Infertility Testing & Treatment w/o 03.15

[Deleted User]

This is a place for those of us who have already started TTC, but have started infertility testing and/or treatments. You can express your thoughts, feelings, and frustrations on infertility. TTC can be a long journey naturally, then add in the difficulties associated with infertility, and it becomes a whole new ball game. The road to infertility can be lonely, frustrating, and complicated, so let's make this a place where we can vent, ask questions, and support one another. Feel free to resurrect this thread at any point in the week if you have something to say. Treat this as an ongoing conversation. [ETA gif]
<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/ly/l4da3bsdm4s9.gif" alt="">
<div>
</div><div>Diagnosis (if you've been): </div><div>
</div><div>Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):</div><div>
</div><div>What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): </div><div>
</div><div>How are things going?: </div><div>
</div><div>Any questions?:</div><div>
</div><div>GTKY: You're stranded on a desert island with only one drink of choice on tap for the indefinite duration of your stay... What do you pick?</div>

bumblebee0210

Diagnosis (if you've been):  RPL, "borderline DOR"

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): Stims (so WTO I guess?)

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): ER #1

How are things going?: Ok-- I did the follistim the last two nights and it was totally painless and fine. The pens are so easy! Nervous to see if it works... obviously. 

Any questions?: Yes-- oddly specific. In your experience, when do you actually see the doctor? I am supposed to go in for monitoring visits prob every 2 days starting Wednesday, but at my baseline I just got an ultrasound and bloodwork, and the nurse called me later that day with instructions. Will I not actually talk to her until the retrieval?

[Also-- my friend who went to the same clinic warned me that the nurses will say things are not going well when they are fine-- and this already kind of happened! At my baseline I had an AFC of 10 (same as in my initial workup), and the nurse was like "well, hopefully you can grow some more". Like-- how is this helpful???]

GTKY: You're stranded on a desert island with only one drink of choice on tap for the indefinite duration of your stay... What do you pick?. If the island was cold I would definitely pick english breakfast tea with milk. An actual desert island.. maybe iced tea? Or seltzer. 

inthewoods23

*lurking in*
@bumblebee0210 As I recall with my ER, I'm not even sure that I saw the RE for my baseline appointment. I remember it was a nurse that counted every single follicle regardless of size. All my monitoring appointments were done by a nurse but they would provide the data on follicle size and my BW to the RE who then would make the call if adjustments needed to be made to my dosages. RE did the ER with support from the nurses and DH was off providing his sample while I was going through the procedure. My timeline went like this - Thursday was baseline and got the all clear to start stims the next day on Friday. Monitoring appointments MWF. I think I went in on Sunday as well to confirm when to trigger (that night) with my ER on Tuesday. GL!

bumblebee0210

@inthewoods23. Thanks! I think my clinic operates similarly. I get that the doctors need to be somewhat protected from the 1000 anxious questions of their desperate, hormonal patients, but I tend to *hate* situations in which there is a smart, well-informed person I would like to talk to, and then there is an idiot who somehow needs to translate between us (getting a mortgage felt 1000x like this. Like omg i know what an interest rate is please let me talk to the actual underwriter thxx). I luckily have the IVF coordinator's email, so I'm hoping I can just be like "I have the following questions for the Dr" and then they can pass it along verbatim?

[Deleted User]

@bumblebee0210 At my clinic the doctors rotate through monitoring hours.  So I would see whoever happened to be on that day, one or the other.  But the whole schedule was posted online, so if my own doctor was going to be on, I could just go to her office instead of the main one, and see her.  But it mostly didn't matter; she's getting the reports and pictures or whatever each day and ordering any changes to the medications.

//
ETA My doctor did like to try and see me personally for monitoring as we were getting close to the end of stims tho, to make the call about trigger.
//

The doctor doing the retrieval itself was never my regular doctor, but I saw my own for transfers, (except if she was on vacation or something and unavailable).  Each clinic can vary how they do things.  I have heard of people having to put whole cycles on hold because their doctor was going to be on vacation, which has got to be so frustrating.  I agree though, try not to listen to the nurses / techs if they say anything unhelpful, let it roll off.  I sometimes enjoyed tho if it were a doctor I liked, I could ask questions and it was like a free second opinion. Lol

[Deleted User]

<b>Diagnosis</b> (if you've been): Azoospermia<div>
</div><div><b>Status</b> (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO</div><div>
</div><div><b>What are you doing this cycle?</b> (Testing? Treatment?): Testing!</div><div>
</div><div><b>How are things going?</b>: Okay.  CD1 finally.  I called the office, but I haven't spoken with my nurse yet.  I go in Wednesday morning for labs (SIL will come over which means I need to CLEAN OUR ROOM 😫) lol SHG will be the following Monday morning at 5:45AM, so DH will just have to wait for me to get back before he can leave for work. 🤷</div><div>
</div><div><b>Any questions?</b>: Only if you have a crystal ball....? 🤣 But seriously, just trying to take lots of deep breaths and remember we are bringing our embabies home - come what may.  That's all that matters.</div><div>
</div><div><b>GTKY: You're stranded on a desert island with only one drink of choice on tap for the indefinite duration of your stay... What do you pick?</b> Ooh, I did not even think about a cold island @bumblebee0210 , in which case, Yes - Hot Earl Grey tea with milk and coconut sugar, please!  Tropical island - Horchata, all the way.</div>

inthewoods23

@bumblebee0210 lol. I know it depends on the question. Sometimes the nurses can answer it, but other times it gets forwarded to the RE to answer. The nurses would call back when they got the answer from the RE. We did not have a direct line to the RE at all. The protocol was always to call the nurses line and leave a voicemail. A request to speak to the RE directly would mean that you'd get a call back vs having your call forwarded.

bumblebee0210

@inthewoods23. I am such a control freak normally and I am trying to let go with this process and trust the doctor, but every time I make progress on that someone drops the ball! This morning I realized they sent me one vial of 5,000 IU of HCG with instructions to take 10,000 IU. Like why can't anyone just be competent??

inthewoods23

@bumblebee0210 oh no! Yeah that's not good. I have an interesting story related to my trigger that turned out for the better. All my IUIs were done with Pregnyl which was a 10,000IU vial. IVF meds had to go through a different specialty pharmacy than what I had used for my IUI triggers and progesterone suppositories because my insurance would only cover those meds at a particular specialty pharmacy. Well, I get a call from the new pharmacy that my insurance doesn't cover Pregnyl so they got approval to change it to Novarel. That trigger only came as 2-5,000IU vials. I was not happy about this because I didn't like the idea of having to draw up multiple vials (air bubbles, questioning whether I actually drew up all 10,000IU). Well, lucky me my estrogen was pretty high come ER time so they told me to trigger with half a dose of 5,000IU to mitigate the potential for OHSS. So it ended up being a good thing that I had been switched to a trigger that was 2 vials because I have no idea how I would have done half a dose of a 10,000IU vial.

acleverusername

@bumblebee0210 to corroborate everything everyone said, in every other clinic, I never saw the doctor outside of consultations. It was always nursing staff, or residents, or whomever doing the ultrasounds. The RE reviewed results / provided care plan which also was communicated to me via nursing staff. In smaller clinics, you're more likely to interact with the doctor themselves. As for your continuing encounters with incompetence at the clinic, at least you are double/triple checking everything and noticing these errors. I know some ppl who don't do that... and trust the doctor/clinic blindly. I personally don't know how you can put something so important in the hands of others and trust them 100%. 

@BusinessWife Yay that your period finally arrived! The 5:45am for SHG sounds rough! Is this cycle all testing then? Anything other than baselines tests and SHG? 

Diagnosis (if you've been):  Fertilization issue (egg and sperm are both to blame)

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Yesterday afternoon, hubs and I decided to do treatment after all this cycle! So, hybrid double IUI (Letrazole + Gonal-F) likely with Ganerelix, and also Zymöt.

How are things going?: Good! Lol. Our decision to make this natural cycle into a treatment cycle was sudden (we started talking about it at 3pm yesterday; and I went in for my Day 2 baseline appointment today at 9am) so things are moving really fast. MH still hasn't done his ASA test, but we figured the chances of something being wrong on that front were pretty small, so we decided to take the risk and do treatment. 

This was my first time meeting TEW in person and I feel like I met a celebrity! She was so nice (and she personally did my ultrasound; my AFC was 16! The highest that it was in 2020 was 14, so I'm not sure what's up, but I'll take it). I'm starting 10mg of Letrazole tonight and going in for my first follicle check on Thursday so that we can prevent any runaway follicles since that's what happened in all of my medicated cycles. TEW has a special sauce so hopefully that works. Her goal for me is to grow 3-4 follicles. Hopefully that'll correct for any egg quality issue that has been floated around. 

I did have to push MH's ASA appointment since it was scheduled for Mar 23, which would interfere with a potential IUI; and the next earliest appointment they could give me was Apr 15. Oh well. 

Any questions?: NATM! 

GTKY: You're stranded on a desert island with only one drink of choice on tap for the indefinite duration of your stay... What do you pick? Hot island == coconut water; cold island == earl grey tea!

[Deleted User]

That all sounds exciting! @acleverusername Yep, should just be baselines and SHG, easy peasy.  FX they don't find polyps or any other reason to delay.... Then we will be on to transfer!

bumblebee0210

@acleverusername What's so funny is I am working on like, letting go of control, and accepting that this is out of my hands, trusting the doctor, etc, and then everyone keeps screwing up!! I feel like your project management skills are needed in most of these clinics...  Also great news on treatment! And I am jealous you got to meet TEW-- is she as hyped up in person as she is on IG/YT?

@BusinessWife. Fx everything looks good!

optimistgardener

@bumblebee0210 I'm so sorry your clinic has been giving you these reasons to worry. On the other hand, don't feel badly about advocating for yourself and making sure things are done right. Months ago when I was on my first (and only) clomid cycle the incompetent folks at the local clinic I used to go to sent in my prescription to the pharmacy. I went and picked it up and then let it sit there on my desk for a day or two until my cycle started, at which point I finally looked closely at the bottle. Turned out I'd been given clomipramine, an antidepressant used to treat OCD (not clomiphene citrate, or clomid). I called the pharmacist, all full of righteous anger, but they told me they'd only filled the prescription given by the doctor herself! When I called the clinic she was not even a little bit apologetic and basically blamed her staff, but did get the prescription sorted out. All of this is to say, paying attention to details is good for your health. Don't stop.

@acleverusername 🎉 about the AFC! and good job ovaries, keep it up.

@BusinessWife glad you finally arrived at cd1! I hope this cycle is full of reassuring information and that the road to transfer is clear! Also 5:45am is an absolutely hellish time for an SHG. My sympathies.

Diagnosis (if you've been): low AMH, being old, etc.

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): treatment. injectable cycle with IUI converted to a DIY home insem after one of my follicles ran away and was 21mm at my day 8 check-up. trigger shot was 2 days ago.

How are things going?: It's cycle day 10 today. My accommodating friend was able to provide two samples, so I did back-to-back inseminations the night before last and last night, and woke up this morning with post-ovulation pain so... All is as on track as it can be under the circumstances.

Any questions?: My lining was at 6.9mm during the check-up, which isn't bad for a normal cd8 I don't think but not good when your follicle is embarrassingly early to the party. I know the "magic number" is usually above 7, but... Any thoughts on whether I'll be able to catch up in time for possible implant? I'm going to start taking progesterone today.

GTKY: You're stranded on a desert island with only one drink of choice on tap for the indefinite duration of your stay... What do you pick?

Gosh. Am I allowed to choose a frosty cold IPA on a trying to conceive forum? I'd choose a low alcohol style to keep things at a dull roar. I'm with everyone else on the breakfast tea for the cold island version. I lived in Scotland for 4 years and can confirm that tea : cold islands is a good match.

laura-kay

Sometime soon I will post my normal answers to the question - I’ve just been so overwhelmed lately that I’ve primarily lurked.  Cheering you all on!

bumblebee0210

Just had my first monitoring appointment (after 4 days of stims), and apparently I have one giant follicle and 5 teensy-tiny ones. They are supposed to call me later with instructions (don't know E2 yet). Is this common? She said they could either "sacrifice" the big one, or try to "slow it down" so it doesn't "take over" the cycle. Not really sure what any of that means, but it doesn't seem great?

bumblebee0210

But-- on the plus side, I also got to see my doctor for a quick second, and she said she is working on getting me set for back-to-back egg retrieval cycles. Apparently the financial office is mad I want to "jump the line" but since my insurance requires no prior auth, it's really no work for them at all, just a rubber stamp. Anyway, the doctor can get it done if she wants to, so hopefully I'll be good to go for the next one right away. 

[Deleted User]

@bumblebee0210 We didn't plan on doing back to back cycles, but our insurance also did not require us to transfer or anything prior so we just did it.  Does your doctor have reason not to expect many embryos?

I do think it happens a lot that you get that lead follicle, and I believe usually that's it, is they just let that guy go, so that all the other ones can catch up to the point they want to see.  Sometimes they will cancel a cycle, but I think that's more the exception. Fx it all goes well!

[Deleted User]

<b>Update</b>: CD3 labs came back normal so far, so we are so far so good.  They wanted to see FSH below 15, which it was, so yay!  Next step is starting doxy Sunday, in preparation for the saline sono...

bumblebee0210

@BusinessWife. Great news!
*tw lc mentioned*

FWIW, HSGs are apparently a lot easier once you've had a vaginal delivery. I never had one before but I was prepared to be really uncomfortable and it was totally fine. Some cramping afterward. So hopefully it's NBD for you this time!

AFM: When I say back-to-back cycles, I mean like literally starting stims 7 or so days after ER (right after post-ER CD1), so no cycles or BCP in between. Apparently they do this for cancer patients who are trying to freeze eggs/embryos before treatment and it works really well as a way to get a lot of eggs quickly. I have borderline DOR (low AMH and low-end-of-normal FSH/AFC), and we want more than one more kid, so ideally would freeze 5-6 normal embryos before transfer. It is possible but extremely unlikely for me to get that many on one try. My insurance covers everything so there are no restrictions there, which is why my doctor is trying to push it through the bureaucracy of the clinic. 

Also-- that's helpful about the lead follicle! I wear these nurses are like out to boost patient anxiety. 

acleverusername

@optimistgardener Wow! Your follicle was in a race of some sorts. It's wonderful that you were able to think on your feet and convert this cycle to an at-home insemination. Do you always use the same donor? Also, you are most certainly allowed a low-abv frosty IPA; my initial answer to that question was going to be white wine, but then I realized it's probably not a great idea to only have wine.

@bumblebee0210 just to confirm what @BusinessWife already said... it's mostly likely they'll let that follicle go (although they might get you started on the antagonist sooner rather than later cause they wouldn't want that leader to ovulate an egg!) As for the back-to-back cycles, that's what @keikilove did too... it's sometimes called a "DuoStim" cycle. I've definitely heard from others who've done this that the 2nd cycle might be more successful because your follicles are already "pre-primed" from the previous cycle. It's as if the medication from Round 1 helps your pre-antral follicles get to the antral stage. Keep us posted on what your clinic decides to do. Good luck!

@BusinessWife hooray for normal labs! Are you starting doxy for any particular reason? Or is that part of the saline sono protocol at your clinic? 

AFM, quick update: doctor measured my FSH as part of my baselines labs and it's unfortunately creeping up (12.6); it's the highest it's ever been and there's definitely a lot of fluctuation. I emailed back-and-forth with her about whether or not it's a good idea to try 3 more IUIs before moving to IVF. She recommended just the 1 IUI round because she wants to take advantage of my age/# of follicles. This is going to be a tough decision for MH and I. 

[Deleted User]

Oh wow, that's neat! @bumblebee0210 That's *almost* what we ended up doing, too, it's hard to see in FF what day we started stims but there was no break; just a normal bleed after ER, baselines and stims; they were each on the 1st and 24th of the same month.  Crazy.  Hopefully it will work well for you!  We were hoping for more than one child too, so when we only got 3 to freeze (non-pgs) the first time, it just seemed like the right thing to do.  We got 4 more for 7 total frozen, and went from there. 👍

Luckily, my doctor is so super gentle.  I have had... Several of these things, and while I was decidedly uncomfortable with one doctor, my actual doctor has been the one to perform the saline sono each time thereafter, and I like, can't even feel it. Lol Love her. ❤️❤️❤️

bumblebee0210

Ah ok @BusinessWife it sounds like you did the same thing but maybe with a less bureaucratic clinic! I think it stems in part from the fact that I live in a mandatory-fertility-insurance state (which is great!) but I think it means a lot more paperwork for the clinic. And they have had issues with retention in the financial office I think so they are just way behind, and thus there is a *really* long line for them to even file with insurance for pre-auth for a cycle (then whatever delays insurance causes). Since we don't need pre-auth, I think it's just about getting the ok to skip the line! My doctor is all-in on it though, I really like her. 

bumblebee0210

@acleverusername. Sorry to hear about FSH-- I do think it can bounce around a lot from cycle to cycle (mine was 7.2 and then 9.2), but I agree it's something to think about. I know it's a lot of money, but I think there is so much less of a risk of regret for just doing IVF now, especially since you can potentially parallel process with your frozen eggs. I don't know what the cost differential is, but lots of failed IUIs is not really a cheap option either... It's a hard decision to make, and we are here for you whatever you choose!

[Deleted User]

@acleverusername yeah, just 3 days for the saline sono. 🤷

[Deleted User]

@acleverusername Sorry the labs were not something you wanted to hear. :/ (((Hugs))) Treatment has lots of decisions to be made at different points, but ultimately they are your own, and no one can make them for you.  The good news is, whatever decision you come to will be the right one for you!

How do you feel about IVF?  Is it just cost or are there other factors driving your current iui treatment plan?  These are nothing if not complex matters, so just allow yourself the time and grace to breathe and think it through amongst yourselves.  There's no rush! ❤️

bumblebee0210

Update: I just talked to the clinic nurse and apparently my E2 was 498 (that seems high?) and my lead follicle was 21.5mm (yikes). They are having me start Ganirelix tonight and also add 75 U Menopur to my 300U Follistim. They want me to come in tomorrow for bloodwork and more ultrasounds. I am just hoping the little guys can start growing so we don't have to cancel this cycle...

[Deleted User]

@bumblebee0210. Yes, that sounds good!  They want to keep things from going off, and let the other guys keep cooking.  Remember, even once you stop the stimming meds, those guys will sort of "coast" all the way up to ER as well, so try not to worry!  I know it's almost impossible not to, but it helps me to remember, as new and intense as this whole thing is for me, it's literally what my providers do all. Day. Err. Day.  Keep breathing - you got this! ❤️

acleverusername

@bumblebee0210 Yikes re: 21.5mm follicle! With E2 at 400+, there's definitely a mature egg in there ready to go. Hopefully the Ganerelix can help stop it from releasing an egg. Hopefully the blood tests tomorrow will look promising. 🤞🏻

@BusinessWife interesting; I had both a saline sono and an HSG (at 2 different clinics) and neither times was told to take doxy. I guess is a clinic-by-clinic thing. I did take Ketorolac though for the pain. 

Regarding IVF, it's really a cost thing. I feel much like @bumblebee0210 that in that, at 37, we're going to need more than 1 IVF cycle. And doctors seem to like to use the first cycle as a "diagnostic" cycle, which is... okay, understandable... but then you're OOP, it's a tough pill to swallow. MH and I were previously on a track to go to Arizona for IVF, and we might still do that. Although now that I've finally found a provider I like (after 2 that I didn't), it sucks to just walk away due to cost. But we could do 1.75 cycles in AZ for the cost of 1 cycle with current provider. We have a place to stay in AZ, so that's not a factor for us. So yeah... a tough decision to make. 

keikilove

@bumblebee0210 Sorry the cycle is feeling a bit stressful. Hopefully, as others have said, the larger follie can be let go while the others mature evenly. I’ve had this happen before; still got some good-sized eggs out of it so all is not lost necessarily. I also did the back-to-back egg retrievals recently and did have slightly better results with the second collection than the first. Hoping the same happens for you! // Re: the question about being seen by your RE versus nurses: So it sounds like I’ve had a different experience than most here, but I’ve seen 3 REs and each one was 100% hands-on: they handled every ultrasound, every appointment, etc. The nurses were always the assistant, but never the one doing the main appointment. However, the nurses do handle all the phone calls and instructions. 

@acleverusername Sorry that your FSH came back a bit higher than you’d like. I also had this happen fairly recently. As @BusinessWife mentioned, I’ve always heard that as long as it’s below 15 then you’re ok. I’ve also heard anecdotally that drinking wheatgrass juice or taking wheatgrass pills or powder can help bring FSH down quickly. However, with taking Letrozole to increase FSH, I’m not sure that this would be the time to try to lower it with wheatgrass. (I’ve wondered this for myself as well but haven’t been able to find any helpful info so far.) 

@BusinessWife Congrats on the all-clear with the labs! Things are moving right along for you!

@laura-kay Hope the week is getting a bit less overwhelming for you! Hang in there! We will see you here whenever life lightens up— no worries about checking in. 

@optimistgardener Sorry that follie ran away, but great that you were able to trim it into a double IUI! Thank goodness your friend was willing to be available.🙏🏽 I’m not sure on your lining question, but it seems like it was close enough on CD8 that it should have gotten thick enough for implantation by the time you ovulated. 

Diagnosis (if you've been): RPL, DQ Alpha match (leading to increased Natural Killer cell activity), blood-clotting disorders, AMA, DOR 

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): We are trying our first IUI with injectables. In the past I’ve only done natural IUIs with no stimming meds,or the one other time we tried with Letrozole. So this will be interesting to see how I respond to adding Follistim to the mix. 

How are things going?: Just ok. Lots of thoughts about putting a timeline on this. I’m not sure if insurance in my state now covers unlimited IUIs or if it’s limited to 3 at full coverage. I’m considering maxing out on IUIs, maybe one more try at IVF, then hanging it up. Who knows? I’ve seen lots of women put limits on their attempts and then things change..

Any questions?: For those who’ve done medicated IUIs: is it common/is there a great risk of ovulating early, like what sometimes happens with IVF (and what @optimistgardener just experienced?) Thanks. 

GTKY: You're stranded on a desert island with only one drink of choice on tap for the indefinite duration of your stay... What do you pick? Tropical island: Bubble water, preferably passion fruit flavor (LaCroix) or peach honey (AHA). If I end up on a cold island I just want to wither away as quickly as possible. No amount of hot tea is gonna make the cold feel survivable to me.🥶 

bumblebee0210

Question for the vets:  they are having me come in for ultrasound/bloodwork tomorrow (after ganirelix shots tonight and again tomorrow morning, plus adding menopur). What are they looking for? I can't imagine the littles will grow much in that time. Maybe just that I haven't already ovulated by tomorrow?  [Which would be dangerous since MH and I have not been abstaining, but whatever if it happens like that I'm ok with it]

optimistgardener

@bumblebee0210 I feel like our ovaries are on parallel paths right now. Your runaway follicle and mine were/are the same size after just a few days of stims. I know your situation is different because you're aiming at retrieval. Anyway I am grateful to get to read about your experience and hear everyone else's input on this in case my body decides to repeat its shenanigans when/if I do IVF in the next few months.

@acleverusername sorry about the FSH blood test results. I think mine has been in that vicinity as well. I do think, as others have said, that these numbers move around a bit from month to month. Per your question about the donor, my "official" anonymous donors through the sperm bank are basically whatever is available in a given month. My friend who has occasionally been willing to step in for me on months when other options aren't available is always the same guy. I know this seems like a weird arrangement, and why not just use him all the time for my cycles, but I've been very hesitant to ask him to jump through all the hoops of testing and traveling for hours to provide a sample at the clinic I'm using now, and being always tied to my funky calendar. I don't even really know if his sperm counts are "good" except that has a kid so apparently it was "good" a few years ago.

keikilove

@bumblebee0210 The Ganirelix is to stop ovulation. The Menopur is to keep the follies developing. Hope this helps. 

[Deleted User]

@acleverusername yeah, I'm sure it's not even essential, just a preventative / clinic preference. 🤷

That does stink to have to think about leaving a clinic you love.  Big decisions, but again, you have time to think it through.  They will often make you feel like This. is. IT!!!  And while the clock may be ticking in a certain sense, you're also already here.  Things with your fertility are not going to majorly change overnight, so you do have some time to consider all the factors in play.  That said, I have heard of lots of people traveling for IVF, even to foreign countries, so that in and of itself is not the craziest thing. 



@keikilove. Thank you!  Oh, what a dream it would be just to have it all go smoothly.

**TW** ivf success / failure
<div class=" Spoiler">I've never had success on my first transfer though, so I would love to break that curse.</div>
I for one, am super excited for you and your medicated iuis!  Never had the pleasure lol but I know plenty of ladies they worked for, so I will be hoping that little extra juice in the mix is just the ticket! ;). I also wanted to send you flowers this week to make you feel better ...
<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/c5/ka7qrqwnw6jc.gif" alt="">

deaf_girl

I have a quick question...has anyone dealt with their SO having low testosterone, and them being placed on Clomid for it?? It looks like I'm not the only one with issues now.... 😪

[Deleted User]

Yes, @deaf_girl my husband took a tiny dose of Clomid for three months leading up to his sperm retrieval, just to help boost the chances we might find something.  What did they tell you about his side of things?

bumblebee0210

@optimistgardener I know! I was so worried I wouldn't stim at all because of my low AMH (this is my first time taking fertility drugs of any kind), so I'm glad that's not the case. Talking to friends it seems like this is just a thing that happens sometimes but it's not a particularly bad sign for outcomes. It will be annoying if this cycle gets cancelled on me, so hopefully the ganirelix does its job! 

deaf_girl

@BusinessWife the only thing we know right now is that his testosterone levels are pretty low...and our insurance doesn't cover the Clomid 

[Deleted User]

@deaf_girl
https://m.goodrx.com/clomid

Here's a site that helped us with a lot of stuff when we were cash patients.  Also, sometimes things are covered if they are written for one indication, but not another?  Insurance companies can be so weird.  But if you did have to go OOP for it, like $30 for 30 pills is not bad.  If I recall, I needed a really good pill cutter too, because he was only taking 1/4 of the pill each time.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00U84Q8OK/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_inactive_ship_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1<div>
Oof. Did not realize the pill cutter is also $30??? 😬 But it is 100% legit boss material right there, and I 10/10 recommend.  For all your teesy tiny pill cutting needs. Lol
</div>

deaf_girl

@BusinessWife thank you so much!!! Do you need a card or anything to use GoodRX??

[Deleted User]

@deaf_girl. Nope!  You don't need anything!  Just click the link and the coupon pops up.  You show that to the pharmacist when you check out and they punch in whatever info they need.  (I don't know what the GoodRx Gold thing is, we never used that.)

So I scrolled down and if you have a Kroger near you, that actually looks like the cheapest one.  You just flash this, and you're good to go!
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deaf_girl

@BusinessWife thanks so much again...

@cait32 I really hope this helps at least boost his T up...