More than 20 follicles......
44 Replies
isa - April 29

Hey Galina, so sorry af showed up. I allow myself a 24 hour pity party where I can eat/drink and cry as much as I want and then I clean myself up and try and get on with my next cycle. It actually seems to be very beneficial to me and dh has no probs with me doing it. He usually holds my head on his lap or shoulder when I find out again I'm not pg and it lasts about 1/2 hour then I just cry off and on during the day as need be. I am living in the burbs about 1/2 hour from Toronto. I've never been to LA but would much prefer it's weather to ours. I have some health issues that don't jive well with our weather here (humidity, rainy and cold) so I would like something warm all year round and that is why I love the Carribean & places south so much. Will you switch to an RE that takes your insurance? Here in Ontario if you have double blocked tubes the gov't will pay for your ivf for 3 tries but not for anyone else. Nice eh?The fertility association of Canada is trying to fight the gov't and get them to cover it for everyone saying it is not fair to only cover people with double blocked tubes so it would be really nice if it went through but it wont be fast enough for me to get it paid for. Unfortunately I'm fighting the age factor and every month counts. I go for my u/s, b/w on monday for cd10 and see if how my egg is doing (assuming I only have one b/c I chose not to do meds this cycle) and they will monitor me until my lh surges and tell us when to bd. It's a long shot but we will try this month and when we are in Tuscany and hope for the best. If maybe I could relax a bit while I am away it would do my body a world of good. I have gained so much weight from the meds and a bloated belly which makes me look 3 -4 months pregnant -but well worth it if in the long run I get a healthy bundle of joy to swaddle :)

 

Galina - April 30

Hi Isa, I just read your post and am actually impressed that Canada covers some part of ivf, even if it is for both blocked tubes. USA would never do that; they don't even cover basic healthcare for the individual. Anyways, politics aside, do you do any monitoring yourself? For example, do you chart your temps or check for LH surge by OPK's? I think Italy will do you and dh a world of good. Relaxation is an amazing thing, especially when you are going through all of the emotioanl turmoil w/ttc.Tuscany is amazing. The food is UNBELIEVABLE!! We were in Chianti when we went. Oh, you are so lucky!!! I just had a "flashback" when I was in Toronto and walking around Bloor & Young. Also, I loved this marketplace called Le Marche, where you can go in and go to different stations with all different kinds of food, pay and then go sit in the patio area and there is always some European music playing in the backgound. I also remember the waterfront and the museums. I was there in Jan & Feb. of 2002 and froze my ass off. My parents also have their best friends from highschool who now live in the suburbs of Toronto. Do you speak any French? Sorry for rambling, I can't fall asleep.....

 

isa - April 30

Hey Galina, I know of Le Marche, they have them in Ottawa too and I ate there when we were there a few years ago. I did opks before they started monitoring me (and will when I am away) and I did bbt for about 13 months and decided that I didnt need to anymore with being monitored. (and it drove dh crazy as the beeping always wakes him up.) I may or may not do it when I am away. I think I may just wing it while we are away, I'll go by when I usually "O" start bd every other night from day 10 or 11, and check cm and cp and go from there. I want to relax as much as possible and not have the extra stress of having to remember to temp when I wake up etc.Last year when I was in Europe my temping was so erradic due to time change and forgetting and different sleep patterns etc. I'm going to play it by ear this time. The govt insurance that I told you about is only for Ontario not Canada. Quebec you get up to $3500 or so on your taxes as a write off for any fertility stuff and Newfoundland just apparently passed covering ivf about 2 weeks ago so its all depending on where you live. I'm starting to think I may now be getting a slow thyroid. I was reading another thread and they were talking about levels and my last two months were 2.83 and 4 point something and it was saying tsh should be below 2.5. So I googled it and sure enough thats what I found so I am going to question the nurse after my u/s,b/w tomorrow and see what they say. So this has added yet another reason I'm not too sure about going to ivf. My estrogen is hight (cd 3 this month 209.9 and last month it was also on cd2 over 200) and now my tsh. Ugh what's going on ....ok now I've rambled enough. I do speak some french and so does dh but I dont really have much chance to use it so I forget a lot of it.

 

Galina - May 1

Hi Isa, I would definately get your tsh checked once more. Get everything in order before ivf. If my IUI won't work this time, I plan to get a laparoscopy before I go in for ivf to make sure all is ok. I got my AF yesterday and I am going in to see the RE tomorrow morning. I'll keep you posted. When are you leaving for Italy?

 

isa - May 2

Hey Galina. I dont leave for a couple weeks. I asked about my tsh and apparently usa standard and canadian standards are different. Over 5 on my REs machine is high. Well, I"m 4.9 so to me it is right there. I didnt have a chance for them to pull up my other numbers as I had to run to another appt today so on Wed when I go for my cd12 u/s, b/w I will get them to check the other tsh's. I have 2 follies, 10mm & 11mm. I figure one will stop growing soon since I am not on meds but you never know. My lining unfortunately is only at a 5.7 so if its not much better by Wed I will ask if they will give me estrogen pills again. When I did clomid I had to take it both months due to thin lining. I hope you don't knee ivf and that this cycle your iui works. Do you do 2 or just one? I always did 2 days in a row but no luck.

 

Galina - May 2

Hi Isa, I hope that on your next appt your dr will look into the tsh issue. If for some reason there is anissue, it is very easy to resolve, so don't worry too much. I hope both of your follies grow and make it to "O" day!! I went to the RE's today and I am relieved that my cysts are gone. I am starting on Follistim 75iu tonight. He lowered the dose substantially and I hope that will prevent any over-stim. On my 1st IUI, I did 1, then on my 2nd IUI we did 2, however, no luck. I'll see what the RE says closer to the end of this cycle. I hope all is ok with you....What do you do for a living?

 

isa - May 3

Hey Galina. Follistim I've been told is the same as Puregon (American name vs Canadian name) and that is one of the drugs I will be on if I do the ivf starting cd3. I will be on 4 viles (300 tostart) and with the monitoring he will lower as needed. I was on hmg which is a generic brand of lh and fsh and not as pure as the puregon so he knows how I will respond and I when I was on the 4 viles starting last time I too ended up hyperstimming but had 15-18 eggs (without trying). He said since it is more pure form and only fsh (I think this is what he said) I will not react quite as badly with my estrogen (it was so high that is why I hyperstimed). I am actually not working right now due to some health issues (long story). Hoping my lining and E2 show better in my u/s, b/w tomorrow. This cycle is not working out well at all.

 

Galina - May 3

Isa, I am sorry, you sound really down. I really hope your appt tomorrow and all the tests come out good. Please let me know. Good luck.

 

isa - May 3

Hey Galina, looks like one of the 2 follies stopped growing at 11mm. Thats ok on no meds I imagined I'd lose one. The other is at 13mm (I'm cd 12 so its really going slow this month). Lining up to 6.6 and E2 was at 878. My lh is only 5.9 so it will still be abit before my surge (but thats ok it gives the egg more time to grow to hopefully a nice size). I'm doin ok. Back in on Friday for more monitoring and the ivf orientation.

 

Galina - May 3

Hi Isa, according to your follie size & #'s, you will probaly O in about 5 days. Are you going to do IUI or just natural? Do you use PreSeed? How much will ivf cost you out of pocket, incl. the drugs? Here, it is about $10,500. I just read on a different thread that a lady got pg with triplets from her 2nd IUI! Amazing!!!!

 

Galina - May 3

By the way, Isa, do you know what your FSH level is?

 

isa - May 4

Hey Galina, I do use preseed (l love it - I hate the cost ) but I am dry so we need it. We are skipping IUI this month and doing natural this month and next while we are away and if no luck probably due ivf in July. My ivf will cost me about $11,000 Canadian plus the cost of Doxyclcyline, Estrace and Prometrium 300 (These 3 come from a regular pharmacy and I dont have the cost for them). Our ins. only covers 80% of meds and nothing else. Wow triplets on an iui -geez I can produce the follies, we just dont get past that part. My fsh level was around 12.36 a few months back but last month it was 8.04 and this month 9.15. How is your fsh? My nurse said there is a sheet at the REs office about new info on fsh levels and she is trying to find it so I can read it. Apparently some news about fsh not being so important as the docs have made it out to be in the past or something. She said it was a lot of medical jargon but I'd be able to understand most of it. I hope she found it by my appt tomororw . I'll go in again for u/s, b/w again. This is a really slow cycle. If I'd been on meds I'd be probably triggering by now and having iui next 2 days. I'm already cd13 today and if I dont ovulate for 4 days more its a long cycle. I just hope it works that I can get a pg beta before I leave so I dont have to buy a bunch and worry while I am away. Whats your plans now for this month?

 

Galina - May 4

Isa, I amglad to hear your FSH is at a good level, especially for being over 40!! Actually, the level is GREAT!! In July '05, my FSH was 6.5 and in Jan. '06 it was 7. I haven't had it tested since then. I started my Follistim shots and am going for another u/s on Sat. I think if all goes well, I should do the IUI at the end of next week. I am like you...I have the eggs, but they just don't fertilize for some reason. However, now you have a plan in your mind with IVF in July and if anything, let that be what gives you a sense of peace and hope that IT WILL HAPPEN. As far as you O'ing this month, I bet the reason it is taking longer is becasue you are so stressed out. That can really change O days. I am using PreSeed because I heard that it is supposed to "help" the sperm move faster into the uterus. Have you heard of that?

 

isa - May 5

Hi Galina, about the preseed I have heard so many stories on preseed I dont know what to believe. I do hope it is sperm friendly as they advertise because I coudnt go without it during ovualation time if I want to bd. Wow you're fsh level is fantastic. Mine is checked with my cd3 b/w each month. I never knew to write them down for the first bunch of months when I started with the clinic its just something I have learned about and started doing a few months back.Well big orientation for ivf tomorrow so I'll let you know if we make any decisions this weekend about it. You are right I am very stressed right now about baby stuff and family stuff but I think the real reason is lack of meds that my ovaries must be so used to by now. I am actually really glad I decided to take this and next month off to try and relax esp. if we do ivf because you cant be stressed when doing that.

 

Galina - May 7

Isa, how are you doing? How was the orientation? I hope everything is well with you.

 

isa - May 7

Hey Galina its been an interesting info session. Good success rate for over 40 for 2005 (52% at my clinic) so its good odds but since I cant start until July's cd21 dh said we have lots of time to decide. Our biggest factor is deciding if we want to spend the money on it for an unknown. It would be our savings, my car fund etc etc. I'm feeling less stressed than before the meeting though. How you doin? If you have any questions on what I might have learned go ahead and ask me.

 

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