! Just don't think i can stand the 2ww over the new year.
Anyway, enough of my waffle... Back to the Tim of quality streets ( for medicinal purposes obviously)