Hi, I'm new here. I'm 35 with a history of painful periods and was recently diagnosed with low amh and a large endometrioma. Due to my age and condition, my doctor recommended egg freezing, embryo freezing, or IVF. I'm single and not comfortable using a donor right now, so it's probably egg freezing for me. My doctor thinks embryo creation with a donor is a better bet for me but said egg freezing is a valid choice too. The process is the same as IVF up till egg retrieval and then once married, I'll do the embryo creation and transfer(s) if it works out. I'm supposed to start stimulation sometime in the next couple weeks (should be getting my schedule early this week). A little nervous as it seems like they will be having me on a fairly aggressive medication protocol. Anyway, I know my situation is a bit different but don't know of any boards of women doing egg freezing or doing fertility treatments alone, but I'm happy to meet you and hope to be welcome here.
Re: New Here--Single Fertility Treatment
Are you going to have the endometrioma removed? For me, removing these growths made my periods slightly less painful and also a little shorter (was hoping for more relief). I also used to have random mid-cycle bleeding, and thankfully that stopped after the surgery! (But not being able to get pregnant was the main reason for removing it.) I am on lupron depot right now for the endometriosis, prior to IVF #1.
Me: 34 ("unexplained IF"), DH: 40 (he is fine!), Married since 2013, 2 cats
TTC since Aug 2014May 2016: laproscopy, found & removed moderate (stage III) endo (largest growth was on R ovary)
Summer/Fall 2016: 3x IUI w/ clomid & trigger shot, 3x BFN
Jan 2017: 2 months of lupron depot to quiet endo (ugh). Done!
March 2017: IVF #1 (antagonist) Cancelled/converted to IUI #4 on 3/31/17, CP
May 2017: IVF #1, try 2 (Lupron added). ER 5/23 (14 retrieved, 11 mature, 10 fertilized, 3 blasts frozen, 2 PGS normal). FET in late July!
CP #1- due April 2017 lost 5.5 weeks
cp #2- due May 2017 lost at 4.5 weeks
iUI #1- BFN
IUI #2-BFN
IVF#1- transfer 2- BFP! Due October 2017 c/p#3 lost at 3.5 weeks
I actually wish that that RE had been a little more aggressive - I only ended up with 9 mature eggs - but those are last resort. My insurance covers two IVF cycles, so I'm slated to start stimming for the first of those in a week, but with a more aggressive protocol since I didn't get *that* many back then and I'm four a half years older now.
Even though I've been through the first half of IVF once before, I'm a little anxious about all the upcoming shots too. I really hate needles (even little ones!) and don't know how I got through the injections back then - but if it works (or even for a chance of it working) it will be worth it!
Married 6/18/16 (Me 42, DH 44), TTC #2
***TW***
As of 12/2016: AMH 1.42, FSH 6.1, AFC ~10
Self-benched Nov-Dec 2016 for
IVF #1 Jan-Feb 2017 (OCP, testosterone primed antagonist w/HGH - ER 2/2/17 - 12R, 7M ICSI'd, 3F, 0B)
IVF #2 Mar-Apr 2017 (testosterone primed agonist/luteal lupron w/HGH - ER 4/8/17 - 10R, 8M, 8F, 5B, 1 PGS normal)
IVF #3 May-Jun 2017 (testosterone primed agonist/luteal lupron w/HGH - ER 6/4/17 - 14R, 5F, 3B, 0 normal)
**New RE**
IVF #4 Sept 2017 (natural start microdose lupron flare w/HGH - ER 9/28/17 - 33R, 18F, 10B, 4 PGS normals!)
FET #1 (medicated) of one PGS normal 4AA XX 11/2/17 - Beta #1 11/11/17 (153), Beta #2 11/13/17 (324), mc at 5w1d on 11/19/17
IVF #5 Dec 2017 - Insemination of 9 frozen eggs from 2012 (8F, 1B, 0 normal)
Jan 2018 - Natural cycle ERA (normal/receptive) & stimming for
IVF #6 Jan-Feb 2018 (natural start microdose lupron flare w/HGH - ER 2/3/18 - 17R, 6M, 4F, 0 blasts)
IVF #7 Feb 2018 (natural start microdose lupron flare w/HGH - ER 2/26/18 - 19R, 9M, 9F, 4B, 2 PGS normals)
FET #2 Apr 2018 (natural cycle w/o trigger, w/P4 support) of one PGS normal 4AA- XX 4/5/18 - Beta #1 4/14/18 (67), Beta #2 4/16/18 (231)
Rainbow baby girl born 12/16/2018 (via c-section, induced at 39 weeks)
-----
TFAS!
FET #3 Dec 2019 (natural cycle w/o trigger, w/P4 support) of one PGS normal 3BB XY 12/16/19 - Beta #1 12/24/19 (139), Beta #2 12/27/19 (482)
Do you know why he said this (about potentially making the situation worse?) I am curious because I only heard from my doctor about the fertility benefits of removing the endometriosis. He did say those benefits only last ~1 year (I guess it grows back by then).
No, I don't know my protocol yet. We went over a probable one during the consult (based on my response during IUIs) but I hadn't finished all the pre-IVF testing yet so he didn't let me take the protocol/schedule home (also I was ~3 months away from starting any of it.)
I'm only 2 weeks in, but the lupron depot is actually not as bad as I feared! The first few days I had a pretty intense headache, but now its just small hot flashes... 1 or 2 a day. They are pretty minor episodes, its not like I start sweating dramatically and turning red. I'm in CO and perpetually cold in the winter, so its actually almost nice sometimes I'll try to remember to come give an update when my 2 months on it are done.
Me: 34 ("unexplained IF"), DH: 40 (he is fine!), Married since 2013, 2 cats
TTC since Aug 2014May 2016: laproscopy, found & removed moderate (stage III) endo (largest growth was on R ovary)
Summer/Fall 2016: 3x IUI w/ clomid & trigger shot, 3x BFN
Jan 2017: 2 months of lupron depot to quiet endo (ugh). Done!
March 2017: IVF #1 (antagonist) Cancelled/converted to IUI #4 on 3/31/17, CP
May 2017: IVF #1, try 2 (Lupron added). ER 5/23 (14 retrieved, 11 mature, 10 fertilized, 3 blasts frozen, 2 PGS normal). FET in late July!
With regards to egg freezing, the chances of pregnancy are lower than with frozen embryos, I'm sure you know. As a reference, my RE says you have to freeze 20 eggs to get one pregnancy.
Married 6/18/16 (Me 42, DH 44), TTC #2
***TW***
As of 12/2016: AMH 1.42, FSH 6.1, AFC ~10
Self-benched Nov-Dec 2016 for
IVF #1 Jan-Feb 2017 (OCP, testosterone primed antagonist w/HGH - ER 2/2/17 - 12R, 7M ICSI'd, 3F, 0B)
IVF #2 Mar-Apr 2017 (testosterone primed agonist/luteal lupron w/HGH - ER 4/8/17 - 10R, 8M, 8F, 5B, 1 PGS normal)
IVF #3 May-Jun 2017 (testosterone primed agonist/luteal lupron w/HGH - ER 6/4/17 - 14R, 5F, 3B, 0 normal)
**New RE**
IVF #4 Sept 2017 (natural start microdose lupron flare w/HGH - ER 9/28/17 - 33R, 18F, 10B, 4 PGS normals!)
FET #1 (medicated) of one PGS normal 4AA XX 11/2/17 - Beta #1 11/11/17 (153), Beta #2 11/13/17 (324), mc at 5w1d on 11/19/17
IVF #5 Dec 2017 - Insemination of 9 frozen eggs from 2012 (8F, 1B, 0 normal)
Jan 2018 - Natural cycle ERA (normal/receptive) & stimming for
IVF #6 Jan-Feb 2018 (natural start microdose lupron flare w/HGH - ER 2/3/18 - 17R, 6M, 4F, 0 blasts)
IVF #7 Feb 2018 (natural start microdose lupron flare w/HGH - ER 2/26/18 - 19R, 9M, 9F, 4B, 2 PGS normals)
FET #2 Apr 2018 (natural cycle w/o trigger, w/P4 support) of one PGS normal 4AA- XX 4/5/18 - Beta #1 4/14/18 (67), Beta #2 4/16/18 (231)
Rainbow baby girl born 12/16/2018 (via c-section, induced at 39 weeks)
-----
TFAS!
FET #3 Dec 2019 (natural cycle w/o trigger, w/P4 support) of one PGS normal 3BB XY 12/16/19 - Beta #1 12/24/19 (139), Beta #2 12/27/19 (482)