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I can't believe you live in Cleveland. I thought this whole time you lived in Maryland. I live in Portsmouth. I went to Bethesda Fertility Clinic in Cincinnati. It's about a 2 hour and 15 minute trip for me. I know we had different procedures done and I'm afraid I would have to travel a lot; I did each time before and the travel expenses alone are outrageous. (Geez, what happened to the gas prices?) However, I think I will call and see what they offer. Maybe some things could be done locally. I really don't want to give up yet.

If I remember correctly the first time my doctor retrieved 9 eggs and the second time he retrieved 12. I know that both times he consistently told me how disappointed he was in my progress; he wanted 15-20 eggs because of my age.

That is very sweet of you to want to lend your insurance. That would be nice! Mine doesn't cover ANYTHING. I have a good job with the county I live in but since the downturn of the economy my hours have been cut back, no raise in 3 years, and my insurance is more expensive. It stinks. Plus all this. :(

I went to Portsmouth probably 25 yrs. ago....my aunt and uncle lived there for a short time. Portsmouth is probably more like 6.5 hrs. to SG, didn't realize you are still 2 hrs. to Parkersburg. I forgot too that my monitoring was much less b/c of the donor. So you did your daily monitoring near home at an obs office? I will say Shady Grove is very good at handling out of town situations, they do a ton of it.
9 and 12 is not that bad for retrieving, you could be borderline good/normal for FSH scores. My donor had 17 on my try (which were split b/w 2 of us), and she had 12 and 19 on her other retrievals. She was 29.
I bet Bethesda is a pretty good clinic, I'll have to check them out. Do they do alot of ivfs per year and have good outcomes?
I can tell you are not ready to just move on! Check it out, keep me posted :) My donor' slining is checked Wed. and hopefully can start meds Sat.

Update please. :)

Not much to update. Estimated retrieval date keeps getting pushed back for something. donor took her birth control pills for 1 day too many, so she just started her meds Sunday (hopefully). I'll talk to my nurse today, just had my lining checked (13mm!!) this is the thickest its ever been so hope that is a good sign. Did you have to do lining checks?
So estimated retrival date is 27th or 28th. Then I have to be ready to head to MD 3 or 5 days later.
How about you? Did you decide to contact Shady Grove, or still thinking about it? I hope you do, if nothing else, to get another clinic's opinion.

Well, my husband and I reached a compromise. We are going to try a reversal. We've located a microsurgeon in Oklahoma that is supposed to be one of the best. He's a pro-life advocate and does reversals as part of a ministry. We spent last week doing research and my husband called approximately 10 former clients. We've decided to take a break from IVF and do this procedure as it's much cheaper and save some money for awhile. My doctor told me that there's a chance that I just don't respond well to IVF meds and that I could get pregnant naturally without a problem; however, he did not recommend my husband having a reversal since his vasectomy was 7-8 years ago. I'm not too optimistic about this but I agreed to it for now because we just can't afford IVF. The microsurgeon has a wonderful record with reversing older vasectomies though so hopefully this will work. After this it's time to save, save, save...

Atleast you have a plan, something to have hope in. It sounds like your husband really wants something to work for you, which is nice. I am sure some would not support what he is doing, and he did all that research, wow, I am impressed! How old are his children if you don't mind me asking.
Well, I hope for you that it works and you have a fair chance after that. You have age in your favor. So when would the procedure happen and how long after would you know if it was 'successful'?

So how's it going? :)

Hi! Got back from Shady Grove last Friday, transferred 2 embryos Thurs. One good full blast, one was an early blast. All went well. Good news is that 4 were frozen at Day 6, so some piece of mind w/ that. So out of 10 fertilized, 6 ended up good.
As you know, this waiting is terrible. I keep reading blogs to see what people claim they felt if they had a BFP. Some say they had cramps, others nothing. I am reading into every feeling, none of it really matters, right? Did you feel any different the time your ivf took vs. the 2nd time?

Anyway, I'm hanging in there. Thanks for asking. What's the latest on your plans to pursue hubbie's reversal?

That is good news! When do you go for your beta? Yes, I did feel different the time they implanted. I was EXHAUSTED and hungry all the time and I'm not a good sleeper so my fatigue was very noticeable. I feel for you. The waiting is torture. I wish I could make it easier for you! :)

My husband is scheduled for reversal on March 8th. We'll be flying to Oklahoma on the 7th. I'm so nervous that it won't work or that there will be antibodies or SOMETHING. We've obviously not had good luck so far and I'm so afraid it will continue. PLEASE keep me updated! If you need to talk send me a message!!

I hope everything goes good for you guys. Sounds like you did your research, that's all you can do I guess. Maybe you will have time out there to make it like a vacation, yes?!
My beta is the 16th...they wait 13dpt, even w/ 5-day. So you didn't feel any weird pangs or slight cramps throughout the 2wks? I know some don't feel anything, and I never felt different w/ my son, not even tired, but I am afraid I am supposed to feel stuff now and really don't. I have got to get that out of my head, there are no definite indicators other than hcg.

I did feel what I think were implantation cramps two separate times. My transfer was on a Wednesday and I felt the cramps once on Thursday and once on Friday. Then Saturday and Sunday the fatigue and hunger set in. It was so extreme that I noticed when it went away. Remember, I miscarried so those two things went away as quickly as they started and I've never been pregnant other than that so I don't know what you would feel the remainder of the two weeks. I had two embryos transferred and I think they both implanted and that's why I felt the cramps twice and why my symptoms were so significant so quickly. I've read so much about this and so many women say they've felt different things with different pregnancies, even no symptoms with one pregnancy and tons with another. Were you trying to get pregnant with your son? I'm just wondering because if he was not exactly planned (the way this is), maybe you didn't notice symptoms.

I was trying w/ my son, but wasn't paying close attention to anything, and never had the hunger and extreme fatigue.
I thought I felt lower ab cramps Sat. morning (2 days after transfer), but wasn't sure in the morn if I was dreaming or they really happened! + they say the progesterone can do funny things. I know the day after my first shot, I really felt the fatigue and then I was back to normal pretty much.
Thanks for sharing!

So tomorrow is the big day! How do you feel?

Feeling perfectly fine but have had cramping on and off since Thurs. (more distict, like I feel before my period). And I spotted Thurs. night, which freaked me out at first, but my nurse said it is common to have that, they don't know why always. As for tomorrow, I am nervous of course, not testing myself, afraid to jinx anything! I have a feeling its going to be negative, or if positive, it will be twins! I am afraid of what it would be like w/ twins :)
Any updates w/ you? Is there a certain period of time that you have to wait after surgery to make sure things worked and to start trying?

I really hope things go well for you today.

We do have to wait awhile. It will take at least 4 weeks, maybe 6, for my husband to heal. We can start trying then but he can't have the test to see if there's sperm present until 4 months after the surgery. I've read it can take up to two years after a successful reversal to get pregnant. I really hope it's successful for us. I would be devastated. :( I'll not think of that now.

Please, please, please let me know your results! I'll be thinking of you today.

its positive....! beta was 982, OMG! doesn't mean twins does it ? :) thank you for all your support. I go back Friday.