New Girl - No Mature Follicles - IUI - 36 - Rambling :)

BecauseLove · February 2016

Hi,

I decided it was finally time to join a community of women that might understand what is going on in my world. Most of the time I think people are disinterested in talking about it or way too emotional in giving me comfort. Either side makes me feel a little wonky.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am 36 years old and often thought I might have a hard time trying to conceive being that I never had a regular period (mind you I wasn't complaining along the way...this whole having a regular period thing is totally overrated...ouch and eek and ick).

I live in a tiny town 2 1/2 hours (1 way) to the closest ob-gyn/ultrosound etc options.

I got married in 2014 to my cute as can be husband (31 years old). We started trying before we got married but with not much belief that it would happen. We tried most of a MN winter and being that I turned 35 in the spring and nothing had clicked (6 months of trying) thought it was time to go to the Dr. Got all the usual tests and was put on Metformin and asked to loose some weight. I have never been a skinny girl and I do not like exercise but I tossed myself onto the goal...all the Metphormin side effects and all. I did loose a little weight but nothing of substance. And I am always fearful that I will be pushed to have to loose more.

I don't have diagnosed PCOS. They aren't sure what is causing my infertility other than my long periods and lack of ovulation. My husband was tested and results were fine.

Recently the Dr. oked IUI's to speed up the trying process and hopefully get to a BFP but since November I have not developed mature follicles. The last time I had an ultrasound on CD "14" I I had 16 plus follicles but nothing bigger than size 10. So the IUI was cancelled and now the Dr. has me back on Met and hoping that the Met and the Letrozole work together and create some mature follicles. I am afraid all of a sudden that IUI and even IVF might be out of the question if I can't get my follicles to mature. Plus I keep getting older...and I just looked up IVF (which is 5 plus hours 1 way) and it jumps to another price point at 37 as well as the success rate goes down. So I feel this incredible rush to figure out what is next...what we can do...and what will be the most successful...and what it will cost. Any advice?

My Mom is also pushing for me to look at other Dr. options...such as possibly going down to Mayo (8 hour drive 1 way). I am not eager to have to add more travel and start with a new Dr. Any advice about when to decide to change Dr's? Also any advice when his family or your family offers you money towards fertility treatment? Everything is out of pocket and we have been spending about 500-1200k a month and it is taking its toll but hasn't totally dried us out yet.

I would be open to adoption (My brother was adopted and I feel so blessed to have had him as a brother!!) but my husband is a bit hesitant to move that direction quite yet. He said he would think about it at the end of Summer 2016 based on how things go at the Dr. Any suggestions how to work with your husband on this process?

I have been spending at least 1-2 (sometimes 3-4) times a month driving the 2 1/2 hour (one way) to the Dr. for ultrasounds and Dr. visits. Oye...this trying thing is getting old. I keep trying to distract myself from the process as to try to not get too emotionally wrapped up in it. But it feels like the days are on count down sometimes.

I appreciate any guidance and advice that you awesome Ladies can provide.

Background:

February 2016 Planned IUI; Met 2000 (lots of side effects)
February 2016 (upped dosage-pretend cycle) Planned IUI; 1/23/16-now Femera /Letrozole 5m CD"3-7" Ultrosound CD"14" No Mature Follicles but 16+ follies (Cancelled Trigger and IUI) BFN Pentazole Feb 19th
January 2016 Stopped taking Met Planned IUI: 1/11/16-1/22/16 Femera /Letrozole 2.5m CD3-7 Ultrosound CD14 No Mature Follicles B (Cancelled Trigger and IUI) BFN
November 2015: 11/15/15- 1/10/16 Femera /Letrozole 2.5mg CD3-7 Met 1500 (lots of side effects) Ultrasound CD14 No Mature Follicles (Cancelled Trigger) BD for fun (like 53 day cycle) BFN
October 2015: 10/16/15-11/14/15 Femera /Letrozole 2.5 CD3-7 Met 1500 (lots of side effects) Acupuncture Ultrasound CD14 Mature Follicle 18 Trigger CD14 Pregnyl 10,000 TBD BFN
Sept 2015: 9/15/15-10/15/15 Femera /Letrozole 2.5 CD3-7 Met 1500 (lots of side effects) Acupuncture Ultrasound CD14 Follicle 14.4 Anticipating Mature Follicle Trigger CD16 Ovidrel 250 (lots of symptoms) TBD Progesterone Level Test (passed) CD 25 BFN
July and August 2015: 8/31/15-9/15/15 Clomid CD5-7 Met 1500 (lots of side effects) TBD No O BFN Progesterone August 31st
May and June 2015: 5/22/15-7-9/14/15 Clomid CD5-7 Met 1500 (lots of side effects) TBD No O BFN Progesterone
April 2015: Progesterone to start period. Met 1000 (lots of side effects) BD No O BFN
January-April 2015: Trying Without Medication or Doctor Guidance No Periods/No O BFN
October-December 2014: Without Medication or Doctor Guidance No Periods/No O BFN

kln62689 · February 2016

Welcome! I am new here too. I am having some very different issues with infertility, but I wanted to say hi and let you know I think I can understand your emotional state.

Regarding your doctor, totally my personal opinion, but I cannot be happy with a doctor if I feel like they are judging me for my weight. We all know we should be a healthy weight, and that general health and reproductive health are highly correlated. Don't allow your doctor to make you feel bad about it. If you aren't feeling really great about your doctor, and you feel like it is a race against time, I personally would be looking for another doctor.

Regarding adoption, I think you have the right perspective, and all you can do in terms of keeping your husband moving in a positive direction is consistently discussing adoption as a great alternative if things don't wind up working out with your own bodies. It is definitely going to take him some time to come around to that, but there is no harm in you all discussing and researching that option while keeping your hopes up that something will happen before you reach that point.

Also, I thought I lived in the country. Wow! Drive safe!!

wifeinraleigh28 · February 2016

Welcome to our little corner of the internet, @BecauseLove! I'm glad you've found us, this group here is great, and full of people who understand your struggles. I'm sorry that it's such a long drive for you to get to your doctors

That's certainly tough, as we are attending appointments all the time when doing fertility treatments! I like what the PP said about your doctor not judging you. Your comfort level with your doctor is so important.

If you aren't producing mature follicles on metformin and letrozole, there are other options available. Such as injectables (i.e., follistim, gonal f, etc). I haven't tried the oral meds personally, but most people tell me they produce mature follicles quickly on the injectables, which is why those are used primarily for IVF. My doctor put me right on follistim for both my IUIs so far.

I wish you the best of luck in this process!

cmm012 · February 2016

Hello and welcome! I completely understanding where you are coming from. I'm 35,got married in 2014, and do not feel time is on my side. My DH is not open to adoption either. So... I guess we just move forward. The injectables sounds like a good idea. I would also consider researching some supplements that might help with egg quality. The ladies here are very knowledgeable.

tvh1982 · February 2016

Hi and welcome!
I thought I struggled with having to fly to another country to get my IUI and IVF done, but I get my check ups close to home.

I wonder though, if you have trouble having mature follicles why they don't put you on IVF related hormones like gonal-f, but lower dose. That's what they did with me.

To change doctor or not, is only something you can feel is the right thing or not. During this journey it is very important that you feel comfortable and in good hands.
Sure it will add up to the travelling, but it might be worth it. But only you'll know.
Maybe just a consultation to see what they would plan for you to get to your goal?

To adopt or not, is always difficult to decide, and sometimes the other part has to get its mind around it. At one point you'll both will be ok with the outcome of adopting or not. Give it time to get there.

Maybe, if follicles don't mature, how about egg donation? Have you thought of that. Might be a less 'difficult' decision for DH, but not sure how you would feel.

Im wishing you GL on your trip, lots going on right now, so do use this board. Women are lovely here and they have been my rock!

BecauseLove · February 2016

Thank you very much ladies! It is just nice to talk with ladies that get it!

I can't imagine flying for IVF and IUI..intense! You are one dynamo lady!

I got a call back from my Dr. and she wants to wait to see how the Met (now that it is back in my system again) now up to 2000 mixed with the dosage of 5 Letrozole reacts before she does anything differently. So back on Progesterone I go...and met and soon Letrozole hopefully leading to an IUI this month. I think I will talk with her further about injectables...I did talk with the nurse a bit about the idea of step Letrozole . .

I guess we will see what happens...if nothing then I might have to see how aggressive she is willing to be with solutions or start looking for another dr.

We will see where this month takes us... It is such an interesting world having to decide what becoming a parents means to us and what steps we are willing to take to have a child join our family.

Thank you for all your kind advice and suggestions and comments! You guys are awesome!

KLake42 · February 2016

Here's a low cost option that some doctors (though definitely not all) recommend-- a ketogenic diet (like Atkins). I see that you aren't diagnosed PCOS, but you may be in the ballpark (lots of follicles but no ovulation), and a ketogenic diet short-circuits the metabolic imbalance that characterizes PCOS.

I'm not saying you should do it, but you should research it and decide if it feels right.

rchef21 · February 2016

Hello and welcome! I'm pretty new on this site as well. I'm in the middle of my cycle, we are doing IUI right now with Letrozole, Ovidrel, and will be starting Prometrium today. Not looking forward do the side effects, but what we will do for a baby!!

I'm also on Met too. I haven't been taking it religiously, up until this week.

I wish you the best of luck!

Jsmorrissey · February 2016

Welcome @BecauseLove I am also very new to this site, but in the short amount of time I have been on here, it has been amazing support. It is so nice to talk out frustrations, fears, happiness, etc...with people who understand the struggles.

BecauseLove · March 2016

Thanks All.
KLake42 I will look into it.

Jsmorrissey I hope you had a good break this month and that April brings you great luck!

msirni0 · March 2016

Welcome @becauselove! I haven't been here too long, but have found a ton of support on here. There is a post on here started by nicwalker that goes into some changes she made that really improved her IVF results and opened up my eyes to egg quality. That may be a good thread for you to read

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New Girl - No Mature Follicles - IUI - 36 - Rambling :)

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