@wishing-and-hoping I remember you from the iui threads as well with tinjp. Hi I'm glad you aren't experiencing much in the way of side effects, but let's be honest. You can take a lot because you are so badass. Thank you so much for the tip about progesterone in a specific oil with a smaller needle. If I am told that the doctor wants me to do PIO, I'm going to ask for that.
@blackhottamales So are you still taking the coq10? I wonder about that. I was taking it for a little while. I have MS and I found it to help me tremendously with fatigue. I wonder if it really does help with egg quality. Sorry that your previous OB wasted made you waste so much time. I think that it is wonderful that you are trying to work on your resentment towards her, but at the same time, it wasn't okay what she did and she shouldn't have shamed you about your weight. I really don't understand that. It's like, if your labwork is healthy (other than IF stuff), it shouldn't matter. There is so much body shaming going around and I think it's disgusting. I hope that you will be able to work through the resentment only so that you don't hurt anymore from feeling bitter
Welcome @brokenparents I'm sorry there isn't more literature out there about MFI. It's so insane to me because it makes up 50% of IF cases. I have a lot of opinions about that. I hope there is much success with the upcoming surgery!
People think we become mothers when we give birth but the truth is we become mothers the moment we start calling our babies to us in our thoughts, dreams and prayers. Some paths are short and some are so long that you can easily forget where you were headed.
How I feel all of the time. My 7 Year Journey ***Tw in spoiler***
IVF IVF #1 - September 2018; Follistim, Menopur, Cetrotide & Lupron/HCG combo trigger; PGS; ICSI Back on Levothyroxine FET #1 - October 2018; cancelled, all PGS aneuploid FET #1 - November 30th, transferred anyway Wondfo BFP 5dp5dt, CB Digi 6dpt, 1st Beta on 7dpt 93 2nd Beta on 10dpt 510!
TTC #1 since 2011. Tried for 5 years before we knew there was a one year rule. Diag w/MS 2016; w/PCOS & IF 2017 New RE 2018; PCOS diagnosis taken away, IF due to ovary adhesions, but prev. RE insists PCOS IF
IUI IUI #1 July 2017 w/100mg Clo+trigger; BFN; benched w/big cysts IUI #2 October 2017 w/50mg Clo+trigger; BFN; benched w/big cysts IUI #3 February 2018 w/5mg Femara+trigger; low P BFP February; mc March; Subclinical hypothyroid started Levothyroxine IUI #4 March 2018 w/7.5mg Femara+trigger; BFN Medicated cycle & TI April 2018 w/7.5mg Femara+trigger; BFN Tried several cycles on our own; all BFN
@suzycupcake Thanks. No, I stopped taking CoQ10 as of last week. If it did help with egg quality i'm hoping the fact that i've been taking it for the last 9 months help.
Welcome, @brokenparents! Sorry to hear about the azoospermia and difficulty finding information. So much emphasis is placed on the female side with egg quality and such. I hope your AMH results come out great and they can find some good sperm from your husband.
AFM, I'm still twiddling my thumbs WFAF. I have all the signals it's gonna come soon but nothing yet. I hate when my body does this to me. I'll be super annoyed if it comes on Saturday because that means I'll have to find a way to get to Indianapolis on Monday for a baseline, and Mondays are so busy at work.
@brokenparents welcome and i hope all your test results, scheduling, etc go smoothly and you can get a plan in place!
@suzycupcake you're so sweet. i do feel like a badass many days of the week.
Had my first check since starting stims and it looks like things are going ok! Saw about 10 follicles on each ovary that are approaching the 10mm mark with a few at 11/12 on the right. We'll see what the lab work shows. I was so relieved that there wasn't a dominant follicle!!
TTC History in Spoiler
Me: 29 DH:34 TTC 21 cycles All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium) Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3 IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26 IUI #2 March 14, BFN IUI #3 April 11, BFN IUI #4 May 11, BFN July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast! October 2018 FET-BFN November 2018 FET-TBD
I have night number 2 of stims tonight, and my next appointment is just bloodwork on Sunday morning.... Anxiously and nervously awaiting Tuesdays ultrasound to ask about follicles...
AFM: AF showed up yesterday. Shortest cycle I’ve had in awhile but LP was the same, just surged earlier than normal. Went in for blood work and ultrasound today-have a large (3.3cm) cyst on my ovary but “good news” is the blood work showed it isn’t hormone producing. I have to have it drained tomorrow morning and then start stims tomorrow too. Ive never had a cyst that I’m aware of but they said it happens often in priming. I’m taking a Valium before so I’m more relaxed. I’m happy we don’t have to adjust ER timing.
Hi everyone! I am new to actually commenting on these forums but I have found reading the stories here very inspiring and wanted to jump on in.
A quick hello and background! I will be starting my first IVF cycle in September. I'm on the pill for suppression now and start stims on September 5th!! My quick history is that I'm 29, but I have Crohns disease as well as PCOS and unfortunately scar tissue from past surgeries affected my tubes. My husband and I were trying for three years and then finally found our answer. Which was bilateral hydrosalphnix. I just had a tubal ligation to address this issue and I honestly am very excited and positive going into this. Any hope is better than none!!
I can't wait to begin this journey with all of you.
Welcome, @riathewolf! Sorry you find yourself here but I hope you find us a supportive bunch.
I had my baseline today. Everything looks good so I'm cleared to start stims now. I have my CD10 ultrasound scheduled on 9/3 with an estimated ER date of 9/7 now. Which falls on the day of an event I'm responsible for. How wonderful. It's an evening affair so hopefully they'll get me done nice and early so I can be there for it!
@riathewolf welcome and I hope all goes well for you. I am also 29 and have an inflammatory issue - undifferentiated seronegative spondyloarthropathy (gah, that's a mouthful).
well, i guess my appointment today went ok... 25-30 follicles are developing with largest around 15mm. 18 of them are over 11mm. We'll do shots tonight and tomorrow night and next appointment Wednesday. They anticipate retrieval will be on time for Friday.
However, my progesterone was elevated which has eliminated our option to do a fresh transfer. So I am SUPER bummed. Because of mine and clinic's schedule (they have an annual meeting in October sometime), he estimates I wouldn't be able to transfer until the week of October 22. Does this sound crazy to anyone else? That feels SO far away but I am not familiar with the timing of FETs. Any insight would be welcome!
TTC History in Spoiler
Me: 29 DH:34 TTC 21 cycles All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium) Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3 IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26 IUI #2 March 14, BFN IUI #3 April 11, BFN IUI #4 May 11, BFN July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast! October 2018 FET-BFN November 2018 FET-TBD
@wishiwaspreggo is this your first IVF cycle or have you had egg retrieval before? I don’t know what kind of spirits you’ll be in if you attend your evening event after ER. I definitely had pretty hefty tenderness in the adomen region and it was uncomfortable when I peed (because my core muscles hurt for whatever reason). This lasted a few days. They usually tell you to take the rest of the day off for this reason. Something to consider!
@northbeach3 This is my first IVF cycle but I’ve had abdominal surgery before so I’m guessing it’ll be sort of like that? I was okay to sit upright after that for visitors but I tired really easily. I may just have to call in sick. Or at least be up front about having a surgical procedure that morning. If I get a doctor’s note I can get out of it, of course.
Well probably not as bad as abdominal surgery. Mostly just noticeable discomfort. If you’re not moving about a lot, you could probably manage. Just wanted to give you heads up that you’ll likely feel discomfort and considwe how that may impact your event. Plus there’s also the risk of OHSS.
If you were doing a FET, it’d be less of an issue since you’re not under anesthetia and the transfer isn’t painful.
@wishing-and-hoping That does seem like a long time to me based on what I've seen. But it must be because they have their annual meeting and won't be in the office. I could be wrong! But that probably is why it is so delayed. GL with your ER on Friday though!
I have 3 vials of donor sperm stored at my former clinic and I asked them to transfer it to my current clinic where I'm getting my treatments. The distance between the two clinics is 10 miles. They want me to pay them $200 to ship it and they said it'll take about a week to process. Are you f**king kidding me?! I paid $200 to have my sperm shipped from Fairfax VA to Indianapolis IN for the same amount of money, and that was overnight! This is part of the reason I left that clinic, their prices were outrageous compared to other places in town. They charge on average 25% more for the same services as other clinics.
Anyway, I called FedEx because - come on - that is just unacceptable. They have croypreservation tanks and they can get the sperm shipped same day for fifty bucks. FFS. I called my clinic to clear it with them so hopefully they'll accept my alternative shipping. If they don't... hell hath no fury like a fertility patient with a much-abused wallet.
@wishiwaspreggo ugh that's so annoying! Hopefully they will let you use FedEx! I'm also using donor sperm and I'm picking it up at Fairfax Virginia and driving it to the hospital myself!
@brokenparents i agree with the MFI info...my DH's urologist was a jerk and suggested we just skip straight to donor sperm after he went through explaining those few procedures. after getting a second opinion from another urologist who told us he has sperm just not that much we can still do ICSI to get KU. Probably the lowest point in our IF journey. good luck to your DH with his procedure that they can lure out those little guys!
@wishing-and-hoping my FET were exactly two months apart. i had to wait for AF to return and then the meds themselves take about 14ish days to build up a good lining. FET are much more flexible with dates too so if they have a conference they can adjust you around that.
@blackhottamales I did start lupron on 8/23 - thank you for asking and sorry for the delayed response! First injection went well, the second injection, not so much. I forgot to pinch the skin and injected on an angle (like maybe 20 degrees instead of 90). I think I must have been half asleep. The skin started swelling up into a mosquito bite-like bump, and later in the day turned into a bruise. I called my care team and they confirmed my thoughts that it injected too close to the skin's surface. They said it was NBD and to just give myself another injection that day. Since then I've been making sure to pinch the skin and to inject at 90 degrees, and it's been smooth sailing. Just a tiny little pinch! I've found that just stabbing it in quickly instead of easing it slowly in makes it better too. I have my baseline bloodwork and ultrasound on Friday, and if all goes well I'll start Gonal F that night.
@brokenparents Welcome! I'm also doing IVF with ICSI due to male factor (severe oligospermia), and I completely agree that there is hardly any info out there on male infertility. Please share any information that you find! And best of luck on the micro TESE surgery -- I'll be looking for your updates!
@riathewolf Welcome to you too! IF can make you feel so helpless, so I completely agree that it's such a great feeling to have some sort of hope and plan of action!
@Bonniebonsall ouch--that sounds like a painful shot but i'm glad you've got the habit now. It sounds like we'll be pretty close on our STIMS, I started yesterday with the menopur and Gonal F. I had read that menopur stung so i iced my belly for a minute before my first one and was like "this is nothing", so this morning i didn't do anything--it stung. I'll be going back to icing just a little right before.
@wishiwaspreggo that's just stupid! it's like they are holding it captive.
AFM: I'm doing fine on day 2 of STIMS, but yesterday i had a cyst drained which was easy. (side note--i now love valium and wish i could have that for every test) . since i was at home from work, i went down the rabbit hole for ER's. such a bad idea--the internet is great for somethings but i should not have done that. I'm not nervous now, but I now know of things that can go wrong that i just don't need to know. Whatever happens will happen, i'll do my best to keep myself healthy and follow the instructions and listen to my body. Only "symptom" i'm having so far is heartburn. I'm not sure that is from the STIMS but it's out the normal for me so i'm tracking it.
@blackhottamales - they did say I can do whatever I want, including just grabbing the vials without a tank and schlepping them to the other clinic in my car but it would compromise the quality of the sperm. Not gonna do that, I'd much rather pony over the $200. However, I am going to visit FedEx tonight and have a little chat with them to see if they can help me. If not, I've got trusty plastic to help me cover the cost. Though I'm already hemorrhaging cash left and right.
Yeah, I'm not excited about ER either I've been under GA before so it's not too bad but I don't like the recovery. Of course, my previous surgeries were longer (45-90 minutes long) and I've heard ER is generally 15-20 minutes so maybe having a lower dose of the anesthetic would make recovery a bit easier. Who knows.
I'm excited to have Valium for transfer day! This sounds stupid but my biggest worry is the full bladder and trying to hold it. Maybe it'll be less excruciating with a little help from a pill. Not that it would diminish the having to pee feeling but it would help stop me from clenching everything up down there and making the experience that much worse, you know?
@blackhottamales I feel ya on the researching too much! I had no idea how much could happen during/after the ER! It has made me way more nervous that I won't end up getting any to mature and transfer, especially since I have a low ish number of follicles though it has made me also realistic which is kinda nice I hate to admit. I don't want to be head in the clouds thinking I'm in the clear up until my body has to take over and then get blindsided that something else went wrong before I get to the transfer. BUT trying not to over think it as best I can... Positive thoughts for all of us!!!
@wishiwaspreggo hahaha I have the same questions about the transfer and holding your pee. How full is full? When I wake up I have to pee SO bad. And if I have to hold my pee how will they get anything up there? And if I'm trying to relax while they're up there will I pee? Lol so many questions...
I start stimming tomorrow morning. I cannot believe that it's already here - feels like I've been planning for this for so long!
So exciting to see all this stimming start!
Also, I find it so interesting, the different protocols of the ER @northbeach3 & @wishiwaspreggo - I won't be put under GA for mine, just heavily drugged. LOL. I wasn't given valium for my transfers.
@brokenparents - welcome! I'm keeping FX for your micro TESE surgery! Getting that news re: azoospermia must have been crazy. Hoping you get good news at the surgery.
@wishiwaspreggo - so excited that your stimming is starting! Sucks about FedEx. That's such BS. If it makes you feel any better, I'm relying on trusty plastic far more for this cycle than my last IVF cycle. I feel fine about this, DH is more stressed.
But I'm sorry to hear that about the frozen transfer. My first IVF cycle was converted to a medical freeze all, and I cried when they told me. As you know, the journey to IVF can be a long one. I was benched between IUIs due to cysts, and then after all the IUIs, I developed a polyp, so they recommended an FET when I was stimming, and made me wait for a polypectomy/D&C before the FET. I felt, at the time, like: "How much longer am I going to have to wait?" It felt unbearable, all the waiting. Not sure if you are feeling like that right now, but if you are, you are not alone.
I would be super bummed about needing to wait until the end of October too. That doesn't sound like a crazy wait - I mean, it'll give you a full cycle to recover, and if you have 25-30 eggs retrieved, you might need it, but I know that sometimes these delays can feel so demoralizing. Hang in there.
@mkr_0128 - how was the ultrasound? Did you have that today, or next Tuesday?
@blackhottamales - glad you could have the cyst drained. In my observation with ERs, the ERs are much more difficult (and the risk of OHSS) much higher for women who produce many eggs. For me, I'm hoping to get between 9-14 mature eggs - I would consider this cycle a huge success if I produced anything in that range. (My last cycle, I had 11 mature eggs). So for me, it will be uncomfortable, but not the way it would be uncomfortable for a woman who produces more than 20 eggs. Some women have just crazy results. I saw a woman in another thread get something like 50 eggs! (Usually that's women with PCOS though). In any event, from what I've seen, those women tend to have a riskier go of it. When will you find out how many follicles you have? That may give some indication of what your ER will be like.
@embryoman - well well. How now, an embryologist in our threads! I hope you are actually qualified and educated, and not some kind of nutbar catfish. We have had a couple of those during my time on these boards. Mostly, it's people pretending to be infertile so they can sell surrogacy services in Eastern Europe, but there have been a some surprisingly creative ones. (There's a little insight into my point of view, ha! Wary after repeated, surprising disappointment.)
I have some questions re: embryo development drop-offs. My H and I are unexplained, and this is our second IVF cycle. Last time, we retrieved 11 mature eggs, 9 of which fertilized. All 9 made it to day 3, 1 was frozen on day 5, and another 3 were frozen on day 6.
At the time, the embryologist told me that, up until day 3, development is largely dependent on the egg. After day 3, development is a combination of the egg and the sperm. So if you see really high attrition rates after day 3, this can indicate that there is an issue with the sperm. Is this true?
But then we asked my RE about special sperm testing, and he seemed to think, because we had 4 embryos at day 5-6 that there probably wasn't a sperm DNA issue. Is that true? Like, is it possible to produce blastocysts with genetically abnormal sperm?
Do you often see couples produce good-looking embryos and then they do PGS testing and all those embryos are abnormal? And in those cases, is it usually egg quality?
@funkykey - I've been following @embryoman and he seems legit. Like he has answers to things no one would know but an embryologist (like I didn't know the placenta was the outer part of the embryo which is where they do PGS testing and I didn't know that until he said something). Also, I'm assuming it's a "he" due to the "man" part lol I'm curious to see his answers to your questions!
Congrats on starting shots @funkykey. Haha I know the excitement and anticipation of starting a cycle. So much hope and optimism! Hope you get a big / good batch of eggs!
@funkykey yay for starting stims! I did my have ultrasound yesterday. All went well, my follicles were between 7-9 in size. Doctor said they are usually around 10 at that point, but he expected mine to be a little behind since my Estrogen was low at my blood work on Sunday. He expects my Estrogen is rising though due to the increase in follicle size. And there were 13 counted instead of 11 counted from my baseline so I was pleased to have a few more! I have blood and ultrasound again tomorrow so hopefully things are still going up
@mkr_0128 congrats on an increasing # of follicles! and fx they all grow well
@funkykey yeah i'm definitely in the boat of the wait feeling unbearable. I've had a few months of delays already... plus I have been looking up journal articles to support my own thinking... one that suggests 25-35 days between embryo freeze and FET transfer resulted in higher live birth rates than 50-60 days wait time. Also another article that suggests 36 days between retrieval and transfer is feasible and waiting longer does not improve live birth rates.
Our whole appointment today was taken up by deciding how many eggs to fertilize so I didn't even get to discuss transfer timing with RE. DH (and myself to some extent) does not want frozen embryos that we aren't planning to use right away, so it complicates matters now that we aren't doing a a fresh transfer. Anyway I think we've almost decided...
My scan showed 10 follicles on the left and 13 on the right. RE intimated that only the 16mm+ will reliably be mature so that would be 10. I have 13 between 11mm and 15mm. So we'll see what ends up happening....hoping that some of the smaller ones are mature.... waiting to hear back on labs and scheduling to know when we need to do trigger tonight
TTC History in Spoiler
Me: 29 DH:34 TTC 21 cycles All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium) Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3 IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26 IUI #2 March 14, BFN IUI #3 April 11, BFN IUI #4 May 11, BFN July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast! October 2018 FET-BFN November 2018 FET-TBD
@mkr_0128 - my nurse told me to drink a bottle of water on my way to the appointment during my drive (we're about 1.5 hours away) and then start a second bottle when we get there and it should be full enough. They'll check via ultrasound first to make sure it's full enough and then, if it's TOO full, they'll have me go to the bathroom just a little bit and come back.
Problem is, once I release the floodgates it's hard to hold back! *TW* Ever since I had my first baby, my bladder has been WRECKED. I'm seriously considering a sling surgery once I'm done making babies. But I can't hold it for long anymore. I used to be the type of person who could sleep through the whole night without having to pee no matter how much fluids I'd had to drink the night before. Now I get up once or twice. Hate to think what a second pregnancy will do
Anyway, I'm just glad I'll be on Valium. I'm hoping that will help at least a little. I did the full bladder thing for IUI and it was super uncomfortable. Especially my first time around because the nurse started with the smallest speculum and had to keep trying with increasingly larger speculums so I'm being penetrated repeatedly without lube with a full bladder and I was near tears. After she was done she told me to remember to tell anyone else in the future to use the purple speculums because they're the largest and I have a long vaginal canal. Awesome.
@wishing-and-hoping thanks! I would love to see a few more, or at least hoping that most are mature and fertilize! My fear is ending up with none to freeze or none at all. Good luck with your trigger!! How many days of stims have you done?
@wishiwaspreggo thanks for the advice! I typically wake up 1-2 times in the middle of the night too.. Don't know if it's cause I have to pee or I just wake up and then I have to pee lol. If having a baby means I have to pee every hour it will be worth it then do you have a date for your ER?
Me: 29 DH:34 TTC 21 cycles All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium) Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3 IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26 IUI #2 March 14, BFN IUI #3 April 11, BFN IUI #4 May 11, BFN July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast! October 2018 FET-BFN November 2018 FET-TBD
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like an ass complaining about pregnancy. I know people hate that on this board. I would happily experience all the terrible things that come with pregnancy plus more to have another baby, too. But the incontinence thing sucks balls, not gonna sugar coat it.
oh! and i forgot to mention, when they handed me my chart it said "patient will owe $1000 more for freeze all" I asked to talk to the financial person because this was never mentioned and they knew from the beginning we planned to freeze nearly all the eggs (and only fertilize a few). she said she would try to get the charge removed. really hope she's able to do that
TTC History in Spoiler
Me: 29 DH:34 TTC 21 cycles All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium) Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3 IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26 IUI #2 March 14, BFN IUI #3 April 11, BFN IUI #4 May 11, BFN July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast! October 2018 FET-BFN November 2018 FET-TBD
@wishing-and-hoping oh wow! I feel like I will need a few more than that lol. And that's annoying! I feel like there are ALWAYS more fees for SOMETHING -_- we have paid for everything, so far... But will be charged for storage if we have leftover embryos to freeze and I'm scared to know how much that costs lol. What are you triggering with?
@wishiwaspreggo oh awesome that should be close to mine! Mine is tentatively for 9/4, but since my follicles were a little behind average for my timeline I assume I may stim an extra day or few? And oh no worries I totally get it!!
@mkr_0128 I have to use an hcg trigger (ovidrel) since I've been on the mid luteal lupron protocol I can't use the lupron trigger. Will put me at a higher risk of OHSS but they have put me on dostinex to try and abate the symptoms if I do develop OHSS. I'll be triggering tonight at 10pm!!
TTC History in Spoiler
Me: 29 DH:34 TTC 21 cycles All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium) Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3 IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26 IUI #2 March 14, BFN IUI #3 April 11, BFN IUI #4 May 11, BFN July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast! October 2018 FET-BFN November 2018 FET-TBD
Re: September 2018 IVF ER
@blackhottamales So are you still taking the coq10? I wonder about that. I was taking it for a little while. I have MS and I found it to help me tremendously with fatigue. I wonder if it really does help with egg quality. Sorry that your previous OB wasted made you waste so much time. I think that it is wonderful that you are trying to work on your resentment towards her, but at the same time, it wasn't okay what she did and she shouldn't have shamed you about your weight. I really don't understand that. It's like, if your labwork is healthy (other than IF stuff), it shouldn't matter. There is so much body shaming going around and I think it's disgusting. I hope that you will be able to work through the resentment only so that you don't hurt anymore from feeling bitter
Welcome @brokenparents I'm sorry there isn't more literature out there about MFI. It's so insane to me because it makes up 50% of IF cases. I have a lot of opinions about that. I hope there is much success with the upcoming surgery!
My 7 Year Journey ***Tw in spoiler***
IVF #1 - September 2018; Follistim, Menopur, Cetrotide & Lupron/HCG combo trigger; PGS; ICSI
Back on Levothyroxine
FET #1 - October 2018; cancelled, all PGS aneuploid
FET #1 - November 30th, transferred anyway
Wondfo BFP 5dp5dt, CB Digi 6dpt,
1st Beta on 7dpt 93
2nd Beta on 10dpt 510!
TTC #1 since 2011. Tried for 5 years before we knew there was a one year rule.
Diag w/MS 2016; w/PCOS & IF 2017
New RE 2018; PCOS diagnosis taken away, IF due to ovary adhesions, but prev. RE insists PCOS IF
IUI
IUI #1 July 2017 w/100mg Clo+trigger; BFN; benched w/big cysts
IUI #2 October 2017 w/50mg Clo+trigger; BFN; benched w/big cysts
IUI #3 February 2018 w/5mg Femara+trigger; low P
BFP February; mc March; Subclinical hypothyroid started Levothyroxine
IUI #4 March 2018 w/7.5mg Femara+trigger; BFN
Medicated cycle & TI April 2018 w/7.5mg Femara+trigger; BFN
Tried several cycles on our own; all BFN
@suzycupcake you're so sweet. i do feel like a badass many days of the week.
Had my first check since starting stims and it looks like things are going ok! Saw about 10 follicles on each ovary that are approaching the 10mm mark with a few at 11/12 on the right. We'll see what the lab work shows. I was so relieved that there wasn't a dominant follicle!!
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD
FX FX FX!
Hope you are all hanging in there
@wishiwaspreggo I hope AF shows up for you soon.
@funkykey How exciting!
I have night number 2 of stims tonight, and my next appointment is just bloodwork on Sunday morning.... Anxiously and nervously awaiting Tuesdays ultrasound to ask about follicles...
@funkykey very exciting!
@wishing-and-hoping wonderful update!
@wishiwaspreggo do you have to travel far to your clinic? I hope AF is cooperating.
AFM:
AF showed up yesterday. Shortest cycle I’ve had in awhile but LP was the same, just surged earlier than normal. Went in for blood work and ultrasound today-have a large (3.3cm) cyst on my ovary but “good news” is the blood work showed it isn’t hormone producing. I have to have it drained tomorrow morning and then start stims tomorrow too.
Ive never had a cyst that I’m aware of but they said it happens often in priming. I’m taking a Valium before so I’m more relaxed. I’m happy we don’t have to adjust ER timing.
A quick hello and background! I will be starting my first IVF cycle in September. I'm on the pill for suppression now and start stims on September 5th!! My quick history is that I'm 29, but I have Crohns disease as well as PCOS and unfortunately scar tissue from past surgeries affected my tubes. My husband and I were trying for three years and then finally found our answer. Which was bilateral hydrosalphnix. I just had a tubal ligation to address this issue and I honestly am very excited and positive going into this. Any hope is better than none!!
I can't wait to begin this journey with all of you.
well, i guess my appointment today went ok... 25-30 follicles are developing with largest around 15mm. 18 of them are over 11mm. We'll do shots tonight and tomorrow night and next appointment Wednesday. They anticipate retrieval will be on time for Friday.
However, my progesterone was elevated which has eliminated our option to do a fresh transfer. So I am SUPER bummed. Because of mine and clinic's schedule (they have an annual meeting in October sometime), he estimates I wouldn't be able to transfer until the week of October 22. Does this sound crazy to anyone else? That feels SO far away but I am not familiar with the timing of FETs. Any insight would be welcome!
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD
Never pregnant
Azoospermia
10-23-18 Failed Micro TESE Surgery
https://brokenparents.com/
@wishiwaspreggo is this your first IVF cycle or have you had egg retrieval before? I don’t know what kind of spirits you’ll be in if you attend your evening event after ER. I definitely had pretty hefty tenderness in the adomen region and it was uncomfortable when I peed (because my core muscles hurt for whatever reason). This lasted a few days. They usually tell you to take the rest of the day off for this reason. Something to consider!
dx: PCOS, low progesterone; 2 MMC
Sept FET 2018 Spreadsheet
Jan 2 2018 - 1st IVF cycle - 9 retrieved, 7 mature/fertilized, 1 5d transfer + 5 untested snowbabies
Jan 19 2018 - Fresh Transfer #1 one 5dt; BFP 1/25/2018; EDD 10/7/2018; MMC at 8w3d; D&C 3/6/2018
May 16 2018 - FET #1 one 5dt; BFP with 4 betas (6.5, 24.3, 165.5, 2250) - EDD 2/1/2019; MMC at 6w; D&C 6/20/18
Sept 17 2018 - FET #2 one 5dt; BFP 38.9 7dpt, 167 9dpt - EDD 6/5/2019
(3 untested embryos remain)
note I can get out of it, of course.
how that may impact your event. Plus there’s also the risk of OHSS.
If you were doing a FET, it’d be less of an issue since you’re not under anesthetia and the transfer isn’t painful.
dx: PCOS, low progesterone; 2 MMC
Sept FET 2018 Spreadsheet
Jan 2 2018 - 1st IVF cycle - 9 retrieved, 7 mature/fertilized, 1 5d transfer + 5 untested snowbabies
Jan 19 2018 - Fresh Transfer #1 one 5dt; BFP 1/25/2018; EDD 10/7/2018; MMC at 8w3d; D&C 3/6/2018
May 16 2018 - FET #1 one 5dt; BFP with 4 betas (6.5, 24.3, 165.5, 2250) - EDD 2/1/2019; MMC at 6w; D&C 6/20/18
Sept 17 2018 - FET #2 one 5dt; BFP 38.9 7dpt, 167 9dpt - EDD 6/5/2019
(3 untested embryos remain)
@wishing-and-hoping
That does seem like a long time to me based on what I've seen. But it must be because they have their annual meeting and won't be in the office. I could be wrong! But that probably is why it is so delayed. GL with your ER on Friday though!
**Removed for TOU violation**
@brokenparents Welcome! I'm also doing IVF with ICSI due to male factor (severe oligospermia), and I completely agree that there is hardly any info out there on male infertility. Please share any information that you find! And best of luck on the micro TESE surgery -- I'll be looking for your updates!
@riathewolf Welcome to you too! IF can make you feel so helpless, so I completely agree that it's such a great feeling to have some sort of hope and plan of action!
@wishiwaspreggo that's just stupid! it's like they are holding it captive.
Also--i wanted to repost this great spreadsheet @suzycupcake created to track items. I'll add it to my spoiler too, but those of you who are a bit newer please add yourselves if you want.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fpQ_AJxV3Q-o4-ZBw9sJAjWSqRRwjYolbnfqT8TBOC8/edit?usp=sharing
AFM: I'm doing fine on day 2 of STIMS, but yesterday i had a cyst drained which was easy. (side note--i now love valium and wish i could have that for every test) . since i was at home from work, i went down the rabbit hole for ER's. such a bad idea--the internet is great for somethings but i should not have done that. I'm not nervous now, but I now know of things that can go wrong that i just don't need to know. Whatever happens will happen, i'll do my best to keep myself healthy and follow the instructions and listen to my body.
Only "symptom" i'm having so far is heartburn. I'm not sure that is from the STIMS but it's out the normal for me so i'm tracking it.
So exciting to see all this stimming start!
Also, I find it so interesting, the different protocols of the ER @northbeach3 & @wishiwaspreggo - I won't be put under GA for mine, just heavily drugged. LOL. I wasn't given valium for my transfers.
@brokenparents - welcome! I'm keeping FX for your micro TESE surgery! Getting that news re: azoospermia must have been crazy. Hoping you get good news at the surgery.
@wishiwaspreggo - so excited that your stimming is starting! Sucks about FedEx. That's such BS. If it makes you feel any better, I'm relying on trusty plastic far more for this cycle than my last IVF cycle. I feel fine about this, DH is more stressed.
@riathewolf - welcome, sorry for your struggles.
@wishing-and-hoping - that is great news re: your follicles!
But I'm sorry to hear that about the frozen transfer. My first IVF cycle was converted to a medical freeze all, and I cried when they told me. As you know, the journey to IVF can be a long one. I was benched between IUIs due to cysts, and then after all the IUIs, I developed a polyp, so they recommended an FET when I was stimming, and made me wait for a polypectomy/D&C before the FET. I felt, at the time, like: "How much longer am I going to have to wait?" It felt unbearable, all the waiting. Not sure if you are feeling like that right now, but if you are, you are not alone.
I would be super bummed about needing to wait until the end of October too. That doesn't sound like a crazy wait - I mean, it'll give you a full cycle to recover, and if you have 25-30 eggs retrieved, you might need it, but I know that sometimes these delays can feel so demoralizing. Hang in there.
@mkr_0128 - how was the ultrasound? Did you have that today, or next Tuesday?
@blackhottamales - glad you could have the cyst drained. In my observation with ERs, the ERs are much more difficult (and the risk of OHSS) much higher for women who produce many eggs. For me, I'm hoping to get between 9-14 mature eggs - I would consider this cycle a huge success if I produced anything in that range. (My last cycle, I had 11 mature eggs). So for me, it will be uncomfortable, but not the way it would be uncomfortable for a woman who produces more than 20 eggs. Some women have just crazy results. I saw a woman in another thread get something like 50 eggs! (Usually that's women with PCOS though). In any event, from what I've seen, those women tend to have a riskier go of it. When will you find out how many follicles you have? That may give some indication of what your ER will be like.
@embryoman - well well. How now, an embryologist in our threads!
I have some questions re: embryo development drop-offs. My H and I are unexplained, and this is our second IVF cycle. Last time, we retrieved 11 mature eggs, 9 of which fertilized. All 9 made it to day 3, 1 was frozen on day 5, and another 3 were frozen on day 6.
At the time, the embryologist told me that, up until day 3, development is largely dependent on the egg. After day 3, development is a combination of the egg and the sperm. So if you see really high attrition rates after day 3, this can indicate that there is an issue with the sperm. Is this true?
But then we asked my RE about special sperm testing, and he seemed to think, because we had 4 embryos at day 5-6 that there probably wasn't a sperm DNA issue. Is that true? Like, is it possible to produce blastocysts with genetically abnormal sperm?
Do you often see couples produce good-looking embryos and then they do PGS testing and all those embryos are abnormal? And in those cases, is it usually egg quality?
dx: PCOS, low progesterone; 2 MMC
Sept FET 2018 Spreadsheet
Jan 2 2018 - 1st IVF cycle - 9 retrieved, 7 mature/fertilized, 1 5d transfer + 5 untested snowbabies
Jan 19 2018 - Fresh Transfer #1 one 5dt; BFP 1/25/2018; EDD 10/7/2018; MMC at 8w3d; D&C 3/6/2018
May 16 2018 - FET #1 one 5dt; BFP with 4 betas (6.5, 24.3, 165.5, 2250) - EDD 2/1/2019; MMC at 6w; D&C 6/20/18
Sept 17 2018 - FET #2 one 5dt; BFP 38.9 7dpt, 167 9dpt - EDD 6/5/2019
(3 untested embryos remain)
@funkykey yeah i'm definitely in the boat of the wait feeling unbearable. I've had a few months of delays already... plus I have been looking up journal articles to support my own thinking... one that suggests 25-35 days between embryo freeze and FET transfer resulted in higher live birth rates than 50-60 days wait time. Also another article that suggests 36 days between retrieval and transfer is feasible and waiting longer does not improve live birth rates.
Our whole appointment today was taken up by deciding how many eggs to fertilize so I didn't even get to discuss transfer timing with RE. DH (and myself to some extent) does not want frozen embryos that we aren't planning to use right away, so it complicates matters now that we aren't doing a a fresh transfer. Anyway I think we've almost decided...
My scan showed 10 follicles on the left and 13 on the right. RE intimated that only the 16mm+ will reliably be mature so that would be 10. I have 13 between 11mm and 15mm. So we'll see what ends up happening....hoping that some of the smaller ones are mature.... waiting to hear back on labs and scheduling to know when we need to do trigger tonight
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD
@wishiwaspreggo oh awesome that should be close to mine! Mine is tentatively for 9/4, but since my follicles were a little behind average for my timeline I assume I may stim an extra day or few? And oh no worries I totally get it!!
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD