IF/testing Check in Week Dec 5

wabash15 · December 2016

**General TW that this thread can and will mention MC and loss.***

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 ball game. 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, and treat this like an ongoing conversation.

Diagnosis (If you've been):

Cycle/CD:

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):

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

How are things going?

Any questions?

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate?

wabash15 · December 2016

Diagnosis (If you've been): unexplained, AMA

Cycle/CD: 8/1

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): Joining WTO today

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) hopefully one of the last cycles on our own, just over 2 weeks till our meeting with the RE

How are things going? Eh, my LP was longer last cycle which is good but also messed with my head a little bit. I am very excited that we are so close to meeting with the new RE

Any questions? nope

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate? we are probably about half way there. I typically don't like to think about Christmas till after thanksgiving but I did pick up a few things early this year

TravelingCouple · December 2016

@wabash15 I hope your meeting with RE gives you insight!

Diagnosis (If you've been): Not sure yet, still in diagnostic testing

Cycle/CD: 13/5

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?)
DH's SA is tomorrow, my HSG is Thursday, then we schedule a date to see the RE and go over everything.

How are things going? Ok, this weekend was so busy and super fun so I barely had time to think about anything. I'm looking forward to having the testing over with so we can come up with a plan.

Any questions? Did anyone find the HSG painful? Do they numb you at all?

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate?
I'm done!

wabash15 · December 2016

@travelingcouple My HSG was no big deal. I don't think I even took anything prior but I know some women take an ibuprofen. GL with the testing this week!

zwink1 · December 2016

@wabash15 GL with the new RE, and I hope everything goes well!

@TravelingCouple FX for good results, or at least answers, with your testing.

Diagnosis (If you've been): MFI (count) Though, as others have suggested, I want a second SA to confirm. Not that I doubt it given how long we've been trying, I just want the peace of mind.

Cycle/CD: 13/12

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?)
Both. Testing for me. H is supposed to be calling the Dr he was referred to but hasn't yet. He got the lab results back on Fri, so maybe that will light a fire. In the meantime he's been great about sticking to lifestyle changes to hopefully help his count.

How are things going? Eh, they're going. Better than the last couple weeks, and we're both hopeful for positive changes in our non-TTC lives, so that's good!

Any questions? Not at the moment. Everyone has handled my MFI questions and talked me off of the ledge already. Thank you ladies!

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate?
I haven't started yet... Obviously, I fall in the procrastinator category.

Edit: To fix weird bump formatting.

Bababatty · December 2016

@wabash15 I hope these two weeks fly by!

@travelingcouple My HSG did hurt--like really bad, sharp cramps--despite taking ibuprofen beforehand. But I've heard many others whose HSGs didn't hurt, so don't psyche yourself out too much. I was most surprised by the several days of spotting after, which no one warned me about.

@zwink1 I'm glad you're feeling a bit calmer and we helped!

Diagnosis (If you've been): MFI (low motility)

Cycle/CD: 18/16

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) DH is on clomid to improve count. HIO on our own while we wait.

How are things going? O is dragging its feet, but otherwise fine

Any questions? Nope

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate? Like @wabash15 I don't like to do anything until after Thanksgiving. I feel a bit behind but will straighten out this weekend.

I drew my boss for the holiday gift exchange and I have no idea what to get her. What do you all do?

kyersten · December 2016

@TravelingCouple I just had my hsg last week and it didn't hurt at all! It was a little uncomfortable but no worse than a Pap smear. I had very mild cramps that evening but never had any bleeding. I was terrified of it and was so glad it ended up not being a big deal! Good luck!

juliebeannn · December 2016

@wabash15 I hope the next 2 weeks go by quick!!
@TravelingCouple I hope your DH's SA and your HSG both have positive results!! There's no numbing on their part, but I took 3 advil about an hour before the HSG. The part that's supposed to hurt is when they inject the dye into your uterus. That part for me was a little uncomfortable but bearable; just felt like pressure plus a little cramping. I didn't have any cramping afterwards like some women do. The person that did the procedure must not do many, because the part that hurt for me was the speculum - felt like it was pinching a part of my vag. That part sucked, but the HSG itself was fine.
@zwink1 I think it's totally normal to have 2 SA's to rule out a bad sample. My DH had 2 done and the had very different results. (Turns out my DH's morphology goes down significantly if we abstain too long). I totally get wanting the peace of mind. It's great that your DH is being good with sticking with lifestyle changes!!

Diagnosis (If you've been): DH: MFI (ED)

Cycle/CD: 12/5

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) IUI #2 - upped gonal-f from 50iu to 75iu. Hopefully this gives me more than one follie this time.

How are things going? This is the boring part of my cycle. Just a shot per night, until Wednesday morning when I go back from monitoring. Grow follies grow!

Any questions? Nope.

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate? We don't really do Christmas gifts in my family. The only person that we get a gift for is my mom (we would get DH's parents gifts but they're currently volunteering (sort of missionaries) in Africa, so we can't send gifts). I guess I'm procrastinating because I haven't gotten my mom's gift yet. Haha.

KristoKekerooni · December 2016

@TravelingCouple - I have a tilted cervix, so the catheter was pretty uncomfortable because he had to literally shove it up there. The actual injection of the dye, for me, was pretty uncomfortable too, but I had a slightly blocked/twisted tube. It wasn't unbearable though. I didn't cry, just tensed up a lot. Take an ibuprofen before hand. You should be okay. Oh, and if your doc prescribes antibiotics "just in case" you should take them. I never got around to picking them up and I got a UTI. Minor inconvenience, but still. I also bled a lot after. Probably from the giant shove of the catheter scraping against me. GOOD LUCK!

Diagnosis (If you've been): MFI & RPL

Cycle/CD: Cycle 29, CD10

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Right before my period I will have an baseline antral follicle count and DH will have another SA and DNA frag test done.

How are things going? Alright. We decided to skip the IUIs. Mostly I feel okay about it, but I do have moments of mini panic that I am wasting money by being impatient. Then I remind myself at the end of the day, I would pay anything to have a baby, so it really doesn't matter. Now to just wait the agonizing long time till April

Any questions? Not this time.

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate?

Normally I start early but this year I haven't even looked yet.

wabash15 · December 2016

@KristoKekerooni I'm sorry you have to wait till april to start your IVF but hopefully the time will pass quickly, or at least not drag painfully. Just out of curiosity why are they doing an antral follicle scan at the end of your cycle?

KristoKekerooni · December 2016

@wabash15 - Thanks, we could do it sooner, but we need the time to make sure we have the money. We are all OOP, so it's a lot to come up with. I'm not 100% sure why we are doing it then. I know she will do another baseline later when we get ready to go for it. But I think it's just to double check how things are looking without meds so she knows what protocol to put us on. It also doesn't help that we live ~5 hours from the RE, so it has to be scheduled in advance, since we can't just travel that far on the drop of a dime.

mrsdaddario · December 2016

@TravelingCouple So personally, despite the fact that my tubes were totally clear, my hsg was super painful. I think everyone either feels as if it doesn't hurt at all, or it's one of the worst pains they have ever felt. Mine was super uncomfortable, crampy, stabby, white knuckled and sweating. I think it was a mixture of the fact that I had read absolutely horrible things about it prior, so the anticipation had me extremely tense. And a mixture of that it just plain hurt because ti's a painful procedure. Do not skip the pain reliever a head of time, and try to stay as relaxed as possible. The more comfortable and relaxed you are the less painful it will be. Fx for an easy, in and out procedure!!

@juliebeannn Grow follies grow!!

@Bababatty We don't have MFI, and I just heard this in passing from an IVF webinar I just took, so excuse me if it sounds stupid. Was your husband ever offered hcg along with the clomid? I heard that the hcg hormone can also improve quality. Maybe something to look into? Again, if I am way off base completely ignore me lol.

Diagnosis (If you've been): NIR PCOS

Cycle/CD: 15/12 CD 19

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) Natural Cycle

How are things going? Going really well actually. I had a consult with my RE today to discuss moving forward with IVF when our new insurance kicks in. We also talked about a lot of issues on my mind. He answered everything and I feel really good about moving forward when the time comes. Want to know the freaking kicker?! I've been taking OPK's and temping so far this cycle because despite not believing that I would actually O on my own, I still wanted to track my body to see what it did. Well I noticed on Saturday a patch of EWCM which isn't normal for me, and this morning had a darkish but not positive OPK. So after my consult I asked my RE on a whim if I could get blood work and an ultrasound just to see where I was in my cycle. He obliged and I was shocked when my lining showed 9.5mm and I had a 17mm follicle on my left ovary!! The nurse was laughing at me because I was so blown away and couldn't believe it. She said I either had already ovulated or was about too and that she would call me with my blood work results. Well I rushed home and took an OPK again, and sure enough it was blazing positive. When the nurse called with my results she said I hadn't ovulated yet but according to my blood work results I was in the process of ovulating so it would be any time. She said have intercourse today and Wednesday. I am still in shock that my body actually is DOING SOMETHING this cycle. We've spent he last almost seven months paying someone to do what my body is now doing on it's own. I'm trying not to get my hopes up but I am VERY excited about this!

Any questions? Nope!

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? Are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate?
I am somewhere in between. I've already bought a quarter of what I need too. The rest I am waiting until I have more funds! But I have ideas of what I would like to buy for people, I just haven't yet.

juliebeannn · December 2016

@mrsdaddario Sounds like an awesome visit with your RE. And OMG!!! I'm so glad to hear you're ovulating on your own!!!! HIO TIME!!!!

LadyMillil · December 2016

Diagnosis (If you've been): unexplained bleeding and MFI low morph

Cycle/CD: Cycle 24, CD26

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) NTNP, waiting for RE in March/April

How are things going? a lot of frustrations with my ILs recently regarding them wanting us to travel during our potential IVF start date

Any questions?

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate? I just need to hit one more store. I'm an early shopper because I need to ship gifts back to my family and want them to arrive before Christmas

laurad75 · December 2016

@TravelingCouple My HSG was not painful. I had a little cramping similar to getting a pap smear. I took two Advil 30 min before my procedure.

Diagnosis (If you've been): DOR/ Unexplained IF

Cycle/CD: 9/1

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): For now I'm WTO but I'll be benched for bit on BC while we start prepping for IVF

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) This will be my first cycle with IVF

How are things going? I'm okay. I had my 2nd cancelled cycle last cycle so the doctor wants to scrap all the plans for IUI #2 and #3 and go straight to IVF. I was really upset yesterday morning after my call with the doctor and thought I would have a few days to process and research before getting started but then I started spotting last night.

Any questions? I have nothing but questions right now. I'm eagerly waiting a call back from the RE nurse to find out what happens now.

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate?

I start pretty early and have a lot of it done. I need a few more things.

wabash15 · December 2016

@KristoKekerooni ouch that's tough to be so far away from your RE. I totally get having to save up, we will be OOP this time around too which makes me sad because we've had some unexpected large house expenditures come up lately that have made our RE pot of money smaller.

@mrsdaddario WOO HOO!!!! that is amazing that you are Oing on your own!!!!! fx crossed for you!

@LadyMillil i would be frustrated with your IL too, after such a long wait to meet with this RE I would not want to do anything to mess with your treatment timing. hopefully they pull their heads out of their butts.

@laurad75 I said it in the WTO thread, I'm sorry that your having to make this mental transition to IVF so quickly but hopefully in the end it will be a good thing and you will have a better chance at success. I'm rooting so hard for you.

Bababatty · December 2016

@mrsdaddario Nope, the hcg never came up with the urologist. I'd never heard of it to supplement clomid, but I will look into it now that you've mentioned it. Thanks!
I wonder if other ladies whose husbands are on clomid--@kristokekerooni?--have discussed hcg in conjunction? We did ask about other supplements, and our urologist recommends Proxeed, but it's very expensive and he didn't act like it was important so we passed. DH has a blood test in a few weeks to see if the clomid is working. I'll dig around some more and ask him to ask his doctor about hcg when he gets the results.

Also, congratulations on ovulating on your own!!

@laurad75 I'm sorry about the unexpected news re: IVF. It's frustrating that your body isn't giving you more time to think about it all. I'm glad you have a plan forward and are excited for what comes next, though. Good luck!

KristoKekerooni · December 2016

@Bababatty & @mrsdaddario - Nope. It didn't come up for us either. Our urologist recommended FertilAid, bababatty. It's cheaper than proxeed. Based on his last SA, that in conjunction with his Clomid is doing good. We have a last ditch SA first of January to see if it all has raised enough. I'll let you know. That will be six months on FertilAid and about 8 months on Clomid.

Bababatty · December 2016

@KristoKekerooni I had DH ask initially about FertilAid, but his doc recommends against it as it contains high levels of vitamin E, which has been linked to higher incidences of prostate cancer. So he recommends Proxeed instead if you want a supplement. Did the vitamin E issue come up with your doctor at all? I'm always interested in other opinions. The overviews I read on the studies were for long-term exposure (over 7-8 years) so I've no idea what the correlation would be for short-term use as in MFI treatment.

I have all of my fingers crossed that the SA goes well in January!

KristoKekerooni · December 2016

@Bababatty - hmmm. Nope. He didn't say anything. He did say if we take any breaks or "benched" for any reason to stop those too, and to definitely not take them forever. Of course h didn't ask for details about what that meant. But we are only taking till March at the latest so, Shrug//

juliebeannn · December 2016

@laurad75 So sorry you're being thrown into IVF before you were able to mentally digest the change in plans. But, I'm so hopeful for you. Hopefully this is exactly what you need for that BFP!!

TravelingCouple · December 2016

Thanks for the insight on the HSG ladies! Now I'm a little more nervous..eek!

I have another question...so far I've done the initial/baseline BW for me & DH, CD3 BW, internal sono, SA for DH, Thurs is the HSG...and then we're meeting with the RE after. I'm wondering why they are not taking any BW for AFTER ovulation?? My issue is a short LP and, I'm guessing, low progesterone. But how is any of that going to show up from any of the tests they've ran if none of them were done on 7DPO or after O at all? Should I request that BW to be scheduled this month after O when I see the RE on Thurs? I'm very confused. Or will the RE automatically schedule that BW moving forward?

ETA: @mrsdaddario that's freaking awesome!!!! GO BODY GO!

Bababatty · December 2016

@travelingcouple I'd bring up your concern about short LP with the RE and ask for 7DPO blood work. I don't believe it's usually part of the standard tests right at the beginning, so it's worth advocating for it if you suspect there's an issue it could reveal.

TravelingCouple · December 2016

Thanks, I think I will, @Bababatty. I haven't seen the RE since my first consult, only the nurses, but when I did go to show him my charts to point out the short LP, he didn't even take a glance. He just said we'd go ahead with the testing they normally schedule..I find it very frustrating that not a single medical doctor gives a flying F about my charts and what they show. I'll just ask for the BW and not bring up my charts I guess.

kyersten · December 2016

Diagnosis (If you've been): testing

Cycle/CD: 19/17

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) Completed all testing. Waiting for DH's SA results. Follow up with the RE next week.

How are things going? Eager to follow up with the doctor to see next steps. Also, anxious to find out SA results.

Any questions? Not yet

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate? Sadly, despite my best plans, I tend to end up procrastinating. But, we usually have fun with it (mostly).

-edit for spelling

LadyMillil · December 2016

@TravelingCouple my problem is LP bleeding and borderline short LP (10-11 days average). My RE said that LP problems could be a progesterone deficiency but could also be an ovulation problem which may be why your RE isn't as concerned about progesterone. My OB and RE were more into OPKs than BBT so maybe try saying you get AF X number of days after a positive opk.

TravelingCouple · December 2016

@LadyMillil would that be the first + opk? I usually get 2-3 days of positive OPKs and then sometimes O 4 days after the first positive.

mrsdaddario · December 2016

@laurad75 I can see how that whole transition from IUI to IVF was not as long and smooth as you had hoped for. (Hehe long and smooth, okay sorry. I'm 13). Anyway, I really hope that you find some peace of mind with where the process has taken you, and get to a point where you feel great with moving forward. ❤️

LadyMillil · December 2016

TravelingCouple said:

@LadyMillil would that be the first + opk? I usually get 2-3 days of positive OPKs and then sometimes O 4 days after the first positive.

I would tell them you get positive opks all those days and then AF how many days later. Lead with the opks and then mention your BBT

Bababatty · December 2016

@TravelingCouple That's been my experience re: BBT, too. My RE hasn't cared at all. I completely understand your frustration! I think @ladymillil is right to lead with the OPKs. Good luck with your appointment.

hartmich · December 2016

**lurking**

@bababatty @ladymillil and others... Have your doctors ever provided a reason as to why they don't put stock in BBT/charts? I just can't fathom the reasoning for that. It seems like this kind of information would be extremely helpful, especially considering TCOYF made it seem like so many people who have trouble getting KU are just not timing it right.

kyersten · December 2016

So I do have a question now that DH's SA came back all good numbers.

... All our tests, except a vitamin D deficiency (taking vitamins and rechecking in 8 weeks) and a tilted uterus came back totally clear. We are meeting with the RE next week so maybe he has additional info from the tests.

Although I'm relieved the tests showed no issues so far, we have been trying 19 months with no BFP. What are typical next steps? We have done initial blood work, day 3, sonogram, HSG, SA. Are there any additional tests or concerns I should be asking about next week when we meet with him? I'm always overwhelmed with info when we meet with him and don't think of questions until later.

laurad75 · December 2016

@kyersten It's not unusual at all for everything to come back 'normal'. I'm sure you have seen that a lot of the ladies here have been given a diagnosis of 'unexplained infertility'. You will be overwhelmed so maybe have a notebook with you to take notes and make sure you get the number of a nurse there you can call when you have questions later. Also, in the week leading up to your appt be sure to jot down any questions that come to mind so you remember them at your meeting.

It's good news that all your testing came back normal and you are going to be working with an RE. It's so hard to be patient which is why we have each other.

Bababatty · December 2016

@hartmich Mine didn't say he didn't put stock in BBT/charts, but was more of a "mhmm that's nice, moving on." I didn't pursue it, so I don't really know the answer. They're more concerned about OPKs. Interested to hear if others have gotten a reason.

@kyersten Great news all your tests were clear, albeit frustrating! My H's urologist told him that with men, it's easy to diagnosis, difficult to treat. With women, it's difficult to diagnose, "easy" to treat (or at least work around, which really are what IUI and IVF are doing when you get right down to it). We've come a long way in the last 40 years, but I think the science just isn't there yet, which is likely a major reason why we have so much "unexplained" Infertility. Also, I second what @laurad75 said, write down questions as you think of them over the next few days and then have them with you. That way you can help guide the conversation. My therapist recommended that and it made our appointment with the urologist much more effective.

Becky012016 · December 2016

@kyersten; my friend's parents had the same results that you had and tried for years to have her. They'd ended up needing ivf to have my friend. Her mom's tilted uterus was very tilted (much more than the norm for tilted uteri). I'd probably ask your to RE how major the tilt is and what (s)he recommends moving forward. Good luck!

mrsdaddario · December 2016

Any ladies ever get multiple positive OPK's but no temp shift? After the nurse on Monday said I was in the process of ovulating, I've expected to get a temp rise and have my OPK's gradually go back to negative. But since Monday I have had four positive OPK's and my temp has only very slight gone up the last three days. No crosshairs in FF. I'm stressing that this could be my body faking me out and ovulation won't really happen.

wabash15 · December 2016

@mrsdaddario I usually get 3-4days of +OPK and have ovulated on day 3... I am also the queen of the slow rise. Don't loose hope yet!

daisy62103 · December 2016

many of you might not remember me as I haven't been around much the past couple months. thought i'd check in and see how everyone's doing.

@wabash15 sorry about CD1, but hopefully the appt with the new RE in 2 wks will go well and you'll have a good plan moving forward.

@TravelingCouple Hope your HSG goes well tomorrow! I took some ibuprofen beforehand and mine was a piece of cake. Some light cramping after, but no big deal at all. Hopefully yours will go just as smoothly!

@mrsdaddario That's so exciting you're ovulating on your own!! hopefully you just have a slow rise and will show o on ff soon.

Diagnosis (If you've been): unexplained secondary infertility

Cycle/CD: 18/9

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) gonal-f 150iu, ovidrel, iui

How are things going? i had my follicles checked again this morning and they've grown well since monday. I've got one around 12-13mm on the right and three on the left with the biggest around 16mm. My RE is having me take one last dose of gonal-f tonight, then trigger tomorrow night and IUI on saturday. I'm hopeful for this cycle as it's the first time I've taken gonal-f and hoping it's what i needed to finally get KU, but not overly optimistic. I've just become accustomed to nothing working. DH doesn't really want to do any more treatment after this month so we might be back to on our own if this one fails.

Any questions? nope

GTKY: How is your holiday shopping going? are you one of those people who starts super early or do you procrastinate? I'm about 80% done. I usually buy throughout the year but didn't really do that this year.

TravelingCouple · December 2016

@mrsdaddario I get 2-3 days ok +OPKs and then I'll sometimes ovulate a full 4 days after my full positive. Can you post your chart for a CS? I also have low-rise and fallback rises pretty often!

mrsdaddario · December 2016

Thanks so much ladies! I took an OPK when I got home from work and it is much lighter than this mornings, so I believe the surge is ending!

@TravelingCouple Thank you for letting me post this!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/b6/mu09x5iq6rls.png

LadyMillil · December 2016

BBT is harder to do correctly was my understanding

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