~~August Tropical Ovaries Check-In! 7/31~~

gsancho

Welcome to the August Tropical Ovaries Check-In!!!  Check-ins will be every Monday (by ronniesgirl1981) & Thursday (by gsancho).  

This is a check-in for those who are doing IVF/IVM or FET with an ER/ET scheduled for August. If you are interested in joining, please fill us in on your cycle below.  Please include what cycle number this is for you, where you are in the process, when you expect to start stims, and when you're planning on retrieval and transfer.  (Also, please update us along the way!)

Badge link: https://i61.tinypic.com/34zll06.jpg

QOTD: Are you more into of a winter/snow fan or do you enjoy the heat?

BETWEEN ER/ET

Canuck13 IVF#1

Cindal IVF#1 (natural cycle) 

alpCRNA IVF#1 

tifga IVF#1

FET Cycle

Aimothy FET#1

gsancho FET#1

LundleBean FET#1

MeatandBandP FET#1

sunshinedaisies000 FET#1

TheNaijaGal FET#2

Stimming/Priming/Monitoring

aliciafiggy IVF#1

angjohns99 IVF#2

AMShark IVF #2

ashlee IVF#1

AshleyS131 IVF#1

AuroraP725 IVF#2

Buttmonkey34 IVF#1

calbiz IVF#1

CML11 IVF #?

LeggyJeggy IVF#5

LuBirdie IVF#3

ronniesgirl1981 IVF#2

Prep (CD1/Lupron/Waiting on CD1)

Andy99 IVF#1

blueeyes233 IVF#3

CaringCat IVF#3

Frenchteachermama IVF#1

heatherrb23 IVF#1

hmz819 IVF#7

Kinderteach78 IVF#1

ktabs IVF#1

Lesliem0901 IVF#1

gsancho

Hi ladies!!!  Sorry I was MIA for a few days and slow to update everything.  I was on vacation and online access was less frequent than expected...but 13 hours of driving later, I'm back!  Let me know if I missed any updates...I'm still a little out of it.

AF started yesterday - more than a week late, but I'm hoping it doesn't throw off my calendar much since I've been trucking along on Lupron and E2 patches.  I think adding on the E2 patches and lower lupron levels brought AF.  

QOTD: I don't mind the hot summers too much, although I wish we lived a little closer to where we could do more hiking in the summer like we did the last few days...driving 12+ hours for it is a bit tiring.

ronniesgirl1981

Are you doing this all by yourself?!?!?!?!?! 

If I get my desktop out of storage this weekend, I'll take one of the days!!!

gsancho

Ah!  Meant to add...if anyone wants to help with the check-ins, sweetsurrender had bow out.  It's not a huge group, and I don't mind doing it.  But it would be helpful to have someone, even periodically, for times when I'm traveling.  

@ronniesgirl1981 If you want to do Mondays, that's great!  

ronniesgirl1981

@gsancho I'll PM you over the weekend.  I should be able to get it up and running!

alpCRNA

Hey ladies!  My ER was yesterday.  Apparently I am difficult stick, so getting an IV was not pleasant.  The bright side is that the IV was the worst part.  They retrieved 13 eggs.  Fert report as of this morning: 13 retrieved, 9 mature, 9 ICSI, 8 fertilized with 1 they want to watch.  I am pleased with 8 fertilized embryos.  I will get a call Saturday letting me know to come in or to wait until Monday for a 5 day transfer.  So, I'm anxiously waiting.  

QOTW:  I prefer Spring and Fall with more comfortable temperatures.  If I had to choose I would go with the summer heat.  The snow is beautiful, but I don't like to drive in it and hospitals do not close for inclement weather.  So, I still have to go to work.  We also tend to have more family gatherings in the summer.  Bring on the cookouts, corn hole, days at the lake, and other summer activities.

@gsancho I hope you enjoyed your vacation and can stay on schedule.  If we move one of the check ins to Sunday, I can pick that up to help you.  Just let me know.

Aimothy

I had a hysteroscopy and D&C yesterday.  I'm SO grateful for my RE calling in a favor to keep it so that I can stay on schedule to be an Tropical Ovary.  The polyp was removed, everything cleaned out and we are good to do.  I started Lupron shots last night too!  Baseline will happen in a week!  

QOTW: I hate winter.  I live in MN, where this year it was decided that the average temperature should be -50 degrees. BLAH.   But I hate heat too.  I just can't be please.  75-80 and sunny, with a cool breeze, please!

alpCRNA

@Buttmonkey34  Thank you and good luck on Thursday!

blueeyes233

@alpcrna - 8 fertilized is awesome!

@Aimothy - hope you feel better soon.  Polyp removal can be rough stuff.  

@Buttmonkey34 - only another week to ER! :-)

AFM: On bcp, nothing exciting happening until baseline on 8/13.

QOTW: Spring/Fall are my favorite seasons 65-70F would be perfect for me, but I would take the snow over heat any day.  

ashlee

Hello! Can you add me to this group? Today is my 7th day of stims and my first IVF cycle. My retrieval is supposed to be early next week. At my baseline there were 10 follicles. However, at my 6 day scan yesterday, I only had 5-6 growing follicles, so my RE said that I need at least 5 to keep growing in order to move forward with retrieval. I will find out tomorrow. Praying that God will work all this together for good. 

ronniesgirl1981

So...I still have 13 trying to do something.  On day 6, my largest is 11.  The NP this morning said that everything looked fine and that she was happy that they were all growing together.  Of course, I'm all stressed out now. 

When the nurse called with instructions, I'm at 300 Gonal F and 150 Menopur.  I asked her about my concerns that not much was growing.  She said they were "not too concerned" about this and then said there were "no worries." 

Do you they realize how much we hang on their every word?!?!?! 

Next monitoring is Saturday.

ETA: I love the fall!

Cindal

alpCRNA Congratulations on your eight embies!
ER without anethesia is horrible. Never ever agree to doing this. I feel like slapping my doctor for comparing it to a simple iv. I'm a pretty tough person when it comes to pain usually and I was quickly reduced to a sobbing, shaking mess. Hours later there is still some residual shaking that comes and goes. The bad news is they were only able to retrieve one egg.
BUT the good news is  is that one egg is mature and as of a phone call a few seconds ago fertilized with ICSI. We have our little acorn for the moment. They tell us they're going to call us everyday, except for Monday (something about the 4th day doesn't show much to any growth?), to keep us updated on its progress. Tuesday and transfer day cannot get here soon enough. I'm going to be waiting on pins and needles for every phone call, for every hour that I can breath just a little sigh of relief.
ETA the QOTD: If I had to choose I would probably choose snow. Neither one is great. I'm super susceptible to the heat but I also suffer from arthritis. At least in the snow I'm not a sweaty sticky dizzy mess.

gsancho

@Cindal  That sounds awful!  I guess since it's a mini IVF and they wouldn't have to get tons of eggs, he figured it would be fine...but yeah, that sucks.  But it's great you got a little embie!

@ashlee I got you added!

blueeyes233

@Cindal - Holy crap! You agreed to do an ER without anesthesia? I was always so sore after mine I can't imagine knowing what is going on during the actual retrieval.  Good luck with the transfer next week! Hopefully you have a strong embryo growing.  

Canuck13

Hi ladies. I'm on my 10th day of stims, with 4 follicles measuring: 22, 17, 16, 14. I believe that today is going to be my last day of stims with hcg trigger tomorrow and ER on Sunday. I'm pretty nervous with so few follicles and have to pray that quality over quantity wins out...QOTD: I HATE winter/cold/snow and LOVE summer and warm weather!

tifga

Had another ultrasound this morning as it sits right now we should get 10 follies on the day of retrevial which is going to be Sunday.
My clinic does pain killer and a seditive for ER which I'm glad about the idea of general freaks me out. I even started crying when I was told I had to use it for my wisdom teeth removal.
Does anyone know how the trigger works? Me and husband thought there was a burst of growth at the end but I have no idea. I'm using pregnyl if it matters.

QOTW: I love fall and winter. Not because of the cold because I am so cold blooded I am never warm in winter but because the darkness, I love the long dark gloomy days! All this sunshine is really depressing to me .

blueeyes233

@tifga - The trigger will mimic the normal LH surge that happens a few days before ovulation.  There is a bit of growth happening, but mainly it completes the maturation process and starts loosening the eggs from the follicle cavity so that they are easier to retrieve.    

AMShark

I had my first scan yesterday, and she measured 2 follicles on each side: 7, 10, 7, 9

I'm trying not to read to much into that just yet.  Tonight will be day 6 of stims, and I'm adding a 3rd vial of Menopur to the 300 units of Gonal F.  I'll also start Cetrotide tonight.  I started on 25 units of Omnitrope (HGH) on Tuesday, and and continue with that with high hopes.

I haven't the foggiest when ER will be, but I expect I'll have a better idea after tomorrow morning's scan.

QOTW:  I think I like both.  It's a good thing I live in NJ, because just when I get really sick of shovelling snow, Spring usually arrives.  And when I've had my fill of hot and humid days, its time for Fall.  Wait, maybe I just like Spring & Fall best?  There's something I enjoy about all four seasons - I don't think I'd like to miss any of them.

Aimothy

@cindal You are my new hero. There's no way I'd do ER without anesthesia. I'm glad that the one they got fertilized, I'll be sending you lots of growing vibes! Rest up!

alpCRNA

@cindal I'm sorry you had such a negative experience with ER.  I was nervous enough going into knowing I was having anesthesia.  I would have been a complete basket case in your shoes.  Keeping my FX for your embryo to keep growing and lead to success.  Will be thinking about you on Tuesday!

ChristieH917

I am with @Aimothy...  @cindal You're my hero!  

@ashlee Welcome!!

@alpCRNA Congrats on your embies!

AFM, I have no idea where I am anymore.  I am on Prometrium, but AF arrived today.  I called into the office but I haven't heard anything as of yet.  

QOTD:  I am a winter girl.  Give me snow and cold any day over the heat.  

ktabs

I am a summer/spring kind of girl! I love anything and everything in the water It's cool in a Texas this week which is very unusual... My pool is too cold for me to jump in for a quick swim! I have my first baseline test tomorrow along with a sonogram and begin Menopur... I am nervous because I have felt fine on Lupron and hear that Menopur is less than pleasant. I go to Gulf Shores with family this next week and hope I am not miserable! At least we rented a house on the beach so I can practically crawl to the water if I need to

ktabs

https://tinypic.com/r/34zll06/8

calbiz

Hello!

To be in line with everyone else (I added my first comment to the 7/28 thread on yesterday) thought it best to re-post my last update on check-in day.

8 measurable follies (mostly 12-10) and some little ones (which is good for me). E2 is just under 300.

@ashlee‌ It seems like we started stimming on the same day. Which protocol are you on? I am hoping for a retrieval early next week, def will ask the nurse tomorrow. My next monitoring appt is in the morning.

QOTD: I despise very hot weather, which is weird for a person originally from Mississippi. Living in Chicago now, fall is a certainly my fav season. Love sweaters!

Canuck13

@tifga‌ We both have ER Sunday, good luck to you!!!

Kinderteach78

Today was mock transfer for me! If you didn't see my Holy Moly post, it wasn't very pleasant! They found a large cyst on my ovary, so they are keeping an eye out. I have one more week of BCP and my first lupron appt (that what they called the first monitoring after I finish BCP) next Friday. I also have IVF class tomorrow with my hubby I should start stims on aug 11th, if everything stays on track!

QOTD-
I am not a fan of heat and sweating ! I prefer spring or fall. I would take snow over heat any day! Living in northern Virginia (and being a teacher) and getting snow, usually means a day off for me! Who doesn't love snow days and cuddling on the couch??! ;;)

LeggyJeggy

Today was my 3rd scan and day 13 of stims. E2 is at 922. I guess I still have 2-4 follies on each ovary but only one is above 12 and its 14.3 so I have no idea how the others are progressing. Apparently they're making the new nurse make all the calls and she is not helpful at all. I go back in on Sunday again so we'll see. I just ordered 2 more gonalf pens. I'm so glad we're not OOP this year for all of our meds because the gonalf would now be over $10k alone for just this cycle!


I like mild temps for sure. I don't like the heat or the cold, but I'm in New England so I put up with it.

AuroraP725

@alpCRNA‌ Congrats on a great fert report! Hope you get some awesome growing embryos.

@Aimothy‌ I'm glad your surgery went well and you can move on so quickly. I hope this cycle is successful for you.

@Buttmonkey34‌ Good luck with your ER next week!

@Cindal‌ That sounds like an awful ER experience Keeping my fingers crossed your one embryo grows nice and strong.

@Canuck13‌ and @tifga‌ Good luck with your retrievals Sunday!

@Kinderteach78‌ Good luck this cycle. How exciting!

I had my baseline appt Wednesday and my nurse called to say everything looks good so I started Lupron tonight. I will add Follistim and Menopur starting Saturday. Had a bit of a crisis the last 2 days when I didn't think I would be able to get my meds. I was on the phone for hours between the insurance, the pharmacy, and the dr's office. FINALLY got it all straightened out today, which is great because we have to go out of town this weekend and I didn't want to leave without my meds. Ugh stupid insurance. The bad news is we've already hit our lifetime max allowance for benefits, so everything from here out will be OOP. Not excited about that.

QOTD: I love the heat! Give me summer over winter any day.

Andy99

@alpCRNA - Congratulations on your fabulous fertility report!!

@Cindal - I will be in the same boat as you it seems.  My clinic does not do anesthesia for ER at all.  So now I'm more nervous that I already was, because I don't have a tolerance for pain AT ALL!!

So I have my first sign that AF is on her way...  sore boobs this morning!!!!   

\:D/  I can't believe I'm actually this excited for AF to start, but I want to get this process going now!!  I'm not the most patient person on earth...

QOTD : Give me Summer over Winter ANY day!!  I hate being cold and the gloomy days are just depressing!!

heathereb23

RE appointment Monday and starting stims on Wednesday! My meds arrived this week. My goodness there was a lot of stuff in that package. I guess I have everything now except the hcg, which my insurer's specialty pharmacy group couldn't send directly over state lines because it's considered a controlled substance in NY? Or something like that. It should be coming from another place, but everything is paid for. Grateful that meds are covered and my copay wasn't too bad. I'm so ready to get this show on the road!

QOTW: I don't like being too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer, I guess more of a fall and spring girl. But I do hate waking up and going home in the dark in the winter, so I would pick summer between the two.

gsancho

@ktabs where in TX are you?  I am loving the cooler weather!

Cindal

@Andy99, I'm so sorry I've made you more nervous, I know that's not helpful. The good news is that all though the pain is pretty dang intense during the procedure. It drops off dramatically once they've finished. Then you just feel sore, a little crampy and ,for me, very nauseous and shakey.

ktabs

Fort Worth! I love it, too! I want my pool just a tad warmer though
Where are you?

gsancho

@ktabs Dallas  Hey neighbor!  

tifga

@Canuck13‌ I hope your ER goes well! When are you doing your transfer? BTW I love your picture. ( I really wish I could figure out how to get the @ to work instead of just copying and pasting)

I went in this morning for ultrasound and blood test and to get my pregnyl trigger. Apparently they had remembered to check that everything is free of gluten but had forgotten I have asthma she said it is no problem just they can't give me both the sedative and the pain killer because one of them (she didn't say which) would cause an asthma attack so they will just give me more of the other. 

I have 25 follicles today but only about half are 1.5 and over, is this normal? 

ashlee

@calbiz Yes, I think we did start stimming the same day! Eight follicles is great! I am currently on 300 follistim/150 menoupur/lupron, but they have increased my follistim up from 100 originally. I was so relieved to have 6 progressing follicles at my appt. this morning, so my cycle won’t be cancelled. They said I *might* have retrieval on Wednesday.

ktabs

gsancho said:

@ktabs Dallas  Hey neighbor!  

Oh well hello! I am actually in Southlake/Keller but I have family in N Dallas near NP mall. What part of town are you in?

aliciafiggy

Hi all,

Starting my first IVF cycle! I have my first ultrasound tomorrow before starting Follistim, probably tomorrow night.

Good luck to all!

LuBirdie

Had second US today after 7 days of stimming. I think the follies are growing uneven. My dr in town said they look fine, but RE nurse out of state is concerned. They can't be too concerned if they are all taking the day off and said they wouldn't get my results til tomorrow and will call me with the plan on Sat. Even though I'm leaving town on Sun. This is crazy not knowing. I'm checking on airlines now to see if its even an option to change my flight without some ridiculous change fee. Anyone else have/had uneven growth and what did they do? They are measuring at 20, 13, 11, 9, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4. Im assuming small ones wont make it. Its bad enough that we have to deal with the woes of infertility, but its like adding insult to injury when even the IVF process isn't foolproof.... follicle growth, cancellation threats, reactions to meds, slow responders, betas.... ETC!

Thinking of all of you too! Stay sane and breathe...

tifga

My follicles also grew unevenly. I have 5 that are mature right now, 8 that are close and 12 that probably won't make it. 

So stressful not letting you know until the last min what is going on.

Fingers crossed. 

calbiz

@ashlee I am doing 375 follisitm and 150 menopur plus ganirelix. Congrats on a good visit today! They can certainly be a source of stress. Hoping those 6 follies are bad ass and uber strong!

I too have a tentative retrieval date of Wednesday. Can't wait to be off the stims. Feeling like a beluga whale on land. Wondering how the ladies with 20+ follies are able to keep moving?!