IF Testing & Treatment w/o 4.12

kiki047

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.

Diagnosis (if you've been):  

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  

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

How are things going?:  

Any questions?:

GTKY: Who was your teen crush? Whose poster(s) did you have on your walls? 

kiki047

Diagnosis (if you've been):  PCOS, RPL, MFI

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): IVF limbo

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  Onto week 2 of BCP, mock transfer/uterine biopsy scheduled for Thursday, then hopefully starting stims next week. We decided that we're going to try to do a fresh transfer, then freeze/PGT the rest (up to 4).  I'm hoping to get 3-5 embryos again since my left ovary is still inaccessible due to my fibroid being in the way. We're also on a strict keto diet leading into this ER and through the transfer hoping for a different outcome. 

How are things going?:  I don't have my schedule yet which is giving me [more] anxiety. But feeling good going into day 5 of keto, already down 3.5lbs and feeling the increased energy (though my brain has stopped working - maybe it's also made of fat? ). No real signs of the keto flu other than some brain fog, and being desperately thirsty all the time. 

Any questions?: NATM

GTKY: Who was your teen crush? Whose poster(s) did you have on your walls? Shane West. I think I've posted this before but my email address in high school was [email protected] and I wrote it in everyone's yearbooks so now it is immortalized on those pages. Before that it was JTT, and by the time I finished high school LoTR was out so Orlando Bloom quickly shot to the top. 


Answering some Qs from last week that I didn't get around to/didn't have answers to at the time:
@bows22 we're going ahead with the ER and PGT even without RPL and karyotyping results back yet with the hopes that results will be in on time if the fresh transfer doesn't work. Glad your SHG was relatively uneventful and hopefully your results are likewise nothing to be too concerned about. Where do you go from here? 
@optimistgardener BW's response to your musings about PGT, and your subsequent thoughts on it perfectly capture my feelings about PGT as well. To echo what @bumblebee0210 said, we also did the testing for peace of mind. RPL is hard enough, but to use a gardening analogy, I see PGT the same way I look at seedling germination... I pinch off the seedlings that fail to thrive and only plant the strong ones but it tears me up inside to do so. If I could have any additional assurances before I planted those seeds to know which ones would thrive and which ones wouldn't, I'd take it. As for the melatonin, I also had hesitations about taking it long-term but it was recommended for me leading up to my stim cycle, then I will wean off of it. It is a fairly low dose, no more than 3mg/day, and I will say that my sleep has been much better the past 2 weeks I've been taking it. Oh, and my darling sourdough starter now lives in the fridge since we've gone keto and I miss her already  
@businesswife I guess my check-in answers your question about whether we decided to go all-in with keto. Big brownie points to YH for picking up all the essentials for you! Good luck starting this week! 

bumblebee0210

@acleverusername. That's such great news!!! Especially with your frozen eggs that's like 3 ERs, which should hopefully be enough for your family-building goals (I don't remember if you wanted 2 or more than 2). Will you be able to do ERs with TEW or does she not accept insurance?

@BusinessWife Yay! Nice to get the show on the road.

@optimistgardener. One more note on PGT testing: most clinics will not transfer an aneuploid embryo, and many mill not transfer a mosaic. So it might be good to know if you only get abnormal results (or have a failure with normal embryos) if you wanted to transfer abnormal embryos, would they even let you?


Diagnosis (if you've been):  RPL, DOR

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  WTO (Stims)

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  ER #2

How are things going?:  Good. Just hoping everything goes well this cycle-- less drama would be great. 

Any questions?: Not a question but an interesting data point for those of you potentially considering back-to-back ERs-- my doctor mentioned that one potential issue with these is that you can sometimes have a hard time monitoring the follicles because there are leftover follicles from the previous cycle. And it was true for me-- at my baseline (CD2, 12 days after ER #1), I had three follicles >14mm, but my estradiol was only 18. In other words, they were leftover follicles (corpus lutea) that were shrinking, not growing.  I'm hoping they were hiding some additional antral follicles also because there were only 4 on each side <10mm this time, but we will see! Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to the nerds as a consideration when doing back-to-back ERs. 

GTKY: Who was your teen crush? Whose poster(s) did you have on your walls? Rider Strong (Sean from Boy Meets World). That crush holds up-- he has an MFA now and does a podcast about books. 

photographerwife

@kiki047 I did keto for about 6 months a couple of years ago and it really helped me to keep my electrolytes up while doing it! It should help the keto flu feeling. 

kiwi2628

Diagnosis (if you've been):  unexplained

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  TWW/TTA

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  we didn’t really try this month as my husband had a vasectomy 8 weeks ago and obviously we have fertility issues, but we aren’t not trying. Just not preventing. Waiting until embryo transfer in July

How are things going?: good. But I also feel like I don’t really belong here since we are just not doing anything really until July. It’s almost like I feel like I should be on the BOTB board except I have embryos and have gone through the whole infertility thing too so I’m not some young, wide eyed fresh new thing. It’s a weird place to be. We also are now trying to decide what to do with the rest of our embryos at the end

Any questions?:

GTKY: Who was your teen crush? Whose poster(s) did you have on your walls? No posters on the wall. That was not allowed in my house. But I was a Leo girl 

Lisa3379

@kiki047 I also had a LOTR crush - Viggo Mortensen. I was a little bit older than a teenager, but not that much to rationalize crushing on a dude my mom's age, hahaha. 

@bumblebee0210 So interesting that you mention Rider Strong. I can't remember who I was talking to, it was awhile ago... he said that they were friends with him, like Rider Strong was in his brother's wedding or something like that. It struck me because I was like, whoa, that's a name I haven't heard in a million years! But yeah, I thought he was cute when I was a kid. Thumbs up on that one. 

@kiwi2628 I kinda know how you feel. During all the weeks waiting for my period, I really didn't have anything to say, and any advice I have is limited because I feel like I don't know a whole lot about this stuff, so I hung around and waited for some topic or question or whatever to kinda jump on. Stay with us, hang out

Diagnosis (if you've been):  unknown/old

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  WTO/FET

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  Natural cycle FET

How are things going?:  I had an ultrasound/blood draw yesterday, but since it was the weekend, I had to drive into the city. Bleh. But it was Sunday, so yay for available downtown parking! Anyway, I have a couple big follicles and my lining was over 10mm, so it was just down to bloodwork. That showed that we weren't quite ready for the trigger, but I had to have my blood drawn again this morning (locally, thankfully) so we'll know today if I trigger today or tomorrow, I think. That puts us at a transfer maybe Sunday or Monday? I'm hoping earlier so I can keep my 2nd Covid shot appointment for next Tuesday. 

Any questions?: nope

GTKY: Who was your teen crush? Whose poster(s) did you have on your walls?  I was an odd one when I was a teenager. I wasn't into your usual teen magazine guys. My number #1 crush was Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins, haha. Then it was a few other rock band guys - Daniel Johns from silverchair, Gavin Rossdale from Bush... those kind of dudes. No big posters, just a ton of pictures cut out of rock magazines. 

bows22

@kiki047 I love the gif you used! I’m really excited for you, friend. I feel like your plan is perfect and I hope you are feeling good about it. I’m glad the keto diet is successful so far too! I’m sure it’s so hard but hopefully manageable for the short term. As far as what’s next for me, I’m assuming they will give me their recommendation on the 23rd, but I have to imagine that unless they want to dig into the reason I’m getting polyps, that they are going to want to remove it and then do IUI before any can come back again. Which I think I’m to the point where I’m on board with that but will need to talk to DH, although I know he will do whatever I want in the end  

@bumblebee0210 oh that is interesting! And yes hopefully some more follies were hiding. It sounds like that’s a reasonable thing to assume! 

@kiwi2628 I know what you mean but don’t feel like you need to go to BOTB. You are good to be here even if you are just hanging out. We need some life back on the board. Also, I’m still a Leo girl 😍 haha

@lisa3379 I hope the timing works out so your covid shot doesn’t get messed up! I always wanted to like Gavin Rossdale but I felt like I wasn’t cool enough haha

Diagnosis (if you've been): unexplained/AMA/endometrial polyps 

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO 

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) Bloodwork and SHG

How are things going?: My bloodwork came back normal except for low Vitamin D (31 in November 2019 and 20 now) so I’m on a supplement for that. My AMH was a little higher which made me happy but FSH was also higher so oh well. My SHG showed another polyp/thickening (same as November 2019 and I had it removed in January 2020 so this is new from then) - the midwife who did the SHG said the doctor would have to determine what it is but his report’s conclusion said “endometrial polyp vs endometrial thickening” so I’m assuming we will discuss at my follow up on the 23rd

Any questions? Nope

GTKY: Who was your teen crush? Whose poster(s) did you have on your walls?  Andrew Keegan was always my #1, but I also had JTT, Devon Sawa, and Rider Strong on my walls!

[Deleted User]

@kiwi2628  You totally belong!  In a way I wish I had more time to prepare, but I'm using WFH right now to keep my benefits for the time being, and I'm honestly not sure it's going to work out so... The sooner we go ahead and dive in, the better.

@Lisa3379 Glad you were able to get your repeat labs done locally!  And GL with trigger... 🤞🤞 It's crazy right, I'm like - today, I am technically 3 days pregnant!  (Almost. Sort of. Lol Only if it works.  Argh. No pressure!) <div>



Diagnosis (if you've been):  Azoospermia<div>
</div><div>Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  WTO</div><div>
</div><div>What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  Natural FET</div><div>
</div><div>How are things going?:  So far so good...</div><div>
</div><div>Any questions?:</div><div>
</div><div>GTKY:  Who was your teen crush? Whose poster(s) did you have on your walls?  Gavin Rossdale, don't think I put up posters though - I actually had a life-size Gavin mural I drew on my door with oil pastels. 🤦</div></div>

Lisa3379

@BusinessWife Ok, please tell me you have a picture of this mural! 

kiki047

@photographerwife thank you! I made the mistake of chugging some coconut water - my usual electrolyte drink - without looking at the nutritional info and woof there is a lot of natural sugar in that. So I've resorted to Mio Sport and adding some himalayan sea salt to my water. Did you have any other favourite keto-safe drinks you'd recommend? (I'm in Canada so my options are more limited)
@kiwi2628 you can be as active or passive as you want in this thread, some people choose to pop in and out as they have questions or need any additional support. I almost forgot about Leo - of course I had a Leo poster on my wall from his Titanic days. 
@lisa3379 haha I hopped on the Viggo bus as I got a bit older but yes, you're right, certainly not old enough to crush on someone nearly 30 years older than me   That's exciting that you're getting close to your FET! 

[Deleted User]

I usually drink lemon water with a little salt added. @kiwi0427. I'm hoping that is keto?  And then chugging RRL tea like it's my job.
<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/z5/pk5z3nlns2hz.gif" alt="">

optimistgardener

Diagnosis (if you've been):  old/solitary ovary, DOR

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  to quote @kiki047 , IVF limbo

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  also entering my 2nd week of BCP. My calendar says I will start stimulation at the beginning of May.

How are things going?:  I hate birth control pills. I hated them back when I thought I needed them and I hate them now. Things are fine otherwise, just kinda watching time tick by and quietly freaking out about it all. Sort of vacillating between thinking that I am definitely going to fail IVF, and thinking it might actually work, and finding both possibilities almost equally hard to wrap my head around. My garden is doing well, though. Apart from a squirrel that keeps marauding the seedlings.

Any questions?: nah. I appreciate everyone's engaging with me this past week on the genetic testing front. Coincidentally, there was an NYT opinion piece this morning about one couple's decision to transfer mosaic embryos: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/well/family/in-vitro-fertilization-mosaic-embryo.html. The article cites a recent study talking about a study looking at successful pregnancy rates with different types of mosaic embryos vs. euploid. The NYT author says: "a recently published study of 1,000 mosaic embryos found those that progressed into a late-term pregnancy and full term birth had similar odds of being born without any discernible genetic differences to a normal embryo," although the abstract doesn't seem to make that exact point and I don't have access to my old academic journal access anymore to dig deeper (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0015028220327163). This seems to relate to @bumblebee0210's comment, which... yes. certainly worth thinking about. I don't think I would transfer a clearly abnormal embryo, even though as I said there is an irrational part of me that might want to. But I would almost certainly consider transferring a potentially viable mosaic embryo, especially if it were all I got out of my retrieval. So I should ask my clinic about their stance on that.

GTKY: Who was your teen crush? Whose poster(s) did you have on your walls?: I was a goth/punk, so although I wasn't really a poster-hanging type, if I had hung posters on the walls it would have been Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and, I dunno, maybe early Robert Smith (The Cure). But before I became a real teen with musical opinions, in my early teens I was a fan-girl of the local women's college basketball team, and actually made my own posters of the starting lineup one year that I hung on my walls. Once, my dad and I were in the checkout line at the grocery market and found ourselves in line with one of the team members. My dad of course immediately started talking to her about what a huge fan his daughter was. I think I probably considered crawling under the conveyor belt in shame.

optimistgardener

oh and @kiwi2628 I'm obviously not the gatekeeper around here, if indeed such a person exists, but I am certainly grateful for your company on this board, your perspective and wisdom and also your updates.

bumblebee0210

@bows22. OMG I feel like we must be the exact same age/demographics. Andrew Keegan! Devon Sawa! I had completely forgotten these people existed. 

Genuine question for the keto people (not judgement!): I cannot imagine that keto is recommended during pregnancy, since in its true form it involves eating very few carbohydrates, no fruit, etc. So is the plan to just do keto until TWW or BFP? Or would you keep doing it in the first tri?

[Deleted User]

@bumblebee0210  For me, I'm not sure.  (I'm not even sure I'll be able to get into ketosis if I'm taking pom or beets so...)  I have seen recommendations to keep going through 12 weeks continue to keep inflammation down, I have seen others that say don't be in ketosis when you conceive, and still many other incidents of the, "keto baby," phenomenon, that apparently are a thing on the internet.  🤷  During the first trimester, the growing embryo / fetus has no separate caloric needs apart from the mother that I'm aware of.  You only add 250 calories for second tri, and 500 for third tri.  So I would think for me personally if I were to add sweet potato or certain vegetables / fruits around second tri, that might be a good way to do it.

Also!  Raspberries and blackberries are safe enough, and I actually have a keto friendly frozen smoothie blend coming tomorrow, so that's fun and nutritious, too.  I am also trying to focus on whole food sources, so I'm not going to be favoring weird keto safe junk food over more nutritious options, generally speaking.  I'm also not so perfectly married to sticking with true keto, vs lower carb eating, which I know will help me regardless.  So for me, I'm kind of going to take it as it comes and see how it goes.  Hows that for a non-answer!? Lol

kiki047

@bows22 we must’ve been posting at the same time so I missed your check-in. The 23rd feels so fAr away, lol, I hope they’re able to get some of the answers you want/need so you can get this show on the road. 

@BusinessWife ah yes, lemon water. That’s a good way to mask the salt. MH is not faring well with the Mio because of the artificial sweeteners 💩 lol so let’s hope he’s getting enough through his food that he doesn’t need to supplement with anything. Whereas I’m not hungry at all, he’s always staaaarving. He’s also twice my weight. 

@optimistgardener I think I’m definitely in the minority when I say BCP doesn’t have any noticeable effect on me. I’m a little crabby this week but I’m also on CD9 and AF won’t bugger off so there’s that. 

@bumblebee0210 if I had it my way I’d transition off strict keto and onto something just generally lower carb once we had a confirmed HB but my RE said he’d like to see me stay on it through to 12wks for the reasons BW listed. I also have PCOS so the benefits of the keto lifestyle are particularly beneficial for those with insulin resistance. I was told I have non-insulin resistant PCOS (go figure!) but will still benefit from keto 🤷🏻‍♀️. I do know a few people who went full keto in 2nd and 3rd tri due to gestational diabetes, so it can be done safely and effectively. I would think getting enough calories would be a real challenge though. 

[Deleted User]

@kiki047 Fat is key for caloric intake, imho.  Cheese, nuts, nut butters, avocado, healthy oils, fat bombs.  I think they really are a lifesaver.  Even with DHs elimination diet he was on last year, we were a little shocked how much of the calories are supposed to be coming from healthy Fats!  And I mean if you think about it, it makes sense because they are so calorie-dense, it's just not possible to eat <i>That</i> many calories worth of like, spinach, or chicken breast.  I came downstairs feeling a bit peckish and made myself a quick shake with sunflower butter, unsweetened coconut milk, hemp protein and cocoa powder.  I can't say it's yummy exactly, but man, that fatty nut butter goes down smooth...

I think that's awesome your H is doing it too!  My H is diabetic but not overweight, where I am non diabetic or anything, but very overweight ATM lol so despite him not doing it with me per se at this time, he knows he is better off the lower carb he is eating too, so he's basically going to benefit by default of me making keto friendly suppers, and then we have easy ancient grain packets and stuff like that to add more wholesome carbs to the side of his plate, without preparing two totally separate meals.

Have you looked into myo inositol for insulin regulation?  I don't know that much bout pcos, but maybe that could benefit you as well?

*TW* pregnancy talk
<div class="Spoiler">I was thinking about that too, with GD basically the lower carb you are eating the better, so there are absolutely pregnant people for whom the diet could be indicated!  If we are lucky enough to get pregnant, I would be starting off on the heavier side of where I would normally like to be, so I mean, I could literally not gain at all (or possibly even lose weight at this point 😬) and a baby could still be totally happy and healthy.  Not enough for my RE to be concerned, but ykwim.</div>

laura-kay

@kiwi047 There are times where I’m not actively doing treatments and still here - reading, sometimes posting, etc, and other times where I’m just not emotionally up for sharing, so I lurk and occasionally chat.  I think you’ll find that there are a lot like you and me.  Even when I’m not posting, I pretty much check here every day You are more than welcome here - and you definitely belong!

bumblebee0210

Update: One of our embryos was PGT-A normal! The other was a low-level mosaic on chromosome 9, which I have been reading into a little. Apparently if the mosaicism is on a chromosome without viability (like 21 or 18), then typically it either results in failed implantation/miscarriage, or a normal pregnancy/healthy child. Apparently the abnormal cells can just die off or be contained to the placenta. I didn't realize that mosaic embryos (esp low-level mosaics) are actually no more likely to have congenital issues if they make it to term. Obviously as someone with RPL, I don't take the prospect of "higher rates of miscarriage" lightly, but it's interesting to know that it's an option to transfer it. Our goal now is still to do enough cycles to get 5-6 normal embryos, but who knows whether that will work out or not. Either way-- it feels good to have one in the bank, and to feel like the first cycle was not for nothing!

Lisa3379

@bumblebee0210 Great news overall! I also didn't know that some mosaic embryos can end up totally normal like that... nice to have a little hope there with that one. And being in the middle of another cycle, I'm sure that is such a relief to already have one with hopefully a few more in the near future! 

AFM, no trigger yesterday, and I had another blood draw this morning. Yesterday, my estrogen was 219.9, progesterone 0.416 and LH 9.23, up from an LH of 6 the day before. Not quite sure what we're aiming for, I guess just a sizable spike compared to the previous data points? 

[Deleted User]

@Lisa3379. Ughh, I never know what they are looking for either, apart from lining lol. Fx everything happens tonight!

@bumblebee0210 That is so interesting!  I did know that mosaics can result in healthy babies, but I'm not sure I know a whole lot of the nuance to it.

****TW**** other's pregnancy
<div class="Spoiler">There is a gal sn chartput on the... I want to say October board?  November?  She is currently KU with a mosaic embie. :) If you're interested in following.  I know other IFers may or may not be lightweight stalking her. lol eta it's November. ;)</div>

acleverusername

Busy board this week! So exciting to see so many of us actively in treatment or approaching it!

@kiki047 Good luck with the biopsy on Thu! Curious as to why they're doing that before the retrieval? With your left ovary being inaccessible, does it mean that you won't be able to get any oocytes from it? Can your doctor remove the fibroid? 

@bumblebee0210 congrats on 1 PGA normal and 1 mosaic embryo! That's wonderful to hear. In addition to the article @optimistgardener
posted above, there's a F a c e b o o k group called "My Perfect Mosaic Embryo" which is all about babies born from mosaic embryos. Also, I may be wrong but @shoogapoff
might have had a mosaic embryo transferred. Anyhow, your strategy of doing enough retrievals to get 5-6 normal embryos is a good one, especially given RPL. Do I remember correctly that you're keeping everything the same for this cycle (med dosages, etc.) How long did it take you to get your period? What day of stims are you on? 

@photographerwife *waves madly*

@kiwi2628 others have said it but I'll repeat it here: feel free to post / not post, lurk / not lurk, as you await your transfer in July/August! We don't turn anyone away and you might have some good insight to offer to others on here. What are your options in terms of your remaining embryos? 

@Lisa3379 Do you go to Spring Fertility by any chance? I know you're in the Bay area and I'm trying to figure out what clinics have offices both in SF and South Bay. Since I haven't done a transfer yet, I can't give you insight as to what the doctor might be looking for in terms of blood tests. What is your lining looking like? 

@bows22 23rd is just around the corner so hopefully the next week will fly by for you; in the meanwhile, I vaguely remember you mentioning that your employer offers IUI coverage but that you currently had YH's benefits plan. Is your open enrollment coming up so that maybe you can take advantage of it? Also, is YH getting another SA done? 

@optimistgardener I'm totally with you re: vacillating between IVF failing or being a complete success. That's why I want to make sure we tailor our first cycle to our specific situation instead of doing just whatever works for 90% of cases. Thanks for linking to that Op Ed. 

@BusinessWife "today, I am technically 3 days pregnant" = mind blown when you put it like that! 

bumblebee0210

@acleverusername. I got my period 12 days post-retrieval, and I'm on stim day 5 currently. They started me off the same (300 IU Follistim). Today at my first monitoring appointment I had 1 15x11 and 11 under 10, but some of those (including the big one) are likely leftover from last cycle. My estradiol was 121, which is fine but not super high. Tonight she is upping me to 350 Follistim and starting 75 Menopur plus Ganirelix. Last cycle I went 12 days total on stims, so I am hoping for things to grow a little more quickly this time. The embryologist told me that some times longer stims result in lower quality eggs so I would like those little guys to get a move on. It's hard to tell what's what until later in the cycle, really. 

acleverusername

Diagnosis (if you've been): fertilization issues due to sperm quality; also egg quality due to higher FSH

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): trying naturally this cycle while we look for a new fertility doc because the one I've been working with - TEW - doesn't take insurance! (@bumblebee0210 this answers your question )

How are things going?: Excited! Anxious! Excited! Lol... I'm obviously over the moon about having benefits that kick in on May 1. I breathed a sign of relief when I got the news. I didn't quite realize how much tension this major financial decision was causing (in spite of daily silent meditations of 40+ minutes!). Since I only have 2 egg retrieval cycles covered, I still want to be very focused on our approach. The unfortunate part in all of this is that my current doc doesn't take insurance, but she had already told me that I'm a "patient for life" even if she's not my provider. So, she and I have been back and forth on which provider to go with. My top choice didn't have availability until June 29 and I'm just not willing to wait that long to get this ball rolling (and it also encroaches on some summer vacation plans we have for August if the Canada/US border opens up; so I would be looking at having my first ER in Sep if I wait around for this doc!) Anyhow, I'm really happy with the doctor we ended up picking. He's a 45min drive away (same place as TEW), but given my not-so-great experiences with providers to date, I'm willing to make the drive. My consult with him is on May 10. And the additional bonus is that my 1st choice doctor is the medical director of the clinic and will be keeping an eye on my file regardless. Eeek! Excited!

I was also going to speak to my clinic in Canada about fertilizing my eggs to see what we can learn from ICSI, and ran that plan by TEW and she said "let's do the opposite; let's learn on your current eggs, and then use that insight to fertilize your younger eggs." I am so glad to be able to bounce ideas off her. I am finally feeling like I have a great team around me! 

Any questions?: NATM. 

GTKY: Who was your teen crush? Whose poster(s) did you have on your walls? I wasn't a Buffy fan so no Shane West crush for me. I was also limited to music my parents listened to (Oldies) so I didn't really get into contemporary bands until much later in life. However I had a MEGA crush on Enrique Inglesias. I had cut out his album cover from Bailamos from the Columbia Music Catalog and taped it to my calculator. Also all the Hanson brothers. Mmmmmmm... bop. 

kiwi2628

Thanks everyone! I was planning on sticking around to help anyone ground through IVF (I did an antagonist protocol first and then a microdose lupron flare protocol second so I have a wide degree of experience) and love to help others navigate the murky waters of IF. But I will post more also to stay more present. 

@bows22 omg Devon sawa ♥️♥️ 

@optimistgardener I totally remember the feeling of ‘IVF will totally work!’ And then remembering all the IUIs and being like ‘...crap. No it won’t’. I’m glad you have some clarity about mosaics. I have seen a few mosaics work on the infertility board so it’s definitely not outside the realm to consider using them. 

@bumblebee0210 congrats on the embryo! 

acleverusername

@bumblebee0210 ah yeah, I meant to say that the "follicles from previous cycle" thing happened during one of my IUI rounds. Hopefully you'll have a better idea on true number of follies at your next u/s. 🤞🏻

kiki047

@businesswife hmm your tags are coming up kiwi047 instead of kiki047 lol, I think it's confusing people to have both a kiwi and a kiki on the board at the same time. Anyhoo, yes I'm on Ovastiol which is a myo and d-chiro inositol blend, have been on it for over 3 years now. I feel much better on it, helps curb some of my bigger carb cravings as well as other PCOS symptoms. I'd like to think I have reaped the long-term benefits of it, but I'm also still on metformin so it's hard to say which one is having the more positive effect. If anything, this diet is going to drastically change our habits as we normally have a carb with every meal, so even when we go back to "normal", it'll be nice to have a few low carb go-to's in our repetoire that we know we enjoy and hopefully we can keep up some of the better habits. I will say, I'm feeling a lot better than I thought I would. 
@bumblebee0210 that's great news about having one normal embryo, and good to know about the mosaic too. I have heard stories of others who had success with mosaics and went on to have perfectly normal, healthy babies. 
@acleverusername have you read up on the studies about doing an endometrial scratch in the cycle preceding a transfer? By taking a biopsy of the lining instead of just scraping the surface the procedure is then somehow covered by OHIP. Mock transfer, endo scratch, and biopsy - three birds, one stone. As for the fibroid, yes it has been discussed to remove it but it's subserosal so it's on the outside of my uterus and doesn't interfere with what's going on inside, it's just a big-ass shadow/void on all of my ultrasounds and unfortunately it also means they likely won't get any oocytes from that side. My RE tried last time but MH said I was wincing and squirming even through the anaesthesia so he aborted his mission and only got 1 out of a possible 5 from the left. Given that elective surgeries have been severely restricted this past year and there will likely be a backlog for years to come, both my OB and my RE thought it best to leave it until I was done having babies, or if they go in for any other reason (i.e. a c-section, laparascopy, etc) they will take it out then. 
Super excited for you that you've put together what sounds like the Dream Team of doctors to help you through your IVF journey. Glad TEW is going to champion you through it still too. 

[Deleted User]

@kiki047 lol yes that plus I'm tired lol there was another kiki I used to have to make sure I didn't get your tags mixed up back in the day, too! 🤦 I was thrilled actually yesterday I started feeling much better.  And my little strips showed me in light ketosis! 🎉 We are negative again today, but I'm not surprised based on our dinner.  But we'll get there!  It's tough trying to keep the beets and pom juice on board...

kiki047

@BusinessWife oh yes, and I think that kiki was 74 instead of 47? lol ay caramba! My test strips haven't come in the mail yet, curious to know where I stand. At least this time when I turn into a serial POAS tester, it's ketone strips not HPTs or OPKs  

[Deleted User]

@kiki047 Close! She was 75.  Omg I was thinking that too, I'm like it's too soon for OPKs, but at least I get my keto strips! 🤣

Lisa3379

@acleverusername I go to RMA My lining was a little over 10 mm on Sunday. And I'm so excited for your excitement! Haha. Was it you that said the other day that your employer offers coverage for multiple cycles? 

AFM, I have a transfer date! Monday the 19th. Estrogen 302.5, progesterone 0.455, LH 17.95. A little bummed that I'll have to drive into the city on a weekday alone, but I'll probably just suck it up and pay to park in a garage. I have parking anxiety, haha. So trigger tonight, then Endometrin three times a day starting tomorrow. I'm so excited! 

optimistgardener

@kiwi2628 omg soooo many failed iuis in my past to look back on. Maybe a dozen all in all, perhaps 8 of which were after my big fibroid surgery. Everyone used to have a really hard time finding their way into my cervix and I used to get really anxious about it, but these days as soon as the doc/nurse walks in I'm like, "ok it's like this, I gotta hang my butt halfway off this table and then the path will become clear. Just trust me on this I've been here before."

And speaking of fibroids, @kiki047 that sounds really frustrating not to be able to deal with the fibroid thanks to the covid elective surgery backlog. It's great that it's subserosal and so not impinging on your fertility but so frustrating not to be able to access the follicles on that side! How big is it, do you know? I did a laparoscopic myomectomy just 2 months before the lockdown started last year, so if you ever wanna chat about that surgery or recovery I'm down. Hopefully they'll be able to get at it if when necessary for c-section or some other reason.

acleverusername

@kiki047 first, you had me at "have you read up on the studies about..." 🤓I've definitely heard of endometrial scratching, but I was confused about why you were doing it before the retrieval. But now I'm remembering that you're gonna try a fresh transfer, and it's all making sense. And the fact that OHIP covers is it 🎰.

@BusinessWife @kiki047... I've seen @kiki075 handle before, and I legit thought that075/047 was the same person; that somehow you got banned and are now going by 047. 🤣 Also, all your talk of Keto is making me want to do it, but I think I'll do a Mediterranean diet instead. I was recently recommended mymindbodybaby.com and purchased the IVF plan from them. They're a Canadian company and it was $67CAD. I'm excited to start!

@Lisa3379 Yay for transfer date! Woot! Although I don't envy your drive into the city on Monday morning (I'm assuming it's the morning! Beware: traffic is back to at least 50% normal.) I am one of the lucky whose employer will cover 2 egg retrieval cycle; not so lucky as some others on here who have unlimited infertility benefits. That's the dream! I've heard good things of RMA and actually considered them as I looked for someone to replace TEW, but ultimately decided to go with her recommendation. 

@optimistgardener @kiwi2628 plus 1 to failed IUIs!!!

@optimistgardener What clinic are you with now? My new RE was previous at ORM Fertility. 

optimistgardener

@acleverusername I am at Fertility Center of Oregon in Eugene. I have heard good things about ORM but the extra 3 hrs drive is a big thumbs down.

Lisa3379

@acleverusername Luckily I don't have to be there until 2:45, although I may get stuck in traffic on the way back home. And yeah, I'm pretty envious of your insurance coverage! We just had a $20000 lifetime max, which has already been met. Just insane. 

shoogapoff

@bumblebee0210 @acleverusername I didn't have a mosiac embryo, but good memory that I had PGT testing issues. I had 1 embryo and the PGT testing came back inconclusive, which could have meant just a bad biopsy or could have meant DNA issues that would lead to poor results if transferred. **TW**

We transferred that embryo and I am now 24 weeks pregnant, with a good report on NIPT testing and a good anatomy scan, so it turned out well for us in the end. 

bumblebee0210

@optimistgardener-- you might be able to get off the BCP if you tell your provider you hate them (or at least not have to do them for another retrieval or transfer). They give me migraines, and I told my doc and she was cool with just starting my stims on CD3 instead (which has the added bonus of being way faster also). There is also some thinking (I think TEW is big on this) that BCP can be over-suppressing for DOR patients. The downside is you have this leftover follicle nonsense so no one knows what's going on. 

optimistgardener

Thanks @bumblebee0210. You make a great suggestion but I'll probably try to just blunder through. Fortunately, my side effects aren't anything so serious as migraines. You'd think that after having experienced the full-blown effects of an injectable like menopur, i'd be happy with a low-dose delivery of hormones like in a bcp. And yet, nope. I guess I should try to remind myself that my doctor wanted me on these because he hoped to get out ahead of my ovary's premature follicle forming habit. I guess we'll find out if I'm the sort of DOR patient that oversuppresses!

I hope you get a little more clarity soon on your leftover follicle business. Is the idea just that the leftovers will sort of fade away as the new crop grows?

kiki047

@Lisa3379 yay for transfer date!!! I also hate city driving/parking, so I wholeheartedly support your plan to just suck it up and pay for parking. 
@optimistgardener I just cracked up at your "hang my butt off the table" comment rotfl. Yup, sounds familiar. As for the fibroid, it grows at a rate of about .5cm/year so it's over 8cm now (3.15" thereabouts). I would like to just have it removed but alas, here we are. 
@acleverusername ah yes, the fresh transfer. My RE likes to do it before every ER cycle as well just in case we switch to fresh from frozen at any point in time. He tends to go with a fresh transfer if he only gets 1 embryo or if it is failing to thrive and figures those ones are better in than out. The Mediterranean Diet sounds like it would be great for fertility - I'll be taking a lot of cues from there once we transition out of keto. 

optimistgardener

@kiki047 One of mine was also about that size, but it was growing through the uterine wall so they had to get it out (my new fertility doc was really worried that the surgeon might have been less than deft in sewing my uterus back together afterwards, but he did a hysteroscopy and declared it "cozy" with no signs of scarring, whew). When I learned how big my fibroids were I felt sure that I would notice a difference in the size of my lower abdomen after the surgery. Sadly, this was not the case. But boy oh boy was it nice to get a let up from the insane amount of bleeding I'd been having. One other side benefit of getting the surgery done was that the surgeon was able to identify and clean up a bit of endometriosis while he was in there, as well as some adhesions that had been pinning my ovary to the wall but were not noticeable on the ultrasound.

kiki047

@optimistgardener I also wondered if I'd lose 'weight' after removing that thing, surely it must be what is tipping that scale so far in the other direction....right?! LOL. If not for Covid I would have the myomectomy then the recommended hysteroscopy, then proceed with another round of IVF. It feels like such a waste to go into it knowing we're only going to get half of my oocytes right off the bat. My only saving grace seems to be that my left ovary is lazy and is perfectly content living in the shadow of that fibroid and my AFC is almost always lower on that side.