IF Testing & Treatment w/o 11/7

bearmomma1

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: Do you play the lotto? What would you do if you won this record breaking Power Ball?

gingermama29

Thanks @bearmomma1 for starting all the threads!

Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS

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

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Gonal-F, ovidrel, Endometrin

How are things going?: So far so good. Triggered last night and will be starting Endometrin on Thursday. I’m a little anxious because DH got an ear infection over the weekend and is on antibiotics now. Dr Google indicated it could negatively impact sperm count and motility. Guess we’ll have to see.

Any questions?: Any tips/info you wish you’d known before starting Endometrin? 

GTKY: Do you play the lotto? What would you do if you won this record breaking Power Ball? I don’t typically play the lotto. If I won, I’d pay off all my debt and with the remaining $20, go out to lunch 😂. In all seriousness though, pay off debt for myself and all of my siblings, take a long vacation, fix up/renovate my house, and invest/save for retirement.  

bearmomma1

@gingermama29 is it the suppositories? I guess only advice would be to wear a panty liner. The discharge is kinda gross and that shiz can stain your underwear.

Diagnosis (if you've been): retired ovaries, LPD

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

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Just HIO all weekend. My H and I had a really fun weekend..wink wink.. . But this morning my H said "no more! I can't again today" haha which is fine since O was yesterday.

How are things going?: I'm happy that last week is over. It was really rough and I'm just trying to focus on the happy things in my life.

Any questions?: Last night while H and I were DTD, I started cramping really badly. I'm not sure if it was ovulation cramping or if my body was just waving it's white flag...my ovaries are still a little sore today, so maybe O pain? Has that happened to anyone before?

GTKY: Do you play the lotto? What would you do if you won this record breaking Power Ball? oh my goodness. I don't normally play, but I bought a ticket yesterday. First thing would be is go on a loooooong vacation somewhere. Then buy some real estate in really cool places. I would pay off the houses of our families, and then would pay for the best Egg donor plan there is.

anniemarie887

@gingermama29 i second @bearmomma1 it's a leaky situation.... 

inthewoods23

*coming out of lurk-dom*

@gingermama29 yeah.... You're going to want more than a basic pantiliner. I think these are the ones I bought because it's a lot when it leaks out. They're about as thick as a pad but it's a small price to pay to not feel grossly wet down there.

kiki047

@gingermama29 I second what @inthewoods23 posted about the liners, that's what I used too. Hopefully the antibiotics don't affect things too much in the short term. 
@bearmomma1 yess girl, I love that you had a fun weekend HIO. That kind of intimacy that isn't on some schedule and is actually enjoyable can feel so foreign when you're TTC so I'm all for a little sugar and spice when the mood strikes. // Not sure about the cramping Q, could've been just a very strong ovulation, or like you say, maybe just a little too much excitement for Queen V. 
@anniemarie887 from last week, so very sorry your CE is so persistent. I haven't done the Alice or ERA, here in Ontario we can get the endometrial biopsy covered by our public health insurance plan but it only tests for the presence of the CD138 inflammatory markers, not the specific strains. I think the Alice is the same idea but they test for the most common strains. The ERA is the receptivity test, so that one does need to be done at a specific time in your cycle because the thought is that it'll mimic the exact time of implantation for IVF purposes, but the test is falling out of favor these days because the research was heavily biased at the time and hasn't been proven to be as effective as they claim. Now the EMMA is the other test offered by Igenomix as part of their EndomeTRIO testing, that one tests the microbiome. I haven't done that one either because my RE doesn't believe in it but I did take some vaginal probiotics for a little while just to hedge my bets. I'll start it back up post-op once I've been cleared. 
@optimistgardener to answer your Q from last week, it's an abdominal myomectomy so not laparascopic. He said the incision should hopefully be only 2-3", which still sounds painful. Ugh. I'm guessing I should expect to be off work for at least a week, then maybe I'll WFH for a few days the following week too. 

Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS, RPL/RIF, MFI, and soon to be sans-Fibroid

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

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Less than 4 weeks away from my myomectomy. Nerves have started to set in. 

How are things going?: On the one hand I've been enjoying this time off from active treatment, eating what I want, not feeling guilty about the occasional drink, not having to worry about timing or being at the clinic, not being on so many meds (!!!)... but it weighs heavily on my heart to know that we're still so far away from our dream. Not being able to transfer until April means definitely no baby in 2023, meanwhile it feels like everyone around me is neck deep in all things babies and children. Now I have a new fear that DH's baby cousin will also get KU before us since they're getting married next summer. (she's not really a baby anymore, but she's the youngest in the family and was the reason DH wanted kids because he was in high school by the time she was born). 

Any questions?: NATM 

GTKY: Do you play the lotto? What would you do if you won this record breaking Power Ball? No I don't, and being Canadian the Power Ball phenomenon is just mind-blowing to me, but that doesn't mean we don't still dream of winning the lotto. Love all the answers so far. Mine would be pay off debt, donate to my favourite charities, buy a vacation property in Hawaii, encourage DH to quit his job... all amazing things, but it's not lost on me that no amount of money could buy me a baby. 

anniemarie887

Diagnosis (if you've been): uncooperative uterus/RPL, chronic endometritis that won't quit

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

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Alice test - 2-3 weeks for results

How are things going?: meh, grumpy. i have a super hectic next 48 hours, then i'm off to disney world with a friend until sunday. but of course now a hurricane is looming.

Any questions?: natm

GTKY: Do you play the lotto? What would you do if you won this record breaking Power Ball? well, firstly mortage and car payments would be gone! then some hefty charitable donations, hire more employees so i could totally check out of my office and have someone else run it, and take an amazing vacation.

@bearmomma1 get it girrrrrrrrl, glad you had a good weekend. you deserve it!

@gingermama29 adding more - are you doing it 1x or 2x day? if you can do it at night before bed it is less messy... when i am able to ttgp again my RE wants me doing morning and night though.

@kiki047 yea, so when actually seeing the RE today it was Alice. i think her receptionist just went off the broad spectrum of what they offer. and yes, my biopsies so far are the CD138 stain, so just a generic testing. she indicated that this could just be showing inflammation and maybe not truly an infection, that the inflammation could be in part due to the incessant prodding my poor uterus has been subjected to? at least i think that's how i understood what she said. it was 75 here today, her office was sweltering, and i always get anticipatory anxiety going into these so i was just like uh huh, sure, get it over with and get me out of here. just giving you a big hug, i truly know how hard it is grappling with the passage of time.

sunshine134

***Lurking***

Just sending all the love to you ladies!

@anniemarie887 I hope you're test results come back good, or at least with some answers!

@kiki047 I hope your surgery goes well!

@ everyone- just sending all the positive vibes!

gingermama29

@bearmomma1 yup suppositories 🙃. Appreciate the input for the liners. Sorry last week was rough. I hope you’re able to enjoy things more this week.

@inthewoods23 thank you friend

@kiki047 I’m glad you’ve been making the most of this time off of treatment but I definitely empathize with how you’re feeling. 

@anniemarie887 I’ll be doing them twice daily. Hopefully they won’t be too leaky during school 😳. I hope your next 48 hours fly by so you can get to your vacation. Ugh I saw about the hurricane. My parents are on a cruise right now and east of it. They’re expecting rough seas as they navigate south of it which is not helping my anxiety. Hopefully the hurricane avoids Disney for your vacation!

bearmomma1

@kiki047 it's so true. 99% of the time we're just doing it to try and make a baby, with no excitement involved. I love the times it turns into something more fun! And yea time seems to be flying by with every month/year of no baby. It's so hard seeing everyone else just cruising along making babies.

@anniemarie887 have so much fun at Disneyworld ! I hope the hurricane doesn't impact anything. If anyone deserves a fun time, it's you!

@gingermama29 Oh yea, for the day tme ones you'll need good liners. I've only ever used them at night, except for one night I forgot and did it the next morning. Fortunately the discharge is the only weird side effect!

gingermama29

Well despite best efforts, we missed my FW. I don’t know if it was a mental block, medication, or what but this is the first time that DH hasn’t been able to finish the task. Guess there’s no point in doing the Endometrin. I’m so frustrated but trying not to show it as I know he’s beating himself up too. 

bearmomma1

@gingermama29 oh no friend, I'm so sorry. I can only imagine the pressure the guys feel to get it done. Like, if mankind depended on women O'ing to make a baby, the world population would be cut in half.

optimistgardener

@kiki047 your preparation plans for the myomectomy sound right on the nose. take the opportunity to line up some bad tv and read some light stuff. I'm really optimistic for you that getting rid of Ms. Fibroid will be the thing you need!

@anniemarie887 i've been super lax about checking in here lately and so i can't remember if i actually replied to your awful crappy news about the persistence of endometritis. i really hope they get some answers for you with the ALICE test. ugh

@bearmomma1 hurray for the great weekend! also lol but also sob about the irrelevance of the female orgasm to reproduction. maybe if it were more crucial to the enterprise, society would have valued and centered it a bit more across history!

@gingermama29 oh noooo. i'm so sorry for both you and YH. obviously not of any use this cycle, but if it seems like this could be an issue next round, would he find it any easier to ejaculate solo? if so, the ol' cup and syringe trick is, if neither hot nor romantic, still practical.

AFM,

Diagnosis (if you've been): elderly ovary on crutches

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

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

How are things going?:  i'm sorry i've been MIA lately. i'm just waiting around for things to start getting more interesting with my IVF stuff. My next RE appointment isn't until early December, when I'll throw a full kitchen sink worth of questions at him and such. Meanwhile, I find myself in the weird situation of maybe? kind of? thinking about dating? a good friend? It's early days so who knows and he knows all about my IVF journey because i've been talking about it all the way through but it's a bit of a mindf**** to be like, aiming to get myself knocked up w/ all the science i can muster, but also trying to figure out what's happening on the friend/romance front. it's very welcome, because i have been more or less single for a while. just weird. anyway.

Any questions?: not really.

GTKY: Do you play the lotto? What would you do if you won this record breaking Power Ball? golly. well i'm lucky enough not to be in debt myself, so i'd probably get all my friends and family out of debt, put down payments on houses for a couple of them, and then i'd consider putting together an endowment for the floundering university i work at. and buy a bunch of fancy blazers and shoes while i figure out how to squander whatever is left.

sunshine134

**Lurking**

@optimistgardener That sounds exciting to be considering a romantic interest! You fertility journey seems like it has been very tough (as they all are) and a little romance can be fun! Good luck moving forward with that! And good luck with your upcoming appointment and FET!

anniemarie887

@optimistgardener thank you. And I'm excited for you I regard to the dating prospect!! 

AFM, hurricane Nicole did in fact prevent us getting to Disney. We moved the flight when the airport announced the initial closure. Yesterday was sheer chaos, flight delayed, some really tragic news, then flight cancelled which we decided was an omen to go drive to our friends who got some really bad news.