The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Conceive when its just not happening (12m+)

ginvzt

liloandstitch wrote: »

Well I have had a really good appointment at St Barts - really positive! We are booked to do a trial embryo transfer on 3rd December, along with ultrasound and sperm tests. Wow that seems really quick, they are not at all fazed by the fact that I have had a tracelectomy at all, and if the trial trfr fails, they will do a hysteroscopy and stretch the stitch! I am soooooo shocked. They really seem to know what the are doing, and are really nice and friendly. And best of all, at this stage, we havent paid anything! We transfer to private to do IVF, but all these tests are on NHS - it worked!! The only down side, and I am blocking this out as I am not bursting my bubble, is that my chances of falling pregnant naturally are low, and IVF chances are 3 - 5%! So a lot of money for a slim chance, but ............ !!!!

Lilo - I am so happy for you!!!! You sound so happy and excited, it is great! I wish you all the best and fingers crossed!

Lisawood - god luck for the next cycle, and fingers crossed it is going to work this time. It is very hard, but surely it is worth it at the end?

I had my scan yesterday, and it didn't go as I was expecting. No, my lining is ok, but they decided that my cyst was a problem. (It was there before, and I mentioned it to consultant when we saw him in September, but they never said anything). It was about 4cm in size, and it was just too big. So, I had to get back to hospital for 11am to get it drained. I was not prepared at all, it made upset and stressed. Even more so as the doctor who did the scan and the 'nurse' that was with her, where nowhere near as helpful as all the other nurses and doctors I have met in the clinic so far (and after the scan). She was quite abrupt, with "it is a problem, we have to drain it, we can do it at 11". I had to pull the answers out of her, and maybe I haven't asked anything, as I was very anxious. I was not prepared for the bleeding afterwards (had to buy pads in the WHSmith!), not prepared for pain (more psychologically). They had to do a pg test, and get some bloods as well. I managed to get out of the doctor that I can continue with the cycle if I get the cyst drained (if she said it from the beginning, i am sure it would not have caused so much distress as well).

As my scan was at 8am, I went to work (20 miles away) and came back later. The recover nurse that was taking care of me was so lovely and kind, and the doctor doing procedure as well. I wish the first woman had a drop of that kindness! Anyway, I was given the gown to change into, and they did the procedure just as they would do for egg collection (or so I was explained). It is just that it was only one cyst they were draining, and not multiple follicles. No sedation, but I was offered gas & air, which I refused. I wasn't sure how I would react to it, and I had to drive back to work afterwards, and do a days of work. I have to say it was painful! I can see why you need a sedation now if they have to do this for any longer!

I couldn't get hold of OH before the procedure, so that didn't help. He was in the lab, and couldn't have his phone with him.

Anyway, had a nice Chinese for dinner last night...

Sorry for the tale....

jujugaboo

So pleased Lilo that its all working out so quickly - fingers crossed for you.

Lisa, good luck on your 7th IVF, I hope it works this time. I don't know how you have managed to have 7 attempts at it - it is heartbreaking. I will be on my 3rd in January, so perhaps you can me a few tips to help me through it mentally. What are the immune issues that seems to be preventing it from working? (if you don't mind me asking)

Gin, sounds awful and that you have been through a lot yesterday. I can't believe they didn't sort this out before you started the treatment. Sorry you had go through all that but hopefully now its been drained you can carry on. When do you start your stim drugs?

ginvzt

jujugaboo wrote: »

Gin, sounds awful and that you have been through a lot yesterday. I can't believe they didn't sort this out before you started the treatment. Sorry you had go through all that but hopefully now its been drained you can carry on. When do you start your stim drugs?

Thanks, all is fine now. The cyst has been drained when I had laporoscopy last summer, but it came back - it showed up on the scans when I had Clomid. They never mentioned that they may need to drain it now. When the first doctor said to me we can drain it for you today, I assumed they needed to do another laporoscopy immediately, until it dawned on her to explain that it can be done with internal scan and needle attached at the end (like egg collection).

I've started Menopur last night. It is a tedious job - I have three vials (tablets) to mix in.

I have day 7 scan on Wednesday (as I over-responded to Clomid, so they need to make sure that I am not over-responding to this as well and that I am responding enough) and then day 9 scan on Friday.

QQuaver

Chickpea, glad you are not getting side effects on Clomid, except for the giggling fit:p

Gin, glad you got rid of the cyst, sorry for the distressing morning, but now you are good to go!:j

lisawood78

jujugaboo wrote: »

Lisa, good luck on your 7th IVF, I hope it works this time. I don't know how you have managed to have 7 attempts at it - it is heartbreaking. I will be on my 3rd in January, so perhaps you can me a few tips to help me through it mentally. What are the immune issues that seems to be preventing it from working? (if you don't mind me asking)

Hi.
I'm afraid I don't really have any tips to keep going, we kind of blindly struggle onwards
I try to prepare every time, saying i'll do this relaxation or listen to this or do visualisations but I never do and by the end of it I am a bit of a wreck, hmmm that can't help with progress i'm sure but what can I do?! Using forums like this one and the message board for my clinic does help,talking to others in the same boat.
I have a condition called MTHFR (google it if you wish to be bored) and low protein c levels, both of which make it very difficult to conceive. We are being treated with extended steroids and anti biotics on top of other things to treat these conditions, I also have a problem with creating enough progesterone so I have the injections of pg support along side the pessaries, lovely long needle right in the bum :eek:

Fingers crossed for us all for the coming months.

Gin that sounds terrible for you, i'm glad it's over and sorted now and that you can carry on with treatment as you were. I'd have taken the G&A though, i'm such a wimp!
For those of us who have had IVF/ICSI before, was your EC done under GA or Sedation?

ginvzt

lisawood78 wrote: »

Gin that sounds terrible for you, i'm glad it's over and sorted now and that you can carry on with treatment as you were. I'd have taken the G&A though, i'm such a wimp!
For those of us who have had IVF/ICSI before, was your EC done under GA or Sedation?

Thanks. I didn't take gas & air as I wasn't sure of my response to it (I know some people get sick, etc), and I had to drive myself right after the procedure. Better be safe... but in pain!

Our clinic uses sedation for EC, not general anaesthetics. Will see how that goes.

lisawood78

I've had both, first clinic did GA and current clinic does sedation. Lots of people say that they drifted off under sedation, but i'm afraid that wasn't the case for me. It was certainly bearable though.

QQuaver

lisawood78 wrote: »

It was certainly bearable though.

Bearable but painful?:(
How long is the procedure?
I'd prefer GA, but it's not my choice to make:o

jujugaboo

I had sedation first off and didn't feel a thing and then had GA and again was out of it. To me there wasn't any difference between the two apart from the GA takes longer to come round and the needle hurt.!

Well done Gin on starting on the stim drugs - 3 powders sounds fine. My first go I started on 2 then that went to 4. Last time I started on 4 and went up to 6. Hopefully the scan will be ok.

Lisa, I do the visualisations and relaxation CD everytime but doesn't really help me either. Sounds like you have to go thorough a lot everytime. Well done for keeping at it. Good luck.

liloandstitch

Thanks for the good wishes girls, this will be my 5th attempt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Although this will be the first when I will have had the full protocol. At this stage I dont know if I will get that far cos they have to 'check me out' before then - but at least they are considering it and looking at it seriously. I have decided though that if I cant proceed, I am going to 'retire' from TTC. I have to accept that I will have explored every avenue and my age (41) and medical history is not on my side. If it happens it happens, but will count my blessings that at least I got to have one baby, who I love more than life itself. Ha, ha, I am not that together about it, but I will have to let it go.

good luck to all, Gin that sounds horrendous! At least you can proceed but wow! Im glad you got some understanding people to do the procedure for you. Hopefully it will all be plain sailing now XXXXXX

lilo