Feels like a disaster 😢

[Mrsti]

Hi ladies,

After trying to down reg since feb, a canceled cycles, having cysts aspirated and then filling back up within a week, we finally got the go ahead to start stims and switch to a short protocol last week. Ive done 5 days of bemfola and then 5 days of menpur. I went for a scan today and had only 8 follicles, 3 are around 26mm, 3 are 16mm and 2 are 10mm. I know i should be chuffed to have any but its so much lower than our previous cycles, Ive always ended up with at least 12 - 15 of a good size. Our doc has booked me in for collection on Wed but said that probably only the 3 16mm would produce anything, we should focus on quality not quantity. I asked if there was a reason why this had happened compared to other cycles and he said it might be my age which confused me as I'm 35 and at our consultation i asked if this would have an effect, he said this wouldn’t be a problem. We asked if we should stop now and start again to see if responded better but he said it probably be the same outcome.

I know I'm lucky to have anything to work with but just cant help wondering if we should have stopped this cycle earlier when we had issues with cysts. This is our last go and feel like we haven't given it our beat chance.

We can still stop before egg collection if we want to. Would you carry on or start again? Any opinions or experience welcome x

[waitingg]

Hi Mrsti, I’m sorry to hear this, it’s such a stressful time. Hang on in there.

They found more follicles on me on scans later than on day 5 scan so maybe there are a couple hiding.

It’s a horrible decision for you and I don’t know what to say. But I’d try and speak to your consultant if you can if can? Maybe he can reassure you? Where I am we get passed over the the nurses at this stage (who are all fab) but I think I’d want to speak to my main consultant to run through my concerns.

Really hoping it works out for you xx

[magda22]

Hi, it's a tough situation. I had the same last year with my 4th cycle. I started in July and had a disappointing response to the drugs - only 2 follicles. For my amh it's not that surprising but the previous month on a scan I had had 5, so I felt I coukd do better another month. I spent a couple of days agonising over it and then decided to cancel that cycle and try again. The doctors told me to carry on, but respected my decision when I was really strong. It was my last cycle abd I didn't want to waste the money.

So then I waited and prepared to start again, and what happened next was a nightmare. My periods went awol, I had a cyst messing everything up and crazy estrogen levels meaning I couldn't start again. It went on for months, then I had a big work commitment away in one month which needed some preparation, and anyway my body was still not cooperating. The long and short of it was I couldn't start until January, I lost 6 months, which is a lot of time at my age and fertility level! When I did the 4th cycle it failed.

Do I regret cancelling the other cycle? There isn't any point in regretting it, it's what I did and at the time I was sure it was what I wanted to do. I really couldn't bare the thought that I would regret carrying on with that cycle when I had a gut feeling it was wrong.

Most of all I think you do need to try to look after your mental health, and you have the right to stop a cycle if it doesn't feel good. But the doctors have a fair overview of everything. What you can take from my story is that you can't predict and control how things will go in treatment, sometimes you get lucky, often you don't. Next cycle might be better, or the same, or things could go really unexpected. I think that's what I learnt!

I don't know if that's helpful, but I wish u luck, make the best decision for you. Xxx

[Mrsti]

Thank you both for your replies, its so helpful to get others view and experience that have been through it.

We had a chat the the consultant yesterday, after stimming for 10 days he says no more follicles will grow so for this cycle so this is what we have to work with. He cant explain why this one has been such a tough one and that he strongly recommends that we go for collection as if we stop to start again, then we will probably get the same result on another cycle. He thinks its down to age which i did question as my amh is ok for my age and at the initial consultation when i mentioned it he said it wouldn't effect things yet.

We are at the point where we just now want to get it over with so we can move on, we've bern on the ivf journey for 5 years now and just feel ready to stop if this doesn’t work.

Fingers crossed foe Tuesday xx