IF Testing & Treatment w/o 9.6

inthewoods23

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: Name your favorite movie genre. What's your favorite movie from that genre?

bumblebee0210

@inthewoods23. Was just going to start this but got distracted speculating about the paternity peggy. Glad I didn't double post. 

Diagnosis (if you've been):  RPL, DOR (maybe?)

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  ERs #5 & 6: Duostim

How are things going?:  Good! Had my baseline appointment this morning, stats in spoiler. 

My typical AFC has been 8-10, and this morning it was 15!! I have never seen above 10, in probably 6 measurements, so I am psyched. Combined with the rise in AMH, I am like, what is happening over here? Do I not have DOR anymore? Do supplements work?? 

Also trying not to get too carried away on the IVF rollercoaster of emotions, because it can easily turn around (and back again) in the course of a cycle. But cautiously optimistic for now...

Any questions?:  Mostly for @keikilove or any others who have been through duostim: what is different than a typical antagonist, if anything? I know the second one is hard to monitor, but I don't know if anything else is weird. 

GTKY: Name your favorite movie genre. What's your favorite movie from that genre? I'm not sure it's my favorite, but I do love a big, convoluted Christopher Nolan spectacle like Interstellar. 

shortstack930

@bumblebee0210 that is such great news about your AFC!! Also, Interstellar is one of my all time favorite movies!

Hope you guys don't mind me joining in here now that we're starting our FET prep!

Diagnosis (if you've been):  Endometriosis

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  WTO

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

How are things going?:  Had an appointment with my RE last week to discuss the FET process (last time we did a fresh transfer so it was a little different) and it was really weird being back there. Lots of flashbacks and it seemed like I hadn't been back there in a million years but also like I had just been there yesterday. I'm excited to get the ball rolling but also a little nervous.

Any questions?:  So my RE said I have to make a choice about the post transfer protocol--I can either do PIO shots daily or I can do PIO shots 2-3 times a week and progesterone suppositories the rest of the week. She said the success rates are the same for both protocols but it just depends on my preference. Last time I only did the suppositories since it was a fresh transfer but part of me feels like it may be easier just to exclusively do the PIO. It's also a little less expensive to just do the PIO I believe. What do you guys think?

GTKY: Name your favorite movie genre. What's your favorite movie from that genre? I'd probably have to go with fantasy or sci-fi. LOTR is a big favorite, along with Harry Potter. I also love rom coms though!

mokay19

@bumblebee0210 great news on the AFC! Hoping the news stays positive and no turn around!

@shortstack930 good luck on the FET! I’ve never done PIO, but I don’t think I would choose to without needing it 😂

mokay19

Diagnosis (if you've been):  PCOS

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  Gonal-F, Ovidrel, TI, progesterone

How are things going?:  I have no chill. I tested this morning at 12 days past trigger and only like 9 days past ovulation. It was negative, but it could also be too early. *shrug*

Any questions?:  natm

GTKY: Name your favorite movie genre. What's your favorite movie from that genre? 

I agree that LOTR are some of the greatest movies of all time, but I’d say my most commonly watched genre is “action, but might be cheesy action or unrealistic or fantasy”
for example, National Treasure! Haha love that movie

kiki047

@shortstack930 good luck with FET prep! Personally I hated the suppositories so I'd choose PIO over that any day, but if you're needle-averse PIO can be quite daunting to some. It really comes down to personal preference. 

@bumblebee0210 that's wonderful news about your AFC!! FX that translates to a stellar cycle for you. 


ETA: I don't really have much to add this week, and I'm going out of town tomorrow to run away from real life for the rest of the week. By the time I get back I will have turned 35 and will officially be "AMA" and I don't really want to think about it. I know it's not like there's some dramatic drop-off overnight but the new REI made a comment about running out of time and not to get any older, which is only feeding my anxiety about being in limbo. But AF arrived right on time over the weekend which means I get to start my testing this cycle. FX we have results ASAP so we might be able to roll right into an ER next cycle? I think that's a little too ambitious though, and I assume if he wants me on BCP prior to start then that pushes out my start date even further.

acleverusername

@bumblebee0210 sorry the Paternity Peggy has you riled up. Great news about AFC. I've got news to you... supplements do work! I know there's very little clinical research that backs this, but there's tons of colloquial reports of supplements having a substantial impact. So, keep doing what you're doing. I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but it is possible that even with a higher AMH, your follicle response rate will still be lower. That's my issue, even though I'm not technically DOR... 50% response rate. So, I feel like the "Do I have DOR / Do I not have DOR?" is a bit of a moot question. It all depends on the results you're having. 

@shortstack930 welcome welcome! I can't comment on the PIO vs suppositories, but I feel like taking a break from PIO might be nice. Although, it might make you dread the next shot. Anyways, I'm just hypothesizing here; this is definitely best answered by someone who's done both. Your fav movie genres are similar to mine. Lol. A little bit of everything. 

@mokay19 It's still early! Also lol @ National Treasure. That a whole lot of fromage 🧀. 

@kiki047 did you make a decision vis-a-vis which doctor you'd like to work with? Maybe we can be cycle buddies! 

Diagnosis (if you've been): Officially: Unexplained Unofficially: Hashimoto's, AMA, wandering sperm

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW / WFAF (cause let's face it, I don't actually think I got KUed this cycle)

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Coordinating transportation for my previously frozen eggs from Canada > California. Making poor dietary decisions (but trying to get better). 

How are things going?: Coordinating transportation of oocytes is a PITA, but I think I've set all the necessary wheels in motion. I'm really excited about the transportation company I chose. They do "hand-carry" service... so there's literally someone getting on an airplane with the liquid nitrogen canister. It's actually supercool and I'm excited to see this happen. The service is much more expensive than the 2nd most expensive option, but at the same time, the medical courier is expert at what s/he does and can ensure the canister isn't X-rayed, and is also constantly upright, and can monitor the internal tank temperature. Plus, I've met my OOP deductible limit for the year, so it'll be 100% reimbursed by insurance. Woot. 

Otherwise, ever since I got back from vacation, I've been eating disallowed food (MH made caramel this weekend and I had to have some) and drinking too much wine. But today, it's back to strict modified AIP protocol, gradual food introductions, and only herbal tea / water. Both MH and I are feeling like we might jeopardize our next cycle given how poorly we've been eating.  Apparently I'm not the only one that cheated while on vacation. Anyways, gotta work through those guilt feelings. 

Any questions?: Actually yeah: wondering if I should be adding a low dose DHEA to my supplement regimen (e.g. 25mg). I was taking 75mg back in December/January/February and developed crazy acne around my jaw line. Plus, TEW said I didn't need it. But that was before I did any stim cycles and figured out that my follicles are shitty responders. I've been reading that DHEA can help follicle recruitment. @keikilove@bumblebee0210 @optimistgardener ... I think you'll all taking DHEA? What was the reason your doctor gave for it? 

GTKY: Name your favorite movie genre. What's your favorite movie from that genre? I don't think I have one favorite genre... I enjoy multiple genres (action adventure, fantasy, depending on my mood. I really enjoyed the Jack Ryan movies. But all time favs are The Boondock Saints and V for Vendetta. Harry Potter movies are also favorites. 

keikilove

Happy start of the week, everyone! I will come back this evening after work (I hope) because I want to catch up on last week’s tags too but we were sick all weekend. (Not in the excited KU way, unfortunately.) 

For now I want to jump in to say “Happy Birthday!” @kiki047 🎊🎂🎈🍾 I hope you have a wonderful time wherever you’re headed. Sorry about the AMA pressures. Just ignore them if possible. AFC means way more than how many times you’ve travelled around the sun. And FX that you do get to go right from testing into an ER cycle. That would be amazing after all the waiting this summer! 

@Shortstack06 Welcome back! Super exciting time for you. Personally, I’m so sick  of the PIO needles that I’d def take the suppositories if it were an option. Sadly, my progesterone is way too low without PIO. I consider you lucky to have the choice! 

@mokay19 It seems that we are on almost identical timing in this TWW. I’m having similarly non-exciting results. I hope you’re right that we are both just too early! You seem to be keeping your head up about it, which is great. Love your fave movie genre description.😄

@bumblebee0210 Congrats on that AFC! Super exciting!!! Hmmmm, DuoStim is usually exactly like your follicular phase stimulation. Doctors tend to use the same protocol in both phases of stimulation, but not always. I think they only adjust it if the patient has a really crappy follicular result and insists on changing the protocol, or if the doctor is surprised by the follicular phase results and wants to try something different. Overall, The biggest differences I can think of are: 
1) There’s no bloodwork because hormone levels aren’t accurate and it doesn’t give any useful info. 

2) There’s usually only about 4-8 days in between the first egg retrieval and starting the next round of stims. You might bleed in between, but more likely you will bleed/have a period during the luteal phase stims. It’s weird but very normal, and doctors will tell you that they may even end up doing the second retrieval while you’re still on your period. 

3) Not that this matters for your situation, but you can’t do a natural transfer after luteal phase egg collection because the body is out of sync for implantation. DuoStim requires FET. 

That’s all I got! P.S. LOVE Interstellar

ETA: @acleverusername I guess we posted at the same time. I’m just seeing your question now. Personally, I think 25mg DHEA is a good idea in your situation. The only thing you may want to do is monitor your testosterone to make sure it doesn’t get too elevated. When I did 75 my testosterone shot way up, but when I did none my testosterone was too low. So I usually do 25mg with decent results. 

mokay19

@keikilove hoping we both get more exciting news soon! Also, I can’t try to claim movies like National Treasure are actually “good” movies haha but I love it!

acleverusername

@keikilove Thanks for your 2 cents! I did have chronically low testosterone in the past, so when I did 75mg it increased nicely. But I just don't think I need that much. Looking forward to your update later today, but thumbs down re: "similarly non-exciting results." It's still early! 

inthewoods23

@bumblebee0210 haha that's funny because I spent forever trying to find the right photo/gif to add to the post so I was somewhat surprised it wasn't a duplicate . That's a great AFC you have this cycle!

Q: unrelated to IF - does anyone know how to save photos or gifs from IG? I want to add pics/gifs from hilariously_infertile's IG account. She's great! lol

@shortstack930 I personally hate the suppositories because they get to be a mess and depending on how often you'd have to do them a day I would find them to be more of an inconvenience (middle of the work day - no thanks). I didn't mind the PIO shots at all. I actually did them all myself too. I just hated how long it took to get it all injected and out of the syringe. Also yeah, I couldn't believe how much cheaper PIO was compared to the suppositories but I don't know if that's because the suppositories are a compound medication. I think after insurance I was spending almost $100 on enough suppositories for about 2 weeks but a couple vials of PIO to get me through the same time period was like $10.

@mokay19 hopefully it was too early. At least you know the trigger is out of your system! ha

@kiki047 enjoy your time away and happy birthday!

@acleverusername ummm yeah I'd definitely take the most expensive option if I knew it was going to be 100% covered! That's the most precious cargo they're transporting! What's the next option? By truck?

Diagnosis (if you've been): unexplained, low morph, maybe find out in a month there's immune issues

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  TWW. Pretty sure WTO will start tomorrow

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): RI appointment next week with what I'm assuming will be lots of blood work assigned to me. 

How are things going?: somehow I'm not disappointed all my tests were negative this weekend. Probably because I have the RI appointment coming up so soon. Plus I don't have to worry about being technically pregnant on Saturday while at Six Flags again. DH and I were very bummed that they stop doing weekdays after August. Dammit. But it's the last Saturday before Fright Fest starts and it's the cheapest day to go this month so hopefully there's also not a ton of people.

Any questions?: I'm super overdue for a pap - is there issue with getting that done in the TWW period if I happen to be KU? For some reason I'm thinking it doesn't really matter, but it's not the best to do it in the TWW.

GTKY: Name your favorite movie genre. What's your favorite movie from that genre? Once again I've picked a question that I don't have a good answer for haha. I'm big on comedy movies and sci-fi/fantasy. I have a lot of favorites so I can't really pick a movie but also I don't watch movies very often so it's not like I have a movie that I could watch every day. DH and I have a little thing with Oblivion. Live Die Repeat was great too. I do have a thing for movies with strong leading women. Emily Blunt killing aliens with a helicopter blade? Totally badass.

acleverusername

@inthewoods23 I occasionally post stuff from hilariously_infertile's account in lieu of gifs / images whenever I'm starting the weekly IF thread. If you copy and paste the url, it'll show up as just that gif/image. Otherwise, I don't know how to save the content off Insta. I think their whole schtick is not to be able to do that. Also, totally get the "non-excitement" for being potentially KU'ed ahead of a big IF-related appointment. Like, we tried naturally this cycle, and I'm like "C'mon AF! the sooner you arrive, the sooner I can start my stims." It's a sad existence. But also, where is your ALL TIME FAVORITE movie in that list?! You know which one I'm talking about... 

acleverusername

Oh, and @inthewoods23 lol at truck being an option. The next best option is they ship it unsupervised FedEx overnight or something to that effect. And who know if border agents or even the FedEx couriers can guarantee that there is nothing wonky going on. Like... what if the tank falls and is not upright?

The cost was a true consideration when we were OOP. But yeah, since we've got insurance coverage, it's no longer an option. Interestingly, the other companies offer insurance policies (i.e. $25K or $50K). The company I picked, does not... they way they explained it is... there's really no way to know if it was the transport that caused damage to eggs, or there were issues with freezing, thawing, egg quality, etc. What this company _does_ guarantee is against tank failure, which is not likely given the constant watchful eye of the medical courier. 

Also @misshelen86 I see you! 👋🏻

inthewoods23

@acleverusername ohhhh okay! I didn't know it would do that copy/pasting the link. I didn't want some random URL link showing instead of a picture. I'll have to keep that in mind for next week. Unsupervised transport??? Absolutely not! Yikes. I know tank failures are very rare, but I recall 2 years ago on the IF board someone actually had that happen and she got a free round of IVF because of it.

And. OH. MY. GOD. HOW DID I FORGET THE FIFTH ELEMENT 

laura-kay

If you really want to save the image…..

https://www.androidauthority.com/download-images-from-instagram-869004/

They make it difficult!  I could show how to where it is in the source code, but that’d be too much to explain unless you are a coder….

shortstack930

@mokay19 fingers crossed that you just tested too early!!

@kiki047 yeah I did the suppositories last time and they were definitely messy. I'm a nurse so I don't really mind the shots but I have heard awful stories about women's experiences with PIO.

@acleverusername that is amazing that you were able to get everything hand delivered like that!! And even better that you're getting reimbursed for it!

@keikilove that's what I worry about--what if my progesterone ended up being too low without the PIO or the transfer fails and then I wonder if it would've worked if I had done PIO? I do appreciate their letting me choose though!

@inthewoods23 wow that is a huge difference in price!! Is an RI the same as an RE? Re: Pap during TWW--I think you should be okay because they're just scraping the cervix and doctors do pap smears in early pregnancy all the time so I wouldn't worry. 

inthewoods23

@shortstack930 RE is reproductive endocrinologist while an RI is a reproductive immunologist. The RI does testing an RE typically won't do. They look for immune issues that could be causes for miscarriages or implantation failure. In my 4+ years of TTC so far, no IUIs have worked and my 1 embryo transfer failed. *TW* I did get a natural BFP last year but that ended in MC *end TW*. I'm not willing to spend the thousands of dollars to do another FET if it's going to be pointless.

zwink1

@shortstack930, nice to see you!!  I've only ever done PIO, so not much to offer in the way of comparison.  The needles are pretty daunting to get around, but once you do it's really not that bad.  

@mokay19, fx it's just too early.  

@kiki047, happy birthday and I hope you have a super relaxing getaway!

Diagnosis (if you've been):  primarily MFI

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  TWW I guess

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  going to go get the bloodwork out of the way at some point this week.  Otherwise just waiting on CD1 so that I can get my HSN scheduled and get this FET show on the road.  

How are things going?:  meh.  Okay.  I've been in a weird mood lately.  Not sure if it's just overall life frustration, the impending onset of CD1, or some combination of both.  Hopefully I bust out of this funk soon.  

Any questions?:  natm. 

GTKY: Name your favorite movie genre. What's your favorite movie from that genre?
I'm not sure that I have a favorite.  I'm not a huge movie person, but I do love the ones that make you think about them afterward.  

shortstack930

@inthewoods23 ahh, that makes sense! That sounds like a great next step. I totally agree with you about the financial aspect of it. I hope they’re able to find you some answers!

@zwink1 hey girl!! Hope you get out of your funk soon ❤️

tinfoilhats

Hi again!

Diagnosis (if you've been): RPL, uterine septum (sx removed), one ovary (righty had a tumor), unexplained infertility 

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):  TWW, but... my timing was horrible, something like O-4. Ugh!

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  This week I got my pre-IVF bloodwork done and started omnitrope to improve egg quality/production.

How are things going?:  I'm on CD25 today, had my bloodwork done yesterday and am now stalking the lab's patient portal so I can get the results and GET ON with getting my IVF med protocol. Big ole fingers crossed, hopes, prayers, rainbows, and fairies that this happens quick enough for me to start IVF on next cycle. Have my heart set on it, and once that happens, sitting out another month seems like the most horrible thing in the world. (Sorry for being dramatic!)

Any questions?:  Maybe where you recommend having PGT-A for embabies? I'm thinking of doing a fresh transfer, then testing the ones that remain so that if I end up needing a FET I know which embaby to transfer. The clinic recommends Cooper, but they're $300/embryo. Invitae is half that, but the clinic says they are "unreliable." I had my own genetic testing (cancer genes) done at Invitae and had a super easy process. Any recommendations on where to do PGT-A?

GTKY: Name your favorite movie genre. What's your favorite movie from that genre?  Give me a drama! However, I don't have a fave movie. Weird, I know.

optimistgardener

Hey all. I've been pretty mia this week because family in town and teaching starting up soon, plus of course I've got basically no new news here. Still, I thought I'd grab a few tags while I can.

@shortstack930 i've done a few weeks of suppositories and, before my fresh transfer was cancelled in July, a few days of PIOs. I dunno if you were lurking this board in August but I had some kind of a delayed reaction to the PIO (probably the sesame oil the progesterone is suspended in). My understanding is reactions are fairly unusual so you probably have little to worry about there. Overall, I was surprised that the intramuscular shots were as easy as they were, but on my personal list of most favorite shots, they still rank near the bottom. Still, I agree with everyone that suppositories suuuuuck. I guess I won't ever have to choose whether giving myself daily intramuscular ass shots is worse than having the gnarliest most underwear be-snarling vaginal secretions, though. If I ever manage to make it to a transfer, my clinic for some reason has its patients do both PIO and suppositories every day after transfer. Worst of all possible worlds!

@inthewoods23 your pic this week made me lol.

@bumblebee0210 great news! I am looking forward to updates.

@kiki047 I feel you on the getting older thing.

@mokay19 🤞!

@acleverusername My clinic wants me to take DHEA but only after I start on BC in prep for the stims cycle. They recommend 75mg/day, and the RE said he feels the BC helps to mitigate the acne/hair loss thing that otherwise can happen. I do no understand why that would be the case but I am not an endocrinologist, obvs. They have been fairly vague about the reasoning for why DHEA is a good supp to take. A little casual pubmed searching suggests plausibly positive effects on both recruitment rates and on oocyte quality.

@zwink1I hope the funk leaves soon. I'm not sure if it's helpful to say I can empathize, but I feel in general like there's a lot of stuff going on in the world right now to cultivate some serious funk, in addition to all the things we experience in our personal lives. I hope you're able to find a way to escape it.

@tinfoilhats I did my PGT-A through Cooper Genomics and my main comment about them is that it took them a minor eternity to get back to me with results (more than 3 weeks). My clinic may have had something to do with the delay as well, I suppose, but I mostly blame Cooper. Apart from their having bad news for me (which was not their fault of course) I don't have much of a sense of why they are any better (or worse) than any other company. The only information I got about my embryos was from my RE, who talked me through the results. Perhaps if I'd had different results, they would have wanted to talk to me about the results directly before I did a transfer, but instead, the only communication I had from Cooper was in the form of a huge credit card bill shortly after I learned that all my embryos were abnormal. So my overall feeling on Cooper is pretty meh. Still, if your clinic says Cooper is reliable and Invitae is not, I would definitely opt for the testing company that my clinic trusts to give reliable results. It's too big of a time/money/emotion investment to find yourself wondering later whether your results were trustworthy.

acleverusername

@zwink1 I hope you don’t have to wait for CD1 for much longer. Are you doing transfer prep the cycle after your HSN?

@tinfoilhats Good luck with your IVF cycle! WRT to PGT-A, are Natera or Igenomix options for you? Those are the 2 companies my clinic uses.

@optimistgardener I hope you’re enjoying fam visits and feeling better about Zoom teaching. Thanks for your 2 cents about DHEA. I’ve gone ahead and started a 25mg dose. Not sure if it’ll have any impact in the 4 weeks I’ll be taking it though. I’ve read some literature from Center for Human Reproduction that they usually put their patients on it 16-20 weeks before treatment. 🤷‍♀️ Also, I feel that many of us our are REs-In-Training. Aimright?!

optimistgardener

@acleverusername funny you should mention it, I was just mulling over the possibility of "going rogue" on my RE's recommendation to only start DHEA when I start the BC, and, like you, do a low-dose 25mg dose starting tonight. I think I will because obviously my eggs need all the help they can get, and, eh, what's a little hair loss.

ETA of course I'm hoping the low dose will mean no hair loss. it may also mean no actual impact but it's a middle ground I'm willing to take.

inthewoods23

@tinfoilhats my clinic didn't give me options for who to do the PGT-A through. Mine went to Cooper and I had my results in about a week (this was 2019).



Random protocol related Q - what other injections might one have besides the PIO and estradiol for an embryo transfer? That's all I had with my protocol but my friend was saying her SIL does PIO and one other injection every day and another injection every couple days (assuming this is the estradiol). What could this other daily injection be???

keikilove

@inthewoods23 The most common injection besides PIO is Lovenox (generic name: enoxaparin, or clexane in UK) for those with known or suspected blood-clotting issues. It’s also used for general immune issues sometimes. 

Neupogen is another one that can be daily or every few days depending on the protocol. 

bumblebee0210

@optimistgardener. Wait the DHEA is causing my hair loss???????  [Also-- I have been on 25mg since ~Feb, and I have no idea whether it has contributed to my increased AMH or not]

optimistgardener

@bumblebee0210 quite possibly?! sorry to hear you're going through that, ugh.

bumblebee0210

@optimistgardener. I just assumed it was like hormone wackiness generally. I never really had the other DHEA symptoms-- acne, oily hair, etc., so I always just thought the 25mg dose was warding off all of the side effects. 

optimistgardener

@bumblebee0210 maybe it's the DHEA? it would seem like a low dose would not make a huge difference, but I'd definitely be suspicious in your shoes.

Also, a general announcement: I've just discovered I get infertility coverage w/ my new employer-based insurance. So my next retrieval will not be all OOP. It's still a 50% thing, but that's a big big change from fronting it all on my own. This is huge news for me!!

zwink1

@optimistgardener, you're right, maybe the general state of the world is adding to my mood.  Excellent news about your insurance!  That's the good kind of surprise!

@acleverusername, luckily, CD1 was cooperative this cycle and showed up yesterday.  I talked to my RE's office this am to schedule my HSN, and they're letting me start the down reg cycle this month, so we're on track to do the HSN on the 16th and then start the transfer prep at the end of this cycle rather than having to wait for another cycle to roll through, so that was good news!  

@inthewoods23, hmmmm, interesting.  Not sure what injections she'd be doing with the PIO.  Maybe someone else has an idea.  My FET is a lupron protocol, but they're not simultaneous. 

acleverusername

@optimistgardener @bumblebee0210 Huh… hair loss due to DHEA? That’s really interesting indeed. I remember complaining about loosing quite a bit of hair in the shower late last year, and I had assumed to was because of some other vitamins (too much Vut E or selenium). But maybe it was DHEA related?! Will have to look into this. 

@optimistgardener YEE-HAW for some infertility coverage! That’s super awesome news! Do you know if they cover both drugs and procedure?

@bumblebee0210 if your first monitoring appointment this weekend?

@zwink1 oh yay! Sounds like everything is lining up nicely for you to have a transfer soon! 🤞🏻

laura-kay

@kiki047 I totally feel you on the getting older.  I turned 38 yesterday.  It’s another one of those “milestones”, and I really did not want the birthday to come.  The only suggestion I have is what the others mentioned to me last week (it’s worth a read if you didn’t see their responses).  Everyone is different with their timeline.  The milestones are just averages.That’s not cool that your doctor said that about you running out of time though.  It just adds to the stress, considering that you are already working with an REI.

By the way, happy belated birthday!

acleverusername

@bumblebee0210 @optimistgardener According to CHR, DHEA can in fact cause hair loss. Lovely. https://www.centerforhumanreprod.com/blog/what-are-the-side-effects-of-dhea

tinfoilhats

@optimisticgardener and @intothewoods23 thanks for your thoughts on Cooper!

@acleverusername - we can use anywhere we choose. Natera was also mentioned as an option.

mokay19

Still all negative tests here. I’ll test again tomorrow before stopping the progesterone, but I’ve lost hope. So if this fails, we’ll be taking a couple months off to recoup finances and get on my new job’s insurance. 😕

acleverusername

@mokay19 sending you virtual hugs. 

optimistgardener

@mokay19 ugh i'm so sorry. my heart totally sank on seeing you reappear here.

mokay19

@optimistgardener I was really hoping to wait a few days and be happily surprised so I waited to check and post... but, alas, no such luck!

optimistgardener

damn it all, @mokay19. well at least you're in good company around here for as long as you gotta stick around. hugs from afar.

zwink1

Man @mokay19, I'm sorry you didn't get a happy surprise.  Sending you all of the hugs.