After taking a 3 months break, I was ready for another FET. Let's use up the remaining 3 blasts. Well at this time, I wasn't too optimistic already. I was given estrade (Estradiol) pills to prepare my endometrial lining. Once the lining was 1 cm, I was prescribed crinone two times a day as well as Duphaston (progesterone pills) to be taken 3 pills per night. This made my head really dizzy so I had to take it right before bedtime.
The funny thing with this transfer was that I was asked to go in at 3:00 pm however I got a call at 1ish pm from the lab asking me why I wasn't there already. I told them I was on my way already and they said all the other patients were already there waiting for the transfer. Anyway I reached the lab at 2ish and when it was time for my transfer, the doctor exclaimed that my bladder wasn't full enough and I got sent back to the waiting room! :( I then took two big cups of water and waited for 30 mins, by which time all the other patients were done with their transfers. I got sent to the ET room again (as the last patient) by which time my bladder felt like it would burst! The transfer was quick however after I got up and wiped, there was so much blood on the tissue paper! Never did I experience bleeding from ET. I was anxious and went and spoke to the lab personnel at the reception and they said this was most likely because the cervix was scraped a bit from the transfer. Left me wondering if the doctor wasn't too happy about my not very full bladder earlier.
Long story short - I started bleeding at 7 days post transfer (7DPT). Called the lab and they wouldn't give me any answers and asked me to call the doctor. I called the doctor and got to speak to the nurse. She instructed me to just keep on using Crinone and taking my progesterone oral pills until day of beta hcg test. I was practically bed ridden, the bleeding had gotten heavier. I decided to go for the beta at 12 DPT instead of 14 DPT. As you can guess, it was a bfn. I inquired (again with the associate doctor) why I bled at 7 DPT and if it was because of insufficient progesterone supplementation. He said it happens sometimes as they body knows best when to shed the lining especially when it gets too plump/thick and there is no implantation/pregnancy. He asked me if I wanted to wait and consult with Dr. Hwu which I didn't see a point so I declined and walked out of the clinic and later cried my eyes out.
Saturday, October 01, 2016
Monday, August 08, 2016
Update on the BFP
We returned to the clinic after 2 days and did the 2nd beta hcg blood test early in the morning. The result came in at 329. It was about 1.2 or 1.4 times the original. The associate doctor wasn't too sure what to do so asked me to go to the ultrasound room to check with Dr. Hwu and to do an ultrasound. At the ultrasound room, I briefed the doctor on my status and no embryonic sac was seen on the ultrasound. Dr. Hwu asked me to stop all medications as he said it wasn't a very normal pregnancy and to go back after 2 days for beta hcg blood test to ensure that the beta has gone down. They were afraid of ectopic pregnancy. So I stopped all medications and again after 2 days, I did another blood test, The beta was 190ish this time. The associate doctor said to wait for my period to come and if it does come, then all should be fine.
I was so scared of ectopic pregnancy and was pretty thankful when my period came. Although this meant I had to do a 3rd fresh IVF cycle, I was pretty relieved that there were no other complications. Human reproduction is a complex science. My baby-seeking journey hasn't been easy and I believe that when God decides the time is ripe, he will bless me with a baby.
To my readers, thank you for all the support. It is not an easy road and I wish you all the best in your fertility journeys. God bless.
I was so scared of ectopic pregnancy and was pretty thankful when my period came. Although this meant I had to do a 3rd fresh IVF cycle, I was pretty relieved that there were no other complications. Human reproduction is a complex science. My baby-seeking journey hasn't been easy and I believe that when God decides the time is ripe, he will bless me with a baby.
To my readers, thank you for all the support. It is not an easy road and I wish you all the best in your fertility journeys. God bless.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
The much awaited BFP! (and the surprise that came with it!)
We went to the hospital early to do the beta HCG blood work. After that we went to Starbucks and lingered there for a couple hours before we went back to the clinic. When it was our turn, we went in to check the results of the blood test. I looked at the screen and it was a beta of 237!
I wasn't particularly overjoyed but I did feel a little happy that my beta was positive. I looked at the associate doctor who was in the clinic instead of Dr. Hwu, who is in the ultrasound room. The associate doctor (I will just refer to him as doctor) didn't congratulate me and he was frowning instead, appearing concerned. When he did speak up, he said I had a positive beta but he thinks it's a big too low for D4+14 dPT. He then showed me an excel spreadsheet with the stats and said that usually the beta numbers should be well over 800+. He wanted to me do another blood test after 48 hours to see if it doubles or is 1.66 times the original beta. Well, seriously? I had always thought a positive is positive! How naïve I was!
So we left the clinic with a slip for the second beta hcg test 2 days later.... fingers crossed? I wasn't too sure what to think....
I wasn't particularly overjoyed but I did feel a little happy that my beta was positive. I looked at the associate doctor who was in the clinic instead of Dr. Hwu, who is in the ultrasound room. The associate doctor (I will just refer to him as doctor) didn't congratulate me and he was frowning instead, appearing concerned. When he did speak up, he said I had a positive beta but he thinks it's a big too low for D4+14 dPT. He then showed me an excel spreadsheet with the stats and said that usually the beta numbers should be well over 800+. He wanted to me do another blood test after 48 hours to see if it doubles or is 1.66 times the original beta. Well, seriously? I had always thought a positive is positive! How naïve I was!
So we left the clinic with a slip for the second beta hcg test 2 days later.... fingers crossed? I wasn't too sure what to think....
Saturday, July 09, 2016
Embryo Transfer
Just a quick update:
Of the 15 eggs retrieved, 10 were fertilized and we were asked to go to the hospital for ET on D4 post-retrieval (Morula transfer).
Three morulas were transferred back to my uterus. They were graded M1, M2 and M3. The embryologist said that she was afraid there will be nothing left to transfer if we were to wait for Day 5 blastocyst transfer. She said the rest of the embryos weren't developing too well.
Anyway, we called the lab on day 6 and were told there were 3 additional blasts which were frozen, grade: 4BB x 2 and 3BB x 1. I was happy to hear there were frozen embies to use in case this cycle was also a BFN.
The dreaded two week wait began.....
Of the 15 eggs retrieved, 10 were fertilized and we were asked to go to the hospital for ET on D4 post-retrieval (Morula transfer).
Three morulas were transferred back to my uterus. They were graded M1, M2 and M3. The embryologist said that she was afraid there will be nothing left to transfer if we were to wait for Day 5 blastocyst transfer. She said the rest of the embryos weren't developing too well.
Anyway, we called the lab on day 6 and were told there were 3 additional blasts which were frozen, grade: 4BB x 2 and 3BB x 1. I was happy to hear there were frozen embies to use in case this cycle was also a BFN.
The dreaded two week wait began.....
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Egg Retrieval
The egg retrieval was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. which was 34 hours after the trigger shot. I arrived at the operation room at 9:00 a.m. Waited till 9:30 before my name was called and I was led to change into the hospital gown. I waited and waited and waited. I kept looking at the clock.... tick tock tick tock.... hard to stay seated without feeling cold. I was anxious that the 36th hour after administering the trigger shot would pass and all my eggs would just ovulate before being picked up.
11:40 a.m. - Finally my name was called and I was led to the surgery room. They asked me a few questions about previous surgeries, put the IV into my vein, attached the blood pressure monitor belt on my arm and I passed out. When I came around, I was already in the recovery room. I asked how many eggs were retrieved. In total, 15 eggs were retrieved! Hallelujah! I wasn't expecting that number! This was an even better number than IVF#1. I felt happy. My husband was called into the recovery room and he helped me change. As we walked out and were waiting for the elevator, I felt so dizzy and suddenly my whole body went cold and everything went black, I crumbled to the ground. I heard my husband calling out my name from far. Somewhere a nurse came with a wheelchair and wheeled me back to the recovery room where they put me on the bed and an oxygen mask over my nose. I told them I might be low in blood sugar and they just asked me to rest. I rested for 30 more minutes and felt good enough to get out of bed. My husband got food for me and I ate it before we left the hospital.
11:40 a.m. - Finally my name was called and I was led to the surgery room. They asked me a few questions about previous surgeries, put the IV into my vein, attached the blood pressure monitor belt on my arm and I passed out. When I came around, I was already in the recovery room. I asked how many eggs were retrieved. In total, 15 eggs were retrieved! Hallelujah! I wasn't expecting that number! This was an even better number than IVF#1. I felt happy. My husband was called into the recovery room and he helped me change. As we walked out and were waiting for the elevator, I felt so dizzy and suddenly my whole body went cold and everything went black, I crumbled to the ground. I heard my husband calling out my name from far. Somewhere a nurse came with a wheelchair and wheeled me back to the recovery room where they put me on the bed and an oxygen mask over my nose. I told them I might be low in blood sugar and they just asked me to rest. I rested for 30 more minutes and felt good enough to get out of bed. My husband got food for me and I ate it before we left the hospital.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
IVF #2 - Dr. Hwu, Yuh-ming, Mackay Memorial Hospital
So here we are at IVF # 2. I had already forgotten the pains of daily injections from IVF #1. We were ready for another fresh cycle.
- CD 1 : Was prescribed 1 pre-filled syringe of Elonva 150 iu. We were told that this is a relatively new drug where 1 single injection is good for 5-7 days. Yaay! Made my life easier! :) The only downside is that the drug stung and burned when injected but it wasn't as bad as Menopur.
- CD 5 : Returned to the clinic and was prescribed the following:
- CD 5 - Pergoveris 150 iu x 1
- CD 6 - Pergoveris 150 iu x 1, Orgalutran 75 mg x1
- CD 7 : Had quite a good number of follicles. Doctor didn't even bother to write them all down on the follicle monitoring sheet. Trigger shot tonight with Decapeptyl 1ml x 2, Ovidrel x 2 vials
- CD 9 : Egg retrieval
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
2nd FET - Transfer of 2 Early blasts - Dr. Yuh-ming Hwu
For the 2nd FET, we decided to use up all the remaining embryos i.e. EB x 2 and 4CC x2. We thought we were all set but got a surprise on the day of ET when the embryologist told me only the 2 EB's were going to be transferred. I asked person at reception to check the ovulation monitoring sheet we handed in. She did and seemed like they missed the 4CC's written beside the EB's! She then told me that it was the doctor who confirmed that only 2 EB's were to be transferred and based on my age, she said it was too risky to transfer more than 2 blasts. We were disappointed but went ahead with the ET which ended in a BFN. We weren't too disappointed as we knew the quality of the blasts weren't optimal so we weren't expecting it to be a success. We decided to discard the remaining 4CC's and go for a fresh IVF cycle. Let's keep the wheels rolling!!!
Monday, December 28, 2015
1st FET
Happy Holiday Season Folks!
It has been a while since I last wrote. A lot has happened since. Below I have summarized my first FET experience.
CD 1 - Booked appointment online with Dr. Lee.
CD 2 - Estrade (E2) tabs prescribed by Dr. Lee (4 tabs daily)
CD 8: Went back to see Dr. Lee. Ultrasound showed lining at 6.7 mm. Prescribed 6 tabs daily - 2 in the morning, 2 at noon and 2 in the evening. See Dr. Lee on CD 11.
CD 11: Lining at 10.1 mm, Dr. Lee said it's a good thickness. He prescribed Crinone 1 daily in the morning starting CD 14 and PIO 1 daily in the morning starting at CD 15. ET scheduled for CD 14.
CD 14: ET day. Embryologist advised the 2 embryos 4BB and 3BB were still viable. ET itself was a breeze. Not much difference from a fresh transfer. Continue taking E2 #2 tabs x 2 daily and Crinone #1 application x 2 daily.
CD 23: Beta HCG result was 2.7. Not pregnant. Dr Lee said he will be on vacation mid-October and told me to return in November to do a fresh cycle as the remaining embies were 4cc x 2 and EB x 2.
Before we could have any other word with him, we were ushered outside the clinic. Shortly after, the nurse (Jing Yi) came and advised us to chart BBT for the next 2 months per the doctor's advice. So we asked if we need to advise the lab that to throw away the rest of the embies. She said she personally thinks it was quite a waste to throw them away however if we so desire, we can advise the lab to do it. I then asked her if it was really necessary to wait 2 months. She said the wait is because Dr Lee was going on vacation hence the wait however technically it wasn't necessary to wait two months . I asked her if I can consult the other doctor Dr Hwu, Yuh-ming and she said it was up to me. I personally didn't think charting BBT was necessary at this point because it was like going back to square one. We decided to consult Dr Hwu.
CD 24: Consultation with Dr. Hwu, Yuh-ming, current head of the ob/gyn department at Mackay. We asked him if he thinks we should throw away the remaining embies. He thought that it will be quite regrettable and thinks we should use them all up before starting a fresh new cycle. So we decided to do another FET asap with Dr. Hwu as our doctor as we did not want to wait 2 months.
It has been a while since I last wrote. A lot has happened since. Below I have summarized my first FET experience.
CD 1 - Booked appointment online with Dr. Lee.
CD 2 - Estrade (E2) tabs prescribed by Dr. Lee (4 tabs daily)
CD 8: Went back to see Dr. Lee. Ultrasound showed lining at 6.7 mm. Prescribed 6 tabs daily - 2 in the morning, 2 at noon and 2 in the evening. See Dr. Lee on CD 11.
CD 11: Lining at 10.1 mm, Dr. Lee said it's a good thickness. He prescribed Crinone 1 daily in the morning starting CD 14 and PIO 1 daily in the morning starting at CD 15. ET scheduled for CD 14.
CD 14: ET day. Embryologist advised the 2 embryos 4BB and 3BB were still viable. ET itself was a breeze. Not much difference from a fresh transfer. Continue taking E2 #2 tabs x 2 daily and Crinone #1 application x 2 daily.
CD 23: Beta HCG result was 2.7. Not pregnant. Dr Lee said he will be on vacation mid-October and told me to return in November to do a fresh cycle as the remaining embies were 4cc x 2 and EB x 2.
Before we could have any other word with him, we were ushered outside the clinic. Shortly after, the nurse (Jing Yi) came and advised us to chart BBT for the next 2 months per the doctor's advice. So we asked if we need to advise the lab that to throw away the rest of the embies. She said she personally thinks it was quite a waste to throw them away however if we so desire, we can advise the lab to do it. I then asked her if it was really necessary to wait 2 months. She said the wait is because Dr Lee was going on vacation hence the wait however technically it wasn't necessary to wait two months . I asked her if I can consult the other doctor Dr Hwu, Yuh-ming and she said it was up to me. I personally didn't think charting BBT was necessary at this point because it was like going back to square one. We decided to consult Dr Hwu.
CD 24: Consultation with Dr. Hwu, Yuh-ming, current head of the ob/gyn department at Mackay. We asked him if he thinks we should throw away the remaining embies. He thought that it will be quite regrettable and thinks we should use them all up before starting a fresh new cycle. So we decided to do another FET asap with Dr. Hwu as our doctor as we did not want to wait 2 months.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Post IVF ovary pain
When I woke up after the egg retrieval (ER), the bottom right side of my belly (where the ovary is) was paining. I was later advised it may be because there were more eggs retrieved from my right ovary and that was why I was sore there. Anyway, the dull pain recurred at times for the next 3 months post ER. The last time I experienced it was in December 2014. This month January I haven't had any ache/pain in that location. DH was of the opinion that it only takes a month to recover from the ER. What do you think? Has any of you experience this after your IVF ER? Please share your thoughts or experience.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Happy New Year 2015!
I haven't written for a while now mainly because there are no major changes in my life. I am maintaining status quo which I think is not bad at the moment :) I have given up all hopes of getting pregnant naturally and have also accepted that we may never be parents. We are planning to do the FET next spring/summer. Wonder if a neutral attitude will be beneficial for getting the BFP :) Before I started trying for a baby, whenever I went to church or to temple, I would think I have nothing more to ask for so I just pray for good health for everyone. Then when we started TTC, I started praying for a baby of our own. My prayers are yet to be answered but last night I told Jesus that I don't dare pray for a baby anymore for fear that my last piece of faith will crumble. Funny me aye? I guess this is a desperate attempt to try get Jesus hear me :)
Christmas has whizzed by (I did wish Jesus a Happy Birthday) and I hope everyone has had a blessed one! I experienced sheer joy watching the kids open their Christmas gifts! I guess that's the joy of giving although we do not get to experience it when we donate to charitable foundations. As it is new year's eve today. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very Happy New Year! May your dreams of becoming parents come true in 2015! All the best of LUCK!! God bless!!
Christmas has whizzed by (I did wish Jesus a Happy Birthday) and I hope everyone has had a blessed one! I experienced sheer joy watching the kids open their Christmas gifts! I guess that's the joy of giving although we do not get to experience it when we donate to charitable foundations. As it is new year's eve today. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very Happy New Year! May your dreams of becoming parents come true in 2015! All the best of LUCK!! God bless!!
Saturday, November 15, 2014
AF arrived 2 days ahead of schedule!
OoOopsie! AF arrived 2 days ahead of schedule this month. I have never had AF show her face early. This is something I will have to monitor for the next few months as a shortening luteal phase isn't very good. So no BFP this month :(
Dr. Lee had advised during the last consult that of all the frozen embryos only the 4BB and 3BB are good enough to be transferred back. He will not consider transferring back the 4CC and the EB (early blastocysts). I am curious to know why these embryos were frozen in the first place if they are not good enough to be used. Although the extra embryos don't incur extra cost for freezing however it will be nice to know. I just may ask him this question when I go back next spring/summer :)
So far the blues have lifted and I am busy doing some Christmas shopping for the kids. My favorite niece's birthday falls on Christmas eve so to be fair have to get her two gifts...the little girl will be so overjoyed!! Can't wait to see her beaming!! :)
The weather has turned a lot colder and hopefully we are going to have a white Christmas again!!
To all my readers - stay warm this season and God bless!!
Love,
Nio
Dr. Lee had advised during the last consult that of all the frozen embryos only the 4BB and 3BB are good enough to be transferred back. He will not consider transferring back the 4CC and the EB (early blastocysts). I am curious to know why these embryos were frozen in the first place if they are not good enough to be used. Although the extra embryos don't incur extra cost for freezing however it will be nice to know. I just may ask him this question when I go back next spring/summer :)
So far the blues have lifted and I am busy doing some Christmas shopping for the kids. My favorite niece's birthday falls on Christmas eve so to be fair have to get her two gifts...the little girl will be so overjoyed!! Can't wait to see her beaming!! :)
The weather has turned a lot colder and hopefully we are going to have a white Christmas again!!
To all my readers - stay warm this season and God bless!!
Love,
Nio
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Premenstrual spotting & feeling sad
Ughh~! Spotting again premenstrually! I have a 14 day luteal phase and it's only 11DPO now! May be it's just how my body is.
Last Sunday, I attended my nephew's 1-year birthday party and all around me, the young ladies are pregnant! I was happy for them but inside I was so much in pain! My sister's best friend had been trying for a baby for 2 years and is now 4 months pregnant with a boy. It sure wasn't easy for her to get pregnant but she did get pregnant naturally. All this week I felt down in the dumps, feeling sad for myself. Just today, I happened to watch a TVBS Cantonese drama of this lady who was had lost one of her legs and was having a tough time in life. The people with disabilities need so much courage to carry on living as even the activities of daily living are a challenge. I reminded myself that I need to be thankful for everything and cheer up as the best things in life are free! I happened to think of my mom who had undergone radiation and chemotherapy for cancer treatment and suffers everyday from the side effects of these treatments. She is a survivor! With infertility, at least it is not a life-death situation when the patients chooses to go for treatment or not. Dear Hubby also comforted me that whether or not we have kids is fine. We just need to try. If in the end it doesn't work out positively, we still have each other. Although it is not the first time he has said this but I felt really comforted.
Today I also received an email reply from one of my blog readers! Heavens only know how good I felt to be able to connect! If any of you have any query, please do not hesitate to send me an email at xiaonionio@gmail.com. I appreciate all emails and support.
Last Sunday, I attended my nephew's 1-year birthday party and all around me, the young ladies are pregnant! I was happy for them but inside I was so much in pain! My sister's best friend had been trying for a baby for 2 years and is now 4 months pregnant with a boy. It sure wasn't easy for her to get pregnant but she did get pregnant naturally. All this week I felt down in the dumps, feeling sad for myself. Just today, I happened to watch a TVBS Cantonese drama of this lady who was had lost one of her legs and was having a tough time in life. The people with disabilities need so much courage to carry on living as even the activities of daily living are a challenge. I reminded myself that I need to be thankful for everything and cheer up as the best things in life are free! I happened to think of my mom who had undergone radiation and chemotherapy for cancer treatment and suffers everyday from the side effects of these treatments. She is a survivor! With infertility, at least it is not a life-death situation when the patients chooses to go for treatment or not. Dear Hubby also comforted me that whether or not we have kids is fine. We just need to try. If in the end it doesn't work out positively, we still have each other. Although it is not the first time he has said this but I felt really comforted.
Today I also received an email reply from one of my blog readers! Heavens only know how good I felt to be able to connect! If any of you have any query, please do not hesitate to send me an email at xiaonionio@gmail.com. I appreciate all emails and support.
Tuesday, November 04, 2014
Final Follicle Monitoring Sheet before Egg Retrieval
Hello again!
I referenced the follicle monitoring sheet on other blogs when I was undergoing IVF and thought I'd post my own too so my readers can also refer to it when the need arise. So TADA! here it is:
So far I am still alive and kicking and haven't lost hope yet! :)
Once again, Good Luck and Baby dust to all! :)
I referenced the follicle monitoring sheet on other blogs when I was undergoing IVF and thought I'd post my own too so my readers can also refer to it when the need arise. So TADA! here it is:
So far I am still alive and kicking and haven't lost hope yet! :)
Once again, Good Luck and Baby dust to all! :)
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Mid-cycle spotting update - BaiFeng Wan supplement
Hi again,
Just wanted to quickly update that I did not experience any mid cycle spotting this month after taking the BaiFeng Wan TCM supplement. I am pretty pleased and comforted that at least my hormones are now in balance because every time I see blood streaks in my CM I feel sad. Hopefully, the premenstrual spotting will go away too this month! I will call this a magic supplement - hahaha!
~~Lots of baby dust to all!~~
Just wanted to quickly update that I did not experience any mid cycle spotting this month after taking the BaiFeng Wan TCM supplement. I am pretty pleased and comforted that at least my hormones are now in balance because every time I see blood streaks in my CM I feel sad. Hopefully, the premenstrual spotting will go away too this month! I will call this a magic supplement - hahaha!
~~Lots of baby dust to all!~~
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Cervical/Abdominal Pressure (Update) - BaiFeng Wan supplement
Hello!
Phew! Thanks be to God! The heaviness/pressure in the cervix/abdomen has not returned ever since I took the BaiFeng Wan supplement. I still experienced premenstrual spotting however this time it was for a shorter duration. After much research, I think I may have kidney/spleen yang deficiency as per TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). Currently, I started BaiFeng Wan supplement on day 5 of cycle as the supplement should not be taken for the first 3 days of menstruation. I am taking it twice a day and will stop taking it on 6DPO. With yang deficiency, I experience cold hands and feet in winter. Now I am doing my best to keep myself warm and will start taking korean ginseng in moderation as well to nourish the "Qi". This is because the last time I tested positive for HCG, I was seeing a TCM practitioner who happened to mention that he had given me a lot of ginseng over the course of the treatment. At that time, I experienced colder hands and feet. I now remember that under his TCM treatment, my hands started getting warmer and only the feet were still cold so still a long way to go. TCM I found to be more expensive than IVF in the long run. For my last TCM treatment, I spent around NT$42,000 for 6 months herbal supplements. This is almost half the cost of my first IVF. Anyway, I think I am trying to be my own doctor now, trying to understand my body more and trying to create a good environment for the embryo to implant for a natural pregnancy or an FET pregnancy!
Wish me Luck! =)
Phew! Thanks be to God! The heaviness/pressure in the cervix/abdomen has not returned ever since I took the BaiFeng Wan supplement. I still experienced premenstrual spotting however this time it was for a shorter duration. After much research, I think I may have kidney/spleen yang deficiency as per TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). Currently, I started BaiFeng Wan supplement on day 5 of cycle as the supplement should not be taken for the first 3 days of menstruation. I am taking it twice a day and will stop taking it on 6DPO. With yang deficiency, I experience cold hands and feet in winter. Now I am doing my best to keep myself warm and will start taking korean ginseng in moderation as well to nourish the "Qi". This is because the last time I tested positive for HCG, I was seeing a TCM practitioner who happened to mention that he had given me a lot of ginseng over the course of the treatment. At that time, I experienced colder hands and feet. I now remember that under his TCM treatment, my hands started getting warmer and only the feet were still cold so still a long way to go. TCM I found to be more expensive than IVF in the long run. For my last TCM treatment, I spent around NT$42,000 for 6 months herbal supplements. This is almost half the cost of my first IVF. Anyway, I think I am trying to be my own doctor now, trying to understand my body more and trying to create a good environment for the embryo to implant for a natural pregnancy or an FET pregnancy!
Wish me Luck! =)
Monday, October 13, 2014
Cervical/Abdominal Pressure
Good Day!
Yesterday I made avocado bean salad with baked jerk chicken. Turned out really good. I remember the last time I made jerk chicken with the jerk seasoning and it didn't turn out too well but ofcourse, this time I made a slight change by adding paprika. The result was an absolutely delicious dinner last night. The picture of my small accomplishment below. Today I made some French crepes for tea time however forgot to take a picture.
Sorry for the detour, now getting back to the title of this post - cervical/abdominal pressure. I have been experiencing abdominal/cervical pressure since June/July of this year right after I finished the traditional chinese medicine I brought back from Taipei from the earlier trip. I feel the pressure especially when I am standing. It gets better after I sleep however as soon as I stand up for few minutes, I start feeling the pressure again almost to the point where there is a dull pain. It's very bothersome and annoying. My research on the internet suggests incompetent cervix which scared me but usually one finds out when one is pregnant and this is not applicable for non-pregnant women. Anyway, I consulted my mom who made me chinese ginger chicken soup in rice wine. I took the soup and it seemed to go away only to return after a few days. I had some doubts about whether I will be able to maintain the pregnancy if I should get pregnant by IVF. Anyway, I still felt the pressure while I was undergoing IVF but I tried to rest as much as I can and it didn't bother me much as I didn't have to do much housework in Taipei.
After returning from Taipei, I started feeling the abdominal/cervical pressure again, to the extent that I was scared to breathe on a full stomach because it felt heavy like something was going to pop out. I wasn't sure if it was my uterus or my cervix! I was frustrated. My mom happened to ask me on the phone if I was still experiencing the pressure and I confirmed it with her. After a few days, my loving mother bought me over the counter chinese herbal supplement called "Baifeng Wan" (see picture below), translated into English as "White Phoenix Pill". She told me that when she got married her menses was irregular and she took this supplement too and got pregnant later. She said that maybe I was weak and hence the pressure and usually women who are weak in "Qi" (energy) take this. It is time tested formula and this knowledge has been handed down through the ages. I do remember seeing one of these empty pill containers at home when I was small.
I was desperately looking for a cure for the cervical pressure hence I took the pills for 6 days, two times each day (morning & night), with warm water and yellow rice wine as per instructions. As this is a time tested supplement, I wasn't skeptical about taking it, besides my mother and older sister had also taken it before. Also internet research suggested no side effects.
Amazingly, the cervical/abdominal pressure disappeared after the 1st day of taking it. Honestly, it's like magic! I get mid-cycle spotting and spotting before my period as well. As the pills also helps resolve irregular menses, let's hope it resolves the spotting issue as well! I took the supplement only for 6 days because pregnant women should not take it hence I stopped it at 6DPO. I am just so relieved as the cervical/abdominal pressure is now gone. I will only find out next cycle if the spotting issue is resolved as well i.e. if I do not get pregnant naturally :) I will update as soon as I can. In the meantime, be happy and stay blessed!!
P.S. - A box of 10 capsule of pills costs about CA$10.00. These pills are available from any chinese herbal supplements store in Chinatown. Different stores carry different brands. I believe there are 2 or 3 other brands available. The store my mom went to only carried this brand -Tong Ren Tang.
Yesterday I made avocado bean salad with baked jerk chicken. Turned out really good. I remember the last time I made jerk chicken with the jerk seasoning and it didn't turn out too well but ofcourse, this time I made a slight change by adding paprika. The result was an absolutely delicious dinner last night. The picture of my small accomplishment below. Today I made some French crepes for tea time however forgot to take a picture.
After returning from Taipei, I started feeling the abdominal/cervical pressure again, to the extent that I was scared to breathe on a full stomach because it felt heavy like something was going to pop out. I wasn't sure if it was my uterus or my cervix! I was frustrated. My mom happened to ask me on the phone if I was still experiencing the pressure and I confirmed it with her. After a few days, my loving mother bought me over the counter chinese herbal supplement called "Baifeng Wan" (see picture below), translated into English as "White Phoenix Pill". She told me that when she got married her menses was irregular and she took this supplement too and got pregnant later. She said that maybe I was weak and hence the pressure and usually women who are weak in "Qi" (energy) take this. It is time tested formula and this knowledge has been handed down through the ages. I do remember seeing one of these empty pill containers at home when I was small.
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| Photo taken from http://www.tongrentang.com.au/list.asp?id=69&anid=141&nid=515 |
Amazingly, the cervical/abdominal pressure disappeared after the 1st day of taking it. Honestly, it's like magic! I get mid-cycle spotting and spotting before my period as well. As the pills also helps resolve irregular menses, let's hope it resolves the spotting issue as well! I took the supplement only for 6 days because pregnant women should not take it hence I stopped it at 6DPO. I am just so relieved as the cervical/abdominal pressure is now gone. I will only find out next cycle if the spotting issue is resolved as well i.e. if I do not get pregnant naturally :) I will update as soon as I can. In the meantime, be happy and stay blessed!!
P.S. - A box of 10 capsule of pills costs about CA$10.00. These pills are available from any chinese herbal supplements store in Chinatown. Different stores carry different brands. I believe there are 2 or 3 other brands available. The store my mom went to only carried this brand -Tong Ren Tang.
Tuesday, October 07, 2014
Total cost of IVF in Taipei, Taiwan
Hello again!
I just wanted to summarize the total amount we spent on IVF at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan.
Our total hospital cost comes to NT$107,247 which is approximately US$3,426 (based on today's FX: 1 NTD = 0.033 USD) or CA$3,937 (today's FX: 1 NTD = 0.04 CAD). Note: this does not include any travelling, food and accomodation costs).
The airfare cost CA$1,450*2 = CA$2,900.
Travelling by public transit is rather cheap when compared to Toronto (approximately 1/6th the cost of public transportation in Toronto). Taxi fares are rather cheap too (we had to take the taxi after ER and ET). We did not incur any accomodation costs as we stayed with DH parents. Food is very affordable in Taipei as well. The major expense were the drug and procedure (ER & ET) cost. The doctor consultations and ultrasounds are very cheap, approximately CA$15 per visit.
Overall, I had a perfect IVF cycle but just didn't get pregnant...haha...may be better luck next time?! :) I am thinking of my dad now who is capable of laughing at life's worst situations. He has such a positive personality, never failing to get up when he stumbles and falls. I think I am starting to live life as he does. Enjoying life's every moment because we never know when God will call. We live only once. Not sure if there is an after life and reincarnation. If there is, we don't know if we will be born again as humans. There are so many life forms on earth and the universe is so vast and infinite. Hard to believe there is no life beyond our galaxy! So let's not let life beat us down. We need to savor life's every moment and do the things that makes us happy (as long as it is moral and ethical).
Cheers!
I just wanted to summarize the total amount we spent on IVF at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan.
Our total hospital cost comes to NT$107,247 which is approximately US$3,426 (based on today's FX: 1 NTD = 0.033 USD) or CA$3,937 (today's FX: 1 NTD = 0.04 CAD). Note: this does not include any travelling, food and accomodation costs).
The airfare cost CA$1,450*2 = CA$2,900.
Travelling by public transit is rather cheap when compared to Toronto (approximately 1/6th the cost of public transportation in Toronto). Taxi fares are rather cheap too (we had to take the taxi after ER and ET). We did not incur any accomodation costs as we stayed with DH parents. Food is very affordable in Taipei as well. The major expense were the drug and procedure (ER & ET) cost. The doctor consultations and ultrasounds are very cheap, approximately CA$15 per visit.
Overall, I had a perfect IVF cycle but just didn't get pregnant...haha...may be better luck next time?! :) I am thinking of my dad now who is capable of laughing at life's worst situations. He has such a positive personality, never failing to get up when he stumbles and falls. I think I am starting to live life as he does. Enjoying life's every moment because we never know when God will call. We live only once. Not sure if there is an after life and reincarnation. If there is, we don't know if we will be born again as humans. There are so many life forms on earth and the universe is so vast and infinite. Hard to believe there is no life beyond our galaxy! So let's not let life beat us down. We need to savor life's every moment and do the things that makes us happy (as long as it is moral and ethical).
Cheers!
Friday, October 03, 2014
Post-IVF - Thoughts and emotions
At the start of this IVF journey, I kept thinking about how low and depressed I will feel if the cycle did not work. All the time, money and energy spent. All the daily injections, ultrasounds and hospital visits. The expectations and the hurdles every step of the way. Surprisingly, I did not expect myself to come out of this a happier person! I am so glad I went through this IVF treatment because I was so depressed everyday and every month before the treatment. I am now happy and calm, not angry and living everyday with joy and laughter. I don't cry anymore before I sleep and whenever I think of my niece and nephews. I don't cry anymore when I see my friends' facebook updates on their pregnancy or their newborns. I take it in my stride now to hear good news of friends' or friends of friends' pregnancies. Even watching dramas on tv make me laugh and not cry. Thanks to the decision to undergo IVF, my depression is gone! I haven't felt like this in years and it feels so rejuvenating! I didn't realize I have been depressed for so long! Now the gloom has lifted and it feels like a brand new me! I am so glad I made the trip to Taipei!
I realized that what we need and what we desire can be two different things. Getting pregnant had become an obsession. We 21st century women are so used to being in control and getting what we want. So far in life, as long as we work hard for it, nothing has been unachieveable. However getting pregnant doesn't work that way. Even if we work hard for it, we may not achieve pregnancy hence getting pregnant becomes an obsession. True we all want to start a family however it is not absolute - meaning we can still be happy even if we don't have kids. Life doesn't have to stop and standstill for us if we have trouble getting pregnant. To let our whole mind revolve around this "want" is torturing ourselves! We don't need this depression! We can be happy with or without kids. The key is enjoying the journey and if we tried our best, there should be no regrets!
For me, this is the best time of my life so far. I don't need to work and can sleep in all I want, do the things that make me/us happy. My husband has been supportive all the way. Although he yearns for a baby but he is very rational and knows that this is not something that can be forced to happen and it is all up God Almighty. "At least we tried" is what he keeps reminding me and "No regrets because we tried already". My in-laws are also very supportive so no pressure there as well.
Life is too short to live in depression. Enjoy every moment of it (with or without kids)! We came into this world empty handed. We will leave empty handed. There is nothing in life that we can't absolutely live without. The breath of life is free. Other than that, food and water is in abundance in this present day world. Any one reading this right now would have access to the internet which means they are living the good life. There are so many people out there where reproduction is least of their worries and keeping the stomach full is top most priority. Feel content and be happy!The only person who is most capable of loving/destroying ourselves is our own selves! Love thyself as God loves you! If you are going through IVF, just enjoy the process - doesn't matter the outcome - love yourself and be good to yourself!
I love you and wish you all the best!
I realized that what we need and what we desire can be two different things. Getting pregnant had become an obsession. We 21st century women are so used to being in control and getting what we want. So far in life, as long as we work hard for it, nothing has been unachieveable. However getting pregnant doesn't work that way. Even if we work hard for it, we may not achieve pregnancy hence getting pregnant becomes an obsession. True we all want to start a family however it is not absolute - meaning we can still be happy even if we don't have kids. Life doesn't have to stop and standstill for us if we have trouble getting pregnant. To let our whole mind revolve around this "want" is torturing ourselves! We don't need this depression! We can be happy with or without kids. The key is enjoying the journey and if we tried our best, there should be no regrets!
For me, this is the best time of my life so far. I don't need to work and can sleep in all I want, do the things that make me/us happy. My husband has been supportive all the way. Although he yearns for a baby but he is very rational and knows that this is not something that can be forced to happen and it is all up God Almighty. "At least we tried" is what he keeps reminding me and "No regrets because we tried already". My in-laws are also very supportive so no pressure there as well.
Life is too short to live in depression. Enjoy every moment of it (with or without kids)! We came into this world empty handed. We will leave empty handed. There is nothing in life that we can't absolutely live without. The breath of life is free. Other than that, food and water is in abundance in this present day world. Any one reading this right now would have access to the internet which means they are living the good life. There are so many people out there where reproduction is least of their worries and keeping the stomach full is top most priority. Feel content and be happy!The only person who is most capable of loving/destroying ourselves is our own selves! Love thyself as God loves you! If you are going through IVF, just enjoy the process - doesn't matter the outcome - love yourself and be good to yourself!
I love you and wish you all the best!
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Goodbye Taipei for now
The following Monday we went to consult Dr. Lee again. As DH did not want me to have another simulated/medicated cycle, so we had decided on doing a natural cycle FET. We told the doctor that we will do a natural cycle FET however not after a month's rest. We will do it most likely next year as we had to go back to Toronto at the moment. He gave us another follicle monitoring sheet and asked us to return to do the ultrasound before consulting him when we were back in Taipei. I will be almost 36 years old next year. Hopefully, we have made the right decision.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Day 27 (9DPT) - Beta HCG blood test and consultation with Dr. Lee
We woke up early and arrived at the hospital at 7:10 am. After we arrived, we went to the blood test clinic on the 1F and used one of the machines to scan the barcode on the appointment slip. The machine assigned us a number and when it was my turn, I went to the counter to have my blood drawn. My heart was pretty heavy at this point as I was still spotting. We were done by 7:30 am. We then went and had breakfast at the nearby Starbucks. DH comforted me by saying that even if the blood test is a BFN, it is okay as it is illogical to fret over something we never had in the first place. He also said that all that mattered was "at least we tried". I was rather calm having come to terms with the fact that it may be a BFN. We went back to the clinic at 9:30 am. When it was my turn to see Dr. Lee, I was called and I noticed my bHCG result on the computer screen. It was a mere 4.8 miu/ml. Dr. Lee advised us of the bHCG test result and told us that it means I wasn't pregnant. To my surprise, I took it pretty well. No tears and not getting emotional at all. My voice was normal and steady. He then asked us when we will like to do an FET. He said he could do a DET as well however will still advise us against it and to have an SET instead. As mentioned earlier in my blog, Dr. Lee has a conservative approach. He advised us the risks of having twins in case both blastocysts implants and asked us to have patience in the IVF process. We have the patience just not the time to stay in Taipei for so long. We asked Dr. Lee to give us the weekend to think over things a bit and we will return for consultation the following Monday. Also I asked him if the FET will work as the remaining blasts were of a lower grade than the 4AA that was transferred this time. He smiled and said that grades are assigned by the embryologist however it doesn't mean that a grade BB blast will be unsuccessful . After that we left the hospital and went to have Teppanyaki :) I did shed some tears later that day but DH and everyone else was pretty supportive. It didn't matter anymore if it didn't work this time around. It doesn't mean the next time won't work!! Just as DH said we did our best and if it didn't work, it may not be our turn yet to be parents. This is not the end, it is just the beginning! =) All is not lost. I made a mental note to be extra good to myself cause I know that in this world, no one can care more about me than myself!
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