TTCA 35 WEEKLY CHECK IN 1/29/18

ndz2018

Status (WTO/TWW/Benched/in process of testing or treatment): 

CD, CD/DPO (if applicable):

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment? Vitamins/supplements?):

Rants/Raves:

Questions for the group:

GTKY: What is your favorite season  ???

What are you thankful for this week?

ndz2018

Status (WTO/TWW/Benched/in process of testing or treatment): BENCHED

CD, CD/DPO (if applicable): NO CLUE 

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment? Vitamins/supplements?):  Prenats , Vit C, ubiquinol 

Rants/Raves: I started Estradriol last week and think it’s making me a little emotional lol. I was talking to my 3 year old niece the other day about The Land Before Time and about little foots mommy, well I just Start hysterically crying while talking about it then started laughing while crying because of how ridiculous It was lol

Questions for the group: none 

GTKY: What is your season  ???
AUTUMN for sure!! I love the leaves changing color, my fall clothes and my birthday is in the fall  


What are you thankful for this week? I am thankful that my mom 60th surprise birthday party went perfect yesterday!! Everyone showed up it was so great to see all my family! 

mrsa1026

Status (WTO/TWW/Benched/in process of testing or treatment): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment? Vitamins/supplements?): taking folic acid supplements 

Rants/Raves: I got a BFP on Friday but with pain and spotting. ER said HCG levels were 160, wanted me to follow up yesterday. Levels were 77. According to timing, it was still a zygote. Have an OB appointment tomorrow 

Questions for the group: I don’t really have any questions. Still trying to process the news we got yesterday. I want to share with friends and family what’s going on with me but DH is more private 

GTKY: What is your season  ??? I don’t know what this means

What are you thankful for this week

i am thankful for this group, that I can post/share as much as I want and still be private for DH

ndz2018

@mrsa1026 Ha sorry “what is your favorite season?” Made the correction on the original post. 
congrat on your BFP. Hope everything goes well with the OB tomorrow 

vlagrl29

Status (WTO/TWW/Benched/in process of testing or treatment): WTO

CD, CD/DPO (if applicable):  CD3

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment? Vitamins/supplements?):  Ubiquinol, Vit C, Vit D, Fish Oil, PNV

Rants/Raves: No complaints really!  teaching a full load again today - 7 lessons.  I'm starting the clomid tonight.  The oral progesterone I took last year was a nightmare so I'm hoping it agrees with my system and it's no biggie.  My AF is barely existent right now.  Seems a bit lighter this cycle.

Questions for the group:

GTKY: What is your season  ???   I enjoy spring and fall but I really love fall because of all the changing colors and we got married in early October.

What are you thankful for this week? where we are financially speaking currently compared to last year.  It's just so much better.

vlagrl29

@ndz2018 - I have to take 5 days of estradiol right after I finish my clomid.  Do you take it vaginally?  That's what I have to do.  They are literally tiny pills and I have no applicator so I'm assuming I just push it up as far as I can with my finger - oh the joys!!

@mrsa1026 - I'm so sorry for your numbers lowering.  I'm assuming it's a chemical pg right?  I had that in Dec 2016 - absolutely devastating.

ndz2018

@vlagrl29 No it’s just a little green pill I take orally twice a day. Ugh I have To take oral
progestrone starting on 2/13! What were the side effects you had?

ndz2018

@mrsa1026 ugh I’m sorry I guess I didn’t realize that you meant your beta level went down to 77. I hope you get some answer tomorrow at your app. I’m sure this waiting is not easy we’re here if you need to vent. 

vlagrl29

@nzd2018 - I think that's what I have but it will dissolve in my ute   it's supposed to support my vag lining but I only take it for  5 days thank god!  When stuff goes up your ute the side effects seems pretty non existent.

For me the prog suppositories were just so much better! so keep that in mind if the pills are bad for you.  They had me take it when I was pg with our loss cause my prog was low and then they wanted me to try them 1 more time the following cycle cause they didn't believe me when I told them the side effects I had.  Keep in mind everyone is different but sometimes I wonder if I'm really sensitive to hormones changing.  So it makes you really tired - best to take at night.  I literally had to stop what I was doing and lay down for a nap.  Then it gave me heartburn, nausea and dry heaving.  I think I puked 1 time.    It was just so hard on my digestive track.  It took 2 -3 days to get out of my system - I only took 1 pill.  crazy!  so that's why I'm so scared to take any hormone orally - I must be weak lol.   It also make me super emotional - like I cried for a day straight.  DH thought I was BSC.  It was the devil pill for me.

ndz2018

@vlagrl29 OH BOY! I have to take them twice a day for 7 days!!!! I better prepare H that He may Or may not be looking at a potential BSC woman for a week or so! 

vlagrl29

It probably won't be that bad for you @ndz2018 - then do you do the prog injections?  I read all the side effects of clomid last night - possible death lol.  They say not to take it long term because it can increase ovarian cancer and it can also increase tubal pregnancy.  blech!  why do I read those things?  DH had to talk me off the ledge again.

mrsa1026

Thanks @ndz2018@vlagrl29. It does feel devastating, it was DH first BFP and it didn’t hold. I didn’t even know that was possible. We’re planning on IVF June/July but obviously if we could get pregnant before then to save the funds and the process I would be happy. The collection of eggs is what freaks me out. I only have one ovary so are chances are cut in half already. As far as DH, I don’t know how to talk to him-do I comfort him or act like we never got the positive test?

vlagrl29

You can't act like it never happened cause it did. Men process it differently than women. I was much more of a hot mess than dh ever was but a couple nights after we found out dh had to have sex. It made me bawl like a baby, he was strong and my rock thru it all. It still bothers me but I'm much stronger now. It can still happen naturally with you. All it takes is 1 egg and 1 sperm. I'd focus on your physical and mental health while you are waiting for Ivf again.

ndz2018

@mrsa1026  it happened you guys need to talk about it. Everyone handles it differently. You guys will get through it, allow yourself to grieve.  And I agree With @vlagrl29  focus on you’re physical and mental health while waiting for IVF. We didn’t know walking into the RE office that morning that they would move us straight to IVF within 3 weeks after all the testing was done.. it’s a lot to absorb 

kristimh80

@mrsa1026 So very sorry with everything you're have to deal with right now  

Status (WTO/TWW/Benched/in process of testing or treatment): IVF....ER on Wednesday...eek!

CD, CD/DPO (if applicable): Hell if I know at this point. ll

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment? Vitamins/supplements?): PNV, wheatgrass, ubiqunol, Vit D, Folate

GTKY: What is your favorite season  ??? Spring...ready for everything to be green again! And all the flowers

What are you thankful for this week? My husband for putting up with my emotional craziness during all the appts and meds. 

slightlysillysarah

I'm on my phone so hard to @, but much love and hugs. The false bfp is hard, hugs for you guys. Even though I'm 36.5 today, I'm pretty new to this whole process. This is my first time ttc, I'm still learning so much about how it works and doesnt. 

Status (WTO/TWW/Benched/in process of testing or treatment): WTO

CD, CD/DPO (if applicable): CD11

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment? Vitamins/supplements?): opk, bbt, bd eod, prenatal vitamins.

Rants/Raves: just spent a couple of hours in an uncomfortable chair while my husband played a game. I'm too old for this. 

Questions for the group:
this is my first cycle off of low estrogen birth control, I was only on it for a few months, and my cycles hadn't regulated, I'm hoping I ovulate this month, but my Dr said to give it two months. Any experience? 
GTKY: What is your favorite season  ???
early fall and late spring, not too hot, not too cold. Still growing things and colors. It is warm now, but everything looks dead.
What are you thankful for this week? my puppy and her cuddles, and my husband who deals with my eccentricities

Momifbysea

@mrsa1026 I’m really sorry to hear your news. I think it’s good if you and DH can talk through it like the others have said. For me it’s been focusing on making myself healthier in terms of really reading up on nutrition and just all the exposures environmentally that can help improve egg quality. At 43 I’m fighting the clock and I don’t know, this was somewhat empowering to me to feel like I was doing something to take some control over the situation.

@vlagrl29 I’m so much the same way with any drug like that affecting my gi, I’m with you on that I’d rather take things any other way if possible! And yeah, on the side effect stuff, when I got this Lupron for this latest IVF protocol I read the PI and found out I’m taking s prostate cancer drug off-label and yeah death is on there and I’m like holy crap! But it’s cool...as long as I don’t become a mutant and grow a prostate! ;-)

@kristimh80 so excited for you for Wednesday! 3 of my 4 retrieval’s have been Wednesday and 1 Thursday but this time looks like I’m def Thursday or maybe even Friday depending on this morning’s appt. I did your protocol the first 4 cycles but this time no ganirelix for me, just waiting for trigger with ovidrel.

Status (WTO/TWW/Benched/in process of testing or treatment): IVF finishing stims, microdose Lupron protocol. Excited that my E went up to 1283 yesterday morning and I go in again this morning for more blood/ultrasound monitoring. I just checked back in my paperwork and my most successful IVF cycle where they got 11 eggs, I had a level of 1149 on this same day do I think I’m in good shape.

CD, CD/DPO (if applicable): CD12

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment? Vitamins/supplements?): prenatals, CoQ10, vit D, aspirin, doxycycline, Lupron, menopur, follistim

Rants/Raves: Work is so stressful right now and I need some time to just meditate but don’t have it

Questions for the group:

GTKY: What is your favorite season  ??? Spring, like late spring into early summer when all that warm weather lies ahead. I’m a native Californian relocated to a cold climate, so...

What are you thankful for this week? The financial person at our clinic met with me for over half an hour yesterday to go over numbers and help in decision making about fresh vs frozen transfer and even said she would be praying for me. Just a real warm fuzzy.

ndz2018

@slightlysillysarah Welcome! Hope your stay here is short. I haven’t been on BCP for years, well besides the few weeks they had me on it prior to my surgery in early Jan, but it doesn’t hurt to try this cycle! We’re doing IVF and just waiting hanging out till we do our FET. 

@Momifbysea Awesome your estrogen is up!!! That FOR SURE is a good sign!!! What stim day is this?? The day I triggered my estrogen was well over 6000 and let me tell you I FELT AWFUL after my retrieval for two whole days! Like I didnt really get up unless it was to let the dogs out. My appetite was crap too!!! I had To force food and drinks down. Did that ever happen to you? 

@kristimh80 Don’t let that message to momifbysea scare you, I’m also a giant baby when I don’t feel well, you’re gonna do great! And if you feel crappy afterward REST REST REST! Get your supplies ready and get a show to binge view and you’re gonna be good to go. You know what made me feel so much better?? Was getting my reports about my embryos! The minute you wake up they let you know how many you have, next morning they tell you how many fertilized and knowing all that made my uncomfortableness all worth it! Can’t wait to hear your report this week!! GL GIRL!!

Momifbysea

@ndz2018this is day 9. Getting up now for my appt. I have to time it so I get showered, do my shots, then get dd up and ready for preschool, drop her at our adoptive grsnfpsrents’ house, then drive to the clinic for 8:10, then pick her up, commute 45 minutes to her preschool and then hopefully get to my desk around 10. Long days for sure!

kristimh80

@ndz2018 Thanks so much for the support!!! I'm feeling a lot better today. Think I'm at the point of....whatever will be, will be! I feel so full inside, so ready to get it over with and back to some sort of normal! I keep telling myself of the great sleep I'll be getting tomorrow, so makes it ore bearable. I'm glad they switched me to Lupron trigger, takes a lot of the other stress off. Happy to be going to work today, so maybe I can be busy and not think about it all!

vlagrl29

@momifbysea - yeah both my scripts have sudden death as a side effect wtf?  Makes me wonder if they put that on all drugs.  I took my meds last night after dinner.  So far so good.  I'm tired today but that's most likely because I was busy yesterday and woke up before my alarm this morning.  I don't like taking medicine like hardly ever so this is a big step for me.  Esp the fact that it's hormone based.  I haven't been on BC pills since 2012 because I didn't like the way they affected me and that was a low dose.  I try to avoid anything hormonal at all cost but this is only 5 days and that's it so I'm willing to try it.

@slightlysillysarah - welcome!  I hope your stay is short!

ndz2018

@kristimh80 Did they give you a time to be there? Our app thank goodness was the 2nd appointment so we had to be there at 630 and I’m pretty sure I went in around 745/8.. I was Out of there by 9ish. 
@Momifbysea WOW! That’s a busy morning.. I’m exhausted reading it.
@vlagrl29 You started Clomid last night? I never got a chance to do any timed sex or IUI, how does this work? 

vlagrl29

@ndz2018 - My next step after the clomid is done would be to take the vaginal estradiol for 5 days then I go in on CD12 next Wens for a follicle check.  At that time I'm assuming they will tell me what to do regarding sex.  You can trigger ovulation at that time or not but if you do IUI you do trigger ovulation for better timing of the insemination.  Even with IUI you can still BD leading up to it just to make sure you really did something. 

I'm going to get some OPKs on Amazon today.  I'll prob start them on CD10 just in case I Ovulate earlier on Clomid than on my own.  I kinda don't really want to mess around too much before my U/S so I know what's going on in there lol.  My fear with the 100mg instead of the 50mg is that I'll overstimulate and have too many follies.  So far clomid is much better on me than progesterone was so that's promising.  Because my Prog is already in good numbers the RE said I'd never have to take it during the TWW so that was music to my ears!

ndz2018

@vlagrl29 oh yeah! The Estradriol!! You made me second guess myself , I had To look at the bottle and make sure i was supposed to take them orally  I am lol

vlagrl29

@ndz2018 - mine are basically the same as yours and looks like pills but I was told to push them up my vag as far as I could ha!  There is a chance clomid can thin uterine lining so they offset it with that just in case.

Momifbysea

Quick update on me...the 8 are still hanging well, with a range of only 3.5mm between their sizes which is pretty ideal. There are two more small ones but they likely won’t catch up to maturity before I trigger ovulation. The nurse just called and I trigger with two Ovidrel injections tonight at 10pm on the dot for a Thursday 8:45 retrieval. So excited!!!

ndz2018

@Momifbysea THATS FANTASTIC!! I’m so excited for you!! Are you guys doing ICSI and /or PGS testing? 

Momifbysea

@ndz2018 yes and yes. But we haven’t decided whether to maybe do a fresh transfer with one best and freeze and test others? Granted, we’ve never made it to the point where we’ve had that choice but we shall see. On one hand, I know it’s a risk to spend the $ on the transfer without testing because if we miscarried and needed another transfer from the tested ones then we’d be out of pocket at that point. But then the testing is $2k. A tough call! Risk and uncertainty either way. Nurses at my clinic say they hardly ever see issues with losing embryos at freeze or thaw. This is tough! I’d welcome any insights from anyone.

vlagrl29

Great news @momifbysea - glad things are progressing well for you.  Good Luck with the retrieval!

ndz2018

@Momifbysea This is my first time doing this BUT I feel A little more confident with knowing that our embryos were tested. I didn’t have an option for a fresh transfer because of the surgery. I almost feel like they didn’t give us an option of PGS testing, they kind of threw a bunch of paper work at us and said sign, and OH here’s what this costs. Knowing what I know now I would’ve still done it regardless. Knowing you’re chances are better with a PGS tested embryo, though not 100% guaranteed, makes me feel better going into our FET next month. I so want to get excited but I’m keeping my expectations low just in case it doesn’t work the first time for us. Our PGS testing was 5200 for 10 embryos!!  That’s with the biopsy and cryopreservation... we wound up having 12 so had to pay an extra $250 for that! But again I’d do it all over again of it betters my chances.

kristimh80

@ndz2018 Yes! Gotta be there by 9:15 and ER is scheduled for 9:45 We are doing PGS as well...part of me 2nd guessed having it done after I said I would, but I'd rather know that I tried to a normal embryo that has a chance. 

Momifbysea

Edited for typo:Thanks for the insight, we’ve always planned to PGS test everything in the past 4 rounds, just have unfortunately never had an embryo live to day 5. My biggest freak out time is getting that day 5 call because I’ve had 4 bad ones. But I’m hoping the diet change and protocol change will make this the one.

ndz2018

@Momifbysea Oh man , that’s tough. It takes a strong woman to do this and even stronger to do this multiple Times! I’m sending all my positive energy to your tiny lil follicle and hope they are fighters!!

Momifbysea

Thanks @ndz2018 for your support! Here’s hoping with all my hope!

Momifbysea

Triggered!

ndz2018

@Momifbysea AWESOME! Come on you little follicles!!! FX for a smooth ER!

vlagrl29

I don't think I like clomid. It makes me really sad. I'm typically a very happy person. I was totally normal and fine on Monday. I also can't get a full nights sleep. I asked dh last night if he'd be mad at me if we just stopped ttc and he said no. I just want to be happy. Maybe letrozole would have less side effects?

ndz2018

@vlagrl29 It’s obviously your decision to make, but i would give clomid at least one cycle before throwing in the towel on it. Your body is adjusting and unfortunately IT SUCKS!  If you can’t sleep take some Benadryl, knocks me out! Today is day 3 right?you’re on it for 2 more days? Also it’s ok to be sad sometimes. 

@kristimh80 GL WITH THE ER TODAY!!! I’ll be waiting and stalking today for your results lol!

vlagrl29

@ndz2018 oh yeah I get sad occasionally on a normal basis. Actually I take them at night so this is only my 2nd dose. I also did take an otc sleep pill last night.

kristimh80

@ndz2018 Thank you!!! 

@vlagrl29 Sorry clomid hasn't been good to you!! My gf is on it and says he makes her super sensitive / emotional as well. Luckily, you don't have too many days on it!

ndz2018

@vlagrl29 Trust your gut, but I wouldnt want you to regret not giving it a chance. Only a few more days. The Estradriol isn’t so bad as far as side effects go, I’ve had some crying fits but it’s Bc something set them off... I was Telling my 3 y/o niece about Land Before Time and just start BALLING when I was Telling her about Little Foots mommy lol then I was Laughing Bc I was so hysterical... it was all pretty entertaining to her .