attn:innocence lost

[wloublue]

How cool that you are going right before me! Good luck.

How long will you be on BCP? A whole cycle, or just until it is time to start stims?

After years of waiting I don't think I can stand much more.

Please keep me posted on all your details. ;D

Maybe we'll make it to PAL after all.

[innocencelost]

Hi Buddy, hi buddy, hi budddddddyyyy........... LOL

I don't know what the protocol is with the BCP. All the RE said is, "call me when you want to cycle and we'll start the BCP."

I have an IVF class on 3/20 so maybe I'll learn more there, LOL. AF should show on 3/3 so I'll be almost done with the BCP if I take them all cycle. We tried REAAAAAAAAALLY hard to avoid the need for IVF this month. I had to reschedule DH's S/a twice because I was waiting for the + OPK. I told the nurse if rescheduling it could save us thousands of dollars, I'd do it. I got the donation instead of the cup, hee hee.

[wloublue]

It silly, but I keep hoping too that we will be one of those annoying statistics. You know the story: "I know this couple who tired everything and as soon as they decided to adopt/IVF/relaxed they got preggo!"

We scheduled our consult and IVF education on the same day. We will be driving two hours to get to the clinic, so had to be very efficient.

It stinks that you have to wait so long for the IVF class.

[wloublue]

Any updates sweetie? I guess you go for your class Tues, right? Have you been on BCPs? Hopefully that means you can get started right away after the class.

I expect to start AF in the next day or two, then I will start the BCPs for two weeks.

Are you getting excited yet?

Gotta admit, I'm still dissappointed that this is the only way and am actually trying harder to prepare myself for it not working. It's been so long (almost four years), it is hard to believe anything will work and after all this time, we are getting very close to being done with TTC, one way or the other.

[innocencelost]

Hi, thanks for thinking of me! Actually the squeaky wheel got the grease and I got in on a cancellation a couple weeks ago!!!!

I will be on BCP until 3/24. but 3/21-3/24 I'll be on both BCP and start the lupron injections.

I am getting nervous because I was checking out the IVF stats from a clinic in Chicago about antral follicle counts (your first u/s on CD3 is to gauge how many follies you might have to develop if stimmed). I had a total of 6. Any less than 7 you have about a 15% risk of your cycle being cancelled because there won't be enough to retrieve/grow from meds. I remember having those u/s done by my old idiot RE and I had 12+ follies, so all that unneccessary treatment was definitely deleterious. I can't afford to get upset about it right now, but when the time comes, I will go after him.

We are going to a meeting about adopting from foster care (a "swift" adoption program?!) on 4/7. We had always talked about adopting from foster care, but after a few conversations with people and lurking on many message boards, I think we'd just be setting ourselves up for more heartache because of the intrinsic flaws on the foster care system. We're still going to go though.

[wloublue]

I hope this time the stats are wrong and you see more follies at your next u/s. Maybe if you look at it as having a 75% chance of having plenty of follies.

I'm on CD1 now, and will go Wed for my CD3 scan.

Good luck, sweetie ;D

[innocencelost]

Wishing the u/s was wrong isn't going to change a scientific reality. You don't develop more follicles after the CD3 count. If you have follies that will be stimulated, they will hopefully grow from that initial count. I remember this from my Repronex cycles.

I have a legitimate concern if you check the link below =0\.
I pulled this directly from one of the links off www.advancedfertility.com

4-7 antral follicles:
Low count, we are concerned about a possible/probable poor response to the stimulation drugs.
Likely to need high doses of FSH product to stimulate ovaries adequately.
Higher than average rate of IVF cycle cancellation.
Lower than average pregnancy rates for those cases that make it to egg retrieval. The reduction in success rates is more pronounced beyond age 35.

Never mind that ICSI is harder on eggs than traditional fertilization process.

[wloublue]

I did not mean to minimize your concerns or come across as condescending:-[ I'm sorry if it seemed that way. You are right, wishing something away does not generally have much affect or we wouldn't be here now

I did not realize that the follies the u/s revealed on CD 3 were the limit of what it was possible to develop during that cycle.

Hoping for all the best for you.

[wloublue]

Hey, wondering how this cycle is looking for you? Any updates?

We are not going to be able to do this for the time being, but not giving up yet.

[innocencelost]

I'm sorry your cycle was put on hold. I have been on Lupron since 3/22 ("medical menopause"). They told me I might have a period but so far I haven't. Within the last 2 days I have just developed hellaaaaaaacious cramps.

I have a suppression check on 4/4 (I'm guessing to see if those 6 antrals were suppressed) to see if there's anything there to stim. I'm hoping if we're to cancellation, it'll happen before we sink any more money into it. I'd rather quit and try again with DE, but I haven't talked to RE about that.

It's been a rough couple of weeks. Our kitty had an "abcess" removed in early February that was the size of 1/2 an apricot. It regrew nearly that big in less than 2 months. Turns out it was CANCER. He's been in a groin to armpit bandage for nearly a week. I'm scared to see the 8+" fillet scar on his back. He is about 8 and the youngest of our pets. Our Chihua-what is about 11 and our Chihuahua is between 17 and 19. We lost our 3rd Chihuahua 4/8/06, but that was an easy choice. Gizmo was the first pet I lost as an adult. My dad always made those horrid one way vet trips. He had a chronic infection in his eyesocket (lost eye to a car before I rescued him) that spread to his central nervous system. We woke up and found him paralyzed so it was a no-brainer to get him eternal relief as quickly as possible. With Midnight, he MIGHT get another growth or he MIGHT not. We just have to wait and monitor any lumps we might find. He on the other hand, has no concept of his mortality. He knows he acts like I've put Tabasco on his tongue when I give him his antibiotics.

My maternal Gpa passed away 3/25. He was a month shy of 94 and his body was failing. He wanted to go see Jesus so we're not too sad, but death always brings out the uglies in families and due to drama and backbiting (and the fact I get a shot every morning @ 9:00), I opted not to go to the funeral (it was in Boise, ID and a ticket would've been over $500.). I am sad for my mom to have to be around people who put the FUN in dysFUNctional. (They flew from CA to ID and had to stay past Easter due to spring break.)

DH has been on a male fertility blend for a couple of weeks. I am hoping it might improve his counts, or at least not make his abnormalities worse. I just don't feel like BD most of the time because it causes bacterial vaginosis most of the time. That lack of release isn't good for his counts either.

That's basically it in a nutshell. I am jonesing for some pain killers due to the cramps and the fact that DH and I went to a Ren Faire yesterday and I am so sore from all that walking I can hardly MOVE. (I'd gone to the OKC Zoo with a new friend and her daughter the day before too!!!)

[wloublue]

Wow, sounds like you have a lot on your plate.

Sorry to hear about your Grandpa and the resulting family drama. I guess it is not so hard when the person is ready to go, but it still hurts.

It is hard too, about your cat. We've had to make those hard choices too. It is a blessing that we can put the poor things out of their misery, but it is hard to do. I hope he pulls through.

Hope you get good news in a few days, or, if not, are able to regroup and move on to plan "B".

I hear you on the catch 22 of not wanting to bd (or being able to) and yet needing to to keep counts up.

Hang in there sweetie. I'll be thinking of you, FWIW.