IF Testing & Treatment w/o 03.01

acleverusername · March 2021

Found a new instagram channel to follow so sharing this:

This is a place for those of us who have already started TTC, but have started infertility testing and/or treatments. You can express your thoughts, feelings, and frustrations on infertility. TTC can be a long journey naturally, then add in the difficulties associated with infertility, and it becomes a whole new ball game. The road to infertility can be lonely, frustrating, and complicated, so let's make this a place where we can vent, ask questions, and support one another. Feel free to resurrect this thread at any point in the week if you have something to say. Treat this as an ongoing conversation.

Diagnosis (if you've been):

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):

How are things going?:

Any questions?:

GTKY: What's your favorite Coronavirus outfit? Feel free to post a photo.

acleverusername · March 2021

@keikilove

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/xx/04d6hojkvylp.gif

gingermama29 · March 2021

@keikilove sending you all the positive thoughts and vibes for your transfer today!! 💕

inthewoods23 · March 2021

GL @keikilove!!!

misshelen86 · March 2021

Good luck @keikilove!!!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/g3/w3ex50uvupch.gif

ronnie320 · March 2021

*lurking from WTO*

Good luck @keikilove!!!

ilovecake13 · March 2021

Diagnosis (if you've been): Low AMH, low ovarian reserve as of December 2020. I was told to start trying immediately since I only had total of 5 Antral Follicles in the ultrasound, although it varies per cycle per the fertility specialist.

Status: TTC since Jan 2021. Me: 35 DH: 44.

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): continue TTC naturally, but adding evening primrose oil supplements and 750 mg vitamin C. If it does not work this cycle, I will be on Clomid on 4th cycle, then IUI on 6th month if no progress.

How are things going?: Going to Hawaii to have my marriage ceremony (already got legally married here in California).

Does anyone have any insight on evening primrose or Agnus Castus? I'm afraid agnus castus my ruin my cycle, but only reading into it because it may extend LP? I feel I might be on the lower end at 11 days, but I need to continue BBT charts to get a pattern if it changes, because my cycle ranged between 24-28 days.

fameonmain2 · March 2021

**lurking**

Good luck @keikilove!!!

photographerwife · March 2021

So many FX for you!! 💕 @keikilove

laura-kay · March 2021

@keikilove F/X! GL!

laura-kay · March 2021

Diagnosis (if you've been): Unexplained infertility

Status: TWW after latest IUI + Gonal F + Ganarelix + Progesterone supplement

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Currently in the TWW

How are things going?: My husband just got diagnosed with COVID!

I just notified my RE - I think the beta test will likely be canceled. I’m tempted to have HPT soon. Tomorrow is 12 DPO - still before my expected AF, but long enough to have the HCG out of the system.

Quick question for those taking progesterone supplements- does that lengthen the cycle? Do you need to stop taking it to get your period again?

acleverusername · March 2021

@ilovecake13 @laura-kay... you forgot to answer my well thought-out GTKY question.

@ilovecake13 sorry to see that you find yourself on the IF side of things; we're a good bunch here, and hopefully can provide you with support / answer your questions. That said, I don't have a lot of insight into evening primrose or Agnus Castus. Is the purpose for taking these solely to lengthen your luteal phase? Are you interested only in natural approaches? Have you looked into seed cycling? An 11 day luteal phase is alright as long as it's consistent. What you want to watch for is a varying luteal phase, and one that is 10 days or shorter.

@laura-kay Oh no! I am so sorry to hear about your husband! How is he feeling? How are YOU feeling? I would say that testing at 12DPO would yield an answer and if I were in your shoes, I would test in case there are Covid-related precautions you need to take in case of a (hopefully) positive test. In terms of progesterone, you won't get a period as long as you're taking progesterone. I usually take it until Day 14, and if HPT is negative, then I discontinue it (so last dose is usually 13DPO). In terms of effects on your cycle, it varies based on how quickly your body metabolizes it. Mine seems to do so very slowly, so whenever I take progesterone, my luteal phase ends up being 17 days. But I've definitely seen on here that ladies get their period as soon as it's stopped. Only way to know is to go through it.

Diagnosis (if you've been): doing more testing to take the "un" out of unexplained; known slight MFI

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Still got some more testing remaining: I called to schedule MH's SA with antibodies test, and the first available appointment isn't until Mar 23! I really want to have those results back before we start any cycling with TEW, as if he's got these antibodies, it's pointless to do any more IUIs. I might talk to TEW about taking BCP to "freeze" my cycle so that we can get all of the results back.

How are things going?: Things are OK. All around me, I'm seeing signs of hope and that's giving me energy to continue on this journey. TW: another's pregnancy.

A member of my fertility therapy group just got her first positive beta test. This was the result of a transfer of an embryo from her 5th IVF cycle!!! Fifth!

Tonight I'm starting progesterone and hCG micro-dosing for luteal phase support and I'm really eager to see if it helps my cycle. Maybe that was the missing secret sauce? I don't know! I'm also determined to focus on eating healthier and quitting drinking so decided to do Whole30 because I felt great doing it last year. I've also seen that lots of ppl who're doing IVF are doing some sort of anti-inflammatory/elimination diet, so it's good to get my body used to this.

Any questions?: NATM

GTKY: What's your favorite Coronavirus outfit? Feel free to post a photo. I bought this flannel / plaid shirt at Costco a few months ago and it's so comfy/perfect for SF weather. I started wearing it all the time, so I went back to Costco and bought 2 more in different colors. I feel a bit like a hermit who lives in the woods (the plaid does that), but it's essentially become my "uniform" haha. As for bottoms, it's usually my girlfriend yoga leggings or some other workout pants.

keikilove · March 2021

@acleverusername @gingermama29 @inthewoods23 @misshelen @photographerwife @ronnie320 @fameonmain2 @laura-kay Thank you all so much for the positive energy and well wishes!💗 I appreciate you all.🌟

I *just* got into my hotel room—very long but great day! The transfer went perfectly, according to my doctor. Flying home bright and early, will add my check in Tuesday morning from the airport or Tuesday afternoon from the next airport.

kiki047 · March 2021

*lurking*

@laura-kay Sorry to hear about YH's dx, I hope it's a mild case and he recovers quickly! re: your progesterone question, it really depends. I have an extremely consistent 13 day LP and have had BFN cycles where I've been on progesterone and still got my period on the 13th day like clockwork. I'm no doctor but I'd say it all depends on how your body metabolizes the progesterone. I don't have a deficiency and am just put on it for extra support during ART cycles so maybe that makes a difference, whereas those with low progesterone may find it helps lengthen their cycles as intended.

@ilovecake13 hi, welcome. A tip my naturopath gave me was to take your Vit C supplement by itself on an empty stomach first thing when you wake up and/or before you go to bed because it's a water soluble vitamin so you don't need to/shouldn't take it with food (**unless you find it upsets your stomach, but at 750mg it shouldn't).

@acleverusername glad you're finding little ways to be hopeful again. GL with your micro-dosing protocol.

@keikilove YAY for a perfectly perfect FET! Hugs girl, sending you all the positive energy

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

@keikilove. Great news on the transfer! Everything crossed for good news soon!
@laura-kay. That sucks about YH-- it seems like you keep hitting annoying snags! I hope it doesn't interfere too much, (hopefully you are KU and there is nothing more for them to do!)
@acleverusername. Glad you are finding some positivity! Hopefully you can get all results in to start your magical TEW cycle. Also-- something that my doctor said that I thought may put your previous experience in a sightly different light-- in spoiler because long.

I asked her about my protocol, and dosing, etc and how she would choose which was right for me. And she basically said that IVF is extremely empirical as a field-- that is, certain things work well for some people, other things for other people, and they really don't know why. (MH says this is very similar for antidepressants, seizure meds, lots of things). So they start almost everyone with the same basic protocol (though with dosing dependent on AMH, AFC, etc), and then they adjust that cycle, and if needed they adjust the next cycle, etc. It made me think of you because she used the 90% number-- she said the protocol they start people on works in 90% of cases, and then if you are in the 10%, they have other things they can try. The key insight--- and I think the thing your doctor was clearly not good at communicating-- is that it's really really hard to know who is in the 90% and who is in the 10% going in. I think maybe that is one difference with TEW's approach is that she tries to guess more which protocol is going to work for you ex-ante, whereas other facilities use a more empirical approach. (Obviously the empirical approach is also less appealing if you're paying OOP for each try!) Anyway-- that is not to say your old clinic was good, obviously you need a doctor you can actually communicate with (and who doesn't make mistakes!), but I thought I would just relate this here in case other people get tripped up with this "90%" thing. I think it doesn't always mean "one size fits all" but rather, means that we get information from trying protocol A, and that helps us diagnose what will work.

@ilovecake13 Welcome! I am also dealing with the impatience of low AMH. GL with supplements, hopefully they will be enough to do the trick.

AFM...

Diagnosis (if you've been): RPL, "borderline" DOR

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): last week of BCP, IVF cycle starts next week!

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Just heard from the IVF coordinator and my baseline appointment is next Wednesday! It's funny I was so impatient to start and now asking around I realize we got to this stage lightning-fast (I had my first appt with the RE at the end of January). If everything looks good next Wednesday, I'll start stims that Saturday and have my first ER some time the week of 3/22

How are things going?: Good. I feel better knowing that things are in the works, and having a basic timeline that I can plan around. I will likely need multiple ERs given my AFC and our family size goals, so I am hoping that we can just stack them up close together and bang them out as long as the protocol works for me.

Any questions?: Any advice for a first-timer? I have literally never even taken clomid or progesterone and I'm about to start 300 units of gonal-F. How bad is it?

GTKY: What's your favorite Coronavirus outfit? Feel free to post a photo. I am in love with Storq's leggings (they are maternity but I am not pregnant, obviously. Still great!). I bought several pairs at the beginning of quarantine and I love them. Also an LL bean sherpa-lined hoodie.

Lisa3379 · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 the injections weren’t as bad as I built them up in my head to be. I did Follistim instead of Gonal-F, and it was delivered with an injection pen, which was way more gentle that the Menopur with the syringe. That one stung the most. Toward the end of the week or so of injections, my belly was pretty bruised, so icing it before and after helped a lot, and then I’d sit with a heating pad on my belly for a bit after that. But overall, you’ll get used to it. Will you be injecting yourself or having YH do it? I couldn’t do it myself.

As far as side effects, mine were pretty minimal, probably because I did my injections at night and slept through any effects I might have had.

acleverusername · March 2021

@bumblebee0210 What's your protocol exactly? It differs from person to person. If Clomid is part of it, it can give you some pretty bad side effects (Clomid is known for that; TEW says that Clomid turns ppl into Clo-monsters, and advises anyone on it to call ahead to a priest to arrange for exorcism right after.) @runningoncookies can give you all the details on her symptoms. A girl in my fertility group is mid-ER and she said that Clomid caused pretty bad depression (but she's prone to depression).

Gonal-f injection is the best because the needle is teeny-tiny; no need to worry about that one. If Menopur is part of your protocol, like @Lisa3379 said, that one stings, so key is to go veeeeeerrrrrrryyyyyy ssssssllllllllooooowwww (like 1 min to inject the 1ml of liquid). You'll also want to switch up the sides around your belly button: right side, left side, underneath. That'll help keep the bruising to a minimum. One more trick: make sure you're going in at a 90 degree angle; if angle changes, you're more likely to experience pain / bleed.

Also, thanks for sharing thoughts from your doctor. I've pretty much arrived at that conclusion myself, and agree that TEW is definitely trying to look at it deeper, and use her own personal knowledge rather than going evidence-based (and I know clinics in the Bay Area who are extremely empirical and really stick to 'let's give it a go this way" and then adjust). And you're right... when paying out of pocket, I have little desire to have a "trial run." Plus, I already had an ER so I expect that any doctor should look at that protocol as input to whatever protocol I would be on next. But, regardless, a member of my fertility group was going to same clinic, and after 2 rounds she's leaving because the doctor decided to impart life advice instead of medial advice (it was pretty bad.)

Lisa3379 · March 2021

I had my saline ultrasound today, and was told that I have a "textbook" uterus, so yay me, haha. He also noticed that even though I'm on BC pills, one of my follicles was due to ovulate. A blood test confirmed that, and so I have to stop BC, wait for my period, and then we'll start the transfer cycle. Bummer. But overall, a good day, and it gives me some idea of what's coming up ahead as far as planning goes.

acleverusername · March 2021

@Lisa3379 that sucks that you body ovulated through the BCP. It happens though. Hopefully it won’t delay you much longer.

@laura-kay how are you and you’re hubby doing?

@keikilove still waiting for a detailed update from you! (But obviously no rush.)

quiltandknit · March 2021

@keikilove hope you're still feeling great about your transfer! Sending all the sticky vibes!

@Lisa3379 sucks that you still ovulated. The waiting game is the worst part of IF.

@laura-kay oh nooo! How's hubby feeling?

@acleverusername hooray for feeling hopeful! So glad things are looking up.

@bumblebee0210 wow that is crazy fast! So excited for you that this can happen and hope the rest goes just as smoothly!

Diagnosis (if you've been): unexplained

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Clomid + IUI + Progesterone, DHEA, CoQ10,

How are things going?: ***TW loss mentioned***
What a freaking week. Long story short, my first IUI ended in a CP. Tested the day before, and day my period was due with BFN. The next morning, faint positive on FRER but I had been spotting a little so I wasn't sure if I could trust it. Called and asked for blood work, and I had a low level of hcg (only 7.5) but essentially no progesterone (<1). I asked and they are not sure if the low progesterone is because it wasn't viable, or didn't implant correctly, or if the low progesterone caused the CP. We didn't do a day 21 progesterone level with my workup and I didn't know to ask for it at the time. I asked to take progesterone this time rather than wait for a day 21 level after this IUI and then find out I should have been taking it. I know there are mixed opinions on whether or not progesterone really helps, but I'd rather start it now than add it after more losses. Maybe a low progesterone explains my unexplained IF? So I'm on to the next cycle now and feeling a little more hopeful about this one. Heading over for one more blood draw to confirm that hcg is going down, but I'm bleeding heavily so I already know. They want to confirm before I start clomid (which needs to be tomorrow on CD 3). At least I get to go to work a little later and there's a bomb coffee shop near the RE office so I'm stopping by for a treat!
*end TW*

Any questions?: Thinking a lot about yoga, acupressure, seed cycling, nutrition, and other various ways to try to help both my physical and mental health to make my next cycle less stressful and hopefully more successful. The emotional rollercoaster of this one was tough and I'm exhausted. Trying to positively influence all the factors I can, since there's so much I can't. Anyone have any resources or suggestions in these areas they particularly enjoy? Not usually into alternative therapies but I don't think any of these things can hurt!

Also, can someone tell me how to do spoiler tags? I can't find it searching, lol, and I wanted to update in spoiler tags since it's long. I'm tech-challenged!

GTKY: What's your favorite Coronavirus outfit? I live in scrubs (work pajamas), actual pajamas, and workout clothes. Total 180 turn from getting dressed up every day, like I used to!

laura-kay · March 2021

My husband thankfully is improving. I’m heading for a test shortly. I don’t have severe symptoms or a fever but I do have some, so I figured I’ll go to be on the safe side.

Unfortunately I had another BFN before getting to my 14 day point (came on day 13). I guess that means I don’t have to worry about COVID impacting our (hopefully someday) baby, but I wish that it actually was something we had to worry about. This cycle is skipped now due to COVID as well. It’s been a difficult week.

laura-kay · March 2021

@acleverusername Favorite coronavirus outfit includes these fleece snowflake pants, fun socks (I just got some baby Yoda ones ;-)) and a comfy shirt with a big sweater or at times a nice thick robe, lol. If we are working from home, we might as well take advantage of it, right?

laura-kay · March 2021

So....I’m starting to wonder what we will do if our third IUI + injectables cycle doesn’t work. So far, between two injectable IUIs plus one canceled cycle, we’ve paid about 18k. It’s about 6500 OOP per try when it goes the whole way through. Financials certainly contribute to my concerns. My credit score certainly has dropped because of the charges going on so quickly. Emotional side though is a difficult problem for me. I’m starting to wonder how much longer we can manage these treatments. It’s giving me a lot of anxiety and stress, and I haven’t learned how to handle it very well honestly. At first it was exciting with possibilities, and the more failures we have, the more I start to hesitate to hope and start to not want to have everything start up again the same way as every other time.

Any suggestions on how to handle this all, financially, physically, emotionally and mentally?

acleverusername · March 2021

@quiltandknit I am so sorry for your loss! 😭 Sending you a lot of thoughts of comfort and support. It sounds like it's very possible you have a progesterone problem. How long is your luteal phase normally? Do you ever stop in the luteal phase? Even if it's a day or 2 before your flow starts? Either way, getting that progesterone supplementation started is a great idea. Like you said, the research on that is split, but it doesn't hurt.

@laura-kay Drat... sounds like you're having a really rough week.... I am so sorry for the YH's Covid test(s), for the BFN, and for the fact that you're gonna have to skip a cycle. That is truly a trifecta of BS. But, you've found 1 silver lining... you won't have to worry about Covid going forward.

As for your treatment next steps, putting in spoiler because it's long:

Look... those are all the concerns I've have been having for the past 3-4 months. It's been a real struggle and I've had to work REALLY hard on the mental/emotional piece. Having a therapist focused on fertility had been really helpful, as was going through a 6 week "resilience for fertility" therapist-led group therapy. But these things cost money as well (in my case, they were all out of pocket). But I view those as more important/worthwhile expenditures than treatments themselves. If you're not feeling good, everything else suffers: you're consumed with thoughts of your finances, with thoughts of your failures; you're unable to take care of you physical body because you're feeling terrible. So it becomes a vicious circle. I don't have answers for your re: what to do going forward in your treatments... this the costs you mentioned, it seems to be that it would be cheaper/worthwhile to do IVF. If low cost is important, I would consider Mexico (as per @keikilove, treatments there are $4000-6000 including the cost of meds.) Yes, there's travel involved and cost associated, but you won't get close to that kind of prices anywhere in the US. Plus, you're no longer at risk of catching Covid while traveling.

One more thing re: credit score... I found that if my credit utilization goes above 10%, my score plummets a good 20-30 points. So, I've had to start paying off my credit card more frequently. I'm lucky that I have the ability to do that, and recognize that not all ppl do. But yeah, that's certainly something I've been focusing on A LOT.

acleverusername · March 2021

@laura-kay this might also be a good read: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/07/9939161/fertility-diary-covid-19-cant-get-to-embryos (published by someone who's in one of my other fertility forums.

Lisa3379 · March 2021

@laura-kay I'm so sorry you're going through all this all at once. It's so overwhelming, I'm sure. I like @acleverusername's advice. It may be worth looking into IVF. At least you'll able to (most likely) get at least a couple solid embryos as a starting point to getting pregnant, you know? And yeah, looking into doing it overseas might be a good call. I read through that blog that @acleverusername posted. What a roller coaster. But since it seems like (knock on wood) the pandemic is at least starting to wind down, traveling for more affordable IVF might be a good option soon for you.

laura-kay · March 2021

@acleverusername I’m glad that the group support helps some! I am looking into that resource as well. It really does become a vicious cycle. That’s a good read as well with the blog. Thanks for sharing it. Like Lisa said - very much a roller coaster! This whole pandemic has a huge impact on everything.

@acleverusername @Lisa3379
I think I’ll start to look into that. This afternoon, I did some research on fertility clinics in Mexico. I’m curious regarding logistics with it. @keikilove could you share sometime how you manage appointments there? Do you stay in Mexico for the first half of your cycle up (start of monitoring appts up until the IVF procedure)?

I do really like my doctor, so I’m hesitant to leave them, but long term - cost is really difficult with them. I think I’ll at least do one more cycle with them, and can research other options in case that doesn’t work.

Thanks again!

acleverusername · March 2021

@laura-kay I totally get the liking the doctor, but I've heard some excellent things about the clinic in Mexico, not only from @keikilove. Here's what someone in my other fertility forum posted about her experience this week. ***TW loss mentioned***

At the end of the day, I know how hard it can be to sever a relationship with a trusted medical provider, but cost is such an important element in this process, that it makes sense when you're OOP. Your provider should understand. (I can personally relate to the feelings of "guilt" over thinking of leaving TEW purely for financial reasons.)

ETA: bottom-line, you're likely to find a really good provider at an overseas clinic that you could built an equally rewarding relationship with.

keikilove · March 2021

@acleverusername @laura-kay This week has been so insane that I’ve never been able to finish my check-in. Going to try to get it done now and then come back for tags this evening. @laura-kay There are several popular clinics throughout MX. Some have package deals and money-back guarantees as well. I go to Vida in Tijuana. They specialize in DuoStim: two egg retrievals in one cycle. (There is no guarantee at Vida.) One cycle costs $75,000 MXN pesos at Vida—about $3,500 USD. The second cycle costs $35,000 MXN pesos—about $1700 USD depending on the exchange rate. These prices are not including meds. Each appointment (including consult & ultrasound) is $800 pesos, about $40 OOP. Bloodwork runs around $20 USD at the few appointments where they draw it. Besides this, the medication in MX costs about 1/4 the cost in the U.S.—for the exact same meds. Vida is 10 minutes across the border. There is a FB group of women (mostly American, but some Canadian and some Mexican—and some husbands/wives who’ve joined) that gives all the info of how to contact them, when to set up your appointments, how to arrange hotel or transport, which restaurants to eat at, etc. It’s extremely informative. We’re a small group—maybe 700 members total—so there is lots of personal support & exchanging of resources. At every appointment I’ve had there is someone from the Vida FB group in the waiting room with me, so it’s nice to get to know each other in person. Many women stay in MX while undergoing treatment, but I’ve personally always stayed in San Diego and then made the 20-minute drive to park at the border and take a $5 taxi across to the clinic. The clinic is state-of-the-art since it’s only 4 years old. They do everything in-house: they have the most advanced embryo lab equipment that is currently available, in-house phlebotomist for blood draws that are process same day, most up-to-date ultrasound machines, two operating rooms & recovery room on-site, etc. There is a hospital around the corner and a specialty pharmacy down the block to pick up any special prescriptions that the clinic doesn’t carry in office. I felt completely safe there and very happy with my doctors’ competence. She is well-versed in hard cases too, so that was the deciding factor for me. I spent a lot on travel because I was flying across the ocean and staying in hotels/renting cars/eating restaurant food. Still, I got two rounds of IVF there for about $8,000 less than one round would’ve cost me in my home state. Totally worth it. The longest I ever had to stay in San Diego was 6 or 7 days during the first round of stims while we waited for my body to be ready for retrieval. Once the doctor saw how my body responded, I did not need to stay long for the next retrieval because she could predict when I would be ready for egg collection the second time.For most of my appointments I was in San Diego for 36-48 hours before flying home. The Americans on the West Coast to the Midwest states often stay just 12-24 hours for their appointments. Hope all this helps. Feel free to PM me with any questions at all.

Diagnosis (if you've been): RPL, DQ Alpha match, blood-clotting disorders, AMA, DOR

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW!😬

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Just did the FET on Monday. Doctor said not to test at home, and to wait until March 15 for beta. March 15?!?! That’s so far away.... Herr are details of the FET experience for anyone who’s curious. TL;DR: I almost peed on the exam table.🤣 I kept thinking of @kiki047 and her similar experience and how they let her go pee for 5 seconds. They also let me, but I was afraid I’d never be able to stop once I started. It eventually worked and we were able to do the FET without any water works. 💦😄

My FET appointment was at 9 am. When I got there the receptionist said the doctor would let the embryologist know I’d arrived, and that I should return in 2 hours. So I went and had a light breakfast at an adorable outdoor French café down the street from the clinic. When I got back the nurse had me change into my gown, booties, & hairnet. I’d already drank a lot at breakfast because I knew I needed a full bladder for the procedure. The nurse gave me another bottle and had me drink it while snuggling in a bed in the pre-op/post-op/recovery room. Then she didn’t come back for a looooong time. I had to pee so bad that I took myself to the bathroom and tried to go for just 5 seconds—based on the stories I’d hear about this being allowed. No luck! I’d been holding it for so long that I couldn’t stop. When I got back to my bed the nurse came by and I asked her for another bottle of water. (I didn’t admit that I’d just peed it all out!) After 30 minutes she did an ultrasound and said I needed to drink more water. I drank 2 more bottles. She stayed gone so long that I was sure I’d have to run to the bathroom again. I was pacing around the room trying to hold it in. This time when she had me up on the exam table she barely ran the ultrasound over my bladder before she said, “Go the bathroom and pee for JUST 5 SECONDS.” I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to do it. I mean, I do kegels, but come one. I had 3 bottles of water pressing the limits of my bladder! With sheer willpower I was able to stop after 5 seconds. Then the nurse told me it would be 10 minutes before the doctors came in....but it was another HOUR! I was dancing around that room like my life depended on holding it in. When the doctor did the ultrasound he immediately told me to go to the bathroom and slowly count to 5, then come back to the operating room. That did the trick, but I still felt like I had to pee really badly. Then, he pressed super hard on my abdomen for what felt like 10 minutes so my RE could have a clear view of my uterus while she put in the speculum and catheter line and waited for the embryologist to bring the tube with the embryos. I couldn’t believe the embryologist took her time to bring them beyond in when she knew I’d been in there for hours by now! The procedure went like clockwork, thank goodness, but the pressure of the U/S on my abdomen was extremely uncomfortable. I honestly felt like I was just about to pee uncontrollably on the table. When it was done I laid there for 10 minutes and then my nurse said it was time to go to the bathroom. Hallelujah! I honestly wish I could’ve stayed flat on the table longer, but there was just no way. Anyway, I then met with the doctors to go over my medications and it was time to leave. I had arrived at 9 am and left at 3:30 pm! I had no idea it could possibly take so long. I had plans to just relax the rest of the day and evening, casually working on my work project while watching comedies, but that didn’t happen. I ended up being on the phone & running critical errands and going to bed around midnight. I logged almost 17,000 steps that day. I flew out very early the next morning, flew for 5 hours, and went straight to my IVIg infusion. That treatment took 4 hours. I got home at 8:30 pm that night and had logged 15,000 steps. The next day I had my all-day work training so I sat on my butt in front of the computer all day, thankfully. I’ve been trying to stay calm mentally and take a lot of deep breaths because this week did not go how I wanted it to at all. But what’s done is done and I can only focus on staying in a positive mental state and doing the best I can.

How are things going?: Today, they’re going well. Unfortunately, the earlier part of the week was WAY too busy and I felt very stressed and barely got any sleep. Not good. I was actually so preoccupied with life that it didn’t even occur to me to calculate my due date until the morning after the FET!!! Anyway, Spoiler because it’s all just a lot to write down or read through. Also, TW for mention of someone else’s LC:

There was more important stuff I had to attend to immediately after the FET procedure to support my family member who was dealing with intense depression. That had me very worried and also very hands-on/on the phone a lot with that situation. Thank God things have gotten better on that front throughout the week. I also had a major project due for work and a separate two-day all-day training for my other work where I had to have a presentation ready for group critique. Immediately after that I had to rush to my dental cleaning. Also, I had to pick up my niece from school. When her mom got home she texted: “Send her over. I don’t want to come over to get her because I was just told this afternoon that I may have gotten exposed to someone at work who is positive for Covid. I got tested after work today and am waiting for my test result. I got exposed yesterday so there’s a chance my daughter was exposed to it when I came home from work last night.” (My husband and I were FURIOUS that she still had me pick up her daughter from school if she knew what she was potentially dealing with!) In addition to all this, I keep getting part-time job opportunities (yay for being able to afford ART & pay off bills!) and had begrudgingly committed to a new part-time job for an old friend. I had to work that gig a couple days this week, but man! If ever I needed to lighten my load, it should’ve been this week. I took as much off my plate as I could in advance, but it wasn’t enough. So last night I went walking and every night I’ve been doing meditation during/after my meds/ injections, just trying to bring down my stress levels. Lots of deep breathing and positive mantras going on over here that “all will be well”. Doing my best to believe it 100%.

Any questions?: For those who’ve done a FET, how many days after was your beta scheduled? Was that for a 3- or 5-day transfer? Thanks!

GTKY: What's your favorite Coronavirus outfit? Feel free to post a photo. If I can post a photo this weekend, I will. My corona-outfit of choice is usually super comfy lightweight cotton pajama pants from Target on the bottom with a tank on top—no bra. I accessorize this classic combo with fluffy socks and the sweatshirt du jour—I’m sure my husband loves this! When I have to jump on zoom meetings I throw a cute cover-up-type thing or cardigan over the tank (still no bra half the time😆). I just make sure to keep my laptop elevated on a stand and make sure I’m only visible from the shoulders upward.👍🏽

The Target pajama pants below. These things are heavenly. I have a few pairs, but in prettier prints than what’s currently showing on their website.*Not me in these photos*:

Lisa3379 · March 2021

@keikilove I almost had to pee just reading that story!

acleverusername · March 2021

@keikilove what an amazing update! Although I was dizzy from everything you've had to do this week! At the very least, I hope it made you realize that "Holy cow! I'm 5dp3dt!" (aka 8DPO I think). You're right... March 15th sounds SOOOOOO FAR away. That's not even next week, wth? Are you doing the beta locally or do you have to go back to the clinic for that? Please say locally. Thanks too for such a detailed account vis-a-vis costs / care level of the Mexico clinics. If it's something we end up doing, and I can convince MH to go for it, I will (ours is a legal-type cautionary blocker). Your Target PJ pants look perfect for Hawaii weather.

keikilove · March 2021

@acleverusername My world has been spinning so fast this week that I literally didn’t even realize that I’m “5dp3dt” until I saw it written out by you! I hope I can stay this non-focused on every little detail until it’s time for the beta!😆

shoogapoff · March 2021

**lurking**
@keikilove OMG! That sounds so stressful for you trying to find the pee balance! For my FET, I had to pee of course, but mostly I really had to poop! I wished I could have pooped beforehand without letting all my pee out, but I just had to hold it all in.
Anyway, to answer your question, my beta was 10 days after transfer.

keikilove · March 2021

@shoogapoff Oh. My. Goodness.😬That is a whole different level of uncomfortable! It’s actually good to hear that you felt that way though and everything was still successful. My abdomen felt strained earlier this week and I wondered if it was because I held so much liquid in for so long that transfer day.

quiltandknit · March 2021

@laura-kay I can't help much with the financial piece, but will second the suggestion for therapy, support groups, and the like. This is a difficult road for sure. I definitely underestimated the emotional rollercoaster this cycle and it bit me in the butt by the end. Sending you peaceful vibes!

@acleverusername thank you. My LP is more like 12-13 days, at least in the cycles where OPKs worked. Last month it was only 11 and I spotted the night before, so I was thinking progesterone might be an issue. Definitely feeling good about our plans for this cycle.

keikilove · March 2021

I’ve been so exhausted from the week’s adventures that I had to take a day off and just rest. Hoping that others are online this weekend and will see their tags.

@ilovecake13 Congrats on your marriage ceremony! Did it already take place? May I ask which island you are doing it on? That’s so exciting.

@acleverusername How’s it going with the hCG? Does the timing make it hard to fully test it out of your system?

@bumblebee0210 Yippee for almost starting your first IVF cycle! My only advice is that the shots really aren’t too bad, and I didn’t personally have any type of reaction or bloating until right before egg retrieval. It was just a bit uncomfortable, nothing unbearable or painful. But that could be because I had just about 7 follicles growing and 5 eggs retrieved. Those with many more follies seem to experience more bloating & discomfort.

@Lisa3379 Sorry you ovulated through the BCP. I can relate, same happened to me. But at least you’re *almost* there! FX you’ll be transferring within the next few weeks.

@quiltandknit I’m so sorry about your CP. It’s always hard to go through that excitement and then sheer disappointment. For your question, I like to do guided fertility meditations from YouTube. Here are a couple of people who have multiple videos I enjoy.

Bettina Rae fertility yoga & mindset https://youtu.be/r0Rq911ONv0

Fertility Affirmations https://youtu.be/CjqU3vTkTU0

Jackie Brown https://youtu.be/TojEA7tItNc

@laura-kay I gave you lots of info on Vida, but I’ve also heard good things about Igenes in Tijuana. You may want to check that out. FB has a group called IVF in Mexico, where you could get the lowdown on al the clinics that Americans go to.

acleverusername · March 2021

@keikilove Affirmative. I see your tags. 😉 Re: hCG, I’m conducting a research study, results of which I’ll share once complete. Only caveat is that my sample size is 1. Nevertheless, it’s very exciting to me. Lol. I understand that I’m being a huge tease with this reply but I’ll make it worth your while!

bumblebee0210 · March 2021

Thanks for all of the advice!

@acleverusername My protocol is Gonal-F (300 units), Manopur and Ganirelix starting ~5 days, with an HCG trigger (probably, they still might do lupron depending on how things look), so I think pretty textbook (hoping I am the 90% for whom this works!), except starting at higher doses because of my low AMH. No clomid or anything exotic, and no transfer for a while so I don't have to worry about any of the other things quite yet!

@keikilove. Oh man sounds like it was a whirlwind week. Fingers crossed so hard for your THB. I had a low-ish AFC last month (10), so I am also guessing I will not get the serious bloat.

@quiltandknit I'm so sorry about your loss-- CPs are such a terrible, pointless, sad thing. I hope you're taking care of yourself. Creepy internet hugs.

[Deleted User] · March 2021

*lurking*

@keikilove Congratulations!!!! Sounds like you were a real trooper for your transfer! 😂 Fx for good news on March 15... It's been such a long time coming!

@ilovecake13 My Napro doctor recommended B6 for LP length. People talk about EPO, but I'm not sure there's really great evidence behind it. 🤷

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