@antoto No offense taken! I completely understand where you're coming from. When I say "specializes in PCOS" I mean that she sees many women with PCOS and irregular cycles, even those who do not want to get pregnant. She is quick to do BW and do all she can to Dx properly. She knows the markers and how to test for it.
To go into more detail with her plan, she wants to see the BW first to confirm Dx and see if there are any other factors. If it comes back as PCOS, she wants to do Clomid because of my age and medical history. She will monitor and adjust the strength as necessary. After 3 unsuccessful cycles, she'd do an HSG and SA to see if there are other factors at play. She specifically said that she would send me to an RE if there were any problems or for Femara if I did not respond to Clomid as well as she hopes.
Of course, I can choose to go to an RE at any time. I started with an OBGYN primarily because I didn't have one I could trust before this (and that's sort of important when you want to GKTFU or referred to an RE). I also wasn't entirely sure something was wrong and knew that any OBGYN worth their stuff could do BW and Dx. My insurance also doesn't cover IF or RE visits. So if I could find an OBGYN that I trusted, get a Dx, and do a few monitored Clomid cycles to GKTFU, that would be ideal for me. If at any point I lose trust in her, or something comes up that is beyond her scope, DH and I will discuss the financial commitment of OOP and move forward from there.
@loveindc Please please please do all the testing HSG and SA before you start clomid. If she's going to monitor you closely and you trust her and want to do a few rounds of TI with her that's your choice but I don't think its a good idea to start a medication that can have serious side effects and has a lifetime max usage if you have blocked tubes or MFI is part of the equation.
*TW*
TTC 1/2012 Diagnosed : unexplained infertility 6 rounds of IUI and a MC 2/2014, rainbow twins 4/2015 TTC #3 5/2016 Restarted Fertility tx IUI 2 rounds, baby girl 12/17
@LoveInDC welcome to the board fellow pcos-er. Im sorry that you're here but glad that you are getting some answers. It can be such a relief to find out what's wrong. I just wanted to reiterate what @antoto said above because i have had a very similar experience. My OB/GYN diagnosed me and recommended provera and clomid as well. I went to an RE for a 2nd opinion and they're protocol for PCOS is femara instead of clomid, and I didn't need to take provera because B/W and U/S showed my body was acting like it was constantly cycle day 3 even though i was on cycle day 60. They also did more testing than my OB/GYN and found out my AMH is through the roof which changes the medication im prescribed and how often im monitored. That said, your OB/GYN may be amazing and I have heard of clomid working before for PCOS thouugh in my particular case with really high AMH and already thin lining, it would probably never work. PCOS is different for everyone. I wish you the best of luck in finding out more about your conditions and I hope you find this board helpful. I know I have!
Yeah I think preliminary bloodwork with an OBGYN is totally fine (often cheaper!), so I totally get that. It's the same thing I did! I just chose, once the bloodwork and ultrasound came back suspicious, to take it to the specialist.
I would definitely do the SA and HSG prior to taking Clomid though. SAs are really inexpensive, quick, easy. An HSG will make sure your tubes are clear so that the Clomid would actually be effective.
@loveindc I typed my response before I saw your update. I'm sorry to hear your insurance won't cover an RE. How incredibly frustrating! As others have said, I would still consider additional testing. You might also ask her why clomid instead of femara. I dont know if an RE is the only one who can prescribe femara.
@loveindc I typed my response before I saw your update. I'm sorry to hear your insurance won't cover an RE. How incredibly frustrating! As others have said, I would still consider additional testing. You might also ask her why clomid instead of femara. I dont know if an RE is the only one who can prescribe femara.
Just a couple points about this - my insurance doesn't cover anything at all to do with infertility so I get that. But I DO want to just put this out there (With every single ounce of respect and love!) that when you get into fertility drugs that have a large impact on your body's chemistry sometimes cost needs to not be the top priority. Also any doctor can prescribe Femara. They just typically don't because Clomid has been around longer and it's just their go to.
@loveindc Sorry to hear the diagnosis, but I am glad you are able to identify an issue and hopefully treat it! You'll learn a lot from these ladies on this thread, they're the best. I also totally agree with everything @antoto and @wabash15 said. I started testing with my regular OB too, and even she said they don't use Clomid for PCOS patients, only Femara. Also, I've shared this story a million times but at the risk of being redundant, I'll say it again... I would have sworn on my life we didn't need an SA to start treatment because we had already gotten KU on our own (on cycle 3!) but surprise, surprise, we have MFI issues as well. I would have been heartbroken if we had just tried TI with femara just to find out it was a big waste of time. Hindsight's always 20/20 and your H is probably fine and your tubes are probably open but... there's always the what if!
But of course if you feel comfortable, it's your choice. I've just been so pleasantly surprised through this that everything I've been told on this board by this group of smarties has been 100% reinforced by my RE - they know a lot.
@LoveInDC I haven't been diagnosed with PCOS but just to reiterate what antoto and wabash15 said above, as someone else who has zero coverage for IF or IF testing the SA is probably the cheapest test to pay OOP for --ours was only $125 and you get the results relatively fast (got ours within 2 days, other people have reported up to a week) so it shouldn't hold you back from other testing. If you add up all the possible copays and costs after insurance for the other tests/treatments depending on your plan it may even be cheaper than some of the other stuff you're doing. If it turns out there's something up with him too it can take 2.5-3 months to improve his count if he's being treated so best to know of any potential MFI immediately.
Thanks @wabash15 and @madspunk for your opinions and input! Today's conversation was definitely not the end of it. When I go on 4/17 to discuss my BW, I will be asking many many questions before moving forward. I will bringing up why we aren't starting with an HSG or SA (my assumption is that it is an extra, uncovered cost that may ultimately be unnecessary). I think she's hopeful for Clomid because I'm young and because my chart shows repeated spikes in temp and fertile CM. Don't get me wrong, if I react poorly to Clomid or I'm not responding at all, I will take my troubles to the RE. I'm not interested in wasting my time or making decisions that may ultimately harm my body. At the same time, if there is an easy, cheap solution with someone I trust, I would rather try the easy solution before taking on the emotional and financial burden of seeing an RE right away.
@LoveInDC You don't necessarily need to go to an RE to do the HSG and SA. My gyno gave me an order for an HSG for me to take to a place that does imaging, then they would send her the results. I had several ultrasounds before that were covered by insurance, to check my IUD placement and fibroids, so if your doc codes it right then insurance may cover it. As for the SA, I sent H to my current RE's office for his SA before I was a patient there, and they said they only took insurance for patients, so he paid $150 OOP and we had to submit the claim ourselves. I highly recommend you get those tests done before taking Clomid, or at least ask about them and see what you can get your insurance to cover. I'm guessing your gyno is just assuming that PCOS is the only thing causing you an issue so she's not concerned about it, but better safe than sorry.
Me: late 30s | H: early 30s TTC #1 since April 2015 RE Dx: Fibroids, surgery Jan 2016 IUI #1 and #2, Nov/Dec 2016, BFN IVF March 2017: ER - 5R/3M/3F, 1 PGS normal Polyp removed May 2017 FET May 2017 - BFP! Baby boy born 2/2/18
Ooo more people! Shout out to @hartmich and @vflux33 for jumping in to help.
I want to let you know that I hear all of you loud and clear. I'm reading all of your posts and seeing the love tits. Trust me, I am taking notes from all of you and will be having this conversation with my OBGYN at my next appointment. If at any point, I don't trust her answers, then I'll talk to DH about seeing an RE. Getting a take home baby and keeping me healthy are obviously first priorities. But if I can do both without going broke, I would really really prefer that.
@LoveInDC Sorry to just pile on you with the responses but we just want you to be safe, and also make sure you protect your feelings at the same time, ya know? We don't want to have to say "told you so" if you came back in 6 months with a blocked tube or something (not that we would do that... ) This is a shitty process no matter how you slice it, and I hope you only need the most minimal of intervention
Adding @eggplantface to the list of amazing helpful ladies here
I talked to my OBGYN about IF not being covered by my insurance. She assured me that they code everything as "irregular cycles" and other helpful codes as much as possible to get around insurance. Luckily, my company provides a debit card that covers my deductible. So as long as I stay in network, everything is "free" on my end. It's just impossible to do that once I step foot in an RE office. Thanks for the tip of testing at the OBGYN and go to the RE for analysis! Definitely something to keep in mind moving forward.
*dirty lurker* All of these responses are also super-helpful to consider for those who aren't quite at this place in the journey. I'm benched for now, but when I finally see a doc and they start to talk about all these meds and tests, I have a whole arsenal of information to prevent delays/health issues! Thanks to all who have contributed here!
Me: 35 DH: 28 TTC since June 2016 Azoospermia diagnosis (zero count) Dec 2016 AZFc chromosome microdeletion discovery March 2017 Unsuccessful TESE for DH in August 2017 October 2017 IVF with donor sperm
29R, 24M, 16F, 2d5, 4d6 (6 embryos total) Only 3 could have PGS. 2/3 normal. 5 embies frozen 12/15/17 FET #1 (1 embryo)--CP 2/7/17 FET #2 (2 embryos)--BFN Chronic endometritis diagnosis May 2018
ERA Sept 2018--borderline receptive--12 more hours of progesterone Abnormal SIS Oct 2018 Repeat hysteroscopy Nov 1. Treated recurring endometritis. 12/4/18 FET #3 (2 embryos)--BFN Our journey has come to an end.
Ooo more people! Shout out to @hartmich and @vflux33 for jumping in to help.
I want to let you know that I hear all of you loud and clear. I'm reading all of your posts and seeing the love tits. Trust me, I am taking notes from all of you and will be having this conversation with my OBGYN at my next appointment. If at any point, I don't trust her answers, then I'll talk to DH about seeing an RE. Getting a take home baby and keeping me healthy are obviously first priorities. But if I can do both without going broke, I would really really prefer that.
Me: late 30s | H: early 30s TTC #1 since April 2015 RE Dx: Fibroids, surgery Jan 2016 IUI #1 and #2, Nov/Dec 2016, BFN IVF March 2017: ER - 5R/3M/3F, 1 PGS normal Polyp removed May 2017 FET May 2017 - BFP! Baby boy born 2/2/18
@loveindc I wasn't trying to say you had to see an RE as long as your OB monitors you closely but more so the risks of a medicated cycle without having all the testing. Hugs, we all know how much this process can suck
*TW*
TTC 1/2012 Diagnosed : unexplained infertility 6 rounds of IUI and a MC 2/2014, rainbow twins 4/2015 TTC #3 5/2016 Restarted Fertility tx IUI 2 rounds, baby girl 12/17
@LoveInDC random insurance suggestion - my insurance does not cover any infertility treatment at all, but they do cover all diagnostic work regardless of what office does it. As long as it is coded as "diagnostic" it will be at least partially covered. Yours might be the same?
@wabash15 With the flood of all the love, I started combining acknowledgements and responses So everyone please excuse me if I tagged you and then responded to a comment from someone else! I definitely agree, with you @wabash15 that a wasted medicated cycle is not something I want in my future. Anything I can do to avoid that, I will definitely push for! Thanks for the hugs and love While it sucks to be here, I am so thankful to have so many amazing women with so many wonderful answers to help guide me to the best solution. FX we are all out of here soon.
*lurking* I just wanted to say that I saw your update @LoveInDC and am happy that you like the new OB so much as well as the fact that she has started the steps to figure out exactly what is causing your crazy cycles. I have been lurking this thread for some time both in anticipation for when I need to join in as well as to love-tit and cheer on my friends and these ladies truly are the best and really do know what they're talking about. As far as insurance goes, I know that mine does not cover IF treatments but it covered the testing done (HSG, bloodwork and SA to some extent with H's ins). Have you spoken with your insurance to confirm that they do not cover the testing?
"It's time to try defying gravity."
Me: 38 DH: 38 Married 6/11/16 TTC Since 6/2016 12/2016 RE appt; 1/2017 SA & HSG results - all normal 3/2017 Dx Hyperprolactinemia; 5/2017 Prolactin levels normal; 8/2017 Low Ovarian Reserve 8/2017 TTA for personal reasons; 10/2017 NTNP; 12/2017 Re-start TTC 7/2018 Clomid+IUI 11/2018 Letrozole+TI 12/2018 Letrozole+IUI 2/2019 NTNP 5/2019 Stopping all TTC efforts; living Childfree
@LoveInDC random insurance suggestion - my insurance does not cover any infertility treatment at all, but they do cover all diagnostic work regardless of what office does it. As long as it is coded as "diagnostic" it will be at least partially covered. Yours might be the same?
@antoto I am going off my insurance portal. They have this section which all say that nothing is covered. I can get u/s for $50 and meds for a decent price through my OB. But they don't approve anything coming out of an RE office is my understanding.
ETA: As we get closer to make this decision, I will be making calls to the insurance and confirm their policies. For example, I just learned that while Clomid is cheap, Femara is free under my insurance. Go figure.
@LoveInDC that's what I thought too! But when my RE did my HSG they ended up covering a huge amount of it and they cover my ultrasounds at my RE as well (as long as it's diagnostic, that is). From that list it looks like yours might cover diagnostic work as well.
Had my follie check, 4 big ones all 16-17mm and a bunch of smaller ones ( @beachbunnyxo123 I had an antral count of 12 on the right and I think 6 on the left) so trigger Saturday night and IUI Monday morning. We're at our predetermined max follie count...
*TW*
TTC 1/2012 Diagnosed : unexplained infertility 6 rounds of IUI and a MC 2/2014, rainbow twins 4/2015 TTC #3 5/2016 Restarted Fertility tx IUI 2 rounds, baby girl 12/17
**TW** Hi friends, I'm back here now. Benched for the moment while I wait for my d&c and everything that follows, but will do a FET again when I can. I hope it's ok if I post in here in the meantime. end TW**
@LoveInDC Sounds like your insurance plan is similar to mine. I called and confirmed with my insurance company like 4 times and as soon as the word IF or RE is thrown out even if the test is also related to your general health, nope, nothing (with the exception of a few things covered through my OB coded as being for the purpose of severe cramps and not IF). I *thought* I was in one of the lucky states where IF coverage is required at least for testing if not treatment, but it turns out in my state (CA) the insurance companies are required to offer a plan with it to employers but the employers can choose not to pay extra to include it, which means that most of them don't include it. In any case, I totally get that it's a concern for you (and, well, all of us). I don't know if other REs offer this but mine has a special program if you can show serious economic hardship they do a lot of stuff cheaper (they take off 500-7000 for an IVF cycle if you qualify). Also on my RE's website there is some info about a program where you might be able to get the meds cheaper (not sure if it's available outside CA): https://www.mdrusa.com/firststeps/
@heatherdubrow FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffff. Huge, huge hugs coming your way from me. I can't tell you how much I never wanted to see you post here ever again. But we are all here for you - please let us know if there's any way we can support you right now. I'm so sorry.
@LoveInDC Judging by your insurance portal thingy it looks like testing is covered but not treatment. My insurance is the same, so none of the treatment was covered BUT when I was doing medicated cycles with just TI, my ultrasounds were covered because technically its a test. Once they added in the IUI though the ultrasounds were not covered. I was also initially told that nothing coming out of my RE office would be covered, but the finance girl at the office was really cool and coded it under obgyn somehow. She basically had me seeing my RE as an obgyn until I started IUIs.
Me: 31 Husby: 36 Married May 2014 TTC # 2 Since December 2021 Baby girl W born 2/2021 Our journey so far... (tw loss & infertility)
Diagnosis: Poor Egg Quality Working with an RE since March 2016 2 failed TI cycles 3 failed IUI cycles
IVF Feb - April 2017 23 eggs collected, 20 mature, 14 fertilized with ICSI, 4 day 3 blasts, 3 day 5 blasts, 1 PGS normal Transferred 1 PGS normal embryo 4.12.17 BFP 4.21.17 MMC due to small gestational sac 6.8.17
Our adoption journey: 12.25.18 Agency picked and apps submitted! 5.1.19 Adoption on hold so we can buy a house! 1.1.20 Homestudy process started 3.14.20 First social worker visit 5.25.20 Homestudy Approved & Submitted to Agency
6.1.20 Surprise! Positive pregnancy test! Healthy baby girl born 2/10/2021
@LoveInDC Judging by your insurance portal thingy it looks like testing is covered but not treatment. My insurance is the same, so none of the treatment was covered BUT when I was doing medicated cycles with just TI, my ultrasounds were covered because technically its a test. Once they added in the IUI though the ultrasounds were not covered. I was also initially told that nothing coming out of my RE office would be covered, but the finance girl at the office was really cool and coded it under obgyn somehow. She basically had me seeing my RE as an obgyn until I started IUIs.
It's true that RE office people are usually really awesome and clever about coding things. So many of my ultrasounds were covered only because of how they were coded.
@heatherdubrow Nooooooooooooooooo I'm so sorry! I hate that you're here. You're always welcome. I wish the circumstances weren't so shitty.
Me: late 30s | H: early 30s TTC #1 since April 2015 RE Dx: Fibroids, surgery Jan 2016 IUI #1 and #2, Nov/Dec 2016, BFN IVF March 2017: ER - 5R/3M/3F, 1 PGS normal Polyp removed May 2017 FET May 2017 - BFP! Baby boy born 2/2/18
Me: 31 Husby: 36 Married May 2014 TTC # 2 Since December 2021 Baby girl W born 2/2021 Our journey so far... (tw loss & infertility)
Diagnosis: Poor Egg Quality Working with an RE since March 2016 2 failed TI cycles 3 failed IUI cycles
IVF Feb - April 2017 23 eggs collected, 20 mature, 14 fertilized with ICSI, 4 day 3 blasts, 3 day 5 blasts, 1 PGS normal Transferred 1 PGS normal embryo 4.12.17 BFP 4.21.17 MMC due to small gestational sac 6.8.17
Our adoption journey: 12.25.18 Agency picked and apps submitted! 5.1.19 Adoption on hold so we can buy a house! 1.1.20 Homestudy process started 3.14.20 First social worker visit 5.25.20 Homestudy Approved & Submitted to Agency
6.1.20 Surprise! Positive pregnancy test! Healthy baby girl born 2/10/2021
@antoto I agree with you. I didn't mean for that post to come across as cost outweighed any other considerations. Just sending some love tits because I understand having everything covered versus not having everything covered makes this all more complicated and frustrating.
@loveindc - My insurance is exactly like @tamalahoops as well. They wouldn't cover "infertility treatment" until we'd been actively TTC for a year, despite my DX. But TI and oral drugs were not considered treatment. I hope that your insurance does cover something for you! It's a PITA trying to figure it all out...
@wabash15 That's awesome about your follies!! Thank goodness you didn't go over your max.
@heatherdubrow I am so sorry you're back here!! Many hugs to you.
TTC History
Me: 35 DH: 34 Married 07/2012 DD born 07/2014 DD2 born 10/2018 DS born 10/2022
IF history: TTC #2 since January 2016 June-Aug 2017: 3 IUIs w/Clomid = BFN Sept 2017: Dx w/Endometriosis Oct 2017: IUI w/Letrozole = BFN Nov 2017: IUI w/Letrozole = BFN Dec 2017: pre-IVF testing Jan-Feb 2018: IVF--17 eggs retrieved, 13 fertilized, 9 frozen and 1 transferred on 2/10 = BFP on 2/19!!! EDD 10/29/2018 FET Oct 2021: BFP on 10/31! MC at 5 weeks FET Feb 2022: BFP on 2/15! EDD 10/29/22
Re: IF/Testing Check In - Week of 3/27
To go into more detail with her plan, she wants to see the BW first to confirm Dx and see if there are any other factors. If it comes back as PCOS, she wants to do Clomid because of my age and medical history. She will monitor and adjust the strength as necessary. After 3 unsuccessful cycles, she'd do an HSG and SA to see if there are other factors at play. She specifically said that she would send me to an RE if there were any problems or for Femara if I did not respond to Clomid as well as she hopes.
Of course, I can choose to go to an RE at any time. I started with an OBGYN primarily because I didn't have one I could trust before this (and that's sort of important when you want to GKTFU or referred to an RE). I also wasn't entirely sure something was wrong and knew that any OBGYN worth their stuff could do BW and Dx. My insurance also doesn't cover IF or RE visits. So if I could find an OBGYN that I trusted, get a Dx, and do a few monitored Clomid cycles to GKTFU, that would be ideal for me. If at any point I lose trust in her, or something comes up that is beyond her scope, DH and I will discuss the financial commitment of OOP and move forward from there.
Diagnosed : unexplained infertility
6 rounds of IUI and a MC 2/2014, rainbow twins 4/2015
TTC #3 5/2016
Restarted Fertility tx
IUI 2 rounds, baby girl 12/17
I would definitely do the SA and HSG prior to taking Clomid though. SAs are really inexpensive, quick, easy. An HSG will make sure your tubes are clear so that the Clomid would actually be effective.
But of course if you feel comfortable, it's your choice. I've just been so pleasantly surprised through this that everything I've been told on this board by this group of smarties has been 100% reinforced by my RE - they know a lot.
TTC #1 since April 2015
RE Dx: Fibroids, surgery Jan 2016
IUI #1 and #2, Nov/Dec 2016, BFN
IVF March 2017: ER - 5R/3M/3F, 1 PGS normal
Polyp removed May 2017
FET May 2017 - BFP!
Baby boy born 2/2/18
I want to let you know that I hear all of you loud and clear. I'm reading all of your posts and seeing the love tits. Trust me, I am taking notes from all of you and will be having this conversation with my OBGYN at my next appointment. If at any point, I don't trust her answers, then I'll talk to DH about seeing an RE. Getting a take home baby and keeping me healthy are obviously first priorities. But if I can do both without going broke, I would really really prefer that.
I talked to my OBGYN about IF not being covered by my insurance. She assured me that they code everything as "irregular cycles" and other helpful codes as much as possible to get around insurance. Luckily, my company provides a debit card that covers my deductible. So as long as I stay in network, everything is "free" on my end. It's just impossible to do that once I step foot in an RE office. Thanks for the tip of testing at the OBGYN and go to the RE for analysis! Definitely something to keep in mind moving forward.
All of these responses are also super-helpful to consider for those who aren't quite at this place in the journey. I'm benched for now, but when I finally see a doc and they start to talk about all these meds and tests, I have a whole arsenal of information to prevent delays/health issues! Thanks to all who have contributed here!
TTC since June 2016
Azoospermia diagnosis (zero count) Dec 2016
AZFc chromosome microdeletion discovery March 2017
Unsuccessful TESE for DH in August 2017
October 2017 IVF with donor sperm
29R, 24M, 16F, 2d5, 4d6 (6 embryos total)
Only 3 could have PGS. 2/3 normal. 5 embies frozen
12/15/17 FET #1 (1 embryo)--CP
2/7/17 FET #2 (2 embryos)--BFN
Chronic endometritis diagnosis May 2018
ERA Sept 2018--borderline receptive--12 more hours of progesterone
Abnormal SIS Oct 2018
Repeat hysteroscopy Nov 1. Treated recurring endometritis.
12/4/18 FET #3 (2 embryos)--BFN
Our journey has come to an end.
TTC #1 since April 2015
RE Dx: Fibroids, surgery Jan 2016
IUI #1 and #2, Nov/Dec 2016, BFN
IVF March 2017: ER - 5R/3M/3F, 1 PGS normal
Polyp removed May 2017
FET May 2017 - BFP!
Baby boy born 2/2/18
Diagnosed : unexplained infertility
6 rounds of IUI and a MC 2/2014, rainbow twins 4/2015
TTC #3 5/2016
Restarted Fertility tx
IUI 2 rounds, baby girl 12/17
I just wanted to say that I saw your update @LoveInDC and am happy that you like the new OB so much as well as the fact that she has started the steps to figure out exactly what is causing your crazy cycles. I have been lurking this thread for some time both in anticipation for when I need to join in as well as to love-tit and cheer on my friends and these ladies truly are the best and really do know what they're talking about. As far as insurance goes, I know that mine does not cover IF treatments but it covered the testing done (HSG, bloodwork and SA to some extent with H's ins). Have you spoken with your insurance to confirm that they do not cover the testing?
"It's time to try defying gravity."
Married 6/11/16
TTC Since 6/2016
12/2016 RE appt; 1/2017 SA & HSG results - all normal
3/2017 Dx Hyperprolactinemia; 5/2017 Prolactin levels normal; 8/2017 Low Ovarian Reserve
8/2017 TTA for personal reasons; 10/2017 NTNP; 12/2017 Re-start TTC
7/2018 Clomid+IUI
11/2018 Letrozole+TI
12/2018 Letrozole+IUI
2/2019 NTNP
5/2019 Stopping all TTC efforts; living Childfree
ETA: As we get closer to make this decision, I will be making calls to the insurance and confirm their policies. For example, I just learned that while Clomid is cheap, Femara is free under my insurance. Go figure.
PS: As I was typing that, I remembered a recent OU/FFFC about judging people who use percentages over 100 to exaggerate and I chuckled
Diagnosed : unexplained infertility
6 rounds of IUI and a MC 2/2014, rainbow twins 4/2015
TTC #3 5/2016
Restarted Fertility tx
IUI 2 rounds, baby girl 12/17
Hi friends, I'm back here now. Benched for the moment while I wait for my d&c and everything that follows, but will do a FET again when I can. I hope it's ok if I post in here in the meantime.
end TW**
@LoveInDC Sounds like your insurance plan is similar to mine. I called and confirmed with my insurance company like 4 times and as soon as the word IF or RE is thrown out even if the test is also related to your general health, nope, nothing (with the exception of a few things covered through my OB coded as being for the purpose of severe cramps and not IF). I *thought* I was in one of the lucky states where IF coverage is required at least for testing if not treatment, but it turns out in my state (CA) the insurance companies are required to offer a plan with it to employers but the employers can choose not to pay extra to include it, which means that most of them don't include it. In any case, I totally get that it's a concern for you (and, well, all of us). I don't know if other REs offer this but mine has a special program if you can show serious economic hardship they do a lot of stuff cheaper (they take off 500-7000 for an IVF cycle if you qualify). Also on my RE's website there is some info about a program where you might be able to get the meds cheaper (not sure if it's available outside CA): https://www.mdrusa.com/firststeps/
eta grammar fail
Married May 2014
TTC # 2 Since December 2021
Baby girl W born 2/2021
Our journey so far...
(tw loss & infertility)
Working with an RE since March 2016
2 failed TI cycles
3 failed IUI cycles
IVF Feb - April 2017
23 eggs collected, 20 mature, 14 fertilized with ICSI, 4 day 3 blasts, 3 day 5 blasts, 1 PGS normal
Transferred 1 PGS normal embryo 4.12.17
BFP 4.21.17
MMC due to small gestational sac 6.8.17
Our adoption journey:
12.25.18 Agency picked and apps submitted!
5.1.19 Adoption on hold so we can buy a house!
1.1.20 Homestudy process started
3.14.20 First social worker visit
5.25.20 Homestudy Approved & Submitted to Agency
6.1.20 Surprise! Positive pregnancy test!
Healthy baby girl born 2/10/2021
TTC #1 since April 2015
RE Dx: Fibroids, surgery Jan 2016
IUI #1 and #2, Nov/Dec 2016, BFN
IVF March 2017: ER - 5R/3M/3F, 1 PGS normal
Polyp removed May 2017
FET May 2017 - BFP!
Baby boy born 2/2/18
@heatherdubrow I don't want you here but you are always welcome!! (You know what I mean)
Diagnosed : unexplained infertility
6 rounds of IUI and a MC 2/2014, rainbow twins 4/2015
TTC #3 5/2016
Restarted Fertility tx
IUI 2 rounds, baby girl 12/17
Married May 2014
TTC # 2 Since December 2021
Baby girl W born 2/2021
Our journey so far...
(tw loss & infertility)
Working with an RE since March 2016
2 failed TI cycles
3 failed IUI cycles
IVF Feb - April 2017
23 eggs collected, 20 mature, 14 fertilized with ICSI, 4 day 3 blasts, 3 day 5 blasts, 1 PGS normal
Transferred 1 PGS normal embryo 4.12.17
BFP 4.21.17
MMC due to small gestational sac 6.8.17
Our adoption journey:
12.25.18 Agency picked and apps submitted!
5.1.19 Adoption on hold so we can buy a house!
1.1.20 Homestudy process started
3.14.20 First social worker visit
5.25.20 Homestudy Approved & Submitted to Agency
6.1.20 Surprise! Positive pregnancy test!
Healthy baby girl born 2/10/2021
@antoto I agree with you. I didn't mean for that post to come across as cost outweighed any other considerations. Just sending some love tits because I understand having everything covered versus not having everything covered makes this all more complicated and frustrating.
@loveindc - My insurance is exactly like @tamalahoops as well. They wouldn't cover "infertility treatment" until we'd been actively TTC for a year, despite my DX. But TI and oral drugs were not considered treatment. I hope that your insurance does cover something for you! It's a PITA trying to figure it all out...
@wabash15 That's awesome about your follies!! Thank goodness you didn't go over your max.
@heatherdubrow I'm so sorry you are here again.
I hate that you're back here.
But glad to have you. We're here for all the things.
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
@wabash15 YAAAAAAY follies!
@heatherdubrow I'm still thinking of you. I hope you had lots and lots of champs last night.
Married 07/2012
DD born 07/2014
DD2 born 10/2018
DS born 10/2022
IF history:
TTC #2 since January 2016
June-Aug 2017: 3 IUIs w/Clomid = BFN
Sept 2017: Dx w/Endometriosis
Oct 2017: IUI w/Letrozole = BFN
Nov 2017: IUI w/Letrozole = BFN
Dec 2017: pre-IVF testing
Jan-Feb 2018: IVF--17 eggs retrieved, 13 fertilized, 9 frozen and 1 transferred on 2/10 = BFP on 2/19!!! EDD 10/29/2018
FET Oct 2021: BFP on 10/31! MC at 5 weeks
FET Feb 2022: BFP on 2/15! EDD 10/29/22