Scared to do this ivf now

runner76 · April 2016

so everything looked good they said. I'm still at baseline and can start injectables next weekend. Now I'm scared to death. I got all the Meds in the mail. Just reading the side effects to the injections scared me so much. Some of them said possible death , blood clots which I have q clotting disorder and have had blood clots before. Also cancer ? This is horrible and I'm really freaked out.

Is it possible to retrieve eggs and freeze them and do transfer at later date. Is that when a possibility ?

AandDM2014 · April 2016

Oh @runner76.

Hundreds of thousands of women have used these medications. I'm sure millions more will. This is the path you need to take to have a child. If you don't want to walk it, you don't have to. No one is making you do any sort of treatment. There are a lot of medications that millions take every day where a possible side effect is death. 97% of women use birth control pills, which has a side effect of death. Antidepressants? Death. Tylenol? Death. Nearly every medication you can take can cause death.

As for your second question, do you read any of the other posts on here? Have you spoken to your doctor about treatment plans? This is an extremely basic question, and I don't mean to be rude, but just reading the titles of the posts will tell you that yes, embryo freezing is extremely common, most people who do IVF freeze their eggs, and thaw them at a later date to transfer.

tvh1982 · April 2016

Never read all the scary side effects as most medications have those.
Take a deep breath!

What I recommend you to do is find someone professional you can talk to about your worries: your RE, a nurse, a family doctor, ...
I see you have a lot of worries, frustration and questions. And as much as we ladies on here want to help you, I truly believe you need to have someone close by that can help you through every step of this intense journey.

Accupuncture to calm your mind might be something to look into too (it helped me, but my worries weren't as big as you have)

And yes, you don't have to have an ET after an ER. You can freeze them and have a FET.
Look at the groups with FET in the title. You'll find more info there of the women that done FET. And ask your RE about this.

GL and please talk to a professional as you need to have your mind at ease. You will feel so much better and confident when starting.

Tulips29 · April 2016

I agree with the above comments. IVF can seem like a scary process but if you truly want a baby, this is the path you need to take (assuming this is your only option arm). If you read all the side effects of every pill you take, you will just drive yourself crazy. Take a deep breath, review the medication you have at hand, and address your concerns with your doctor. Every medication has side effects but I can probably guarantee that walking down the street and getting hit by a car is more likely than experiencing everything you mentioned from these medications. You'll be just fine! The injections aren't as scary as you think and just remember that you're a strong woman and you've got this! As for freezing eggs, yes a lot of women opt out of a fresh transfer and then decide to do a frozen one later on. You can also do pgd testing on the embryos before your transfer which will mean you'll have a frozen transfer as well. Shout if you have any questions. These boards are filled with support and helpful information. I hope you find peace during this process and are able to relax and not stress too much during this ride. Remember that stress is bad for you as well during this whole thing. Hugs.

oxinfree · April 2016

Hi @runner79 - it is sooooooo intimidating getting all those meds in the mail for the first time. I'm going to go ahead and assume this is your first IVF. First off... breathe.

Important first step. Honestly it is completely NORMAL to feel overwhelmed, scared and apprehensive about treatment. Sure no one is forcing you, however sometimes we feel stuck on a journey that we didn't sign up for, and we feel cheated in a way. That is perfectly fine to feel those emotions, but it is also important to try and work through them.

This being my second fresh round of IVF, I have a totally different mindset. Everything is totally new on your first go around, and the overwhelm and emotions can be so incredibly challenging. YOU CAN DO THIS!!! I promise you, you are so much stronger and more capable that you ever knew you were. It is okay to be scared, but it is more important to face those fears with resilience knowing that you are doing it for the future of your family.

In terms of the side effects, scary, sure, but they're just covering all their bases in CASE anything happened so we can't sue. Like others said, even tylenol comes with these scary warnings. I've done a fresh cycle and a frozen cycle and at this point in my life feel healthier than I did before I ever started this journey simply because I was forced to become more aware of my body and the way I was treating it.

I want you to know you are not alone. There are a LOT of very supportive, knowledgable women on this site, and I don't want you to feel like you can't express your fears or worries. We all have them. The blot clot disorder is DEFINITELY something you'll want to discuss with your RE, as they may need to put you on blood thinners during your cycle. If you are already on them, problem solved!

In some cases you don't even have the option to do a fresh transfer. Some REs decide it'll be best for your body to rest and try on a new month. Both approaches are common, and both have resulted in hundreds of thousands of pregnancies I'm sure.

I'm wishing you the absolute best of luck. If you ever need someone to ask anything to feel free to direct message me. Big hugs to you my dear, and good luck!

Angelic789 · April 2016

Hi, runner! I suppose no other way out if not taking meds. All women in IVF process have to take these or those no matter what the reaction will be. But for the most part side effects are not so widely spread. As for those causing death or cancer - this is absolutely impossible. As your doc is an expert. He/she makes a decision as for the most appropriate med for you on the basis of your testing results. This is not just out of the blue he says take this and don't take this med. I suppose you have to do sth relaxing. And try not to read about the side effects any more. As practice shows you're too sensitive as for it.
I absolutely understand your fear and feeling uncomfortable. But I swear this is what everyone is feeling dealing with the process. Some of us have panic for needles, others are afraid of how they'll cope with work during treatment - whatever!! But this what it all just looks like. It's pretty hard at the beginning. And the more you're doing it the less bitter it becomes for you. This is for sure. So keep strong, my brave girl and go on with your treatment. Wish you all the best of luck Xx

cmm012 · April 2016

Hello! I saw that you have s blood clotting disorder. I do too, and I'm planning on IVF next month with meds starting this month. I have been seeing my hematologist monthly, and have been prescribed lovenox as a precaution. Hormones can increase the chance of blood clots, so it's important to stay on top of it. Do you have a hematologist? If not, could you ask your RE for a prescription for a blood thinner as a precaution?

In regards to your other question, I plan on having unfertilized eggs frozen to aboid creating too many embryos. This costs a little more, but for us was an important option.

edited b/c I posted too quickly!

runner76 · April 2016

My RE has me on lovenox.. I hope that is enough to keep me from getting it. I have a blood clot in leg and lung after an accident long ago plus I have a clot disorder which puts me more at risk. im just so scared.

when you say unfertilized you mean they are just storing the eggs right. how do you get them fertilized later then? that was what I meant in my question.. so thank you.. if they can just store eggs as well without creating embryos. what would process be later though then?

cmm012 · April 2016

Hello @runner76 Lovenox is the standard treatment for women with clotting disorders who become pregnant. There is even a protocol for delivery both vaginally and via c-section. For the egg freezing, they unfreeze the eggs and fertilize them similar to IVF when you are ready to use them. I want to go control the number of embryos created so I don't have any left over. So, I plan to freeze and extra eggs after 8 to 10 are fertilized.

runner76 · April 2016

ok what is the advantage to freezing the eggs without fertilizing?

msirni0 · April 2016

@runner76 I think it's more of a moral thing. If you don't want to dispose embryos that you don't use, freezing eggs first to control number of embryos is a good idea.

Based on all of your posts, I am going to have to agree with other posters that you really should find someone to talk to. Also, you need to trust your doctor, the professional who got a degree in reproductive endocrinology.

cmm012 · April 2016

@runner76 @msirni0 is correct. Freezing eggs means fewer embryos created and will hopefully prevent the dilemma of having viable embryos that can't be used. Egg freezing is also good for a woman who is not ready to conceive yet, but wants to in the future. Egg freezing means she will have quality eggs when she is ready. Its important to realize that the protocol is exactly the same for egg retrieval whether embryos are created or if unfertilized eggs are frozen for later use.

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