IVF Cycle – Freeze all

Fertility update time… update is… still having fertility issues.

We have done a freeze all cycle where I was on 300 Gonal F all the way up until trigger, with Orgalutran and then an Ovidrel and something else (Lucrin I think) trigger.

We got 11 eggs which I was stoked with. Honestly for some completely unknown reason that has always been my hope number so I was super pleased – and quite uncomfortable for a couple of days. My body had down in one month what would normally take 11 months. So YAY! But OUCH!

So 7 successfully fertilised, they said 10 were mature which is super suprising – everything must have just lined up really well this cycle. They also said they injected which was funny because we had never talked with them about doing ISCI, but it was already done so… what are you gonna do amiright?! Day 3 all 7 were still going, 6 were right on target and one was one cell behind (colour me shocked because those results are super incredible). Day 5 they rang and said only 2 could be tested and frozen, I was suprised and sad because of how well the others had been doing (and because I was still full of ALL the hormones). They said that they could take the rest to day 6 and call me then.

Day 6 they called and 2 more of them stepped up to the plate!!! So a total of 4 have been PGS tested and frozen.

4 lil frosties 🙂

Initially they told us that because we are young and there is no history of any chromosomal issues on either side as far back as we can track that there was not really a need for PGS. We decided we wanted it anyway because we want to make sure we are only transferring embryos with the highest chance of survival, when we transferred one that was not tested and received a BFN the first thing the nurse said was, “well the embryo wasn’t tested so you just don’t know if there were abnormalities”. I wan’t to completely eliminate the chance of that so that it is one less if, but or maybe that we have to deal with 🙂

We were hoping to go straight into another cycle so we could get some banked up, but funds are seriously restricting that at the moment and I get the impression that my husband wants a break from it over Christmas.

We have a specialist appointment on the 19 December and we get the results then. Disapointed that I have to pay another $200+ in order to be told how many made it through testing. Feels like a waste! I don’t even get to see my actual specialist as she is on holidays, I get a fill in. Kind of frustrated by that.

Fingers crossed that the majority of them come back good. Hoping, hoping, hoping, hoping!!!! Come on lil frosty babes!!!

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Trigger time

I went back for more bloods and an ultrasound yesterday. Had some follicles in the 18mm range and a bunch around 14, 15 and 16. Lefty was an over achiever with 14 follicles.

Low and behold I get a phone call telling me that I need to stay up until 1am Thursday morning and trigger for harvesting on Friday.

It’s now Thursday night and I can’t stop thinking about the fact that tomorrow hopefully we are creating an embryo. With any luck in 5 days we will have a couple of frosties that I will one day give birth to.

That is an amazing concept to me. I tried to explain this to Hubby, but he didn’t really get it. His response was pretty much that it was all science. Sigh… men.

Whilst I am very excited I am a bit apprehensive about the procedure and also scared that they will not get enough eggs, or something will be wrong with them, or the fertilised ones won’t make it to day 5 and be good enough.

So much to be worried about and basically none of it is in my control.

If you have time to spare a thought for me tomorrow I would truly appreciate it.

We are starting IVF

Well it has taken over 4 years, but we are finally starting the IVF process. Last Tuesday morning I had the blood tests. They called me Tuesday afternoon and said that if I could get there to pick up my meds then I could start that same night. So I have been having injections ever since, I am on Gonal F 225 per day.

I was really worried about the injections basically because I do not enjoy needles, but thanks to a tip I picked up from My Brain’s Escape I have iced the area each night and have pretty much not felt the needles at all which is awesome.

The second blood test was on Friday and they said my levels all looked good and asked me to go in for an ultrasound and blood tests this morning. So I pack myself off before 7am this morning and get my ultrasound, apparently my specialists office did not make an appointment for me, but luckily they could fit me in. There was another lady from my doctors there and she hadn’t booked her in either. We got to talking and she mentioned that this is her 3rd attempt at IVF, I felt awful for her and wished her good luck. Then prayed that we would not have to do so many attempts.

I know that previously when we have been trying other things I have tried not to get my hopes up too high, but let’s face it, IVF was our hail Mary pass so I am hoping away 🙂

I’ll have to wait I think to get final numbers from the nurses this afternoon, from memory my lining was 5-7mm (on day 7 of cycle), I had 10 follicles producing on the right ovary largest of which was 16, there were a couple of 13’s and some 11’s, 10’s and a 9, I had 11 follicles producing on the left ovary, again the biggest was 16 and there were some 14’s and 13’s as well as some 11’s and 10’s. I guess it is early days, but are those numbers good? From memory of what I have read of others posts I think they are okay numbers. The tech wasn’t overly talky so I am kind of in the dark.

Fingers crossed everything is looking awesome. So nervous man I feel like I am going for a job interview every time I go in.

I think I am getting some weird side effects from this stuff too; I pretty much always have a low grade headache which has shortened my patience. T thinks it’s funny because he thinks my swearing is hilarious, if I swear when I get really frustrated some really random stuff comes out. His favourites so far include; ‘monkey ball hair’, ‘koala’s armpit’ and ‘vagina cakes’… I don’t know where this stuff comes from.

I also feel like I am coming down with something, but I have felt this way since the 3 day of needles, I am so very tired most of the time, sometimes nauseous, but mostly ravenous, I also get hold and cold flushes.

Would love to hear any advice on whether those are good numbers and also what (if any) side effects you got.