September 2018 IVF ER

wishiwaspreggo · August 2018

I got my calendar, y'all! I stop BCPs on the 20th, go in for baseline on the 23rd, and start my stims on the 25th. For INVOcell they do a combo of fertility pills and FSH so I'll do 5 mg of Femara for 2 days, Femara + FSH (300 iu per day) for 3 days, then 300 iu per day for 3 more days and then I do an ultrasound to see where we are. May keep stimming for a few more days and then cetrotide. Trigger on September 3rd, retrieval on the 5th, and transfer on the 10th. Freeze any remaining embryos.

I had a trial transfer yesterday and it went smoothly. Didn't even feel the catheter, which was great. I always feel the catheter during IUI and it feels so icky. It was neat to see it on the ultrasound screen. I'm really excited for all the visuals we get by doing this (embryo pictures, watching the transfer happen in real time, etc.). Much different than IUI where you're just hoping the egg and sperm meet and do their thing in the tubes!

StellaZee83 · August 2018

Hello ladies! I'm very new around here, but this thread caught my attention as we just found out we will be doing a September ER!

A little about be...I'm 35, DH is 38 and we've been TTC for 6+ years. I have PCOS and ovulation issues and DH has severe MFI...we've lost a combined 350 lbs (through weight loss surgery) in order to get to the point where fertility treatments are an option for us. I'm currently dealing with some bacteria on my endometrial lining and just started my 2nd round of antibiotics, so we likely won't transfer till November/December when we can verify the bacteria is gone. We will be doing IVF with ICSI and doing PGS.

I'm due for my period any day now, we'll meet with the IVF nurse next week to get our med schedule, but as of now, we are definitely a "go" for their September cycle!

zamoraspin · August 2018

@StellaZee83 Welcome. I'm sorry you have to be here with us but I hope to get to know and support you. Losing that weight is a really amazing accomplishment. My RE has recommended we do an endometrial biopsy when we do my ER, is that how you found out about the bacteria?

StellaZee83 · August 2018

zamora_spin said:

@StellaZee83 Welcome. I'm sorry you have to be here with us but I hope to get to know and support you. Losing that weight is a really amazing accomplishment. My RE has recommended we do an endometrial biopsy when we do my ER, is that how you found out about the bacteria?

It is...I had a biopsy, found the bacteria, did 2 weeks of heavy duty antibiotics and had another biopsy about a month later. We found the bacteria is STILL there (ughhhh), so I just started another round of a different antibiotic on Thursday. The IVF nurse said the bacteria doesn't affect the ER, just the FET (we're doing a frozen cycle in order to do PGS testing), so we're going to go ahead with the ER in September. My RE said the bacteria can prevent the embryo from attaching, or if it does attach, it can cause a miscarriage, so it's obviously something we want to clear up before we transfer!

funkykey · August 2018

Hey guys, how's everyone doing?

@wishiwaspreggo - how are you feeling? Getting so close to starting stimms!

@StellaZee83 - welcome! When do you think you'll start stimming? Sounds like the infection sucks, but so good that you've caught it and are treating! Hopefully you will get lots of healthy embies to transfer! Have you done any other treatments, or is this your first one?

And big congratulations on the weight loss! That is a huge accomplishment!!

AFM: an update - looks like I'll start stimming on Aug. 29th. I went in for a baseline and had nine follicles, so hopefully I'll get about 9 mature eggs. We'll see though - keep your fingers crossed for me!

I've been on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster - just nerves about whether or not this will work, etc. Like many of you, I'm sure, I have a lot of friends/family IRL with babies and small children, so sometimes that's tough - particularly when I'm dealing with this uncertainty. I went to buy a baby gift for my niece this week, and I had to leave the store - there were just too many sweet baby things. I'll probably just buy something online.

wishiwaspreggo · August 2018

@funkykey - I'm doing alright. Absolutely detesting the birth control pills, TBH. This is why I never, EVER take them. My appetite gets out of control in every sense and my breasts are so sore. And it makes me unpleasantly dried out $:\$ I can't wait to stop them. I have 4 more days of pills to take!! Then I stop and wait for AF (or whatever you call the bleeding after stopping BC). Then baseline and stims. My meds are ordered and will be here early next week! I'm excited to start

just trying to get through the busy time at my work for now.

Awesome that you start your stims on the 29th! That's close to when I'll start mine, actually

and wow, 9 follicles, I hope they all yield 9 mature eggs! I'll definitely keep my fingers crossed!

Yeah, I hear you on the emotions. TW - my friend just had a baby after an airlifting ordeal and scare with her heart rate dropping. She and her husband have been leaning on us a lot. It's been rough.

Bonniebonsall · August 2018

Hi everyone! Like @StellaZee83 I'm also new around here! I will be starting a fresh IVF cycle next week. This will be my first ever IVF cycle so I need all the advice I can get!

My husband has severe MFI so we will be doing ICSI. He also has Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, but thankfully he's responding really well to treatment and just finished chemo. He will be finishing radiation in September and hopefully cancer free by October! The only issue they've found with me so far is subclinical hypothyroidism, which I'm currently on a mild dose of synthroid for. My other blood work and tests came back with pretty good results -- normal sonohysterogram, easy mock transfer, AMH of 4.85, and AFC of 18. I'm praying that all of this will lead to a successful cycle, but I know not to get my hopes up and am mentally (and financially!) preparing myself for the potential of having to do FET or even another IVF cycle.

As of right now, I'll be starting Lupron on 8/23. I'll have my baseline on 8/31, and if my bloodwork is ok, I'll start Gonal F that night, and Menopur on 9/3. And if all goes well with that, my HCG trigger will be early in the week of 9/9, with my ER later that week, and my transfer the following week.

Mostly looking for advice on those terrifying intramuscular injections, recovery time / what the expect after the egg retrieval, and whether or not bed rest is a good idea after the transfer. I always keep pretty busy, but September is a particularly busy month for me, and I'm not sure how much of my life I should expect to be taken over by IVF. Obviously IVF is going to be my number one priority no matter what, but I'm just hoping it doesn't prevent me from attending some important events (my mom's 60th surprise party is a few days after my ER, and my best friend's bachelorette weekend is a few days after my transfer -- obviously no wine for me!). If it does, so be it, but I would love to still be able to attend those events barring any complications or timing adjustments (and maybe they'll be a nice distraction, especially the bachelorette since it falls in my potential TWW!).

A few more questions:

- Any suggestions on supplements to take, and what to eat or what not to eat?
- I'm a big coffee drinker -- should I cut it out completely, or is it ok to just limit my intake?
- I've read "It Starts With the Egg", but does anyone have any other IVF books to recommend?

Thank you for any advice or suggestions! Looking forward to getting to know everyone and hoping for successful cycles for us all!

suzycupcake · August 2018

Hi Ladies,

We will be doing ER in September when my next cycle starts hopefully if my thyroid numbers are in order. I'm a long time member of ttgp and post in the ttcal and IF threads frequently. I was also over here a lot during iui cycles. My story is that we've been trying to get pregnant for 6 years. Treatment history and diagnoses are in the spoiler below. I'll probably mostly just lurk here for a little bit before saying a whole lot since I'll be going back and forth between here and ttgp. Also, I'll be working a lot on distracting myself while I wait.

@blackhottamales I'm sorry that you find yourself here too. It's so nice to see you again, I remember you from last year!

Hi @tinjp78 !!

How are you doing? Did you start stims yet?

funkykey · August 2018

@Bonniebonsall - welcome! Holy, you must have had a wild last few months - a pretty rough 2017, it looks like. I cannot imagine doing a round of IVF at the same time as my husband doing radiation. You two are troopers! Keeping FX for you both, and hoping that by October your DH is cancer-free, and you are expecting!

I've not done a Lupron protocol (my clinic tends to do more antagonist protocols), so I don't know exactly what your experience will be. Given your age and numbers, though, I'd imagine you'll have a pretty good response and would expect you to get a lot of eggs (like 18+), so your risk of OHSS is a little higher.

For me, I found the 2 days before retrieval more uncomfortable than the day after retrieval. I don't think you should have a problem at your mom's birthday or the bachelorette, but I definitely would not plan to do anything physically strenuous in the days before retrieval or for a few days after! (Ie. if your mom's birthday involves surprising her with a half marathon, skip it.)

I drink a cup of coffee every day, and no one has told me to eliminate it. I've been taking other supplements for a few months now, but this close to the ER, the big one is just a prenatal.

Good luck!

@suzycupcake - welcome! I think I've seen you around? Just looking at your history - really hoping IVF ends this chapter of TTC for you.

AFM: The other day, I found these youtube bloggers who talked about their IVF, and I kind of binged the whole series and then cried for a good half-hour. https://www.youtube.com/user/Katekagood/videos

I know sometimes when you're going through IVF, you want to watch anything other than IF-related videos/entertainment. But sometimes I find that the non-IF related stuff is harder. Like, anything relating to children/motherhood, I want to avoid. Some of the blogs I read, or magazines, are so mom-focussed, or talk about being moms, and I'm trying to limit that.

OK guys, posting this as a bit of a recap - here's a list of who we have. I've organized by stimming start dates, but I didn't have everyone's.

@Bonniebonsall - 31 dx MFI. IVF #1, TTC#1. Stimming starts: Aug 23
@wishiwaspreggo - 36 dx low AMH, PCOS. IVF#1, INVOcell. TTC#2. Stimming starts: Aug 25
@funkykey - 34 dx unexplained (but with AMH .8). IVF#2, TTC#1. Stimming starts: Aug 29
@zamora_spin - 36 dx ? but repeated losses

. IVF#1, TTC#1. Stimming starts: Sept. 7
@rara_avis_8 - 35 dx PCOS, endo. IVF#1, TTC#1. Stimming starts:
@blackhottamales - 35 dx MFI. IVF#1, TTC#1. Stimming starts:
@rmarble23 - 30, dx MFI. IVF#2, TTC#2. Stimming starts:
@StellaZee83 - 35, dx MFI, PCOS. IVF#1, TTC#1. Stimming starts:
@suzycupcake - 34, dx uterine, IVF#1, TTC#1. Stimming starts:

fr0ggie81 · August 2018

Can I join you guys? I have been a lurker on these boards for 10 years! DH(46) and I(37) have been TTC for 12 years. Too many attempts with clomid over the years, total of 6 IUIs- all bfn. We are dealing with MFI- low morphology. I have a DD(15) from a previous marriage and we have a DD(8) that we adopted. Never gave up hope we would get pregnant. We are gearing up for our first IVF! For once I can't wait until AF shows up!! She is due last week of August. Find out Monday our protocol and should be ER/ET mid/late September. To say I am excited/nervous is a huge understatement! We have had a rough go the last 7 years. We both want a baby so bad. I lost my mom unexpectedly in December. My husband lost his dad in February and his step dad in April. This year has brought a lot of heartache. My mother in law has so generously decided to pay for IVF because we are OOP for everything since insurance doesn't cover it. We are very lucky to have this opportunity and are super excited! We chose the multicycle package. So we have 2 fresh and 2 FET attempts. Praying we get lucky the first round! Good luck to everyone here!!

rmarble23 · August 2018

got my approval!, most of my meds are in hand, waiting on the lupron which needed a PA and HCG which needed to be ordered, both I will have on Monday. AF "should" arrive Monday or Tuesday and then I can start BCP!! Estimating to be full on at the beginning of Sept

suzycupcake · August 2018

@fr0ggie81 Of course you can join us!

I'm very sorry to hear about so much loss going on in your family. It's so unfair. How are you guys holding up? I lost my dad in december so if you need another someone to talk to, my inbox is open to you. Hugs

@rmarble23 Hooray for approval! What is PA?

suzycupcake · August 2018

@funkykey Is this thread different because we all are gonna be doing egg retrieval whereas the usual FET thread is for ladies who are at the point of transfer? I don't think I've seen an ER thread before, that's why I ask.

fr0ggie81 · August 2018

@suzycupcake We are managing. Trying to adjust and taking it a day at a time. Miss my mom so much because she was my biggest cheerleader the last 12 years and would have been so excited about us doing IVF. I know she is looking down and watching over us! So sorry to hear about your dad. Prayers dear!

wishiwaspreggo · August 2018

@Bonniebonsall - welcome! I'm sorry for the rough year you've had but it sounds like your H is on a good treatment program. Hope he makes a full recovery soon!

To answer your questions... you may be a bit sore after ER but should recover well enough to resume normal activities in a day or two. After transfer, the advice used to be bed rest but now they say to go about your usual activity. It's good to keep blood flowing to the uterus (but nothing too intense, of course!)

- Any suggestions on supplements to take, and what to eat or what not to eat? - I'm taking Ubiquinol, Myo-inositol, prenatal, and NAC. Haven't altered my diet, really.
- I'm a big coffee drinker -- should I cut it out completely, or is it ok to just limit my intake? I haven't cut coffee... I don't think it's necessary unless you're drinking like, 4-5 cups a day.
- I've read "It Starts With the Egg", but does anyone have any other IVF books to recommend? That's a good one to read!

zamoraspin · August 2018

@wishiwaspreggo So glad things are moving for you and that you have your calendar!
@Bonniebonsall I'm so sorry for what you and YH are going through and I hope YH is in remission as soon as possible. On books, ISTWE is seemingly the egg (and sperm) health bible, I haven't really seen other books mentioned. I agree with the suggestion of ubiquinol/CoQ10 as a good anti-oxidant. Realistically it takes 3-4 months for eggs to mature so I'm not sure how much impact changes will make this close to ER, but you never know. It sounds like you are in good health already though. I will also be honest that many of the ISWTE changes are things I've done for over a year (supplements, reduce BPA, avoid phthalates, etc) and my outcomes haven't improved, although my AMH and AFC has gone up a little, it feels like it's kind of a crapshoot. On diet, some of the ladies I know who have done IVF have RE's who very strongly recommend low carb before and during stims. Mine does not make that recommendation but I've seen some studies indicating it may help so I've been doing my best for the last few months (I don't eat meat so it's not easy to keep low carb). On caffeine my RE has guidelines in our info packet that say to restrict caffeine to 1 caffeinated beverage per day - I've interpreted this to be in line with what is recommended for pregnant ladies and use mg measurements instead of per drink, so I drink a decaf or half caf coffee in the morning and sometimes a green tea or similar early afternoon. You might see if your RE has any recs, but again, realistically idk if it really matters.
@fr0ggie81 Wow, you guys have been through so much. I'm so sorry for your losses. I hope you get the baby you are hoping for.
@suzycupcake The threads that are labeled "IVF" are usually ER threads, but I think it's clearer this way although perhaps we will all keep up with each other through transfers too here. If you look at the July/August IVF thread it's from last year and the ladies who stimmed together have kept up with each other even though they are at different points in the process. eta Also, so glad it sounds like you'll be able to move forward so quickly. My clinic's spots fill up so fast, even though we were sure we wanted to do IVF since June, and had all our pre-testing done by mid-July September is the soonest they had space at my clinic.

Also, AFM I have an appt Thursday for mock transfer and consents. Except DH can't come so we need to pre-sign the consents... that we have not received.

suzycupcake · August 2018

@zamora_spin I wonder if they could email them to you. Not sure if you have a printer. That happened to us during an iui cycle, but they ended up letting my husband sign the consents the morning of.

You know, I never considered spots would be filled up. Maybe I better make sure I get in there next week with the lab test results I already have and have them draw whatever blood they wanna draw that week too just to see if anything is off which might hinder a Sept ER.

I sort of understand mock transfer. What is your opinion on that process?

@wishiwaspreggo I've seen mixed opinions on that after ER. I read that some ladies need narcotics to deal with the pain. I'm trying to remember, this is your first ER right? Hey maybe we should start a spreadsheet on this thread so we can refer to it for memory's sake lol

suzycupcake · August 2018

Here is our very own spreadsheet

Feel free to edit if you think it should only contain ER stuff and not the rest of transfer stuff. I know for me personally, we wouldn't be transferring until the next cycle after, but I don't mind sticking to the same sheet. We could remove columns and change the title as we go along.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fpQ_AJxV3Q-o4-ZBw9sJAjWSqRRwjYolbnfqT8TBOC8/edit?usp=sharing

wishiwaspreggo · August 2018

@zamora_spin - sorry about your paperwork being delayed $:\$ having a crummy staff at the RE's office is the pits. I suffer the same issue to an extent. So far no major screw-ups yet but the nurses and front office ladies are a bit batty and unprofessional. On the one hand it's really weird, but on the other hand it kind of lightens the overall mood in the office so... maybe it's not so bad? I deal with stress and bad feelings through humor so seeing and hearing them goof off makes me feel better in a way. A lot of RE offices are so somber.

@suzycupcake - great spreadsheet, thank you! I updated my info

at least to the extent of what I know thus far.

Took my last BCP today! WOOT! I hate that stuff so much. Now it's time to wait for AF. Supposedly I'll start bleeding in 3 days... we'll see.

StellaZee83 · August 2018

@funkykey thank you! I start Lupron on 8/30 and go for my baseline US/BW on 9/13, I'm scheduled to start Follistim & Menopur that evening. Tentative ER will be 9/24!

@fr0ggie81 I'm so sorry to hear of all your family has gone through this year...I'm sorry you HAVE to join us, but happy to have you here!

This may be a stupid question...but do stims count as the day I start my Lupron or the day I start the other stuff??

funkykey · August 2018

@wishiwaspreggo - hooray for being done with BCP!
Also, I would have a hard time with my friend's airlifting scare emotions. I can see how that would be scary, but if she and her baby are both healthy now, well... Sometimes I have to remind my friends: "Look, I understand that breastfeeding and sleep training are hard, but I am NOT the friend who you should complain to about it."

@fr0ggie81 - welcome! I'm sorry you've lost your mom and that DH lost his father and step father. That sounds like a rough year. We are OOP too.

How does your package work? Does it guarantee 4 embryo transfers?

@suzycupcake - I just added the "ER" to the thread title because I've seen some posters get confused and post their transfer updates in the wrong thread. Obviously, not a big deal, but the processes are pretty different.

@zamora_spin - I was in that July/August IVF thread last year, but stopped following it. I'm really happy for the women who ended up getting pregnant, but for some of us who didn't, the updates can be a bit of a reminder of our unsuccessful attempts. There's a reason the PAIF board is separate from this board. That said, I have lurked on the PAIF board, to see how things have turned out for my friends from that thread. A lot of them have babies now!

@StellaZee83 - I'd count the day you start Lupron as the day you start stimming, but I don't know... I've never done that protocol.

suzycupcake · August 2018

@funkykey someone changed what you edited so I changed it back and formatted.

Bonniebonsall · August 2018

@funkykey Thank you! It’s definitely been quite a year, but we’re really hoping that we can have some good news to end 2018. It’s pretty crazy to be doing this at the same time as DH’s radiation, but we’re both a little nuts and are just chomping at the bit to get started!

They did warn me of my higher risk of OHSS, so I’m just going to have to weigh myself daily to make sure I don’t gain more than 4 lbs in one day.

Thank you so much for the info on what to expect for the retrieval and transfer. I normally get intense cramps with my period, and my sonohysterogram was pretty brutal, so I wasn’t sure if that’s something to expect after the retrieval. I know that everyone is different, so I'm going to just mentally prepare myself for the worst. I will definitely be avoiding anything strenuous (as I always do — haha!). And that’s great news on the caffeine! I normally drink a big gulp sized iced coffee, so I’m just going to limit myself to a smaller cup!

@fr0ggie81 I’m so sorry for your losses. I can't imagine enduring all of that in such a short period of time. I lost my dad in April of this year, so I can definitely relate to your year of heartache, and the need for a rainbow after the storm. Hoping that the end of 2018 is looking bright for you and your DH. I will be praying for you!

@suzycupcake I’m so sorry for your loss too. Losing a parent is the worst, especially on top of everything else we're having to deal with.

And thank you for the creating the spreadsheet -- I’ll make sure to plug in my info!

@wishiwaspreggo Thank you for the well wishes for DH and for the advice!

@zamora_spin Thank you! Sounds like I’m a little late to the game on the supplements so I’ll just continue to take my prenatal and hope for the best. And ugh I am the biggest carb lover so it’s going to be tough — but I think I’m going to try to go carb free for lunch this month. We’ll see how that goes! I’ll be limiting my caffeine intake to one cup.

wishing-and-hoping · August 2018

hello ladies... if it's ok i'd like to join you - I started stims yesterday which puts my tentative ER at 8/31 and tentative transfer at 9/5 so I am straddling the line of August/September. My previous IVF cycle had to be converted because I developed a lead follicle, so I've been on BCP/Lupron for the last couple weeks to suppress the ole ovaries so hopefully we'll have smooth sailing this time.

quick question for you all - I totally spaced last night and didn't do my shots until after 10pm... I know I should take them at the same time each night but do we think it's ok to move them up 10 minutes a night so I can get back to 9/930ish?

wishiwaspreggo · August 2018

Welcome, @wishing-and-hoping! I remember you from the March IUI thread. Here's hoping we both have (much) better luck this time around.

I think you're fine to gradually scale back your shots every 10 minutes/day. I did mine at roughly the same time every night but some nights I was off by 10-15 minutes (even a half hour a couple nights) just depending on what was going on that day. From my understanding the timing of FSH isn't as strict as BCPs or PIO.

I have a general question too, for those who have done IVF before.

When did your period come after stopping BCPs? Mine is scheduled to come on the 23rd (took my last pill yesterday) and was just curious to know how accurate that would be. My metabolism is sloooooooow so I'm wondering if it'll be more like 4-5 days for my AF to show up. If it's late, whatever. Not much I can do about it at any rate.

wishing-and-hoping · August 2018

@wishiwaspreggo thanks for the info! i took my last BCP on August 15 around 10pm and started my period August 17 around 10am so essentially 36 hours - pretty quick turnaround.

blackhottamales · August 2018

hi--sorry to have dropped off the face of the earth. I thought i would get back into the forum as i was heading into some vacation times--i was dead wrong. I'm caught up with work now after some much anticipated time off and getting excited for the next steps.

@suzycupcake Thank you so much for the spreadsheet. Love it and updated as much info as i have.

@Bonniebonsall You have had quite a year. so sorry for your loss but wish you best during this exciting time.

@wishiwaspreggo my clinic is pretty strict and doesn't want me on any supplements outside of Vitamin D and PNV. I wasn't taking much else, just fish oil and CoQ10. My doctor mentioned fish oil can cause bleeding during ER and didn't directly address CoQ10 but I'm trying to follow their instructions. I have cut out my coffee, sometimes i'll have a diet coke in the afternoon but only slipped twice in 3 weeks now. I am not a heavy drinker but I have stopped drinking a beer or glass of wine at the house. next to go is happy hour drinks, but those are few and far between so hopefully waiting until a possible BFP. so very exciting you're off BCP!

@funkykey thank you so much for the IF youtube--i'm definitely going to binge that soon. I do enjoy hearing about people's stories.

AFM:
Recap: DH and I are 35, MFI and left tube total blockage TTC#1 this is our first ER.

I start Estrace (2mg twice daily) and then Cetrotide injections tomorrow. I won't start stimming until CD5 which is estimated for 9/2. The only part i'm frustrated with is DH is going out of town 9/7-9/9 so he might be gone during ER...so i guess we have to do a back freeze of his sperm. I'm not making him go until CD1 so i can estimate better. It seems stupid because i don't want to risk it, but also i don't want to have to pay for the extra. it's so much $ already. Plus i really don't want him gone during that.

People keep asking how i'm doing and i'm actually doing fine so far--we'll see after i start giving myself shots tomorrow. The only thing is I keep getting more and more angry at my previous OB, she wouldn't treat any IF until i was under 35 BMI (i was within 7lbs) even with Morphology at 0%. Then i requested an HSG and figured out the left tube was completely blocked and she said there still wasn't anything she would do. i know i have to be my own advocate but with a complete blockage and MFI wouldn't you recommend an RE? I just can't believe how much time i wasted with her. She made me feel it was all me and my weight on why i wasn't getting pregnant. I need to work on my resentment towards her--because she doesn't affect me now but i'm still bitter.

mkr_0128 · August 2018

Hey ladies! I'm in the August ivf board, but since I don't have my ER until September I thought this board may be helpful too!

I'm about to be 27 next week, DH is 28. We are dx with MFI, and as far as we know nothing is wrong with me. This is our first IVF and we are TTC #1. We have been TTC for 3 years now, with finding out about DH's issue 1.5 years ago. He is in the military, so with being gone on deployment and a bit of a wait to get into the next available cycle, we are finally here!

I just had my baseline appointment on the 20th, and start stims tomorrow evening! My tentative ER is September 4, with tentative ET September 9. At my baseline they did blood and an ultrasound, but they didn't tell me how many follicles I had

I asked the nurse later if she could tell me and she said they were prob just too small. I'm hoping thats not a bad sign, as I've seen other people reporting how many follicles they had to start! I'm trying not to stress over it, but as we all know this costs a lot of money and I'm obviously hoping to get SOMETHING left to freeze! Ugh. DH is at a school for military, so I'm on my own for all of this in the meantime!

GL to everyone!!

funkykey · August 2018

@blackhottamales - yeah, sounds like your previous OB was no good. I'd be really mad about that too. Especially if you were ~34 years old. A blocked tube, months of TTC with no results, and 0% morphology, and she's going to give you a hard time about 7lbs? Yeeshk. You're paying someone to give you sound medical advice, and instead of doing that, it sounds like she was being short-sighted/tunnel visioned and giving you sub-par care. I mean, I don't know the whole situation, but at least that's what it looks like.

One of the things about IF that's been such a learning curve for me is just HOW MUCH you have to advocate for your own health care. The more informed you are, the more you push, the more questions you ask, sometimes it seems like that means you get better care... Plus, you absolutely cannot trust just any doctor to be the best. You have to shop around a bit. But all of that takes confidence, and when you're trying to TTC and maybe feeling self-conscious because you haven't conceived and feeling a little bit sheepish about it, it's really, really hard to be confident.

Anyway, in short: I'd be mad about that too. I'd have really conflicted feelings. Hopefully this IVF will work and that OB will be a distant memory - just a footnote in your path to motherhood.

@mkr_0128 - welcome, sorry you find yourself here, but hoping stimming goes well for you! FX for this cycle - Sept. 4 is so soon!

wishiwaspreggo · August 2018

@blackhottamales - Wow. My BMI is well above 35 and, while my last RE was a fat-shamer, I've never been told no by anyone. My health is otherwise just fine (normal BP, cholesterol, and sugar) and my hormones are fine beyond the PCOS. Body fat is not the end-all everyone makes it out to be. Sorry you had to deal with that! I definitely need to drop some pounds and plan to focus on that after I'm done reproducing. I'm so effing sick of being on hormones. It's near impossible to stick to any reasonable diet/exercise program this way.

So I was watching the educational videos on PIO injections. Holy giant gauge, Batman! What does that feel like??? Ugh, the belly shots never bothered me because I hardly felt them but those butt shots look dreadful. My palms got a little sweaty watching it. Can someone please reassure me that it's not as bad as I think?

blackhottamales · August 2018

Thanks @funkykey & @wishiwaspreggo

@Bonniebonsall are you starting stims today?

@wishing-and-hoping how are stims going? any side effects yet?

I did my first SubQ injection today! Centrotide for priming. I only have to do 3 of them and then wait for AF. Not a big deal at all. I'm actually glad i could start with Centrotide because i'm sure the Menopur and Gonal-F will not be that easy but now i know i can do it.

funkykey · August 2018

@wishiwaspreggo - the pio shots aren't that bad. My H administered them for me. It's just like a pin prick - nowhere near as bad as just the overall mental pain of IF.

I actually found the vaginal progesterone worse. I did my 2nd and 3rd transfers, and the ERA, all back-to-back, and my vagina was so raw at the end, just from the suppository leakage.

wishing-and-hoping · August 2018

@blackhottamales I get menstrual migraines pretty predictably always before AF - but with the 3 weeks of BCPs and adding in the Lupron, I had 4 of them in 2 weeks... which was pretty awful. One that lasted Sunday - Wednesday. The migraines are linked to these areas of tension I get in my shoulders - "trigger points" - anyway I got a massage yesterday and am feeling quite a bit better. No symptoms with the gonal F / menopur though so far so I'm glad for that!

wishiwaspreggo · August 2018

@funkykey - I'm very familiar with the suppositories. I hated them with a passion. They're definitely uncomfortable but at least I'm used to them! I've never done PIO so I guess I'll have to see how I feel to compare. Someone on my INVOcell forums was saying to use lidocain to numb the area, wipe it off, and then do the shot and heat/massage the area afterwards. I'll have to do a pain-to-effort analysis to decide if it's worth putting that much time into healing the spot where I do my shots. If I have a sore butt for a few weeks, whatever. Not the end of the world. It was more the depth of the shots that freaked me out.

wishing-and-hoping · August 2018

@wishiwaspreggo my clinic suggested using progesterone in ethyl oleate which is a thinner oil that allows you to use a smaller needle. just a thought to make it a little less painful. though I don't think the needle is any shorter...gotta get into that muscle. eek

rmarble23 · August 2018

My period finally started! 4 days late

start bcp Saturday and Lupron on 9/8 with first ultrasound and blood work on 9/17. Estimated ER 9/26-10/3

rmarble23 · August 2018

i updated my info on the spread sheet but probably stupid question...what is AFC?

wishing-and-hoping · August 2018

@rmarble23 AFC=antral follicle count

rmarble23 · August 2018

thanks @wishing-and-hoping !

brokenparents · August 2018

Hi, new-ish lurker here. I really enjoy reading all of your updates and am looking forward to following this thread. We found out in July my husband has azoospermia due to childhood testicular torsion. It is hard to find information about male infertility so I plan to share as much as I can.

I am waiting for my AMH test results. We are looking to schedule him to do Micro TESE surgery in September so we can get those hidden sperm out and start IVF with ICSI as soon as possible, hopefully October. Again, thanks for all the detailed information and I am wishing everyone the best!

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