IF Testing & Treatment w/o 10.9

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 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's you're favorite Halloween or horror movie to watch during Spooky Season?

britters314

Diagnosis (if you've been): Unexplained

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

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Trying to decide if I want to do one more cycle with acupuncture. I will be doing the herbs still since I haven’t used them all up yet

How are things going?: Well it’s CD 1 and I was really hoping this would be the cycle, so I’m pretty disappointed. I told H it’s time to start talking about next steps. I want to look into using a donor embryo but he’s not so sure about that. Our chances with IUI aren’t super high, so I’d rather skip that, and I don’t want to do a full IVF cycle because I don’t want to end up with leftover embryos. Although I guess we could look into doing a natural IVF cycle so that doesn’t happen. Has anyone else considered that?

Any questions?: Just the one I just asked above.

GTKY: what's you're favorite Halloween or horror movie to watch during Spooky Season? 

I don’t really have a favorite. H and I watch Van Helsing every year though

capnjackharkness

@stormageddon-darklordofall here... I had to get a new work laptop, and apparently don't remember my login, so I'm back under a friend's login on my personal laptop.  LOL.

Diagnosis (if you've been):  RPL IF.

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

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  We had our egg retrieval a few weeks ago!  Had 27 eggs taken, 26 of them were mature.  17 made it through fertilization, and 12 made it to blastocyst stage to get biopsied for the genetic screening.  

How are things going?:  Screening results came back today.  Of the 12 biopsied, only 2 were 'normal.'  So, still trying to digest that information.  

Any questions?:

GTKY: what's you're favorite Halloween or horror movie to watch during Spooky Season?  Harry Potter probably. Maybe "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" LOL.  I'm not a spooky person.  LOL.

britters314

@stormageddon-darklordofall (or should I tag @capnjackharkness ?) Sorry it’s not better news from the genetic screening , but hopefully those two blastocysts are all you need!

capnjackharkness

@britters314 Well, looks like I'm back to being Capn Jack for a while.  LOL.  Cause I can't for the life of me remember the other login!  

I'm really finger crossing for the 2 embryos to be all we need.  I'm old, so this is my last ditch effort for a living baby.

Also, sorry about the disappointment this cycle.    I was hoping/thinking I'd end up with more viable embryos than I did, and my plan was to donate them.  So, depending on how you feel about that, it's always an option.  I know I felt really good about being able to help others in similar situations to myself and my friends on here if it came down to that... but I know this is a VERY personal decision as well.

aisleofviewtwo

@capnjackharkness FX those two hang on and stick when you need them to!! I’m sorry the results of the genetic screening weren’t what you’d hoped for. Is your RE willing to transfer an embryo that was deemed abnormal? We have to decide whether to do PGT-A testing and I’ve been trying to read up on what the screening can and can’t tell you about the future health of the embryo.

@britters314 I’d actually never heard of natural cycle IVF! But at a glance it sounds like a really nice balance between natural processes and medical support. If you have insurance coverage for infertility the only thing I’d recommend is checking the limits: I only get 3 cycles covered annually (TI/IUI/IVF combined), and I’m not sure how they would treat a cycle where you were monitored the whole way through but weren’t able to retrieve an egg, which it seems is a risk of the natural approach.

Diagnosis (if you've been): Unexplained

Status (TI/ICI/IUI/IVF/FET/benched): Benched-ish due to MMR booster 

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Starting a retrieval cycle either this Friday (!) or at the end of the month. 

How are things going?: I’m overwhelmed. I feel like being on the phone with doctors and insurance is now my full time job. We’ve been rushing to get medications ordered for the Friday start, but then found out yesterday that hubs and I are both carriers for the same genetic condition. So more genetic counseling and possibly PGT-M testing required. Which for sure means even more time on the phone with insurance. 

I SO want to get started but also feel like this really isn’t a thing to rush into unprepared. Thinking we’d probably be wise to slow down and sit out this round.

Any questions?:

GTKY: what's your favorite Halloween or horror movie to watch during Spooky Season? I’m only here for the treats 😂 no tricks or horror or even anything remotely scary, please!!

winterecho

Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS 

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

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): testing later this week to see how IUI went

How are things going?: I was feeling optimistic but now don't know how to feel because I don't think I have any symptoms. I felt I had so many the previous IUI cycle and then got a BFN

Any questions?: nope 

GTKY: what's you're favorite Halloween or horror movie to watch during Spooky Season? I don't like scary either! So my fave is Harry Potter


@stormageddon-darklordofall fx for those 2!

@aisleofviewtwo I wish insurance wasn't such a pain to deal with. Mine only covers 3 lifetime cycles of IVF 😮 so I'm nervous if my IUI doesn't take I can only do one more cycle before moving on to something else which is likely IVF 

charmedlifex3

Diagnosis (if you've been):  antiphopholipid syndrome, RPL, blocked left tube. 

Status (TI/ICI/IUI/IVF/FET/benched): benched until December after an ectopic pregnancy. 

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): I saw a new rheumatologist Friday of last week. He had some things to offer and is going to reach out to the RE. He also diagnosed me with palindromic rheumatism, which explains why I randomly feel like I’m 80. It can be a precursor to lupus or RA so I’m feeling the ticking clock even more. 

How are things going?: okay. I keep thinking about how our first loss should be coming this month. 

Any questions?:

GTKY: what's you're favorite Halloween or horror movie to watch during Spooky Season? Spookley the square pumpkin. 🙃😂

charmedlifex3

@winterecho 🤞🤞🤞 for later this week! 

@aisleoftwo I’m sorry for the news about genetics! That’s challenging to process. 

@capnjackharkness I know the attrition rate is heartbreaking but two is a good place to be! They exist, and there are two of them. ❤️❤️❤️
@britters314 we are considering a donor embryo as well. If we went that route we’d do embryo adoption (someone else’s “left overs”) my husband is pushing for adoption because of my health, and I’m pretty against it ethically so I think that may be the compromise. It saves me some procedures, and it’s a embaby that wouldn’t get to live otherwise… but it doesn’t have all the challenges/ risks of a traditional adoption. 

britters314

@aisleofviewtwo Oh I didn’t even think about how insurance might cover natural IVF. The way our insurance works is we get a certain number of “smart cycles” (I think it’s either 3 or 4 lifetime coverage). Different things count as a portion of a smart cycle. IVF is normally 3/4 of a cycle, so I’m guessing if they did an egg retrieval and didn’t get any eggs or just didn’t have any that made it to the embryo stage, they’d count it as half a cycle or something instead. Definitely something I should ask about though if we go that route.

@charmedlifex3 We would also be doing it as an embryo “adoption” if we go that route. I’ve already picked out the agency I want to go with and now I just need to get H on board with it lol

capnjackharkness

@aisleofviewtwo Unfortunately my RE is backed up, so our appointment to discuss results and next steps isn't until Nov. 17!?    With my history of 5 MCs and unexplained RPL, I don't think I'd want to risk transferring an abnormal embryo.  We'll probably take our 2 chances and be done if they both end in loss.  My heart can't take much more, and I'm old as F (will be 40 before one of these embryos would be born).  Our first loss was in 2015, so this has been a VERY long saga....
Sorry about your living on the phone with docs/insurance.  That definitely is the pits!  It's sooo frustrating.  If they recommend the testing, I'd definitely do it.  I always prefer data, and would rather not have more losses/devastation if something were preventable!  My 2 cents...

@winterecho Fingers crossed for you.  The waiting is suck fest....

@charmedlifex3 Sorry about the rough date.  I understand.  This is the worst time of year for me.  I had 2 losses in October, including my first one. Plus with all the holiday pics of all the kiddos and family focus this time of year, and then October being loss month and the weather changing.... it's a rough time of year. 
I am grateful we have 2 normal embryos and those 2 chances for a living baby.  At least it's more data, and may explain our losses.  So we'll take our chances and hope for the best.

inthewoods23

@britters314 hmmm I've never heard of natural IVF before! Totally makes sense though. Could be worth it, especially if you're only looking to have one child. I've also heard of compassion FETs (I think that's what it's called) where they take any remaining embryos you have from IVF cycles and transfer them either in the window between your period and natural ovulation or during the luteal phase. Basically at a time where there's no chance of them implanting. Sort of a more natural way of "disposing" the embryos if you don't want to donate them to another couple or to science/medical studies. Something to consider if you do go through the full IVF type of cycle and have more embryos than you know what to do with.

@capnjackharkness wait, I thought this capn account has gotten banned? haha. Or was the stormageddon created as a backup after getting a couple warnings? In any case... holy moly to 12 blasts! So unfair that only 2 ended up normal. How soon until you have a FET? Keeping my FX those embryos are the ones!

@aisleofviewtwo insurance is so aggravating. I hope you get it all figured out in time!

@winterecho FWIW...*tw* the times I've gotten positive HPTs, my symptoms were really no different compared to BFN cycles. I've had so many times I was convinced I was KU because of how strong symptoms were but they were always BFNs. The positive HPTs.... I felt completely normal like wtf lol. The best you can do for yourself right now is to try not to symptom spot but I know that's a hard thing to ignore!

@charmedlifex3 be kind to yourself this month. My loss date is coming up too actually . Also what is this Spookley the Square Pumpkin? I have never heard of it! lol

Diagnosis (if you've been): immune issues, high TSH, etc etc....

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

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): starting taking the immunosuppressants this week!

How are things going?: Things are fine. I did the math and found that if I wait until next week to start the meds, I would need to get blood drawn the same week I have a business trip and that's going to be stressful to coordinate so starting this week it is. Instead I'll have my follow up with the RI while I'm on the trip. So just chugging along for now!

Any questions?: Nope

GTKY: what's you're favorite Halloween or horror movie to watch during Spooky Season? I don't watch movies much these days but I'll watch Hocus Pocus if given the opportunity. I'm also a fan of "it's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown" like @capnjackharkness . Is that considered a movie or like an episode?

aisleofviewtwo

@winterecho FX for you today!!!

@capnjackharkness Thanks, I really appreciate your willingness to share your experience and perspective! I don’t have a lot of people I can talk to about this IRL and the decision has been kind of eating me up inside.

capnjackharkness

@inthewoods23 RIGHT!?!?  I thought it was banned too!  I was super SHOCKED when I was able to like sign in and start chatting with no issues.  Color me shocked!
I'm just twiddling my thumbs over here until the RE appointment with doctor on Nov 17.  I feel like I'm just waiting a month so that THEY can say "So you've got 2 good ones, and the rest are junk.... next step is FET and we need you to call (CD 1) or whatever they do...."  


@aisleofviewtwo Well, I'm always here to offer my unsolicited opinion.    So feel free to ask me anything (but be aware, sometimes I have no filter)  (also... sometimes = almost never)

bumblebee0210

*lurking*

@capnjackharkness. One the one hand, 2 of 12 is super disappointing news. *BUT* here is maybe a silver lining: you knew something was wrong, because you have had so many losses. And, from my understanding, it's either a clotting issue, an immune issue, a structural issue, or repeated chromosomal issues. Correct me if I'm wrong because I don't know your whole testing history, but I thought that you didn't really get many answers in testing about it being the first 3 (I may have missed that though). So the fact that you got 2 of 12 is perhaps confirmation that this was an issue with chromosomal abnormalities. The good thing about that is, having normal euploid embryos solves that problem. So, hopefully, the testing was exactly what you needed to get your THB, and there is no reason (again, unless I am misremembering!) to think you are at an increased risk of loss with a euploid embryo. 

*TW* LB

This was basically the case with me, but it was more obvious because I had a few MCs, then a THB with zero complications, then a few more MCs. The RE's guess was that I was just producing a lot of abnormal embryos for whatever reason. And sure enough, when ours were tested, we had a high-ish aneuploidy rate for my age-- I was 34 (4 normal out of 11 tested, though it took us 6 cycles to get those!). Once we put a normal one in, it was smooth sailing. 

capnjackharkness

@bumblebee0210 Yes, I definitely am keeping it in mind that we KNEW something was probably wrong, and that there was a chance these could all come back.  But I guess mentally knowing these facts and actually experiencing them is not the same.  LOL.   And you're right, I've seen 2 RE's before this one, and with all the testing I'd done, the only thing they found was a low Vitamin D level, and that I'm fat.    WE are also trying to positive like you said, and look on the bright side that HOPEFULLY this was our issue, and these 2 are good and we can do this and have a living baby.  So we'll see. Fingers crossed for sure!  Wish I didn't have another MONTH to wait until I see the RE again... blah.