IF Testing & Treatment w/o 4.26

keikilove

*Saw this over the weekend and immediately thought of all of you. I felt like it must be a good omen for at least one of us here.💕

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: Do you have any good luck charms, things you interpret as good omens, or good luck rituals? 

kiki047

Diagnosis (if you've been):  The trifecta of PCOS, RPL and MFI

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  I guess technically WTO 

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): IVF w/ 50/50 ICSI/IVF, fresh transfer and PGT-A the rest

How are things going?:  Ok, started lupron on Saturday and had my baseline scan/BW this morning. I should be starting Gonal-F today once I get the call. Feeling better now that I'm not on BCP anymore but we had a cheat weekend from keto and I feel like garbage today. As hard as it is, I felt really good on keto. We're going to try to keep it up. 

Any questions?: I feel like my body never does what it's supposed to so I can't even rely on my own past experience with this but should I expect a withdrawal bleed now that I've stopped BCP, even though I'm starting stims? As of my last US on Tuesday (so 6 days ago) my lining was down to 4mm. 

GTKY: Do you have any good luck charms, things you interpret as good omens, or good luck rituals? A few. I have lucky numbers, and a few little good luck trinkets (one that I'll forever hold near and dear to my heart from a fellow IVF warrior who may or may not even be a TTGP grad). I'm generally pretty superstitious to begin with, even though I fight it. 

acleverusername

@kiki047 I’m curious what responses you’ll get vis-a-via withdrawal bleed. I didn’t ever take BCP when I did my ER 2 yrs ago. Glad to hear you’re feeling better without BCP though. I’m sure the cheat weekend felt worth it in the moment. What did you cheat with? Also, are you 💯 decided on the drag transfer?

Diagnosis (if you've been): age-related egg quality issue and sperm-driven fertilization issue. More on that below. 

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): O lol. I’m pretty sure I released an egg sometime yesterday

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): natural cycle trying-wise; otherwise doing an ASA test for MH; and meeting with new RE who’s covered by my insurance on May 10.

How are things going?: things are going pretty well! This cycle is a bit weird... first of all my heart really isn’t into it since we already know we’re doing IVF. And it’s been so crazy busy (buying a car, getting a dog) that this is the last thing on my mind. Which is kind of cool, I guess! 

Last week was really interesting: MH got the results of his hereditary cancer screen back and it turns out he has a faulty SDHA gene. This puts him both at risk for developing some rare cancers but also for passing the gene on. So this likely means we’ll likely need to do PGT-M testing. Which likely means we’ll need more embryos than we previously thought. Anyway, we have an appointment with genetic counselor to discuss all of this. But the really curious thing is that I shared those results with another fertility forum friend who is a human scientist and she found a research paper that showed that issues in that gene can impair spermatogenesis. And this is totally in line with Dr. Aimee’s assessment that our sperm issues might be genetic. So yesterday I sent the article to Dr Aimee to take a look. And she immediately replied that she’ll review it and also talk to the genetic testing company about what they know. Honestly, consulting / doing a cycle with Dr Aimee was the best money we’ve spent in this journey. I finally feel like we have something other than an “Unexplained” or “your eggs are old” diagnosis. And this is critical because it will shape our IVF protocol. For e.g. we will likely do 100% ICSI with Zymot. 

Any questions?: NATM

GTKY: Do you have any good luck charms, things you interpret as good omens, or good luck rituals? Like @kiki047 I am superstitious but often try to fight it. Really the only thing that I consider my good luck charm is my Orthodox cross. I always have to have it and feel naked when I’m without it.  

acleverusername

And wow... I just caught up on all of yesterday’s activity on the IF thread. I just have missed it because I was enthralled with the new doggo! Forgive me. So tags from that.
 

@keikilove I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you’re my fertility hero. And that’s now been expanded to medical self-advocate hero. By comparison, our IF provider issues have been minor but I’m not one to distrust my gut feeling and that’s why I’ve been switching docs like underwear. No one really felt like they cared enough until Dr. Aimee.

@BusinessWife holy cannoli about your experience as a kid being sick. Good for your mom for pushing and pushing and pushing!

@optimistgardener agree with others about not giving yourself a hard time over a bit of alcohol. That likely helped you enjoy life more fully / keep stress levels lower and THAT is likely more important than a few drinks here and there.

kiki047

@acleverusername Saturday we helped BIL and SIL move out of their condo and clean it. I have many (not nice) words to say about the actual experience but to sum it up, I've seen college dorm rooms cleaner than their condo, and also the only thing they offered to feed us was donuts and pizza (and we were too rushed/didn't have any food in the fridge to pack proper keto snacks, etc). I ate a bite of donut and 2 bites of MH's pizza but that was all I ate from 10am to 8pm. Then we picked up greek on the way home and I had fried kalamari (my FAVE) and ate some of MH's greek fries. Yesterday we had sushi. Totally worth it, but next time I won't eat the fries or garlic bread lol. 
That's really interesting about YH's genetic results, but so great that Dr Aimee is as awesome as she presents herself online. I have such high hopes for you that you're going to get to the bottom of this with your amazing team of Drs to support you. How's the dog search going, do you actually have one picked out yet? Are you going with a breeder? 

acleverusername

@kiki047 we picked up our dog on Saturday! I posted in the randoms thread with her photo. 

kiki047

@acleverusername *squeeee* she's sooooo cute!! Congrats!! I hope she's settling in nicely. 

Lisa3379

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

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  TWW

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

How are things going?:  Going well. I'm getting REALLY annoyed with the Endometrin three times a day. When I heard from my doctor that I'd be doing that instead of the progesterone injections, I was stoked. He told me that some women prefer the injections over it, and I was very surprised by that. Two weeks in, I'd still pick the suppositories, but I can kinda see the injection ladies' point. This sucks, and TMI, I'm getting itchy with it. I'm more irritable with it for sure. 

Any questions?: nope

GTKY: Do you have any good luck charms, things you interpret as good omens, or good luck rituals?  Not really! Once during the Stanley Cup finals I wore the same jersey during every game, and the Kings did win the Cup that year, but I'm sure I had nothing to do with that, haha. 

optimistgardener

@keikilove that's so funny! I just took this photo last night. You can barely see in this photo but it was a clear double rainbow (I swear this is not one of those "can you see the double line??!!" posts). Good luck to all of us. That pale tree in the middle hiding behind the oak, by the way, is a huge old semi-wild cherry in full bloom right now.

Apart from the rainbow, my check-in is gonna be really boring this week. Things will be more interesting next week I promise!

Diagnosis (if you've been):  old ovary, DOR, etc.

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  waiting to start IVF cycle

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  twiddling my thumbs and swallowing lots of pills

How are things going?: Things have been good in non-fertility-related parts of my life this past week, so that's nice! This endless real estate/legal battle with the county/saga thing I've been stuck underneath for months may finally be solved, and my dog (who is an idiot and somehow broke her tail and had to have it amputated a couple of weeks ago) is going to get her stitches out on Wednesday and finally get to take off the cone of shame... which is great because she uses it as a battering ram against furniture, legs, etc.

Any questions?: I'm also curious re: @kiki047's question about the withdrawal bleed. I'm supposed to take my last pill tomorrow. The IVF calendar my clinic made for me says "menses??" on Thursday, but that sounds pretty iffy.

Also, have any of you IVF veterans been put on doxycycline or another antibiotic leading up to their ivf cycle? I have done only a little bit of googling about it, and it seems mostly women take it before and around the time of egg retrieval or leading up to transfer, which would make sense, while male partners take it both before giving their sample and as a precaution against passing along unwanted bacteria to their partners. But I'm not quite sure what the logic is in my taking it before my stimulation cycle even starts? I finish the last doxy before I begin stimming 🤔. I suppose I should just call the clinic and ask.

GTKY: Do you have any good luck charms, things you interpret as good omens, or good luck rituals? I mostly am not very superstitious. Or at least I try not to be. On New Year's morning of 2020 I woke up and opened the front door and there was a bobcat sitting in the middle of the driveway, staring at our house. I thought at the time that it might be a good omen but in retrospect I think it was probably a terrible omen (the visage was not repeated this year).

optimistgardener

see look. double rainbow.

keikilove

@optimistgardener I LOL-ed at your second post!😄 I believed you the first time: “I totes see the second line!” Hahaha. Your shots are gorgeous! I pulled over to capture mine, I just couldn’t believe how bright & beautiful the double rainbow was. The camera couldn’t quite capture it, and then it disappeared right after I got the shot.💕 Gotta get back to work now, will check in with everyone later. 

inthewoods23

@kiki047 @optimistgardener looking back at my calendars, I always started lupron before my last BCPs and there was always a withdrawal bleed.

laura-kay

Diagnosis (if you've been):  Unexplained

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  Natural cycle with plans to talk to Dr about next steps in 2 weeks

How are things going?: Ok - it’s Holy Week for us me (Orthodox Christian Pascha - ie Easter is this Sunday).  Work is crazy so I’m trying to get a lot done at once!

Any questions?: NATM

GTKY: Do you have any good luck charms, things you interpret as good omens, or good luck rituals?  Not really.  A rainbow can give hope though!  

acleverusername

Today, MH and I attend The Egg Whisperer’s IVF class and OMG it was so good. She spent 1.5hrs going over information on IVF, including some example protocols, different types of genetic testing, and what to do in case of failed IVF and she also answered a TONNE of questions from the group (there were about 12 of us.) I had a full page of questions I wanted to ask and she answered every single one them. I have my homework cut out for me based on her answers. I would recommend this class to anyone considering IVF. It’s $60 normally but I have a 50% discount code so if you’re interested, send me a message!

[Deleted User]

Ooh that sounds awesome! @acleverusername Glad you got so much out of it!



Question for all my nerdy frans...
Anyone have actual data on acupuncture, specifically laser acupuncture prior to / immediately after transfer?  I only did it once with my first (which failed) so I wasn't interested in shelling out the extra couple hundies after that, but I'm considering it this time ...

[Deleted User]

I am loving all these rainbows, btw... 🌈🌈 Thank you both for sharing, @keikilove @optimistgardener 


Diagnosis (if you've been):  Azoospermia<div>
</div><div>Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  TWW</div><div>
</div><div>What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  "Natural" FET</div><div>
</div><div>How are things going?:  Okay!</div><div>
</div><div>Any questions?:. See above lol</div><div>
</div>GTKY:  Not really, but there was a little wooden baby teether - first baby toy I ever purchased while we were first waiting - I think I've brought with me to all my transfers.  I don't really even know why.

ETA I always like seeing bluejays, cardinals, bluebirds, goldfinches, hummingbirds... I always think they are a good sign that people who have passed on are looking out for us.

bumblebee0210

@optimistgardener First, I LOLed at your "I swear there is a second rainbow!" Amazing comedy. Second, I was not put on doxy, but if you haven't been on if before-- word of caution, take it with food! The first time I was on it (for malaria prophylaxis), mine said to take on an empty stomach, but that is terrible advice and will make you vomit. The Indian doctor I saw was like "duh, everyone knows to take doxy with food"

@BusinessWife. Laser acupuncture???????

@acleverusername That's great that the class was so good! And interesting about the genetic stuff.

@kiki047 Good luck starting again! It must seem so exhausting but at least you are a vet now and know what to expect. 

@lisa3379 All the fingers crossed!



Diagnosis (if you've been):  RPL, DOR

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  WFAF between ERs

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  Going straight from ER#2 to ER#3

How are things going?: Pretty good. I'm consistently amazed at my capacity to get my hopes up in this process (not just IVF but TTC in general). When we got 10 eggs last cycle I was immediately like "maybe we will get 8 blasts!". I am grateful that this process seems to be working, and that we have one genetically normal embryo already, and hopefully more soon. I am just impatient. 

Any questions?: 

GTKY: Do you have any good luck charms, things you interpret as good omens, or good luck rituals? Not really-- I'm very superstitious in some ways, but not in the physical-object sort of way. 

Edited: I mistakenly posted for a sec leaving in @optimistgardener's answer to the last question

optimistgardener

@keikilove your rainbow photo is gorgeous. That field and those clouds!

@bumblebee0210 oh yeah, doxy is gnarly. Like you I first took it as malaria prophylaxis (a multi-month trip that I took to India). In the many times I have returned to India since then, I have never used doxy again for that purpose. It's just too rough on everything. I shudder to think what what much time on an oral antibiotic did to my gut biome.

acleverusername

@Lisa3379 I would have to say what I know about, it is never the better option. Lol. Good luck with your beta on Wed!!! I can’t believe that day is already here. 

@optimistgardener Like everyone else, I’m doubled over laughing about “you see it, right?!” comment. Teehee. I have not seen ppl on here mention doxy for an IVF protocol. I’ve sometimes seen it as recommended for HSG. Interesting though... I’ll have to see what others say. Hooray for your dog getting her cone of shame off, and for the legal matter winding down just in time for IVF. Everything is falling into place which is a sign from the universe!

@laura-kay enjoy all the Holy Week festivities; I’m hoping to get established with a parish once the pandemic winds down as I miss this time of year so much. Glad to hear you have next steps lined up. 

@BusinessWife I truly have never even heard of laser acupuncture. That sounds interesting. Would that be in lieu of, or in addition to regular acupuncture? I like your point about birds visiting / singing their happy song as a sign that those who’ve passed are encouraging you on from above. 🙏 

@bumblebee0210 I think the optimism is both your personality (in general, not just vis-a-vis TTC) and a human trait. We are resilient and one of the things that makes us resilient is hope. You get your Day 5 update today? Or are you waiting until tomorrow to get the “bulk” update?

[Deleted User]

@bumblebee0210 @optimistgardener lol "<i>it's totally obvious to me looking at it in person, just the camera's not picking it up great!</i>" 🙃 J/k I can actually see it even in the first pic, too.  That second pic is so picturesque!

Re: laser acupuncture Apparently my clinic did a study a while back (maybe more than one?) that showed it increased implantation rates.  🤷  So they offer it before and after every transfer, while you're waiting basically.  It's by no means a magic bullet, obv, and it's oop, so.  But I feel like I need to relax lately so I may just go for it... I have time to decide.

https://mifertility.com/laser-acupuncture/

ETA @acleverusername my understanding is they use the same points as traditional acupuncture, but stimulate them with a fricking LASER BEAM. 🤣

bumblebee0210

@optimistgardener. Malarone for life. 
@acleverusername We got a non-update-udpate, which is actually exactly the same thing that happened last time-- 2 of the embryos are blastocysts, but too small to biopsy. So they are going to check again tomorrow hoping they will be big enough then. Last cycle, I think we had 2 3BCs that turned into a 5AB and a 5BA on day 6, and then were biopsied and frozen. So I'm hopeful these two will also be ready to go tomorrow (there goes that optimism again!)

bumblebee0210

Final update from embryology today, day 6: both blasts expanded enough to be biopsied and frozen. Which is great! Grades are worse than last time-- 5BB- and 4BB-, but obviously we will take what we can get. We should find out about PGT-A testing in a week or two. On to the next one...

inthewoods23

@bumblebee0210 that's great! FWIW, my RE, basically doesn't believe 5AA graded embryos exist 🤷‍♀️ I took that to mean they grade pretty aggressively so a 5BB embryo is still a really good grade! And also FWIW, I've seen ladies over on the IF board transfer BC rated embryos and end up KU so you just never know.

optimistgardener

@bumblebee0210 and @inthewoods23 I just took a minute to google embryo grading and came across an interesting line from one of the fertility clinic sites basically saying that most of their successful pregnancies come from lower-graded embryos, simply because the majority of embryos they see are from these grades.

Spoiler: me just being long-winded about irrelevant stuff:

For some reason this takes me back to all the classes I taught, trying to train college students to write pretty essays. I used to despair at all those kids who gave me "B"-quality papers with their half-assed evidence pasted hastily to unexciting thesis statements. I treasured the occasional nerds who gave me meticulously researched papers with perfect citation, or the inspired students who wrote their hearts into their papers. But, based on the requests I've received for letters of recommendation from ex-students, my "B" students have had no problems at all making their way into the lucrative worlds of tech and business school and whatever else they've gone on to do with their lives. I guess the moral of my little tangent here is: "A" quality college students (and blastocysts?) make their profs (and lab techs?) beam with joy, but "B" quality gets the job done most of the time.

bumblebee0210

@inthewoods23. Yeah I think the grading is sort of approximate at best, and since our last two were 3BC and then 5AB and 5BA the next day, I think it might be more about when you catch them in their growth trajectory. I mean obviously more growth is better, but I'm trying not to focus too much on it. 

inthewoods23

@optimistgardener grading between clinics isn't even consistent. It's kind of up to the embryologist what they'd grade it. And some places don't even follow the typical grading nomenclature. Someone here once had a 7AA graded embryo??

inthewoods23

@bumblebee0210 oh yeah, I can see that. I think it's very interesting how some people end up with very different grades of embryos. Perhaps that's more common with standard IVF compared to ICSI (which is what we had to do). All of our embryos were in the 5BB range (5B+B+, 5B+B, 5BB+, 5BB).

[Deleted User]

@bumblebee0210 Those sound great!  FWIW

***TW***

<div class=" Spoiler">I had my first transfer with my "perfect" 5AA result in a chemical; the slightly lower graded 5AB stuck like nobody's business.  Then I had another 4AA and 5AB both fail; my 4BB is the prettiest little vision of a babe one could ever hope for.  Granted this is all non-pgs, but still.</div>



Speaking as someone too who is hoping for success with my last two remaining 6CB embryos, I would like to encourage you (and myself!) That grading doesn't matter.  I may or may not have found a couple boards last week where women were sharing similar, better outcomes with their lower graded embryos. 🤷<p>My doctor explained it as one factor -- let's say in picking out of a room full of kindergartners and first graders, which ones were in first grade, only looking at height.  Sure, you might get a halfway decent guess that way, but you might be wrong a good amount of the time, because you could have short first graders and taller kindergartners.  Looking at things like reading level, or vocabulary, again might give you a more meaningful guess, but you still might not be 100% correct on your guesses.  So picking THB embryos out of a cohort based on grading, or even grading + PGS, is kinda like that.  We still don't know for a fact who is going to stick and stay, because there are just so many variables.</p>

Lisa3379

@bumblebee0210 That's great news! 

bumblebee0210

*tw lc*

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was extremely anxious about the first US because in my first pregnancy, we had a slow heartbeat at 7 weeks and then a mmc at 8 weeks. I think her heartbeat at that first US was something like 95 or 100, within the normal range but right at the slow end. I talked to my (wonderful) family med doc and I was like "I get that I didn't fail-- but I feel like I got a C". And she was like "Welcome to parenthood. You are going to get a lot of C's! And some F's!" I found it really helpful, and very true. 

I know we don't mention pregnancy and parenthood a lot on this board, and for good reason, but I do think that TTC is really an extension of parenthood-- the same worries and hopes for your LOs. And in a weird way, realizing those worries and hopes are never going to go away even once I am pg, baby is born, kid is grown up, etc, makes it sort of easier to bear for me. 

optimistgardener

On reflection, and on reading @BusinessWife's excellent analogy to tall and short kindergartners and 1st graders, I suppose what I was trying to say is that profs and lab techs with their kinda arbitrary assessment tools (pretty essays, pretty cellular structures) are able to provide one form of measure that very imperfectly gauges "quality." But we/scientists are essentially blind to a whole slew of other factors that contribute to embryonic success.

bumblebee0210

@optimistgardener. OMG yes, I teach at a very fancy university and man all of the jobs just want dudes from the lacrosse team. 

acleverusername

For anyone who's got 55 min, I recommend watching this podcast Dr. Aimee did with embryologist / lab director Dr. Carol Curchoe. She explains the grading very well (and yes, it's pretty arbitrary and just a way to compare 1 embryo to another. I.e. it's relative, not absolute.) 

acleverusername

Oh @bumblebee0210 def congrats on getting 2 more embryos for testing! Hopefully at least 1 more PGT-A normal. 🤞🏻

kiki047

@optimistgardener well, I took my last BCP/started lupron on Saturday, was spotting all day yesterday and am like full on bleeding today so I guess that answers our question? (and thank you @inthewoods23 for chiming in there too). My RE was not concerned by this whatsoever, and expects the bleeding to taper off once my E2 goes up. And no idea about your doxy question - both MH and I take it leading up to the ER and I take it for FET cycles but you're right, this seems early so I'm not really sure what the benefit is? 
@bumblebee0210 thank you! I have to say, stims are much, much easier this time around. And after doing PIO for months this feels like nothing. That's great news that both of your embryos made it to blast and were able to be biopsied and frozen! FX for great PGT results. 
@businesswife interesting analogy about comparing embryo grading to height - that's a good way to look at it. 

AFM, nothing much to report other than what I mentioned above in tags. My withdrawal bleed has arrived in full force today so I'm a little panicked about my lining not being developed enough for a fresh transfer but I have 2 weeks to figure that out. Otherwise worst case scenario is a freeze-all, which isn't the end of the world but it just means everything gets pushed out even further. (side note, if we end up doing a freeze-all then I will keep my vaccine appt next Sunday). 

[Deleted User]

@kiki047 so exciting!  Even worst case freeze all is not the end of the world.  Here's hoping you do get to do a fresh transfer and you'll be PASP in a matter of a few short weeks!

bows22

@kiki047 I hope your withdrawal bleed treats you kindly. I want nothing but a perfect cycle for you!

@acleverusername that’s so interesting about YH’s screening results. I’m curious to hear what Dr. Aimee says! So cool that you have her as a resource. 

@optimistgardener omg your poor dog! I’m glad she’s on the mend. I cracked up at your squinter rainbow too! I hope this week is going quickly for you until the fun starts!

@BusinessWife love the grading analogy, thanks for sharing! We often have 2 cardinals in our backyard and I like to think it’s my grandparents checking in on me ❤️

@bumblebee0210 so glad to see you had another successful cycle! On to the next - you are rocking this! 

bows22

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

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) Endometrial biopsy next Tuesday!

How are things going?: Good! I haven’t heard from my RE office for sure about the insurance coverage (they said it would take about a week) so trying to manage my expectations but even so she gave me the approx cost without insurance and because I wouldn’t have monitoring or a trigger it is significantly less than what my brother and SIL were quoted (same RE). They must have been planning to do injectables or something to because wow is this going to be a lot less. Like 10% of the cost. I probably should have asked before now, but I don’t think we were mentally ready to move to treatment until now anyway so it probably wouldn’t have made a difference. I think I was struggling to get over the feeling that I was being impatient, even though I know that’s not rational. But I feel at peace with our path forward now. 

Any questions? Nope, thanks all for your thoughts about the unmonitored clomid IUI. Feeling much better about it now! 

GTKY: Do you have any good luck charms, things you interpret as good omens, or good luck rituals? I am not superstitious but if something lucky happens I take it as a sign that God and/or the universe is telling me that I’m exactly where I am meant to be, and I do take comfort in that. 

optimistgardener

@bumblebee0210 I just want to say how impressed I am by the way you're knocking right through these retrieval cycles like a champ.

@acleverusername thanks for the link! I will watch it this evening.

@bows22 I'm not sure if it's poor dog or poor me. Probably both. I've had her for about 2 years now and in that time she's gotten spayed, had an emergency post-spay repair (apparently mature dogs can struggle to heal after the surgery sometimes? I woke up one morning to her bleeding all over everything, poor babe), inhaled at least 5 foxtails that required veterinary intervention, chased a horned buck who turned around and gored her, requiring a major surgery with an incision that ran from the top of her ribcage all the way to the bottom of her abdomen, and now the tail. It's no wonder she hates the vet's office. Is this practice, maybe, for if I wind up with one of those kids who is a repeat emergency room visitor/wild child?

@kiki047 whelp. my withdrawal bleed arrived with a bang last night, just one day after coming off the bcps. I guess my body was raring to go. Now my worry is that they'll catch things in time before my ovary is off to the races. I'll call when the clinic opens to let them know. First appointment is still scheduled for Sat. morning.

bows22

@optimistgardener oh my gosh that’s a lot! Poor both of you for sure. She’s a trooper. Fingers crossed your future children take it a bit easier on you haha. Did she learn to stop chasing animals or is she still pretty bold?

bumblebee0210

@optimistgardener. Thanks-- I have been feeling a little down on things lately, because even though this is going about how I would have expected, I'm letting go of that little hope that I might just need one or two (or even three!) cycles, and have more than enough embryos. I just made a big long calendar and charted out probably egg retrieval dates if the cycles end up being about as long as these last ones. I'm hoping we can get 5 in by our July vacation, and then maybe take a cycle off and then transfer. Sometimes when I take the long view it feels exhausting, and I get impatient, but it helps me to focus on the immediate.

Also-- I may have been feeling down because I get UBER-PMS after ERs. So look forward to that?? (But you've already been on the big doses I think, so maybe you know already...)