IF testing and treatment W/O 8/19

kiki047

37 responses in here already and it's only Tuesday morning? OMG ladies. Going to try my best to keep up. Will come back later for tags.


Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS, some MFI

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW 

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): We did letrozole + HCG trigger + IUI + progesterone 

How are things going?: The BSC is starting and I feel like I'm going to ride that train to the end of the line this time, lol. My SS doesn't even seem to be anything to do with the progesterone either, like I had a big temp dip yesterday and a tiny bit of spotting. I had planned to test out the trigger in case I do get the urge to test later this week and I only managed to do that twice out of 7 days so far. I guess I still could tomorrow morning at only 9dp trigger (7 or 8dpo).
In the meantime, *TW* PG mentioned

my cousin's EDD is today so I'm feeling a little anxious about that. It'll be the first baby on my side of the family in my generation and on both my and MH's sides everyone always assumed we would be the first to reproduce so that part stinks. But her pregnancy is not nearly as triggering as my BIL & SIL because she's very humble about everything so I'm pretty excited for her. 

Any questions?: Not that I can think of.

GTKY: What’s your favorite animal from the wild? I love watching Giant Pandas, they're so chubby and fuzzy and clumsy, I feel like I can relate.

 

Also, foxes. Has anyone seen Juniper and Fig Foxx? I follow them on IG and I loveee them. 

hanshotfirst77

@ruby696 Thanks, I have PCOS so we kinda knew there would be a lot but I wonder how many are actually good quality...I hope you have some great looking follies Fx! 

inthewoods23

@hanshotfirst77 nice numbers!

@bluetickgal good to hear things came back normal!

AFM, US looked good, lining is somewhere between 3 and 4mm right now. Just need the call back that my estradiol is good and then it's a go to start the estradiol valerate injections on Thursday 👍

kpearse99

@bluetickgal you're right, waiting another month isn't the end of the world but it still hurts and sucks and puts a damper on things when you were so ready to go again.  You're allowed to feel however you want to feel, just know that.

kpearse99

@kiki047 omg I am clumsy just like that panda!! It must be my spirit animal!! I still don't understand having to POAS to test out the trigger.... is it weird my RE never talked to me about that in regards to the Ovedril??

wabash15

Lurker***
 @shoogapoff its worth talking to your RE if you tend to O early... I tended to O between CD 12-14 (though occasionally as late as 18) so I would schedule my first monitoring appointment for CD10-11. 
@kpearse99 all of my RE's considered any follie 18mm or larger mature and I would trigger with follies that were 17mm or larger (because they keep growing after trigger)... Sorry your follie growth has slowed down though. 

kpearse99

@wabash15 It appears mine were consistently only growing at about 1mm a day (well, some of them anyway... others didn't really grow at all).  My RE said they look for 18mm, 19mm or 20mm to then do the trigger.  I guess because my LH came back indicating to them that I was Oing on my own that I didn't need to trigger but at the same time we don't have the IUI scheduled yet.  They just told us to DTD tomorrow night and to come back Thursday morning for US and BW (if I wasn't traveling I would either have gone back in today or tomorrow).  We shall see.... if the IUI doesn't happen this cycle I have many questions for them about next steps for the next cycle as I'm curious what will/can be done to help follie growth and uterine lining and what he would recommend in addition to the letrozole.

wabash15

@kpearse99 I always had a thin lining... I think the thickest I ever got was 6.5. adding estrogen can help increase your lining. I hope your able to get good timing in this cycle... It can be so hard scheduling IUI's around work/travel. 

kiki047

@kpearse99 you don't have to test it out. It's really only in case you do want to POAS the trigger can take up to 12 days to fully leave your system so if you want to take a home pregnancy test prior to that it could give you a false positive because there may still be trace amounts of HCG already in your system. Some choose to test  until the test is a stark white BFN, so that if/when they do decide to POAS they can be assured that it is, in fact, a BFP. 

ruby696

Well, I only have five follies. All are large (20-23mm), so we're triggering tonight and ER is Thursday. I know five is an improvement for me, but with my RPL, I'm not very optimistic that any will be normal. Trying not to be too negative, but I was definitely hoping for better news.

mokay19

@hanshotfirst77 glad to hear the appointment went well and it seems like your follicles are doing well!

@bluetickgal good luck with the karyotyping and saline!  Did your doctor say why they don't do medicated cycles during the same time at the saline?  

@kiki047 hopefully the temp drop and spotting are good signs!

@inthewoods23 FX for good numbers to move forward with the medications!

@ruby696 hoping, praying, and sending all the healthy and mature vibes to your 5 follies!  Really hoping that those ones are enough and get you what's needed!

jennifer_louise

@ruby696 ^^WSS. Sorry that you only got 5 but I have a great feeling that you'll get exactly what you need, friend. 💜 

hanshotfirst77

@ruby696 hoping so hard that your 5 follies are perfect! Fx for your ER Thursday!

bluetickgal

@kiki047 hope all the SS is legit and this is your cycle!! Those pandas as so stinking cute!! 

@inthewoods23 thanks! So glad your US went well! Hope you get the call soon and can start injections Thursday! 

@kpearse99 thanks!! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but I’m hoping it goes by super fast! 

@ruby696 sorry it was a lower number than you were hoping, but hoping those 5 are exactly what you need! Fingers crossed so hard for you!!! 

@mokay19 thanks! *TW - They are having me sit out due to the loss this month, not because of the SHG. - End TW* I think I would be have been able to do meds with the SHG if not. I just misunderstood at my appt. and thought I could start meds when I got my cycle, but he wants you to wait a whole other cycle. 

*Edited to fix typo.

inthewoods23

@ruby696 sorry you don't have more, but FX they are the best eggs!

kpearse99

@ruby696 I have a good feeling that those
follies will be great ones but I’m keeping everything crossed for you for Thursday!! 

inthewoods23

Got the call, estrogen is at 84, they like to see below 80. It's still a go for starting the new meds on Thursday but wtf body, you've been under 80 for the last 3 draws, why you gotta go up higher now? 😆

I also asked about the PIO shots, how that will be post transfer (currently prescribed 2x a day injections). I wasn't sure if that drops to once a day or maybe not every day. It's STILL gonna be 2x a day all the way through 10 weeks if it's successful. If I get that BFP I'm gonna need a new sharps container. 😩 Lol

ruby696

@inthewoods23 Ugh, so many needle sticks. But so worth it!

You guys. I kept giggling in my head during my deposition because I have MH's sample container in my purse, sitting in a room full of men. I kept thinking how horrified they would be if they knew 😆

mokay19

@inthewoods23 I'm glad that you're able to proceed!  and I really hope that you need extra sharps containers.

@ruby696 hahaha I love how the sample container could give you a good chuck while working!

hanshotfirst77

@inthewoods23 Yay for being able to start the rest of your meds! I've heard PIO really sucks. I am totally dreading it but agree it will be so worth it in the end! Fx!

My nurse called me apparently my estrogen rose higher than they anticipated. So I'm supposed to start Ganirelex and up my Menopur dose starting tomorrow night. I wonder if this means I will be triggering and doing ER sooner than we thought. Nurse didn't seem concerned but I really hope this doesn't mean I will be ovulating before my follicles are mature enough. 

kbrown2385

Lurking 

@ruby696 I’ve got all the things crossed all 5 follies are perfect 🤞❤️

kiki047

@kpearse99 FX for your follies! This is how I picture them right now:

(and no, I have no idea what he's saying in Japanese, lol)

@misshelen86 that's good news that you've been put on the waitlist. Hope the yoga is helping. I keep saying I'm going to get back into it, but never do. 
@hanshotfirst77 so glad you were able to move forward with your ER this cycle. Yay for your follies! FX everything continues to look good! 
@mokay19 FX for good timing for your trigger! Also, penguins! Have you seen that "documentary" with Benedict Cumberbatch where can't say penguin?   whenever I see the word penguin now I think of him. 
@ruby696 *hugs* I'm hoping so hard for you that those 5 follies are the best of the best!! Glad you were still able to find some humour today, I also chuckled at the idea of you having the sample cup in your bag during your deposition. 
@jennifer_louise your appt will be here before you know it. It's hard to feel like you're relinquishing 'control', but in this case, hopefully the experts will only give you that boost of confidence you need to feel hopeful again  
@emeraldduchess all the more power to you for skipping that cookout. I'm sorry this is such a tough time of year for you, but you were right to put your own needs first. 
@inthewoods23 I think of all the things I'm dreading the most, PIO sounds like the worst. But man I hope all those big butt needles are worth it in the end when you get your BFP! 
@b_1029 girlll, do it, be that annoying patient that asks the 30 million questions. Trust me, it'll make you feel better. 
@bluetickgal sorry to hear that you're benched longer than you thought. FX this cycle goes by quickly and you can get the SHG over and done with and get the show on the road!
@shoogapoff can I just say that I'm obsessed with your username? I keep meaning to tell you that. Also, I'm excited for your upcoming IUI too!! Yay for IUI buddies!

emeraldduchess

Yikes, this thread is on fire! I've pretty much been MIA all day working in my classroom. What was supposed to be 3 hours turned into 6. D'oh! 
@misshelen86 I'm glad you were able to get on the waiting list. Hopefully you'll be able to get in sooner than you thought!

@ruby696 crossing everything that those 5 follies are the best quality possible! 

@bluetickgal I'm glad you got your results back so quickly and everything was normal. FX that you can get the karyotyping done soon. 

Hopefully I can catch up a little more with tags tomorrow. 💙 For now I am completely wiped from unpacking books and putting together bulletin board displays. I better get more energy ASAP!

bluetickgal

@inthewoods23 sorry your estrogen rose, but that’s good it’s not affecting being able to proceed! That stinks about the continued shots...but that’ll be totally worth it to continue for 10 weeks! ☺️

@hanshotfirst77 sorry your estrogen rose too! Fingers crossed your follies are the perfect size for your ER!! 

@kiki047 thanks so much! Definitely ready to get this show on the road! 

@emeraldduchess thanks! I was very glad they called with results & I didn’t have to wait for a f/u appt. We are hoping to go have the karyotyping done Saturday as long as we can go to the main hospital lab to have it done. 6 hours in the classroom organizing & decorating does sound exhausting, hope you don’t have much left to do! 

kpearse99

@kiki047 hahah that GIF is so accurate! And i think it’s telling him to go back in, we aren’t ready for you yet!! 

mokay19

@kiki047 I saw a clip on maybe Jimmy Fallon of them playing him trying to say "penguin" and I was crying!  So funny!

misshelen86

@ruby696 Sorry you aren’t feeling very optimistic. I’m keeping FX all your follies are good quality! 

@jennifer_louise Yay for your consult being just around the corner! Sorry you’re still struggling. Hope you are able to came up with a great plan with the RE next week. I agree with letting them be the “expert” but at the same time, you need to advocate for yourself!

@emeraldduchess FX this cycle will be the one! Glad you did what you needed to do by skipping that event to protect your heart   

@inthewoods23 Yay you’re getting so close! 

@b_1029 FX for you! Nothing wrong with asking all the questions you need to ask at the appointment since it’s so difficult on the phone. That’s too bad they rush you off the phone instead of giving you the time you deserve.

@bluetickgal Sorry you ended up benched. Glad your RPL was all normal! Must be a relief. Hope the rest of your testing goes well! 

@shoogapoff I love the gifs! I really want to try goat yoga too! FX you get KU before starting treatment. Glad you have a solid place in plan for next month if it doesn’t happen though! I learned a lot through that thread as well. I didn’t realize how important it was to be monitored while on clomid. 

@hanshotfirst77 Yay for all those follies! 

@kiki047 FX the IUI was a success. Sorry about the triggering family situations. I’d have mixed feelings for sure. Hugs to you! 

kpearse99

Well.... just left the RE.  It's looking like I did O, most likely yesterday, but the blood work will confirm that and I'll get those results this afternoon. 

The RE said he learned quite a few things about me this cycle, from looking at my ultrasounds and blood work and basically said it seemed like my estrogen was on a roller coaster ride!  It was low last Thursday and then went up on Saturday and then back down in my blood work this past Monday...which he said they expected to see it go up again.  He said he's not concerned at all, or worried, and that it just means they need to up my letrozole dose (we were at 2.5 and we'll go up to 7.5 next cycle).  I asked him how it all worked though, because the Letrozole lowers your estrogen and I apparently need to produce more.  He said that by raising the dose, it causes my brain to say "Hey! Where did all my estrogen go?! And then that's when the brain triggers the production of more eggs which causes the estrogen to go back up."  He said he wasn't concerned at all with my follicle size and that if he wouldn't be worried one bit if I got pregnant this cycle!

He was super sweet and asked me at the end if I was okay and was good with everything and our plan to move forward.  I told him I was upset on Monday when it looked like I was about to O and that I was a little bummed we couldn't get the IUI this cycle but that we learned some things and I was choosing to be optimistic still about the whole process.  He told me that he doesn't accept failure and that everything was going to work out.  Told me again he wasn't worried one bit and that he knows exactly what to do with me in order for us to get pregnant. (He also kept saying that maybe we got pregnant this cycle without the IUI! so I like that hope too!)

Overall - I am good! I am in good spirits and I am optimistic and hopeful and still excited to move forward with this whole process. I know it will happen! I'm happy with our timing this cycle too, even without the IUI and I'll try to get one more in tonight for that +1!

shoogapoff

@kpearse99 I like your RE's optimism too! My RE said something similar about my upcoming IUI- that the sub-goal (besides the obvious pregnancy goal) was to learn more about me. So I'm thinking of it as an exploratory mission, with the hope of striking oil, or whatever other analogy you want to use for getting KU. 

mokay19

@kpearse99 I understand being bummed about missing the IUI, but it sounds like your appointment went really well and it's good that your follicles got a little more growth before being released yesterday!  Did they see how many had released?  Sorry, I can't remember if you had said that there were multiple at 17 on Monday.

hanshotfirst77

@kpearse99 I'm sorry you didn't get to do your IUI this cycle but I am glad your RE is so optimistic and sounds like you guys have a great plan. Fx!

AFM had another follicle check this morning. RE thinks everything looks good. He thinks I'll probably need another 2-3 days of stims, he is estimating either Monday or Tuesday for the ER. Go back Saturday for another check. Follie stats in spoiler:

R Ovary 8>10, 7 b/t 11-13mm, 1 15mm

Left Ovary 7<10, 2 b/t 11-13 mm, 1 15mm, 1 b/t 16-17 mm

kpearse99

@mokay19 they didn't say how many were released, and I didn't think to ask that.  He did say that they all were getting smaller in size though, another sign indicating I O'd.  I think on Monday there were 2 that were at 17mm.

ruby696

@kpearse99 Well, it's too bad you weren't able to do the IUI, but your RE sounds amazing! And FX this will be your month even without the IUI!

AFM, ER was this morning. The procedure was super easy. They only got three eggs and we're doing a 2 day transfer, so FX I get one or two that can be transferred. Paging @emmasemm for any advice/opinions! 

Eta: words

jennifer_louise

@ruby696 so many positive thoughts for your eggs!! I just so so soooo hope you got two great ones. 💕

Forgive my lack of knowledge, but does that mean they'll transfer in two days? Or do they wait another cycle? (or something in between?) 

misshelen86

@kpearse99 Sorry you weren’t able to get the IUI, but hopefully things worked out anyway! Your RE sounds great and like he has a good plan in place for you!

@ruby696 Glad the ER went well. Keeping everything crossed you are able to transfer 1-2!

bluetickgal

@kpearse99 your RE really does sound awesome!! Hoping this cycle was a success even without the IUI! 

@hanshotfirst77 you are getting so close!! Fingers crossed for a good check on Saturday and ER shortly after! 

@ruby696 glad the ER went smoothly. Fingers crossed both eggs are perfect and can be transferred! Sending lots of positive vibes! 

ruby696

@jennifer_louise I'm doing a fresh transfer, so it will be on Saturday. It was going to be three days, but my RE wants them in their natural habitat ASAP. So we'll see...

kpearse99

Blood work update - and I am so so confused!!

Apparently my RE is a little baffled too.... My blood work doesn't indicate that I O'd yet because my progesterone is still low (at .3) instead of rising like it should after O.  My LH level has dropped though, it was 12.6 on Monday and today was at 7.9.  My follies, on the U/S this morning, shrunk in size from Monday.  He said it's possible I did O (Like maybe last night?) and it's just not reflecting in my blood work yet, but also possible that I didn't O yet ..... and even more - possible that I might not O at all this cycle.  Sooo WTH?!  He wants us to HIO a few more times over the next few days just in case.  I guess I'll keep doing OPKs for the next few days as well, but now I'm super bummed in the event that I won't O at all.  Isn't Letrozole sort of supposed to ensure that you O?  I guess I don't understand how you can grow follies, and a number of them too, and for them to grow and grow and then turn around and shrink if you don't O at all.

I'm to call back in 2 weeks (whether AF arrives or not) for another round of blood work.

I asked if they would be giving me anything to help the progesterone next time and he said no - not unless there is something really indicating that I would need it (Like if I were to get KU this cycle and the blood showed the levels were still low - then I would take something). I really really hope it was just isn't showing up in my blood yet and that I really did O.

ruby696

@kpearse99 Wow, that is confusing! I can't imagine follicles would shrink, so to me it seems most likely that you just ovulated and your bloodwork hasn't caught up. I am, however, glad you didn't pay for IUI this cycle because that would make it even more stressful! I still have hope that you'll succeed on your own this cycle. ❤

kpearse99

@ruby696 thanks, girl! Thankfully my insurance covers IUIs - but it is nice to know it wasn't a "wasted" attempt... if that makes sense.

Follies do shrink after O, right?! Or am I just making that up?