April 2019 FETs

aconklin214

@wifeinraleigh28 the PIO injection site always hurt the day after for me. Felt like a pulled muscle in my butt cheek/lower body lol. Just sitting was painful. I found lots of rubbing the site after the injection and sitting on a heating pad for 15-30 minutes helped lessen the pain the day after. 

I am praying for a BFP too. I love the staff at my clinic and really do not want to switch but over the past year the forgetfullness of my doctor has really been getting to me. I don't need to feel like his number 1 priority but remembering the tests we have run in the past, the conversations about next steps, etc is a basic doctor patient relationship. Half the time I feel like he is just winging it, never remembering anything until I remind him. My last transfer failed because he "forgot" a vital diagnosis and being my first time, I assumed he reviewed my history. 

wifeinraleigh28

@aconklin214 Good idea to use a heating pad! I'll definitely do that moving forward.

That is absolutely ridiculous about your doctor. If the transfer failed due to negligence on his part, that sounds like they owe you your money back (plus more for pain and suffering). I can't even believe that! I'm sorry you've had to go through this.

somewhereinnyc

@wifeinraleigh28 hi! So I did PIO after a fresh transfer, and I had lumps and my muscle was pretty sore. Agree with @aconklin214 about heating, but also my nurse told me to make sure I move around after the shot because it helps distribute the progesterone. Taking a bunch of high steps in place definitely helped and I wasn’t sore after that.. so moving your bum after the shot is worth a try!

sadubey

Hi y’all! I'm so glad to have found cycle buddies! This is my first FET but I had a *trigger warning* successful fresh cycle in 2016 which resulted in my 2017 little one.* I'm tubal infertility with a slight MF morphology issue. I've currently got 4 untested embryos on ice. My protocol began with birth control for two weeks then I started Estradiol daily, three 2mg pills orally 2X a day and one vaginally at night. I have an appointment 04/05 to check lining and if all goes well I'll begin PIO shots the next morning. My FET is scheduled for the afternoon on 04/11. I'm excited to join this cycle journey with you ladies!

italianmommy8

Great doctors appt this morning! My lining was 7.0 mm vaginally and 6.5 mm type 1 in my stomach. 

On right ovary, 16 mm, 16 mm, 14 mm, 11 mm and  6 follicles less than 10 mm.

On left ovary, 14 mm, 11 mm and 11 less than 10 mm.

I will go back to doctor tomorrow morning and likely trigger tomorrow night. I’ll get blood work back this afternoon. Transfer will likely be next Monday April 8th!
I took follistim 75 last night and garnirelix syringe. 
Any one have a transfer on 4/8?

italianmommy8

@aconklin214 looks like we are transfer buddies! Yes I remember you from the February board! I hope this works for you!

Thank you for adding me to the spreadsheet. Some info you might need for it is that I am high risk so can only transfer 1 embryo. I had surgery in February for csection defect and got it repaired, before that my lining was thin and fluid in uterus due to it. Lining has been much better since. This is the 4th cycle and will be the 3rd transfer. One transfer got cancelled a few days prior she then had the surgery. I had the miscarriage last cycle which was very very hard. My egg retrieval was back in October. My embryos are not tested. My body doesn’t react well to estrogen so I’m on a natural protocol (stemming) with follistim, deoxycycline antibtiocs for the endometritis and garnirelix. 

I hope everyone has successful transfers and get those BFPs!!!!

italianmommy8

@ellis1983 good luck on your transfer today!!!

mackorori

@italianmommy8 @sadubey welcome and hoping the best for both of you!

@aconklin214 sorry to hear about those issues with your RE, I would probably lose my mind over that.

@wifeinraleigh28 so my first PIO wasn’t too bad, only some occasional small aches. I’m more concerned that at some point over the next few weeks I’ll have to travel and doing that myself is not appealing. If anyone has tips on that, I’m all ears.

@ellis1983 good luck today!

wifeinraleigh28

So we did my 2nd PIO shot last night and it was MUCH better. I think I was able to relax my muscle better which helped. And I'm not sore at all from that shot. The side from a couple days ago is still bothering me though! Ouch.

@ellis1983 Thinking of you today!! FX for a smooth and *successful* transfer!!

@italianmommy8 Thanks for all that info, I've updated the spreadsheet with it! FX for you this cycle!

@sadubey Welcome!! Glad to see another lady here working on baby #2 I added you to our spreadsheet! FX for you this month!

Tulips29

@ellis1983 good luck today!!! Our first transfer of the group, so exciting! Don't forget the pineapple and the core to add to all the other things we're "supposed" to eat after the transfer. I remember I went out and bought 3 pineapples the day before my last transfer and binged on them lol. 

@wifeinraleigh28 thank you!!! I'm so dang excited. I started letrozole pills on Friday and I go back this Friday to check on the progress. Hopefully things will progress with this natural cycle and I will know a better sense of timing then. Ugh the PIO shots were the worst! I'm scarred from them from 3 years ago when I think my hubby stuck me in the nerve and half of my behind was numb for weeks. I'm glad day 2 was better for you! 

@italianmommy8 welcome and I'm so sorry about your loss. Hoping this is the month for you! 

@sadubey welcome and wishing you all the best with this cycle! 

Glad to see so many others progressing with their cycles too! 

italianmommy8

My estrogen was 359.79 and progesterone .26 today. I take the follistim, garnirelix and deoxycycline tonight and back to doctors in the morning for monitoring blood work and ultrasound. I should be able to start the PIO shots on Wednesday morning and transfer on Monday.

wifeinraleigh28

@Tulips29 It really seems surreal that we are doing this together again! I know our only interactions have been on this board but it feels like going through this with a friend, for the 2nd time! I have everything crossed for you!!

@italianmommy8 Great news!

I've decided to take the day of my beta off from work. I work as a therapist in private practice, and honestly it just won't be good for my clients if I get bad news that day (or good news even) since I'll be really distracted. I decided I'll take a "mental health day" that day

italianmommy8

4/2 Great doctors appt this morning! My ultrasound showed my lining at 7.6 vaginally type 2 and 7.1 type 1 abdominally. Right ovary follicles - 19, 17, 17, 15 and 5 less than 10

Left ovary follicles -15, 15, 11, 14, 11 and 4 less than 10

I will get a call this afternoon with my blood work results. They said I was ready to start PIO shots and got the green light. I’ll get my instructions when they call for blood work. This lining is better than last month! (It went from 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 before last transfer - best its ever been never above 7 before, it was almost an 8 vaginally). 

italianmommy8

@wifeinraleigh28 that’s a good idea to take the day off. 

Tulips29

@wifeinraleigh28 Thanks, girl! And I have everything crossed for you as well. It's really great to have such an amazing support system through all of this. Taking a mental health day on beta day sounds like a great idea! I'll definitely be doing the same. I can't believe your transfer is almost here! 

italianmommy8

For the spreadsheet, my beta date is 4/16
8 days after transfer 

Tulips29

@italianmommy8 that's great that your appointment went so well! Can I ask why your transfer protocol entails medications that are used for stimming? Just curious as there are so many different protocols out there. 

italianmommy8

Hi @Tulips29!!
I used to do the estrodial 3 times a day orally my first and second FET cycles, didn’t work. They switched me to vaginally on those cycles, still didn’t work. Switched me to 6 estrogen patches a day, better than pills or vaginally but still didn’t work.
The stimming we used for the first time last cycle, it produces your own natural estrogen levels increase by the follistim like you are going to ovulate without the estrogen. The follistim makes my follicles get big like I’m going to ovulate, produce natural progesterone and estrogen and thicken up my lining. It had worked great for me. From what I read online it’s like a natural cycle, follistim and garnirelix. This cycle I think we are going to start Estrace before the transfer because my natural estrogen of 500+ day before transfer than a few days after plumped down to 30 so had to start Estrace. 
My lining is much better after the surgery for the csection defect in Feb

italianmommy8

Basically my body responds very well to stimming and making the estrogen, progesterone and lining increase this way versus taking the standard estrogen which doesn’t work for me

Tulips29

@italianmommy8 thanks for the explanation. Good thing your doctor found a protocol that works for you! Your notes are so detailed as well from your monitoring appointments, I'm impressed. I just lay there as he utters things while doing a scan, ask some questions (like, is that good, is that bad, etc...) but I never recall so many details (like follicle quantity and sizes) and the nurse rarely tells me my hormone levels from my blood work unless we need to switch something up

wifeinraleigh28

@italianmommy8 Glad to hear your appt went well and you're on track! Also glad they found a protocol that you respond well to

italianmommy8

Today’s estrogen was 593 and progesterone was .28.
I received a call from the nurse to take Ovidel injection tonight at 8pm. I asked her what that was as I was not directed to take it last month. She said it’s the trigger shot to cause ovulation. I asked her why didn’t I take it last month and she said I came in to their other location on the weekend and was directed by another doctor in the practice and she’s not sure why they didn’t tell me to take it but it’s their normal protocol. I told her last cycle the first night of garnirelix was that syringe of garnirelix and 75 follistim (lining was 5) next day monitoring again (lining was 6) and second dose of garnirelix that night and 150 of follistim and bring PIO shot with me in the morning if the lining is good enough they will give me shot in the morning then told to come in for the third day for ultrasound and blood work (lining at 7) and  they gave me PIO shot at 7:30am. I was never given or directed to take Ovidel last cycle. 

I was told to take Ovidel syringe tonight at 8pm, no more follistim or garnirelix and take PIO shot at 8am tomorrow morning, 8pm second PIO injection tomorrow night and continue taking it every night at 8pm. I go back in on Sunday to other location for blood work and ultrasound. Transfer is scheduled for Monday April 8th. I go back in for blood work on Wednesday April 10th. I then go back on Wednesday April 17th for beta. 

I asked my nurse to reach out to my doctor on the Ovidel injection, starting estrogen pills as my husband and I previously spoke to the doctor how it went from 500 down to 30 after the transfer last cycle and she said she would put me on then so it wouldn’t happen again. I also asked what graded embryos we had left (we used 3 already - we had 10). Looks like next embryo will be a 5BA.

italianmommy8

Please update the spreadsheet beta is on 4/17 and embryo grade is 5BA

italianmommy8

@Tulips29 thanks I have to ask for my estrogen and progesterone levels whenever my nurse calls. I’m probably a pain but I like to know everything going on and journal everything to be in the know. 
Thanks @wifeinraleigh28

sungirl39

*Lurking* @italianmommy8 I did a similar protocol as you to thicken my lining (only protocol that works for me too) - ovidrel is a must, that is what makes you ovulate and gets your uterus ready for implantation, pretty sure they screwed up last cycle if they didn't have you take it.  I would definitely research this further.  Both my FETs used stims (menopur, ganirelix, then the hcg trigger such as ovidrel, and PIO, with transfer 4-5 days after the trigger shot).  Very very weird that they skipped it last time.

italianmommy8

Hi @sungirl39 thanks for your message it’s nice to hear from someone with the same protocol. I agree I think my husband and I are realizing they messed up last cycle by not telling us to take it. I got pregnant too but my hcg level were 24, 44 and 96 and they said they were too low end I would miscarry and I did, it’s awful! 

sungirl39

@italianmommy8 I would demand at least a partial refund...that is ridiculous, and definitely a screw up.  It explains why your estrogen went down not up, timing was probably all messed up since they couldn't have known when you would ovulate without the trigger.  It needs to timed just right, just like a retrieval.  Good luck with this transfer!  I totally believe in this protocol when done correctly!  (FYI, my Dr also kept me on the stims a bit longer, until my follicles were standard sz for ovulation..I think at least 18s and 19s...lining was an 11.  On the estrogen pills I never got past a 7 and they want a lining of at least 8.)

ktrabing

Hey ladies! How long have you all been waiting for your FET since your ER? I just had my ER done last friday and am wondering what your experiences are with wait time. I think my original IVF nurse was telling me that it wont happen until the beginning of June?

wifeinraleigh28

@italianmommy8 I updated the spreadsheet for you! My heart goes out to you for your failed cycle, especially if it's due to a mess up on their part. That stinks. But it sounds like everything is going smoothly this time!

@kstrabing Back when I did my ER in 2016 I had my ER on July 29th and my FET was on September 16th. I did everything as quickly as I could. We also did PGS testing during that time.

ellis1983

Hi All! thanks for the positive encouragement and vibes! Two embryos were successfully transferred yesterday. Slept and relaxed all day yesterday. Stayed off my phone, computer, etc and held down the sofa watching Netflix. It was so relaxing.  

Back to work today, but made sure I kept my stress down. My pregnancy test is next Wed 4/10. 

Best of luck to everyone transferring or waiting on results! 

italianmommy8

@sungirl39 thanks for your advice I left a email to my doctor about then directing me to take the trigger last cycle. I took my trigger tonight Ovidel and start my PIO tomorrow morning and second dose tomorrow night. 

italianmommy8

@ktrabing my retrieval was in October and I had to wait a cycle before doing the first FET

italianmommy8

Thanks @wifeinraleigh28

italianmommy8

@ellis1983 yay!!! Sticky dust for your two embryos! The 10th will be here before you know it! Will you test before the 10th?

mackorori

@ellis1983 glad to hear everything went well!

sadubey

@italianmommy8 I am so sorry, it sounds like they may have made a mistake last cycle. I hope you get to the bottom of it but even more that this is your cycle! ♥️
@ellis1983 good luck! Hopefully those babies are sticky little suckers and you get great news next week! ♥️

italianmommy8

Thank you @sadubey

crookshanks10

@ktrabing My ER was on 2/24 and my FET is 4/17. We did a freeze all cycle with no testing.

Tulips29

@ktrabing my first IVF cycle, my ER was on 4/6 and FET was on 5/6, exactly a month later with PGS built into that timeline as well. With my new clinic, my last retrieval was on 3/11 and FET may be the week of 4/15 at the earliest.

Tulips29

@ellis1983 sending you lots of positive and sticky vibes!