New here - looking for advice and some friends

thothscribe81

Hi All

I'm Jamie - new to these boards and just looking for some people going through similar treatments that can relate!

My fiance and I have been TTC for a little over a year now, but we started seeing an RE a little over three months due to my age (I'm 35, almost 36).  DF was tested and all came back better than normal (his counts were off the charts lol).  I had thought I was ovulating somewhat normally due to OPK testing but it turned out I was actually surging before my follicles got large enough to produce anything.  I started out the first two cycles on clomid (increasingly higher dosages) and an ovidrel trigger shot.  We got to the trigger shot the first cycle without any success (though around the time I should have been implanting I ended up with appendicitis and had surgery to have my appendix out so not sure if that worked against me at all).  The next cycle we had to cancel due to my follicles not maturing enough before I had a surge.  This cycle we are trying a bit more of an aggressive treatment with letrozole the days 4-8 and then I've been doing follistim injections days 9 and 10 and now 11 and 12 after todays US showed just one slightly growing follicle.  I have cetrotide on stand-by to keep me from surging early this time though my blood results show that I'm safe for now, have another appointment on Friday morning.

I'm very much hoping for success this cycle - I think we will have to take next cycle off because of the expense - my HRA has been helping us pay for all the treatments but its tapped dry and won't re-set until May 1st.  

Hopefully can chat with some people here and share frustrations and anxieties - my DF has been wonderful and positive throughout the entire process - but it'd be nice to have support from others who know first-hand the hormonal emotions and anxieties that I'm going through as a woman.    

Irisheyes81

Welcome! Sorry about your appendix! That sounds terrible.  I'm also on letrozole and ovidrel.  I just went up to 5.0 and haven't had any side effects.  Have you?  Congrats on the growing follicle!!  

thothscribe81

Hi!  Yeah the appendix sucked lol - I thought I had the stomach flu - I felt soooo much better once it was out though!  

The only side effects I've had have been hot flashes! My fiance is getting used to me throwing off the covers at night!  

I'm excited my follicle is growing though hoping for more progress on friday!  Where are ypu in your cycle? 

Imajin99

@thothscribe81 Welcome, wish you best of luck.  Are you doing IUI with your medication?

[Deleted User]

Welcome!  I haven't done any medicated cycles yet, but it sounds like you are on the right track! GL

thothscribe81

Hi!  And thank you!  I did letrozole days 4-8 of my cycle and am now doing follistim injections (75 units) days 9-???  I go for another US and bloodwork tomorrow morning so hoping I'll get an indication of when we can trigger and schedule the iui!!!

thothscribe81

Thank you!

funkykey

Welcome @thothscribe81! I hope you find support on these boards. I too have clomid hot flashes, so I can understand that aspect for sure! I am not loving them!

My DH and I are unexplained, though DH's results are so strong (like you), we think it must be something on my side - something that can't be detected yet. Sometimes, this irritates me- between DH and I, I am definitely the healthier one (make a point to eat better, exercise more, etc.) and I am sure to remind him of how irritated I am every time he even looks smug about a good SA. (I've just started pestering him about his cholesterol, which means we are an old married couple even though we've only been married for 2 years. Hahaha. Even if it's fine, I'd like for him to take more preventative steps.)

It doesn't sound like you have any of those frustrations though? Probably good if you are still engaged! You don't want to be an old married couple yet! Hahaha! Or maybe you are just a nicer/less irritable person than I am! Hahaha!

Anyway, sounds like you are on to something with the surges/ovulation timing. Good luck this cycle - I am keeping my FX for you!

thothscribe81

@funkykey Hi!  Thanks for the welcome!  Yes the hot flashes I could do without!  I'll take it if it'll get me pregnant though lol

I'm in the same boat as far as my fiance goes - I'm constantly trying to get him to eat healthier and exercise more!  Sometimes I get some results sometimes he's a baby about it lol.  I wouldn't call myself the specimen of health but aside from some weight I'd like to lose I'm on the healthier side for sure.  Especially since we've been ttc I've been trying to watch what I eat and drink more as well as the pre-natal vitamins.  I am proud of DF as of late for giving up soda (more or less, he still treats himself on occasion) and we've been good about putting a dinner menu together when we go food shopping and then sticking to it for the week!  Even though we aren't married yet I still consider us an old married couple sometimes lol - we both get up for work fairly early in the morning so during the week we are in bed by like 9pm lol.  Even on the weekends sometimes!!  I suppose we should get the sleep now!!

Good luck to you as well this cycle - are you doing iui as well as the clomid?  I didn't respond to the clomid as well as my RE wanted me to so we are on to letrozole and follistim this cycle!

funkykey

@thothscribe81  - yes, I did an IUI with the clomid, and a trigger shot - it was my second IUI. I'm now 1 week through my TWW! Agony!

thothscribe81

@funkykey ugh the TWW!!  What are you doing to keep busy?  I've got my fingers crossed for you!  Will you take a hpt or will you go in for bloodwork on a specified date?  

funkykey

@thothscribe81 - I'm going in for bloodwork on the 17th, but I might be able to take an HPT on the 16th. The first week wasn't so bad, but now... I find the second week so much harder, and after an IUI the hardest... Cannot imagine what it's like after IVF! 

I'm going to do our taxes this weekend to distract me, and I have been hitting up TB like it's my job! Hahaha! So hard to wait!

thothscribe81

@funkykey Taxes will be a good distraction!  I'm loving TB and spending a bunch of time on my breaks from work lol  I'm not even in my TWW yet and I'm already antsy!  I want it to be tomorrow morning and with good news from my US!!!

Irisheyes81

@thothscribe81 I totally feel you on the hot flashes! I have been really really tired this time.  I don't know if that is even a side effect but I feel like I got hit by a bus. I'm on CD7 and on day four of letrozole 5.0. we have the ultrasound to see about follicles on Tuesday and then the IUI whatever day they pick. I don't know becuase it's my first IUI.  I'm way behind you ladies this month.  Boy do I wish I was on 2ww. Not that 2ww is fun What's your test day?

@funkykey I can't wait to hear how this round was for you! So exciting

I am healthier too! Granted his morphology is low but that has nothing to do with health. He drinks all this coffee and alcohol and fast food.  I'm eating a rice cake with low fat peanut butter and I'm the one with the issues.  What's up with that?!  

thothscribe81

@Knottie1456269879  you aren't to far behind me!  I'm on CD12 now and have my third US this cycle tomorrow, I've got my fingers crossed that the dominant follicle made progress and maybe one or two of the smaller ones grew too!!  I'm hoping for an iui this weekend but I think I'm aiming high lol - more than likely it'll be maybe monday or tuesday?  

I totally get the rice cake thing lol  We've been doing pretty good with the healthy eating together thing (we make lunches together and put a dinner plan together every weekend).  However he does like to grab a fast food breakfast during the week sometimes and forget about the weekends lol.  Also if hes in charge of dinner (during the week I usually cook because I get home an hour earlier than he does) it usually will end up as pizza delivery!  Old habits are hard to break!  Though he has made a couple of really awesome meals over the last few months so maybe my habits are breaking through just a little.  I will admit that on occasion I just give in (especially on the weekends) and endulge!!!!  

I'm ready for it to be Friday already!

Irisheyes81

@thothscribe81 Old habits do die hard! I love pizza.  It's so nice that you are making meals together. That is the only way to be successful.  I will say that at times this process is so hard on our marriage but other times it makes us closer.  I struggle a lot with bfn's and finding out my diagnosis considering I've had no symptoms my whole life. I feel like a failure and I'm glad he's a good man and we are close because I'd totally worry anyone else would leave.  You guys cook together and IUI together  

Good luck on your IUI this weekend (maybe a little later). Plenty of time for follicles to grow.  So much hurry up to wait!! 

thothscribe81

@Knottie1456269879 I love pizza too!  And after all the talk yesterday about eating healthy I was so exhausted last night we ended up ordering a pizza for dinner lol.  I get that its hard on the marriage - I think its hard for the guys to understand exactly how it makes us feel.  I know its not "my fault" this is happening but it is my body that is screwing things up.  And every month it doesn't work I get so discouraged and upset - I try and look at the positive and know that each month is a step closer to figuring it out, but its hard not to get emotional.  DF I know feels it too but he is able to look forward much easier I think.  I'm sure the hormones and all that doesn't help anything for us!!!  I'm also so glad I found a great guy who supports me and makes me feel better and has a positive outlook at the future.  He keeps saying that no matter what we are going to have a family - whether that family is biological, from a surrogate or from adoption, it will happen, its just going to take us a little longer than average!

Yep we cook together and iui together!!!!  

My US this morning went ok I guess - still only one follicle (though I know thats all I need!) and it grew a little which he was happy with.  He said as long as its growing we are making progress.  So it was around a 15 right now.  He wants me back on Sunday.  I'm kinda hoping they increase my follistim dosage but we will see what they say when they call with my blood work results and go from there!

mc4dj13

Welcome @thothscribe81