PAGING:
@inthewoods23 - dx:unexplained. Rx: IVF
@chiblackhawkie - rx: IUI
@blackrose-9 - Dx: PCOS Rx: Femara
@hithertorue - Dx: Low AMH/MFI, unexplained Rx: IVF
@2dogsmom - Dx: ovulation dysfunction Rx: IUI
@sara_tory: Dx: PCOS, endometriosis, adenomyosis Rx: IUI
@ase33 - Dx: PCOS, complex endometrial hyperplasia, amenorrhea Rx: Femara + TI
@olivklau - Dx: unexplained Rx: IUI
@knockupthestock - Dx: PCOS Rx: Letrozole, dexa, Clomid, trigger, progesterone, and TI.
@b_1029 - Dx: unexplained Rx: IUI
FRIENDS REJOINING US AND NEWCOMERS:
To be added to our weekly roll call, please provide the following:
1. Briefly introduce yourself (or reintroduce yourself), if you didn't post a separate introduction post.
2. What is your diagnosis? (Dx)
3. What is your treatment plan? (Rx)
Re: TTTC Check-in: 09/23/2019
QOTW-FALL! And I sure wish it would get here! It has still been 90 degrees here, but the leaves are starting to fall and it’s all sweaters out in the store, so it’s making me sad haha.
I had a monitoring appt this morning (CD 11) and was surprised at the results. Nothing has happened on my right side the past 2 cycles but I guess the higher dose of letrozole gave it a kick in the butt. I had 4 follies- 19.3, 17.9, 15.5, and 14.3mm. We decided I would trigger tonight at 10 pm in the hopes that the largest 2 release and then the IUI will be at 10 Wednesday morning. I’m just excited to be moving to the next step but I think I’ll be even more let down if/when it doesn’t work.
Each season has it's merits. I probably like spring the most because I get a big boost in energy from finally having sun. Or maybe last winter was just super harsh on my mental well being. Fall without rain is good. Nobody likes 40 degrees and feeling chilled to the bone from rain.
AFM, obviously I'm still here. FET failure. Next cycle is RPL testing even though this is our first loss - unless you count the 1st embryo we lost in the thaw? Idk. November will have another mock transfer where they also do a receptivity test. Then I think the following cycle that starts in December would be the FET cycle with an earliest transfer occuring in January (assuming I don't need to be on Lupron forever). Sounds like the transfer could be as late as March depending on how long I need to be on Lupron.
So yeah, I'll be here for a while still. Might only check in once a week or so since we're basically benched for 2-3 months, but I'm always available if you have any questions going through any IF stuff! I'm more than happy to share my experiences.
TTC #1 since 7.2017
Dx: low morph (1%), ANA positive, low decidualization score, high TSH and testosterone, histone antibodies
IUI #1-3 | all BFN
IVF #1 | 6.11.19 | 24R, 17M, 15F, 6B, PGT-A tested - 5 normal, 3 girls & 2 boys
FET #1 | 9.10.19 | BFN "I know you, but we've never met. I'm with you, but I don't know your name"
RPL, Receptiva, & ERA testing | all normal/negative, recommended going on gluten and dairy free diet for next FET
FET #2 | 3.31.20 | Opted to cancelled due to pandemic, continued diet and tried naturally over the summer
2nd Opinion with another RE | 8.20.20 | Not immune to measles (received 1 dose); SA results similar to 2 years ago; decided to move forward with FET #2 redo at start of next cycle
Surprise natural BFP! | 9.22.20 | MC 10.23.20 at 8 weeks
TTCAL naturally | starting 11.22.20
Initial consultation with Reproductive Immunologist | 9.14.21
Decidualization score biopsy | 10.1.21 | abnormal - low score of 1; endometrial scratch recommended and progesterone supplementation
Saline sono | 10.15.21 | normal
Bloodwork | 10.21.21 | high TSH, high testosterone, positive for anti-nuclear antibodies and histone antibodies, high protein S, multiple genetic mutations
BFP! | 11.3.21 | EDD 7.14.22 | biopsy provided same effect as endometrial scratch; added supplemental progesterone and estrogen, prednisone, levothyroxine, and MTX Support to maintain pregnancy
DS born 7.19.22 after induction
TTC #2 begins 6.2023
Consultation with RI | 6.6.23
Saline sono, endometritis biopsy, skin & eye check | all normal
Labs | high TSH, Factor XIII mutation, high %CD56
Follow up | 8.8.23 | prescribed metformin, prednisone, plaquenil, and levothyroxine
Repeat labs after 3 weeks on meds
Follow up | 11.9.23 | Green light!, increase in prednisone, added lovenox
Repeat labs in 8 weeks
Follow up | 1.16.24 | Green light continues
TTC put on pause
No words can describe how insanely unfair this IF garbage can get! I can only imagine what you must be going through, waves of emotion.
Hoping that you can find some ways to treat yourself well in the next little while and eventually get to a good place while you wait on the next FET. We are here for you if you need to scream and vent or any of it. Sending you some extra love.
@b_1029 Prayers for you for trigger tonight and hope one of those good follies is ready to go!
QOTW- I'm totally a Spring/early Summer girl. When the days all of a sudden last til 9pm and you're feeling great but it's not too hot yet and no risk of snow. June. Is June a season of it's own? Lol though I've always loved fall. Sweaters and cozy blankets. The early part of fall when you can have the windows in the house open still and hear rustle of leaves.
Rant (ish)- had a dentist visit tonight for a cleaning. I've been pretty open about fertility stuff so the hygienist and I were talking IVF. My gums were so inflamed today as she was cleaning (which she told me was probably hormone related - f$#@ing IF!) ... and I said at one point when she asked how I was doing, "Congratulations, you just beat injections! You win!" Lol So sore!
AFM - Day 6 showed only 3 follicles growing... i don't know what to expect so i don't know if that's good bad or otherwise. Instead of wait to Day 9 for next check they wanted me in tomorrow again, maybe to possibly tweak dosages. I started the 3rd injection today of cetrotide which is supposed to slow down the growth so that other follies can catch up to the leaders. So I now do menopur and cetrotide in the morning and then gonal F in the evening.
For the record, cetrotide itches an insane amount after the injection for about an hour. Ugh!
First and foremost @inthewoods23 I am so sorry the FET didn’t work out. I can only imagine how you’re feeling right now. I was worried that might have happened when you didn’t post all weekend. I hope you can grieve this loss and find some peace as you enter this next round of treatment. Please let us know if we can do anything for you!
@b_1029 I had crazy high hopes for my IUI too. It’s hard not to! Hopefully it will work for you, but if not we are here for you! I found a lot of comfort in others that were going through it when I got AF after my first IUI.
@hithertorue not sure if 3 is good or bad but at least it sounds like you have a good care team! Yuck re so many meds though — that’s a hard part about IVF for sure!
AFM we are technically on a TWW but since the IUI didn’t happen we are assuming it’ll be a no and are just ready for AF already. I even had a tiny bit of alcohol at a party on Sat night (there was a pina colada machine), then decided I better not have any more just in case....
QOTW: I love spring flowers but the cool fall weather. Summer is my least favorite by far weather wise, but as a teacher it’s still my favorite season!
Rant: So the dishwasher has been broken for a month now. The guy has been out to fix it twice already and both times within 2 cycles I am back to water all over the floor. I would like to hire someone else but we are in a new-to-us house and have a home warranty and I don’t want to have to pay out of pocket. Dishwasher is 16 years old, not sure how many times they will make me deal with “fixing” it before they just replace it but the most annoying part is I keep having to take time off work to deal with it!! Between doctors appointments and dishwasher I’ve had to take a half day off 5 times recently... this has led my co-workers to think I am pregnant and one won’t believe me when I tell her I’m not. Who knew a dishwasher could make IF more painful?!
@hithertorue it’s crazy what all those meds can do- I didn’t know they could even affect your gums!? Sheesh. I have no idea if 3 is good/bad, but I hope everything progresses perfectly! That injection doesn’t sound fun- how much longer do you have to do it?
@2dogsmom omg I can’t believe your dishwasher is still broken! I hate that it’s making IF even worse for you than it already is. I’m glad you were able to enjoy a pina colada the other night, that sounds delicious.
AFM the trigger went fine last night although I was sad to stay up until 10, I’ve been trying to get more sleep before going to the gym at 6 am. The anticipation of the shot is 1000% worse than the actual thing, although now the area is pretty tender and pink as per usual. I’m just sitting at my desk over analyzing any twinge like “sh*t am I ovulating already?!!!”
@2dogsmom man you should just cut your losses and get a new dishwasher! I want to replaces ours, which is completely functional, simply for the fact that it's so damn loud. Thumps galore!
@b_1029 never a dull moment for you with the trigger shots 😆
TTC #1 since 7.2017
Dx: low morph (1%), ANA positive, low decidualization score, high TSH and testosterone, histone antibodies
IUI #1-3 | all BFN
IVF #1 | 6.11.19 | 24R, 17M, 15F, 6B, PGT-A tested - 5 normal, 3 girls & 2 boys
FET #1 | 9.10.19 | BFN "I know you, but we've never met. I'm with you, but I don't know your name"
RPL, Receptiva, & ERA testing | all normal/negative, recommended going on gluten and dairy free diet for next FET
FET #2 | 3.31.20 | Opted to cancelled due to pandemic, continued diet and tried naturally over the summer
2nd Opinion with another RE | 8.20.20 | Not immune to measles (received 1 dose); SA results similar to 2 years ago; decided to move forward with FET #2 redo at start of next cycle
Surprise natural BFP! | 9.22.20 | MC 10.23.20 at 8 weeks
TTCAL naturally | starting 11.22.20
Initial consultation with Reproductive Immunologist | 9.14.21
Decidualization score biopsy | 10.1.21 | abnormal - low score of 1; endometrial scratch recommended and progesterone supplementation
Saline sono | 10.15.21 | normal
Bloodwork | 10.21.21 | high TSH, high testosterone, positive for anti-nuclear antibodies and histone antibodies, high protein S, multiple genetic mutations
BFP! | 11.3.21 | EDD 7.14.22 | biopsy provided same effect as endometrial scratch; added supplemental progesterone and estrogen, prednisone, levothyroxine, and MTX Support to maintain pregnancy
DS born 7.19.22 after induction
TTC #2 begins 6.2023
Consultation with RI | 6.6.23
Saline sono, endometritis biopsy, skin & eye check | all normal
Labs | high TSH, Factor XIII mutation, high %CD56
Follow up | 8.8.23 | prescribed metformin, prednisone, plaquenil, and levothyroxine
Repeat labs after 3 weeks on meds
Follow up | 11.9.23 | Green light!, increase in prednisone, added lovenox
Repeat labs in 8 weeks
Follow up | 1.16.24 | Green light continues
TTC put on pause
@inthewoods23 thanks for chiming in with all your experiences. So helpful and comforting. Hope you're doing alright.
@2dogsmom mmm pina coladas! DH and I bought an alcohol free mix for our vacay but never made them. Hope you find lots of distractions for this TWW.
The check today still showed 3 growing, no tweaks to dosages though. Another appointment tomorrow instead and may tweak tomorrow. I think they're going to switch the cetrotide that made me itch for an alternate as well.
So I came across this today and thought it was funny. I'm no good at making memes or photoshopping, but thought we could probably come up with a few versions of our own to keep us distracted....
Drill Sargent: Gump, what is your sole purpose in this army?
Gump: ....... meep meep meep meep meep
@inthewoods23 still sending you lots of positive thoughts. And I really appreciate all the IVF info you share — thank you!
@hithertorue did they adjust your meds? Hope it’s still going well.
Rant continued — As for my dishwasher (lol) repair guy is here for a 3rd time and is stumped. We have a home warranty (house is new to us this year but 15 years old) and the home warranty company keeps sending this guy out. He just keeps saying “it’s really strange.” Hoping he will approve replacing it, but I really don’t want to spend any extra money right now.
@2dogsmom this dude clearly has no idea what he’s talking about 😂 I hope whatever the outcome is, it isn’t too much $ for you guys.
The IUI went well this morning. It was non dramatic and she said it was one of the easiest ones she has done because apparently my cervix is really straight? Go body I guess for having good parts but nothing to show for it haha. I was surprised at how quick it was, but I don’t know what else I expected. DH’s numbers were good and the wash made it so the sperm wasn’t so “sluggish”. I found it interesting that they noted the sample was really thick and the RE said that could be a reason we’ve struggled to conceive- not that it’s impossible, just makes it harder. Now I just need to not go crazy over the next 2 weeks. I’m positive today, who knows what tomorrow will bring !
@b_1029 sorry to hear you had such heavy cramping. A trick I learned during my IUI's if you continue to be tender and crampy is to drink 1L of Gatorade (2 bottles) a day for a couple days. Helps your body to clear the free fluid that comes from the ruptured follies that irritates your insides and organs. I once thought I had a bladder infection bc it was irritating my bladder, they checked and all clear and that's when I learned the Gatorade trick. The free fluid gets stuck in your abdomen and irritates whatever its touching (like my bladder). Whenever I had more than a couple follicles I found Gatorade helped.
AFM, we reduced the gonal f dose to see if we can get some other follicles not yet registering to come along. I've got 4 mid-sized right now but I don't think that's on track. Because we are only wanting to do this once I think there seems to be a good chance we might be abandoning this cycle for IVF if a few more doing pop up in the next day or 2. If it just stays around 4 we could convert to an IUI cycle instead.
@hithertorue sorry you may have to change directions this month! I hope you get a bunch of follicles for your next US.
@2dogsmom sorry to hear yours are painful. And thanks! 3 days post IUI and I’m already starting to analyze my symptoms. I need a vacation 😂
@2dogsmom hope you're hanging in there in your TWW!
AFM - we are being converted to an IUI. Estrogen was too low and only 5 follicles yesterday. Today there were an extra 3 follicles but its already too late in the cycle as I've got the 3 largest measuring 2.2, 1.9 and 1.5. Because I'm on the IVF med protocol we trigger with Pregnyl (similar idea to Ovidrel) I guess just slightly different. On the plus side I shouldn't have any issue with going to my work event on Monday afternoon, except I'll maybe have to contend with cramping (usually pretty heavy when I've had >3 follicles rupture).
Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. Probably do some pepper jelly canning tomorrow to combat my harvest of sweet banana peppers! Not my fav chore but I love the result!