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hi girls. well, it's 12piui and i started to spot today. i called my RE and asked him if i should stop the prometrium and he wants me to come in tomorrow morning to take the beta and than to stop if neg. Mari, i'm asking myself the same questions you are. it is soooo frustrating and not to mention, draining on the mind and body! its still too early for a HPT for you. you still have some hope! Carrie, hope you have some good news. By the way, the progesterone supplements are for precautionary measures. i also had excellent day 21 progesterone levels, the prometrium is just to support the uterus in case of pg. hope that helps you in some way. when do you go for your beta Carrie? Debbie, what cd are you in? your lining is probably too thin because you didn't have enough time. they usually trigger at 18mm. how big are your follies? 10 follies, good job! and your estradiol levels are great. will you be doing another IUI? good luck to you on this cycle and lots of happy baby thoughts. Lynn, thanks for your support as always. i'll know more tomorrow morning so i'll keep you girls posted. Mari, keep positive thoughts, it's not over until the fat witch shows up!

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Hey Everyone!! I hope I can join in on this forum. I started Follistim today. THis is my 1st time on Follistim and we are doing IUI. I took Clomid 2 months ago and had 4 mature Follicles. My PCOS is making my LH level go to high so I started on Lupron Injections now Follistim added to that. Has anyone Used Follistim for this reason. I need some encouraging words. Hope everyone is doing today!!!

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I'm at cd11. I did my first IUI today. 4 follicles above 15 mm with one dominat at 23 mm. I will do another iui tomorrow. Yesterday I took ovidrel. My lining is now 10.8 mm. Did anyone suffer from joint pain? My joint pain in the knees got better after taking ovidrel. Doctor did not seem too concern.

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Mari....I know how upsetting it is month after month doing everything in your power with no luck. Do not give up hope. I tested negative at 29 days and was positive at 35. The cheerleader in me says wait until 35 to get upset. I can relate to the frustration and know exactly what and how you girls are feeling. Please keep your head up. Helen....again, do not give up yet. I know your temps are lowering but...you never know. Helen and Mari - How many months have you been doing IUI's + follistim? Do you think maybe a month off would give you a mental and physical break from all of this. I don't know where I would be if surgery did not force me to take a break. I will say, it has been nice not to track every little thing. I think hubby was going a little crazy and so was I. Counting, calculating and all we do to get prego takes lots out of a person. Carrie...keep us posted so we can see where you are. Anna...you mentioned a little while ago you were going to start a new cycle. How is it going? Debbie...good luck and that 23 sounds promising. Hope it works for you. Edy - Welcome....we are friendly bunch of girls who welcome anyone who is struggling to conceive and needs some help. Me...One month down....one month to go until we talk about trying again. Baby Blessing to everyone!!!!!!

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hi girls, BFN!!! i had my beta test this morning. my RE suggests we move onto IVF. he says i have excellent ovarian response and E2 levels. but he would need to see the egg quality once the eggs are retrieved. i'm taking this month off to do a hysteroscopy to see the uterus, lining, ect... and then start IVF in Dec. although, i don't think i want to start in Dec. because we'll be so busy with all the holiday stuff! DH wants us to start in Jan. Lynn, i've done IUI+follistim twice now. Mari, any news yet? I bet thur. can't come soon enough for you. i'm still routing for you sweetie! Edy, welcome!!! good luck to you on this cycle. let us know how your responding to the meds. what dosage of follistim are you on? Debbie, good job on your follies and your lining is great. how did your IUI go? any pain? wow, this whole process was pretty quick for you. you have a great chance this month and wishing you alot of patience on your 2ww! Lynn, looks like i'll be a cheerleader with you this month. thanks for sticking around all this time. Anna, when do you go in for your u/s? keep us posted on your progress. well girls, i'm depressed so i'm going to enjoy a nice glass of wine (something i've been wanting for months now!!)

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Welcome Debbie and Edy - You'll love this site and this group of women. They've all been great. It's nice to be chat with other women who are going through the same thing. Mari - I agree with Lynn, don't give up hope. Helen-Sorry about your BFN. We're in the same boat as you and your DH and will be starting in January. BCP at the end of December, than stim's in January. I had my hysteroscopy on Monday and it really wasn't all that bad. Just uncomfortable. It was weird seeing the inside my uterus on the television screen. Are you starting on bcp in December? Lynn - You're right, it will be nice to take a break, especially over the holidays. The time usually flies by so quickly so it'll be January before you know it. Hope I didn't forget anyone. Lots of baby dust to everyone.

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hi girls, welcome Edy - hope all goes well for u this cycle. thank you girls for your suppport. Helen - my re said the same thing on my last cycle about ivf, but i have to wait until feb. because of insurance issues. in the mean time he said i could still try iui (if there were no cysts from the previous cycle) because u never no one of them might work. I am going to ask them about a hysteroscopy i havent had that done and maybe that will give me some answers. do they give u the results the same day? Okiejpb - what did they say about your hysteroscopy? and how is it done? Lynn - I have done a total of 5 iui's 2 with repronex and 3 with follistim. and i took last month off because i had 2 cysts. so it depends what happens when i see my re, and i agree with u, we all need a break to relax emotionally and physicaly. Anna - how is your cycle going? Debbie - looks good for u, lots of baby dust your way. I'll know more tomorrow after i go in for my beta test.

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Mari-It's almost like having a pap smear...they use something like lidocaine (may even be lidocaine) to numb your cervix, insert the speculum, then insert a tube with a light at the end. They also inject some saline very slowly, although I heard that some offices use some kind of gas. This is used to expand your uterus so they can take a better look at it. I'm still spotting and cramping from it, but nothing too bad. It was performed in their office, so I could see it on the screen while they were doing it. Nothing was found in terms of polyps, cysts, anything unusual. I also saw the two openings of my fallopian tubes. They also did a trial transfer which is just like an iui, except there's nothing that they're injecting. The RE had a difficult time with my last iui, that he wanted to do a trial transfer so that there would be no surpises during the egg transfer. Apparently they take measurements. The other RE was also present as both needed to be familiar with my anatomy since we don't know which one will do the actual ET.

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Hi everyone! I'm new to this type of chat, but definitely could use the support of others who are going through the same thing. I am 30 and this is my history in a nutshell: ectopic 6/03 (used methotrexate); tried naturally from 11/03-6/04 (2 "chemical pregnancies" which are BFP, but no actual clinical PG); hsg in 7/04 that showed blocked right tube; time off from then until 12/04 due to + pap and LEAP procedure (I am a GYN nightmare!); clomid (50mg) from 1/05-3/05 with gyn; started seeing RE in 3/05 and now, after 3 failed IUI's with clomid then femara (due to thin lining) I am to start follistim with IUI for next cycle (cd25 now). My RE assures me that this will thicken my lining, which femara was unable to do. It's all so much to handle! The good news is that IUI and meds are covered by my insurance! I also just signed up for Horizon HMO (NJ) for next year because they are covering IVF and assoc. procedures/meds with a lifetime max of up to 4 egg retrievals! Hopefully follistim and IUI will get us PG, but it doesn't hurt to prep for the future! Let's all stay positive and help each other!

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Hey Everyone! Thanks for being so supportive. Helen-sorry about you BFN. I hope everything goes well with IVF. My RE has me taking 75iu of Follistim because I stimulated so well on Clomid. I have so many Follicles b/c of PCOS that they said they would need to be very careful when using Follistim. I pray this works. I know it is doing something. I am already having twinges in my right ovary and I am only on Day 2 of Follistim. I did feel this with the Clomid too but I know Follistim works faster. I had a dream last night that I had 20 mature Follicles, that would be great for IVF but not for IUI. Did anyone else feel twinges this early while on Follistim?

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Completed 2nd IUI today. I had a pinching feeling when the syringe went in, but not much comfort. Now is the wait. I go in for a blood test on Nov. 9th if my flow does not start. RE did an ultrasound and noticed that one of the follicles on the left side did ovulate, and one more on the right side has grown to 20 mm which she thinks will ovulate. Now its the wait. I really don't feel like going through this again, so I pray that I don't have to. God Bless to you all that have gone through this (follistim treatment) more than one and I wish you the best.

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welcome Erin!!! hi girls...Okiejpb, good to hear from you again. how are you doing? thanks for the info about hysteroscopy. i'll schedule mine once AF is done. it sounds a bit painful though. would you say it feels like Hsg? I'll know more about the IVF procedure once i go in for the hysteroscopy. Mari, good luck to you tomorrow sweetie!!! i'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you and hoping for a BFP!!!! Carrie, did you go in for your beta yet? i'm thinking of you too. Debbie, i'm so happy for you and hope this time is the charm. Edy, i did have twinges a couple of days into follistim. i also had 75iu for the first 2 days and than 50, than 25. if your RE keeps you on low dosage, you'll be fine. hopefully you'll be able to produce 4-5 good follicles. Erin, you've been through too much...i'm hoping that follistim will be your answer. it does help with the lining. and that's great that you'll be able to have insurance for all the procedures. let us know once you start so we can all support you. hey, i went in today for acupuncture. my sis-in-law went to this acupuncturist and got pg after trying for over 5 yrs. i figured since i won't start IVF for a couple of months, this couldn't hurt. i go 3x's a wk until O and than wait the 2wks. i'll let you girls know how it goes. don't really believe in this but what have i got to lose right? Lynn, Anna, how are you girls? sorry so long, i just wanted to make sure i got everyone in. to all that are trying or waiting, happy happy baby thoughts!!!

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Thanks Helen, the words of encouragement help! I will keep you posted as I start my next cycle. Good luck with the acupuncture. I, like you, don't have too much belief in alternative practices like that (being a nurse I am very medicine focused), but I have heard of a lot of peole who have had success. Couldn't hurt! My husband has recently talked me into trying yoga and exercise more and I do feel better. Helps with the periods of depression that I'm sure we all have.

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Hello Girls, Welcome Erin nice to have u with us, my dh also has me exercising and it has helped. good luck with your cycle. Well girls af came with a bang last night, so i didn't even bother going to the dr this morning. Just called in to make my next appt. to see what will happen. They did tell me they would probably put me on menopour (think i spelled it wrong) does anyone have info on this medication. Helen - i think its great your trying the acupuncture i was looking into it once but i just don't have the time my sister-in- law swears by it. i'm so exited for u hope all goes well. Okiejpb - thanks for the info i'm going to talk to my dr about it. Debbie - everything looks good and i like that they did an u/s on the day of iui, they don't do that with me. i'm thinking about getting a second opinion guys i just think they are not doing everything they can, i have to ask them about everything i don't get the same info (and things done) that u guys get. i have to do all my research through the internet and this forum. Anna,Lynn,Carrie-How is everything? good luck and baby dust to all trying this month and positive thoughts and patience to those waiting for their next cycle.

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Well, AF came today.. I'm really bummed and upset. I called the Dr. and I go in for a sono tomorrow morning (they are checking to make sure I don't have any cysts), then on to another round. The nurse at the office seemed upset too. She said I had a great cycle, etc, and blah blah..I will see what the Dr. says tomorrow and if she is going to change anything for this cycle or keep it the same. DH and I have been talking all day and I think we have come to the conclusion that we will try 3 times with follistim and then probably just give up. It is just to difficult to go through this every month emotional and now financially..our insurance covers NOTHING!!! We have already been battling over a year and frankly I'm just worn out. Sorry to be such a downer. I hope you guys have better luck this cycle.

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Girls....I am so sorry most of you had AF visit. I know I am only a cheerleader right now but please keep your heads up. I have walked in your shoes and at 37 I felt so depressed I could not have a child with my hubby. I think Anna might agree and so would others who know have to wait a month or so to begin IVF, taking a break is not the worst thing. I almost cried when my doctor told me at my post op appointment I was going to have to wait until Dec. or Jan. to heal after my surgery. I pleaded that he let me begin because I was not getting any younger. Now that I have a month under my belt, I can say it has helped with my piece of mind. Think about taking a month off Carrie before you give up totally. I am sorry to get on a soap box but I have come to like each one of you and think you are caring and deserve to have a little person in your house. We are not giving up yet...just a little set back. Welsome to anyone who has joined us recently. These girls are GREAT!!!!!! Mari...only you know what to do about a 2nd opinion. When I was getting the run around and it finally ending in a tubal pregnancy, that was my final straw. Good thing there were more than 1 doctor in the practice and I just changed to the one I saw who seemed to fit my personality better. I wish I would have thought of doing it sooner but was afraid to hurt someones feelings. However, old doctor did not seemed worried about me so...I changed. I have asked many questions of what you all have gone through adn how I have not had some of the procedures. My doctor told me everyone is schooled a little different so that leads to different procedures. Keppe that in mind. Okay..long wnough..Sorry...happy baby thoughts!!!!!

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