Healthy Habits w/o 1.10

Re: Healthy Habits w/o 1.10

• keikilove member

  January 2022 edited January 2022

  @optimistgardener I didn’t realize the one you’d posted (New Year’s Edition) covered this week as well! I will save this one for next week. Will revive it when the time comes. 

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• keikilove member

  January 2022

  How’s everyone doing with their healthy habits and goals? 😄

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• optimistgardener member

  January 2022 edited January 2022

  @keikilove thanks for resurrecting this post!
  

  
  

  What habits, goals, or resolutions are you focusing on this week?

  Same as last week I want to get out on the road and running 3x. I also really need to start knuckling down and getting more serious about my food/alcohol choices as this FET rolls up on me in early Feb.
  

  
  

  How's everything going? Any recent wins?
  Made it out running 3x last week!
  

  
  

  What has you motivated or struggling?
  I've stopped drinking many times for TTC stuff so you'd think it would be old hat for me now, but what's getting me this time is that after years(!) of very quiet covid living and not having a lot of friends in the town where I live, my new job has thrown me in with new and wonderful colleagues who keep inviting me out to share drinks with them. I'm really, really grateful and happy to have people to spend time with irl. Anyway, I gotta start coming up with some excuses because I want to make sure i go into this FET as healthy as I can, and of course no drinks afterwards til the beta. the new year would have been an obvious line "dry january/feb" but now i'm kinda fumbling for a good excuse. i recognize that this ttc quandary is as classic as they come, but any suggestions welcome.
  

  History

  I am doing this on my own. Left ovary and fallopian tube removed due to cyst/necrosis just after birth. Right ovary and tube still purport to function.

  Began TTC in Aug '18 @ age 35

  5 or 6 (or 7?!) cycles using frozen donor sperm, ICI. All BFN

  Mar-Jun '19 IUIs, all BFN
  

  Began process of referral for RE in spring of '19, blood tests confirm low AMH (.54) but all else is good.

  May '19 HSG shows open tube, but ultrasound suggests fibroids
  

  MRI in June '19 confirms two large fibroids, one growing through wall of uterus

  In June '19 I move from California to Oregon, disrupting my insurance, referrals, etc. 5 months spent piecing it all back together.
  

  Nov. '19 attempted myomectomy (vaginal approach) failed. 2nd surgery using laparoscopic method in Jan '20 is successful.
  

  April '20 --> June '20, natural IUIs, all BFN.

  July? saline ultrasound and bubble test demonstrate open tube
  

  July '20 clomid cycle cancelled for thin lining

  Aug-Oct, 3 femara cycles, all BFN

  RE referral. While waiting to set up an appointment Nov-Jan,I continue with natural cycles and ICI, using a known donor, BFN...
  

  Jan '21 more bloodwork, AMH is worse (.30), FSH high albeit not catastrophic at 13.2. hysteroscopy all good. "looks cozy!" says the RE.
  

  Feb '21, injectables (menopur, novarel), iui, BFN (doc said the frozen donor sperm sample had the "best numbers she'd ever seen!")
  

  Mar '21, injectables, iui cancelled due to lack of follicles, converted to at home-insem. BFN
  

  May '21, first IVF round cancelled due to cyst.

  July '21 IVF: standard antagonist. 225menupur/225gonal-f/cetrotide/5000u trigger, AFC 7; 6 days of stims. 8 eggs retrieved, 7 mature, 5 fertilize, 4 made it to blast. 3 are 4AB, 1 is 4BB. PGT-A results all abnormal.
  Oct '21 somewhat improved AMH (.51) and significantly improved FSH (8.9). Maybe it's all the pills I swallow.
  Dec -21, standard antagonist. 225menupur/225gonal-f/cetrotide/5000u trigger, AFC 5; 11 days of stims. retrieval yields 5, 4M, 2 reach day-6 blast (4AB & 4BB). 1 low-level mosaic (chr. 3 deletion), 1 complex abnormal.
  Feb '22 FET (low-level mosaic): CP.
  May '22 egg retrieval, lupron flare protocol. HGH priming for 1 month before stims; md lupron 20/20u daily; menopur 225, follistim 225, 10k trigger after 8 days of stims; AFC 10; 13 retrieved; 10 mature; 8 fertilized. All frozen at 2PN for later thaw, grow, and biopsy.
  July '22 egg retrieval same protocol: 9 days of stims; AFC 8; 10 retrieved, 8 mature, 4 fertilized and frozen.
  Sept '22 ER same protocol: AFC 10; 12 retrieved, 11 mature, 11 fertilized.
  From the 3 retrievals, 7 survived to day 5-6 blastocyst, from which I have 2 normal embryos!
  Jan 20, Fully medicated FET, baby aspirin, dexamethasone, acupuncture, and as much woo as I can stand (which isn't very much). BFN.
  July 23, Natural FET + baby aspirin. BFN.
  

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• abjm0325 member

  January 2022

  @optimistgardener Woo! Way to get out there running! I think this might be a great opportunity to normalize the idea that you don't need a reason not to have a drink. Maybe you could invite them to join you for tea/coffee instead? Or go, and enjoy a nice non-alcoholic cocktail? The older I get the more I think we need to let people do what is good for them without constantly demanding justifications (but I know how hard that instinct is to overcome!).
  
  

  What habits, goals, or resolutions are you focusing on this week/year? I was doing really well walking or running everyday last week until our snowstorm rolled through. Focusing on getting back into the habit starting today! I also need to eat better, I say while eating a chocolate muffin at my desk.

  
  How's everything going? Any recent wins? Mixed bag right now. Great at the beginning of last week, not so good at the end/ over the weekend. Hoping to hop back on board today.
  
  What has you motivated or struggling? I feel like I always struggle a little at this point in my cycle. I've gotten my BFN, so it's like "why bother?" But I can't wallow in food and laziness every month, so I need to find better coping mechanisms. Any ideas are welcome!
  
  
  

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• acleverusername member

  January 2022

  @optimistgardener you can always say that you're late starting the dry Jan/Feb and really want to commit yourself to it. You're human. Also, you could say that you never start anything on the 1st of Jan to avoid being like everyone else. But hooray for getting all of your runs in! 
  
  @abjm0325 congrats on getting the walking and running in! That's awesome. I too usually get my goals sideswiped when bad weather rolls around. And I equally hear you on the "why bother since it's a BFN" thinking. Honestly, for the first 8 months of TTC, MH and I were so good about not drinking, and after that, my mentality totally changed to "well, not drinking isn't helping... so I'll just drink". Ultimately, I think you need to focus on the "healthy" feeling: do I feel healthy for a pregnancy? 
  
  

  What habits, goals, or resolutions are you focusing on this week/year? Losing my "Covid 19" and making sure that my inflammation is at its lowest when we go into a transfer in April. 

  
  How's everything going? Any recent wins? Last week I was mostly alcohol free and I also drank decaf coffee in preparation for starting elimination diet which means NO caffeine. I started the elimination diet yesterday, and knocked the first day out of the park! Looking for a similar result today. 🤞🏻
  
  What has you motivated or struggling? I've decided to work with a doctor who specializes in fertility weight loss and I'm expecting that she will help me stay accountable. We meet every week. She has be calorie counting using Lose It, so I've had to get back to it. Which is perhaps the hardest thing. 
  

  
  TTC History
  TTC#2
  

  Me: 41; MH: 40 | Met 02/2009 | Started Dating 08/2017 | Married 02/02/2020
  Mar 2024 | consult to get established with a new reproductive immunologist (Alan Beer Center)
  Apr/May 2024 | required testing & waiting for a protocol
  May 2024 | protocol given / decided to go back to my old reproductive immunologist, Dr. Jubiz
  Jun / Jul 2024 | more testing, incl. SIS, ultrasound, and endometrial biopsy
  Jul 2024 | Dx chronic endometritis; 14 days of 100mg of doxy given
  Sep 2024 | Repeat endometrial biopsy; still + for chronic endometritis. 2 more antibiotics + an antiviral
  Oct 2024 | Hysteroscopy turned polypectomy; endometriosis consult w/ specialist who confirmed high likelihood of endo based on symptoms and ultrasound; lots of blood tests ordered
  Mar 2025 | Endo excision surgery. Stage 3 endo found! Recoveing
  Apr 2025 | Planning transfer w/ RE & green light protocol w/ RI; target transfer July or August 2025
  May 2025 | Surprise BFP! EDD 1/11/2026
  
  

  
  TTC #1
  

  Me: 36, MH: 34 | Met 02/2009 | Started Dating 08/2017 | Married 02/02/2020
  TTC #1 02/2020 - 07/2022
  2009 | Dx PCOS; likely a misdiagnosis
  07/14/20 | Dx Hashimoto's Thyroditis
  07/21/20 | 1st RE appointment
  07/2120 - 08/20/20 | so much testing; no signs of PCOS
  08/20/20 | Dx Unexplained; AMA
  09/08/20 | IUI #1 Clomid + Trigger + Prometrium | BFN
  09/30/20 | Urology consult; more testing required
  10/2020 | Clomid + OPK + TI + Prometrium | BFN
  10/26/2020 | Starting 2nd IUI cycle, with Letrazole and with a new RE / different clinic
  11/03/2020 | New Dx "poor egg quality"; IUI cancelled in favor of Trigger + TI + Prometrium | BFN
  11/26/2020 | Combo IUI (Clomid + Menopur) + Trigger + Prometrium | BFN
  12/20/2020 | Combo IUI (Clomid + Gonal-F) + Trigger | IUI Cancelled due to thin lining; TI only | BFN
  01/14/2021 | Combo IUI (Letrazole + Menopur) + Trigger | BFN
  02/06/2021 | Switched to a new RE (TEW) ; trying naturally until we complete additional testing 
  03/14/2021 | Hybrid Double IUI, with Zymot (Letrazole, Gonal-F) + Trigger + Endometrin | Ovulated 4 mature eggs but still a BFN ☹️
  04/07/2021 | Natural cycle while we regroup | BFN
  04/09/2021 | Employer announces fertility benefits starting 05/01/2021! | Search for a new doctor who accepts insurance
  05/10/2021 | New RE consult & plan for IVF
  05/13/2021 | Mid-luteal IVF cycle #1 interrupted; had to get cancer genetic screening done to make sure I didn't have the same SDHA gene mutation as MH. 
  06/10/2021 | Aygestin priming IVF cycle #1; opted to Cx after 9 days of stims since only 5-6/12 follicles responded
  07/26/2021 | Attempt #2 at IVF cycle #1 (mid-luteal start): 8 retrieved, 8 MII, 6 fert (1 PN3), 3 Day 5 & 6 blasts: 3AA, 3AA, 6AB; 3 euploid
  08/09/2021 | Rest cycle / unmedicated TTC | Shockingly, a BFP! EDD: 5/25/202 | CP at 4w4d
  09/23/2021 | IVF cycle #2 (mid-luteal start): 14 retrieved, 13 MII, 11 fert, 5 Day 5 & 6 blasts: 2 x 3AA, 2 x 3AB, 3BB; 2 euploid
  11/12/2021 | IVF cycle #3 (mid-luteal start): cancelled due to ovaries being on vacation
  12/20/2021 | Rest cycle / unmedicated TTC + Pregmune Immunology Testing; BFN
  01/22/2022 | Rest cycle / unmedicated TTC + understanding uncovered immunological issues; BFN
  02/18/2022 | Mock transfer cycle! ERA, ReceptivaDx, EMMA/ALICE; start Prednisone to address NK activity
  03/16/2022 | Final, "Hail Mary" super-ovulation + TI cycle before FET; BFP! EDD: 12/21/2022 | MMC 05/08/2022
  05/20/2022 | D&C; recovering... 
  06/21/2022 | Trying naturally until October 2022
  07/21/2022 | BFP! EDD 04/02/2023; 👦🏼 born on 4/5/2023

  
  

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