Geez, time for a new thread! Here's hoping a new thread brings lots of NEW LUCK to our ranks! :crossfing

Kimberly: in donor process
Vyonne Rousel: Starting Lupron Jan 5 for donor cycle
Dana: starting second donor process
Angela (angCTRealtor):cycling SOON!!
Rebecca (Rifka): FET in February
Andrea (ykmama2bemaybe): March cycle! :yippee:
Judy: :angel: :angel: 12/08/05 Discussing next steps
Okiejpb: January cycle! :yippee:
Carla: Cycling in February
Dawnie2: donor cycling in the spring
Adele (bgld68): Upcoming IVF(waiting update)?
Kerri (Kaybee711): IVF in May
Suzi: Last cycle in summer 2006
Amanda: :bfp: HPT 5/28, Baby Girl Jessica is due in February!! :yippee:
Sarah: :bfp: beta 11/21 :pteddy:
Brenda: Remy Christina and Sydney Smith born 11/19/05 :pteddy: :pteddy:
Pam: Amelia Faye born 10/30/05 :pteddy:

Hi Suzi- We are cycling in May if you could add me to the list. Thanks!

Just joining in....

joining in too!

Me too. :)

Kim

Count me in for a March cycle!

Happy New Year Ladies! :party3: This ones gonna ba a Great one!
Andrea

Dana~Thank you so much for answering my question in the last thread regarding the questions you will ask regarding your past cycle. It's very helpful to me as I go forward with my own DE cycle. I'd love to hear what your Doc says. :bighug:


Suzi~You keep late (early) hours!

Kim

Hello Girls!!!

So great to start the year with a new Thread :crossfing... thank you, Suzy! I trust the New Year will bring us New Hope filled with New Babies to top our ranks!!!

Yesterday I happened to go see my ER with my donor and he confirmed I will start Lupron this coming Thursday, January 5th :ura1:. So, if it all goes as planned... I should be getting transferred around the first week of February :pray: .

Suzy, will you please add me on too???

Lost of good wishes for all of us :grouphugg, so that 2006 will bring to reality all our baby dreams and for a year filled with blessings, good health, prosperity and lots of love... I toast to that!!! :toast:

Happy New Year :party2:

Vyonne

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!!I am on my way to a Party with some friends - Hope everyone has a great night!!:party3:


Dawn

I hope 2006 brings you all your children. :hug99:

Suzi can you add me to the list... FET most likely in February!! Thanks and good luck to all!!!!

Need updates for Dawn, Cindy and Carla and Sarah (Sarahgrace) and I will add to the list! Wow...we haven't had this many ladies around since the UB days! :eek:

Dana -- Thanks for posting all that info from your research. It is so nice to be able to learn from other's experiences.

I met with my RE before Christmas & our problem continues to be egg quality. I do get excellent fertilization & good embryos, so he feels we still have a chance things can work. My FSH is still good & I am only 32, so it is really frustration that my body is doing this to me! I have changed RE's since my successful IVF, so we don't know what the egg quality looked like then. It may have been suboptimal then & we just got lucky.

I am going to have a laproscopy in the next month or so & hopefully I have endometriosis so there is something to fix! I have a very strong family history of endometriosis & after a year on & off IVF drugs, there is a possibility that if I had it, it has worsened. I would really like to have something to blame this (IVF not working,) on besides my ovaries just being worn out (something that I can't fix.) If everything goes according to plan, we'll be starting IVF again next month. I go to my OB/GYN tomorrow to schedule the scope, so we'll see what he has to say. I am not ready to give up, but not feeling very optomistic. Anyway, you can put me down for February to try again, probably starting stims the first part of the month.

Does anyone know when during your cycle you usually have a scope?

Wow! What a big group of wonderful women!!!!
I hope 2006 brings many BFPs and healthy babies.

Amanda

If everything goes according to plan, we'll be starting IVF again next month. I go to my OB/GYN tomorrow to schedule the scope, so we'll see what he has to say. I am not ready to give up, but not feeling very optomistic. Anyway, you can put me down for February to try again, probably starting stims the first part of the month.

Does anyone know when during your cycle you usually have a scope?

Carla, My RE always likes checking "things" around ovulation time, which usually is between days 12 thru 15 (approx) after your first day of AF.

Dana, Yes indeed! Great info for all of us... thank you!!!

Amanda, DITTO :thumbsup:

Vyonne

Thanks for updating that list Suzie! :) We have our first IVF appointment on Thursday. It's a lecture with a bunch of other IVF couples and then our first IVF appointment discussing game plan with RE. I am starting on herbs this Saturday. I found out last week that we will be staying on our current insurance so we won't have to pay out of pocket!

I found out last week that we will be staying on our current insurance so we won't have to pay out of pocket!
:ura1:

Vyonne - I am so excited that you are starting so soon! :yippee:

Carla - :crossfing that the laposcopy gives you some answers. I had one done two months before my successful IVF cycle.

Nothing Earth shattering at the appointment. As expected, I bawled the entire time.

Our doctor reassured me that it was nothing *I* did to cause the failure. All my hormone levels were where they should be. We know I can cary a pregnancy. Going into this he said it should be a 'slam dunk'.

Something went wrong with our donor. It appears her previous donations have depleted her ovarian reserve. Which is very sad. The doctor had to tell her that if she wants to have children of her own, she needs to make it a priority in her life. (I don't think she's married) As a rule three donations aren't too many. For the donor we chose it was.

We will go forward and find another donor. I'm scared as hell. There is no pressure on us to move on immediately. Since its not my eggs, our odds will be the same in one year as they are today. he said if we wanted to take time off to grieve or recover for a few months or longer we could. That being said, I am anxious to move forward. I'll be calling the donor nurse today.
__________________

GREAT news Kerri! I'm so excited for you!!!
Dana - I hope it was reassuring to hear that it was a donor problem. I know that doesn't change the fact that this cycle didn't work but it should give you hope for the future!

Amanda

Dana, I'm sorry it was a donor problem, that really sucks. But like Amanda, I hope it gives you some measure of comfort to know that it was a fluke and nothing that will be a struggle in future cycles. :hug99:

Kerri, great news you won't have to pay for your cycle!!

It looks like everyone is gearing up for their prospective cycles. As for me I am thinking about the end of Feb - beginning of March to start another cycle. I cancelled the appointment I made with my RE for Dec. I want to really make sure the both my sisters understand what they have to go through with all the tests, blood draws and all the injections. But at least the 3 of us will go through it together.

Everyone seems to be on there way. Babydust to all!!!

Dawn

Kerri, Great news on your insurance :thumbsup: You´ll be on your way in no time!!!

Dana, Thank you sweetie, I am quite excited too... it seems unreal that in a few weeks I´ll be getting ready for my transfer :ura1: (God´s will)
Regarding what your RE told you in reference to your donor its upsetting, specially because we go looking for a donor to better our egg quality, and when this things happen, its very frustrating:angry2: . Since my Donor was on "her first time donating", there was also a chance (among others) that she was simply a bad donor (bad egg quality) :blue: ...
It is also good that you can take your time and do it without feeling any pressure... as you say "with donor eggs it will make no difference and will be the same now or a year from now". You are still pretty young, and that is definitely in your favor... in my case, even with donor eggs, I see the clock ticking and have to hurry or else I will soon look like the grandmother to my child :lol: . I know I don´t look my age, but I know I´m 45 :owow: and that is enough for me to want to hurry it! I am praying so hard this time it will work :pray:

Dawnie, That sounds like a smart decision! And going through it together will make you much stronger and will bond you for life (not to say that you aren´t already!). They are total sweethearts and you are very, very fortunate to have them. With all that love surrounding you... it will have to work out :love2:

I know we have talk in our previous thread about the impact that our "diet" may have while we are doing these treatments, so I have started since last week (aweful timing with the Holidays) a more rigorous diet. I am already a vegetarian that only eats fish (no other meats), but I decided to eat only salmon and sardines on a daily basis, as my main meal (given all the good benefits of the high dosages of Omega 3 they contain). Before I had fish only twice a week, but now I am eating it every day. Adding to that, lots of green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, asparagus, cabbage, zucchini, etc) tomatoes, carrots, egg whites, cheese and lentils. Also fruits, nuts and cereals. And have also suspended 100% all sugars and starches (bread, potatoes, pastas and rice) from my everyday intake. I just hope not to lose any weight, as I have a very thin frame already. Also, I was already a caffeine free person, but used to consume some spartane as a sugar supplement in some of my drinks, which I will not take now, as I don´t want any "bad chemicals" in my system by the time I get my transfer. Any opinions/advice on my new eating habits??? Am I exagerating, or will that be good in the long run? Have also started taking my baby aspirin about 3 weeks ago, and will continue taking it through the transfer. Does anyone know how long after the transfer one has to take the baby aspirin for? Have been taking my Folic Acid non stop since I started TTC, so for about 4 1/2 years :disbelief !!!

Sorry about all the ramble :blahblah:, but I just want to do absolutely everything that may add more hope and better my chances to IVF/ICSI success :dunno: and will greatly appreciate any input you may have on this issue.

Vyonne

Vyonne, your new diet is rigorous and aggressive - I applaud you in your efforts! :clap: I think cutting out the aspartame is smart - DH and I have done that on the heels of a very frightening experience a friend of ours had with aspartame (she was very nearly diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as she suddenly came down with debilitating muscle weakness - so bad that she was unable to be left alone with her children because she couldn't care for them. Turns out she was getting formaldehyde poisoning from aspartame in diet sodas. When aspartame reaches temps above 85 degrees, it decomposes into formaldehyde - she was storing her soda in the garage and this condition mysteriously started in the late spring as temps started rising. She wasn't a hard-core diet soda drinker, either - she was drinking 1-2 sodas per day. As soon as she quit drinking aspartame...she was back to her old self. For nearly SIX months she suffered with daily, incapacitating pain and as soon as she quit drinking diet soda, she was better. That was enough for me and Chris to give up aspartame all together. :nod:

The baby aspirin...my RE has me continue with it through the first trimester. That gets you through the early stages when there are more potential troubles with clotting.

Best of luck Vyonne - I SO hope this is it for you!! :crossfing :nod:

Suzi, Thank you so much for your advice and thank you for cheering me on my diet... I need it!!! Its a hard one to do, but mainly for the 0 sugars part, specially when I want yougurt (very used to it) the non diet one contains sugar and the diet one contains aspartame, so I´m out of luck there! And that happens with a lot of things, the moment you don´t want sugar, you don´t find the items simply sugar free, without having all the other chemicals as a replacement. Now, I will have to make home made ice cream with lowfat milk and natural fruit pulp, and so on...
The story on your girlfriend sure is frightening :eek: . I was never a big soda drinker, at my worst I´d probably average 2 cans per week, but I´d drink aspartame in my yougurt and some other sugar free goodies occassionally. However, after what you are telling me, you bet I am kissing it good bye!

Thanks for the info on the baby aspirin, because since my RE doesn´t recommend it (but is not against either), I didn´t know. It is something I am doing based on the advice I found from all of you in the previous thread when I first joined, therefore, needed all the details.

Thank you so much for your good wishes on my upcoming treatment, sweetie :hug1: . Like you, I sure hope this is it for me :pray: !!!

Vyonne

Here and hoping that 2006 brings lots of luck and healthy babies to this thread!!

Hello Ladies!

Well New Years was a bust as I had to hang with an old friend who had to remind me every 2 minutes that shes pregnant with her second and "Oh the morning sickness, from being pregnant, really should be called all day sickness!" Is it wrong wanting to punch a pregnant person? She really has to be the only pregnant person ever to have morning sickness! To top it off I volunteered to be the designanted driver due to the fact that their cabin is 20 minutes out of town and I didn't want to spend all night listening to her, to bad I didn't volunteer DH for the Job so I could drink to get away from her! Oh well, when I'm pregnant I'm hoping to not get sick and rub it in! Revenge is sweet!

Well I'm treating my body like it's already pregnant and trying to lose a couple pounds in the process to help with conception. I went for my bcps today and had an excellant talk with my GP on visualization and relaxation and she gave me some great places to contact for things like cranial spacial massage and accupressure. Apparently the woman who does Accupuncture also does pressure so I'll give that a try!

Aspartame is Terrible for you! :eviltongu It's not even approved for human consumption it was approved for something else and then they started using it in diet foods. It's also in my package of things to avoid along with shell fish. If your looking for a substitute Splenda, Summer Sweet and Maltitol are derivitives of sugar but good for diabetics (not chemical substitutes). As for yogurts get the unsweetened and then add sugar free jams or fresh fruit and a bit of sweetener. As for sodas I dont know if you get Jones colas but they have a new line with Splenda and they are pretty good. Good luck cutting sugar and avoiding Asparteme!

I found some interesting info on aspartame. I'm not saying that it is a health food, but it isn't as bad as it's reputation is. Here's a link to Lancet, the British Medical Journal with info regarding some of the Internet "Urban Legends" regarding aspartame:

http://www.aspartame.net/media/opinion/op_aspint.html

It said that a fruit juice actually contains twice as much ethanol as a diet soda & an alcoholic beverage contains three to five times as much. It also said that studies have shown that there is no increase in blood levels of methanol, formic acid, or phenylalanine with 50 mg/kg, which is about 17 diet sodas/day for an average person.

Anyway, I thought that info was interesting.

I think anyone who saw the condition of my friend (nothing anecdotal or "urban legend-ish" about her) would immediately cut their consumption of aspartame. I saw first hand what it did to her...maybe it was her body's own chemistry that reacted differently from most, I don't know. All I know is that she was nearly wheelchair-bound and it was unquestionably related to her consumption of diet soda with aspartame - as soon as she quit drinking it, she was fine. :dunno:

I just checked snopes and it's there also, claiming no correlation between aspartame and several illnesses. I don't know what to say (and I am a FIRM believer in snopes!)...I saw my friend and I am telling you, there is SOMETHING...I don't know what it is, but I saw it.

I cut out aspertame when I realized it tasted like crap!

I cut out aspertame when I realized it tasted like crap!
Fair reason :lol: it does taste aweful :spitwater !!!

Andrea, Thank you for the ideas on how to improve the flavor in my yougurt, but will still need to be careful with the sugar free jams, because most of them contain Nutra Sweet or Aspartame. Didnt know Splenda does not contain chemicals... I thought all those sugar supplements were the same :duh: that´s a nice alternative when I need that touch of sweetness! On another token, why avoid Shell Fish??? Didn´t know it was bad for you :dunno:

Carla, Thanks for the link on Aspartame (quite interesting)... but after what Suzi shared with us about her friend (granted all bodies react differently), plus other negatives I´ve been hearing all along... it´s a product to definitely kiss good bye!

Vyonne

Hi, my name is Kristen and I have my first consultation with the IVF coordinator next Thursday. I'm 37, and I have stage 4 endometriosis. This past year I've had a laparotomy to remove one very large endometrioma and several small ones, I've had six months of Lupron Depot, and most recently and hysteroscopic myomectomy. My RE says that my uterus looks good, and the Lupron Depot seems to have kept the endo at bay. So the next step is IVF. I'd really love to be part of your group, although I definitely have a hard time keeping up with all of the acronyms!!

Kristen, we are HAPPY to have you!! I wish you best of luck for your cycle and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask...you'll likely get more info here than you will at your RE's office!! Hope your stay is SHORT!!! :crossfing

you'll likely get more info here than you will at your RE's office!! Hope your stay is SHORT!!! :crossfing
And Suzi ain´t kidding :lol:

Kristen, :welcome: on board! We are happy to add you to our wonderful "family", where we are always ready to jump in and help!

Vyonne

Welcome to Rifka and Kristen~:welcome: This thread is a great place to be when you're going through this. . .lots of great information and tons of support. I wish you the best.

Carla~All the best to you for your next cycle. :crossfing

Kerri~:yippee: for insurance coverage.

Dawn~We actually might be cycling on each others heels. :)

Andrea~Yuck. :rolleyes: I'm so sorry you had to deal with all that baloney for your New Year's celebration. I would have probably started drinking. . .designated driver or not! :crazy: By the way, I'm a big advocate of relaxation & meditation techniques and such.

Vyonne~:wow: I'm impressed. That's great that you're doing this. I myself actually was pretty strict with my diet for a while. It was actually very similiar to what you're doing with the big exception that I ate meat, I just made sure it was hormone-free, the same goes with all my vegetables which I purchased organic. I also was not eating any dairy. I was also taking supplements like L-Arginine and CoQ10, and drinking a green powder mix every morning with water. I felt great, my acupuncture definitely noticed changes in my pulse, etc. But it was hard. Sometime during this long and often painful waiting process with this whole DE venture I've been on, I gave it all up. Kind of with the attitude simply wanting some sort of enjoyment in my life. Don't get me wrong, I'm mostly a very healthy eater and don't drink sodas, etc. and other foods with additives. I just gave myself a little break and I didn't want to obscess about it if I had Halloween candy, or wine, or a pizza every now and then. But now, I'm ready to start it up again, perhaps not as strict as in the past, but I'm definitely going to start my own version of an "infertility diet". So, I'm going to be looking towards you for encouragement. :awink:

Dana~What your Dr. said certainly makes sense and I'm sure it makes you feel much better to know that there was nothing you could have done better or didn't do right. As always, :rolleyes: , it comes right down to those dang eggs. :box: Although I must say, your post did make me think: Of course for starters, my donor is doing it for her third time with my cycle. :(
But also, if it's taken your donor 3 IVF cycles to cause a depletion in her ovarian reserve, then what does that say about us women who've done well over 3 IVFs? :scratch:

Suzi~Hi Sweetie. :hi5:

I had a bit of a meltdown last week when I looked a my February calender. . .a ski trip, a business trip, a trip to Myrtle Beach that our inlaws are paying for, an acting gig, a band gig, a visit with my mom for a weekend, etc. I had not really been able to confirm anything because of this whole DE thing. Well, the pressure was on when people started asking me to confirm dates. Literally, pressure. :furious: I got very anxious and stressed and couldn't relax or sleep during my 3 days off around New Years. My anxiousness turned into anger when I realized that I had taken all my DE required yearly tests last March and if my DE transfer was pushed any further into March (by any of the various hexes someone is putting on me) :rolleyes:, would I have to re-do the Clomid Challenge test? :tearhair: So, when I returned to work on Tuesday, I made all my various calls and was told the same thing basically that I've been told over and over. They can not set anything up or talk to the donor until her screening is done and the tests come back (which is approx. 2 wks after the screening). And as I mentioned, she called in sick last week on her screening date and needed to be resheduled. Long story short, the nurse told me that I should tell them when I want it to happen, reminding me that if we are both on BCP, then they can "control" when stuff happens. So in short, I'm not going to do a transfer at the end of February and it'll most likely be the 1st or 2nd week in March. Also, I don't have to do any re-testing until after March 31st and I was assured that a transfer WOULD BE DONE NO LATER THAN MARCH 31. Well see. :eviltongu

Kimberly

Welcome Rifka and Kristen!
I'm not a huge fan of aspartame either but I had never heard a story as bad as the one you told, Suzi!
Kimberly - Sorry you're so frustrated. I hope that things get moving!!!

Quick update from me. I'm having a repeat c section on 1/30!

Amanda

Rifka, I´m sorry I missed you before! :welcome: and best of luck!

Andrea, Thanks a lot for the sweetner alternatives you gave me. Yesterday I went to my local grocery store and out of the 3 you mentioned they only carry Splenda... I bought a small pill dispenser (100) to use from time to time on my decaf cappuccinos, other drinks etc. But I don´t think I am going to use it until after the results of my IVF, because I want to be "completely sugar free" including good sugar additives throughout my current treatment and see if it makes a difference. All my previous attempts were with me consuming sugars (normally), so hopefully my sacrifice will make a difference for the better!

I must add that I read all the labels of the jams, mermelades, yougurts and some desserts that were "sugar free" and they ALL contained either aspartame (mayority) or some form of sweetner, such as fructose. I was disappointed, because I was hoping to find something totally sugar free, but with no alternative ways of sugar replacements... can´t they make stuff with natural fruit flavors without any additives??? :fado: I guess I notice it now, since I am totally concious about aspartame and sugars, as I wasn´t before. Hope I am not turning into a "health freak" :silly:

Dana, It just hit me, after reading Kim´s post that if you get depleated after 3 IVF´s... that could very well be the reason that many of us end up on DE cycles??? In my case, it wouldn´t apply because of my age (45), but it sure goes to show you that I had 2 of my final cycles were I produces excellent quaility eggs that made it all the way to blastos (not heard off for a woman my age, according to their clinical statistics). Then, suddenly on my following try I didn´t produce any at all and my endo refussed to even grow (for 2 more cycles)! It was almost as if my system had responded to get the last I had in storage (thru the hormones) and after that, shut down completely :blue: . Any way, I shouldn´t complaint, because God is granting me a new opportunity and I should be grateful, but it just registered after Kim´s comments to your post and felt like sharing it too.

Kim, Thank you, I think it is a pretty good and well balanced diet, although my DH, being a doctor is not too happy with the fact that I have cut out completely starches and sugars from my daily intake. He tells me that we need all food groups and that I am obssessing with this issue. However, I really want to do what I feel is right for me, and to prepare for my next transefer a few weeks away! After that, I will continue in the same healthy eating path, but will not be as rigorous with sugars and starches on occasion. Like you, I have always been very concious of what I put in my body and by many people around me I am considered a "health nut", but I tell them you look like what you eat... and it is a polite way to say look at yourself and shut up :lol:. The good thing is that they know I am not boasting, because I look younger in our group, than most women in their mid thirties and at 5´7" I still wear a size 4... eating healthy is simply a way of living and it definitely pays off :eat: And nothing wrong on cheating a bit on certain "special occasions", as long as we don´t make a habit of it. I am so happy to hear that you are now ready (again) to start your own version of "infertility diet"... You go, girl!!! I trust that you´ll do terrific! Try to sauté a variety of veggies (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, red pepper, cabbage, white onions) with some soy souce + a touch of oyster sauce and add some cashews to it and voilá!!! Sorry, I am getting carried away... encouranging you, but I love cooking and enjoy innovating :supergrin

Vyonne

Quick update from me. I'm having a repeat c section on 1/30!
Amanda

Amanda, Yeeeeeeeeeeessss... another Aquarius :ura1:!!!
You´ll do just fine and baby Jessica will finally come into your arms to fill you with happiness and tons of :hb:! You still have a few weeks to go... but you have my daily :pray: for an easy C/S and for everything to go smoothly :bighug:

Vyonne

Quick update from me. I'm having a repeat c section on 1/30!

That's good news right?

Thanks Vyonne and Kimberly! Pretty good news. We were considering VBAC but my ob recommended against it (she's actually very supportive of VBAC but doesn't think I should). I'm glad that we have things settled because Tom lives 200 miles away during the week so this makes things easier for him.

Amanda

We were considering VBAC but my ob recommended against it (she's actually very supportive of VBAC but doesn't think I should).
Amanda
Amanda, What VBAC stands for :blush:? I am guessing on the first 2 initials as Vaginal Birth? :confused:
Anyway, it sounds like C/S works best for you and DH, so I am very happy for you both :hug99:

Vyonne

Vyonne - VBAC is Vaginal Birth After C-Section I think. I meant to also tell you how impressed I am with your food changes. Was going to suggest maybe trying chopped apples and walnuts in plain yogurt, you are ok with fruit right? My best to you!!

Kimberly I am so sorry about the further delays :fado: (I love that smilie :heee: ) Any news on the Donor yet?

Andrea what an annoying 'friend'

Dana - I have been meaning to get over to your journal at BOLU..

Kerri I am excited for you! I've been stalking your journal for an update on you(hint) :shuffle:

Welcome Rifka and Kristen!

Hi Suzi, Carla, Angela, Dawn, and to anyone I inadvertently missed.

We are doing better, still tough going and very tough to see pregnant women sometimes. I think that too will subside in time. I realized we have a few issues to deal with, the loss of the boys and then the IF struggle and that we still are waiting to be parents to a baby here on earth. We can't of course do anything about the loss of the boys but I think we are getting ready to move forward with next steps for building our family. We set up a consult to talk about another cycle, likely an FET as we have 13 frosties. I am very nervous about all of it, right now it looks like I need to avoid a multiple pregnancy so we now have agonizing choices about how many to transfer..do we take our chances with 1 on an FET and plan to do a few cycles? Seems like sucess rates could be quite low or do we do 2 and pray 1 implants not both? I'm torn and hopefully my RE can help. I don't really know what the sucess rates at my clinic are for FET. I sort of think if one is going to stick its going to stick and thats that but, I just can't wait to be pregnant again and I am waiting for them to give me the ok though I am terrified as well. Tests that were done on the boys show that they were chromosomally and physically fine so while bittersweet that is a relief.

Vyonne - Judy was right. VBAC is vaginal birth after c section.
Judy - Obviously I've been following you over at BOLU, too. I didn't really you had so many frozen embryos. I hope you work out a good plan with your RE. When do you have your appt???? Still sending lots of hugs!

Amanda

The frosties are from 2 cycles - the first failed and the second that was the twins I just found the letter yesterday confirming the number it does seem like a lot but I don't know what the quality is or anything or if they are frozen in 2s 3s etc. Our appointment is 1/17. I will see both the OB and the RE that day then need to also do a consult with the Peri. Fortunately though my RE is at a private clinic he also works at the hospital where the Peri I am going to see next time is the Chief of Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine so I am hoping that will make it easier for the two of them to collaborate on a plan. babbling sorry.

Tests that were done on the boys show that they were chromosomally and physically fine so while bittersweet that is a relief.
Judy, If all was fine, do they know what caused the loss? In my case the tests done on my twins showed a trisomy on chromosome 17 (not compatible with life), but was assured it is not a hereditary condition at all, so that gave me some relief as well.
I can relate to you completely, and fully understand your fears... a loss of a baby/babies is always something quite detremental and hard to disassociate with "future problems". My best advice is for you to trust in God, and give yourself another chance with an open heart, once you feel ready to start again. Think that your precious angels are now in heaven watching over you, and that they will not allow anything wrong to happen to their lovely mom. Also, if your FET ends up being for more than 1 embryo, don´t stress over it, just think that it will be God´s will to send you one or more this second time around. In spite of all my suffering, I have learned to be grateful with the new opportunities of having other IVFs, more so, having to do this time around a DE cycle. When I loss my twins (almost 3 years ago), they were my very own eggs and for a while I was very resentful with the fact that I would never again have that chance... with time, I found the serenity to understand that there was a Supreme reason for it, and I open my heart to believe that God would not leave my arms empty for very long. Three years have passed, many failed IVFs, almost completely depleted money wise, and zillions of tears shed... yet, here I am going for one more DE try and trusting that God will grant my most wanted wish of all... I have to have hope and trust in Him.
I know sweetie that for us, our little ones will always be in our hearts and minds, but we have to learn to smile again and to give "life" a chance to be...
My heart and prayers are with you and I embrace you dearly to help you in your healing process... :hug99: I wish you all the best on your next FET try!

PS Thank you Judy & Amanda for the meaning of VBAC :nod:

Vyonne

Although I must say, your post did make me think: Of course for starters, my donor is doing it for her third time with my cycle. :(
But also, if it's taken your donor 3 IVF cycles to cause a depletion in her ovarian reserve, then what does that say about us women who've done well over 3 IVFs? :scratch:
In general, I don't think 3 cycles or three donations is too many. There are a number of women on ivfconnections.com who's donors have donated (successfuly) 5 or 6 times. For our donor three times was too many. Its made me very wary about a 'proven' donor, but I have to keep telling myself our situation was very unusual.

I got two new donor profiles from our clinic. I don't think either one of them is a good option for us. Idealy my donor would be tall (I'm 6 feet tall), with red hair, fair skin and blue eyes like me. I know I'm not going to find someone as tall as me. I told the nurses 5'8" would be acceptable. I'm not going to find a redhead. A blonde would be great. Everyone in my family (and DH's family) has blue eyes. We would really like our child to have that too.

They sent me profiles for their two tallest donors. Both are 5'7" - not ideal, but I'll take it. Donor #1 has two children of her own (which is great) is blue-eyed and fair skined. But, she's only 5 years younger than I. In the 'real world', 31-32 years old isn't old. In the world of egg donors, it seems ancient. DH doesn't like the fact that all of her grand parents died of lung cancer. (All were smokers) So, she's out.

Donor #2 is young. We got to see childhood photos, and she was darling. However, she's got green eyes (they look more brown in the photos), brown hair and a dark complexion. So, none of the physical traits I want.

I'm going to talk with the nurse tomorrow and see if we can expand our search. *sigh* I just want to get started!

Dawn~:bighug:

Dana~I think I can understand what you're going through regarding your donor search. Remember that I had a lot of problems finding a donor who matched what I was looking for. :rolleyes: I know it's tough. . .I wish you all the best.

Kimberly

Has anyone ever used ZOLADEX instead of LUPRON??? Last Thursday I was supposed to start with Lupron, but there was a shortage of the med at the pharmacies, so my RE switched me at the last minute for ZOLADEX (british product)... The application of the shot was like no other, extremely painful :eek:. I had never seen such a thick needle in IVF treatments, to be applied subcutaneously on your belly (right below belly button). The nurse told me it had to be that thick because I would be receiving this time a powder-form med, instead of the usual liquid ones. I was sore for hours... glad I had to get only one :tearhair: !!!

Vyonne

Judy-Hopefully your RE can help you choose how many totsicles you want to use. I know that Because I have no history of problems my RE said he would prefer 1-2 fresh embryos or 2-3 frozen (if we have any or a failure) because of the success rates of FET's. :hug99:

Dana-It's to bad that donors dont list the physical attributes of their parents as a babys genetics comes from each genetic grandparent. Hopefully a better matched donor arrives for you soon. :hug99:

Rifka and Kirsten Welcome! :welcome:

Well I have had a couple bad days mixed with the busy days. We have been renovating our basement to make room upstairs because DH decided he didn't want the room I decorated for a nursery to be used as one. So we have to switch rooms not so bad because I have some different ideas now 3 years later. Then on saturday my mom called and one of my cousins passed on after a short battle with ovarian cancer. She was only 32 years old with two little boys. I feel so bad for them and my aunt who is also undergoing chemo round two and buried her son to cancer less then 3 months ago. The world seems to bleak right now to plan a nursery, I'd like to curl up and cry. Sorry to dump, I'm feeling a little lost.
Andrea

Well I have had a couple bad days mixed with the busy days. We have been renovating our basement to make room upstairs because DH decided he didn't want the room I decorated for a nursery to be used as one. So we have to switch rooms not so bad because I have some different ideas now 3 years later. Then on saturday my mom called and one of my cousins passed on after a short battle with ovarian cancer. She was only 32 years old with two little boys. I feel so bad for them and my aunt who is also undergoing chemo round two and buried her son to cancer less then 3 months ago. The world seems to bleak right now to plan a nursery, I'd like to curl up and cry. Sorry to dump, I'm feeling a little lost.
Andrea
Oh Andrea, I am sorry to hear that you are feeling a little lost with all the sad news around you, but that is what we are here for... so dump all you want, and it will make you fel better, letting it all out. Not everyday has to be a carnaval... things like these, makes us appreciate how fortunate we are and sometimes we don´t even realize it... Hope you feel better very soon :bighug:!!!

Vyonne

Vyonne~No, I've never heard of Zoladex. http://onceuponalife.com/forums/images/smilies/dunno.gif

Andrea~http://onceuponalife.com/forums/images/smilies/sadhug.gif Life is just such a hard place sometimes. http://onceuponalife.com/forums/images/smilies/blue.gif

AF arrived on Saturday and so it was time for me, yet again, to call to find out whether or not I should start BCPs. Well, the answer was no. I am however, definitely starting BCP after my next AF. Thankfully, the donor made her screening appointment on Fridayhttp://onceuponalife.com/forums/images/smilies/ura1.gif and so now we wait about 14 days for the test results to come in. By the time all that happens, I'll have more than enough time to hold off starting BCP until my next AF (which will be the beginning of February). It's looking like there will be a transfer somewhere in the second or third week of March. Even though we're still talking about two months away, I'm feeling more confident about this actually happening than I have in the last year. http://onceuponalife.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

Kimberly

It's looking like there will be a transfer somewhere in the second or third week of March. Even though we're still talking about two months away, I'm feeling more confident about this actually happening than I have in the last year. Kimberly

Kim, Thanks for letting me know you haven´t heard of that med. I just hope it does the work it is supposed to :dunno:.
I am so happy to hear that things are starting to move along for you :clap:... you are right 2 months away, its not that bad! You´ll see how in no time your transfer will be taking place, sweetie :hi5: I wish you all the best for things to continue moving right along :hug1:!

Vyonne

Welcome Rifka & Kristen!

Kim -- I am glad to hear that things are moving forward! I hope all goes well. I think that I may also be cycling in the first couple of weeks in March.

Andrea -- I am sorry that there are so many sad events around you right now. It seems like they come in groups & it sure makes a persons outlook gloomy.

Vyonne -- I actually found some stuff on the internet about Zoladex being used instead of Lupron in non-infertility tx & one of the comments on the site was that Zoladex is A LOT more painful of an injection than Lupron due to the type of shot & the location that it has to be given. I'm glad that you only had to have one!

As for me, I saw my OBGYN last week & he was pretty optomistic about a laproscopy possibly improving our chance because of possible endo or scar tissue from a c-section. Anyway, I am scheduled for that in a couple of weeks, then going on a family vacation next month, & starting IVF up again sometime in March.

Hi everyone, It's been a long while since I've posted, mainly because I hadn't started ivf yet. Finally started this month. My first injection was this past Saturday (3 Gonal F- 1 Repronex). Had an u/s this morning. Very disappointed with the number of follicles, only 7. This is so strange because with past Follistim/iui cycles, I always responded so well. My RE has increased my dose for tonight to 5 Gonal F & 1 Repronex, then a split tomorrow (2 Gonal F/1 Repronex), one in the morning and one in the evening. Same for Friday morning then back for another ultrasound. He said this way I'm getting an extra dose of the Repronex. My question to you is, can/does the # of follicles increase during the cycle? I thought just the size increased, but the number is whatever it is. Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated. Trying to stay positive because I know that it only takes one, but I also know that there's a desired amount of follicles by the RE otherwise they may decide to not do the retrieval (that's what I remember hearing/reading) somewhere.

Vyonne -- I actually found some stuff on the internet about Zoladex being used instead of Lupron in non-infertility tx & one of the comments on the site was that Zoladex is A LOT more painful of an injection than Lupron due to the type of shot & the location that it has to be given. I'm glad that you only had to have one!

As for me, I saw my OBGYN last week & he was pretty optomistic about a laproscopy possibly improving our chance because of possible endo or scar tissue from a c-section. Anyway, I am scheduled for that in a couple of weeks, then going on a family vacation next month, & starting IVF up again sometime in March.
Carla, there is no doubt that ZOLADEX is A LOT :eek: more painful than Lupron. As I mentioned it before... I considered this shot the most painful ever!!! If I had a choice... I´d have it banned from the market!!! I was glad to have to get only one too!!! I :pray: this time things will work out for me...

So happy to hear about your RE´s optimism about your laparoscopy improving your chances... anything that we can ever do to gain an additional chance in this fight is always a blessing. Also, your family vacation will be great for when you get started with your cycle in March... you´ll be renewed and totally refreshed to start your new IVF. I wish you all the best :hug99: !!!

Okie, Happy to have you back with us! Like you, I have always known that onece you get started your cycle (ovulation), the number doesn´t vary... only the size. However, there some cases whereby, they may find new ones that they didn´t catch the first time around because they were hidden or perhaps were too small. But like they say: you only need 1 good one! So try to stay positive and hope for great quality and great continued growing for the 7 you have now and you may get pleasantly surprised! My :pray:s are with you!

Vyonne

Vyonne - Thanks. The hardest part right now is not becoming overly obsessed with finding information on the web. I have to remind myself that what will be, will be. It's all in God's hands. Thanks for the prayers. Sending prayers your way, as well as everyone else's way too.

Okie, in my personal experience the numbers of follies has increased considerably during the cycle - at my ultrasounds they only measure follies over 10mm so even if there are a bunch at 8 or 9 they would not be counted. I suspect you will have better news at your next u/s - I hope so. Though I do think they aim for 6-12 follies so you are right in the range. +++ Thoughts for you!

Kimberly, wonderful news on the donor's progress!!:ura1: love being able to use that smilie :heee:

Carla - Positive news that your RE is optomistic about the lap increasing chances for a sucessful cycle.

Andrea - so sorry to hear of the sadness in your family :bighug: I know what you mean about the world seeming so bleak. Have faith that it will get better and this is all worth it in the long run or you would not see people sticking around.

Dana - so sorry the donor search isn't yielding the perfect match. I can only imagine how frustrating that is. Hoping that you get some new referrals soon.

Vyonne - glad that you only had to have one of those horrid shots!

I'm gearing up for returning to work. Good days and bad, I think I am resigned to knowing I will feel this sadness and emptiness for a long time perhaps forever but try to find comfort in the tremendous joy that I felt when I had the babies with me. I set up my consult with the Peri for 2/13 so lets hope she has some positive suggestions and it is a lucky 13th for me. In the mean time I am working off some weight that settled in during my cycles and the pregnancy. blech.

:wavey: (http://www.onceuponalife.com/forums/misc.php?do=getsmilies&wysiwyg=1&forumid=131#) to all.

Bloom - Thanks. I sure hope this is the case. The good thing is that I have another u/s on Friday, so we'll be able to check my progress. Typically only the follicles over 10mm were measured in my injectible cycles (non-ivf), but with ivf, I thought that they check & measure all visible follicles. Only one of the 7 were over 10, with most others being 8.6 (1-7 and 1-9). Hopefully some were just too small to be seen. Hopefully the increased dosage will help.

Judy, If all was fine, do they know what caused the loss? In my case the tests done on my twins showed a trisomy on chromosome 17 (not compatible with life), but was assured it is not a hereditary condition at all, so that gave me some relief as well.
I can relate to you completely, and fully understand your fears... a loss of a baby/babies is always something quite detremental and hard to disassociate with "future problems". My best advice is for you to trust in God, and give yourself another chance with an open heart, once you feel ready to start again. Think that your precious angels are now in heaven watching over you, and that they will not allow anything wrong to happen to their lovely mom. Also, if your FET ends up being for more than 1 embryo, don´t stress over it, just think that it will be God´s will to send you one or more this second time around. In spite of all my suffering, I have learned to be grateful with the new opportunities of having other IVFs, more so, having to do this time around a DE cycle. When I loss my twins (almost 3 years ago), they were my very own eggs and for a while I was very resentful with the fact that I would never again have that chance... with time, I found the serenity to understand that there was a Supreme reason for it, and I open my heart to believe that God would not leave my arms empty for very long. Three years have passed, many failed IVFs, almost completely depleted money wise, and zillions of tears shed... yet, here I am going for one more DE try and trusting that God will grant my most wanted wish of all... I have to have hope and trust in Him.
I know sweetie that for us, our little ones will always be in our hearts and minds, but we have to learn to smile again and to give "life" a chance to be...
My heart and prayers are with you and I embrace you dearly to help you in your healing process... :hug99: I wish you all the best on your next FET try!

PS Thank you Judy & Amanda for the meaning of VBAC :nod:

Vyonne

Dear Judy, I don´t mean to be a pest, but having been through a twins´ loss myself, I was quite concerned and worried when I read your post on Sunday, whereby you mentioned they found nothing wrong chromosomally nor physically with your little angels. That prompted me to ask what happened then, as I have a very "heavy" history of twins in my family line (mother´s side), with 9 pairs since my grandmother who was also a twin hereself.

Thought I´d resend my post in case it was overlooked by you. However, if you simply felt like not answering it... I totally respect and understand that and apologize for asking. Please let me reassure you of my prayers for your prompt recovery knowing that their sweet memory is what will give you new strength to move on in this life, and trust in the hands of God again... They will forever be watching over you! :bighug:

Vyonne

Dana - I'm sorry things are so frustrating with your donor search.
Vyonne - I'm familiar with Zoladex because we use it for prostate cancer (it's interchangeable with Lupron for that). When I worked at the city hospital in the Bronx, the patients with prostate cancer ALL took Zoladex because the company made it available for the poor and uninsured (for which we were very grateful!). It works the same as Lupron but I do remember the injections being painful. I just remember that it was very helpful to be able to get expensive cancer medications for poor people at a price that they could afford so I think highly of that company (not that it makes the injections less painful for you).
Andrea - I'm so sorry for all the losses you've had in your family.
Kimberly - Glad to hear some good news from you!!!
Carla - Good luck with the surgery!
Okie - Sorry you're feeling discouraged. Crossing everything for a lucky cycle!!!
Judy - I hope the return to work goes better than you expect.

I'm still sending prayers for all of the wonderful ladies in this group! May there be many healthy babies this year!!!!

Amanda

Amanda, Looking at ZOLADEX that way... I am happy of its existance and praise the company :bowdown:for their good deed, but I hope to NEVER have to use it AGAIN :dead: !!!
Only 19 more days until baby Jessica :suck: is on your arms :ura1: I bet you can´t wait! Thank you for your prayers... you´ve got mine too :hug1: . And like you, I also pray for MANY HEALTHY BABIES THIS YEAR :hb:
Vyonne

Vyonne - sorry I did just overlook that question - Thank you for reposting - sometimes there is so much going on in this thread! At this point it looks like it was more than likely something called Incompetent Cervix (IC) or unknown cause of PTL. I will know more after tuesday when I meet with the Dr but in the hospital the high risk OB mentioned that sometimes the hormones of a twin pregnancy triggers labor to just start early or the Cervix to soften prematurely. IC from what I have found generally means that the cervix dialates early and without any pain or anything - which seems like it is what occured in my case. I felt nothing, noted no changes etc until around 6 am that morning when I felt some cramping which I attributed to funny gas pains. The pains got worse right around 8:30 (I had showered, gone to work etc) when I went to the restroom and my water broke. By 9 I was at the hospital and dialated to 5 cm and there was nothing they could do.

More than likely for future pregnancies I will get something called a cerclage which is a stitch in the cervix to help it better support the pregnancy and close monitoring on my cervix to watch for any changes. That is particularly why I am very concerned about getting pregnant with twins again. I hear that it can be managed but I think overall it would be much safer for me and any future babies to come one at a time.

I guess in retrospect, I would encourage EVERY pregnant woman to request a vaginal u/s around 19 weeks to check for cervical leingth and any funneling. In my case we asked during our level II u/s and they checked through abdominally which I find now doesn't give a very accurate picture. Ironically this u/s was at the high risk Dr etc. I plan now on getting the new Dr's agreement for how we will monitor this in feb when I see her - before even cycling. I want regular checks through vaginal u/s bi weekly

Judy, Thank you so much for answering my question. My first thought was that you had perhaps overlooked it, as I figured that could easily happen... so I understand :nod: .

What you are sharing with us, is something that its new to me on twin pregnancies. Your unfortunate experience, is very helpful for any of us, in the event of getting a twin pregnancy. I had heard about the procedure you mention (cerclage) on pregnancies that are of 3 or more, but never on twin pregnancies. Thank you so much for your detailed information, it is something I will definitely pass around. It is ashame to lose babies that otherwise are perfectly healthy, due to the lack of a vaginal u/s and/or an additional stitch in the cervix (if necessary). Does it fall in the category of negligence?

It was not my intention to remove your tender wounds, but I believe that sharing our good as well as our bad experiences, can help other future IVF women to be better prepared in this stressful and sometimes uncertain IVF road, before and after. Although, this may be more of a fortuitous happening, now I better understand your "fear" to having another twin pregnancy :sadhug:

The loss of a baby, regardless of the cause, is always very hard and I know that when I lost my babies, I felt as if the world had come to an end. I tried to find comfort in the fact that there was something very wrong with them and even then, I rejected all reasoning... I just wanted them alive and with me. Little by little, I learned that I would never forget them, but that I could live with it, giving them a very special place in my heart, a very private part of my heart will forever belong to them. Oh Judy, just thinking of what has happened to you, literally makes me heartsick :( I pray to God you´ll soon find all the confort you may need, to place your little ones in your "heart memory" and learn again to trust and move on with life! Otherwise, we´d go totally crazy and would miss on the opportunity to find happiness once again :hug99:

Vyonne

Vyonne :sadhug: Thank you and I very much if agree that sharing this stuff can hopefully help someone else avoid this I want to do so. Just want to clarify one thing, I'm not advocating the stitch for every twin pregnancy, I know for me because of the loss it is something I will have but the most important part is the close monitoring of the cervix for funneling and changes. Then your medical team can intervene.

I don't think this was neglegence, I think maybe we all could have been more cautious but there were no signs that anything was wrong. I felt great. Now that we know PTL is a risk for me monitoring will be required for any future pregnancy. To the best of my knowledge they don't have tests or anything to indentify who is at risk before a loss. Though a girl who posts in my journal noted that with her OB any woman who has had IVF is considered high risk for PTL (pre term labor)

something to keep in mind - but there is a balance - there are many woman who have achieved pregnancy through IVF and gone on to have full term healthy babies. Conversely there are women who concieved singletons without medical intervention and have had early losses. Its just a horrible thing. I am so sorry for your loss too. I know what you are describing the feeling the world had ended. That you are cycling now gives me great comfort and encourages me I can go on.:hug99:

Thank you

Just a quick update - RE has cancelled my cycle. 7 follies from Wednesday have decreased in # to 3. Wants me to start prometrium (1x per day for 10 days) then call when period begins. U/S will follow, the progesterone blood level, then lupron. Definitely no bcp next time as I was overly suppressed this cycle. Can't tell you how disappointed I am right now especially since I've always responded so well to meds (almost too good), but what can I do.

Okie, I know how frustrating it is but don't be too hard on yourself... When I had a cancelled cycle, my RE explained to me that some cycles are just sub-par to others and when you do IVF, sometimes you tap into one of those cycles. Much like sperm take 100 days to mature from start to finish, follicles also start to develop well before each monthly cycle. Hang in there and better luck for next time!

Judy, Once again I appreciate your sharing and clarifying things. And you are right, the close monitoring of the cervix is very important. It is also true, that if there are no signs of anything wrong, there is no such a thing as a test to identify a possible risk. Lets just pray that this next time around, we will be fortunate enough once pregnant, get to a healthy, full and successful term. I am happy to know that my cycling now, gives you comfort and encourages you to go on... good for you sweetie! :hug1:

Okie, I am sorry to hear that things didn´t turn out as you wanted/expected them this cycle :sadhug: . Having a low number of follicles always lessens your success chances and stresses you... so look at it this way: Next time around your system will be better prepared, therefore your response will be better (as before), and your bigger quantity follies will ease your mind throughout the process! In no time you´ll be cycling again!!!
Having been at this for awhile has tought me that patience and a lot of faith is a MUST :nod: I wish you all the best for your next cycle! :hug99:

Vyonne

I'm sorry Okie. :sad: Hopefully your new protocal will do the trick! :crossfing

Kimberly

Okie :hug99:I am so sorry to hear about the cancellation. Do something really nice for yourself and hang in there. I hope that the elimination of the BCP leads to a positive cycle next for you.

Hi,
I found your group while searching the net and would love to join. I am awaiting insurance approval for my first IVF. I've had 5 clomid cycles and 4 injectible IUI cycles. I have pcos and my husbands motility isn't very good. I am very excited to take the next step. This seems like such a supportive and caring group...Kristin

Wow! I have missed so much in here. This is a very busy place lately.

Welcome to all the newbies. I think you will really like coming here to "talk".

Okie~I am sorry they had to cancel your cycle. Your next try will be here before you know it.
Kim~ Wow, you will be a very busy woman soon. Your cycle is just around the corner too.


As for me, got all my meds ordered today will be Fed Exed and will be here mon. I start lupron next friday. :woa:

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Angela, VERY EXCITING!!! :woo:

Welcome Krissy! We are happy to have you and wish you great success! If you have any questions at all, just ask away!!

Oh Yeah...I keep forgetting to post some news... I repeated the Annexin V IgG and IgM testing that I had done last summer for the THIRD and FINAL time. Wonder of all wonders...it came back ABNORMAL!! For sure I will be on heparin for this IVF and I will likely have to take a baby aspirin every day for the rest of my life. I have yet to do much research on it but I will find out more soon - it's been a CRAZY week!!

Okie - I'm so sorry!
Kristin - WELCOME and GOOD LUCK!
Angela - HOORAY!!!
Suzi - Wow! That is big news.

Amanda

As for me, got all my meds ordered today will be Fed Exed and will be here mon. I start lupron next friday. :woa:

Angela, That sure is great news :rahrah: !!! We are going to be only a couple of weeks apart :hug1: this cycle, that I sure hope will be D ONE for both of us:crossfing

Krissy, :welcome: ! We are happy to see "our family" grow!

Suzy, I am not familiar with your test and the results thrown, but I wish you all the best, so that you can soon start treatment :hug99:.

My update... yesterday I went to see my RE and he checked my donor because her AF was delayed. At first I was concerned, but my Doc told me that her delay would work to my advantage, giving my endo a bit extra time to grow :nod:, so now I feel pretty good. My AF should come in the next couple of days and the day after, I start taking pills to aid my endo grow. Still taking my Baby Aspirin and Folic Acid too.

This little delay may cause for my transfer to fall on the third week of February, right about my Wed. Anniversary :hb: (Feb 14) and my Birthday (Feb 16). Thought that would definitely make both dates much more special if I get my most desired BFP! I still can´t believe how close I am getting to this new opportunity God has granted me! My diet is still coming along just great! By the way... did you guys know that Squid is a great source of calcium??? I just found that out, so now I am adding it simply steemed into my salads... yum :chef: !
On another token, has any heard how Cindy is doing? Since announcing her pgcy didn´t post again. Also, Sarah... how are you feeling lately??? A big hug to both of you and my best wishes for a great pregnancy :bighug:

Vyonne

Okie-I am so sorry to hear they cancelled on you. Praying they work out your protocols for a sucsessful cycle on this next one.

Suzi-Do you know yet when your going to be able to do your next cycle? How are Chris' test results coming along?

Angela-Awesome news!

Yvonne-Sorry your cycle didn't happen sooner but the timing for this one was off for a reason. Perhaps it's so that you can get the best gift for your birthday! I know thats what I'm thinking on my cycle, all the delays and crap we went thru to get here was so that my 29th (ick) BDay will be the best one because we will have conceived the day before!

Welcome Krissy!

Amanda-How many more days until Baby Jessica is here? Your very close now!!!

Kimberly-You and I girl are going to be cycling at around the same time! Two months seems like close to forever right now but I'm praying time speeds up!

Welcome Krissy!

Angela that is great news - everything will probably go very fast for you from here on out!!!

Suzi, I'm glad you got some conclusive results!

Vyonne - sorry to hear about the delay but that is great news that it will work to your advantage - Glad to hear the diet is going well - I had no idea about squid but of course I only like it fried so that's probaby not such a good choice :noqueno: . I think and hope it is a great sign that your dates are lining up with other very happy events in your life!

Andrea - I hope time speeds up and you are geting very excited for your cycle

I am looking forward to my OB and RE appointments on Tuesday of this week. I'll have one more consult with the Peri in Feb but I am hoping to get more info on the sucess of FET's at my clinic and hopefully some more information that will let us plan our next steps. I am feeling better about everything daily. It is amazing to me what a healer time really can be. Of course I have many meltdown moments, mostly when someone asks me how I am but overall I think both DH and I have pretty much accepted there is nothing we can do about our loss and we are both anxious to continue to work to buid our family.

Andrea, Thanks, I know it can be the pits, but let´s hope for both of us it is a "good omen" the delay we have encountered this cycle :thumbsup:. Now as the time passes I can only think ONE MORE YEAR for my biological clock :disbelief... so while you say "ick" for 29, just imagine what I say for 46! I know that now that I am on DE age doesn´t matter, but still better hurry... don´t ya think :lol:??? Patience my dear, time will sure speed up and in no time you´ll be laying there for your transfer!

Judy, Thank you, and I have to agree with you, I think it is wonderful "happy events" are lining up for me. Plus, three times is a charm... Transfer, Anniversary & Birthday :nod: ! You are cute about the squid... I don´t think fried is such a good idea :lol:, but you´d be surprised of how good it is steemed or lightly tossed over a drop of olive oil... you´ve gotta try it :eat:!
I am happy to hear that time is helping you in your healing process... I know its not easy, but it sure is a good begining :hug99:. Just remember that you don´t have to forget them... you just have to place them in that "special part" of your :hb:, where you can go in and out and remember they will forever be a part of you!

Vyonne

Hello ladies!

I´d like to share an interesting article I came accross, while researching more on the healthy diet I´m on, which is high on Omega 3 & 6
Please go on this link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1831519.stm
There were also others that corroborated the same findings, so I thought it was worth to it check out...

Vyonne

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will probably not be able to post for the next few weeks. My Uncle (who is like a father to me) has been critically ill for the last week and I have been spending my time running to work and to the hospital and just when he was improving he has taken a turn for the worse and will need an additional surgery. Which they will perform in the next hour. I have not had time to read all the post, so I apologize in advance if I miss any ones great news.

Vyonne, I am extremely happy for you and wish you the best of luck and send loads of baby dust your way.

Dawn

Oh Dawn, I am so sorry to hear about your uncle´s illness and next sudden surgery :sadhug: . My prayers are with you, and I hope you´ll soon have good news of his complete recovery for us.

Thank you for sharing my happiness and for all the good luck and baby dust you are sending my way... I sure NEEDED and very much appreciate it!

Vyonne

Just thought I would drop in on you all.... most of you are new faces and wouldn't remember me.... but Suzi and a few others might... I lurk here all the time, (haven't subbed... yet) cheering you all on....

I did IVF back in 2002 and my DS was born June 2003. We will be doing an FET in March or April.

Ummmmmmm............NICKI!!!!!
:ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1:
WOW!! How is Zander??? I bet he is just cute as a bug - he was always such a precious boy!! I am excited that you are doing an FET and even more excited that you are here with us!! Hope you'll stick around - I'd LOVE to hear how you've all been doing!!

:yippee::yippee::yippee::yippee::yippee::yippee:

I'm thinking about sticking around Suzi.... I shouldn't--- I spend too much time online as it is.... but I am really considering it....

Xander is well... He is getting so big.... He is such a little man!

We are so excited about the FET, but nervous too.... I'm sure you know the feeling...

Like I said I am thinking about subbing, and I will make a decision soon..... but regardless I will be lurking...

Kristen~:welcome: You're right! This is a supportive and caring group and I wish you all the best.

Suzi~This is great that you're pin pointing every possible issue and taking steps to remedy them. When you say that you have yet to do much research, I can only imagine that you'll put yourself into this as if you're writing a thesis. . .and that, I think, is just awesome. :thumbsup: :bighug:

Vyonne~Even with the minor delay, it sounds like things are moving along quite well. Put in this way, you should be done with your DE IVF well before me and I started this process in March 2005! And I expect to be following right behind your lead with a BFP! :heee: That's great that your diet is coming along well. I'm doing a bit of a detox diet right now. I'm not on BCP or anything right now so this is good opportunity for me to do some internal cleansing. I loooove squid/calamari. :eat: Thank for the healthy diet link.


Kimberly-You and I girl are going to be cycling at around the same time! Two months seems like close to forever right now but I'm praying time speeds up!

Andrea~:banana:

Judy~I'm so glad that you're doing well. That great attitude never hurts and can only be beneficial for your next time. :bighug:

Dawn~:blue: :hug99:

Nicki~I think I remember you. :) Welcome back. I hope you have time to pop your head in.


Nothing new with me really. I'm emotionally feeling better right now, which is good. :thumbsup: Although I'm still "waiting", it's not like before when it was hung up in paperwork. So, hopefully the next 2 months will fly by painlessly and without much drama for me. :rolleyes:

Kimberly

Kim, You are right! things are moving along for my DE and I am quite excited:ura1: . Oh sweetie, I sure hope to start the lead for BFPs... from your lips to God´s ears :pray:!!!

It is good that you are feeling emotionally better :clap: ... remember that your frame of mind and heart are very important when in theses treatments :nod:. The next two months are sure going to fly by and in no time you´ll be starting your long waited DE cycle too :hug99:

Its unbelievable all the "nutrional values & highlights" I am finding out about fish and shellfish. I always liked certain shellfish such as calamari, shrimp, lobster & scallops and they are loaded with vitamins, so I am adding them steemed or broiled to my salads too :lick:. Now that I have time on my hands (not working), I spend a lot of time searching the web and I found another interesting link: http://www.themetasystem.com/healthnotes.cfm?&org=jsi&ContentID=1857005 where you type on the little "search health info" box the name of the shellfish you want to get more info on, and bingo! It even gives you recipes, but for now, I am most interested in finding out their values then anything else.

Vyonne

Hello Ladies,
Dawnie-I'm so sorry to hear about your Uncle. You and your Uncle are in my thoughts and prayers, take care.:hug99:
Judy-I'm glad to hear your healing process is progressing, and that your looking forward to the future.:hug99:
Nicki-:welcome:Back, Looking forward to your FET!
Yvonne-What I wouldn't give for unbreaded calimari with tzat. Or some Crab meat, I cant wait to get home and cook for myself again! The caft. food here is gross! Thanks for all the info on seafood, in answer to an earlier post though about seafood is that eating seafood doesn't cause problems but the week before retreival you shouldn't eat high food poisining foods (:puke: )as poisining can cancel a cycle. I too cant wait for the BFP's to start kicking off the New Year!

Kim-Counting the day chicky, until your BFP+ as mine should be right behind it!!!!:rahrah:

Angela-Baby dust Honey, Baby Dust! Hope the Lupron shots aren't to bad for you. It'll all worth it when you hold your baby praying hard for you!:banana:

Well, I'm just about :yippee:jumping with excitement as the clinic called to let us know to put the deposit on the cycle as it's confirmed! Nothings gonna stop us now!!!!! My compulsive shopping has just skyrocketed! Not only did I purchase an IVF guided meditation Disk and another book (THe Wayword stork, The couples guide to Successful IVF was good for information but most of it I got from here), but now I'm gearing up to decorate the other room for a nursery so that as soon as we have a BFP we can get to work. I'm not going to start decorating until we have our BFP as the other room is a terrible reminder that we waited three years to fill it. Only 69 more sleeps til retreival.

Andrea, Yeeeeesss!!! Great news on your call from the clinic... you are right girl, nothing is going to stop you now :yippee: ... good for you!!!

I have a question regarding your comment on seafood... is all seafood considered high poisoning :eek: ? After reading all the goodness of seafood, I am surprised by your post. In my case being in a DE cycle, I don´t have to worry about eating it throughout my cycle, because I only go for a Transfer, as they Retrieve from my Donor, right??? By the way, where is home for you? Nothing like home-cooked meals :lick: !

I prayers for you are so that you can start decorating your nursery very, very soon :knitting: and that we get thos BFPs rolling :hug99:!!!

Vyonne (Such a hard name not to get mixed up with Yvonne :lol:)

I have a question regarding your comment on seafood... is all seafood considered high poisoning :eek: ? After reading all the goodness of seafood, I am surprised by your post. In my case being in a DE cycle, I don´t have to worry about eating it throughout my cycle, because I only go for a Transfer, as they Retrieve from my Donor, right??? By the way, where is home for you? Nothing like home-cooked meals :lick: !


If you're pregnant, they say you should stay away from certain types of seafood due to possible Mercury levels. The seafood tends to be the larger fish, the ones that eat a lot of the smaller fish. . . .Swordfish, Shark, etc.
Here are two articles I found, but there are tons.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/48/39254?src=Inktomi&condition=Being%20Pregnant

http://pregnancytoday.com/reference/articles/seafood.htm

Kim

Kim, Thank you soooooo much for the 2 very interesting links! Boy, do I still have so much to learn :disbelief! I was simply avoiding TUNA, because I knew of its high Mercury contents, but after reading the articles you posted... there so much more to it :faint:. I can´t remember who posted in the previous thread: "The more I learn... the less I know", what a great quote... I am now begining to feel just like that myself! Here I am trying to eat "optimum" foods and I am being extremely careful to stay 100% healthy, but now I am finding out that shellfish is better avoided when TTC or PG??? But on the other hand I had just found out about all the vitamins, proteins and other good things it provides you with :dunno: .

As I mentioned before, I had been consuming only fish & shellfish for many years (19) along with veggies, fruits, cereals, etc., and had discarted red meats, pork & poultry, for all that time as a conscious choice of living. So now I wonder if I should start to go back (gradually) to eating some poultry, maybe? Because I gather, the more fish/shellfish I eat the greater my chances of contamination :owow:. Kim, I know that you are very much into this diets and health issues, could you please give some advice??? Also anyone who knows about nutrition or has some comments... please give me your insight! All I want is a healthy, well balanced diet to follow without so many paradigms!

Vyonne

Vyonne - you may be able to request a blood test for mercury levels - also it is my understanding that farm raised fish with the exception of salmon are generally safer. If you want to still get the omega's without eating as much seafood there are some good supplements. I take http://www.nordicnaturals.com/ Ultimate Omega for my Crohn's and they have some independent testing results for purity on their site. Also I am not sure where you live but I wonder if many of these toxins are in fish caught near the US? Not sure but I thought that fish in northern waters are less toxic.

I met with my RE and my OB yesterday. We will be preping for an FET of a single embie sometime in March. We have not yet fully decided we are emotionally ready to go but we can get some of the testing he wants done now in prep and if we choose to defer the cycle - no problem. Still not a clear diagnosis - looks like IC but no way to conclusively know, could have also been my uterus was just at its max or just something that sadly occurs more frequently that you might think with twins. Scary that they do not know. I am shopping Peri's now tryinig to find someone who will do anything and everything to help me get to term. Chances for a sucessful cycle with 1 FE are about 18-20% but the RE explained that a lot of that is just which is the right embie so I am preparing myself that it may take some cycles.

Judy, Thank you for your insight on my "fish issue" :rolleyes:. I´m currently living in Lima, Peru since 2001 (going back to the States in late Spring) and here there aren´t places or entities to consult about the raising of the animals you consume. Out here everything is taken quite casual and its not like in North America or Europe where this issues are well protected and taken seriously. Most items don´t even have a Nutrition Values listed on the packaging. Luckily, I pretty much consume fresh foods and I am very careful wher I buy my groceries and stuff. For now, I´ll be more careful about my fish consumption, but until I am back in the States... there isn´t much I can do. Thank you for the article sent, I am going to find out if they ship overseas and maybe go that route in the mean time.

Its nice to hear that you are taking the steps to prepare for your FET possibly in March. Although I bet it is uncomfortable not knowing what exactly happened, I am sure your RE will monitor you closely next time around. My thoughts and prayers are with you, so that when you are ready, you´ll go for your FET trusting in God and giving yourself a new opportunity... but only when you are truly ready, with no pressures of any sort. It is also good that your RE has given you the perecentages of success, so that you are fully prepared and can have the right expectations. I m very proud of you darling :hug99:.

Vyonne

Good Morning!

Vyonne-Sorry about the name thing! So used to the other way around! With the fish and seafood issue: all meat/poultry/seafood has the ability to poison us if it is stored improperly or cooked improperly. Don't panic! The only reason my RE told me to stay away is because I eat high levels of seafood/fish which commonly before going to market are not stored properly, so I should avoid Seafood and fish including sushi for the week of transfer /retreival because constant hurling makes Transfer difficult. The highest risk seafoods are commonly clams/oysters/shrimp. If your eating anything that tastes metal-spit it out (like you bit into a baking pan) I've had food poisining a few times so my risk of getting it are higher because my immune system doesn't fight off bad foods where others will only get a stomach ache or worse. Other than Mercery levels seafood is good for you. Judy's right about Northern fish having less levels of Mercery and other pollutants because of our lack of industry to pollute the waters here, (Arctic Char from the Nunavut region is really good). Here being the Northwest Territories of Canada. Home for me is Yellowknife but I work in a camp 240 miles from home for 2 weeks every month and the food here is awful! There really isn't anything better than home cooked!

Andrea, No big deal... I´m so used to almost everyone getting it mixed up, but still like to make people aware they always do :biggrin:

Thanks for the tips on the seafood. I guess, I´ll just have to be more concious about the risks one can have :woa: and stay far away from high Mercury content fish! I don´t like oysters and only eat clams on clam chowder, but they don´t have it or even know how to make it out here in Peru :disbelief ... shrimp I like, but don´t eat it much. I know I have a pretty good stomach, because I close to never get sick from food... and I hope to stay that way. Do you know why smoked fish is not recommended either? One of my favorite food is smoked salmon. Like you, I can´t wait to go back home... but for good!

Vyonne

Vyonne~I love seafood myself and probably eat it at least 6X a week. Of course living in Boston, it's easy to find good fresh seafood. I also worked for a restaurant called "Legal Seafoods" which basically set the FDA standard for seafood before seafoods were regulated. Sadly, I'm terrible at giving explanations as to why one type of fish is better over the other. Hopefully, this article will explain it better than I can.

http://www.americanbaby.com/ab/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ab/story/data/9226.xml&catref=AB2&page=2

Judy~ I hope to be doing a transfer in March myself :crossfing , but certainly, if you don't feel ready, you need to take the time you need. You know I'm always wishing you the best. :hug99:

The only reason my RE told me to stay away is because I eat high levels of seafood/fish which commonly before going to market are not stored properly, so I should avoid Seafood and fish including sushi for the week of transfer /retreival because constant hurling makes Transfer difficult. The highest risk seafoods are commonly clams/oysters/shrimp. If your eating anything that tastes metal-spit it out (like you bit into a baking pan) I've had food poisining a few times so my risk of getting it are higher because my immune system doesn't fight off bad foods where others will only get a stomach ache or worse. Other than Mercery levels seafood is good for you. Judy's right about Northern fish having less levels of Mercery and other pollutants because of our lack of industry to pollute the waters here, (Arctic Char from the Nunavut region is really good). Here being the Northwest Territories of Canada. Home for me is Yellowknife but I work in a camp 240 miles from home for 2 weeks every month and the food here is awful! There really isn't anything better than home cooked!

:eek: You poor thing. You definitely don't want to be hurling before a transfer. :heee: My husband is similiar in that he'll have stomach "issues" for worse than me if we've accidently eaten something undercooked or bad or something. Another thing I've heard is that if fresh fish smells like fish, it's starting to turn. Fresh, uncooked seafood shouldn't smell "fishy". I'm so particular about my seafood that when I go to the market, I ask to smell it before I purchase it. Other than frozen stuff (like shrimp) I never buy pre-packaged seafood. :nono:


Updates from me: My donor's screening results should have come back yesterday. No, I didn't call and double check as much as I wanted to. The IVF clinic is supposed to call me as soon as they've gone over her results as we should now be able to narrow down timelines more specifically. I guess if I don't hear from them by this coming Tuesday, I'll call. . .just in case the screening results happen to be sitting under a pile of papers somewhere. You just never know? :dunno: :rolleyes:

Kimberly

Kim, Like you, my seafood consumption is at least 6X per week. So, I am most grateful with the info you are providing me with. To be safe, I will try to stick with the smaller fish and Salmon and will definetely stay away from one of my favorites: Smoked Salmon / Lox (vacuumed sealed):blue: . This last article you´ve sent, certainly explains the reasons why one should stay away from it, and I am not about to take any chances... I even passed the articles you sent to my RE. My RE is one of the most recognized doctors in his field out here, and yet he hadn´t heard anything about this subject and became most interested when I mentioned it to him. Most people out here think that I am arrogant and/or spoiled (except for our close friends) because of my constant "no thank you" :noqueno: and my very selective eating habits. I guess because out here in Peru, for some reason people are not as meticulous about what they eat... its a pretty relaxed country where most people eat at corner stands without prejudice :disbelief and are also big meat eaters. Therefore, they don´t understand I come from a totally different culture and my system would not resist bacteria like theirs, due to their usual habits... oh well, my health is before my trying to please everyone... specially now that I am TTC!

On another token, I am so sorry the IVF clinic is still making you bite your nails about every step of the way. I´d like to give them a piece of my mind :fado: . My thoughts and prayers are with you, for a positive reply on your Donor´s screening and to finally get the set date you´ve been waiting for :hug99: !

Vyonne

Hi Girls!! I am all caught up. Took me awhile but I did it!!

I am not much of a seafood person. I can do shrimp, tuna, calamari, and fried clams and that's about it.

I did my first lupron injection last night and it went well. I should get AF sometime next week and then I call for an appointment for a baseline U/S.

Well I made a very difficult decision and I hope it was the right one. I decided to take this semester off from school. So I dropped my class. When I had signed up for school I was originally told I wouldn't have IVF coverage till Jan 2007, but as most of you know that was incorrect and I have coverage now in Jan 2006. Which is great news and was a pleasant suprise. I just feel that working full time with a 1.5 hour drive, then school 2 nights a week till 9pm and 7pm, studying, keeping a household running it would be too much and I am afraid it might have a negative impact on my cycle. I just feel that this is my priority right now, to have this baby, I have to give it my all. School will always be there and I fully intend to go back. In my life at this point after 4 years of TTC, this is my number one priority.

Kim~Hope you get news soon!
Judy~Hope the dr's apt went well.
Nicki~I remember you as well. I used to be Ang1776 at UB. Welcome and good luck with your FET!

Hi Suzi, Andrea, Vyonne, Andrea, Amanda, Kristen

Angela, I think you made a wise, albeit difficult decision. I know that you will pursue your new profession, even if it takes a little longer to get there.

Starting Lupron...retrieval is around the corner! :yippee:

I did my first lupron injection last night and it went well. I should get AF sometime next week and then I call for an appointment for a baseline U/S.

Well I made a very difficult decision and I hope it was the right one. I decided to take this semester off from school. So I dropped my class. When I had signed up for school I was originally told I wouldn't have IVF coverage till Jan 2007, but as most of you know that was incorrect and I have coverage now in Jan 2006. Which is great news and was a pleasant suprise. I just feel that working full time with a 1.5 hour drive, then school 2 nights a week till 9pm and 7pm, studying, keeping a household running it would be too much and I am afraid it might have a negative impact on my cycle. I just feel that this is my priority right now, to have this baby, I have to give it my all. School will always be there and I fully intend to go back. In my life at this point after 4 years of TTC, this is my number one priority.



Angela~I'm psyched to hear that you've started your cycle. :clap: I think you did the right thing. E gads, a 1.5 hour drive! :eek: I'm upset with my 40 min. drive. :rolleyes: It sounds like your life is very busy and in the end, we all have to prioritize what's the most important thing for us. I'm wishing you all the best. :crossfing

Kimberly

Angela, Grrrrrrrrreat news :ura1: I am so happy to hear that you are on the wagon! Regarding your school decision, I totally agree with you :nod:... school will always be there for you to go back to, and now you need to focus on your cycle. Best of luck :bighug: the race has just began...

Vyonne

Good luck Angela! It would have been really difficult to do both since these appointments are crazy. You will have nine months to take classes when you are pg!

Angela :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: :ura1: Not to long now and you will be going for retreival! Baby Dust, Sticky Embies and all of the prayers I can send your way Hon!!!!! You'll have lots of time when your BFP to go back to school and finish, focus on getting yourself BFP for now!

Kerry-Isn't your cycle starting here in the next couple of weeks? I thought it was the end of Jan beginning of Feb?

Kim-:crossfing they get back to you ASAP!

Well I found myself a cycle buddy on another board. She is doing a DE cycle at the same clinic and she's 15 days or so behind me. After we "Talked" I decided that if everything goes good with this cycle and resulting BFP I'm going to donate eggs. Canada has got a new crappy law that says you have to find your own donor and they have to do it from the goodness of their heart and not for profit. While I agree people should not take advantage of others, but now people wont even volunteer to donate eggs. It makes me so :furious: that in a free country they can tell us that you can't rely on a matched DE program through your fert clinic because your breaking the law! What crap! Anywho its freaking cold here now :cold: due to the weather and all I want is to get home and open my protocols package which should be there on Wednesday and curl up with my fur babies! Three more sleeps till hometime!
Andrea

I decided that if everything goes good with this cycle and resulting BFP I'm going to donate eggs.
You are my hero! I'm having a hard time finding a donor. I cannot imagine how difficult it would be if I had to find my own donor, and if she didn't recieve compensation.

Thanks Ladies, you made me feel so much better about my decision. I just felt so overwhelmed thinking about it and I hadn't even started school yet. So I know it was a good decision.

Questions:

Where do you usually inject the lupron? I have been doing it in my belly, below my belly button. Is there any other areas I can do it, such as my thighs or arms?

Also , I have been thinking about doing a detoxifying cleasing system. I read somehere on the internet that it could be beneficial before doing an IVF cycle. And if yes, and recommendations for products?

That's it for now, I am sure I will have more as I go along.

Where do you usually inject the lupron? I have been doing it in my belly, below my belly button. Is there any other areas I can do it, such as my thighs or arms?

My RE wants all subQ shots in the belly. IMs can be done in the hip or the thigh.

Andrea- I don't know how you spend so much time away from home! That is a really sucky law! That is probably limiting a lot of people from using DE! Do you know who you will be donating for?

Thanks for asking about me. I am starting my cycle in May. Losing weight now and exercising, taking herbs and doing acupuncture. I want to give this the best shot that I have in me!

Angela -- How exciting to finally be starting up! My RE also wants all subQ shots in the belly, though I do try to rotate spots to minimize irritation, especially if you are doing your stims subQ.

Andrea -- It sounds like it will be VERY difficult for anyone in Canada to use DE. It is a big commitment for a woman to go through that & I see nothing wrong with compensating someone for all her time & pain & suffering from going through a cycle.

Angela-I agree with Carla on rotating spots to reduce irritation. Praying for your successful retreival!

Dana-Have you checked out ivfconnections.com? apparently there is a donor board there. The donor board at ivf.ca only has one or two canadian donors left. Big hug and I hope you find the right donor soon.

Kerri-I dont know who I'd donate for yet. I'll post on the donor board when I am ready to donate. Hopefully next year if we have a baby this year, if not I might do a shared cycle where half the eggs go to someone else. I to am trying to lose weight for this cycle to, it's tough, hang in there it'll be so worth it! May is just around the corner it'll be here before you know it! I can't wait to be a SAHM, this 2 on 2 is starting to wear on me!

Karla-The new law says you can be reimbursed for recieptable items travel, hotels, drugs but you cant profit from donating. It's crap. I'm sure people are finding ways around the law but it has slowed the donor rates down drastically. It was so much easier for people before when they could go thru the clinics.

Andrea - what a wonderful and generous thing to do! Kudos to you! So sorry to hear about that crummy law.

Angela - very good decision. You had a lot on your plate! We did all our sub q's in the belly too. I had tried the thigh once and the belly was actually easier and I felt it less. (I guess I have more padding there :shuffle:

Kimberly - did you hear anything yet from the clinic? I am hoping things are still moving in the right direction and will continue to!!

Hello to everyone. We got tons of snow today here - its pretty but cold :cold: Nothing else to update still waiting for AF :eviltongu

Hi everyone,
Just thought I'd write and say "hi". I dropped myself from another support group today because someone got pregnant on clomid...after about 3 months. I think I'm having a hard time digesting that i am going to have to do IVF and I find myself very jealous of pregnant women. I used to be so "together" about the infertility thing but since my four perfect IUI cycles ended up in BPN...I am feeling down. Anyone else feel this way? I'm kinda beating myself up over it. Hopefully insurance will come through for a march cycle!!!!!!!!!! I think the worst thing is my %^$&* of a sister-in-law is pregnant and I have to hear about them setting up their crib etc.... I never realized I could be so jealous. thanks for listening!!!!!!! Kristin

Kristin, Don´t feel badly for feeling the way you do... we all go through hard/bad times and that is exactly why we have this great supportive group! We are here to listen to all of the success and failures we go through when we ride this rocky mountain! Besides our emotions already being more sensitive :blue: than "normal" women, we have to deal with those darned hormones:angry2:, so it is not unsual to have these mood changes.

There are times when I see someone pregnant and I feel tremendous tenderness, but there are also other times when I feel tremendously jealous and don´t feel like "dealing" with it. One thing that works well for me when I feel down, is knowing how fortunate I am to at least have the opportunity to do my treatments, when many out women can´t for different reasons... count your blessings and thank God for them!!!
Just know that you are not alone... we are all here to listen to whatever is you want to share and you´ll always find in us a kind word of advice! Hope you feel better :hug99: and keep up the faith!

Vyonne

:jump2: :woo: Today is my last day of BCP!!:yippee:


I am so happy!!! I can't stand these pills anymore. AF should be here by Fri then I call for an appt for a baseline u/s.

Kristin~ I am so sorry that you have to go throught this. I can totally relate to how you feel. Before we moved on to IVF we did 6 IUI cycles which were perfect too. I can't tell you how many times the RE told me we might have to cancel because I have too many mature follicles and I could get PG with multiples. Of course I said no way, I am willing to chance it and Boom, Nada not even one took. SO I know how you feel and it is ok, you just can't let it consume you. Be strong!

Judy~Thanks for the info. I have been sticking with my belly. I was kinda worried about doing it there because I though I might have too much padding there and the Lupron would not take because of it. But when I thought about that, it was silly and 2) I am sure they would have told me if that was the case.
Kerri~ How's the acupuncture going? Notice any changes yet? Have you checked out the CT section of IVFconnections.com yet? There is a bunch of us there too. Great group of ladies there too!

Thank you for the support. I am very thankful that I have a fantastic RE and i am SOOOOOOOO grateful that my husband works in Massachussets and our inurance covers 6 IVF's. I am feeling a little bit better today. yahoo for the last day of BCP. The waiting is always hard. Seems like we are always waiting for AF,follicles to grow...and then the dreaded 2ww...AHAHAHAH. I never realized how long 2 weeks could be. Thanks again...K

I think the 2ww is the worst part of IVF. Lucky for you to be in Massachusetts! I have asked DH to move there but he won't. Atleast CT now will pay for 2 cycles so we are very hopeful!
Glad you are feeling better!

Ang- that is great to be starting your cycle you must be so pysched (Spelling?).:ura1:

Vyonne - I glad everything is going on smoothly for you.:redflower

Welcome to Krissy and Bloom! :welcome:

My Uncle has finally been moved out of ICU. He originally went in for a perforated ulcer and then developed a serious infection and underwent a 2nd surgery to remove part of his stomach. He is doing okay and will probably be in the hospital for an additional 3 weeks before them move him to a rehab center.

As for myself - I do not know if I will be able to continue with IVF at all - my insurance coverage has run out for the procedure and I just got hit with over $9,000 bills and right now feel very :fado: about the amount of money that they charge for this. I have been looking into the NYS Infertility Demonstration Program and am awaiting to see if I am eligible for coverage through them - I know that there is at least one other person who is also from NYS - this is a program made by Gov. Pataki - it is for women who do have med ins. but it does not cover ivf - I sent all my info over last Friday and am waiting to hear if I qualify.

http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/infertility/infertility_demonstration_program.htm

So I am in limbo right now and also a little depressed - We have enough money saved for ivf - but these bills have just doomed my new car and I really need one we only have one care and it is a 1998. We have been saving for a house and are going to probably start to look when the weather turns. I know my DH will not want to blow half of our savings on something that is not a sure thing and I am not sure that I want to either. I really want to have a child of my own - but I also do not want to have to struggle financially.

I have alot to contemplate. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Dawn

Dawn, Thank you, I am glad things are going smoothly so far for me. Retrival for my Donor should be tentatively around February 1st or 2nd, and then we´ll see if I get a 3 or a 5 day transfer... so I am right around the corner:yippee:
I´m happy to hear that your uncle is more stable and that in a few weeks he´ll be moved to rehab. I wish him and your family all the best!

It is unfair that the cost of these treatments are so high :rolleyes:, and that many times it is what limits most women from doing them. I am so sorry to hear that for that reason you may have to desist from your next planned IVF... specially when you have your two lovely sisters willing to help you with the hardest part! I hope you´ll qualify for the NYS Infertility Demonstration Program, so that you may persue your dream. It sure is very hard when one gets hit with huge bills and you are forced to make serious choices under pressure. Take a deep breath and prioritize what is most important in your life at this moment :dunno:... but also keep in mind that "time" is a very important factor in IVF, while material things may get acquired later without as much of an impact. Whatever your decision may be, just make sure you are 100% sure it is what is best for you and your DH, so that you will not have regrets at a later day. I´ll be praying for your qualification in the NYS ID Program and for you to make the best decision... :hug99:

Vyonne

Angie~You're almost there! :banana: By the way, I used Whole Body Cleanse by Enzymatic Therapy. I bought it at GNC. They have different detox kits there as well as Whole Foods (is there one in Conn.?) Anyway, the one I've just completed is a 2 week cleanse and you're basically taking supplements that help clean your system (in other words, you go to the bathroom a lot). If you're going to do one, I would suggest not to do it while you're taking IF drugs. :dunno: My thoughts on this are not based on anything a Dr. said, but I just think that while doing the IF drugs, you should try to maintain good health, but not also try to do any sort of crash diets and detoxs. :dunno: IMHO.

Andrea~How wonderful of you to donate eggs. :hug99: Like others also said, I think that law is crazy. I can't even begin to imagine having to look for a donor on my own. We're not all as brave as Vyonne. :awink: The other good thing about agencies is that they make sure their donors are well screened and typically screen out donors who may carry certain hereditary illnesses. And donors should be compensated. . .absolutely!

Krissy~It's O.K. to have those feelings and as far as I'm concerned, they're pretty much on par with what all of us women feel who are going through this. I have my good days and my bad, but at this point in my 5 1/2 year quest to have a child, I have to realize that when I have a bad day, it's O.K. and I'm not a bad person to have those feelings. There are lots of great books out there to help with coping skills when you're going through infertility. I'd be happy to send you some book names if you'd like. Let me know. I wish you all the best. :bighug:

Dawn~I'm glad to hear that your uncle is doing better, but that really stinks about the IVF coverage! :blue: I think Vyonne's response was great and I have to agree that it might be good to just take some time to figure out what's most important and how and if you can make it work. I do hope you're eligible for the NYS Infertility Demonstration Program. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. :crossfing

Vyonne~:wow: That was fast! As you know, I'm wishing you the very best this time around. :pray: :crossfing

So I have more information. :thumbsup: And I'm feeling so much better in that it seems like it's finally coming together. I'll be starting BCP with my next AF, which will be sometime next week. My donor is also all set to go and in the end, we'll probably be doing retrieval and transfer somewhere in the last 2 weeks of March. I have to be on BCP for at least 21 days before starting the Lupron followed soon by the estrogen, but at least now I have a timeline. :yippee:

Kimberly

So I have more information. :thumbsup: And I'm feeling so much better in that it seems like it's finally coming together. I'll be starting BCP with my next AF, which will be sometime next week. My donor is also all set to go and in the end, we'll probably be doing retrieval and transfer somewhere in the last 2 weeks of March. I have to be on BCP for at least 21 days before starting the Lupron followed soon by the estrogen, but at least now I have a timeline. :yippee:
Kimberly

Oh Kim, I am thrilled :woo: to hear that you are all set for BCP and in no time it will be time for Lupron... after that, your dates for retrieval and transfer will be there in a blink :hi5:... that is simply awesome!!! My thoughts and prayers are with you sweetie :hug99:!

Thank you for your good wishes and prayers... I need all the positive energy and prayers from the whole wide world right now!!! This evening I go to my RE (Donor too), to get an u/s to see my linning growth so far after being 2 weeks on estrogen , and of course, to also check my Donor´s follies. It should give us a better idea for the retrieval date :crossfing!!!

Vyonne

WOW, Kim!! This is terrific news - you are FINALLY getting somewhere!! I am so VERY excited for you and really hope that this time around you will get your BFP!! :nod: