TTC Check In 9/30/19

2dogsmom

Happy Monday everyone! I figured I would jump in and start us off this week. 

As always, please double-check your name and confirm your Dx & Rx. 

QOTW: What is something you can do better than anyone else you know?

Any Rants/Raves from this past week? Tell us about it!

2019 BFP Hall of Fame:
prpl11butterfly: dx: RPL rx: TI with progesterone
cigaline: Dx: unexplained/MFI Rx: IUI
sincethelastday: dx: unexplained Rx: IUI
optimisim3: Dx: endometriosis, Hashi’s, possibly adenomyosis Rx: IUI
littleredm: Dx: endometriosis and unexplained Rx: IVF
nancinator: Dx: unexplained Rx: IVF
ceauth: Dx: Borderline PCOS, unexplained Rx: medicated IUI
To be added to our Hall of Fame, please let us know when you are comfortable with us doing so!

PAGING:

@inthewoods23 - dx:unexplained. Rx: IVF

@chiblackhawkie - rx: IUI

@blackrose-9 - Dx: PCOS Rx: Femara

@hithertorue - Dx: Low AMH/MFI, unexplained Rx: IVF 

@2dogsmom - Dx: ovulation dysfunction Rx: IUI

@sara_tory: Dx: PCOS, endometriosis, adenomyosis Rx: IUI 

@ase33 - Dx: PCOS, complex endometrial hyperplasia, amenorrhea Rx: Femara + TI 

@olivklau - Dx: unexplained Rx: IUI

@knockupthestock - Dx: PCOS Rx: Letrozole, dexa, Clomid, trigger, progesterone, and TI.

@b_1029 - Dx: unexplained Rx: IUI

FRIENDS REJOINING US AND NEWCOMERS:

To be added to our weekly roll call, please provide the following:

1.  Briefly introduce yourself (or reintroduce yourself), if you didn't post a separate introduction post.

2.  What is your diagnosis? (Dx)

3.  What is your treatment plan? (Rx)

2dogsmom

@hithertorue how did the IUI go? Yikes re funding ... I don’t have any coverage for IVF so I feel you! 

I’ll pop in tomorrow with my answers etc. for the week, just wanted to get it up and here how everyone is doing! @b_1029 especially sending you some positive vibes, hope you are staying busy/distracted!! 

hithertorue

Thanks @2dogsmom for posting this week! Between IUI yesterday and then my work event that I had been worrying about was yesterday evening, I had a full day!



This was my US results on the day of IUI. From Friday to Monday 4 additional follicles came along. Unfortunately too late for IVF, so we went ahead with IUI. Confirmed this morning that 3 maybe 4 ovulated. 2-3 possibly within a good size for fertilizing. The 23mm follicle is probably "post-mature"/too big.

So fingers crossed. I'm at the point of hoping for twins right now because I just feel ready to be "one and done". Lol. Am also feeling all the hormones right now. Sore breasts, fatigue, foggy brain, irritable. The pregnyl for trigger with the IVF stimulation drugs is apparently notorious for that. I think possibly a stronger drug... or just different. Whatever it is, feeling pretty crud today and looking forward to either acupuncture or my bed.

QOTW: pizza dough! 

@2dogsmom how are you doing in your wait? Have you been able to tune it out?

@b_1029 hope your TWW is going well!

inthewoods23

QOTW: What is something you can do better than anyone else you know?
I would say some of my cooking but my mom and grandma are probably better! DH does say my chicken pot pie is better than the one his mom makes, and it's her recipe so... I'm pretty awesome at that I guess 😆

Not sure I ever updated, but AF finally showed last week Friday. Took a whole week after stopping the progesterone to finally show! I have an SHG on Friday and BW for the loss testing. DH and I will also be sitting down with the RE to go over the timeline and everything and have questions answered etc.

Otherwise I've got a friend's wedding this weekend so I'm really looking forward to some fun!

@hithertorue glad the IUI went well! FX

b_1029

QOTW- gosh I don’t know honestly. I’m very not confident in my abilities 😂 back in the day I was really good at swimming. 

@2dogsmom awww thank you so much! I’ve had some interesting (good) family things going on which is helping keep me distracted. How’s everything going with you?

@hithertorue I’m glad the IUI went well! Sorry to hear about the side effects. Hope you feel better soon. 

@inthewoods23 hope the SHG goes well! 

AFM I’m just twiddling my thumbs over here trying not to think about things but am not being super successful. I did have some stuff come up last night that has taken my mind off TTC and the IUI, which lasted basically all day today, but now I’m sitting here analyzing every twinge! I decided I’m going to test next Thursday assuming AF doesn’t come before then. My clinic only does betas if I get a positive test at home. I assume it would be different for ivf though. 

hithertorue

@inthewoods23 you have a few hoops to jump through prior to your next FET, right? Do they know roughly what your timeline is like? Hope your SHG goes ok. Have you had any trouble with those before?

@b_1029 I think not having a beta for IUI is pretty norm since you'll get AF and they'll be able to tell based on your bloodwork for the next cycle if anything were up. Esp in the states where you have to pay for the beta. In Ontario we're covered by the provincial health care plan for the bloodwork and ultrasounds so doing the beta isn't a big deal for anyone, so they do it. Keep finding things to distract! Are you supplementing progesterone during your TWW? Progesterone (esp when your supplementing it) can give you all those telltale PG symptoms. So hang in there and do your best to ignore. ❤ so tough!

inthewoods23

@hithertorue the SHGs have been a little painful, but it's always better once they're done shoving saline up there 😆 I'll have a better idea come Friday when I talk to the RE, but my understanding right now is the SHG and BW for loss testing this cycle. Next cycle is a repeat mock transfer with a biopsy for the receptivity testing. I believe the next cycle after that is considered the start of the FET cycle. I'll be on Lupron for a period of time. Some of the testing will determine how long I need to be on it before starting the stim meds (or not if we do a natural FET). If I'm on it for the shortest period of time, the FET will be sometime in January. If I'm on it for longer it could be as late as March.

2dogsmom

Finally checking back in, busy day for me. 

@hithertorue how did the work event go? Were you feeling okay for it? Good luck as you start your TWW! I’m with you on twins, I really didn’t want them before but at this point I think I would be happy to have them just so I didn’t have to go through TTC again! 

@inthewoods23 good luck with the SHG. Do you know, do they use contrast dye for those or are they really just saline? I hope you have a productive meeting with your RE and get all your questions answered. Sounds like they have a pretty solid plan in place for doing the mock transfer again etc. Also enjoy the wedding!! We are attending a wedding this weekend as well, and my sister is flying in to attend the wedding of a different friend on the same day! Must be a popular wedding weekend!! 

@b_1029 TWW is so hard. I love those distracted moments, but then I know how the brain just keeps going to it. I can’t remember, what day did you trigger? My clinic is really big on not doing a home test for at least 18 days after the trigger because of the potential for false positives. 

AFM — just waiting for AF. I’m on CD 33, 16 days post trigger shot so should be any minute now but I have none of them usual PMS symptoms so who knows.  I have basically no hope for this cycle though so the waiting hasn’t been too bad — it’s more like the beginning of the cycle when I’m just waiting for the follicle checks etc. than a normal TWW. 

Kind of a bummer week — hubby didn’t get the new job (they finally called) so no pay bump for us. Dishwasher is still broken but warranty won’t replace it so repair attempt #4 is to be scheduled.  On the upside my sister and her boyfriend are coming to visit this weekend so they can attend a wedding but I’ll get to spend some nice time with them. 

QOTW: travel/trip planning! I am fantastic at it, to the point that all my friends and family ask me to plan vacations for them. I love doing it, and I am good at going great places on a low budget! 

meri-mac

Hi all! I did post a more indepth intro on the main page, but Dx is unexplained sub-fertility and Rx is IVF.

QOTW: What is something you can do better than anyone else you know? It's weird, but I can determine the meaning of a word I don't know by breaking down the components of the word. It comes from taking a couple of Latin courses during my BA and being a bit of a language nut. It was one of the first things DH complimented me on when we started dating.

@hithertorue I know what you meant about "one and done". DH and I decided on only one with the possibility of one more in the future, but I am ready for twins at this point. Also all of the fun naming possibilities

@inthewoods23 I'm so sorry that AF showed. That sucks. I hope the RE will be able to provide some answers that will give you comfort. Enjoy the wedding!

@b_1029 FX for you! I also hope you find something to help get you through the wait and take your mind off things!

@2dogsmom I know it is hard to keep your hopes up (or down) so I will be hopeful for you. I'm sorry YH didn't get the job. I hope you are able to blow off some steam with your sister

hithertorue

@inthewoods23 hope that SHG goes well though and minimal discomfort. I'm glad your RE can give you a good expectation for timing. To be in the dark would be very hard. 

@2dogsmom work event was good. Pretty minimal cramping on that day. I had drank 2 Gatorade that day in anticipation of possibly many follicles rupturing which has usually caused me some irritation and cramping in the past. That was one of the tricks the nurses gave me. I was pretty done in after that day though. Still feeling some stress burnout. Which it sounds like you're familiar with! So sorry you're having such a stressful time. Sometimes it just feels like nothing can go right. I started reading this book:



So far would recommend it for TTC. It's pretty insightful and funny. Easy read. Not heavy. 

@meri-mac welcome again. I'm Canadian also, from Ontario. Hope your meeting with your RE goes well this week. If you have any questions regarding the steps, drugs, etc etc we can do our best. @inthewoods23 is our resident expert as she's been the furthest through the process. As mentioned I did a round of stimulation for IVF retrieval but my ovaries weren't cooperating this cycle so we triggered and did an IUI instead. Lol hence FX for twins!



Happy hump day all! Half way through the week. 

2dogsmom

@hithertorue glad the work event was good, I know the “done” feeling well. I’ve seen that book before but never picked it up! I’ll put it on hold at the library and give it a try!! Thanks! 

@meri-mac welcome!!

AFM finally started AF, which was fine I knew it was going to happen given we didn’t manage to do the IUI so already had my sad/disappointed days a few weeks ago and I was just ready to move on to the next cycle. New med protocol this cycle for me: 100 mg of clomid (instead of 50) and added estrogen.  Hoping the side effects of all this won’t be too much.

meri-mac

@2dogsmom Thanks! Sorry about the crappy timing. Fx for minimal side effects

@hithertorue I have family in Ontario (Stony Creek)! Fx for IUI!

I have my appointment with the RE tomorrow morning to go over the whole process of IVF. I have been doing some research as to what questions to ask, but I would appreciate any advice you ladies have. Is there anything you wish you had asked or didn't think to ask your first time?

hithertorue

@meri-mac some of the questions I had were relative to timing... how long to anticipate before ER, what happens next, will they want to give you a down cycle before a frozen transfer or will they do a fresh transfer in the same cycle. Maybe ask about embryo testing and how that works and costs if you're freezing embryos. You'll inevitably have questions as you discuss and probably after. Ask what the best way would be to ask your questions- the nurse, the doctor, etc.

Thinking of you tomorrow. Keep in mind they do these all the time so as much as we like to know every little detail, it is okay to also let them "take the wheel and drive" to a degree. So long as you know the gist and how/when to administer your meds, you'll figure it out as you go along. Edited to add: much easier said than done!

2dogsmom

Good luck today @meri-mac

@hithertorue I have to laugh, looked up that book (my library doesn’t have an ebook version so I’ll have to go find it) and look at the cover difference in the US:

meri-mac

Thanks @hithertorue & @2dogsmom! I went really well. She answered the majority of my questions in the overall explanation and she got the nurse to give me a firm-ish schedule on drugs, ER and transfer. It feels so soon and yet so far away. I am going to need a plethora of activities during the TWW to keep from going nuts. I am already planning for massages and movies during that time Possible insensitive comment in spoiler.

I am excited, but also scared that they are going to find something wrong with my egg quality given that all tests thus far have been normal.

inthewoods23

@meri-mac that's great about your appointment! When is the firm-ish ER date?

Had my SHG this morning and everything looked normal! Phew! So happy! 😄

Nothing else going on this cycle besides waiting for the BW results to come back. Looks like we should know in about a week or 2. So as usual I'll probably check in periodically, at least once a week since nothing really exciting will be happening for a while.

meri-mac

@inthewoods23 That is fabulous about your SHG! One more thing to tick off the list! The firm-ish ER date is November 5th/6th then a fresh transfer 5 days later.