IF Testing & Treatment w/o 8/29

abjm0325

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 ballgame. 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 (TI/ICI/IUI/IVF/FET/benched):

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

How are things going?:

Any questions?:

GTKY: What meal could you eat every week because of its deliciousness?

abjm0325

Diagnosis (if you've been): RPL, old, unknown

Status (TI/ICI/IUI/IVF/FET/benched): TI

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Clomid cycle along with various other helpers (baby aspirin, progesterone, methyl folate, etc)

How are things going?: Going okay! This is the part of the cycle where I feel like I can breathe and relax a little. Nothing to pee on, symptom spot, or stress over. I want to get back to some hobbies that I've abandoned in recent months to try to take some of the attention off TTC. I'm knitting a scarf for a friend for a Christmas (I'm a slow knitter, haha), working on a minor home improvement project, slowly jogging, and hoping to start organizing some family photos.

Any questions?: Not today

GTKY: What meal could you eat every week because of its deliciousness? My classy answer is a salmon dish with this amazing green sauce (avocado, habanero, cilantro, green onion, etc) and I think I could literally drink the sauce. My more trash person answer would be nachos. 😆

optimistgardener

@abjm0325 curious to see what the scarf looks like as it starts to take shape!

Diagnosis (if you've been): geriatric lonely ovary, bad neighborhood (possible endo and scarring)

Status (TI/ICI/IUI/IVF/FET/benched): IVF

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): entering the home stretch in my wait for my baseline ultrasound - now less than a week away!

How are things going?: fine i guess. trying to not listen to that voice in my head that's like "did you give yourself a cyst by going off birth control?" also this is such a minor complaint but the new insulin syringes that my pharmacy sent are 29gauge not 30, and that tiny little fractional difference definitely makes for a more painful injection of my omnitrope.

Any questions?: nada

GTKY: What meal could you eat every week because of its deliciousness? well i just finished making myself an egg breakfast burrito with homemade salsa verde and that's a pretty solid contender, but so is a veggie burrito with whole pinto beans, salsa fresca, and generous guac. or alternatively to escape the burrito theme, pasta pesto with fresh garden tomatoes.

mambo5-2

Hi, I'm back... I had to take a step away because LIFE and cancelled transfer 

Diagnosis (if you've been): RPL, MFI, Possible funky blood

Status (TI/ICI/IUI/IVF/FET/benched): waiting for AF 

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): NOTHING 

How are things going?: I'm hanging out transfer cycle was cancelled due to a lineing not responding. Such a joy. Not fun. I went to Florida and sat on the beach with my bestie for 4 days. 

Any questions?: Nope 

GTKY: What meal could you eat every week because of its deliciousness? Probably pasta 

bearmomma1

@mambo5-2 mambo!! We were thinking of you in your absence. Sorry to hear about the cancelled cycle. Welcome back though!
@optimistgardener woohoo almost baseline time! And ouch, that doesn’t sound like a minor complaint. Can you ask them to send you the right size?
@abjm0325 I hope you enjoy your time in limbo. I like that time too. I’m in SS purgatory right now.

Diagnosis (if you've been): DOR, LPD, unexplained 

Status (TI/ICI/IUI/IVF/FET/benched): IUI

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) letrozole, trigger, IUI, progesterone, all the supplements 

How are things going?: you guys, talk me off the ledge! I’m at 10 DPO right now and it’s taking a lot of me to not test. I did a 6 DPO test to see if the Hcg was out of my system from the trigger shot and it was. I wanted to wait until Wednesday to test but now I’m like what’s the point? Argg 

Any questions?: nope

GTKY: What meal could you eat every week because of its deliciousness? Tacos. I could eat them every day! 

(Edited for spelling)

optimistgardener

@mambo5-2 welcome back! super sorry to hear about the lining stuff but i hope the beach time was cathartic.

@bearmomma1 yeah i probably could ask for that but knowing me i'm gonna just complain about it instead. it doesn't really hurt that much and it's good practice for improving my injection technique i guess. Re: testing i have no good advice, except that at 10dpo you could still tell yourself it's too early if it's a negative (if you test, fx it's a pos!), so you have to decide for yourself whether that limbo is livable or not. i mean, i know you're already in limbo but the true pre-test limbo is a different beast from the "tested and it's a negative but maybe i tested too early" limbo.

elle-0409

Diagnosis (if you've been): RPL, LPD, MTHFR, ANA Positive

Status (TI/ICI/IUI/IVF/FET/benched): Benched

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): YOU GUYS!! My rheumatologist appointment is on Wednesday!

How are things going?: See choir above.

I'm good! Just so ready to move forward and get some answers.

Any questions?: I'm going to talk to the rheumatologist about Lovenox. Is anyone else on this? Do you have any thoughts/feelings/opinions about it? Due to my MTHFR, positive ANA, and RPL I've seen it recommended alongside baby aspirin, which I'm already taking.

GTKY: What meal could you eat every week because of its deliciousness? I literally make a Mediterranean salad every week, or even a couple of times a week. It's so freaking delicious.

@abjm0325 Oh, man. I really need to work on our scrapbooks/photo albums, but it keeps getting pushed down on my to-do list. Good luck! Do you use something like Shutterfly or print out photos to paste in an album?

@optimistgardener I can't believe your baseline is less than a week away! Time is flying.

@mambo5-2 I'm so sorry that your cycle got cancelled. Relaxing on the beach sounds lovely!

@bearmomma1 I personally hate testing too early and then squinting or trying to adjust the lighting on my phone to see if there's a line. If you can hold out for a few more days, I would. But I'm also the person who tests far too early and should really take my own advice. LOL!

*ETA question

anniemarie887

Diagnosis (if you've been): uncooperative uterus/RPL, TBD?

Status (TI/ICI/IUI/IVF/FET/benched): benched for eeeeeeeeeeeternity

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

How are things going?: they are going, just plodding along until tomorrow... *TW LOSSES* a lot of significant dates colliding this/last week - due date from jan's mmc was 8/24/22, first CP was 9/1/21. i know i said this last week, but just really hopeful to be closing this chapter. i hope that hope isn't naïve and stupid *END TW*

Any questions?: natm

GTKY: What meal could you eat every week because of its deliciousness? a cheeseburger, hands down absolutely no questions about it. in-n-out, shake shack, five guys, local places... hell even throw in burger king or wendy's. i love cheeseburgers. lol

@abjm0325 hey nachos tough on various parts of the food pyramid! lol don't sell them short!

@optimistgardener i'm sorry the injections are more painful, i always forget smaller number on gauge actually means bigger, right?!

@mambo5-2 glad to see you back but i'm so sorry about the cancelled xfer

@bearmomma1 you have amazing will power IMO, i prob would be testing! fx for you!

@elle0-0409 so glad the appt is weds! i know what all that waiting is like! my BFF from college had to be on lovenox bc of Antiphospholipid syndrome *TW MC/LC* it was the missing piece for her after 3 losses to go on to have a successful pregnancy and baby *END TW*

Edit: clarify dates

kiki047

@anniemarie887 sending you hugs this week as you prepare for your procedure and with all those tough dates colliding all at once. I hope the rest of the week is gentler on you.  
@optimistgardener holy moly, baseline is almost here! Unfortunately that also means summer is also almost over but woo hoo!! 
@bearmomma1 I agree with optimist's logic. 
@abjm0325 that salmon dish sounds delicious! 
@mambo5-2 we'd been wondering where you went. I'm so sorry about the cancelled transfer, but better not to waste that precious embryo on a less-than-ideal lining. FX the next cycle is the one for you! 
@elle-0409 I'm on the Canadian version of Lovenox, Fragmin. Also a blood thinner. It's a real bitch to inject (stings, leaves nasty bruises) but no real side effects other than bruising. It's pretty common in the RPL/RI world. The way I see it, there's no real downside as it can also increase blood flow to the uterus. I wore my bruises with pride as they made me feel badass for doing hard things to get our THB. 

abjm0325

@optimistgardener Um, after seeing that sweater you made I don't think I'll be showing off my beginning-level scarf. 😆

@mambo5-2 I'm sorry about the lining being stupid, but welcome back!

@bearmomma1 Ugh, I hate that period where you can't decide whether to test. I'm an early tester (10 DPO) now so I can stop progesterone, but I'd much prefer to wait for AF.

@elle-0409 Yay for appointment time! I do love print albums, but I haven't printed photos for one in years so now I'm a little overwhelmed. My current goal is organizing/deleting photos on Google. Eep.

@anniemarie887 Mmm, we're having burgers tonight. Delicious. So sorry for all of the tough dates. Sending lots of hugs. 

optimistgardener

@anniemarie887 yeah smaller gauge is bigger. the PIO shots, for ex, are usually somewhere in the 18-20 range and look medieval. 30 is so small you basically can't feel it. 29 is just a tiny bit bigger than that, so i really shouldn't be complaining.

@elle-0409 i look forward to hearing what you learn from your appointment! also mediterranean salad, yum!!

@abjm0325 i love all the knitting projects, and have knit a ton of scarves in my life. so i still totally want to see your project.

anniemarie887

Most of the anesthesia haze is gone, and I’m feeling pretty good. Was under long enough they intubated me, which was new. 

*TW D&C and RPL talk*

Turns out… not scar tissue. Remnants of a prior loss. I don’t expect everyone to remember my whole saga, but in May the d&c done by my OBGYN was under ultrasound. There was a spot that she said she felt confident she got 90% of but didn’t want to keep going to fear of causing damage. And l felt like I got hit by a bus after that. So, this time around with the camera she (new RE, not OBGYN - still love my OB!!)could tell there was still POC left behind and make sure she got it, and in a gentler fashion. Bleeding is light like a period AND the best news: NO foley bulb and catheter for draining. Wooohoo! She sent out the tissue she got to biopsy to make sure an infection hasn’t been brewing. The irony is that I finally caved and bought $200 of period underwear thinking I would be dealing with a crime scene, and the thought of huge pads when it’s still 95 and humid here seemed gross. Oh well, they were something I had been considering but not jazzed about the expense, they’ll still get used *END TW*

Now, here’s the plot twist… bc god forbid I am run of the mill. She says she saw a “suggestion of endometriosis” so she took an emc biopsy as well. So… tbd, but per her miscarriage rates are higher when dealing with endo. I have none of the hallmark symptoms associated with endo. But I know that doesn’t mean I’m necessarily free of it. 

As it stands for now I will have a follow up with her next week I think, that was the plan to remove the drain, pelvic rest for one week. am supposed to get my period in the next 4ish days… and after that… cleared to try and get pregnant!! Add in progesterone and baby aspirin after ovulation. 

Edit to clarify, one day I’ll proof read better

elle-0409

@anniemarie887 Wow! That was definitely an ordeal, but lots of huge good news in there! I hope that everything comes back perfect and you recover quickly.

optimistgardener

@anniemarie887 i'll comment more later, but for now--ice chips are your friend to soothe your throat after intubation! hope you feel much recovered tomorrow.

acleverusername

*lurking*

@elle-0409 I'm on Lovenox now, and I feel it's the best thing for me given my risk factors (MTHRF + Pai-1 4g/4g mutation). As @kiki047 says, the bruising it a total b*tch, but - I don't know if it's that I'm getting better at it - it's been much better now that I've been doing it for 30+ days. Also, when I went looking to (foolishly) explain to my friend why Lovenox, I came across this article which I hope will help: https://medium.com/invisible-illness/how-i-had-a-child-after-three-miscarriages-and-a-gene-mutation-6eb8383a83be

@anniemarie887 holy ordeal! So happy that you're through this now. Re: endo... girl, there's actually a new documentary coming out (with backers like Hilary Clinton, Rosario Dawson, etc.) called Below the Belt that's all about Endo. I'm SO SO SO hoping they cover silent endometriosis in it because IT IS A REAL THING. And to me, it's heinous. At one point in time, a lap surgery was standard in the diagnosis of infertility (it still is in some countries...i.e. Germany; my SIL had it done). But I bet American insurance companies lobbied ACOG to get rid of it to lower costs. You have no idea how many times on my RESOLVE peer chat I'm seeing ppl go through multiple failed IVF cycles, only to then go to another doctor (TEW, because that's whom I recommend always) and then she goes and diagnoses them with endometriosis. There are very very very few REs that are skilled enough to tell endo from an ultrasound. In most cases, you'd need to go to an endo specialist to get that diagnosis. And over here, it's HUGE research hospital fertility clinics that are not testing for it (i.e. UCSF Center for Reproductive Health). Anyways, all that to say, I hope you're getting to the real root cause of your troubles. Also this. 

abjm0325

@anniemarie887 Wow! I am so glad this doctor was able to remove the remaining tissue with less complication than you feared. That is wild about the endometriosis. It is sometimes hard to believe how little even the professionals seem to know about the inner-workings of women's bodies. TTC has been a real eye-opener to that deficit in our medical world. 

bearmomma1

Negative

kiki047

@bearmomma1 I'm so sorry friend. Sending hugs. 

@anniemarie887 oh goodness, that's a lot to digest. First and foremost, I'm glad it sounds like it was a success and well worth the wait/delays/etc. Yay for not needing the foley bulb after all, and that recovery shouldn't be too rough on you. FWIW, I love my period underwear and have spent an unspeakable amount on every colour and pattern and style and I will even wear it when I don't need it because it's that comfortable and lightweight. Will be holding my breath for your biopsy results to come in. 

anniemarie887

@acleverusername thanks for linking those two things - i had heard of silent endo before, but never thought that could be an issue for me! i've done a smidge of reading in the last 24 hours and it seems that the thought of surgery or no surgery is pretty split these days?!
@bearmomma1 i'm so sorry, big hug
@kiki047 i did just remember that my $200 of period underwear is HSA elig, so i will be reimbursing myself for that!  wearing them today, quite comfy! but also, basically not even spotting today. waiting for AF to make her appearance this weekend. 

acleverusername

@anniemarie887 I think it really depends on the stage of endo. I'd wait and see what the biopsy comes back as and, if positive, book a consult with an endo specialist. 

*TW* success despite suspected endo

I made a friend from the Reddit infertility community who actually ended up being a patient at the same clinic as I so I met her IRL. She had to go down the IVF route because of RPL (2 MCs, 1 CP). It also turned out that she had poor egg quality, which endo can cause. Well, she did 2 transfers, both of which failed. Then, she found out that her mom had had endo and so the suspicion was that she probably has it too since it has a big genetic component. She was waiting for the right time in the cycle for the biopsy but ended up PG again, and she's currently 20 weeks. So, it's not impossible to get / stay pregnant with endo. But you are more likely to suffer losses. Even though in her case it's unconfirmed, it's basically very likely given her presentations. She also doesn't have any of the traditional endo symptoms. 

elle-0409

@acleverusername Wow! Thank you so much for that. I have the same single copy C677T gene mutation as the author as well as TW Recurrent Pregnancy Loss TW. I'm going to send a message to my RE in the morning asking about Lovenox.

@bearmomma1 I'm so sorry. Hugs.

AFM, I met with my rheumatologist today. TW for RPL, LC, and MMC talk.

I swear that the doctor was a teenager. She was completely lovely and wonderful, but when she walked in I felt like asking, "Hey, Sweetie! Where's your mom?" But that might be reverse ageism? Crap. Am I so old now that all of the professionals look like children to me? (Okay, I might need to spiral about this later, but back to the story.) So I went over my history: One living child followed by two back-to-back missed miscarriages within seven months. I had a positive ANA test and was MTHFR positive. I remember that when I told her that I had two MMC's I said, "I'm not sure if you know what that is" and then went on to give a brief explanation. (If you recall, my shitty therapist had never heard of the term and googled it minutes before our session.) The doctor didn't say anything in the moment, but a few minutes later she confessed that she had had a MMC as well. I know it's weird to think that it was fate that she's my doctor, but a similar trauma can really bond people. Long story short, I have to go back in for repeat blood work, but I can't do that until mid-September because I need to wait at least twelve weeks since my positive ANA. Then, I have to wait two more weeks until my follow-up. She also said that she was not able to prescribe me Lovenox, but I should be able to get it from my OB or RE. So, that's another little hill I've got to climb.

And thanks for coming to my Ted Talk!

optimistgardener

@elle-0409 1000% with you on professional positions being strangely staffed by children these days. it's weird.

shortstack930

*lurking*

@anniemarie887 I was diagnosed with endometriosis back in 2017 and literally the only symptom I had was inability to get pregnant even after multiple IUIs with clomid. My doctor gave me the option to do surgery to check for endo or go straight to IVF and I did the surgery because I wanted answers. She only found a tiny dot of endo so it’s stage 1 but she said sometimes even that can cause infertility. It’s crazy how you can still have it without symptoms. 

anniemarie887

Well, the lab wasted no time. F/u with the RE next Thursday - I’m curious if she’ll message me regarding this before then  (edit bc spelling is so so hard)

@elle-0409 oh totally full of children. I’ve had residents on all of my procedures this year, and I am just mindblown by the fact that I’m a decade older than them. I am glad the dr is a good fit, I am a firm believer that makes a world of a difference. 

acleverusername

@anniemarie887 I do love that your endometrium is "benign". 

anniemarie887

Happy Friday, I’m full of comments this week! My dr emailed me at 10pm last night. That woman keeps wild hours. 2 weeks of doxycycline and a hold off on trying to get pregnant until the antibiotics are done. 

optimistgardener

@anniemarie887 i can sympathize with your doctor. i sometimes find myself writing students/colleagues/whatever at like 5:30am, and am like, maybe i should just have my computer bulk-send all my email at a more normal time of day

bearmomma1

@anniemarie887 does that mean there was an infection brewing at the site of the retained POC? 2 weeks is nothing compared to the months you've been benched. You got this girl!

anniemarie887

@bearmomma1 yea, which i mean considering there was retained tissue for.... shudder.... months, i guess it's not surprising? picked up my doxy this morning, not sure if it actually upset my stomach or psychosomatic. i've been on doxy before, back when i had lyme in 2016. 

optimistgardener

updating on a sunday even though i know it's quiet around here.
had my baseline ultrasound, which is good news/bad news in that i have a high-for-me afc this month of 10, but also 2 of them around 10mm already which is larger than preferred. the doc still wants me to stick to the plan and start my md lupron tomorrow and gonadotropins the day after. fingers crossed everybody recruits and i don't just wind up with a couple of huge runaways.

anniemarie887

@optimistgardener crossing every fiber of my body for you!

optimistgardener

thanks @anniemarie887! how's the recovery feeling? hope you (and everyone else here) are enjoying your labor day weekend.