IF Testing & Treatment w/o 8.2

inthewoods23 · August 2021

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 movie do you quote the most?

acleverusername · August 2021

Excellent gif choice @inthewoods23! 👏

inthewoods23 · August 2021

@acleverusername it's half the reason I love that song haha

optimistgardener · August 2021

What clever said. Amazing choice of gifs this week @inthewoods23

optimistgardener · August 2021

Hey friends. I don't have any updates today and I'm not sure when I will, but I was out watering my garden this morning, thinking about matters of fertility (as one does), and I spent some time studying my squash plants, which are unusual in that they have both male and female flowers (most garden plants have flowers that contain both male and female components).

here's a male flower on my winter squash with an eager bee in search of pollen.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/nc/d0z12vrllcff.jpeg

you can tell it's male because it has no "fruit," just a straight stem.

here's a female flower on my winter squash full of eager bees in search of its pollen. if you look carefully, you can see that the female stigma is more complex than on the male flower.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/hw/s7wnd5zzpkc6.jpeg

here's a shot of the female fruiting body, ready for fertilization!

and here's a successful fertilization, well on its way to maturity! fertilization here requires that a bee or other pollinator first visit a male flower, and then visit a female flower. it's also possible, in a manner familiar to all of us here, to "assist" the process if the bees aren't doing their job by plucking a male flower and rubbing its inner parts against a female flower. (interestingly, you can see there are several male flowers in this shot. sort of like with human reproduction, there are always more male flowers than female flowers on a given plant.)

good luck to everyone!

acleverusername · August 2021

@optimistgardener thank you for sharing this. It is lovely to see fertility in the life around us. The irony of the fact that my dog lost her fertility the same weekend as I took steps to "enhance" it, was not lost on me. It's funny how both of those events are beneficial for our individual species, but both are "assisted by technology" and not "natural" in the myopic way that "natural" has come to be seen in this realm.

Diagnosis (if you've been): Hashimoto's, AMA, MFI (sperm-driven fert issues)

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WFAF post retrieval

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Waiting for results; re-aligning on protocol for round 2; going on vacation to 🇨🇦; etc.

How are things going?: Got our fert results this morning.

Of 8 mature, 5 fertilized for sure; and 1 was showing signs of fertilization. This is still on the "low-end" believe it or not; RE had told me that he expected 80-85% fert rate. But I'm hoping for the same blast growth as @optimistgardener! I'm working on my ugly cry/laugh as we speak. (Deep down inside, I was hoping that all 8 would fertilize. But every time I think that I'll defy the averages, I'm sadly 'schooled' in that area. Oh well. MH had been hoping too.)

My Day 5/6 call will happen while I'm on a plane ride to Toronto, so I might have to let MH do the honor of telling me what happened once I've landed.

Any questions?: NATM

GTKY: What movie do you quote the most? I'm not a movie quoter but there's a handful of quotes I whip out every now and again. Mostly "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!" and "Luke, I am your father!" and "We can rebuild him. We have the technology." Recently we've been rewatching Star Trek TNG, so I'm adding "Make it so" and "engage" (along with the gesture) to my lineup. All of these quotes come in handy in my line of work: whipping around a bunch of engineers into shape.

bumblebee0210 · August 2021

@acleverusername. I was away last week but rooting for you so hard, and was psyched about your ER results! You may be like me and have lower fert rates (no matter how many eggs I get only 3 ever fertilize!) but higher blast rates. Either way, it's out of your hands now for this round-- keep us updated!

@optimistgardener. I am waaaaaaiting for your PGT-A results. They should be here soon, no? Mine are always within 2 weeks.

AFM:

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

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Maybe nothing or maybe estrogen priming for a duostim cycle. We are TTA but whoops! May have played it a little fast and loose on vacation. Did it on Saturday (morning) and got some serious EWCM this morning. That is fine, right?

How are things going?: OK. I was really, really happy to get another euploid embryo on the books, since we had only one from three egg retrievals previously. I am hoping that a duostim can yield 2 more (clever, I have learned to be a little less optimistic but I still shade up!). Then maybe another duo and then transfer?

Any questions?: I'm debating whether to postpone the duostim a month because doing it in early September would be kind fo a nightmare, logistically. MH will be out of town, then we have. a wedding to travel to, etc. We could make it work but it would be very stressful, whereas October is totally free. You guys know how impatient I am!

GTKY: What movie do you quote the most? Mostly those 90s comedies I grew up with my cousins and brother all quoting relentlessly-- Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, Austin Powers, Tommy Boy, etc. Very sophisticated I know!

optimistgardener · August 2021

@acleverusername i'm hoping for that #6 fertilization to happen, and worth noting that with these kinds of numbers, the difference between a 6 of 8 fert rate vs a 5 of 8 fert rate is really just one egg worth of difference and hard to draw real conclusions about. I wouldn't let it sit too heavy on you as to whether you're defying averages or no. I've got my fingers crossed hard for good blast results.

@bumblebee0210 gawd i am really struggling to keep my sanity together during this wait!

gingermama29 · August 2021

@optimistgardener love the pics!

@acleverusername FX for continued blast growth!

@bumblebee0210 ahhh I hate those dilemmas about whether or not to postpone a cycle. I’m putting unnecessary pressure on myself to get KU quickly because my brother is getting married in June so I want to be there. Hopefully things will work out for the best for you! Also I love your movie choices.

Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

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

How are things going?: Things are good. I was proud of myself for continuing to workout every day on vacation but definitely need to get my butt back in gear with better eating (I seriously have NO self control around Oreos - especially the salted caramel brownie ones my sister kept buying)! I’m trying to stay optimistic about this cycle. We had good timing and were able to sneak away when we needed to to do our thing so here’s hoping!

Any questions?: nope

GTKY: What movie do you quote the most?Ooof that’s a hard question. If I’m with my sister, it’s almost certainly something Disney. We quote those constantly. It’s not a movie but my family quotes the Simpsons ALL THE TIME! Mean Girls is a common for me too. Really I quote too many movies 😂

acleverusername · August 2021

@bumblebee0210 sounds like you’re back to doing some complicated period math over there! Do what feels right; but yes, we know how impatient you are. 🤪 Thanks for cheering me on from the background.

@gingermama29 good job on working out while on vacation! I’m actually the opposite: I tend to eat pretty well, but rarely work out. Hopefully with no Oreos around to tempt you, you can get your food back on track.

@optimistgardener yes, thanks for the little reality check. It’s just so hard not to get lost in the game when so few eggs/embryos are at stake. Like 6/8 is one more than 5/8 that can grow to blast. Anyway, I keep repeating to myself: quality over quantity; quality over quantity.

optimistgardener · August 2021

@acleverusername re: your dog losing her fertility on the same day that you hopefully augmented yours... We presently have a house guest with a puppy, and my (spayed, female, rescue) dog is not into it at all. I know she had puppies before she came to me, and it makes me laugh to see her unhappily fending off the boundless energy of the guest-pup. She sort of bares her teeth at the thing and occasionally makes a warning snap in its general direction if it doesn't take the hint (I am not worried she'll do any harm). I imagine her being like, "ugh, not this again. I thought those days were behind me."

inthewoods23 · August 2021

@optimistgardener that's lovely! And then I get mad that plants/tree are more fertile than me

@acleverusername 5 is great! Fertilization is difficult with YH's sperm issues right? I'd take that as a win. A 6th would be icing on the cake

@bumblebee0210 I'm on team wait for October. But that's just me. I had to juggle my monitoring appointments for the 1 week of stims I had and it just so happened to fall right on the week I had a training event an hour from home for the entire week. It was a bit nerve-racking, but thankfully one of the nurses could come in early to monitor me so I could be at the training on time. Definitely would not recommend though haha. I'm a fan of those Adam Sandler movies too! Classics.

@gingermama29 glad you got good timing! MMMMM Oreos! I definitely had more than one serving over the weekend. And then when I was at cookie 5 I was pretty sure I hadn't had a full 2nd serving so I had another cookie 80% sure it was cookie 6.

Diagnosis (if you've been): unexplained, low morph

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): got the covid vaccine on Friday

How are things going?: things are chugging along here

Any questions?: nope

GTKY: What movie do you quote the most? You'd think since I wrote this question I would have an answer but I can't think of anything! I've got a couple quotes from The Waterboy that I recite from time to time. OH! Honestly most often is probably The Fifth Element. Such a good movie.

acleverusername · August 2021

@inthewoods23 you and your Fifth Element. *eye roll.* Here’s to hoping “vaccines help me get preggo” works. 🤞🏻

gingermama29 · August 2021

@inthewoods23 hahaha I knew my Oreo struggles would be understood here 😂. How are you feeling after the first shot? I never got any side effects aside from a sore arm for both shots.

inthewoods23 · August 2021

@acleverusername aww come on! It's a great movie lol

mokay19 · August 2021

@optimistgardener I enjoyed the squash pictures and lesson... and how it seems to fit into our lives!

@acleverusername my fingers are crossed that you get that 6th to fertilize! Also, hoping YH has only good news to relay after you land!

@bumblebee0210 I’m with you on having the issues of not wanting to wait!

@gingermama29 glad you had a good vacation and hopefully it was successful! Also, you sound like my DH with any cookies... we can’t have them in the house or else he eats all of them.

@inthewoods23 happy to hear that you felt so good after the vaccine! Hopefully it does the trick ☺️

mokay19 · August 2021

Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): clomid+Letrozole starting tonight! Then TI, trigger, progesterone

How are things going?: fine since my baseline this morning. I had stopped the Norethindrone on Tuesday and only spotted old blood over the weekend. I messaged them yesterday asking how long that I should wait to bleed before I just accept that maybe I’m not going to? They had me come in for a baseline today and my bloodwork is all good for baseline and my lining is “thin enough” to start! I’m relieved because I just kept having this feeling that something was going to be wrong.

Any questions?: natm

GTKY: What movie do you quote the most? Oh this is tough. It would be a toss up between LOTR, Ace Ventura, and Harry Potter (I’m really all over the place haha)

acleverusername · August 2021

@mokay19 I'm glad that your clinic erred on the side of caution and had you come in. Hooray for getting the green light to start! But I definitely don't blame you for having the "OMG, something is wrong" feeling.

AFM, yesterday I made the mistake of having a bean salad for lunch. Let me tell you what's painful... intense flatulence 2 days post egg retrieval. Argh.

Also, we got our Day 3 results just then. Pretty good news in spoiler:

TL;DR. We have 3 good looking embryos in cleavage cell (6-8 cells), with minimal fragmentation and pretty symmetric. 2 more are growing a bit more slowing (5 cells), but still in contention.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/io/fxe9vt4qrnv1.png

optimistgardener · August 2021

@acleverusername grow little buddies grow!

AFM: faaaaaaaakkkkhh waiting for my test results. My heart has been in my mouth for days now and I am unreasonably grumpy at everyone else who has had the nerve(!) to call me in the last few days. Also I am stress-cooking, so there's more pesto in the freezer now and a blackberry-peach crisp in the oven as I type this.

acleverusername · August 2021

@optimistgardener girl... I don't know how you're holding it together. I imagine I will be like that for 2 weeks starting on Saturday. Also, who calls people anymore!?! Lol. Phone calls should only be for fertility clinics trying to reach their patients.

optimistgardener · August 2021

@acleverusername i would not really say I am "holding it together" very well! not to mention it is once again very smoky here where i live and so i can't go for my mental health-preserving runs in the morning. so, in lieu of morning exercise, i suppose i will opt for fruit crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? that seems like a reasonable trade.

eta: right after typing this i got another random call from a friend. after ascertaining that it was not, in fact, the clinic, I just silenced the ringer. is that wrong of me? am i allowed to be this dysfunctional?

zwink1 · August 2021

@optimistgardener, those pics are awesome, thanks for sharing! I had no idea that squash had male/female flowers.

@acleverusername - woo-hoo, for good news! I hope those 2 slow pokes keep on growing!

@mokay19, do happy to hear that you're cleared to start! I feel you on how great that feeling of relief is after you've convinced yourself that every single thing that possibly could go wrong is absolutely going to go wrong.

Diagnosis (if you've been): primarily MFI (OAT)

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): I don't know, best guess is I'm in the TWW buy I'm not tracking so...

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Waiting on my consult. Hopefully by next cycle I'll have some movement (even if it is just bloodwork)!

How are things going?: the medical records saga continues. I found them, but now of course every single fax machine around me has ceased to function. I finally found a working one in our building and faxed my request over today, but then I started to convince myself that I put the paper in upside down because I'm not used to this machine and of course requests are input into the computer system the day after they're received so I can't call to check that they got something more than a blank piece of paper. I double checked the fax icon. Pretty sure I did it right. Pretty sure I'm just over thinking this. Pretty sure.

Any questions?: natm

GTKY: What movie do you quote the most?
Probably Mean Girls. There are just so many good, memorable lines. If I expand to TV shows though, it's hands down Schitt's Creek.

acleverusername · August 2021

@zwink1 seriously though, who still uses Fax machines, right?! I hope you did everything right and the clinic has received your files. 🤞🏻

optimistgardener · August 2021

Guys. I was hoping to wait for my weekly update until I'd gotten some news, but now I'm recalling that the clinic nurse told me early last week that she hoped we'd hear back from the genetics lab "next week or the week after." So, maybe I'll hear this week, and maybe next. Or maybe 😱 even after that. Anyway I've devolved from a rational, modern human into a superstitious wreck, so maybe posting here will help the news arrive.

@acleverusername how long are you planning to stay up in Canada? Also, stay away from the bean salad for a few days! 💨😬

@zwink1 so much sympathy on the paperwork chase and on the navigating archaic technology front. I hope it all went through and you'll get confirmation in the morning!

@mokay19 yay for starting!!

@inthewoods23 & @gingermama29 whyyyy must you write about oreos!

@bumblebee0210 i feel you on the period math and trying to figure out when to do your next stim cycle. not exactly the same but i've been doing some advanced algebra re: what happens if i get an embryo i can transfer vs. if i do not, and when i can fit the next step into my insane calendar of first-year teaching. i'm sure you'll come to a conclusion that works for, you, but i'd lean slightly towards the less stressful option, especially since having fewer stress hormones coursing through your system is probably a good idea anyway.

Diagnosis (if you've been): AMA, DOR, 1 ovary, heck let's do the whole thing this time... "mild" endo, possible surgical scarring

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): birth control cycle

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

How are things going?: you guys totally know how things are going

Any questions?: nope

GTKY: What movie do you quote the most? I don't tend to quote movies but when I do, it's always Aliens, the part where the little girl says in her quasi-english accent, "the aliens mostly only come out at night ... mostly."

bows22 · August 2021

ahh @optimistgardener every time I see that you are the last post on this thread I get so excited/nervous. I hope you get the call soon!

inthewoods23 · August 2021

@acleverusername come on little embryos!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/pz/4d2joy038if9.gif

@optimistgardener how many days has it been? Feels like for. ev. er. I hope you get those results soon! And omg yes the "mostly" line in Alien! We quote that randomly too

optimistgardener · August 2021

@bows22 sorry! me too!

@inthewoods23 it's been 15 days since the clinic nurse said they'd sent the samples off for testing, and it's been 22 days since retrieval. ugh.

acleverusername · August 2021

@optimistgardener oooph, 15 days is a long time already! Most results should be returned within 2 weeks. Have you resisted calling your nurse? Are you gonna try and hold out until next week?

optimistgardener · August 2021

@acleverusername i have successfully resisted calling my nurse, if only because my superstitious brain is worried about it. 🙄 living in my head is ridiculous right now.

but it turns out i might have a reason to call her regardless. before we realized i wasn't going to do a fresh transfer this cycle, i did 3 shots of PIO. they were somewhat painful in the hour or so afterwards, but nothing too unusual. about a week ago (so 2 weeks after i'd been doing the shots) i started getting an itchy hives reaction local to the shot locations. initially i thought maybe i'd just been spectacularly unlucky with mosquito bites on both of my butt cheeks exactly at the site of my injections, but came around to the idea i was having bizarrely delayed reaction. now, the itching has finally died down somewhat but in place of itchy hives i've now developed bruising, and i can feel knots or swelling in the muscle below. i've googled it and delayed reactions to PIO are extremely unusual and don't seem to be a thing anyone is terribly worried about. still, i am struggling with the idea that my regimen calls for weeks (if not months) of PIO injections. I'm not sure I'd be able to walk, considering the strength of the reaction i've had to just a couple of shots. I'm wondering if there is a viable alternative (the clinic's plan already incorporates both suppository and PIO forms). maybe there is a different kind of oil I could try, or i have heard there is an oral form? I'm worried that whatever the alternative might be would not be as efficacious in terms of supporting possible pregnancy.

legallykate · August 2021

*lurking* @optimistgardener I did not do any PIO with my FET cycle, I did both crinone gel and progesterone suppositories instead. I would think that is for sure a viable alternative if you are not reacting well to the PIO shots. I have also heard there are different PIO shots using different oils though in case the oil is the issue and not the progesterone or the shot itself.

optimistgardener · August 2021

@legallykate thanks so much! i'll be sure to talk to my clinic people about this.

inthewoods23 · August 2021

@optimistgardener do you know what oil yours was in? I think the most commonly used one is in sesame oil which could easily be someone's allergy. IIRC, sesame oil is the thinnest oil used for PIO (or the thickest? 🤔) and sometimes people will switch if they have too much difficulty injecting the PIO. You have options, don't worry!

optimistgardener · August 2021

@inthewoods23 it was in sesame oil, which makes sense that it might be something one would be prone to react to. Thanks!

acleverusername · August 2021

@optimistgardener what others said about sesame oil being the culprit. See if you can get it an olive oil base! 🤞🏻

AFM, I just landed in Toronto and opened my phone to a wonderful message from my hubby.

All of our 8 and 7 cell Day 3 embryos made it and they’re graded: Day 5 3AA, Day 6 3AA and Day 6 6AB. Feeling pretty great but now the REAL wait begins!

Luckily I gave my vacation to keep my mind off the results. Woot!

keikilove · August 2021

@acleverusername I have been lurking specifically waiting for your update. This was me nervously reading your post just now:

That is SUCH amazing news!!! Enjoy it! At least now you can get through the wait with some relative peace of mind :-)

acleverusername · August 2021

@keikilove thank you!!! ❤️❤️❤️ I have been thinking about you all week, hoping to see an update re: health issues aforementioned but I will continue to patiently wait.

optimistgardener · August 2021

@acleverusername HEY!!! that's GREAT NEWS! I'm so jazzed for you!

inthewoods23 · August 2021

@acleverusername woo!!! Great news!

Now all we need is for @optimistgardener to get her damn PGT results!!

optimistgardener · August 2021

@inthewoods23 haha yeah tell me about it. I had a moment of hysteria last night when at like 5:03pm I got a text saying that my transfer protocol prescriptions had been delivered to my pharmacy. The clinic nurse had told me like 2 weeks ago that she would be sending the prescriptions over and that I should wait to order them until I got my results... but then she didn't put them through until yesterday? All yesterday evening i couldn't think of anything except that she must have decided to hold off on sending the prescription through until she had news, and that... she some news but just hadn't gotten around to actually calling me. But now I'm retreating from that theory and withholding all opinion until I get an actual phone call and not just coded messages. Anyway, that woman is insanely busy so it wouldn't surprise me if she put my prescriptions on the super back burner for a while.

acleverusername · August 2021

F*cking right about @optimistgardener getting her PGT results @inthewoods23!!! I feel like I should call your nurse, Optimist, and rally!

In the meanwhile… TW baby mentioned…

I hung out with some longtime friends today. Turns out they are starting out on their infertility treatment journey after a year+ of trying naturally. It was great to have some straight talk with them because, a few years ago, MH and I, plus them, plus another coupe were having dinner, and we all realized that the ladies in the couples were all born in 1983, and all the males were born in 1985. One of the couples have had a child “without a problem” last year. But 2/3 of us haven’t. And by talking to our friends tonight, it sounds like they’ve been pretty open about their struggles, trying to normalize that it’s “a thing”.

bumblebee0210 · August 2021

@acleverusername That’s such great news! My clinic does not biopsy “unhatched” blastocysts— they have to be I think at least a 4. I think I remember you are getting PGT-A testing, so it sounds like they were able to biopsy all three? Great news! Excellent shot at at least one good one.

@optimistgardener omg.... this wait is endless. So frustrating.

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