IF Testing & Treatment w/o 8.31

acleverusername

Big decision @ramzlau! *hugs* How is YH feeling about it? You mentioned he was in denial as you waited to find out the outcome of this cycle. I am currently doing fertility acupuncture and really enjoy it; even if it doesn't work to get me KU'ed, it's immensely relaxing. It's in my "things that can't hurt" bucket. This is a good article on it: https://www.verywellfamily.com/the-research-on-acupuncture-for-infertility-1959902. Anyway, my advice is to specifically look for a fertility acupuncturist. 

acleverusername

@keikilove how are your stims going?!

shoogapoff

Hey ladies. Well, I had a whole update typed here that I planned to post earlier this week, but then everything changed: 

I talked to our doctor and he wants to put FET on hold. He has a strong concern that either MH or I have a chromosomal issue (Balanced Translocation) that is making our embryos non-viable. He feels we need to be tested for this before pursuing transfer, because even if our current embryo implanted, if we had this diagnosis, we would be at significant risk of miscarriage or severe developmental delays. Unfortunately, there isn't any real good newsa. If this test is negative, it means one of us has a quality issue, and he thinks that our best bet would be donor sperm or donor eggs to rule out which one of us it is. All of this to say, I am going to take a little break from The Bump for now. Over the past few days I realized that I was struggling with the idea of reading good AND bad updates, and I'm just not in a place to be a support to others right now. I will hopefully be back in a few weeks when I've had time to process this news. In the meantime, all of you will be in my thoughts. Wishing you all the best and I'm so hopeful that none of you are here when I return! 

inthewoods23

@shoogapoff oh I'm so sorry for this news 😢 take care of yourself and come back when you are ready. You'll be in my thoughts ❤️

acleverusername

@shoogapoff Sending you tons of virtual support as you continue in on your journey, wherever it might take you. ❤️ 

legallykate

@ramzlau Sorry that you are having to move to IVF but yay for getting started. Happy to answer any questions you have based on my limited experience so far. I didn’t do acupuncture because I am a wimp about it and things were really bad here with Covid leading up to my ER, but I know some women swear by it and it definitely can’t hurt. Sounds like you are covering all bases, hopefully you will have great results!

@shoogapoff I’m so sorry to read this update but totally understand your need to take a break. I hope you get some better news in the near future and feel good about moving forward, whatever shape that takes.

kpearse99

@shoogapoff Take care of yourself, friend. We will be here to welcome you back with open arms when you are ready to return. We love you lots

ramzlau

@shoogapoff I am glad you were able to recognize what you need and take a step back. Sorry to hear your FET is being postponed and more testing needed with uncertain outcomes. Hope you find some healing and hope in the coming weeks and months. We are here when you need us. 

keikilove

Ugh, sorry I went MIA all week! Lots of stuff going on outside of TTC. Catching up now:

@kpearse99 I hope your leg has continued to feel better all week!💗 Thanks for commiserating with me in the negative news. Now I k ow how you’re able to stay so bright & upbeat all the time!😊 And it’s funny you said I live a lavish life: I was actually a broke teacher who bartended for extra cash, and the partying on the side was definitely a bonus! Great way to let go of the conservative teacher persona and let out my alter ego.🤪
@bluejeanbabi05 Welcome to the group! Sorry for the anxiety you felt w starting this process again. Hopefully the IUI was a success & you don’t have to go through any of it anymore! I’m late to your question: my first IUI was unmedicated and no trigger.  I did 3 more unmedicated IUIs with hcg trigger. TW**Each of those IUIs were initially successful, but ended in chemical pregnancies because I have issues.** I did one last IUI medicated with Letrozole & trigger=totally unsuccessful. 
@misshelen86 I find out today how much longer Dr thinks I may stim for. Have you started yet? 

@inthewoods23 Thank you for understanding my annoyance w DH. Also, I lol-ed at your “I did not want a summer baby because F*** it’s hot!” Way to find the silver lining!😉😄
@ramzlau I’m so sorry the double IUI didn’t work.😢 That is so frustrating! I’m sorry you have to move to IVF, but hopeful for you that it will give some answers and ultimately the take-home baby you desi

@acleverusername I’m sorry you’re feeling blah with all the testing & lack of answers. It’s such a hard place to be. So many of us are Type A, I think, which makes it that much harder for this IF experience to feel so out of control. I can relate to you 1000% with the research & testing to try to find some control & a way to make sense of this nonsense! Re: Your ultrasound and IUI question: I always had blood work the morning of my IUIs plus an ultrasound. They wouldn’t do the IUI until they got my blood work back to confirm that my levels were in the right range.Also, thank you for thinking of me & asking how the stims are going. Everything is A-OK. The stimming shots are way easier/less painful than the Lovenox & PIO—who knew the last 18 months of stabbing myself with those would pay off with ‘easy’ IVF shots?!😆
@kiki047 YESSSS your transfer is SO CLOSE!🤗 Im so sorry I didn’t see the tag & respond about the needle gauge!!! I will reply to that as soon as I can locate the answer. Also, LOVE that you’re mom got you the pineapple gear—that’s so sweet! I hope you’re feeling the family support a bit more now!💓 How impressive that both you & @acleverusername have met these world leaders! That’s better to me than celebrities. :-) 

@akoros I’m surprised your doctor is dismissing the Factor V Leiden as insignificant, but I guess it all depends on the doctor. I’m w you on grasping into any explanation for such a terrible loss. My hematologist saw the blood clotting disorder I have in my records & he was like “Oh yes, you need blood thinners, absolutely. Don’t want to risk it if you’re trying to conceive.” But all the doctors before him dismissed it (except my PCO who sent me to him in the hopes that someone would listen).  Later my Reproductive Immunologist discovered a 3rd blood clotting mutation, so meds are warranted. 

@legallykate Sorry the estrace is doing such a number on you! I hope it’s getting a bit better as the week has gone on. I remember feeling very drunk, tired, & weird when I first started all these things. But it got better pretty quickly. Also, LOL at YH thinking he was all done giving his sample!😄 Oh, if only it were that easy. And yet, it’s still pretty easy considering....
@shoogapoff I’m so sorry for this tough news. Take the time you need, we will be here for you whenever you’re ready to rejoin the conversation. Not sure you’re ready to hear this, but I’m super impressed that your doctor is considering translocation as a possible factor. Most doctors I’ve dealt with (or heard about) dismiss those stuff as too rare and not worth looking into. It sounds like your RE is being very thorough. I hope you get positive answers and can move forward with the embryo you do have! I will be thinking of and praying for you guys.❤️🙏🏽❤️

kiki047

@shoogapoff oh friend, I'm so sorry for everything you're going through. Sending you hugs as you navigate these next steps in your journey. Take care of yourself, you deserve nothing but love and kindness and understanding.  
@ramzlau I distinctly remember the day our last IUI was a BFN and we made the decision to move on to IVF. It isn't an easy decision, but it gave us renewed hope that we were moving in the right direction. Wishing you lots of luck!! As for acupuncture, I was doing it through my naturopath who specialized in fertility. I haven't been back since the pandemic though, and we're opting not to do acu before/after our FET this time because I felt like the stress of trying to time everything right outweighed any of the potential benefits I might get from acu. My RE suggested laughter was the best medicine, so Netflix it is. 
@acleverusername to answer your earlier question about pineapples and IVF... I don't know exactly when or where it started but pineapples have long been the sort of unofficial symbol for infertility. From what I know, it all started because of a myth that eating pineapple core can help with implantation because pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that can act as a blood thinner and anti-inflammatory agent. Just as rainbows are a symbol for babies born after a loss, pineapples have become kind of the unofficial symbol for the IF community  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/style/pineapple-in-vitro-fertilization-pregnancy.html 
@legallykate yay for FET cycle!! Let's do this!!! 
@misshelen86 Good luck starting IVF next week!!! I'm excited for you, I hope everything goes well. 
@inthewoods23 FX for your SA results. 

AFM, my lining only went up by 1mm from baseline to CD18 so I've doubled my estrace (2/4 are being administered as a suppository, hellooo blue smurf pills), and have to go back Saturday for another scan. FX something's happening in there. It's still at 6mm so it's not terrible but he'd like to see it over 7 or 8mm. I hate mobile bumping so I likely won't be checking in much next week while I'm on bed rest, and MH said he'd confiscate my laptop if he catches me doing work but I'll try to check in after my transfer on Tuesday. Happy Fri-yay everyone!! 

Edited to fix typos.

legallykate

@kiki047 Thicken lining thicken! Hope you can relax and enjoy your long weekend, will be sending you all the sticky embryo thoughts on Tuesday!

keikilove

@kiki047 FX for a thicker lining right in time.🤞🏽🤞🏽

Sorry I’m not right on time, but wanted to get back to you about the PIO needle size question (I had to wait till I got home to check them). I draw up the PIO from the vial in the larger 3ml syringe with a 18G needle tip, then switch to the 22G needle tip for injection. So you are already using the smaller size, hooray!!!! I hope the scan goes great tomorrow and will be thinking of you on the 8th if you’re not able to get back on here. Enjoy your downtime!💕💕💕
ETA: I know the 22G still looks scary compared to the tiny stimming needles, but don’t worry, it’s really not that big. Here it is on the right, next to the needle that’s used for drawing up the PIO. 

acleverusername

@keikilove glad to hear that the stims are going well! When is your first check-in, u/s? Have you had blood draws yet? Also thanks for the info re: bloodwork and IUI (and also to @ramzlau 🙏). It appears that every clinic does it a bit differently!

@kiki047 ooh! I hope you lining thickens with Estrace. Any update after yesterday’s checkin?

AFM, had my monitoring ultrasound this AM. Results in spoiler.

2 follicles dominant follicles have developed, one one on each ovary: the one on the right is 17mm; the one on left is 26mm!!! The resident doing my exam even asked if I’d been using OPKs as she was concerned I might have already O’ed. OPKs weren’t part of my protocol, but at this point they’re a force of habit so I’ve been doing them since Fri esp since I’ve been feeling discomfort in my ovarian area. But they have been negative thus far. 

Anyway, she had me do a blood test for LH and P4 and told me to continue doing OPKs; also told me to definitely HIO today, and she’s having me trigger tonight with Ovidrel 250. IUI is on Tuesday sometime... lol, they are all booked up for Tuesday so I don’t have a time yet as the scheduling lady needed to check which slots she can double book; so I should hear later today about the timing. DH goes in 2 hours before me to provide his “input”. 🤪

So, of course I’ve been asking Dr. Google about such a big follicle but I figure asking on here might be better. Biggest concern atm was something about the follicle turning into a cyst. 

ETA: my lining was "textbook perfect" according to the resident!

keikilove

@acleverusername Wow, lots going on at your checkup! Did you get the bloodwork back yet? Could they determine whether you’d already ovulated? My experience was that my follicles were at 24mm everytime I triggered for IUI, except for once when it was at 22 (that one didn’t work at all). 26 does sound large—but every body is different. I’ve heard that sometimes they get up to 28 before ovulation.  FX that everything will be the perfect size by the time you have the IUI!

Thanks for asking about my update. I will keep this brief & add more in the new week.  Basically, things are going as well as can be expected. I’ve had 2 Drs & 2 nurses warn me that the best I could hope for (based on my history & age) is for 4 follicles at retrieval. At my 1st U/S my Dr saw 5 that were good size, plus a few smaller ones she didn’t measure. My estradiol came back in perfect range, indicating that there are eggs inside the follicles. Today’s appointment went even better, with several more follicles appearing & estradiol trending up. Uterine lining was at 5 two days ago, today it’s at 6.  Retrieval will happen Thursday or Friday. (Original plan was Saturday but things are progressing well enough to move up the timeline.) Dr seems very happy so I’m happy. 😊 All I need to do now is get more sleep because that has not been happening due to work. So tired!!

acleverusername

@keikilove oh yay! So happy to hear things are lining up nicely and hopefully more follies grow between now and Thu/Fri! FX for you. 

I haven't gotten the blood tests back, but then again I'm not sure I understood whether or not she'd call me either way, or in case something had to change. It's 5:30pm PST on a Sunday of a holiday weekend... at this point I'm thinking I won't get a call b/c all is as discussed earlier. So, trigger tonight and I now have a time for my IUI on Tue... 1:30pm. Also booked an acupuncture appointment for that morning because... it can't hurt, right?! (And also this article sounds promising.)

chichiphin

@acleverusername dirty lurker here - I’ve triggered at 26mm and was fine. Also, you’ll release that 17mm as well most likely. Good luck!

misshelen86

@acleverusername I also had a 26 mm and was fine. My RE said he’s seen up to 31 mm!

@keikilove Glad things are going well with your IVF! So excited you’ll be doing your ER soon!! Hope you are able to get some rest these next few days. 

@kiki047 Hope your lining is getting nice and thick!!

@shoogapoff So sorry, friend!  We are thinking of you here  Sending you all the love and hugs

acleverusername

Thanks for the dirty lurk & info @chichiphin!