Retrieval scheduled for Monday. 5th one! Have been stimming +/- 2 weeks.
Those worried about anesthesia, it's honestly really fast. I threw up once, but after that happens, they just add something to your drip to prevent nausea. I bought some saltines just to safe, though they have some at the office.
- Dot

I go by "Tat", I'm 34 with low amh (.38)

3rd IVF cycle, 8 eggs retrieved yesterday, waiting for the dreaded call this morning....ugh!

Ivf#1- 6 retrieved, 2 fertilized, transferred both at 5 days, BFN
Ivf#2- 5 retrieved, 4 fertilized, only 2 made it to 5 day blasts, transferred both, biochemical pregnancy at 5 weeks.

Emma here -- Kay, glad to hear the ER went better than expected. And 9 is a great number of eggs. Wishing you the best!

Sue and Nureen -- I know how long the 2ww is so hang in there! Looking forward to your updates.

I'm on Day 5 of stims. I have high dosing (300 Bravelle AM and 150 Menopur/150 Bravelle PM) and the meds are causing usual symptoms -- headaches, bloat, massive hunger, irritability. I've gained 5 lbs in the last week. My nurse says so far, things are ok (e2 levels are good and there are 14 follies) but it's too early and the follies aren't measurable yet. I go back in tomorrow. I usually have a slow response so I'm really hoping this protocol is the one for me. How's everyone else doing with the stimming so far?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi Kay, welcome! I know what you mean about fear of being put under. It was my greatest fear before my lap - I'd never had surgery before. It really scared me, and I never want to to again unless I absolutely have to. I don't think it's an irrational fear at all. It's a complete lack of control and consciousness. We all LIKE being alive and awake.

The good thing about the ER is that you're only under for about 20 minutes, and the recovery is very very fast. I napped all afternoon after mine, and felt good enough to drive to acupuncture in the evening. The anesthesia has some mildly annoying side effects, like constipation. But it is not painful, just uncomfortable. You'll be bloated and a little uncomfortable for a week, then things get pretty quickly back to normal. (Well, other than progesterone side effects! More bloating! Pantyliners! Sore breasts! Blech. But those subside, too.)

Good luck with the retrieval! Let us know how it goes.

--Sue

Kay here- Thanks sue. That is exactly what it is - a lack of control. I had to have my gallblader out a couple of years ago and it was so hard on my body! I know that the anesthesia is lighter, but I still worry. My ER is tomorrow morning. I'm trying to kill time and keep myself busy until then. I can't eat past midnight, but I doubt I would be hungry anyway. Thank you for your experience. It helps.

Hi Kay, it's Kat...I understand where you are coming from. My ER next Week (hopefully) will be my first experience with anesthesia, and I'm honestly terrified at the thought of being put under. I think in my case it is absolutely a fear of the unknown and a lack of control. You certainly are not the only one with those feelings!

I hope everything went well for you today!

Kay here. They retrieved 9 eggs. My RE was in the room when the ER was done. He cautioned that we don't know how they will fair. So I'll just wait for that call. So the anesthesia was okay. I told the anesthesiologist how scared I was and he explained that it's through the IV and not the heavy medicine they use for other surgeries. Kat, he was right. I was out for only 20 minutes and felt okay- just tired. I went home after I ate and walked around. My fear was far worse than it was. I was at SGF and they all helped calm me before. It really was over before I knew it. So onto the worry about eggs. I'm so glad you all are here. This process feels never ending and it really helps to cheer on other women. Kat- let us know how it goes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi Kay, welcome! I know what you mean about fear of being put under. It was my greatest fear before my lap - I'd never had surgery before. It really scared me, and I never want to to again unless I absolutely have to. I don't think it's an irrational fear at all. It's a complete lack of control and consciousness. We all LIKE being alive and awake.

The good thing about the ER is that you're only under for about 20 minutes, and the recovery is very very fast. I napped all afternoon after mine, and felt good enough to drive to acupuncture in the evening. The anesthesia has some mildly annoying side effects, like constipation. But it is not painful, just uncomfortable. You'll be bloated and a little uncomfortable for a week, then things get pretty quickly back to normal. (Well, other than progesterone side effects! More bloating! Pantyliners! Sore breasts! Blech. But those subside, too.)

Good luck with the retrieval! Let us know how it goes.

--Sue

Kay here- Thanks sue. That is exactly what it is - a lack of control. I had to have my gallblader out a couple of years ago and it was so hard on my body! I know that the anesthesia is lighter, but I still worry. My ER is tomorrow morning. I'm trying to kill time and keep myself busy until then. I can't eat past midnight, but I doubt I would be hungry anyway. Thank you for your experience. It helps.

Hi Kay, it's Kat...I understand where you are coming from. My ER next Week (hopefully) will be my first experience with anesthesia, and I'm honestly terrified at the thought of being put under. I think in my case it is absolutely a fear of the unknown and a lack of control. You certainly are not the only one with those feelings!

I hope everything went well for you today!

Sending you lots of luck today, Kay!!! Keep us posted

Hi Nureen. I'm 10 days out from my retrieval, and this is the first day I actually feel "normal." Minimal bloating, my ovaries feel like they've finally shrunk back to their regular size and I feel as though I can go for a run comfortably this afternoon, FINALLY! (Which I'm sure will be slow and plodding, but I'm never fast anyway.)

I think the hardest part between the transfer and the beta is that you have to live in this sort of flat, emotionless state of being for 10 days. You can be hopeful while you're stimming, because you have to be, you know? You have to hope for lots of eggs, you have to hope lots fertilize, you have to hope they make it to blastocysts. You have to root for your body, to give it as much strength and support as you can. And then....you have to give it all up to the fates, the universe, luck, chance, biology, God...whatever it is that makes it happen. Because there's nothing you can do after the transfer, except for take care of yourself and heal from the awful process your body just went through. Being too hopeful sets unreasonable expectations. Being too negative does nothing for you, either, except for make you feel even lousier when you're trying to heal, physically. You have to restore yourself from the discomfort in your body -- and then live in that flat, steady emotionless place for a good one-third of a whole month so that the crash isn't so bad, if that's what happens...and so that the good news, if that's what happens, really feels good. That's the hardest part, for me.

I was actually thinking this morning that if I still lived in Florida and had a pool, I'd just float in the pool as much in possible in the days after the transfer, just hanging out on a float, suspended and weightless and blank, until my fingers were all wrinkly and I had to get out and face reality for a little while.

Anonymous wrote:Nureen, good to see you again!
Fingers crossed!
--Sue

Thanks Sue! How are you feeling? I have been having cramps and feeling tired..nothing else. Gosh the wait is always hard NO matter how many times you have done IVF.

Nureen

Anonymous wrote:Hi Kay, welcome! I know what you mean about fear of being put under. It was my greatest fear before my lap - I'd never had surgery before. It really scared me, and I never want to to again unless I absolutely have to. I don't think it's an irrational fear at all. It's a complete lack of control and consciousness. We all LIKE being alive and awake.

The good thing about the ER is that you're only under for about 20 minutes, and the recovery is very very fast. I napped all afternoon after mine, and felt good enough to drive to acupuncture in the evening. The anesthesia has some mildly annoying side effects, like constipation. But it is not painful, just uncomfortable. You'll be bloated and a little uncomfortable for a week, then things get pretty quickly back to normal. (Well, other than progesterone side effects! More bloating! Pantyliners! Sore breasts! Blech. But those subside, too.)

Good luck with the retrieval! Let us know how it goes.

--Sue

Kay here- Thanks sue. That is exactly what it is - a lack of control. I had to have my gallblader out a couple of years ago and it was so hard on my body! I know that the anesthesia is lighter, but I still worry. My ER is tomorrow morning. I'm trying to kill time and keep myself busy until then. I can't eat past midnight, but I doubt I would be hungry anyway. Thank you for your experience. It helps.

Hi Kay, welcome! I know what you mean about fear of being put under. It was my greatest fear before my lap - I'd never had surgery before. It really scared me, and I never want to to again unless I absolutely have to. I don't think it's an irrational fear at all. It's a complete lack of control and consciousness. We all LIKE being alive and awake.

The good thing about the ER is that you're only under for about 20 minutes, and the recovery is very very fast. I napped all afternoon after mine, and felt good enough to drive to acupuncture in the evening. The anesthesia has some mildly annoying side effects, like constipation. But it is not painful, just uncomfortable. You'll be bloated and a little uncomfortable for a week, then things get pretty quickly back to normal. (Well, other than progesterone side effects! More bloating! Pantyliners! Sore breasts! Blech. But those subside, too.)

Good luck with the retrieval! Let us know how it goes.

--Sue

Hi All: call me Kay. I had been doing IUI but it got switched over due to over response so the last few days have been on Bravelle, menopur and cetrotide. I go in for the ER on Friday AM. I have to admit I'm really scared to be put under. I Know it's irrational. I am also worried we won't have a lot of eggs. I'm 40 and this is not a typical IVF cycle, but I'm trying to let go. I'm glad there are other women out here to 'talk' to.

Starting Gonal F tomorrow.

Nureen, good to see you again!
Fingers crossed!
--Sue

Hello Ladies,

I just wanted to wish you all good luck! I'm currently in my 2weeks. We transferred our one only embie?.. I'm excited but nervous. I'm hopping that this will work out for us. I did a fresh cycle in Dec but that ended up BFN :,( so this was our only embie that was left.


Nureen

Anonymous wrote:But we make the decisions we make with the tools and information and intuition we have at the time, and this seemed like the right decision. I was just happy to be in the position to make it, honestly.

This is such a great attitude.

Fingers and toes crossed for you that one OR two (!!) of these embryos are the very beginnings of your bigger family.