TTTC Check-In Weeks of 10/15/18 and 10/22/18

Bababatty

CONGRATULATIONS @BWhitta! GOOD LUCK @Worldtravler0522!

Welcome @kls2016 and @oklahomak! Did I miss anyone?

Also sorry about all the line breaks. Not sure how to fix that. Also, I’m going to make this a two-week check-in since we’ve been a little slow (and I mostly do this from my phone, which is an annoying process).

QOTW: What did you do this weekend?

2018 BFP Hall of Fame

lablover78 dx: PCOS, Compound Heterozygous MTHFR Rx: IVF

Tops-2: dx: anovulatory PCOS Rx: Metformin, Letrozole & TI

halfanewt: possible PCOS, MTHFR gene, slight MFI Rx: IVF

seethosestars: dx: DOR Rx: IVF + FET #1

Kim41313: dx: unexplained Rx: IVF

soehlerk: dx: Unexplained Rx: Femara + IUI

Mlight28: dx Unexplained Rx: Clomid

SoonToBeMommaHowe: dx: Unexplained  Rx: naturally until IVF

honeybeebub: dx:septate uterus, MTHFR  Rx:  septum resection surgery, baby aspirin & progesterone

be08ryan:  dx: PCOS and AO Rx: Clomid

kiwielopingbride: Dx: Unexplained Rx: IUI

thothscribe81: dx: unexplained Rx: IVF

kristimh80: dx: unexplained Rx: Injectables + trigger + IUI

BWhitta: dx: PCOS, low AMH and endo Rx: letrozole

PAGING:

@Bababatty: dx:Low Motility, RPL Rx: IVF

@ChristinaV2015: dx: blocked tubes, PCOS, endo + MFI  Rx: lap, OPKs + TI

@ChristenMA83 : dx: MFI Rx: IVF w/ISCI

@emgem819 dx: PCOS, Rx: provera, femara + Bravelle

@hoffmanr7: dx: unexplained Rx:  IVF

@jmr1515: dx: Mild MFI/morph, fibroid  Rx: Surgery + TI

@mackenzie07 dx: PCOS and Endo  Rx: metformin, letrozole, ovidrel

@mandasand: dx: low AMH  Rx:IVF (Lupron, Menopur + Follistim)

@MrsM00re87: dx: DOR PCOS, low morph Rx: Femara + TI

@Mythril: dx: PCOS (anovulatory) Rx:levothyroxine, metformin and femara + TI

@rachlee2010: dx: DOR Rx: IUI

@Samanthaarielxo dx: anovulation Rx: still in testing

@sarah0985: dx: PCOS, possible blocked tubes Rx: Lap

@SM746830: dx: PCOS, blocked tubes Rx: Surgery, Clomid

@starlitfae dx: MFI & balanced translocation, thyroid  Rx: ivf with pgd testing

@funkykey dx: unexplained Rx: IVF

@Worldtravler0522 dx: PCOS/Unexplained Rx: IVF

@notamyrtle: dx: unexplained Rx: IUI + injects

@Kate437: dx:anovulatory   Rx:Letrozole + trigger

@SP128: in testing/unexplained

@eranvo27: dx: anovulatory PCOS Rx: metformin

@Charligirl28: dx: unexplained Rx: Clomid

@Brooke4131: dx: Secondary unexplained Rx: in testing

@fluffybookworm: dx: Anovulation + insulin resistance Rx: Metformin + prometrium + testing

@Asampson87: dx: unexplained + MFI  Rx: metformin + testing

@hannahlce: dx: anovulatory PCOS Rx: metformin + letrozole

@emmasemm: dx: DOR & autoimmune Rx: IVF

@floridanursegirl: dx: unexplained anovulation Rx:Metformin, IUI+Femara+trigger

@aeb1116: dx: unexplained Rx: IUI

@Happyin14: dx: unexplained, RPL Rx: IVF

@amac2313: dx: unknown Rx: Clomid

@nurseerin2012: dx: unexplained Rx: letrozole + IUI

@Knottie1467155066: dx: unknown Rx: letrozole + trigger + TI

@BenJay: Dx: PCOS/unexplained Rx. Metformin + supplements

@MicahDahn: Dx: irregular cycles Rx: preparing for testing

@moloninge Dx:PCOS, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, fibroids. Rx:Metformin,Synthroid,IUI w/letrozole, ovidrel, and progesterone.

@beec2421: dx: PCOS, hypothyroidism Rx: metformin, synthroid, clomid

@wishing-and-hoping: dx: unexplained rx: poss. IVF

@echocharlietango: dx: Unexplained Rx: trying naturally

@kgabhart: dx: Unexplained/PCOS  Rx: letrozole + IUI

@linz36: dx: Low AFC, MFI  Rx: testing/IUI

@jrm_14: dx: Adrenal/overian insufficiency, Borderline-low AMH, Low progesterone Rx: IUI w/ injectables.

@Bgreenfield10: dx: anovulatory PCOS, LPD Rx: Clomid + trigger

@serownarain: dx: in testing

@allisona66: dx: waiting for testing

@manhattanmama2: dx: unexplained Rx: IVF

@mirabelle33 dx: DOR, possible endo Rx: TBD

@meganttc3: dx: PCOS, unexplained Rx: waiting to test

@mrsjcrane: dx: unexplained Rx: femara + trigger + TI + 2nd HCG booster

@mighty-mouse: dx:pcos & HA Rx: provera/letrozole + trigger

@ladystout08: dx: unknown Rx: waiting for testing

@leafyarch: dx: MFI, no thyroid Rx: IVF

@oklahomak: dx: PCOS Rx: metformin/letrozole/estradiol/progesterone+ trigger

@drewsdarlin: dx: RPL, PCOS, Hashimotos, low vitamin D and Iron RX: ?

@rmarble23: dx: MFI Rx: IVF

@courtneyh2013: dx: MFI Rx: IUI + clomid

@sarahven dx:anovulation and PCOS. Rx: femara

@inthewoods23 - dx:MFI. Rx: pending.

@sincethelastday - dx: irregular cycles, low morphology. Rx: Femara

@sailorariel - dx: submucosal fibroids. Rx: potential surgery or medicated cycle

@kls2016 - dx: in testing. Rx: pending

@oklahomak - dx: PCOS, anovulatory. Rx: Femara

NEWCOMERS:To be added to the Weekly Checkin, please answer the following:

1.  How long have you been TTC?

2.  What is your diagnosis?

3.  What is your current Rx plan?

Bababatty

My beta came back yesterday at 202. That’s our highest first beta yet. My second beta is tomorrow and my nerves will be completely frayed by the end of the day. I’m trying not to listen to the message until I get home because if it’s bad news (and it always has been in the past), I won’t be able to work. I’m feeling more optimistic, though. Still VERY nervous.

*TW* above—I put the box in before I typed the TW and can’t figure out how to fix it on mobile

inthewoods23

Morning ladies!

@Bababatty hope everything continues to look good for you!

QOTW: DH and I were at a friend's wedding on Saturday. It was a morning and outdoor wedding at a park and the temps had to be in the 40s or so. The reception was held in a shelter building that probably had very little insulation to it so it was chilly in there too. Felt much nicer as the day went on though and warmed up into the 50s. It was both the smallest (DH counted 32 people at most) and cheapest wedding we will ever attend. I'm probably biased in that my family is large so a wedding is always large and a whole big thing, but this wedding just felt like a regular party to us. But everyone does weddings differently right?

sincethelastday

Wow!! A lot going on for people lately and this week!!   

@BWhitta - I think you said you would still be lurking on here, so HUGE congratulations!!! Yeah, it must totally be surreal!! Wishing and praying that all continues to go well for you, your DH, and of course your little one!! 

@Bababatty OMG!! I can’t imagine the type of waiting you’re going through right now! Major, major FX for you and for good news and I hope that you receive some sense of peace for your nerves during this last phase of waiting!! Please, please keep us updated!! 

@Worldtravler0522 Major good luck for tomorrow’s test! As mentioned above, the waiting must be brutal!! Wishing for very good news!! 

@mirabelle33 Good luck at your consult tomorrow and hope you get a date for the retrieval! And hope you don’t get any more crazy surprises, but just a smooth appointment! 

@kls2016 Did AF show up eventually? Hope so because I know you were wanting to book your HSG! 

@inthewoods23 Good luck at your first RE appointment tomorrow! Let us know how it goes! 

@oklahomak Did AF show up for you? It sounded like you wanted to start exploring a different treatment - any idea what you feel like the next step should be? Hope you get some order to all the craziness! 

AFM: Still in the TWW. I actually did have the standard progesterone blood test on Friday to see if I ovulated, so not sure what the urine test was for lol. I did indeed O (50.3 progesterone level). And now just waiting. I would be expecting AF early next week. 

QOTW: DH actually left for his work placement on Friday and didn’t catch my cold after all, so happy for that. Filled my weekend with getting over my cold, having my mom and sister over for a horror movie (it’s October after all lol), and went out for lunch with an old university friend. So overall pretty good! 

ChristenMA83

Sorry I've been MIA.  A lot has been going on at work - and since we haven't been actively doing anything TTC wise I've just been lurking.

@BWhitta Congrats on graduating.  I hope you're starting to feel a little more confident in the pregnancy.

@bababatty So excited to hear tomorrow's results!!

@mirabelle33 Retrieval is so close.  Hoping the best for you!

AFM: I'm gearing up to start the second round of IVF.  Baseline is 10/29, HGH starts 10/31 and stims 11/3.  OMG the cost of the Omnitrope is crazy.  With it, my med cost is 66% higher than round 1.  But if I opt out of the HGH and this cycle doesn't go well then I'll never stop beating myself up, so I'll pony up the additional dough.  Work is non-stop the next two weeks, with travel next week, but it should slow down by the time I start stims.  I've lost a little over 20lbs with my diet, which puts me below the weight we started IVF#1 - and most of my bloodwork came back a little better, so I'm hopeful this will be a great retrieval.

QOTW: We didn't do much this weekend.  The new Black Ops came out for PS4 last week so we spent several hours playing that.

sincethelastday

@Bababatty and @Worldtravler0522 - thinking of you both today as you wait for your results! Hoping so much that you get great news!! 

Worldtravler0522

Thanks for the support ladies!  HCG was 964 and I go back on Monday for my first ultrasound and more blood work.  Really hoping this is our rainbow baby ❤️

funkykey

OMG, I've been away for a little bit and I've missed so much!!!

Still catching up, but... BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO @Worldtravler0522 !!! Your surprise post made me so, so happy!!! FX for you!!!

@Bababatty - keeping my fingers crossed so tight for you!! Sending you lots of love!

AFM: Still catching up, so this will be quick. I'm within about 2 days of CD1, & will be preparing for an FET with this cycle. This past couple of weeks, I've had 3 new baby announcements and another pregnancy announcement (not including Megan Markle's), and I'm so bitter and tired that I can't even breathe sometimes. Even on our vacation - I'm a little depressed and melancholic. IF just seems so so unfair.

I'm really, really scared that our fourth FET will fail. I can't even believe I've become this person, sometimes - so jaded and sad. I can't remember the last time I felt hopeful, but I do remember when I thought: "Our first IVF transfer will work" or: "this next transfer will work". 

Gah.

Anyway, hoping that I will feel a little more hopeful soon. I just keep reminding myself: it doesn't matter if I feel hopeful or not, what matters is that I'm hopeful enough to keep moving forward with my life.

mirabelle33

@Bababatty Thinking of you and hoping so hard that you got good news on Tuesday

@inthewoods23 I hope your appointment went well this week!?

@sincethelastday Sounds like your progesterone was nice and high! Fx for you and sending good thoughts for the roughest part of the TWW. I'm glad YH didn't get your cold, but I'm sorry for you that he has to be away for so long!

@ChristenMA83 Yay for getting started soon! It must be nice to have all those dates on the calendar. That's crazy about the cost of the Omnitrope. Although I would feel the same as you and would be mad at myself if I didn't do everything I could. That is such great news about your weight loss! I'm just now starting to get the IVF bloat and I'm not enjoying it. I'm very hopeful that this will be a great retrieval for you

@Worldtravler0522 Wow! That is a GREAT beta!! Sending lots of good thoughts your way and hope you have a smooth ultrasound on Monday. Congrats!!

@funkykey Welcome back, we missed you! I'm sorry you felt down on your vacation and that you're struggling so much going into this next FET. The way you're feeling is totally understandable and as I've said before, I don't think it will make a difference in outcome. There is definitely still hope there or you wouldn't be moving forward, so try to cling to that. Those kinds of announcements are so tough and the timing right now is not ideal. Megan Markle's hit me hard too, especially since she's almost exactly my age. I have everything crossed that the next announcement in your circle is your own! Lots of love coming your way

AFM, it's been kind of a rough week, but we're still moving forward as of now. I was very disappointed and depressed on Tuesday to hear that there are only 3 follicles growing. Two on the right and one on the left (despite the cyst!). Our RE was hesitant about having the retrieval on Friday or Monday, so she had us come back yesterday morning. She is off on Wednesdays, so we got to see the main RE at the clinic. She hesitated a bit as well, but decided to push it to Monday to give the one on the left the best chance at retrieval. I had already started the Ganirelix on Tuesday, so I'm doing that in the mornings now and the Menopur in the evenings. We go back on Saturday for a final monitoring and, barring any major surprises, should have the retrieval on Monday. I'm not extremely optimistic there will be a transfer next week, but we'll see. I'm worried that the two follicles on the right are going to be "overcooked" with these 3 extra days of stims. I also feel bad for DH because he has been on vacation for the past two weeks and his first day back was supposed to be Monday. Now he needs to call his boss and ask for another day + he will need another morning off next week if there is a transfer. Oh well. Keeping my expectations low for this cycle and just hoping there will be something to learn for the next one.

QOTW: What did you do this weekend? Since DH was on vacation, we were able to go away last Friday to Sunday. We went to a little village on the Atlantic coast known for oysters and visited a nearby island on Saturday. The weather was unseasonably warm and the fall colors were just starting to pop. It was lovely. I wish it could have been longer as we both really needed those few days away.

ChristenMA83

@funkykey I feel your pain on the baby announcements.  Three women from my high school class gave birth over the last week.  And at the leadership team dinner Tuesday I sat across from a guy who has his first due 12/20, 2 weeks after our due date.  I got to hear all about all the plans and prepping they're doing.  Oh and another guy on our team has #3 due in November.  It's like I'm being bombarded with babies and I'm frozen in time.
@mirabelle33 I'm sorry this retrieval cycle is turning out so stressful.  I hope you eggies are in perfect shape for a Monday retrieval and all goes well, but if not hopefully they will learn something for next round.  Have they given any indications on what they might do differently if another round is required?  Or are they like my clinic and play optimistic the whole time?
@Worldtravler0522 that is an amazing beta.  Congrats!
@Bababatty I'm thinking of you, hoping beta went well.

Bababatty

All of you ladies are so sweet for checking in on me! I'm so sorry I left you hanging. Did not mean to!

@sincethelastday Hooray on the ovulation confirmation! Good luck with the wait--so much waiting... Sorry to hear you were also sick this past weekend. Everyone I know has been taken out with a cold. Bah.

@ChristenMA83 I would definitely pony up the dough like you for the Omnitrope so as to avoid kicking myself. I'm sorry that it is so expensive, though! And congratulations on all that weight lost! Impressive that it may have also improved your bloodwork. FX everything goes well with this cycle. You've worked so hard!

@Worldtravler0522 OMG that is a great first beta! Good luck on Monday!! 

@funkykey I missed you, friend! I'm so sorry that you were depressed on your vacation. I hope overall it was really relaxing, but it sucks that IF found a way to sneak in there. When I woke up to Megan Markle's pregnancy announcement, I was like, "God damn her." No way am I celebrating her fertility. I know some people are speculating that they used ART, but I actually find that even more frustrating. Like, how great for her that apparently it worked right away. Woohoo. Anyway, I know you were talking about your friends' baby and pregnancy announcements and not really Megan Markle's, but I had to rant. 

That said, you just perfectly captured the IF depression with your description of bitterness, jadedness, melancholy, sadness, depression, lack of hope. I wish I could tell you how to get through it, but I can't because you just described me. And you know what? It does not matter if you feel hopeful or not. Some people will say that they think their cycles worked because they were hopeful. Well I was plenty hopeful for a lot longer than they were and it never worked. And beating yourself up about not being hopeful just makes you more depressed. So I'm glad that you're not beating yourself up and that you're, if not at peace with the pessimism, at least ok with it. IF is unfair. And it's unfair that it takes even our happiness and optimism away from us.

@mirabelle33 I'm really sorry to hear that your IVF cycle isn't going the way you hoped, and I understand your fear of overcooking the two eggs just to retrieve the third. How big are the other two right now? I think it's healthy to question your RE, but it is nice to see two separate REs concur on your treatment. I've got everything crossed for you that this ER will go surprisingly well and you'll get some nice healthy blasts. Will they transfer a Day 3 if needed or do they just do Day 5? Thinking of you! 

AFM *TW*

 In a shocking turn of events, my beta on Tuesday doubled to 486 !! I'm dumbfounded. Like, I really did not believe that a doubling beta was physically possible because it has never happened before for me. I was practically shaking with nerves by the time I got home. I was practicing deep breathing on the subway platform in an attempt to reduce my stress. And on the walk home I was literally drafting an email in my head to my RE about our plans for the next cycle. DH and I practically fell over (if we hadn't been sitting) when we listened to the voicemail.

My clinic wanted to leave it at that and have me come in next week for an u/s, but I don't trust this is happening, so I asked for a third beta today. I know they're just humoring me, but they were understanding about my nervousness with my CP history. 

inthewoods23

Hi ladies! I know a couple of you have asked and I just haven't gotten around to updating everyone on our RE consultation.

Well, it went not bad! I was nervous but also not nervous. I got choked up as the RE was throwing tons of encouragement at me that their goal is for us to have a baby and to not stress so much about it and etc. and I shed tears after she left the conference room we were in. I hate having so much focus like that on me and it just sends my anxiety skyrocketing, but I was able to pull it together before the financial consultant came in the room. That moment made me realize I am stressing way too much and need to keep certain things from my mind to stay happy.

She said we're doing everything right, and it's time to move on which I am more than happy with. She had no recommendations like adding vitamins or anything to help us since all my tests so far have come back good and DH's numbers and motility are good. His 1% morphology could be a factor in our troubles but we don't really know. Before he left he had his blood drawn and provided a urine for a few things and now we're just waiting on AF so I can do the same.

I'd like to possibly try IUI in November so we might move quickly after my results come back. Typically they do a "what's next" appointment to put a game plan together but since we'd like a shot next month she'll probably have me take letrozole right away before the "what's next" appt so that we can move forward with IUI or IVF depending on our results.

They gave us a folder with info which I read yesterday and it really gave me a good feeling. It has me really excited for the future!

Also, I found out yesterday a friend got engaged last week and she asked me to be a bridesmaid and I was so excited for her! It's something good to look forward to and to distract me with. Hopefully future timing doesn't throw a wrench in these plans now, but obviously we won't know until we finally get a BFP!

Worldtravler0522

@Bababatty congrats on the 2nd beta!  Love to hear you are experiencing success!  

@funkykey I completely understand the anxiety you're feeling right now going into your FET.  The thing I keep trying to remind myself is that no amount of anxiety will change the outcome so I need to try to relax.  The key wording in there is "try", I struggle with it daily.  Hang in there and if you ever need to vent you know where to find me.  I'm happy to listen to you anytime you need someone to vent to.  Stay strong, you're a badass for continuing to move forward!!  

@mirabelle33 sending lots of good thoughts and vibes your way that this is your cycle! 

Thanks ladies!  I am feeling a little down tonight because I've got some cramping going on.  Nothing other than cramping and feeling a little bloated but given my history everything makes me nervous.  I am eagerly awaiting Monday.  

sincethelastday

@Worldtravler0522 - I can’t imagine how nerve wracking just the waiting for Monday must be! Major FX that things continue to progress nicely and that you receive really good news on Monday!! 

@Bababatty - OMG! OMG! That’s wonderful to hear!! I can’t help but be so excited for you!! I hope your beta has quadrupled lol!! 

@mirabelle33 - I’m sorry to hear that your first round of IVF is not going as smoothly as planned! All the steps and hurdles that you have to go through and then to get less than great news is just so unfair and must be so hard! Sending lots of good vibes your way and I hope that you’re pleasantly surprised and can continue onwards with this cycle! *Hugs* 

@funkykey - so sorry to hear how you’re feeling right now. It just sucks! And a bunch of birth and pregnancy announcements definitely don’t help! When I heard about Meghan Markle’s announcement I remember thinking, “That b*tch.” And then I tried to remember when she got married to try to figure out how many months it could’ve taken them to conceive. I hate how I can be so bitter and downright nasty in my thoughts  towards people who can get pregnant seemly so easily, but I can’t seem to feel any differently. And I think that’s normal. Just like I think it’s normal how you’re feeling. It’s just sad to recognize that those feelings are normal when it comes to IF. Hoping so hard that this transfer is “the one” for you and hope you start feeling better soon!! 

@ChristenMA83 - That’s good to hear that work will have calmed down once you start stims! Congrats on the weight loss and good good luck that this cycle is successful!! 

@inthewoods23 - glad to hear your initial RE appointment wasn’t too overwhelming! I remember coming out of my first appointment and it was only after I was sitting in my car with DH that I shed a few tears. I think it just finally felt real that we were dealing with IF. That’s great that your RE seems to be quick and accommodating with moving forward! I hope the Letrozole works in the mean time and that you won’t have to move onto IUI or IVF because you’ll get your BFP! 

mirabelle33

@ChristenMA83 Thank you No, they haven't given any indication of what they might do differently the next time. After she confirmed the endometriomia, my RE did mention maybe having to do a surgery if this doesn't work out, but I'm not sure if it would be the next step or farther down the road. For now, I would say it's more "let's see what happens" than stubbornly optimistic on their part 

@Bababatty Thanks, friend. I didn't catch the exact measurements, but I'm pretty sure they were in the 14-16 range on Tuesday. They were big enough to start the Ganirelix that evening. That's true, it is a bit more comforting to have had two opinions ... I think they plan for a 3 day transfer, but we've been told to "remain flexible" and that it could be anywhere from 2-6 days after retrieval. Needless to say, we'll be on the edge of our seats next week!

AHHHHH! I am so happy that you got such a wonderful surprise with your second beta!!! How did it go yesterday? I'm sending you all the good vibes

@sincethelastday That's so kind of you to say It is hard, but it's also part of the diagnosis and we've known since the end of May that we were not ideal candidates for IVF. I think I just let myself get too excited with the 6 follicles at baseline. I was really hoping more of them would be in the running at this point. I'm trying to remind myself that I was able to do 3 months of DHEA and had a good 6 weeks of supplements and diet change before we started, so maybe we will have some luck with improved quality.

@inthewoods23 I'm glad your appointment went well and that you have something nice to look forward to!

@worldtraveler0522 Thinking of you

sincethelastday

So, I made probably the worst mistake when it comes to the TWW: I made an “appointment” with Dr. Google. I had been feeling quite tired lately and seemingly needing to go to the bathroom more and just with googling different signs and symptoms I began to feel that this was it and purchased a HPT yesterday. Of course, it was a BFN. And I got AF today. I just felt so incredibly stupid. I feel like I should know better by now not to get too hopeful, not to turn to the internet during the TWW, not to even purchase a HPT and to just wait for AF to happen. I’m sorry to rant, especially because I know some of you ladies are going through some tougher times right now. I just know that you all understand what it’s like month after month, year after year of getting the same disappointing result. 

So this cycle is a “miss” as DH is going to be away still for the next 4 weeks, so it won’t be till probably end of November when we’ll do our second round of Letrozole. I hate that at the moment I have really low expectations with this drug working, but I know I’ll undoubtably feel hopeful again next time I’m in the TWW. I wish I could just be an emotionless blob so I don’t have to experience the disappointment each time. 

bbtobumpie

Hello!
we have been TTC for four years, we had a chemical pregnant at 4W3D on the 01/07/2018.
i have been fighting with my doctor for further testing, he has run bloods a few times which haven’t shown anything.  We have recently got him to agree to a SA on my partner, so hopefully we may get answers.
i have irregular cycles, with he average length being 35 days.  We are still trying each month and I’ll be starting to take a high dosage of vitamin C to help regulate this!

kls2016

Hi all!

Been a crazy week with work so have mostly been MIA.

@sincethelastday I literally symptom spot and Dr. Google almost every cycle. It’s so bad and yet addictive and I just need to stop!
 
@inthewoods23 glad to hear about your appointment. I’m sure it feels relieving to finally get a plan together!

So so glad to hear everyone else has mostly been having a good week. 

This is week I have been taking Provera because I never got AF last cycle. I have 2 pills left but AF showed up today. Do I keep taking them?? I am as supposed to have an appt with my OB this week but had to cancel because I had a guest speaker for class this week and it ran long. I am excited to at least be able to try again but not sure if my cycle will be off again this month. My OB recommended we try Clomid but she will not be monitoring me so I am somewhat hesitant... others have suggested it might be good to give it a try for just one unmonitored cycle and see how it goes. I’m not sure yet.

i finally made an appt with the RE for December and was able to visit with the nurse. They want me to wait to do my HSG until my appt with them because otherwise they might want me to do a second one. Also they looked over DHs SA and said it wasn’t as bad as the OB thought so they want me to hold off on him going to the urologist for now. Excited to finally be moving forward with a plan! 

QOTW: Not doing much this weekend except for being super lazy which is much needed! We are teaching Sunday school class at church for the first time today so I am a little nervous about that but hopefully it will all go smoothly! 

funkykey

Thanks for all the support guys (as always). I'm feeling a little less bitter now, but you know how it is - some days are tougher than others!

Now, I've actually moved through "bitter" and on to: "paranoid", where I keep worrying about specific aspects of my cycle (eg. did I start estrogen at the right time, am I going to forget a progesterone tablet, etc.) Right now, it's looking like our FET will be ~ Nov 5.

You know, I actually have a few thoughts on Megan Markle. I wasn't sure about her at first - that one interview with Vanity Fair rubbed me the wrong way, and I'm deeply skeptical of all of that Hollywood green juice lifestyle she seems to love - but she's really grown on me. I think because her family seems so nuts, with all that drama from the dad and the sister before the wedding. It made me think that she must be made of pretty stern stuff, and that maybe she's not as superficial as I'd initially thought. 

As for the pregnancy - yeah, I mean, she's 37. I figured they'd want to start trying fast, just given her age, but it seemed to happen really fast for them. It's happy news, but definitely, I wish it had happened that fast for all of us - I wish we weren't in this boat like: "Holy, didn't they JUST get married? How long have we been TTC?"

Ok, now for my catching up:
@Bababatty - big thanks for posting for this week! I can't believe it's almost Oct 22 already. IF time passes slowly, but the rest of my life is whizzing by.  And, of course: I am so so happy about your doubling beta! Keeping my fingers crossed so tight for you! How was your third beta? Are you going for an u/s soon?

Also, thank you for the very kind words. IF is so brutal, and brutally unfair. I hate that it takes so much of the optimism away, but then I think: "Well, if optimism is an action, and not just a feeling, I can't think of anyone more optimistic than us."

@inthewoods23 -Ugh, weddings! We had a big one, but it was very casual. A "botched elopement" we called it - I'd hoped to elope, but then my dad mentioned that he'd be heartbroken, so next thing you know, we had a giant BBQ. I was super cost-conscious. Sometimes, I wonder what my wedding would have been like if we'd done something more formal - sometimes I see these gorgeous, over-the-top wedding gowns and I think: "wow, fun!" (mine was very simple) - but then it was really important to me that we buy a house, and we couldn't have put together the down payment if we'd spent $40K on a wedding, so... *shrug* As always, I made the more responsible choice. 

That's great news about the RE! So, did she say you are unexplained, then? Do you have a Dx? Sounds good re the IUI.

@Worldtravler0522 - Keeping FX so hard for you tomorrow. I would be nervous too. In fact, I would be a livewire, I'd be so nervous. Sending you lots of good vibes!

@ChristenMA83 - ah! you are so close to starting stims! Are you doing PGS this time? Have I asked you that already? I can't remember. Apologies if I am a broken record here - I've been a little out-of-it lately. Ps. baby announcements when you are in an IVF cycle are THE WORST. Hang in there!

@sincethelastday - Ugh, I'm so sorry. BFNs are the worst. But I don't think you're stupid; I think IF is stupid. I wish I could say that it gets better or easier, but it doesn't - at least in my experience. Sometimes I sit around and Google how often people get spontaneously pregnant after stopping fertility treatments, and then I let myself hope. Sometimes, even on cycles where we pretty much totally missed my FW, I still let myself hope (like: "I don't know exactly when I ovulated... maybe this time!") Even though we've been at this for years, and been through IVF, and I've still never seen a BFP, I let myself hope, and every time it hurts when it doesn't work. It's so unfair, and I'm so sorry.

@mirabelle33 - I would be pretty down about the 3 follicle news too. That said, it only takes one - don't lose hope! Good luck tomorrow! Sending you lots of love and a big virtual hug, and best wishes!!! xoxox

@bbtobumpie - welcome, I'm sorry about your CP. Do you have plans to see a specialist or another doctor? When is your partner having the SA done? I haven't heard of vitamin C to help regulate menstrual cycles. 

@kls2016 - I'd call your clinic about the AF and medications. Personally, I'd probably stop taking the provera. I definitely would advocate for having a monitored clomid cycle - I developed ovarian cysts on clomid, so it's good to have (at least) an u/s if you are planning to try clomid more than once.

Sounds good re: the RE appointment! December will be here before you know it!

sincethelastday

@funkykey - thanks! Yeah, I think one of the most sobering aspects of IF is that it never does get easy. You would think that over time the sting of seeing a BFN or getting AF would lessen, but I think it gets worse. I have totally been in that boat of being hopeful when it totally really doesn’t make sense physically wise (like if I didn’t ovulate one cycle). There’s no rhyme or reason when it comes to emotions with this journey sometimes. On a positive note, I really like that quote of optimism being an action. As a naturally more pessimistic type of person, that quote speaks to me that you don’t need to FEEL optimistic to actually be optimistic. 

@Worldtravler0522 - thinking of you today!! Hope you receive great news!! 

@Bababatty - been thinking of you!! Any update on the third beta? 

@mirabelle33 - thinking of you today! I hope you were able to move forward today with your retrieval! 

@kls2016 - that’s exciting news about having a RE appointment date! I am confident you will find working with a RE very helpful! 

inthewoods23

@funkykey I'm right there with you when you think about how quickly others get pregnant. I swear with my cousins that are pregnant it's like all they had to do was blink at each other and BOOM they're pregnant. Hurray for those people I guess...

With our RE, she didn't really give us a diagnosis of any kind. She said we've been doing all the right things and there's nothing that sticks out in our medical history that could be a possible cause. I guess we're unexplained for now until I get my blood work done after AF arrives and I believe at the same time they'll be doing an ultrasound on me. Maybe that will give us some answers. I should have O'ed this weekend or will any day now so that won't be until November. I believe at a minimum she'll put me on letrozole for the next cycle even know I do ovulate on my own.

Hope everyone has a good week this week

Worldtravler0522

*TW* Ultrasound went well and the dr was very pleased with what she saw. Also my HCG went from 964 to 8,360. You guys I’m starting to believe this could be it. I can’t even believe it! I go back 10/31 for another ultrasound and bloodwork. Thanks as always for the support.

inthewoods23

@Worldtravler0522 that's wonderful! So excited for you!

sailorariel

I haven't been checking here because I just have been stuck in limbo this month waiting to hear from my doctor. Congratulations to everyone who has good news. It's great to hear that things are going well after all the waiting and hard work. Good luck to everyone else as well.

AFM I finally heard from my doctor after three weeks. Given the SIS showing one fibroid still in the uterine cavity it does look like we are going ahead with surgery, I have a preopp appointment next week to discuss it. I'm not looking forward to a second surgery but it sounds necessary so I will do what it takes.

Also my husband finally(!) managed to get an appointment for a SA this week so fingers crossed for that.

Feels like I have been in limbo for so long. It will be good to move forward again.

sincethelastday

@Worldtravler0522 - That’s amazing!! OMG, how incredibly surreal and thrilling this must be for you and your partner! I hope the good news just keeps on coming for you! 

@sailorariel - welcome back! Sorry to hear that you have to go through another surgery, but hopefully this actually does fix things and you can move on to the next step! Does your RE have an idea what that next step will be? Happy to hear that YH made the SA appointment as well! Hope he receives only good news! 

Bababatty

Hi ladies! I need to come back tonight to respond to everyone’s updates. We were camping this weekend with friends and we spent more time in the car than actually camping—on top of which I am now an icicle—so I was super exhausted yesterday night. 

@Worldtravler0522 OMG OMG OMG I am so hopeful for you!! This is all going so well this time around. Everything crossed!! 

AFM *TW* My third beta on Thursday was 1206, which was amazing and I was finally able to relax. We had our first u/s this morning and everything looks good, plus my beta is now ~4800 so everyone is happy. I am also back on the 31st for more u/s and b/w. I think this might be happening!

funkykey

@Worldtravler0522 & @Bababatty - AMAZING NEWS!!!! AWESOME!!!!

I'm so so so happy for you both!!!!

sincethelastday

@Bababatty - Ahhh!! That is wonderful news!! So happy for you!!!   

Worldtravler0522

@Bababatty so excited things are progressing along for you!! Here’s hoping we have little ones born around the same time.  

autumnlvs

Following @Bababatty from the 2018 FET board

1.  How long have you been TTC? 3 years

2.  What is your diagnosis? endo, fibroid, MFI

3.  What is your current Rx plan? IVF, FET #1

Hello, ladies! So nice to see all those high betas 

sincethelastday

Welcome @autumnlvs! Hope you can join the “graduate” list soon of BFP’s! Where are you at with your FET #1? 

autumnlvs

@sincethelastday thank you so much!
I hear good things about Femara so hang in there. It can be so frustrating having to wait (with DH and my travel schedules, things got so complicated!) but sometimes it is also good to let your body rest after a cycle of meds - are you taking any supplements?

*TW* (I think that's where it goes)
Just had my first beta 10/22 below, waiting on today's results.

265

emmasemm

Sorry I’ve been missing guys. I think my tag isn’t working and it was crazy with year end at work so I haven’t been so active in general.

A big thank you to @funkykey for coming to find me and checking up on me. This really meant a lot.

And wow! I have been missing lots of excitement!!!!!!!!!!!!

@bababatty @worldtravler0522 omg both of you! After everything I am so pleased to see you both posting positive news and also together! I truly hope you get to keep each other company over the next 8 months as graduates! 

@funkykey I’m sorry you’re on a rollercoaster of emotions. Going back to another FET is scary. And I can only imagine you have FET PTSD by now. I’m only a pm away if you ever need support. Or just come paging me for here also works ;-)

@mirabelle33 hope your retrieval went smoothly

@christenma83 oh yes the HGH is damn expensive. You don’t want to drop one of those vials!!! We’ve paid for 5 rounds worth now... could have bought myself a really awesome horse for the same money... 

AFM we did retrieval no 7 and froze 2 more embryos. So we now have 4 great quality and 3 low quality frosties. We started stims last Thursday for #8 but my monitoring was not so great today, so back on Friday to see if it turns around or if we cancel... 

sincethelastday

@autumnlvs - just taking a standard prenatal and Omega 3 pills. Although I’m not following a strict fertility diet, I’ve really been trying to eat those more “rich” fertility foods (whole grains, etc). It feels good having some form of control even if it’s just with choosing what I’m eating. Although it does slightly drive me nuts how many bottles of prenatal vitamins I’ve gone through *eye roll*

Hope you receive a very high second beta! The waiting must be brutal - hope you get an answer soon! 

inthewoods23

Rant time - So I'm potentially going on a work trip in just over a week and AF is supposed to show up (according to my Flo app right now) the day I fly back. I'm supposed to call on day 1 to schedule my blood work which might be tricky if I'm flying all or part of that day.

FX timing works out alright. If the trip gets postponed to the following week them I'm screwed regardless. Drat!

ChristenMA83

@bababatty & Worldtravler0522  So excited for you and the continued good news!!!

@inthewoods23 I'm glad you had a good RE visit and came out with a go forward plan.  

@sincethelastday I get how you feel.  Even after so many years, I would get hopeful if we had a well-timed natural cycle, even as recently as last month.

@bbtobumpie welcome to the group.  I hope you find answers and direction soon.

@funkykey We decided not to go with PGS testing.  Cost was a good portion of the reason, it came down to a choice of HGH or PGS and since PGS doesn't really effect the outcome, just predicts it, we decided on the HGH.  Plus the thought of a testing error (however slight that may be) throwing out THE embryo weighed on my mind, so I decided I will play roulette with the future transfers.  

@sailorariel I hope the surgery goes well and you get to move forward again soon.

@emmasemm DH and I were just talking about the amazing trips we could have taken for the IVF investments we've made this year.  It'll all be worth it in the end if it works out...but right now that can seem daunting.  Congrats on 2 more embryos to add to the bank!

@inthewoods23 I absolutely hate when work screws with our schedules.  Fingers crossed the timing works out for you!

AFM I just got back from a work trip.  CD1 was yesterday (the day I flew back).  Started estrogen last night and go in for baseline on Monday, start HGH on Wednesday.  I'm excited to get this show back on the road.

mirabelle33

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! It was an intense week for us with a retrieval on Monday and a transfer on Thursday, so I'm just catching up now. I'll give a more detailed update after some tags ...

@sincethelastday I saw your post last weekend and my heart went out to you as soon as I read it. I had intended to give a lengthier response, but it got lost in the shuffle of this week's craziness. I hope those feelings have mostly passed by now and just know that you are not alone in feeling that way after a treatment fails. It happened to me every.single.time. I'm sorry you have to skip this cycle. Sometimes I wish we had taken a break in between medicated cycles just to give my body a rest. Try not to give up hope yet and fx crossed for late November!!

@funkykey I've been thinking about you. It's crazy how many different emotions we go through in any given week (day!?) and how quickly our moods can change depending on where we're at in a cycle. Be gentle with yourself. I hope everything goes smoothly this week and that your transfer is uneventful. Sending best wishes, lots of love, and a virtual hug back!

@Worldtravler0522 and @Bababatty I am THRILLED for both of you! Those numbers are amazing and it sounds like you both had reassuring first ultrasounds. And how great that you are so close together in this!? A huge congratulations to you both  

@ChristenMA83 I'm excited for you to get started too! I'm very hopeful that all your patience and hard work will pay off and that this will be a great cycle for you. GL tomorrow!!!!

@inthewoods23 I'm so sorry about your testing worries with having to travel for work. We also had scheduling issues with our first round of testing and had to postpone it to the next month, so I understand your frustration. I'll keep my fx that AF stays away and you won't have to worry about it!

@sailorariel I'm sorry that you have to have a second surgery, but happy that you're finally out of limbo. Also, great news that YH scheduled his SA! Do you expect the results soon?

@emmasemm It's so good to have an update from you! My tag also doesn't work for the weekly check-ins and sometimes I'm late to the party. I hope things at work calm down for you soon. Congrats on your 4 beautiful frosties!! I know you've been through a lot to get those and I'm glad it's finally paying off for you and YH. I hope you'll come back and let us know how retrieval #8 goes. Sending lots of good thoughts your way!

AFM, the retrieval went as well as it could on Monday. As to be expected, I was very nervous and concerned about how many eggs would be retrieved. When I saw the Anesthesiologist in recovery, I asked him how many there were. He told me there were 4 and said I had asked the same question about 50 times when I was coming out of sedation (I only remember doing it once, but I didn't trust that I had really heard 4) We saw our RE before we left and she said that it had gone well. She gave us a "convocation" for a day-3 transfer on Thursday at 2pm, but said that they might call the morning before and then sent us on our merry way. Our clinic doesn't give a report the next day and I had no news from them before going in to the transfer. I was SO nervous Thursday morning and I must have checked the clock every single minute between 8am and noon. When I didn't hear from them, I knew we had something to transfer but I had no idea what ... well, the good news is we transferred 1 "top" quality embryo on Thursday. They didn't provide a grade - maybe they don't do that here - but the RE who did the transfer said it was a "supermodel" and on the paper they gave us it says, "1 8-cell homogéne fragmentation de 0 à 10%." The bad news is that it was our only surviving embryo. They said only 2 were mature, but I'm not sure how that's possible. I knew the 4th one was small and probably not mature, so I'm thinking the other one may have been too mature? Anyway, they tried ICSI on 2 eggs and only 1 fertilized. I'm a bit sad about it of course, but to be honest I thought we would get cancelled during every step of the process, so the fact that we made it all the way through on the first round is a small victory in my book. I'm also really happy and grateful that we were at least able to produce one good-quality embryo (I'm so proud of it!) and hope that it means they will let us try again (if needed). So now we wait - beta is on November 6th