Me: 36 DH: 37 // Married: 2015 // TTC#1 Since: 2017 // PAWrents to 2 dogs: 6 yo female shepherd-malamute & 1 yo male weim/heeler mix // Dx: Unexplained endometriosis & adenomyosis 12/2020 // Rx: 2019: IUIx6 & IVF Retrieval Result: Abnormal/High Mosaic Laparoscopy/Excision - Surgery Sep 2021, Round #2 IVF Retrieval with new clinic - 2022
Trouble TTC
hithertorue
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TTTC January 2021 Check-In
hithertorue
member
Happy New Year everyone! Please double-check your name and confirm your Dx & Rx. Please let us know if you'd like us to update.
QOTW: 2021! Anything you're planning to do this year? Resolutions? Wishes? Goals? Dreams? Bucket list "I'm going to do it THIS year" urges?
Any Rants/Raves? Tell us about it!
PAGING:
@inthewoods23 - dx:unexplained. Rx: IVF, gluten free & dairy free diet, getting a 2nd opinion
@chiblackhawkie - rx: IUI
@blackrose-9 - Dx: PCOS Rx: Femara
@hithertorue - Dx: unexplained endometriosis Rx: excision surgery
@2dogsmom - Dx: unexplained Rx: IVF
@sara_tory - Dx: PCOS, endometriosis, adenomyosis Rx: IUI
@ase33 - Dx: PCOS, complex endometrial hyperplasia, amenorrhea Rx: Femara + TI
@olivklau - Dx: unexplained Rx: IUI
@amgpg25 - Dx: Insulin Tolerance, Rx Clomid & IUI
@abarr723 - DX: PCOS, Rx Femara & IUI
@zimmie0818 - Dx polyps, Rx IUI
@Amartuso - Dx TBD
@nina205 - RX PCOS and low morphology (hubby) Dx Fermara & Trigger
@bbrahmbhatt - Dx: unknown, Rx: weight loss, Clomid trial
@missmandyD2 - Dx: blocked tube, Rx:
@midnitemaddy - Dx: unexplained, Rx: femara
@mavi16 - Dx: in testing, Rx:
New members, please provid your Dx (diagnosis) and Rx (prescription or next step).
Re: TTTC January 2021 Check-In
My back story in the spoiler below. For those that know my journey until the IVF where I fell away from the board for the past year, you can skip to 2nd last paragraph... OR, if you don't feel like reading a ton - just take a look at my signature for the UBER coles notes version of where I'm at and you can even skip most of the bottom part too!
We then had a SA to check DH first, as it was easiest. Came back with hyperviscosity but otherwise not bad. Then got the referral to the fertility clinic. Overall SA repeat wasn't great, wasn't bad, still hyperviscous and my initial consult included a slightly low AMH for my age group but not much else. We did cycle monitoring, sonohysterogram (blocked left tube that was opened using the saline - ugh!) and scratch test then moved into IUI's. We did 3 consecutive IUI cycles with Letrozole/Puregon, Ovidrel Trigger & Crinone.
When that didn't work, I asked to be put on DHEA prior to moving to IVF. With the low AMH on my mind and the help of a naturopath we discussed supplements to help increase egg quality. I was also monitoring diet which both DH and I started a couple months prior to the start of the fertility treatments - no caffeine, no alcohol, limited dairy, increased cruciferous vegetables... all the things. We did 2 more IUI's (5 total) prior to moving on to IVF to give the DHEA time to get to work. During which time DH had the SA with Fragmentation and normal results.
We did our first round of medication for IVF retrieval - Gonal F/Menopur/Cetrotide but did not have good follicle count and ended up converting down to IUI #6. We took a month off (praying for natural BFP, because I hated the IVF protocol, no luck). Then did a 2nd attempt at retrieval which we proceeded with (Lupron trigger). Retrieval results were 8 oocytes. By Day 3, we had 3 fertilized, + 1 partially fertilized. We froze 3 embryos in the end after biopsy for PGT/A testing - embryo grading was 4BA 5BB and 5BA (from the 1PN partially fertilized embryo). Let me just stop right here to say.... We were not at all prepared for the emotional rollercoaster that was involved in those 6-7 days after retrieval. It was utter hell. We were so burned out by the end of that week. And then you wait for testing and wait for your booked appointment with the doctor. We were so anxious we would have to wait a long time as the retrieval was beginning of December 2019 and the testing took a couple of weeks so we didn't know if we were going to get results in time before the doctor went on holidays. Anyway, we did luck out (I say that uber sarcastically ugh) and got our appointment for December 19th. Our final consult. It was, not kidding, a 5 minute appointment. Results were High Mosaic, Abnormal, Abnormal. And the comment when asked "why" and "what next"... Doctor: "You could look at donated eggs. I don't know why. You're just so young." And a shrug. And I basically couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Christmas 2019 was awful. Christmas parties. Ugh. All I can say, is thank god for a return to drinking that year. We were mad. Very very mad. DH felt blindsided. I feel bad that I didn't know this, but he really thought IVF was like the last stop and almost guaranteed to work. We had questions - why did we proceed with retrieval with such low count, why didn't she have anything more to say to us? But we didn't have it in us to go back... a) her conduct in the final consult was so bad that it just affirmed what our gut said all along that she was not a good doctor and b) we were just burnt right out and defeated.
My 2020 consisted of DH and I agreeing to take at least 6 months of down-time. NTNP during that time. We couldn't just stop trying, my ovulation signs were always pretty strong so it was hard to ignore for both of us. And the first few months you're still watching/waiting during that TWW, but we did start to tune it out after a bit, especially once March rolled around and the start of the pandemic. We figured after about 6 months and a break we should be clear headed enough to decide what we wanted to do for a next step, if any.
Summertime 2020 we were toying with the idea of getting a referral for a new fertility clinic or seeking out a full fledged reproductive endocrinologist for a second opinion. I was also experiencing some mild pelvic pain (intercourse at specific parts of my cycle was more painful than it used to be) and bladder pain (but confirmed not UTI). I had always wondered if I might have endometriosis because I had such heavy periods and painful periods, ever since I was a teenager, but my GP when I was younger persuaded me otherwise and I didn't have other "classic" symptoms he said (there's more to this part of it, I'll have to save it for a rant as it's making me too angry just thinking of it to type right now). I had read/asked my naturopath about it and came to the conclusion that the only way to diagnose/rule out endometriosis was via surgery. I had had about 100+ ultrasounds in the past year and they didn't see anything, so if I wanted to pursue it the next step would be a referral to a surgeon to be screened and if likely, proceed to surgery.
...Set the scene, I was sitting out the backyard having a "socially distant" visit with my mom one day and explaining our 2 options for a next step and the suspicions I had about endometriosis and she says "Well, I had endometriosis - maybe there's a genetic link!"
I'm wrapping up now and will be brief here - save some of this for a rant another day... Long story short, got my referral to a specialist/surgeon. He's a young doctor and AMAZING! First consult just wowed me beyond words. I checked all the boxes and he wanted to bring me in for an U/S - said the fertility clinic may not have seen it because they simply don't look for it with their U/S techniques - he would be looking at the posterior cavity behind the uterus as well as the major structures and he did his thesis on advanced U/S techniques to detect endometriosis on U/S (for ovarian and deep versions of endo, which still leaves superfiscial endo which could only be found via surgery). He said to me too that 50% of unexplained infertility cases could be linked to endometriosis or adenomyosis. Went for my U/S Dec 29th and low and be-freaking-hold, 2 large bands of endo on the uterus ligaments. Very visible, even for a normal U/S he said. He was just shy of calling our fertility specialist negligent for a) not screening for endo - she didn't! and b) not seeing it on scans, especially during IVF retrieval where it would have been very visible. One of the bands he kept referring to as a "blanket". So excision surgery is next. And I await my appointment... feeling hopeful.
We are still TTC - but more in a NTNP sort of way. Our timing is still pretty good, so who knows maybe we will get lucky. Until my surgery we won't know the impact to fertility post-surgery, but should help with the pain I'm experiencing, which is actually my primary goal right now. After that, we'll see. Maybe he will have a recommendation for a new clinic. Seems there is a good chance that he will write a letter to our Ontario Health (OHIP) if we wanted to pursue IVF again to say the fertility clinic should not have proceeded and therefore unfairly wasted our 1 round of funding. But I'm not ready to cross that bridge yet.
Phew, if you made it to here reading it all - gold star!
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I know many are not around much these days, but if there's anything you want to chat about, I'm here and I'll check in at least weekly ...unless we get chatting, in which case I'm game to be on daily again.
With the pandemic ongoing I know that has put many people's fertility journeys on hold - perhaps unwillingly so - and I'm here for you if you need to vent or maybe want to ask questions in preparation for future appointments.
We're all in different boats in the same storm!
Oh, quickly on the QOTW - 2021 for me is going to be continuing to learn to golf (DH and I started going in 2019 and even more in 2020) and getting my motorcycle license (bucket list!)...
Happy news, we just finally made up our minds (after resisting the urge for over a year), to adopt a 2nd dog. Our 1st is now 5 years old, she's been with us since a pup and our first year of marriage. We didn't want to rush into a 2nd dog while first learning of and working through the emotions of infertility. I never wanted to use dogs as a bandaid for dealing with those emotions. And it was probably for the best, not being in the best frame of mind personally to take care of an adoptive dog that would need us to be there to support their transition into our home and whatever baggage they came with.
Our current mutt is a female shepherd/malamute cross. We had in mind that we wanted a mellow male, one that would have a medium style energy and a laid back attitude that wouldn't feed off her neuroses at times. Found the most perfect chill 1 year old rescue from a Texas shelter. He is a rottie heeler mix by the looks of him. It's so hard to adopt here in Ontario, high demand and the "dream" dogs like this one get scooped quick. My guess is they already have 50+ applications for him... but hey, you never know, maybe they'll like ours best!
One question on the application was a funny one. How would you answer this?
"You're given an elephant. You can't sell it or give it away. What do you do with it?"