Heavier Women May Have Less IVF Successes

Gotta watch your weight for fertility treatment!

But too skinny also may have problem too.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/25/us-fertility-idUSTRE77O0R520110825

California Couple Sue Fertility Doctor over "Lost Embryos"

A terrible IVF mistake by the clinic!

The clinic had implanted a couple's embryos into another!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/california-couple-sue-fertility-doctor-lost-embryos/t/story?id=14355815

Impressive Fertility Journey of a UK Mummy

This is an impressive story using donor's egg and sperm!
She is an amazing mum!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2011/07/05/he-s-all-mine-the-amazing-story-of-how-one-woman-overcame-heartache-to-conceive-her-baby-86908-23248952/

Laughter is the Best Medicine!

This statement is proven by the fertility study that beeing entertained by a clown right after in vitro fertilization could be baby-making gold, according to a study in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility.


The three-year-long study, by doctors at the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Zrifin, Israel, involved 219 women. Half of them were treated to a “medical clowning encounter” after having just undergone IVF.

Results showed that 36 percent of women who were treated to a 20-minute routine of jokes, magic tricks and other comedic acts after invitro became pregnant. In contrast, only 20 percent of the women in the group that wasn’t exposed to the routine got pregnant, according to the study.

The findings expand on research done by the study’s principal author, Dr. Shevach Friedler, a graduate of the Jacques Lecoq school of mime and theatre in Paris, France. "My background is in clowning and movement," he told Nature.com in a 2006 interview. "I'm also a physician who works in IVF. I thought we could combine the two," he was quoted as saying.

The study holds promise for women seeking to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization and also identifies comedy as a key de-stressor during what could be, to patients, a harrowing medical procedure, Friedler told Reuters.

"Patients suffering from infertility undergoing IVF are exceptionally stressed. So I thought that this intervention could be beneficial for them at the crucial moments after embryo transfer," he is quoted as saying.

While medical clowns have usually been associated with pediatric care, their use with adult patients is on the rise, according to the website, Aheart4clowning.

The Israeli study concludes that clowning in conjunction with IVF may buoy pregnancy rates and needs further analysis.

IVF baby doesn't have father's DNA

This is a shocking news!
http://health.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20101103-245484.html

Thomson Fertility Center is such an establishd, expensive and renowed medical centre in SG and it's a shame that such boo boo can happen.
Obviously someone has made a terrible mistake!
So this incident proof that Expensive may not equate to Quality and Reliability!

I hope the couple keep the baby and raise him/ her up ........

DHEA could boost fertility?

DHEA is the hope for infertile women!

Read this link.
http://www.epigee.org/boost-ivf-with-dhea.html

A study performed by Israeli researchers has confirmed the results of a New York research team about the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone, the supplement known in layman's lingo as DHEA, on female infertility when used to treat women suffering from DOR (diminished ovarian reserves). The Israeli team hails from the Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel and is led by Adrian Shulman, MD, while the previous studies were performed by the scientists at New York City's Center for Human Reproduction (CHR).

While the Israeli study is small and includes only 33 participants, this work is the only random study on DHEA as a therapy for female factor infertility. Of the participants in this study, 17 were given the supplement while a second group of 16 women stood in as a control group. The results of the study confirmed that DHEA triples the success rate for women who conceive by in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Walk out from the depression ........

It has been about 2 weeks since I last logged in.......

I've been trying to tell myself that this IVF cycle cancellation may not be a bad thing since God may have worked it out this way as it may not be the right time to have baby or my body is not ready for the invasive ER procedure yet ...........

Maybe God has planed for me to have my baby in a better timing and when my body is in a better condition to conceive ...........

So I wont give up in my quest to have my own baby!

I look forward to my AF to come, then I'll do the blood test to check on my FSH, E2 & AMH so that Dr Loh can help me customise a protocol for me which can yield better result.

Ovarian Reserve Testing (ORT)

On Tuesday when I went to do a follow-up scan, it was sort of expected that the follicles didnt grow at all.

Dr Loh explained to me that the blood test reviewed that I didnt have indication of good growth hormones and unlikely that the eggs will get stimulated any further.

So he's suggesting that I go for AMH testing to help determine my egg reserve & FSH test before he planned my next cycle treatment.

So when my next mens come, on CD2 or 3, I need to go to KKH to do the above blood test. 
Dr predicted that my next mens will be late since it's I unlike I'll be ovulating in this cycle, so mens should only come in a month's time. 
After my blood test result then I'll see him again to discuss about my next cycle treatment.

He thinks that the next one should be a short protocol where I wont be given any BCP nor Lucrin to suppress my natural hormones.
On D2 of the mens, I should be given stimulant drug for about 12 to 14 days to stimulate the follicles and he think I should be able about 1 or 2 eggs.

I'm rather confused with why I'm being classified as DOR (Diminishing Ovarian Reserve) since my most recent FSH showed 2 and E2 was in satisfactory level.

I've done some research on the DOR & ORT and think that this link is rather easy to understand.
http://www.advancedfertility.com/day3fsh.htm

I looked forward to a successful short protocol cycle.
I'm still hopeful to use my own eggs to produce my babies ...........

Depressed!

I'm very disappointed that despite the regular exercise, TCM, health supplement, egg diet etc, I still didnt respond well in this cycle.

Last Fri scan revealed that I only have 3 follicles which are about "4" which is considered poor for 7 day stimulation.
So I was told to continue with the GF jabs and back on Monday (D11 of GF) to check the progress.
The doc said that if there's no good progress, this cycle will be cancelled.

This morning, I went for the scan and was told the follicles are now about "5" since usually at about day 11, the size should be about "12"....... so this cycle should be cancelled.

I was given another GF jab and told to go back tomorrow to check the scanning again.
I also did AMH blood test to check on the ovarian reserve and if the result showed that my reserve is diminishing, then I should not consider doing IVF and instead to use donors egg ..........

This is very depressing since I've done my best to make this cycle viable and success .......

What have I done wrong?

Deep inside I know that this cycle will be cancelled but am still hoping for miracle ...........

The intial stages have been rather smooth and it's really a shock now that I cant proceed further.


I really want to have baby with RY and is very very curious how our baby will look like with both our genes combination.

Frankly speaking, I've quite a nice features and was a beauty peagent participants back in University days.
Till today, I still managed to maintain my slim figures and stay groomed .........
RY is also rather good looking and is slim and fit too ........
TTC is very tough and IVF is really daunting.
The whole baby making experience has make me a very unhappy person .......

I'll need some time to grieve over this depressing result so dont think will update this blog too soon .........

Tomorrow D8 of GF Jab & Scanning in KKH

Tomorrow being D8 of the stimulation jab, I need to go to KKH for the scan and at the same time let them use the balance GF vial to jab me ..........

I just came back from TCM and she told me to call her tomorrow after my scanning result.

After my scanning, I'll go to airport to catch my flight to Ipoh .........
So I'll need to bring all the jabs (GF & Lucrin with me to the hopsital to bring to the airport.

I hope the stimulation is effective and look forward to good result.

Mood Swing

I'm very very very very tired!
The high GF dosage is making me extremely tired and sleepy ........... so I sleep at about 10pm or earlier now .......... (after this post, I shall zzzzzzzz)

I also realised that when I'm upset, I lost my cool and flare it out loud and fierce!

I dont like what I'm now since I seem to turn into a ugly green monster.

I'll try to control my temper and not to scare people around me.

Stressed Up over IVF and am having Gastric Pain ...........

Altho I keep telling myself to be calm and relax in this IVF cycle, I know subconsciously I'm very stressed up since there're so many uncertainty during the process - worry about missing the dosage of jabs, afriad of jabbing the wrong dosage, afraid that I may misplace GF & Lucrin as they need to be refrigerated, worry about the stimulation result, not sure if the body is responding well etc ...........

Since yesterday, I've been having discomfort in the gastric and I know I'm having the gastritis attack due to stress or diet ..........

Is it because of my egg white diet which give me this problem?

Maybe tomorrow I should try to eat some bread prior to the egg whites as I've been taking the egg in empty stomach .........

I hope I can stay calm and sleep well and take this as a pinch of salt ......

Gonal F Side Effects

I've done a quick reseach on the common GF seide effects and think that I could've gotten it as I've bad headache the whole day today, worsent vision .........

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/gonal-f-side-effects.html

Gonal-f RFF Pen Solution


All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Gonal-f RFF Pen Solution:

Breast pain; discomfort, pain, or mild bruising at the injection site; headache; mild stomach pain or nausea; sinus inflammation; sore throat; stuffy nose.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Gonal-f RFF Pen Solution:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); abnormal vaginal bleeding; calf pain or tenderness; chest pain; confusion; decreased urination; diarrhea; fever; one-sided weakness; severe or persistent stomach pain, upset, or bloating; severe or persistent nausea; severe pelvic or back pain; shortness of breath; slurred speech; sudden, unexplained weight gain; unusual vaginal itching, discharge, or odor; vision changes; vomitting.

Eggs

To help me to produce eggs, I've been eating eggs delligently - egg white to be specific since its high in protein.

On the 1st day of Lucrin jab, I ate 2 egg whites and with the commencement of GF, I take 5.
I hope this egg white diet can help in my IVF process.
For my bb, I'm willing to do anything for them to make my bb dream come true ..............

Eggs are considered a good source of protein and choline.

Some research on Egg Whites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_white

Egg white is the common name for the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. It is the cytoplasm of the egg, which until fertilization is a single cell (including the yolk). It consists mainly of about 15% proteins dissolved in water. Its primary natural purpose is to protect the egg yolk and provide additional nutrition for the growth of the embryo, as it is rich in proteins and also of high nutritional value. Unlike the egg yolk, it contains a negligible amount of fat. Egg whites have many culinary and non-culinary uses for humans

The egg white is approximately two-thirds of the total egg's weight out of its shell with nearly 90% of that weight coming from water. The remaining weight of the egg white comes from protein, trace minerals, fatty material, vitamins, and glucose.[1] The U.S. large egg's white weighs 38 grams with 4.7 grams of protein, 0.3 grams of carbohydrate and 62 milligrams of sodium. The U.S. large egg white contains about 20 calories.[2] Egg white has no dietary cholesterol. Egg white contains approximately 40 different proteins.[3] Below is a list of the proteins found in egg whites by percentage along with their natural functions.[1][4]




54% Ovalbumin - Nourishment; blocks digestive enzymes

12% Ovotransferrin - Binds iron

11% Ovomucoid - Blocks digestive enzymes

4% Ovoglobulin G2

4% Ovoglobulin G3

3.5% Ovomucin

3.4% Lysozyme

1.5% Ovoinhibitor

1% Ovoglycoprotein

0.8% Flavoprotein

0.5% Ovomacroglobulin

0.5% Avidin

0.05% Cystatin

Although egg whites are prized as a source of low-fat, high-protein nutrition, a small number of people cannot eat them. Egg allergy is more common among infants than adults, and most children will outgrow it by the age of five.[16] Allergic reactions against egg white are more common than reactions against egg yolks.[17] In addition to true allergic reactions, some people experience a food intolerance to egg whites.[

1st Gonal-F Jab on 19 Mar

Yesterday was my 1st GF jab and I was really tensed since it seems rather complicated.

I've to ensure the needle is capped properly and then turn the dial to 375iu, then pull out the injection tab and then poke the needle into m tummy and jab, wait for 10 sec then turn the dial to 300iu again (while the needle remains intact) and repeat the same procedure ............

I was glad that I managed to complete the 1st jabbing successfully.

Today will be my 2nd dosage of 675iu and count down to 26 Mar for my day 8 scan and hope for good result.

Lucrin Side Effects

I was hoping that with the discontinuation of BCP, my hot flashes will go away but it actually persists .........

This is due to the Lucrin side effets ..........

I did a research on Lucrin and found that hot flashes is the most common side effects.

Besides hot flashes, I also tend to feel tired easily, constant headache and blurred vision (cant see as clear).
I hope this IVF would be a success and all the sufferings is worth it ...........

http://www.ehow.com/about_5306460_lucrin-side-effects.html

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=19010&name=LUPRON

Common Side Effects


Approximately 52 percent of lucrin users report hot flashes, making this the most common side effect of the drug. The retention of fluid under the skin is also common, occurring in at least 8 percent of users. More than 5 percent of patients who take lucrin experience dizziness, pain throughout the body, headache, nausea and vomiting.

Other Side Effects

Lucrin also has the potential to cause a number of other troublesome or annoying, but not dangerous, side effects. Some patients experience gastrointestinal side effects from the drug, such as diarrhea and loss of appetite. Nervous system effects like anxiety, tingling in the extremities, forgetfulness, sour taste and insomnia as well as fever and fatigue are also possible while taking lucrin. Other possible side effects of lucrin include breast tenderness in women and impotence in men.

Allergic Reaction

Though rare, lucrin has the potential to cause serious allergic reactions in some patients. The first signs of an allergic reaction are often the formation of hives anywhere on the body and itching around the mouth and lips. Without medical attention, the reaction often progresses to more dangerous symptoms, such as swelling of the lips and throat or difficulty breathing. If you experience any signs of an allergic reaction at any point while using lucrin, seek prompt emergency medical care.

Risks

In addition to minor side effects and the risk of interactions, lucrin has the potential to cause serious medical complications. In some cases, lucrin has been linked to cardiovascular problems, including the formation of blood clots, inflammation of veins, heart attack and irregular heartbeat. Lucrin sometimes causes difficulty and irregular breathing as well as gastrointestinal bleeding. Serious neuro-sensory effects of lucrin include blurred vision and numbness.

Considerations

In some cases, lucrin injections cause an initial worsening of the symptoms of the illness or disease. Doctors also limit the use of lucrin in patients who have impaired kidneys as without proper urination, levels of the drug can build up in the body and become toxic. Lucrin is not typically prescribed to treat children as there is not enough information to ensure that pediatric usage does not lead to long term side effects. Lucrin injections may cause damage to the fetus and typically are avoided during pregnancy.

Proceed to Stage 2 - Gonal F jabs on 19 Mar & onwards

This monring I was at KKH at 7.30am for my blood test and ultra sound scan.
I managed to do my blood test at 7.30am but the scanning room only starts at 8am but cos the nurse misplaced my appointment card, I only get to do the scanning after 3 patients ......

My lining was 5.5 and was considered good so the nurse gave me my prescription to let me buy Gonal F to stand-by for the jab for this Fri onwards.
But I was told to wait for their call this afternoon to inform me about the blood test on the E2 suppression, which they did inform me at about 4pm that my test result is good is able to proceed to stage 2 on 19 Mar.

The Pharmacy only opens at 8.30am so I gotta wait till its open to get the medication then return to UVF clinic to learn how to jab myself.

I didnt take leave from work so gotta quickly rush to office at 9.30am, fortunately RY is with me to drive me there, else I'll reach office later then 9.30am ............

So from Fri onwards, I've to jab Lucrin as well as GF, so it means I gotta wait up 10 mins earlier for the preparation.

Next Fri 26 Mar, I'll be going to the clinic to check on the no. of follicles ........... I hope I can have good results and produce many & good quality eggs ......... also hope that all the eggs fertilise successfukky & beautifully ...........

RY also gotta start taking his anti-biotics from Fri onwards for 7 days ...........

For my last 2 cycles, the dr put me on Puregon but it seems like now they change to Gonal F (GF).

As I dont respond well to puregon in the last 2 cycles, the dr put me on a very high GF dosage - 675iu per day ...... and it cost me >$600 for 1 tub which contain 900 iu...........
The total cost for my treatment is going to be SGD10k to SGD12K and I can only get SGD2.7K grant from Govt since RY is permanent resident, also I can only utilise SGD4K from medisave since this is the 3rd attemps using CPF.

This BB quest is costing us alot of money but it's worth every cents since we're pursuing our dream to make it into a reality ............

Pls wish us all the Best!
May God bless us!!

Tomorrow Baseline Blood Test and Scanning - Lucrin Day 15

Tomorrow 17 Mar (Wed) morning, I'll be going to KKH to do BT to check on my E2 level and also scan no. of existing follicles and the doc shall confirm if I can move on to stage 2 to do puregon jab ..........

Somehow I think I'm rather worried about the test result.
I hope the test result is good and can move on .........

I shall update tomorrow after my test result is out.

Sat 13 Mar = CD1 on Lucrin day 11

This morning AF came on CD26 of last cycle and Day 11 of Lucrin jab.

I thot my mens should only come on Mon 15 Mar which is CD28 due to the BCP pills .......... not sure why it came early.
Maybe I was stressed since RY was out-station for the last 3 days and I didnt rest well.
But my usual cycle is 26 days so maybe it just normal to come on CD26.

I'll be going to KKH for my blood test & scanning coming Wed 17 Mar to check if my hormone is suppressed enough to move on to stage 2 = Puregon stage.

Husband should be Participative in the IVF Journey

This morning RY went off to Penang for a 3 days biz trip and will be back on coming Fri.

So it means I'm alone now at home surfing internet while waiting for the laundry to be ready (just put them in the washing machine).

Actually RY should be going on this trip next Wed to Fri but because I need to do my baseline scan next Wed and possibily doing the 1st puregon jab on Fri, which means I gotta go to the hospital twice, so I requested for RY to shift his travel dates.

Although this is my 3rd IVF fresh cycle, I still hope that RY can be with me during those critical day of blood test, scanning etc, this make me feel that he's participative in this IVF journey.

I think its very important for both husband & wife to be involved in the fertility journey and not let wife feel that she's doing this by herself.

During IVF, the wife is the one who suffer physical pain (blood test, jabbing etc) and emotional pain (she's worried about the progress and body response to the medication etc), so the husband should be supportive to show the wife that he cares ...........

So before you embark on this IVF treatment, pls have a serious discussion with your husband to get a mutual understanding of each others' expectation on the roles & responsibility and set the an appropriate standard.
This is to avoid any subsequent disappointments on the husband's less participative involvement. 

Its important to stay calm, relax and cheerful during IVF, so wife should try to voice out her concern to husband so that he knows how he can help.