IF Testing and Treatment Week of 12/23-12/19/19

keikilove

Another group question: for those of you who did birth control for various reasons, when you stop the BC do you then have to wait to get AF and then wait to ovulate? (You’d think I’d know this but I’ve been off BC for many many years!) 

My hysteroscopy is being delayed due to lack of scheduling availability. So now I’m supposed to do BC until the hysteroscopy in early January (to keep my lining thin for the procedure). But if I don’t start the BC I’m supposed to ovulate naturally right around New Year’s. I really don’t want to waste a cycle if BC means I have to then wait for AF & another chance to ovulate much later in January or maybe February. 

emmasemm

***lurking***

@ramzlau I’ve also travelled intercontinental during treatment and for progesterone was told if you can to keep it at the same time (+/- 1 hour) as in your original time zone. However if you will stay in the new time zone for a longer time it would not hurt to move it quickly to the new time zone by just doing a dose less than 24 hours apart, then going back to 24 hours from your new time. Just don’t let it go longer than the interval between doses prescribed in absolute hours at any point. 

I once moved it (as it would have meant a 3am injection every day) but other times left the time based back in my home time zone.

NYTino24

@keikilove What are the chances of an earlier appointment becoming available? How long do they want you to take BC? A full cycle? 

keikilove

@NYTino24 They’ve been trying to get me in earlier with no luck. Dr just said we’d do BC till the procedure, and then continue the cycle. I wasn’t sure what that meant but she hasn’t replied to my message yet. 

bluetickgal

@feather_heather yay for transfer day!! 🎉Everything crossed for you, friend!! I so hope this is it for you!! 
@NYTino24 sending all the positive vibes your way for your IUI today & tomorrow! Hoping this is it for you!! 

keikilove

@feather_heather & @NYTino24 Thinking of you both this morning. Best of luck with the procedures!🤞🏽

Another question for those of you who’ve had a hysteroscopy: did you have bleeding for a long time after the procedure? Did it mess up your following cycle? I’m seeing lots of un-comforting stories online. Thanks! 

kpearse99

@feather_heather happy transfer day!!!! ♥️♥️🤞🏼🤞🏼

@NYTino24 thinking of you today! I hope this is the one so badly!! 🤞🏼♥️

inthewoods23

@keikilove I think they say you can bleed for up to 2 weeks following a hysteroscopy. The first day or 2 after my procedure it was sorta like a period but after that I only needed pantiliners. I continued to bleed for 2 weeks and was worried as AF was due and had no idea if I would be able to tell the difference. But it turned out fine. There was a clear difference in the post-procedure bleeding and AF.

@feather_heather GL today!!

NYTino24

Only 8 million count today since we DTD yesterday. Uggghhhh

emmasemm

***lurking again***

@keikilove re Hysteroscopies
First there is often a difference in what happens after depending is it an investigative or operative Hysteroscopy 

For an investigative one, you might not even be offered sedation (just pain killers and/or Valium) as they “just” dilate your cervix as little as possible but as much as necessary not unsimilar to an embryo transfer and pass through the scope. If the person doing it is careful and doesn’t damage your cervix or the lining of your uterus inside you might have no real discomfort or bleeding. My first two were like that. I was sedated for the third one of these as they did take the ERA biopsy at the same time - but even after that I had not even one drop of bleeding!!! Also no cramps. No painkillers taken after. And flew home the same day after the third one.

For an operative one, you might have twilight sedation or full anesthesia depending on the extent of surgery planned and the doctors preference. I did mine under full anesthesia as they had two separate polyps to remove from different areas, plus were not sure about what turned out to be my adenomyosis - in case it had been something else affecting the lining they would have had to do a bigger removal, but luckily wasn’t needed. I had used a pessary to soften my cervix the night before, then they dilated it more on the table before operating. Dilation was more in this situation as they needed (tiny) instruments not only the scope in my uterus. I changed the pad before I left the hospital, then literally only spotting for 24 hours and some cramps which were fine with paracetamol- nothing else! 1.5 days on the couch then back to work as if nothing had happened. 

In all cases AF came completely on my normal schedule. However I had not taken any hormones to delay or speed up my cycle in any of the cases. Of course if they have you on BC and then you stop it then it’s like anytime you do that.

Yes there are horror stories out there - but also remember the non horror versions don’t make for good reading and most people just don’t post/write about those. If you’re concerned, talk to your doctor, understand the process and instruments they plan to use, check their experience level and prepare to take it easy that and the next day.

bows22

thank you so much @emmasemm I’m also having a hysteroscopy on Jan 7 to remove a polyp and do a biopsy for possible endometrial hyperplasia - that was all really helpful! 

ramzlau

Thank you! Will do about progesterone. 

@NYTino24 Did they cancel IUI because of the count? Or do they just move ahead with less? I know ours says 20 mil, but I never asked what happens if we don’t have that. 

@feather_heather Hope the FET went well! 

kpearse99

My RE told me they like to see 20 mil too but that studies show an IUI needs 5-10mil to be successful.

feather_heather

Thanks for the well wishes today! Transfer went smoothly! Transferred a 7AB day 5 blast that thawed at 100% (whatever that means lol) Beta is scheduled for 01/07! 

NYTino24

@ramzlau We did it anyway and I asked about abstaining tonight and she said to absolutely wait. They never give very specific instructions unless I ask and that drives me nuts. 

I got my IVF med list. Any comments are welcome.

emeraldduchess

@NYTino24 I haven't done IVF so I have no helpful comments. That's quite the overwhelming list there. Did your insurance give the green light? Or are you getting all the ducks in a row so you can get started right away when they approve? (Sorry if I missed an update) 

NYTino24

@emeraldduchess my RE sent the prescriptions to the pharmacy and they requested they be available by Monday, but the pharmacist wasn’t sure it would be cleared via insurance yet. I put in a call to the RE’s financial coordinator and she hasn’t gotten back to me. My nurse was off two days, worked one, and now is off until the 30th. I asked other questions via email like if we plan on doing an ERA or anything else. I also have to do their online education that we have to do with each step of testing and treatment. I’m gonna guess they are lining up all of the ducks in a row and insurance approval will be the last step if this cycle fails. Typically I test before the beta and stop the progesterone a day or two before it, so AF comes a day or two after. That will give us about 5 or 6 days before needing to start stims. I’m not sure if they get provisional approval or what before the cycle starts. 

Update on IUI 2: it was like 68 or 88 million today, an insane increase and I’m thankful. At first I thought I had ovulated based on this morning’s temp, but then I had some ovulation cramping around 12-1 pm, so who knows. It’s out of our hands now! Really, really hoping it works, but even if it does I won’t be holding my breath that it will be fully successful. Right now a transfer would be in February if we do move to IVF and all goes well with follicles, retrieval, freezing, biopsy / testing, etc. I’ll be a bit shy of 37. 

keikilove

@inthewoods23 Thanks so much fr sharing about your experience with hysteroscopy. Very helpful!

@emmasemm Thank you also for sharing such detail about your experience with hysteroscopies. Very informative & helpful! My RE is the one doing it, she’s an expert at it. She said it will be twilight anesthesia. It’s just exploratory, not operative. 

I actually couldn’t get comfortable with not knowing whether I will bleed for awhile after the procedure, or how the BC will affect ovulation, etc. Plus I have to travel for work again at the end of January and didn’t want to risk missing one or potentially two fertile windows this coming month. So we will try another natural cycle this coming week and delay the hysteroscopy until later in January. I appreciate you all chiming in, it did help me make a decision I feel good about.

keikilove

@NYTino24 Those numbers sound super reassuring! I honestly have a really good feeling for you.🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽

ramzlau

@NYTino24 I am an ‘83 too! FX for this cycle, that count is stellar! And that med list is crazy long. 

@feather_heather Come on 1/7! 

@keikilove Glad you were able to make a decision you are comfortable with for this cycle. 

AFM: BFN today. Not surprised really since this cycle was all over the place.Emailing RE for next steps for next cycle since we are traveling. 

mvt2003

PSA for anyone looking for a Netflix binge show and you get a recommendation for Virgin River - there's an IF storyline that can be insanely triggering. We started Episode 1 last night, MH's spidey senses started tingling off of the way a line was written, he looked it up and immediately turned the show off for us. I might be ok with it now that I know, but if I hadn't been warned and was having a bad TTC day, it could have been not so fun for me. 

@ramzlau so sorry about the BFN  

@keikilove I'm glad you were able to make an informed decision for yourself, keeping EVERYTHING crossed for this cycle for you, friend. 

@NYTino24 Holy cow, YH's numbers!!! Keeping everything crossed for this cycle, I went back and reviewed my med list, and we're on none of the same ones for next cycle so I'm clearly a heck of a lot of help here  

@feather_heather thinking of you, keeping everything crossed for you too!!!!!