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I'm feeling kind of numb right now. This morning I had my u/s after 4 days of injections and they could only see 2-3 follicles on each side. That's worse than my IUI cycle, when I had 4-5 on each side at this point, with less meds. Saying 2-3 is probably generous...I think it was more like 2. The biggest was 12, and the rest were like 8. How is this ever going to work?
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@Spaniellove. I am so sorry you are feeling down, but you still have lots of time for the follies to develop, and I imagine they will up the medicine accordingly. Its still really early. Did the doctors seem concerned?
Thanks for your advice. It was very helpful. I decided to delay things a month. Hopefully, I will be in a better spot then emotionally and work-wise.
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@spaniellove: I know I'm not going through IVF yet, but I wanted to give you support. Your question of how is this ever going to work made my heart ache for you. I don't know enough about the process, but like @raintreebee said, isn't it still early? Each cycle is unique, maybe this time around you have to wait a few more days to see good follicle numbers?
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@spaniellove: just wanted to offer you some support - i don't know enough (or anything, frankly) about the follicles and their development, but i just wanted to let you know i'm thinking of you and hoping for the best for you. did the dr. or nurses say anything about it?
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@spaniellove: try not to worry (I know that is easier said then done) I bet more follicles will appear by your next appointment. If the doctor isn't worried, try to trust in the process. From what I read slow and steady is best. I think it took almost a week of stims for me to see numerous follicles on each side. Keeping my fingers crossed for you
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@spaniellove: While they aren't showing as many follicles this time around, you still have plenty of time to grow the ones you have and I think that instead of IUI where all of those follicles ovulate and hope they hit a sperm, you're doing IVF where each egg (even if only 4-6) will get inseminated and grow into an embryo. That's 4-6 babies and then picking the best to implant. I know this has got to be a hard road, but I'm here for you, and will have faith it will all work out, even if you can't right now. *Hugs*
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@spaniellove: I've been thinking about you and hope you're doing okay. Do you have any updates on your follicles? I'm really sad to read there hasn't been as much growth as you wanted. I agree with the other posts that being slow and steady is what's important, and it's about quality over quantity. We all support you! Thinking of you....
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Hi ladies! I have been reading along but we aren't officially doing IVF yet. Right now, we are taking a month off TTC due to cysts. I have done two IUI with injectible cycles. I think we will do one more IUI next cycle. I am starting to investigate IVF because after 2 failed IUIs, I just don't expect the 3rd to work. I'm a type A planner and just want to know what may be ahead for us.
How you all got started? From reading about IVF, I anticpate having to take a month off while on BC to get ready, but I would rather not take more than one month off. I will ask my RE about it when I am there in March but just wondered what the first few steps were for you in your IVF process?
I am looking at IVF packages and financing through ARC (the organization my RE uses for that stuff). What else do I need to start doing/thinking about? I have heard from some of you that your off month (before starting the IVF cycle) included uterine mapping or trial transfers. What else did you did in the month(s) leading up to your first IVF cycle? Thanks in advance for your input!!!
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@spaniellove: I only had 3-4 on my day 4 ultrasound, but ended up having 11 eggs removed the next week! So there is still time. Try not to worry. I know it is difficult and so stressful, but please know there is a chance, a good one, that you will have many more develop!!!!! Hugs!!
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@kentuckygirl: When we had our consult to decide for sure about IVF, they told us it would be about a 6 week wait and we ended up doing our IUI cycle at the same time that they were processing us for IVF in order to cut down on the wait in between. The cycle before IVF you can be put on BCP, Lupron, both, neither, or estrogen, depending on how much suppression you need or how closely they want to time your start date. (This might depend on your AFC...for example, mine was 5 and I didn't take anything before my antagonist protocol.) There will probably be some blood tests for immunity to rubella and chickenpox as well as Hep B&C and HIV testing if you haven't already had it done. It was easy enough to just get that blood during my bloodwork for IUI, which is why if you get the process started while you're doing IUI you can get some things out of the way! But I do hope the 3rd time is a charm for you and you never have to move on to IVF!
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Thank you so much for all your kind thoughts! I had 8 follicles this morning, 2 under 10mm and 1 almost ready to ovulate on its own
So the dr told me to start the Ganirelix as soon as I left the clinic and up my dosage to 4 Menopur and 3 Bravelle. He thinks I should be stimming through Monday so hopefully the smaller ones will get to a good size by then!
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@spaniellove: Yay for 8 follies!!!! Thanks for your reply and for hoping for the 3rd times the charm! That would be great! It is good to hear that I might be able to get some prep items done next cycle while we are doing our IUI. May I ask what you mean by antagonist protocol? Thanks!
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@kentuckygirl: Sure, antagonist means I'm using Ganirelix or Cetrotide to prevent early ovulation instead of Lupron. I think it's more for slow/poor responders or those with ovarian reserve issues.
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@spaniellove: Thanks!!!
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@spaniellove: glad to hear you had 8 follicles! Will you go in for testing over the weekend?
@kentuckygirl: just to add from @spaniellove wrote, I was on BCP for about 5 weeks once we decided to move ahead with IVF. We didn't do IUI. There are definitely a lot of doctor's visits, so I hope your RE is close by! Mine isn't. It's really amazing how everyone's protocol is different; I know your RE will find the best match for you even though I understand not wanting to wait a month to get started! Waiting is killer!
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@derevival: thank you for your reply! It is surprising how many variations there are in protocols!
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I had another appointment this morning and the same 8 follicles are there that we saw yesterday. The biggest one is 18.5 and they think it may not contain an egg because it's hazy. But otherwise, the two that were under 10mm yesterday are at 10 and 10.5 today, so there's a chance that they'll all be a decent size. The doctor said I'll probably be ready to trigger by Monday, so I'm guessing ER will be Wednesday. I'm soooo ready for the injections to be over!
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It's official - trigger tonight, ER Wednesday! It doesn't look like there'll be a whole lot of eggs, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed really hard that whatever I get is great quality and that they all fertilize. Hopefully that's not too much to ask, right?
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@spaniellove: just lurking on this thread and I wanted to pop in and say that my fingers are super extra crossed for you!!
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@spaniellove: quality, not quantity!!!! Good luck!!!
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@Shutterbug: @Jennimac: Thank you guys, so so much!
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@spaniellove: I hope you have amazing, really fertile eggs! Good luck with your trigger tonight! Do you still have to do injections past this point or are you all done?
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@marionberry: Nope, just a huge dose of Bravelle (6 vials) at the same time as the trigger and then I'm done. Yeah! Otherwise I'm only doing another Z-pak for now.
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@spaniellove: Good luck on Wednesday, I'll have my fingers crossed for you :).
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@spaniellove: That's fab! Get done with today and you're good to go! Best of luck for all of the next steps too.
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@spaniellove: Exciting! Is your husband nervous to be giving you the shot?
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@derevival: I think we're both nervous...
So I told DH that I heard about practicing on oranges, and he brought home this grapefruit to practice on before the real thing. In his words, "this is your butt".
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OMG that is so funny. Is he really going to practice on it first? Did he give you any shots with IUI?
What time is your shot?
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@derevival: Yup, we just did our practice...and I'm SO GLAD we did this because wow! What did he think I was doing all this time? This is his first time doing any injections, which I'm regretting now. I should have let him try a sub-q earlier on, when the needles were smaller. Are you doing IVF right now?
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This is the funniest thing I've read today. I'm glad he practiced; it sounds like he needed it!
We are. I actually did my trigger last night with Novarel. I'm on the agonist protocol. It would be so nice to have a few more guest posts or articles on IVF; I've had to research a lot of what I know now from various websites.
We go in tomorrow morning at 9:15 for the retrieval. I wish we had an earlier time, but I'll take it. Honestly, I'm more worried about the anesthesia than anything. I really wonder if it's actually necessary.
Best wishes to you tonight! Glad you practiced!! That's actually a really great idea. Wish I had thought of it.
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@derevival: A huge good luck on your ER tomorrow!! And I hope the anesthesia goes well. They're not doing general, right? My trigger actually turned out okay; I took the advice from Stirrup Queens and iced beforehand and didn't feel a thing.
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@spaniellove: Your husband is hilarious
I hope you're feeling good as your gear up for tomorrow!@derevival: I hope your retrieval goes well!
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@spaniellove: omg i love the practice "butt", and i'm going to have to remember the ice trick - and good luck tomorrow!
@derevival: good luck with your ER today!
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Hi, everyone! The retrieval went fine today (appointment was at 9:30). We have 18 eggs. I guess we learn tomorrow how many fertilized. The anesthesia was the worse. I felt horrible when I woke up, groggy, cramps in my stomach, and slightly nauseous. I was horrible to my DH when he tried to get me to stay awake and take deep breaths to raise my oxygen level. I feel a lot better right now although the cramps are definitely stronger than menstrual.
It's so exciting to finally be at this stage!!
Thinking of you @spaniellove!!!!! Let us know how yours went.
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@derevival: i'm so happy to hear that it went well, although the cramping sounds rough- are you doing ICSI or natural fertilization?
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We did ICSI.
Today, we learned that of the 18 that were retrieved, 14 were mature, and 11 fertilized. The clinic will leave my eggs undisturbed tonight and tomorrow. I'll get my next update on Friday morning.
Very excited!! (cautious optimism as my RE warned)
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@derevival: That's an awesome fert report! So it sounds like you could definitely have some to freeze!
I'm back from my egg retrieval, we got 5 eggs. I was surprised to feel like I was just waking up from a nap...in the past I've had some bad experiences with anesthesia. When they told me which doctor was doing the procedure, though, I apparently made a horrible face! This doctor reminds me of Quagmire on Family Guy and is super-awkward...my parts clench up and hang a "closed" sign when I see him. Thank goodness I lost consciousness before he moved anywhere near my legs.
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Glad you didnt have any problems with the ER and anesthesia! That's so funny to hear about the RE. Haha.
Congrats on your eggs! It's super exciting. Are you leaning towards a 3 or 5 day transfer, or does it just depend?
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@derevival: We'd rather do a 5 day transfer, but of course it depends on how the embryos are doing. What about you? Oh, and...did you have the horrible constipation after ER? I broke down and sent DH out for prune juice because I couldn't take it anymore along with the bloating. I was reading the instruction sheet and realized the eggs have been ICSI'ed already! That's so crazy!
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I'm in pain still actually. My stomach is bloated and definitely causing me pain and constipation. Not pleasant. I wasn't prepared for this.
We are hoping for 5 day too.
Will not be able to wait for beta testing! From what I have read online, 4 days after transfer your egg should hopefully be implanted.
So the dr told me to start the Ganirelix as soon as I left the clinic and up my dosage to 4 Menopur and 3 Bravelle. He thinks I should be stimming through Monday so hopefully the smaller ones will get to a good size by then!
I hope you're feeling good as your gear up for tomorrow!
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