Started IVF stims today
brooklynesque
member
So . . . I just injected myself with Gonal-F and Menopur, kicking off my first IVF cycle. I have been so stressed out leading up to the start of my cycle that I don't really feel ready to begin -- I have serious job stress right now, I spent 4 hours over several days on the phone with two insurance companies and STILL had to pay for the meds out of pocket (hopefully I'll be reimbursed, but who knows), my mother was visiting until yesterday (usually a good thing, but it was one more thing to worry about), and basically until today I was experiencing super-crankiness from PMS. I'm grumpy, stressed, and wiped out.
And then, to put a cherry on top, this morning my AFC was significantly lower than it was a couple of months ago; it went from 10-12 to 7-8. My FSH hadn't budged, thank god, but the AFC was certainly not the good sign I was hoping for. My RE increased my Gonal-F dose from 225 to 300 (+ 150 Menopur) when she saw the ultrasound. :-(
All in all, I'm really not optimistic about how this cycle is going to go. I would have delayed a month but I have a trip planned that would interfere with the second half of a May cycle -- and it's a trip with extended family that is a big event and impossible to reschedule.
I've been hoping for so long that IVF might give me the extra boost I need to finally get KU . . . and instead I already feel like it's not going to work. Clearly I need to turn my head around. Though maybe it's better if I don't get my hopes up in any event. Sometimes I feel like my stubborn body just doesn't know how to be pregnant. I feel cursed.
Anyway, thanks for reading if you've gotten this far.
Re: Started IVF stims today
Sounds like you have a LOT on your plate all at once. You can totally do this, though! Focus on the prize, take a deep breath, and just keep taking one day at a time. (Says the woman who is not on IVF.)
FX for you that this cycle continues better than it feels like it started!
<br /> My Ovulation Chart</a>
DOR and AMA
2/12-5/12: 4 IUI cycles = all BFN;
7/12: DE IVF # 1 (with ICSI)- 20R, 16M, 14F, 5DT of 2 blasts; 6 frosties = BFN;
Lupus anticoagulant initially high, then found to be normal on hematology consult;
Follow up testing in September all clear;
Started synthroid for "high normal" TSH;
FET # 1- late October 2012- BFP on FRER; beta # 1- 21(low), beta # 2- 48 (still low), beta # 3- 132, beta # 4- 1,293; beta # 5- 5,606; last beta- over 100,000. First u/s 11/21- heard heartbeat
12/12- Officially an OB patient!
Level 2 ultrasound at 20 weeks shows vasa previa and VCI
Referral to MFM and mandatory c section for delivery
Beautiful baby girl born at 34 weeks
Finally home after 15 day NICU stay!
Trying for sibling: FET # 2- May 2014; beta 5/31, BFN
FET #3, early July 2014; beta 7/14, BFN
DE IVF # 2- August 2014; 14R, 13M, 11F, 5dt of 2 blasts (3 AA), 5 frosties = BFN
FET #4- December 2014, yet another BFN
Dr. KK work up shows borderline uterine blood flow, elevated NK cells, and MTHFR mutation (homozygous for c677t)
Added baby aspirin, prednisone, supplements, Metanx, and intralipids
Switched to large clinic for final attempt; had endometrial receptivity testing in January; FET March 2015 = yet another BFN
Likely OAD- NBC
DD born 12.21.09, conceived w/ injects and IUI
TTC#2 since Nov 2011
BFP 2.6.12 m/c 6w5d | BFP 5.25.12 c/p
-Back to the RE-
3 medicated IUIs, all BFN
-Taking a break from treatment-
BFP 11.20.12 ~ EDD 7.28.13
My Chart
I'm so sorry about your insurance, I hope you are able to be re-imbursed. IVF is stressful itself without having to worry about the insurance crap.
I'm in the middle of stimming right now, so you are just a couple of days behind me (I'm on 225 Gonal F and 225 Menopur, so 450 IU's total like you). Best of luck with your cycle, I hope we both get some good follies!
Me:40 AMA, DH:36 0% morph, TTC#1;
BFP#1 4/2011, MMC 6/2011 11wks Trisomy 13;
BFP#2 11/2011, CP
FSH: 17.9, AMH: 2.2
IVF#1 w/ICSI: ER 4/3: 5R,4M,4F
ET 4/6 All 4 (1-8A+, 2-8A-, 1-3A) BFP#3
Two weeks of beta hell = Blighted Ovum
IVF#2 Aug/Sept: ER 8/27: 4R,3M,3F
ET 8/30 (1-8A+, 1-6A+)
Beta#1 9/10: 350; Beta#2 9/12: 796; Beta#3 9/20: 9155
Expecting Boy/Girl Twins! My babies were born 4/23/13 at 36w1d!
I know it's never fun to see your AFC drop, but I do think that 7-8 follicles is still pretty good! That said, I ended up having a few more follies pop up than were seen at my initial u/s, so you may have even more that were just not visible. Not all of them matured in my case, but just so you know that it's not uncommon to end up with more eggs than your AFC. (I know because I googled the $hit out of it!)
I hope that work and life calm down a little bit for you in the next few weeks. Take care of yourself - we are rooting for you!
TTC #2 since July 2010
March 2012 IVF (MDL Protocol) Started stims 3/3; ER 3/11 (9R, 8M, 7F) ET 3/16 (5dt of 2 blasts graded 3AB and 3BA, 3 frosties(!!) Beta 3/26 = 386; Beta 3/28 = 827; u/s 4/11 says TWINS! Boy/Girl Twins delivered at 36 weeks 6 days
ME:46 MH:44 DE IVF 2014
Met with RE 4/11. 2 IUI's BFN. DE best option. Switched clinics to do "shared" program. Had to retake all tests and a mamm that put me behind and then on a DE waiting list for 12 months. Picked a donor!! (10/13/13) Got matched. Estimated transfer in December. After 2.5 years of patiently waiting I will finally cycle....can hardly believe it. DE cycle got cancelled. One of her tests came back positive. Waiting for another donor. Donor picked!! (1/18/14)
DE IVF #1 (4/26) BFN DE FET #1 (6/4) BFP! Beta 1=339 Beta 2=852 Beta 3=9957 EDD 2/22/15!!
TTC #1 since 8/1/10; Me:41 and BRCA1+, DH:46
DOR (FSH 24.3)/ terrible egg quality ; homozygous MTHFR c677t
5 IUI's: 2/11 to 6/11 and 1/12= BFN
OE IVF#1-4 8/11-6/12= all BFN
DE IVF#1 11/12 bad embryos= BFN
DE IVF #2 2/13 BFP/Beta hell: m/c 5w6d
CFNBC 7 months, not doing well; decided on guarantee program at RBA w/frozen DE
DE IVF #3 1/14 ET 4BB; BFP;M/C 5w1d, incomplete m/c; MVA extraction in ER 7w1d
DE FET#1 ET 3/1714; BFP, beta 1 3/27= 197, beta 2 3/31= 1586, beta 3 4/7= 13879!!
First u/s= Twins with HBs at 6w2d! We are Team Pink x 2!!
K & K born 11/21/14 at 38wks 4 days
SAIF/PAIF Welcome
http://waitingforraintostop.wordpress.com
Good luck from me too! Most likely things will look great by the first ultrasound and you'll start to feel more confident again.
Good luck! I just took my first BCP for my IVF cycle to begin in 3 weeks. I can't believe it's finally happening.
I'm sorry about all of your struggles, but maybe it's best to be distracted so the IVF doesn't become a huge focus? Have you tried a meditation mp3 at the end of the day? I do that when my head is spinning so much and it really helps.
A while ago someone on this board said to me that at certain times of life we just have to turn the focus to babymaking (instead of being a star at work, or finding a boyfriend, etc.) and you have done just that.
You can do it, and you are already one day in. This will go by really fast and then hopefully you will be pregnant before you know it!
me (36): Hypothyroid (on Levothroid), low vit. d, borderline/high fsh (day 3: between 7-10) (day 10: 13 during CCCT), AFC: 14
dh (31): awesome (minus one sample with agglutination)
Diagnosis:possible DOR and/or unexplained + elevated NK cells + MTHFR (C677T - one copy)
MAY 2011 - FEB 2012 - 3 injectable IUI's with numerous cancellations due to high TSH levels
MAY 2012 - onto IVF/ICSI (Antagonist Protocol) on BCP and Folgard (3 week delay - cyst - boooo) 5/21 start stims 5/30 ER 11R 8M 3F 6/2 3DT of 3 6/12 Beta #1 83 | 6/14 Beta #2 196 | 6/21 Beta #3 3818 | 6/28 Beta #4 22,213 | 7/2 1st U/S - 2 on board! 8/24 CVS reveals that we have a boy AND a girl on board!
Healthy baby boy and girl born in February, 2013 at 38 weeks and 2 days!
BTW, an AFC of 7-8 is still pretty good. My RE yesterday said that it's harder when the AFC is below 5 but they don't worry if it's above that.
me (36): Hypothyroid (on Levothroid), low vit. d, borderline/high fsh (day 3: between 7-10) (day 10: 13 during CCCT), AFC: 14
dh (31): awesome (minus one sample with agglutination)
Diagnosis:possible DOR and/or unexplained + elevated NK cells + MTHFR (C677T - one copy)
MAY 2011 - FEB 2012 - 3 injectable IUI's with numerous cancellations due to high TSH levels
MAY 2012 - onto IVF/ICSI (Antagonist Protocol) on BCP and Folgard (3 week delay - cyst - boooo) 5/21 start stims 5/30 ER 11R 8M 3F 6/2 3DT of 3 6/12 Beta #1 83 | 6/14 Beta #2 196 | 6/21 Beta #3 3818 | 6/28 Beta #4 22,213 | 7/2 1st U/S - 2 on board! 8/24 CVS reveals that we have a boy AND a girl on board!
Healthy baby boy and girl born in February, 2013 at 38 weeks and 2 days!
Thanks, solar. That's good to know.
So much going on! Hopefully you can find some time for yourself in the next few weeks--get a pedicure and spend an hour reading trashy magazines. That's my favorite way to de-stress. Somehow reading about celebrity drama makes me feel better about my own life.
Good luck with this cycle! The time is going to fly!!
TTC #1 since 2009 with unexplained infertility
IUI#1-4 Jan.-Apr. 2011 = BFNs
IVF#1 Aug. 2011 = c/p, FET #1 Nov. 2011 = c/p, FET #2 April 2012 = BFP!
Beta #1 = 153, Beta #2 = 269, Beta #3 = 675
1st U/S = TWINS!! EDD 12/29/12
my blog: Journey to Somewhere
~~PAIFW/SAIFW~~
April IVF Spring Chicks