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Shah's Story
2008/09 I wanted to share our IVF journey
with you all as I never found anything which detailed
the entire journey. I am 36 years old and my wife is
35. We had been trying naturally for a baby for over
a year and nothing happened. So we decided not to wait
as her biological clock was ticking and we also were
keen to start a family soon.
2008 =
Oct 22nd - We had our initial consultation where they
took our medical histories, asked both of us to get
blood tests done. My wife had to go through an array
of tests, while I had to be tested for HIV and Hepatitis.
The also asked me to provide a semen
sample. They tested this and told me that there
were no issues with low counts or motility. It would
be fine for IUI or
IVF and again
dependent on the day but all looked fine.
30th Oct - my wife had to go for further tests during
her cycle so that they could test FSH, LH, Estradiol,
Prolactin, Thyroid Hormone, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
- first day of full flow.
5th November - my wife had her HSG
test. This was a pretty expensive test (£550)
and my wife found this quite painful. They liken it
to a smear test but my wife said it was much worse.
The results were clear and we knew that there were no
blocked tubes.
11th November - My wife had a progesterone test. Result
was fine.
12th November - My wife had a scan and an Estrogen
Mid cycle test. Later she also went for a smear test.
The clinic required this before they proceeded with
any treatment. Might be wise to get this done before
you begin anything.
| 14th November - We were given a choice of
either going for IUI or IVF and as our condition
was unexplained as in there was nothing obviously
wrong with either of us we went through the pros
and cons of both. With IVF we though the treatment
is pretty intense, with IUI they would have given
her some fertility drugs to increase the chance
of conceiving - but this could lead to a multiple
pregnancy. The success rates for IVF at our clinic
were much higher (63% IVF vs 30% for IUI) we thought
lets go for the IVF.
15th November - We went to the clinic and they
gave her a suprecor nasal spray to be taken three
times a day. This was to down regulate her body
so that she would stop producing any folicles
and once her oestrodial levels were deemed low
enough they would begin the next phase of the
treatment. The spray can apparently cause headaches
and tiredness but my wife was a true soldier and
managed without getting the side effects.
16th - 24th November - continued with the nasal
spray.
25th November - her period began. continued with
the nasal spray.
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26th-27th continued with the nasal spray.
28th November - scan and blood test. The scan revealed
what the doctors believed was a folicle (later turned
out to be a cyst) and they ask her to continue with
the nasal spray and asked her to take a pregnyl injection
the next day (this basically releases the egg in the
folicle). They also asked her to take another medication
which triggers the next period.
29th November - Injection taken and started tablets
to induce the period. continued with the nasal spray.
30th November - 3rd December continued with the nasal
spray and table to induce period.
4th - 10th December continued with the nasal spray.
11th Dec Blood test to see if estrodial levels had
fallen. They hadn't so they increased the spray dose
from 3 sprays to 4 sprays a day.
13th Dec Scan to see if the cyst noticed on 28th November
had now gone. But it hadn't continued with the spray.
14th Dec - Day care under general anaesthetic they
aspirated the cyst. There were three other ladies who
had the same procedure done that morning. I think it
is a common side effect of taking the spray. While the
cyst is there the estrodial levels will never fall sufficiently.
15th December - blood test and scan. To ensure the
cyst was not regrowing and blood test to see if estrodial
levels had subsided.
16th December - further blood test and scan. They saw
three small folicles growing and we though she would
again be induced to have another period so the treatment
would be further delayed by another 10 days or so. But
luckily they said that she was ready for her down regulation
to end and the stimulation phase to begin the next day
as her estrodial levels had completely dropped.
17th - 25th December - Daily blood tests and scans
to see how many folicles were developing and how mature
they were getting. The medication they gave her on a
daily basis was a mixture of Fostimon or Merional injections
and every day based on the results they would advise
how much of the which or both to take, the injections
were adminstered by me and they need to be taken at
the same time every evening. They are quite expensive
so they give you enough to last you a couple of days
only as each person will require a different stimulation
period. 10-14 days is the norm but in my wife's case
it was only 9 days. Drink 2-3 litres of water and 1litre
of Milk a day to avoid hyperstimulation.
26th December morning blood test and scan revealed
her 8 or 9 folicles were mature enough to be triggered
into releasing the eggs. My wife complained that with
that many large foliciles inside her she felt a bit
sore. The main doctor did a second scan and confirmed
that she could receive the trigger injections. Which
had to be taken at 8pm that night. So that 36 hours
later they would collect the eggs.Drink 2-3 litres of
water and 1litre of Milk a day to avoid hyperstimulation
27th December - no medication just rest. Drink 2-3
litres of water and 1litre of Milk a day to avoid hyperstimulation.
28th Dec - Egg collection under general anaesthetic.
Before we left to go home my wife was giving some progestorone
supplements (pessary) called cyclogest. These needed
to be taken once a day. They had collected 11 eggs some
were a little small but most were good. I provided the
semen which they then washed in their solutions and
applied to the eggs. (they check the concentration and
motility to ensure it is suitable for IVF. It was but
as they believe that there were only 8 realistic eggs
that would fertilise they suggested doing 6 by IVF and
5 with ICSI to maximise the number of embryos we ended
with. (ICSI adds another £1500). Drink 2-3 litres
of water and 1litre of Milk a day to avoid hyperstimulation
29th December we were called and advised that 8 had
fertilised and there were chances that 9th would as
well.Drink 2-3 litres of water and 1litre of Milk a
day to avoid hyperstimulation. Continue with the cyclogest
pessary.
30th December - the fertilised eggs were growing nicely
some faster than others.Drink 2-3 litres of water a
day to avoid hyperstimulation.Continue with the cyclogest
pessary.
31st December the fertilised eggs were growing nicely
some faster than others. Our clinic does either a Day
2, 3 or 5 transfer. 5 of the IVF and 3 of the ICSI were
still doing well and they said that we should go for
a day 5 blastocyst transfer. Blastocyst transfer are
the more successful.Drink 2-3 litres of water a day
to avoid hyperstimulation. Continue with the cyclogest
pessary.
1st Jan still everything looked fine.Drink 2-3 litres
of water a day to avoid hyperstimulation. Continue with
the cyclogest pessary.
2nd Jan - the day of the transfer. We got there nice
and early. At 10am they called us down and attempted
the transfer. My wife kept feeling as if she needed
to go to urinate when the consultant was pressing on
her insides in preparation for the transfer. She has
a tilted cervix and found smear tests and HSG tests
very painful in the past and as a result she was very
scared of this part of the treatment as the cyst aspiration
and egg collection was done under sedation but this
part is done while you are awake. After two attempts
the doctor said "its critical that we get this
part exactly right, so we need your bladder to be fuller
so that we can access and place the embryos in the right
place - btw we had decided on transferring two. He asked
if she would prefer to have it done under sedation and
she jumped and said yes. So as she had eaten a light
breakfast she was told to wait till 2pm before the anaesthetic
could be administered. The transfer took place. She
recovered and was
brought back to the waiting room. We waited for a while
then the prescriptions for Clexane (once a day) to keep
the blood thin, Cyclogest (twice a day) and Ritodrine
tablets was given. I got the meds and we drove home.Drink
2 litres of water a day to avoid hyperstimulation, and
now 1 litre of milk every day protein for the baby I
believe.
3rd - 11th Jan - Rest and drink water and milk as per
usual. Continue with the Clexane, Ritodrine the 2 x
cyclogest pessary. And now one baby asprin a day.
12th Jan - Blood test at 7.30am. We decided to go home
straight after rather than waiting around. They told
us to expect a call between 11am and 12pm. We were called
at 10.50am and told that the HCG level above 30 would
indicate pregnancy and her level was 273 so she was
pregnant. We were elated !! We called our parents and
siblings to let them know. The clinic send the bloods
for a second full blood count and told my wife she needed
to increase her clexane injections to twice a day. She
must stop the ritodrine tablets now but continue with
the twice a day cyclogest. Continue drinking 2 litres
of water and 1 litre of milk every day.
13th Jan - Another blood test. HCG level was now 423.
(they say these should be doubling every 2 days ideally
or 2-3 days. Continue with twice daily Clexane injections,
twice daily cyclogest pessary, once a day Asprin.
14th Jan Continue with twice daily Clexane injections,
twice daily cyclogest pessary, once a day Asprin.Continue
drinking 2 litres of water and 1 litre of milk every
day.
15th Jan Another blood test. HCG level was now 742.
Continue with twice daily Clexane injections, twice
daily cyclogest pessary, once a day Asprin. Continue
drinking 2 litres of water and 1 litre of milk every
day.
17th Jan Another blood test. HCG level was now 1215.
Continue with twice daily Clexane injections, twice
daily cyclogest pessary, once a day Asprin. Continue
drinking 2 litres of water and 1 litre of milk every
day.
19th Jan Another blood test. HCG level was now 2105.
Continue with twice daily Clexane injections, twice
daily cyclogest pessary, once a day Asprin. Continue
drinking 2 litres of water and 1 litre of milk every
day.
21st Jan Another blood test. HCG level was now 2877.
Continue with twice daily Clexane injections, twice
daily cyclogest pessary, once a day Asprin. Continue
drinking 2 litres of water and 1 litre of milk every
day. The level today should have been in excess of 3500
so the clinic was concerned. They said that we needed
to go in the next day for a further blood test and scan
to confirm that the pregnancy wasn't ectopic or that
my wife was not miscarrying. We were devastated and
my wife was very upset. Just when things had been going
really well. Didn't sleep very much that night.
22nd Jan. The scan revealed there was a sac in the
right place so ruled out the possibility of a ectopic.
There was only one sac so no twins in the pregnancy.
The blood tests came back and the doctors had said that
the slow down of the increase in HCG between 19th and
21st could indicate that she was miscarrying. The HCG
levels had risen though to 3455. Not a great increase
but an increase nevertheless. Don't lose hope they
said. They prescribed some 1mg daily of dexlamethasone
steriod in addition to everything mentioned earlier
and asked her to go back again the next day.
23rd Jan HCG level 4124 (so another increase still
not doubling every 2 days but increase so not miscarrying)
24th Jan HCG Level 5002 (so another consistent increase
from the last two days)
25th Jan they asked for her to be scanned and another
blood test. The scan revealed that the sac had grown
but as the HCG levels were still low there was nothing
else visible no yolk or foetus. HCG results came back
and the level had hardly risen and was now 5234. We
both got upset and accepted that this was not viable
and that the miscarriage is now imminent. We called
our parents and siblings and told them the bad news.
The clinic asked her to go back again on 26th Jan for
another blood test.
26th Jan we hoped that the test would now reveal a
drop in HCG levels and this would confirm the beginning
of the miscarriage. The results came back and the level
was now 6302 so another increase. The increase was not
significant enough to give us any hope so we have accepted
that this must be a blighted ovum where the embryo failed
around 19th-21st Jan. The sac will be empty. The clinic
have asked for her to go for another blood test on 27th
Jan.
We are both now just waiting for her to miscarry. Sorry
this had a sad ending.
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