I have got to day 13 so fast! It's funny……in the first few days after the embryo transfer, I was just hoping that the 2ww just passes quickly and I can know the result. Today, at day 13, I am in 2 minds. Of course I still want to know the result, but because the day is approaching, I am so worried if it's a negative. So many questions….will I have to go through all the injections again if my embryos are not good enough to be frozen (I have yet to collect the report from KKIVF). Even the mere thought of going into the procedure room to be sedated freaks me out.
If it's a positive, so many people will be happy. Not only us, but our families. It would be a life-changing event, but such a happy one! Then again, will my beta rise normally, can I hold it out to due date? So many questions which I do not even dare nor want to think too much about.
Let's just cross the first hurdle. The first hurdle is not to have menses! hhahahah
2nd hurdle - get a positive sign on the stick and high beta in the blood test
These 2 are quite a hurdle…
and…..I have having slight cramps like just before my menses. Ah….just hope my body stops playing with my mind.
Thursday 28 November 2013
What happens after embryo transfer
According to this www….
http://www.nyufertilitycenter.org/ivf/embryo_transfer
http://www.nyufertilitycenter.org/ivf/embryo_transfer
3-Day Transfer
| Days Past Transfer (DPT) | Embryo Development |
| One | The embryo continues to grow and develop, turning from a 6-8 cell embryo into a morula |
| Two | The cells of the morula continue to divide, developing into a blastocyst |
| Three | The blastocyst begins to hatch out of its shell |
| Four | The blastocyst continues to hatch out of its shell and begins to attach itself to the uterus |
| Five | The blastocyst attaches deeper into the uterine lining, beginning implantation |
| Six | Implantation continues |
| Seven | Implantation is complete, cells that will eventually become the placenta and fetus have begun to develop |
| Eight | Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) starts to enter the blood stream |
| Nine | Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted |
| Ten | Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted |
| Eleven | Levels of hCG are now high enough to detect a pregnancy |
5-Day Transfer
| Days Past Transfer (DPT) | Embryo Development |
| One | The blastocyst begins to hatch out of its shell |
| Two | The blastocyst continues to hatch out of its shell and begins to attach itself to the uterus |
| Three | The blastocyst attaches deeper into the uterine lining, beginning implantation |
| Four | Implantation continues |
| Five | Implantation is complete, cells that will eventually become the placenta and fetus have begun to develop |
| Six | Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) starts to enter the blood stream |
| Seven | Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted |
| Eight | Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted |
| Nine | Levels of hCG are now high enough to detect a pregnancy |
As of today, I am day 13 past embryo transfer date. So…...if I do a pregnancy test today, it should start showing a positive? I read another lady's blog and she started testing from day 10. She pasted all the test strips on a page! So amazing how the positive line just got darker and darker with each passing day. She is sooo brave. I am worried that by testing, I am jinxing myself. And what if there's still HCG in me? This lady was doing the vaginal depositories, but I am doing the Pregynl injections. Although I do not remember being injected anything after my embryo transfer, I read that the Pregynl injections I have been taking also contain HCG. My last injection was on 25th November (Monday). So…..since we have different protocol, I better not take the risk. Not only about jinxing myself, but a false positive is more heart breaking than a real negative.
And….. I am really tired of hoping. Each time I hope and hope, even plan, nothing comes true. Even as of now, I am so worried my menses will arrive. If this is a negative, my menses should arrive Saturday (tomorrow) or Sunday. It is always pretty much on time and I doubt the Pregynl injections would delay it.
So…. day 17 past embryo transfer date, which is a Tuesday, I will be back at KK for my blood test. It it often referred to as the "beta" test. This is because it measures a beta chain portion of the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone emitted by the developing embryo. I will give H's number for KKIVF to contact, cos I dun think I can take the news. Apparently the "news" will be out between 1-4pm, but often before 1pm. I don't know how I am going to keep myself occupied!!!! That is if menses dun arrive before Tuesday.
Monday 25 November 2013
Day 9 post embryo transfer
Wow!
9 days! another 8 more days to go…..
driving me nuts though…..
Anyway, today is last day for the Pregnyl injections. Phew…….
What has been happening?
Well, I have been having abdominal pains i since last Tuesday (6 days ago). To be specific, it is an indigestion pain.
How does it feel? Terrible….
1) Your tummy will bloat up as if it's a balloon
2) If you are lucky, you will release gas (I say lucky cos it helps to deflate that balloon). But one of the side effects of the medicine is constipation!!! So…..I had no gas to release
3) Pain is similar to gastric
I know it is not gastric cos I had indigestion pains before…..
What happens?
When it attacks you, you can't stand straight. The best thing to do is to lie down on your side and use a small pillow or a rolled towel to cushion your tummy. Try to fall asleep if possible. I used the Yu Yee Oil when I really reached my max for the pain. Cos I not sure if it's ok to use the Yu Yee Oil. I asked the KKIVF nurse. She said, can use on baby, so should be ok. Hmmmm…..in any case, I avoided the womb area. Felt so much better after my Yu Yee Oil….
What to do?
Apparently nothing much you can do. I read somewhere that it's due to the injections. I guess due to the Pregnyl that I am injecting every 3 days? So what I do:
1) I drink some warm water before I start eating
2) I eat smaller meals and I take in food every 3 hours
3) I researched on what food that does not cause indigestion. I am staying away from milk products. Previously when I had indigestion problems, I took yoghurt/yakult daily and have meals at fixed timings.
I called the clinic last Thursday, after suffering for 2 days. Nurse says to drink plenty of water and eat more protein. Yucks….no medication? She even added "When you get pregnant, it will get worse". Oh dear…. I felt I was having a low quality life by allowing it to control me. I was even afraid to go out or have my weekly dinners with my family cos they are not aware of my IVF and I did not want to suffer an attack while out with them. Lucky for me, dinner on Sunday went on well…….
As I am writing, I had a light snack at 3.30pm, 3 hours after my lunch and just a little indigestion….but very minimal and pain level is not even 0.5. Oh, but I feel a little giddy though….. but this is much better than my IUI 2ww. I was on the oral pills for progesterone. I had to take it 2 times daily and each time I take, my whole world spins. That was really bad. It was not as if I will black out. I just feel like my whole world is moving.
9 days! another 8 more days to go…..
driving me nuts though…..
Anyway, today is last day for the Pregnyl injections. Phew…….
What has been happening?
Well, I have been having abdominal pains i since last Tuesday (6 days ago). To be specific, it is an indigestion pain.
How does it feel? Terrible….
1) Your tummy will bloat up as if it's a balloon
2) If you are lucky, you will release gas (I say lucky cos it helps to deflate that balloon). But one of the side effects of the medicine is constipation!!! So…..I had no gas to release
3) Pain is similar to gastric
I know it is not gastric cos I had indigestion pains before…..
What happens?
When it attacks you, you can't stand straight. The best thing to do is to lie down on your side and use a small pillow or a rolled towel to cushion your tummy. Try to fall asleep if possible. I used the Yu Yee Oil when I really reached my max for the pain. Cos I not sure if it's ok to use the Yu Yee Oil. I asked the KKIVF nurse. She said, can use on baby, so should be ok. Hmmmm…..in any case, I avoided the womb area. Felt so much better after my Yu Yee Oil….
What to do?
Apparently nothing much you can do. I read somewhere that it's due to the injections. I guess due to the Pregnyl that I am injecting every 3 days? So what I do:
1) I drink some warm water before I start eating
2) I eat smaller meals and I take in food every 3 hours
3) I researched on what food that does not cause indigestion. I am staying away from milk products. Previously when I had indigestion problems, I took yoghurt/yakult daily and have meals at fixed timings.
I called the clinic last Thursday, after suffering for 2 days. Nurse says to drink plenty of water and eat more protein. Yucks….no medication? She even added "When you get pregnant, it will get worse". Oh dear…. I felt I was having a low quality life by allowing it to control me. I was even afraid to go out or have my weekly dinners with my family cos they are not aware of my IVF and I did not want to suffer an attack while out with them. Lucky for me, dinner on Sunday went on well…….
As I am writing, I had a light snack at 3.30pm, 3 hours after my lunch and just a little indigestion….but very minimal and pain level is not even 0.5. Oh, but I feel a little giddy though….. but this is much better than my IUI 2ww. I was on the oral pills for progesterone. I had to take it 2 times daily and each time I take, my whole world spins. That was really bad. It was not as if I will black out. I just feel like my whole world is moving.
Thursday 21 November 2013
A gift for the nurses!
I love these!!!!
Made these for the nurses and medical care workers at KKIVF. I was apprehensive when I first went there for treatment, but at the end of it all, I felt really comfortable. I checked with my friend and she told me it would be nice for the nurses to receive a small gift or a card. She said….nursing is a "thankless job". So sad……After heading down to KKIVF so frequently in the last 2 weeks, they really work long hours!!!!!
It's best to send something that can last a few days. Sometimes, they get so busy and they dun go to the room to take. Apparently candies and chocolates are very well liked. Thought I would be a little different :) Just thought the nurses would feel that they are appreciated.
Ooh….I wrote some words on the card too.
AND!!!! hehehe. of cos i saved 2! One for Michelle (was told by the nurse), the lovely anesthetist and my favorite Dr Tan!!!! I thought he had consultations today. But apparently not. BUT!!!!! As we were leaving, H saw him coming down the escalator! So happy! We said hi to him. He's really a warm person. He stopped to talk to us for a while when he could have just said hi and bye.
Side gossip - I wonder when Dr Tan will leave KK. All the doctors @ KK, once they are promoted to Head, they leave for greener pastures. I guess the only reason why a doctor will continue to stay on in a restructured hospital, is because they can continue with their research and educating the students. When we met Dr Tan at the escalator, he told us he just came from a talk for some clinical students. I would think most doctors would want to earn as much money as possible. Why would a doctor want to continue to stay on and be overloaded? The newspaper recently reported that an orthodontist in a restructured hospital performs 80 surgeries a year. While, a private doctor only performs 3. Actually, I cannot remember if the time frame was a year or a month! But it shows the vast difference. But it also means that it's better to go to a restructured hospital should you need major surgeries! :)
Day 5 post embryo transfer
Slowly counting down….
refraining from goggling about all the symptoms "I am supposed to have". Like a crazy woman, I did that during the 2ww for my previous 4 IUIs and I think I really went crazy. I read every single symptom, every sign. Funny thing, I had most of the signs in my 1st and 4th IUI but nothing happened. :(
Anyway, decided to give myself a task list for this 2ww period. It might be easier on my mental health. At least I have something to complete each day. Some of the tasks are easy. Some are stuff that I have been procrastinating on. So each day, I will just flip it over and see what is the task. I wrote down the tasks yesterday so that I will not recall what it is today! :)
I indicated the dates on the hearts as well. Cos I find myself constantly counting! This sheet is blu-tacked to my table, on the left! I can look at it daily and think of my 2 embryos…..
I hope my 2 little embryos have multiplied well and preparing to stick…..pls……be normal and healthy.
refraining from goggling about all the symptoms "I am supposed to have". Like a crazy woman, I did that during the 2ww for my previous 4 IUIs and I think I really went crazy. I read every single symptom, every sign. Funny thing, I had most of the signs in my 1st and 4th IUI but nothing happened. :(
Anyway, decided to give myself a task list for this 2ww period. It might be easier on my mental health. At least I have something to complete each day. Some of the tasks are easy. Some are stuff that I have been procrastinating on. So each day, I will just flip it over and see what is the task. I wrote down the tasks yesterday so that I will not recall what it is today! :)
I indicated the dates on the hearts as well. Cos I find myself constantly counting! This sheet is blu-tacked to my table, on the left! I can look at it daily and think of my 2 embryos…..
I hope my 2 little embryos have multiplied well and preparing to stick…..pls……be normal and healthy.
Monday 18 November 2013
Day 3 post embryo transfer…. meet E1 and E2!
See my embryos!! Isn't it like a miracle????? Wow…my egg and H's sperm. Through some magic, and care by the embryologist team, it fertilized…….
Wow…….this is just awesome…..
This photo will be given after each embryo transfer. Those that are frozen - no pictures.
Picture is now on my wall and I get to see them everyday!
I call them E1 and E2 = Embryo 1 and Embryo 2
Wow…….this is just awesome…..
This photo will be given after each embryo transfer. Those that are frozen - no pictures.
Picture is now on my wall and I get to see them everyday!
I call them E1 and E2 = Embryo 1 and Embryo 2
Embryo transfer
Another milestone hit.
Wow……today is Monday and I did the embryo transfer (ET) on Saturday. Still feeling overwhelmed…….2 little embryos in me?!?!?!? I hope they are multiplying well. So many things beyond my control. I can only hope for the best outcome.
ET day was a breeze. Why? Cos I chose to be sedated. I just want to sleep and not know what is happening. Wise choice for me!
Same thing happened as the egg retrieval day.
I needed to fast from 11.30pm the night before. No food nor water.
I arrived at the clinic around 7.30am, but only got to the counter at 8am. After signing some documents, I was guided to the changing room. This time, I was told not to empty my bladder (I only emptied the first morning pee). You see, normal ET is done when the patient is awake. So, the lady still has to abstain from food, but she has to drink up to fill her bladder. During the "awake" procedure, the doctor is guided via abdominal scan so that he can judge where to place the embryos. Since I cannot drink as I will be sedated, I was told the nurses will attach a tube and fill me up. How they attach? I seriously don't care. As long as they do it while I am asleep and give me pain killers. Heehee, that was what I told the anesthetist. She told me nicely it should not hurt! Oooh…she is soooo nice. Dr Lim. I think we are fated! She's only there this week on Thursday and Saturday and yet, both days I got her. She really cheers me up cos she is ready to talk to anyone and the last thing I need is silence or a stern medical worker.
Oh, I was ready and changed by 8.30am. I was wondering why the recovery room's nurse is so free but she did not prepare me for the IV. Later, I realized that Dr Lim gave instructions not to do for me yet. She wanted me on the bed before the nurses do for me. Super sweet!!!! She knows I fractured my leg and for the egg retrieval day, I took a while to hobble cos the IV was on my left hand which made it quite impossible for me to use the crutches. And because I was just sedated on Thursday, this time, they did the IV on the right side of my left wrist. How considerate!!! I was contemplating to ask if I could do on my right hand cos my left hand was still hurting a little.
Once on the bed, I was a little disappointed cos I did not see Dr Tan, so I asked Dr Lim if Dr Tan is here today. She replied "Yes, he is already here."I was super duper happy! I never thought I would still get him since he is on reservist. So I laid down and the nurses started getting me ready by getting me to spread my legs and covering up with some sheets. I felt soooo conscious….and a little uncomfortable cos the sheets that were covering me was constantly touching my little flower. hahahha
Then Dr Tan came in and I said good morning to my favorite doctor (of the moment)! He is lovely as usual. He told me I had 5 fertilized embryos!!! I was really happy. I was a little down when I had only 6, but to hear that 5 of them got fertilized, it was like I have been nominated for some award. He had a cheerful voice when he first spoke to me, but I did not want to get my hopes up….anyway, wow 5!!!!! He did not give me any other information and I figured the embryologists would give me more info. I should not bother him with it! I got to view my 2 little embryos via this small screen near the ceiling. Wow…….H did not get to view cos I chose sedation. Otherwise, hubbies will get to view the embryos as well as the embryo transfer. I showed him the photo though!
Ok, this comes the funny part. He sat down in front of me. Yes, facing my little flower. Oooh…..and I panicked….cos Dr Lim only just injected the sedation into me. I was not even out yet. I sort of jerked and told him I am not asleep yet. He SOOOO nicely told me, "dun worry, I will not do anything yet". I tell you…where to find this kind of nice doctor???
The next thing I knew was I woke up about 9.15am. I guess the procedures as about 15-20 mins? Cos I chatted quite long with Dr Lim plus the viewing of the embryos. As soon as I woke up, I drifted back to sleep again. By 10.30am, I was pretty much awake and Nurse Saw gave me a cup of milo. Chatted with her a while. Hope I am not too noisy. Once I was quite awake, she got the embryologist to speak to me.
I had 5 eggs that got fertilized. The best 2 which was grade 4 have been transferred into me. The remaining 3 - 2 of them are grade 4 and 1 of them grade 3. But depending on how they develop, not all 3 might be frozen. So although I have got 3 embryos, I might have 3 or lesser embryos transferred. I was a little sad and I asked her….if grade 1 is the best, mine is not so good huh. Then she perked and almost in a small shout, told me that grade 5 is the best! WOW!!! and I had 4 grade 4!??!??! WOW…..was really happy that day. First, I got Dr Tan for both the procedures, Sweet Dr Lim, 5 fertilized eggs even though Dr Tan only managed to retrieve 6, and now the grading! I hope my luck goes on…...
Anyway, by 11am, I was ready to be picked up by hubby. So happy, no pain, no giddiness. And you know what Dr Lim did!??!?! She asked the nurse to get ready a wheelchair for me!??!?! How sweet is that!!!!! Gosh…….anyway, it came in handy cos I felt giddy soon. This time, I stayed longer at the clinic. Cos hubby had to go to the pharmacy to collect medicine. I was to be injected with 0.2ml of Pregnyl and the nurse had to show me how to do it. Hhehehe, was happy I got the briefing from Nurse Wendy. The other nurse is very long winded and hmmm….she would rank last among all the nurses. Not very nice lady. Curly short hair. Nurse Wendy is very nice! :) She taught H to mix the medication and I told her I want to do the injection at home. How to ice myself there? Plus I need H to do slow mode for me….oooh….the nurses there are so swift with the injections. I was injected by this malay preggy nurse. Gosh….it hurt so bad that I wanted to tear.
Oooh, I also made payment for the insurance. So glad I can pay $291.04! It's the cost for transferring 2 embryos. If only 1 embryo, it would have been relatively cheaper - $68.48. I was thinking, why dun the insurance company just round up…..4 cents, 48 cents? Then H told me it's due to GST. Wow!!! H is sooo smart!!!
That should be the end of my story for ET day…..a breeze and I am glad that I have hit another milestone. I feel like I have been nominated for an award…..everyone wants to win but there can be only 1 winner. So it's either you win, or you lose. H told me not to think so much…..just take one day at a time. Next milestone…... 3 Dec. I have 15 more days to go!
Wow……today is Monday and I did the embryo transfer (ET) on Saturday. Still feeling overwhelmed…….2 little embryos in me?!?!?!? I hope they are multiplying well. So many things beyond my control. I can only hope for the best outcome.
ET day was a breeze. Why? Cos I chose to be sedated. I just want to sleep and not know what is happening. Wise choice for me!
Same thing happened as the egg retrieval day.
I needed to fast from 11.30pm the night before. No food nor water.
I arrived at the clinic around 7.30am, but only got to the counter at 8am. After signing some documents, I was guided to the changing room. This time, I was told not to empty my bladder (I only emptied the first morning pee). You see, normal ET is done when the patient is awake. So, the lady still has to abstain from food, but she has to drink up to fill her bladder. During the "awake" procedure, the doctor is guided via abdominal scan so that he can judge where to place the embryos. Since I cannot drink as I will be sedated, I was told the nurses will attach a tube and fill me up. How they attach? I seriously don't care. As long as they do it while I am asleep and give me pain killers. Heehee, that was what I told the anesthetist. She told me nicely it should not hurt! Oooh…she is soooo nice. Dr Lim. I think we are fated! She's only there this week on Thursday and Saturday and yet, both days I got her. She really cheers me up cos she is ready to talk to anyone and the last thing I need is silence or a stern medical worker.
Oh, I was ready and changed by 8.30am. I was wondering why the recovery room's nurse is so free but she did not prepare me for the IV. Later, I realized that Dr Lim gave instructions not to do for me yet. She wanted me on the bed before the nurses do for me. Super sweet!!!! She knows I fractured my leg and for the egg retrieval day, I took a while to hobble cos the IV was on my left hand which made it quite impossible for me to use the crutches. And because I was just sedated on Thursday, this time, they did the IV on the right side of my left wrist. How considerate!!! I was contemplating to ask if I could do on my right hand cos my left hand was still hurting a little.
Once on the bed, I was a little disappointed cos I did not see Dr Tan, so I asked Dr Lim if Dr Tan is here today. She replied "Yes, he is already here."I was super duper happy! I never thought I would still get him since he is on reservist. So I laid down and the nurses started getting me ready by getting me to spread my legs and covering up with some sheets. I felt soooo conscious….and a little uncomfortable cos the sheets that were covering me was constantly touching my little flower. hahahha
Then Dr Tan came in and I said good morning to my favorite doctor (of the moment)! He is lovely as usual. He told me I had 5 fertilized embryos!!! I was really happy. I was a little down when I had only 6, but to hear that 5 of them got fertilized, it was like I have been nominated for some award. He had a cheerful voice when he first spoke to me, but I did not want to get my hopes up….anyway, wow 5!!!!! He did not give me any other information and I figured the embryologists would give me more info. I should not bother him with it! I got to view my 2 little embryos via this small screen near the ceiling. Wow…….H did not get to view cos I chose sedation. Otherwise, hubbies will get to view the embryos as well as the embryo transfer. I showed him the photo though!
Ok, this comes the funny part. He sat down in front of me. Yes, facing my little flower. Oooh…..and I panicked….cos Dr Lim only just injected the sedation into me. I was not even out yet. I sort of jerked and told him I am not asleep yet. He SOOOO nicely told me, "dun worry, I will not do anything yet". I tell you…where to find this kind of nice doctor???
The next thing I knew was I woke up about 9.15am. I guess the procedures as about 15-20 mins? Cos I chatted quite long with Dr Lim plus the viewing of the embryos. As soon as I woke up, I drifted back to sleep again. By 10.30am, I was pretty much awake and Nurse Saw gave me a cup of milo. Chatted with her a while. Hope I am not too noisy. Once I was quite awake, she got the embryologist to speak to me.
I had 5 eggs that got fertilized. The best 2 which was grade 4 have been transferred into me. The remaining 3 - 2 of them are grade 4 and 1 of them grade 3. But depending on how they develop, not all 3 might be frozen. So although I have got 3 embryos, I might have 3 or lesser embryos transferred. I was a little sad and I asked her….if grade 1 is the best, mine is not so good huh. Then she perked and almost in a small shout, told me that grade 5 is the best! WOW!!! and I had 4 grade 4!??!??! WOW…..was really happy that day. First, I got Dr Tan for both the procedures, Sweet Dr Lim, 5 fertilized eggs even though Dr Tan only managed to retrieve 6, and now the grading! I hope my luck goes on…...
Anyway, by 11am, I was ready to be picked up by hubby. So happy, no pain, no giddiness. And you know what Dr Lim did!??!?! She asked the nurse to get ready a wheelchair for me!??!?! How sweet is that!!!!! Gosh…….anyway, it came in handy cos I felt giddy soon. This time, I stayed longer at the clinic. Cos hubby had to go to the pharmacy to collect medicine. I was to be injected with 0.2ml of Pregnyl and the nurse had to show me how to do it. Hhehehe, was happy I got the briefing from Nurse Wendy. The other nurse is very long winded and hmmm….she would rank last among all the nurses. Not very nice lady. Curly short hair. Nurse Wendy is very nice! :) She taught H to mix the medication and I told her I want to do the injection at home. How to ice myself there? Plus I need H to do slow mode for me….oooh….the nurses there are so swift with the injections. I was injected by this malay preggy nurse. Gosh….it hurt so bad that I wanted to tear.
Oooh, I also made payment for the insurance. So glad I can pay $291.04! It's the cost for transferring 2 embryos. If only 1 embryo, it would have been relatively cheaper - $68.48. I was thinking, why dun the insurance company just round up…..4 cents, 48 cents? Then H told me it's due to GST. Wow!!! H is sooo smart!!!
That should be the end of my story for ET day…..a breeze and I am glad that I have hit another milestone. I feel like I have been nominated for an award…..everyone wants to win but there can be only 1 winner. So it's either you win, or you lose. H told me not to think so much…..just take one day at a time. Next milestone…... 3 Dec. I have 15 more days to go!
Thursday 14 November 2013
Day 14 - Egg Retrieval Day
Day 14 of my Antagonist IVF Cycle
This is the day for egg retrieval! I could only pen this today (one day after) as I was so tired and drowsy from the sedation.
I was supposed to report to the clinic @ 7.30am. By the time I got a q number and ready to say good bye to hubby, it was already 8am! And hubby produced sperms at 7am (at home)!!! I was kinda freaking out but told myself to calm down. We should have produced at the clinic cos today, there were only 6 people doing the egg retrieval which means no rush for the room. :(
Note: Although the clinic opens @ 7.30am, you would be allowed into the waiting area from 7.20am.
So…...I entered the room. It's termed as "Changing room" from the outside (as in from the KKIVF clinic). I was told to remove all my street wear and change into the this white gown. Then I had a pink kimono cos the white gown was bare back! Nurse called it a pink kimono. Hhahaa. I had to empty my bladder again (just in case). Kept all my personal stuff in the locker (including phone), said good bye to hubby over whataspp, then, I walked through the other door and into the waiting area. It is one huge room with only an enclosed room which I later learnt was the procedure room. This huge room is also where I will be recovering after my sedation. I sat down on the chair (just next to the door I had to go through with 4 chairs). There were already 2 ladies there. I had no mood to make small talk and I guess same for them. Waited for Nurse Lee (this all all the nurses wears the blue garb) to prep me. She had to insert a needle into my left hand cos this is where the anesthetist (wearing the green garb) will insert the lovely sedation for me and any other pain killers or drip that I might need. Within 5 mins of the Nurse Lee prepping me, my name was called and I proceeded to the procedure room. I think it was about 8.30am?
My doctor is Dr Tan Heng Hao. He was supposed to be on reservist but he comes back every morning to do the procedure! I was so happy to see him!!!! I think he really loves his job huh. He could have a free and easy time, but choose to come back! Not like the hospital is paying him extra.
Anesthetist was nice and was so chirpy which really puts me at ease. At this point, I do not even recall if I saw Dr Tan before I was knocked out. It was that fast! Wahahaha.
The next time I woke up, it was 9.15am and I drifted in and out of sleep. I seemed to take longer than the rest to recover. When I was more awake, I was given a cup of warm milo. Again, after finishing my drink, I drifted back to sleep. It was quiet and peaceful and I did not have any cramps (based on what I read from the internet and I was so happy!). 3 girls were already discharged before me! In any case, hubby was not ready to pick me up, so I told the Nurse Lee and she told me to rest a little linger. There are 2 nurses running the recovery area. They were really quite good. Always checking in on everyone.
By 11.45, I felt so much better and more alert, decided to tell Nurse Lee I was ready to go home. Cos you see….I had to call hubby and my phone was in the locker. So, if I continued to stay on the bed, my hubby will never know to come pick me! I still felt good even after I changed and sat down to wait for hubby. It is a rule that someone must accompany you home and the nurse has to confirm. Nurse Lee came over to explain some stuff about the egg retrieval and the signs I will be experiencing. She told me my vaginal bleeding is slight and doctor has checked (gasp! so shy…) and I am doing fine. I had 6 follicles picked up. Then she gave me instructions for the procedure on Saturday and some documents to sign. I was already getting drowsy again. In fact, I actually felt sick.
Hubby arrived around 12.30pm! He insisted that I have something to eat and he suggested Macs which I could not resist. It was a good move. Felt so much better after having fries!!!! Tried a bit of hubby's Ebi burger and it was not bad and it came with the banana pie! I still fancy the apple pie! I still felt good when I arrived home but decided to rest. Changed into home clothes and got a hot water bottle for myself and climbed into bed. By this time, cramping had already started. Oh….I felt a little weird down under my little flower.
Next woke up @ 3pm when hubby came home and he told me I told him to lower his voice. Oops….I have NO recollection about this!!! Slept again and woke up @ 6pm. Watched some tv and had my dinner @ 7pm. Waited till 9pm to take my antibiotics cos I had pizza for dinner (no milk contents 2 hours before/after antibiotics), played some candy crush and I was snoozing by 10.30pm! Note: Cramps at this time was kinda bad. Was contemplating Panadol but because it was bearable, I decided to sleep it off. Woke up this morning @ 8.30am and felt so much better. No more cramps!
To sum off my experience at KKIVF. It felt like I was part of a factory assemble. From the reception to the changing room, to the needle insertion to the procedure. It was patient after patient. BUT…..surprisingly, I find comfort in this. Previously, I had to wait 2 hours for the doctor to start the procedure. Waiting so long actually makes you even more scared. So…I was glad that it was like an assembly line and I did not had to wait long for my turn. Gave me less time to think about anything.
Tomorrow…..the day of my embryo transfer. I only had 6 follicles retrieved which I think was quite low. But…with low ovarian reserve, I should be lucky for this. The consultant doctor told me that some people could only produce 1-2 follicles. I am hoping for quality….at 2.36pm on a Friday afternoon, I have not received any call from KKIVF, so I guess no news is good news? I am afraid that no eggs have been fertilised…… :(
Oh, as of day 12 of my cycle, these were my readings:
Right - 18,17.5,15,15,12,12,10.5
Left - 18,17.5,15,15,12,12,10.5
Lining - 11
Another milestone achieved
This is the day for egg retrieval! I could only pen this today (one day after) as I was so tired and drowsy from the sedation.
I was supposed to report to the clinic @ 7.30am. By the time I got a q number and ready to say good bye to hubby, it was already 8am! And hubby produced sperms at 7am (at home)!!! I was kinda freaking out but told myself to calm down. We should have produced at the clinic cos today, there were only 6 people doing the egg retrieval which means no rush for the room. :(
Note: Although the clinic opens @ 7.30am, you would be allowed into the waiting area from 7.20am.
So…...I entered the room. It's termed as "Changing room" from the outside (as in from the KKIVF clinic). I was told to remove all my street wear and change into the this white gown. Then I had a pink kimono cos the white gown was bare back! Nurse called it a pink kimono. Hhahaa. I had to empty my bladder again (just in case). Kept all my personal stuff in the locker (including phone), said good bye to hubby over whataspp, then, I walked through the other door and into the waiting area. It is one huge room with only an enclosed room which I later learnt was the procedure room. This huge room is also where I will be recovering after my sedation. I sat down on the chair (just next to the door I had to go through with 4 chairs). There were already 2 ladies there. I had no mood to make small talk and I guess same for them. Waited for Nurse Lee (this all all the nurses wears the blue garb) to prep me. She had to insert a needle into my left hand cos this is where the anesthetist (wearing the green garb) will insert the lovely sedation for me and any other pain killers or drip that I might need. Within 5 mins of the Nurse Lee prepping me, my name was called and I proceeded to the procedure room. I think it was about 8.30am?
My doctor is Dr Tan Heng Hao. He was supposed to be on reservist but he comes back every morning to do the procedure! I was so happy to see him!!!! I think he really loves his job huh. He could have a free and easy time, but choose to come back! Not like the hospital is paying him extra.
Anesthetist was nice and was so chirpy which really puts me at ease. At this point, I do not even recall if I saw Dr Tan before I was knocked out. It was that fast! Wahahaha.
The next time I woke up, it was 9.15am and I drifted in and out of sleep. I seemed to take longer than the rest to recover. When I was more awake, I was given a cup of warm milo. Again, after finishing my drink, I drifted back to sleep. It was quiet and peaceful and I did not have any cramps (based on what I read from the internet and I was so happy!). 3 girls were already discharged before me! In any case, hubby was not ready to pick me up, so I told the Nurse Lee and she told me to rest a little linger. There are 2 nurses running the recovery area. They were really quite good. Always checking in on everyone.
By 11.45, I felt so much better and more alert, decided to tell Nurse Lee I was ready to go home. Cos you see….I had to call hubby and my phone was in the locker. So, if I continued to stay on the bed, my hubby will never know to come pick me! I still felt good even after I changed and sat down to wait for hubby. It is a rule that someone must accompany you home and the nurse has to confirm. Nurse Lee came over to explain some stuff about the egg retrieval and the signs I will be experiencing. She told me my vaginal bleeding is slight and doctor has checked (gasp! so shy…) and I am doing fine. I had 6 follicles picked up. Then she gave me instructions for the procedure on Saturday and some documents to sign. I was already getting drowsy again. In fact, I actually felt sick.
Hubby arrived around 12.30pm! He insisted that I have something to eat and he suggested Macs which I could not resist. It was a good move. Felt so much better after having fries!!!! Tried a bit of hubby's Ebi burger and it was not bad and it came with the banana pie! I still fancy the apple pie! I still felt good when I arrived home but decided to rest. Changed into home clothes and got a hot water bottle for myself and climbed into bed. By this time, cramping had already started. Oh….I felt a little weird down under my little flower.
Next woke up @ 3pm when hubby came home and he told me I told him to lower his voice. Oops….I have NO recollection about this!!! Slept again and woke up @ 6pm. Watched some tv and had my dinner @ 7pm. Waited till 9pm to take my antibiotics cos I had pizza for dinner (no milk contents 2 hours before/after antibiotics), played some candy crush and I was snoozing by 10.30pm! Note: Cramps at this time was kinda bad. Was contemplating Panadol but because it was bearable, I decided to sleep it off. Woke up this morning @ 8.30am and felt so much better. No more cramps!
To sum off my experience at KKIVF. It felt like I was part of a factory assemble. From the reception to the changing room, to the needle insertion to the procedure. It was patient after patient. BUT…..surprisingly, I find comfort in this. Previously, I had to wait 2 hours for the doctor to start the procedure. Waiting so long actually makes you even more scared. So…I was glad that it was like an assembly line and I did not had to wait long for my turn. Gave me less time to think about anything.
Tomorrow…..the day of my embryo transfer. I only had 6 follicles retrieved which I think was quite low. But…with low ovarian reserve, I should be lucky for this. The consultant doctor told me that some people could only produce 1-2 follicles. I am hoping for quality….at 2.36pm on a Friday afternoon, I have not received any call from KKIVF, so I guess no news is good news? I am afraid that no eggs have been fertilised…… :(
Oh, as of day 12 of my cycle, these were my readings:
Right - 18,17.5,15,15,12,12,10.5
Left - 18,17.5,15,15,12,12,10.5
Lining - 11
Another milestone achieved
Things to prepare for Embryo transfer Day
Things to prepare:
1) IVF documents
2) Cheque - do not fill in numbers as it would depend on how many embryos are being transferred. I decided to leave it blank
Things to prepare for egg retrieval Day
Also known as Oocyte Pick Up
Things to prepare
1) IVF documents (you would have been given some documents. Bring it along). Oh, please read it and be aware of what to expect
2) Own medication (I brought along Panadol as I have drug allergy. It would act as my pain killer)
3) Sanitary pad or panty liner (I was good with just a panty liner)
4) Heat pad (to help release cramps)
5) Sperms! If you are producing at home)
Note: This applies only to KKIVF patients
Oh, I did a list of items to watch out for after the egg retrieval.
My list:
To contact clinic if:
1) Fever greater than 39 degrees for more than 2 hours
2) Excessive vaginal bleeding
3) Unusual and increasing pelvic area discomfort
4) Difficulty with urination or change in bowel activity
5) Nausea, vomitting or diahorrea
6) Sharp or shooting pains
7) Pain or burning during urination
8) Abdominal swelling
9) Unusual back pain
Oh, I did a list of items to watch out for after the egg retrieval.
My list:
To contact clinic if:
1) Fever greater than 39 degrees for more than 2 hours
2) Excessive vaginal bleeding
3) Unusual and increasing pelvic area discomfort
4) Difficulty with urination or change in bowel activity
5) Nausea, vomitting or diahorrea
6) Sharp or shooting pains
7) Pain or burning during urination
8) Abdominal swelling
9) Unusual back pain
Thursday 7 November 2013
Day 7 of Antagonist Cycle
Back to KKIVF again today (after 3 days). Going to head back again tomorrow cos the doctor wants to monitor the growth of the follicles.
Right ovary - 13,10,10
Left Ovary - 10.5, 9.5
Uterus Lining - 8
I am so happy that the sonographer could detect 2 more follicles. I was worried that something might be wrong with my left ovary but seems like I should be at ease now……
Ok, so the weekend is approaching and because KKIVF does not do any procedures on Sundays, and the doctors need to monitor the speed of my follicle growth so that they can better gauge what they need to do next, and also when the egg retrieval will be, as such, I will need to head back tomorrow for another ultrasound. This time, still the same French doctor! You see my follicle size, most are around the same size, except for 1 that is growing ahead of the rest. As such, they need to monitor how fast the other 4 are growing, to obtain an optimal result.
Hmmm…she mentioned that my egg retrieval looks likely to be either Tuesday or Wednesday. That means hubby should start monitoring his sperms!
I am still on super high dose of medication - 450 units of Puregon. Geesh…..when i read blogs of other IVF-sters, they are on 150-200. I am way over their dosage….
Today, I was number 4! I arrived KKIVF about 7.40am. Doctor only started work around 9.10am. Plus, she could not go as fast as Monday cos she was guiding another doctor who still needs to polish on her delivery. When she first explained to me, it sounded like she was giving up on the other 4 eggs and just banking on the biggest egg. hhahahah. I had to collect medication, so I was done by 9.45am today. Collected 1 Puregon and 1 stick of Orgalutran today. Damage = $740.29. Lucky for medisave and subsidy.
Another early morning and sleepy day for me tomorrow….
Right ovary - 13,10,10
Left Ovary - 10.5, 9.5
Uterus Lining - 8
I am so happy that the sonographer could detect 2 more follicles. I was worried that something might be wrong with my left ovary but seems like I should be at ease now……
Ok, so the weekend is approaching and because KKIVF does not do any procedures on Sundays, and the doctors need to monitor the speed of my follicle growth so that they can better gauge what they need to do next, and also when the egg retrieval will be, as such, I will need to head back tomorrow for another ultrasound. This time, still the same French doctor! You see my follicle size, most are around the same size, except for 1 that is growing ahead of the rest. As such, they need to monitor how fast the other 4 are growing, to obtain an optimal result.
Hmmm…she mentioned that my egg retrieval looks likely to be either Tuesday or Wednesday. That means hubby should start monitoring his sperms!
I am still on super high dose of medication - 450 units of Puregon. Geesh…..when i read blogs of other IVF-sters, they are on 150-200. I am way over their dosage….
Today, I was number 4! I arrived KKIVF about 7.40am. Doctor only started work around 9.10am. Plus, she could not go as fast as Monday cos she was guiding another doctor who still needs to polish on her delivery. When she first explained to me, it sounded like she was giving up on the other 4 eggs and just banking on the biggest egg. hhahahah. I had to collect medication, so I was done by 9.45am today. Collected 1 Puregon and 1 stick of Orgalutran today. Damage = $740.29. Lucky for medisave and subsidy.
Another early morning and sleepy day for me tomorrow….
Monday 4 November 2013
Day 5 of Antagonist Cycle.....
.....and I am speechless. I thought I could handle it. But it's quite tough with all the injections. As you can see from the chart, I am on day 5 and I have 2 injections daily. I suspect I might even have these daily injections till Day 12 of the Antagonist cycle. The tummy is so sore that I dun even know where H should be injecting?!?!?!?!? I inject at 12-12.30pm daily. It has been 3 hours and yet, the tummy still feels pain! Nothing internal, just the external where the needle went through. This is the mental stress that everyone has to handle. It's really tough for those who are going through IVF and holding a job at the same time. Wow......
and it's tiring to go to the hospital for 3 hours every 3 days.
:(
:(
Another mental stress coming up - Egg retrieval.
Worry:
1) Not enough follicles. At the moment, only 2
2) Dr Tan is not the one doing for me
3) Some people experience pain. I have a super low threshold for pain......
I came across this video. You might like to take a look. Nothing gruesome but it helps you to "prepare" for the egg retrieval process. I was cringing all the time, wondering when a gruesome picture will come up. But the doctor was just explaining the process, the equipment etc.
Day 4 of Antagonist Cycle - another visit to KKIVF
Let me explain why it is Day 4.
Today is Day 9 since the start of my menstrual cycle.
I started Orgalutran on Day 3 (and it last till Day 5) of my menstrual cycle
Then I start Puregon (to stimulate the growth of the follicles) on Day 6 and I am still on it.
See my illustration below.
Today's date - 4 Nov
And guess what, I am back to Orgalutran tomorrow. I am wondering why since the songographer only detected 3 follicles today. It's not like it will stimulate my body to ovulate?
Just a guide for waiting time - Today is a Monday and Mondays are normally more crowded. I arrived at 7.40am and I was the 10th person in the queue. On average, it takes about 4-5 mins per scan. By the time I did my scanning, it was about 8.45am. Today, the doctor started to see the patients (that already had the scanning done) around 8.45am in Room 4. By the time I saw the doctor, it was around 9.35am. She was super chop chop. I might as well have seen the nurse cos she seems like she was trying to catch a train and Not much explanation done. She makes me feel like she is trying to rush me out of the room. So different from Dr Tan. I think this is the doctor (see image below)- Dr Viardot -Foucault. Her name was not on the door and she just wore a name tag. The doctors that see you during the consultations (after the scanning) are at random and it will not be the doctor that you are choosing for your egg retrieval and embryo transfer.
P.S: Not so good news. Dr Tan is on reservist from 11-16 November 2013, so I will totally miss him for both egg retrieval and embryo transfer. Was disappointed cos I wanted HIM!!! and he's so nice. I hope the doctor that is going to take over my case is nice and capable.
I checked with the nurse and she said that funding for medication is also 75%. I will be given a breakdown at the end of the IVF. A box of Puregon 900 costs $662.12 including GST. I was prescribed 1 box of Puregon and 3 units of Orgalutran. Yucks.....Will start Orgalutran tomorrow, together with puregon. Today, I was not even sure which side to let H inject. Both feels so sore and pain......
I also asked a few questions regarding the egg retrieval. It is normally done in the mornings and before 11am. There is only ONE room for collection of sperms and as such, I will persuade H to do it at home. I mean.....it would be super stressful when you know another comrade is up next. Considering that KKIVF is handling so many IVFS......2453 in 2011??? That's about 8 per day. I'm sure with the government funding, they could easily be doing 12-20 a day now! The operation room is also on the same floor as the clinic, the corridor down from the reception counter. It should take about 4 hours cos as I will be sedated, I will need time to be ready to go home. I think I will ask H to go off and do his stuff cos I am pretty sure he will not be allowed to wake with me. So unlike Raffles Hospital.......they gave me a bed in a ward to rest. I could even order food!!!! Most importantly, H can be beside me. Imaging waking up and staying conscious all alone.....:( Shall ask the nurse about this on Thursday. Next check up - Thursday.
This is the link http://www.kkh.com.sg/ABOUTUS/CLINICALOUTCOMES/Pages/KKIVFCentre.aspx
Today is Day 9 since the start of my menstrual cycle.
I started Orgalutran on Day 3 (and it last till Day 5) of my menstrual cycle
Then I start Puregon (to stimulate the growth of the follicles) on Day 6 and I am still on it.
See my illustration below.
Today's date - 4 Nov
And guess what, I am back to Orgalutran tomorrow. I am wondering why since the songographer only detected 3 follicles today. It's not like it will stimulate my body to ovulate?
Just a guide for waiting time - Today is a Monday and Mondays are normally more crowded. I arrived at 7.40am and I was the 10th person in the queue. On average, it takes about 4-5 mins per scan. By the time I did my scanning, it was about 8.45am. Today, the doctor started to see the patients (that already had the scanning done) around 8.45am in Room 4. By the time I saw the doctor, it was around 9.35am. She was super chop chop. I might as well have seen the nurse cos she seems like she was trying to catch a train and Not much explanation done. She makes me feel like she is trying to rush me out of the room. So different from Dr Tan. I think this is the doctor (see image below)- Dr Viardot -Foucault. Her name was not on the door and she just wore a name tag. The doctors that see you during the consultations (after the scanning) are at random and it will not be the doctor that you are choosing for your egg retrieval and embryo transfer.
| Dr Veronique Viardot-Foucault | Consultant (Endocrinology) | MD (France), PG Dip (Endocrinology) (France) FAMS (Endocrinology) |
P.S: Not so good news. Dr Tan is on reservist from 11-16 November 2013, so I will totally miss him for both egg retrieval and embryo transfer. Was disappointed cos I wanted HIM!!! and he's so nice. I hope the doctor that is going to take over my case is nice and capable.
I checked with the nurse and she said that funding for medication is also 75%. I will be given a breakdown at the end of the IVF. A box of Puregon 900 costs $662.12 including GST. I was prescribed 1 box of Puregon and 3 units of Orgalutran. Yucks.....Will start Orgalutran tomorrow, together with puregon. Today, I was not even sure which side to let H inject. Both feels so sore and pain......
I also asked a few questions regarding the egg retrieval. It is normally done in the mornings and before 11am. There is only ONE room for collection of sperms and as such, I will persuade H to do it at home. I mean.....it would be super stressful when you know another comrade is up next. Considering that KKIVF is handling so many IVFS......2453 in 2011??? That's about 8 per day. I'm sure with the government funding, they could easily be doing 12-20 a day now! The operation room is also on the same floor as the clinic, the corridor down from the reception counter. It should take about 4 hours cos as I will be sedated, I will need time to be ready to go home. I think I will ask H to go off and do his stuff cos I am pretty sure he will not be allowed to wake with me. So unlike Raffles Hospital.......they gave me a bed in a ward to rest. I could even order food!!!! Most importantly, H can be beside me. Imaging waking up and staying conscious all alone.....:( Shall ask the nurse about this on Thursday. Next check up - Thursday.
This is the link http://www.kkh.com.sg/ABOUTUS/CLINICALOUTCOMES/Pages/KKIVFCentre.aspx
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