Going through IVF in February?

[TwinklingLight]

If so, please join the club. Let's keep each other going!

In our case, we're going abroad for ours - Norway. What about you?

Yes - take it easy! Progynova is oestrogen - which I guess I am taking to balance out the copious amounts of progesterone I am taking.

i'd better do some hoovering before i go away on friday then, last time i was told hoovering was included in the no lifting and carrying and it really bugged me not being able to do it!!

I don't know Kwick, seems like they do at other clinics, or so says Google. Plus I think it might be nice to know how many they can see now. That way if it is 3 instead of the 23 I had last time I won't be disappointed in a few days when they tell me I have only a few follicles, and I could kind of track their progress (because of course my obsessing will make things happen in an optimum fashion ).

I'm going to be on fostimon, merional and zomacton to start, then cetrotide as well and a Pregnyl trigger (assuming I don't overstimulate. If I do we'll switch to buserilin and freeze any embryos to go back a month or two later). After collection I've got Clexane, baby aspirin, Cyclogest (instead of the IM progesteone), crinone and utrogestan - three forms of progesterone! One each in my mouth, fanjo and bottom - what a delight! And if I get pregnant then it is two baby aspirins for the rest of pregnancy (as I have a mild clotting thing revealed by post miscarriage testing) and the clexane and progesterone to 10 weeks I think. I feel like a trainee pharmacist.

Still stressing a bit about jabs, the angle of approach and that sort of thing. Which is silly. It is tiny needles, and this must surely be idiot proof otherwise they wouldn't let everyone loose with it!

I was on same stimming jabs as you notspartacus - they were fine may have really enjoyed doing them the needles are so fine and if put them into pinched fat skin they are less painful.
What is cetrotide?
And why have they not told me about alternative to intramuscular jabs - the needle bit is fine, it is the after effects that is not!!!!!!

My progesterone levels are now fine - so one jab a day continues!
I am not sure what the meds will be like if I am preggers... Hopefully will find out soon!!!!!

Kwick cetrotide is to stop me ovulating before the right time, and the alternative progesterone is because I suggested that the big needles migt be a deal breaker for me (original plan was a freeze all and then FET and I got pretty upset at the prospect of 12 weeks on multiple meds before even getting to a pregnancy test!) Having said that, they told me this week that I may still need the IM progesterone if the other stuff doesn't do the job.

I have a very nice bit of chub that I plan to needle shortly. Will report back later as to whether I did it or if DH had to pin me screaming down on the kitchen table...

I did it! Still alive, shaking like mad. Hopefully only 9 more days of jabs to EC!

NotSpartacus, my first round of ivf i had burselin injections, as i live alone i had to do them myself, i used to do them half asleep, first thing in the morning, as if i had too much time to think about it, it hurt too much

Well done notspartacus - it will get easier :)

Sonds horrible, goinggrey. Mine apparently have to be done in the evening (as by then the clinic will have my blood results from the mornings and can give me any changes as necessary) - which gives me the whole day to worry about them! The cetrotide I will start in a few days will be in the morning at 7am, just so I can gave two fun injection sessions a day.

The ones I did were ok, barely felt the Zomacton or Fostimon. The merional meanwhile was quite hard to get in. i wonder if it is thicker, as it seemed to take over 10 seconds and I had to let go of my chub to use my second hand to inject. Think i'll do that one last tonight!

Kwick did you have a progesterone test yesterday?

notspartacus I had the test yesterday - levels were fine :)
I found merional no difference - are you sure your needle was not blunt?
Will you be using any post et meds?

Not a blunt needle, that went in fine, but the plunger (technical term?) was hard to push in. Lots of meds after EC too, progesterone in every orifice, clexane (currently sitting in my cupboard) and aspirin. Hopefully I will be used to the jabs by then, as I have had anticoagulants before and the bruises were awful! Glad the progesterone levels are now ok Kwick.

LOL!!! "In every orifice"!!!!! You know the bum orifice is preferable to the mahoosive needle in your bum cheek!

Last night the meronial was easier, a little burny but fine. I just hope the drugs are actually doing something - I am on such tiny doses according to Dr Google. My yum looks marginally bloated but that could be the remnants of last weeks creme egg fest. Guess I will find out tomorrow.

How is everyone else? Has anyone snuck in an early pregnancy test or are you all being good and waiting?

Yum? *tum

Hi all,

Can I join?

I've just had hopefully one of my last scans and will be doing EC either Wednesday or Thursday this week, will know for sure later after blood test results come back. After 12 days of stimms I am happy to be seeing an end in sight of all the injections. Dr told me my follicles were like London traffic - slow!

Have 8 good sized follicles, 6 on my right, 2 on the left (lazy left it seems!), not bad for an oldie like me (41 next month).

Having treatment out in Athens and DH has been at home so far, he's flying in tonight which will be nice to see him after two weeks

Hi [Kwick] did you test yet??

sparrow that sounds amazeballs - so many follicles!! Will keep my fingers crossed for you!!!!

Ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies!!!! OTD is tomorrow :)

notspartacus how often are you having scans? They may up the dosage if they do not see enough growth... With me I was on the maximum dosage so they could not give me anymore!!!!!

Welcome Sparrow, 8 follicles sounds really good. I am terrified that I am not going to grow any, or I'll get loads but they'll all be tiny and pointless! Lots of luck for your collection. Have you had to spend a lot of time in Athens?

Kwick I have a scan tomorrow so all will be revealed and then daily bloods etc. Following your great needle shortage I decided to count mine and realised that H@H sent ones for the stims but not the 5 I need for Zomacton. Hmm. Just as well I checked!

Fingers firmly crossed for you tomorrow Kwick

I'll be here 3 and a half weeks in all NotSpartacus, I could have just come later on while I was stimming but I wanted to have the complete treatment done by my Dr and his clinic here and also I love Athens . I lived here in 2003/4 and so it's been really nice to be back, feels like a second home and I think the sunshine just makes me feel happier too. I'm working while I am here (I'm lucky in that I can just plug my laptop in) and my mum was here with me up until yesterday.

As this is my first cycle I didn't really know what to expect, but so far all had gone well (apart from the slow growing follicles), and it looks like the medication/treatment is much the same as you would have in the UK.

I am sure your follicles will do just fine and at the end of the day it is the quality of the eggs that is the most important thing. I've read lots about drinking lots of water/milk and having a high protein diet, not sure if any of this will really help but it's worth a try I suppose!

Re your needles, not sure how it works in UK but here the clinic give you some and then you just buy your own from the pharmacy. I found some really nice, non-stabby ones which I bought a ton of and used for all my injections. Not sure if your meds are pre-mixed or not? I've had both here, gonal-f that was in a pen and that I had to mix as well as menorial and this other Greek med called Arvakap which needs to be mixed too.

Is anyone taking steriods or baby aspirin? I'm on those every day as well.

Kwik, eek, yours is tomorrow. Will keep my fingers crossed. R u feeling positive about it?

Welcome Sparrow-am also vintage wannabe mumma,born in 76. Greece sounds great, sunshine will definitely boost your spirits. Good luck for your forthcoming EC! Not taking steroids or baby aspirin. I was on menopur which was a bugger to mix as I was on such a high dose, due to low amh. The trigger shot was an epi pen so remember thinking that could have saved me so much time. I had a total of 6 follicles, but only 3/4 were viable in the end due to the smaller ones having not caught up. I got 2 eggs and 2 embryos.

Notspartacus- best of luck for your scan. I am hoping you have lots of growing follicles!! I am so so tempted to test early, but maybe not till later in the week

Wow notspartacus so not just me!!! I am running low on needles again so must remember to mention that tomorrow.

Sparrow lucky you getting to be in the sunshine, I am sure that's got to help! My meds are a mixture of pre-prepared ones and ones I have to mix. The three I am taking right now all need mixing (which I hate). I'm not going to be having steroids but will be getting baby aspirin after collection and doubling the dose if I get a BFP.

kwick good luck for tomorrow. Are you going to the clinic? I'll be there in the morning (I'll be the one looking harried as I have to go straight to a meeting afterwards!)

everhopeful it is prob best not to test too early if you can resist. Are you having any promising symptoms?

I called H@H re the needle situation. The person I spoke to said everyone was busy and so no one was available to help. Not sure why sending me 5 syringes and needles is a 2 person job, and no apology for the cock up. Not terribly impressed, but I guess the clinic may be able to help.

Third jabs tonight, my tum is tender, feels like I have done sit-ups, and my ovaries are definitely up to something. Plus I have a raging thirst - starting to worry I might drink too much water so having coconut water too and salt on my eggs at lunch! Otherwise I actually feel fine on these (v low dose) meds, no mood swings or anything. Those'll probably happen one I am on the progesterone...

hi everyone, think i'm supposed to take baby aspirin once i've had my transplantation, i'm going to check tomorrow at scan

notspartacus I will be there this morning! I will be the only dilly-dallying so I do not have to go on to work!

I loved mixing the meds* - I felt like I was a nurse (always wanted to be one). To be honest - my family and friends may say different - the only time I really noticed mood swings was when I was on menopur during my last IUI. The progesterone just makes my womble cramp and boobage explode but I have not noticed more crying jags than usual (says the lady who cries during Neighbours).
*my friends call me wierd, I prefer quirky...

I have been taking 75mg of aspirin daily since ET.

How did it go kwick?

My scan was ok I think. I have lots of follicles on one ovary (16!) and single digits of the other, and the vast majority of them are 8mm with a couple of 9mm. A handful are below 6mm but I guess if those don't grow that's ok. Do those sound about the right size after 3 days of stims? Does anyone know how fast they grow? Kind of odd to have one super ovary and one sleepy one (although the sleepy one is hard to see on the scan so I wonder if she saw the whole thing). I await their call tonight to see if I start the cetrotide (injection every morning) tomorrow or not.

Hope everyone is ok today.