TTTC Check In 2-3-2020

2dogsmom

Happy Monday! 

Please double-check your name and confirm your Dx & Rx. Please let me know if you'd like to update your Dx & Rx! 

QOTW: What is one thing you did all the time as a kid that you would never do now?

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

B_1029:  Dx: unexplained Rx: IUI
knockupthestock - Dx: PCOS Rx: Letrozole, dexa, Clomid, trigger, progesterone, and TI

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: unexplained Rx: IVF

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

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

@olivklau - Dx: unexplained Rx: IUI

@meri-mac  -Dx: Unexplained sub-fertility, Rx: IVF

@amgpg25 -Dx: Insulin Tolerance, Rx Clomid & IUI

@abarr723 —DX: PCOS, Rx Femara & IUI

@zimmie0818 Dx polyps, Rx IUI

@Amartuso Dx TBD 

@nina205 RX PCOS and low morphology (hubby) Dx Fermara & Trigger

inthewoods23

Sorry for not participating last week. Had a business trip at the start of the week and just lurked here.

QOTW: What is one thing you did all the time as a kid that you would never do now?
This is a tough one! I'm not sure. I used to play video games a lot but that's basically once in a blue moon now.

Not a whole lot new with me lately, still on the BCP until we get to the stims meds for the FET. The gluten and dairy free diet is going much better. Still having some slip ups when it comes to eating out, but it's not too bad. I can already tell digestively that it's a lot better (TMI, as in less #2) so of course I'm wondering if I've been gluten or dairy sensitive all this time and never knew. I've never had major digestive problems nor has it ever made me feel sick, so maybe it's a minor case? Anyway, in bigger news, I finally scheduled an appointment with a therapist so I'm excited to start that!

abarr723

@inthewoods23 Hope you had a good time here in the NE. 

Not a whole lot going on with me, waiting for this next cycle to start to get my sonohyst and start meds! I need to call the fertility pharmacy. I’ve been slacking a little bit. I should get that done this week. 

QOTW: What is one thing you did all the time as a kid that you would never do now? This is a hard one! Ummm I was an equestrian, I rode horses a lot which shocks the sh*t out of people who know me. I haven’t set foot in a barn in like 18 years lol 

inthewoods23

@abarr723 I've only ever ridden a horse once when I was about 10. That's so cool! I'm lucky that my pharmacy calls me when they get an order from my RE so I never have to remember to give them a call or set up the delivery. It's actually an automated system and you tell them yes or no if it's a good time to get connected to one of their customer service people.

2dogsmom

Missed you last week @inthewoods23 but hope you had a nice time on your business trip.  Glad to hear the gluten and dairy free diet is going better.  It would be interesting to learn you've had the sensitivity all this time but never symptoms.  Are you planning to go back to eating it after the pregnancy?  I'm struggling on my no-sugar at all diet....it's in everything! I've had to make my own salad dressing and mayo! I will definitely go back to eating all that stuff as soon as possible! 

@abarr723 Good luck getting your meds all set up!  Like @inthewoods23 I am lucky, my pharmacy always calls me as soon as the RE's office faxes over the order. I've now used two different fertility pharmacies and they both function that way. 

QOTW: I used to love going on the swings -- tried it with my niece the other day, OMG instant motion sick! Guess that's a kid thing!

AFM: Still just waiting for AF. My stim meds arrive on Friday, we have a "meds" class with the RN tomorrow so she can go over all the meds with us and make sure my hubby knows how to help me (I can't give them to myself, I'm too chicken).  I'm really anxiously waiting AF because if she is too late I'll have to wait for March ER but  hopefully will be able to do ER end of Feb instead. So for the first time in 2+ years, I am like anxiously praying I get my period ASAP LOL! 

inthewoods23

@2dogsmom if the FET is successful, I have to keep on the diet through the first trimester. I will most likely do a slow ease back into no diet both to be safe, and to use up all the gluten and dairy free food in our fridge and pantry. Anytime DH is making something for himself that uses butter I've been asking him to use the regular butter so it doesn't go bad. I usually buy 2 packages at a time so we currently have 5 or 6 sticks to use before there would only be vegan butter in the house! I suppose I could freeze any remaining butter though?

2dogsmom

@inthewoods23 I get that! I have a bunch of stuff in my house I can't eat right now....Hubby is doing the sugar free diet with me, at least for now.  I will probably pack the stuff that will go bad up and take it to friends who can use it. Transitioning back slowly makes sense.  Hopefully 3/31 will be your day!!! Fingers crossed that it all lines up perfectly for you! 

abarr723

@inthewoods23 Horseback riding is definitely not a common sport/activity people get into lol it’s cool to be able to say I did it. Like I said, people who know me are always so surprised by it because I was always so dedicated to softball, i still play coed recreational lol. I used to have a bunch of equestrian blue ribbons and trophy’s until the Basement in my childhood home flooded one year, and we had to get rid of a lot. 

 

@inthewoods23 @2dogsmom which pharmacy is it you use? I will be using Avella, I guess that’s the one they go through. I wonder if once I get all squared away they will call me with refill reminders. 🤔

@2dogsmom thats great that they give you a little inservice on the meds! I’m also nervous to give myself the trigger shot when the time comes. I asked DH if he would do it for me. Hopefully it’s not a when he gets forced into a double. In that case, I’ll have one of nurses i work with do it for me. Lol I really don’t know if I’ll be able to get myself to do it! 

inthewoods23

@abarr723 my meds come through Freedom Pharmacy

2dogsmom

@abarr723 I couldn't do the trigger shots myself, I'm too scared, but I know lots of people do them themselves successfully. I just like having my hubby do it because it's easier on my -- I'm super needle phobic.  My trigger shot was from Freedom Fertility Pharmacy. My IVF stims are from Rancho Santa Fe Pharmacy because they priced out a little cheaper through them ($4,300 vs $4,900). The meds class was helpful today, but honestly they aren't that different from the trigger shot right now. When we go to do the FET it will be a bit different, but one step at a time.

I actually  also horseback rode quite a bit as a kid, but western style. My dad had horses and I would go with him to shows etc. 

Anyway, happy Wednesday all -- half way through another week. 

abarr723

The pharmacy my drs office gave me is called Avella. Hopefully they’re as good as the ones you guys have used! 

nina205

@abarr723 I also got my trigger shot from Freedom Fertility. I originally tried to go through Alliance RX Walgreens Prime, but they were out of Pregnyl which is the only medicine my insurance covers so switched over to Freedom at my doctors recommendation. They didn't take my insurance, but cost was actually less at Freedom without insurance than Alliance would of been with insurance? So weird!

@inthewoods23 I work in the natural foods industry, more than happy to send recommendations of dairy free and gluten free brands we work with! Changing diet can be so tough, but I am so glad you are feeling better! and so crazy that maybe you have been sensitive all this time! 

@2dogmom Praying for your period! I also used to love to swing, rollercoasters, etc. Now I get so motion sick! 

AFM: Had my follicle check this morning and they gave me my trigger shot. 

QOTW: Haha I don't know, so many things... I used to love to ice skate and would do it in my backyard growing up. Nothing fancy or competitive, but always had so much fun! 

inthewoods23

@nina205 Freedom has been really good at getting the lowest prices, even if it's not covered! They called me yesterday for my latest order and apparently they had called my insurance and got them to cover lupron! Last year they only covered it once (maybe it resets each year??). The 2nd time it needed to go through pre-approval and got denied so I was paying OOP for it. It only takes about 100 off my cost but hey, whatever makes it the cheapest and I'm really happy they went through that for me.

If you have a list of food brands that would be amazing!! It's really hard to find items that are BOTH dairy and gluten free. I had been craving pizza last week and the one place I found vegan cheese, their gluten free crust still had dairy in it! Ugh! I recently found another pizza place that has both the vegan cheese and gluten and dairy free crust so yay! I'm familiar with Udi's so if you know other brands that would be incredibly helpful!

nina205

@inthewoods23 SO good to know about Freedom.. I may just stick with them going forward. 

I got you on pizza craving!

Here are a few brands that have both GF and DF ready to cook pizzas:
- Amy's has microwave individual pizzas 
- Daiya 
- Sonoma Flatbread- i think you can find at Walmart, but maybe double check

Great brands that make GF crusts so you can DIY and have a fun pizza night!
- Trader Joes 
- Caulipower
- Smart Flour 

Happy to help with any other categories, but these are some of my other favorite brands:
- Nadamoo- ice cream 
- Cappellos- pasta, sadly pizza is not both GF and DF
- Explore Cuisine- pasta
- Banza- vegan mac & cheese
- Right Rice- rice 
- Fody Foods- for those random sauces that have gluten in them

I have so many more, so just let me know if there are any other categories you are looking for. 

inthewoods23

@nina205 awesome! I haven't heard of any of these brands besides Daiya and Trader Joe's. Bought Daiya shredded cheese for a pizza and it did not have the same texture as regular cheese so I was a bit bummed about that. I think what I really need is the finely shredded kind, this Daiya cheese was a thicker shred. Do those pasta brands make more than regular ass penne noodle? I like unique shapes 😆

nina205

@inthewoods23 Yes! Cappellos has pasta in frozen forms- lasgna noodles, gnochi.. Some fun fancier things! And then Explore Cuisine is any pasta shape you can think of- spaghetti, Rotini, Fettuccine, etc. Also the Banza brand has a bunch of shapes, i just like Expolore Cuisine better because they use all different types of beans as the base so you can figure out what you like (versus only being chickpea based). 

On the cheese front, I hear you.. Not a huge fan of Daiya cheese as well... Nothing is the same but these are some of my recommendations. 

- Miyokos- cheese for cheese/crackers occasion (Charcuterie type cheeses), also really good mozzarella substitute 
- Trader Joes- great vegan cheese sticks
- Treeline- soft cheeses 
- Kite hill- cream cheese
- Go Veggie- shredded cheese, cheese slices 

nina205

oh also Wayfare is really good! 

abarr723

I am on hold with the fertility pharmacy. I was having an issue with my FSA card going through so I had to call back after I called the card company. The copay for the Ovadrel is $197. Is that an average copay for this drug? I just am not sure, i almost dropped dead when she said it. 

2dogsmom

@abarr723 that doesn’t sound too bad for Ovadrel, I usually paid about $230 for it out of pocket (I have no insurance coverage for fertility). 

@nina205 awesome recommendations! I really like a lot of the brands you mentioned, especially Miyoko cheese!! Also yay for trigger, that must mean you had a good follicle — FX for you! 

My update, finally started AF (woohoo) so got everything all set up calendar wise. Assuming my saline ultrasound on 2/14 is clear we are on track for an early March Egg Retrieval. My fridge is full of meds (over 4K so the power sure better not go out). @inthewoods23 when you did ER were you feeling ok the next day? Trying to figure out if one day off work will be enough or if I should plan for 2. 

inthewoods23

@2dogsmom I had a greasy burger for dinner at Red Robin that night 😆 so yes I felt pretty much back to normal the following day. YMMV. Take the day after off if you'd like!

2dogsmom

@inthewoods23 thanks!! I think I will just try to adjust my schedule at work to make it a lighter day if possible the day after. 

abarr723

@2dogsmom luckily the next person i spoke with noticed that my insurance hadn't been applied, so after she applied it, it was only $35. 

nina205

@abarr723 that is crazy!!! So glad you called back!!