Cycle #3 a BFN
Find a Conversation
Cycle #3 a BFN
| Tue, 04-13-2004 - 10:09pm |
Hi everyone,
I did my blood test today and it was a BFN. I have to say, this time I really knew it, I didn't have any real hope for a BFP.
I'm pretty subdued after this news.
My husband will not be here for the next two weeks, so I will have to join him in Europe to complete a cycle this time, if we stay with injectibles for the cycle. A lot of stressful logistics to arrange.
Wondering if it is best to give my body a break. Does anyone have any thoughts on pros and cons of taking time out after three cycles. Or, perhaps I'll try to stick with it through the projected six cycles, then take a break and move on to IVF if it is necessary at that point.
Any advice appreciated. All the best to everyone,
Lisa
Latest from the board
- How do you handle your friends' pregnancies?
- What You Need to Know About IVF
- Helpful Tips for TTC!
- How do you stay positive?
- 2 week wait 5
- Are you unsure about getting your fertility tested?
- Taking the blah out of TTC sex?
- Some tips to get around errors... 2
- Major problems signing in
- January 2 week wait? 22
Memeber Support
Visit our Member Support area or browse the iVillage Help forum
| Q: | Where can I change my password? |
| A: | Log in, go to Edit My Preferences, and click the Account tab. Make and save your changes. |
Pages
Lisa I am sorry.
It's really up to you and dh to decide what to do this next cycle but it does seem like alot of stress to add to an already stressful situation.
Cathie
I am so sorry for your BFN. I wish I had power to change that for all of us here. It is so hard to take. You should really get full workup to find out why this is not working for you. If it is a MF issue IVF may be the ticket. Have you been doing IUI with the injectibles? You may have other issues that are causing problems like hifgh insulin, blood clotting or overactive NK cells. It is a good idea to get a full immune blood workup. At least you will know what you are dealing with and can take the proper steps toward success. Over a 3 year span of TTC, I have had difficulty finding a Dr. that really does a complete physical. They each do their own small portion and it is up to you to put the pieces together. If you are not dealing with MF issues I strongly suggest
you see and RI. I am seeing Dr. Alan Beer and his web is repro-med.net If you are dealing with severe MF issues you may want to try IVF first as it is a little less complex.
Keep us posted.
HUGS,
Lisa
I'm so sorry to hear about your BFN. I know how emotionally trying this is and I so feel for you. Even though you "know", it still doesn't ease the pain when AF shows up....
My husband and I are taking a break right now after my second IUI w/injectibles failed. I spoke with my Dr. and he said that it does not decrease your chances if you take a break. I felt emotionally, we needed to rest our bodies and souls a bit. As well, we may go directly to IVF in June (due to insurance coverage starting to run out).
We've been trying since we got married in May of 2002. We got pregnant within 4 months, had a m/c at week 8, then waited to do anything. Little did I know how difficult it would be to conceive again!! I also was so ignorant on the processes, age statistics, etc. We did our first IUI last November, then had to take December and January off due to cysts (a common result of overstimulation of the ovaries). We did our last IUI late Feb and will most likely do an IVF in June. I am 42 and husband is 35.
I wish you all the best. During my breaks, I do really good things for myself. Try and exercise a bit more (to stay in shape for impending pregnancy), eat better, shop, garden, read..... all things I would normally do, but when I am going through IUI's, I tend to solely focus on the "next steps", injections, ultrasounds, etc., etc. It's nice to breathe a bit, and relax.
Hope you are well today.....
Linda
I have to travel for work and I had asked my RE about skipping a month due to a work conflict...I asked if that would impact our results when I resumed. Similar to the other posts, my doctor said that it wouldn't have any impact. He wouldn't recommend take a break for a year...but a single month doesn't have a huge impact.
I am in a similar situation to you...only a couple more cycles into the injections. I am in the midst of cycle 5 (of 6 possible) before moving on to IVF.
Take it slow...and follow your heart about taking a break. You know what's best for you & your dh...take care.
Margie
Thanks so much for your posts! I am alone right now (dh abroad) and the news was very hard to take. I do not discuss this issue at work nor even with family (all out of state anyway), so it was great to come home and open the board to see all of your support and kindness!
In regard to the "total workup", I have my chart right here and they tested for so many things, it is hard to tell if they left anything out. The only abnormal results were:
Genetic abnormality - positive for C677T mutation, which is a possible risk factor for vascular diseases but which is supposed to be fairly insignificant for fertility - I will see a geneticist though to check
MCH = 33.9 when the reference range was 27-33 - I don't even know what this is, does anyone else??
Triglycerides = 150, when the ref. range is <150)
Homocysteine (high at 11.3, ref. was <10.4)
Total Testosterone (low at 13, ref. was 15-70)
There is no MF. He has supposedly very good sperm. No physical/structural issues after a laporoscopy last Dec. which cleared me of a bunch of stuff (endometriosis, polyps, cysts, tumor).
Here is the question that has been on my mind all day: Do three BFN Follistim/IUI cycles mean injectibles are not going to work for me? I know they say to do up to six cycles, but honestly if the tubes are okay and I released some 7-8 follicles per cycle, what gives?
Thanks again and I am grateful for any advice!
Lisa
That vascular problem you discussed causes M/C. The blood clots and get cut from the baby. You may be getting PG and M/C before you even get your beta. There are other tests for issues in this category. You should see a Reproductive Immunologist. They can order bloodwork and diagnose you. At least you will know what you are dealing with. My Dr. Alan Beer & working with me long distance. His web add is repro-med.net
Hope this helps! Any questions just ask.
Lisa
To be honest, he is a wonderful person and he has really steered me away from things that would make him $$$ but wouldn't be what he thinks is best for my situation.
Don't know if that helps...hope so. Take care.
Margie
Thanks for your input!
Lisa, I will absolutely see a reproductive immunologist (perhaps the one you mentioned). I am on one baby aspirin per day and that may be due to my "vascular problem", or it may be something they place all patients on (I didn't ask, and my RE really doesn't share a lot of this kind of information - unfortunately. I will ask now!)
Margie, thanks for sharing your RE's advice. I believe I will go for 3 more injectible cycles (I started injections today and will continue this cycle in Europe), then go for IVF if necessary. My RE said something about going on birth control pills for one month before an IVF cycle - has anyone heard of this?
Again, I really appreciate your messages. All the best to you and ***BABY DUST***!
Lisa
I have gone through 2 IUI cycles with injectibles. We are now considering IVF. I asked my dr., if this was a decision he and his wife were making, what would they do? He said he would go directly to IVF considering my age (42) and the odds. We are actually taking the next two months off to "re-group" and try on our own, but will go for IVF probably in early June.
In regards to the baby aspirin; very normal to take. Our fertility clinic has all patients taking the baby aspirin as it increases blood flow to the uterus.
The birth control pills are taken for several weeks prior to IVF to regulate ovulation; for us, we will do gonal-f injectibles along with Cetrotide that will ensure we don't ovulate prematurely once the eggs are of sufficient size. We did this with IUI, but it hasn't worked yet.
I am torn whether to go directly to IVF or continue with another cycle of IUI; our insurance covers just so much, so we are thinking we might as well spend it on this procedure instead of spending all on IUI's just to find out we may have to go a head with IVF anyhow. So confusing - emotionally and mentally.
I hope you are well... I know how very disappointing this is. It's so hard to take each time AF shows up; especially after going through everything that you are doing. But you WILL get there. You are doing all the right things.
Take care,
Linda
((((HUG))))
I had an appointment with a very famous doctor in Europe. He did not even look at my chart, all the tests that were done, my response to the injectibles, nor the record of my three cycles. All he was interested in was the report from my laporoscopy, and he said I had non-functioning tubes. My regular RE, and the RE I saw for a second opinion in NY both told me my tubes are fine! This doctor said, no, obviously if you had endometriosis your tubes won't function correctly. Has anyone heard of this?? I think it is probably bogus, and an excuse to get me to try IVF with his clinic!
In any event, I will see another (equally famous) RE here tomorrow. This one is going to perform the IUI for the current cycle.
This is a real education. Oh, and it was 150 Euros ($180) for that esteemed opinion! And, he did not see any value in conducting a physical exam (of course I asked), even though I had driven two hours to reach his clinic!
I'll keep you posted. I am also looking into a consultation with an immunologist or geneticist to look into my abnormal genetic test.
All the best to you,
Lisa
Injectible cycle #4
Cycle day 8
Pages