IF Testing & Treatment w/o 1.10

optimistgardener · January 2022

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: You're stuck on a desert island with which of the following: a box full of novels or box full of mix-tapes.

shortstack930 · January 2022

Diagnosis (if you've been): Endometriosis

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

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

How are things going?: Ughhh the estrogen has been giving me so many side effects. I've had headaches, been exhausted, have been a raging B, and even though I've been exercising every day I'm still gaining weight. AF should be showing up in the next day or so and then in about a week I'll have my lining check and hopefully be able to schedule my FET!

Any questions?: Not right now

GTKY: You're stuck on a desert island with which of the following: a box full of novels or box full of mix-tapes.
100% a box of novels!

optimistgardener · January 2022

ETA WTF TB YR SPACING IS SO DUMB

@shortstack930 oh man, you're not selling the estrogen! i'm still just in lupron land but will start the estrogen (I hope) this weekend.

Diagnosis (if you've been): Miss Havisham ovary

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): waiting for FET

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

How are things going?: I am so paranoid I'm going to get covid and screw up my FET calendar. My students are all getting covid. My inbox every day feels like a long list of students who I just saw yesterday telling me they're symptomatic for covid today. It feels sort of inevitable. I actually almost wish I'd gotten it during my first week back on campus so that I could have been done with it before my appointments start, but now I have clinic appointments every other week and blood tests on the weeks off and ugh. my students are mostly pretty good about keeping their masks on, but they're less good about it this term than they were last term and i am so annoyed about policing this.

Any questions?: naah

GTKY: You're stuck on a desert island with which of the following: a box full of novels or box full of mix-tapes.
In retrospect this is maybe a dumb GTKY, especially since I feel like I know you all well enough to guess you'll mostly be hauling the box o books with you. But anyway, the thing that sparked this for me was that over the winter break I had an old friend come to visit and I got out an old box full of photographs for us to look through that turned out to also have a bunch of mixtapes floating around in there. I dragged the boombox out of the basement and we listened to some of them and, honest to god, they were wonderful. one tape in particular was one of about 4 or 5 tapes that I carried around with me when backpacking (carryover topic here from the weekly GTKY thread) way back in 2001, and as soon as i hit play, the wave of nostalgia that rolled over me was just visceral. it was amazing.
But yeah, mostly i'd vote box of novels also.

kiki047 · January 2022

You’ll have to excuse me, I’m mobile bumping from the waiting room of my clinic. Been here for 3hrs already, anticipating being here another 3hrs because I’m waiting for my PRP infusion and intralipids. Going to attempt tags but we’ll see how this goes.

Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS, RPL/RIF, MFI

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WFFET

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): FET is booked for next Tuesday, Jan 18th!

How are things going?: Overall, good. My lining is at 7.5mm today which is a goddamn miracle. I’m heavily, heavily medicated though so if this didn’t work then we’d know there was something seriously wrong with me. That said, the antibiotics are slowly killing me and the constant nausea is taking it’s toll. I know it might just be foreshadowing of what’s to come but I’m miserable. *TMI* it’s not just nausea either, the double antibiotic is affecting /ahem/ both ends so it’s not a pretty sight over here these days. I will say that I’m very grateful that my RE is going the distance for me and is pulling out all the stops. Like I said, I’ve been here for 3+ hours already today, had bloods drawn, two ultrasounds (the first tech couldn’t find my left ovary so her supervisor called me back in to do it herself), met with the RE, now waiting on nurse to pick up meds and my instructions, then off to the OR for my PRP infusion (I hope that’s relatively straightforward), and to sit in a chair for a few hours for intralipids. I’m annoyed at myself that I only brought one book, I’ve already finished it.

Any questions?: Any tips on how to survive the antibiotics? I’m taking two clinical strength probiotics but since I can barely keep food down my stomach hates me.

GTKY: You're stuck on a desert island with which of the following: a box full of novels or box full of mix-tapes. Books, 100%. I was a huge reader growing up but university ruined that for me. I never really got back into reading after that. I’m determined to finish a book a month this year. So far I’ve finished one, although it was a teen fiction novel from my childhood so it wasn’t exactly challenging. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

shortstack930 · January 2022

@optimistgardener I hope the estrogen treats you better than me! I am also super paranoid about covid screwing up my FET schedule. We had a cluster of positive staff on our unit so we're all required to wear N95s all the time now and we're getting more and more covid positive patients so I'm getting nervous. Is there talk of your classes going remote at all?

@kiki047 yikes that is a jam packed day you're having! I'm so excited that your FET is so soon!!! As for the antibiotics--have you tried eating yogurt or drinking kefir? If you can keep it down that is. Sorry you're having such bad side effects!!

optimistgardener · January 2022

@shortstack930 omg yeah things must be pretty crazy for you right now. i hope you manage to evade it. my university is really adamant that we hold the course through this surge but honestly if the numbers wind up looking anything like what i've seen elsewhere in the country we may be forced to go remote if faculty start getting sick.

@kiki047 that is a wild lot of stuff going on today. (re: the purging you're experiencing right now on antibiotics) is there any chance you've got a c. diff infection? this can happen when you're on antibiotics for other stuff. if you do, they'll wanna fix that. have you chatted w/ your doc about the gut symptoms that have presented since going on antibiotics?

shortstack930 · January 2022

@optimistgardener my husband teaches elementary school and their district had like 600 students and 1000 faculty out last week. Apparently the governor passed something saying that schools can’t go fully remote anymore so idk what’s going to happen.

fantasyflyte · January 2022

Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS, MFI

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): who knows, insurance bureaucracy is bull

How are things going?: sorry for disappearing off the face of the earth, covid wiped me out for a week plus. Mostly over it by now, though I'm stuck down with a migraine yesterday and today. On the bright side, my period does seem to be coming a couple days early (cramps today, AF probably tomorrow), normally would be getting it Saturday, so at least that indicates the letrozole must have helped me ovulate early even despite getting covid right before O.

On the bad side, we might have to wait ANOTHER cycle for our IUI because insurance is super stupid. Our new insurance was effective Jan. 1, but we didn't get any of our info until yesterday. Still don't have the physical cards, had to download them off the website for now. But the RE finance lady said it can take up to 15 days for the prior auth to come through, so if my cycle starts now we may not be able to do it this cycle. I'm very, very irritated that I may have to waste ANOTHER cycle before starting treatment because insurance is the worst.

I left the insurance info in a voicemail per her instructions and I also asked if we can start the cycle anyway even if we don't have the prior auth since I'd be using goodrx for the letrozole anyway, and move forward with the IUI assuming the auth is in by O time. We'll see what she says, but I'm so frustrated.

Any questions?: nothing really

GTKY: You're stuck on a desert island with which of the following: a box full of novels or box full of mix-tapes. Novels for sure. Pass the time for longer, and I can get lost in a book.

fantasyflyte · January 2022

@shortstack930 sorry the estrogen is being crappy. Fingers crossed everything looks good and you can schedule your FET shortly!

@optimistgardener ngl your varied ways of describing your ovary kills me every week lol. I hope covid stays away from you and you are good to go this cycle. This new variant may not be as severe but it's spreading so fast.

@kiki047 ooof that's a long day. I'm sorry the antibiotics are wreaking havoc, but I'm crossing my fingers so hard that this time's the charm for you. I'm glad you have a doctor willing to go the distance for you.

shortstack930 · January 2022

@fantasyflyte good to see you back!! That is so ridiculous about insurance though and I will be furious for you if you have to wait another cycle before starting. I'm glad the letrozole seemed to help you O earlier though.

optimistgardener · January 2022

@fantasyflyte what a stupid pain in the butt about the insurance. i really really hate them, so much. fx something will work out. But even if it doesn't, maybe you can still take the letrozole for a timed intercourse cycle? Perhaps it will have the desired effect? I know when I was doing IUIs I felt like they had a kind of magical quality about them. But really unless the sperm you're dealing with are a lot more confused about their job than most (and if I remember the deets right, it seems like the MFI you guys are dealing with is not profound but more of a borderline thing?), TI should get some sperm to where it ought to be even without the free ride.

AFM, when i'm not panicking about covid, i am dealing with the part of my brain that's like "this [FET] is never gonna work." I mean, nothing has worked up to this point. It's just been BFN City for years around here. So it seems in some respects that the only obvious thing is for that trend to continue. And then there's another part of me that's like "what if this works?!!" Which is honestly also a little scary. 😬

kiki047 · January 2022

@shortstack930 Keeping everything crossed that this cycle is smooth and drama-free. Hope the estrogen eases up on you, being on all this stuff is not easy on the body that's for sure. Excited for your FET to be so close! // I am eating yogurt, but I'll pick up some kefir too because why not.
@optimistgardener oh friend, I really hope Covid doesn't mess this all up. We've been through so much to get to where we are, and to have it derailed by getting sick would be so damn frustrating. If it makes you feel any better, I don't find the estrogen messes me up too much other than making me a little twitchy and irritable. I am riiight there with you on the fence about being certain this isn't going to work because nothing has ever worked in the past, but also being terrified that oh shit, maybe this is it. If I get to bust outta this joint after 4 years, I'm taking y'all with me! Let's gooo TTGP prison break!

Image: https://media.giphy.com/media/5WiCQ8Oy4zzW/giphy.gif

@fantasyflyte glad you're feeling better, but ughh to your insurance crap! I agree with optimist, could you proceed with a TI cycle instead of IUI if insurance doesn't come through in time?

AFM, I spent 7.5 (!!!) goddamn hours at the clinic yesterday getting sorted out for this FET and holy cannoli this stuff is intense. I thought stims were overwhelming, but this is like next level. Including everything I already outlined last week, my protocol now consists of:

- 4mg estrace 3x day
- 2x 100mcg estrogen patches changed every 2 days
- metformin (in gel form, applied 3x day)
- LDA 1x day (low dose aspirin)
- 5mg prednisone 1x day
- PNV with extra 1mg folate
- 2ml PIO IM injection 1x day starting tomorrow
- Nivestym SC injection 1x day (aka Neupogen, which I'm more familiar with)
- Fragyl & Keflex antibiotics 3x day for 10 days (I know I need to take this but I honestly don't think I'll make it, I'm beyond miserable)
- doxycycline 2x day for 3 days starting Saturday
- 16mg Medrol 1x day for 4 days starting Saturday
- 2500 units of Fragmin SC injection 1x day starting day of FET

Plus we did the first PRP infusion yesterday, which basically felt like an US-guided IUI, to be repeated again on Sunday morning. I also had my first intralipid infusion via IV drip over the course of 2 hours. I think he said I'd repeat that every few weeks with positive beta. FET scheduled for Tues Jan 18th, beta scheduled Sunday Jan 30th. Eek! But seriously, how could this NOT work?!

*Edited for clarity.

shortstack930 · January 2022

@kiki047 holy crap!!! That is A LOT! This has better work after everything you’re going through. I’m hoping so hard for you!!!

fantasyflyte · January 2022

@optimistgardener @kiki047 that's my hope, if we have to wait on the IUI. My new insurance only covers 4 induced ovulation cycles, but the letrozole is only $6 with goodrx so I have no problem taking it sans monitoring and keeping my fingers crossed if we can't go full force with this cycle. We would have done that this last cycle if covid hadn't knocked me on my butt right around O.

bows22 · January 2022

@shortstack930 I hope the estrogen has started to be more kind to you!! And I’m sure it’s stressful being at work with your co-workers testing positive, I hope you are able to avoid catching it for awhile.

@optimistgardener I hope you’re able to dodge covid too! Honestly I feel like you could just say to your students, I have a procedure coming up and I’d appreciate it you all could be very diligent about your masks. It probably won’t last all semester but may buy you some time!

@kiki047 I was just thinking that having your stomach issues during your marathon RE appointment was probably terrible. I hope you are feeling better.

@fantasyflyte oh that’s so annoying about your insurance!! I hope they can get it worked out

Diagnosis (if you've been): unexplained,AMA,endometrial polyps/thickening

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WTO

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?) Clomid + trigger + IUI

How are things going? Shortest cycle ever, but glad I’m on to the next. At like 8-9 DPO (sat-sun) I had some brown spotting a couple of times and no sign of AF so of course my mind went to hmmm. But I took a test yesterday (11 DPO I think) and it was negative so I was not surprised or too upset when AF arrived last night. I am also thrilled that my LP was reasonable because the last one I had before being on progesterone was like 7 (I don’t think I was fully adjusted to being off of BCP). Anyway I have my CD 3 and CD 12 appointments set up and realized that this IUI is going to fall during a trip I’m supposed to take for work so I had to come clean about that today which was annoying but oh well. I didn’t go into details about what exactly was going on (but the people I had to tell know that we are doing IF stuff) but my due date for this cycle would be the best time for me to be off so there’s no way I want to skip it

Any questions? I’m going to do an Ovidrel trigger this cycle, they asked if I have a speciality pharmacy that I prefer. I was like ummmmm and they said I can let them know on Friday, what have you all used?

GTKY: You're stuck on a desert island with which of the following: a box full of novels or box full of mix-tapes. Give me the books! That actually sounds kind of heavenly haha

bows22 · January 2022

I had my CD3 ultrasound and bloodwork today, which was uneventful except that when I was getting dressed in the shared bathroom after the ultrasound was done, I heard someone ask the couple in the other room how many IUIs they have done and it’s their 11th. Interesting since I have been told that the most I can do is 6

In all seriousness the RE who told me that must have misspoken or maybe that’s just what they recommend since I know the odds are against you after you do 3. But I’m sure my facial expression was great when I heard that!

optimistgardener · January 2022

@bows22 i had meant to try to do some research for you about ovidrel but didn't get anywhere. i feel like one of us (@acleverusername? any ideas?) used to have a spreadsheet with some pricing, but i can't find it. anyway, i guess it's too late now. the domestic pharmacies i've used have been freedom pharmacy and newera pharmacy, but i can't speak to their pricing and i've never gotten ovidrel from them.

optimistgardener · January 2022

Heading north for my suppression check today y'all. i woke myself up at 4am worrying about the pap smear i'm also scheduled to get done today. normally i do that stuff at my usual ob/gyn office but that office has been chaos and i haven't been able to get anything scheduled with them for months because their main doc left and then their staff had a bunch of turnover. at this point i'm way overdue for my annual, so I was very pleased with myself a few weeks ago when i thought to ask if the fertility clinic could squeeze in a routine pap smear while they're up in my business anyhow.

anyway, for ex-boyfriend reasons (HPV infection) for the last 2 years running I have had abnormal pap smear results and have to return for a cone biopsy to make sure that my cells are actually normal. And it occurred to me in the wee hours of the night that when my pap smear inevitably comes back abnormal this time they're going to try to cancel my fet while they do the cone biopsy to make sure that all is well. I am now toying with refusing the pap smear and crossing that bridge later depending on whether the FET is successful. Thoughts?

bows22 · January 2022

@optimistgardener I don’t technically have to tell them until they call with my results later today, but the 2 you mentioned are the ones they are recommending too so that makes me feel better. They said it would probably be around $100 and my old friend @kpearse99 told me that for her, shipping alone would have cost $50, so I’m probably not going to be able to find it for much cheaper than that unless I can find it locally too.

bows22 · January 2022

@optimistgardener oh man that’s a tough one. I’m not familiar with the cone biopsy, is that something they can do if you’re KU?

optimistgardener · January 2022

@bows22 they carve a little hole-punch out of yr cervix. it sounds about as pleasant as it feels, and i'm guessing, but don't know, that they'd at least not want to do that during early pregnancy.

kiki047 · January 2022

@bows22 uhhh wtf to that couple? Is it possible they did a bunch at another clinic before coming to yours that seemingly has this arbitrary max? I've heard of clinics not recommending more than X number because at some point if they're not working there's clearly something more to it but beyond pushing something more invasive like IVF I don't often hear of anyone specifically being denied that option if they want to keep pursuing it. I'm picturing your face being something like this as you're overhearing them:

Image: https://media.giphy.com/media/QjrrSbYaqgi1q/giphy.gif

Image: https://media.giphy.com/media/l1J9OmoquZqs2eX7O/giphy.gif

@optimistgardener oof, I feel your anxiety over the pap dilemma. I don't know if it's too late to weigh in at this point but as the person who did all the tests leading up to this long-awaited FET, I can relate to that feeling of dread that what they might find won't work in your favour. I can certainly appreciate why you might want to just kick that can a little further down the road.

AFM, started PIO last night. I'm doing ethyl oleate this time ()last time it was a sesame oil suspension) and hoooly not only is the needle gauge smaller (25g instead of 22g), it went in so much easier/smoother because it wasn't so thick. Now FX I don't have any adverse reaction to it. So far so good other than a little bit of localized muscle soreness.

Speaking of which, thinking of you @walkawaynee, hope you're doing ok. And has anyone heard from @hanshotfirst77?

acleverusername · January 2022

@bows22 I'm probably too late to weigh in, but I used a local specialty pharmacy (Alto) and I've also looked into Freedom and Avella before.

optimistgardener · January 2022

@kiki047 that is fantastic news about the different pio, esp because that's what i'll be doing as well. not gonna lie the pio needle sucked last time around. thanks for yr sympathies on the anxiety. i'm just gonna be straightforward w the person doing my pap about my concerns. hopefully they will be straight up with me about what might transpire if my pap comes back irregular again. this clinic has to this point been unfailingly flexible and pragmatic with me so hopefully that trend will continue. just hanging out in the waiting room now.

fantasyflyte · January 2022

Woo, letrozole script is called in, and CD10 ultrasound is schedule (For 7:45 am on a Sunday half an hour from my house, sob) and we'll just cancel the ultrasound if the prior auth doesn't come through. Fingers crossed it does, though.

kiki047 · January 2022

@optimistgardener how did it go today?? I'll report back after a few days on the ethyl oleate, but FX it is kind(er) to us.
@fantasyflyte yahoo, FX this one goes smoother than last time. Ouch to the 7:45a appt, those hit so much differently when they're on weekends too. Blah. Here's hoping your insurance comes through too!

keikilove · January 2022

@bows22 Also likely too late with this advice, but another pharmacy option is Integrity. They charge just $20 for shipping (used to be free). I’m hoping that this goes so well for you! And I’d definitely be nosy and mention that overheard convo to the powers that he at your clinic re: 11 IUIs. I’ve always heard of the magic numbers being 3 & 6, so you’re probably good with their current policy.

@kiki047 So sorry that the antibiotics are wrecking you like that.😢 Flagyl is known for being incredibly harsh on the system—it’s used (in the general health world, not just IVF) to wipe out a number of very invasive infectious diseases. Hopefully you can last the whole duration on it. But I wouldn’t blame you if you had to throw in the towel on that one. I hope you begin to get some relief soon! Also, I hate to say this, but your protocol is what I’ve been doing the last few FETs. (Except your intralipids are replaced with IVIg in my case.) You’ve truly
piqued my interest in learning more about how the PRP uterine wash helps, as that is one thing I haven’t tried. I sincerely
hope you have better results than I have!🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 // Haven’t heard a word from @hanshotfirst77. I hope all is well!

@optimistgardener Oh, I really hope your appointment went ok and eased some of your anxiety! We did have a member on here in a similar situation; the group advice to her was split. She ended up holding off on TTC and getting the treatment, and then getting KU right after. Heaven forbid you have to delay the FET, but if you do get advice to pause and end up making that choice, I hope you also get KU right after.

@fantasyflyte Yay for options! It sounds like you’ve got the best of all scenarios in place right now considering the lame insurance delays. FX it all falls into place perfectly and right on time.

@acleverusername I completely missed any mention of a big move until recently. Where are you headed, and why? (If that’s not too nosy to ask!😳) Re: your question about L-arginine, I’ve never taken it. I think it’s contraindicated due to my thyroid or something. I’d have to go back and check in ISWTE. But I’ve heard good things from those who can & do take it.

@shortstack930 How goes it with the estrogen? And life in general? I’m also in a school district and, while classrooms are being shut down left and right, our district has made it clear that we will not shut down the schools again. How is your husband handling the stress? How are you handling it?

keikilove · January 2022

Diagnosis (if you've been): RPL/RIF, elevated natural killer cell activity, blood-clotting disorders, AMA

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): Self-benched to repeat some tests.

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): I’m headed to my RE’s office right now for an endometrial biopsy. She is amazing and squeezed me in today after I texted her last night & this morning. She’s been a godsend throughout this entire TTC ordeal. Next week I fly to my Reproductive Immunologist in Chicago to repeat some of their tests and try to pin down once and for all whether I am dealing with adenomyosis or anything else that their high-tech machines can see that no one else has caught. I’m almost at the end of this so want to leave no stone unturned before handing things off to a surrogate.

How are things going?: Still crazy. I was supposed to be able to get the endometrial biopsy at my RI appointment next week. When the receptionist gave me the appointment I told her I thought she was scheduling me too late, since the biopsy has to happen within 5-7 days after ovulation. She ignored me and kept the later appointment I hoped that I’d ovulate later than usual; well, time went by and I suspected that I ovulated early despite no definitive OPKs or other signs—except for sex dreams); had to pull a @Bows22 and get bloodwork done to confirm ovulation; and then when the bloodwork came back confirming it, chaos ensued for me yesterday. The RI’s receptionist wouldn’t squeeze me in earlier than my appointment next week; they simply told me I could reschedule for a future month.😡😤 And my local OB couldn’t fit me in for a biopsy, plus I didn’t even have the RI’s endometrial biopsy Kit that I needed to do it locally and then ship back to the RI. I’d asked the RI’s office to send me a kit as a backup and thank goodness it arrived last night! Nothing like living on the edge.🙄 so here I am, just landed to rush to my RE and get this done. On a positive note, I qualified for the highest frequent flier level at the end of December thanks to all this travel. (I’m so sick of traveling for dr appointments though. Wish I was going somewhere new and exciting!)

Any questions?: For the GTKY, was there a way to play the mixtapes on the desert isle?🤪

GTKY: You're stuck on a desert island with which of the following: a box full of novels or box full of mix-tapes. Books, for sure. Although like someone else mentioned, I read voraciously as a kid but college killed that joy for me. And then becoming an educator was soooo exhausting that I never had the energy to read unless it was the latest mandated teacher book on how to increase student achievement. And once I moved into management and leadership it was always the latest mandated leadership book. The desert island with novels sounds like a real vacation from all that.😆

optimistgardener · January 2022

@fantasyflyte yay! hopefully the pre-auth comes through for you now.

@keikilove oh man i do no envy you all those air miles. and how frustrating about the mis-scheduled biopsy! i would be filled with rage but you seem oddly calm about it despite the chaos!

also LOL about how to play the mixtapes. Yes, in this imaginary scenario we're all kitted out with solar-powered tape decks.

AFM my appointment went well. I saw a doctor at the clinic that I don't normally see (I guess because I was getting the pap done as well). I asked about what would happen if my results came back abnormal and the doc was like, it's not a big deal if it does because there are ways to do the further testing that would have no effect on the embryo transfer prep. i was reassured and glad that i had the conversation with her. my u/s showed that my lining is very very thin to non-existent, pretty much exactly what they want. they said they would call if my estradiol was out of range for what they want and i haven't heard from them so all systems go for starting the estradiol valerate tomorrow. i had a moment of terror though because when she went to hunt around for antral follicles she at first only found 1 or 2. she said, "does that sound about right? is that what you normally have?" and i was like, uh, no. normally i'm in the 5-7 range. and so she laughed and said, "well i guess the suppression is really doing the trick, huh!" and in my head i was like, oh no, i'm never going to ovulate again. the lupron has broken my ovary. but then she hunted around a bit more and eventually found 6. so, phew. hopefully not broken yet.

shortstack930 · January 2022

@keikilove still having some headaches from the estrogen but other than that not too bad, thanks for asking! DH is just so over his job right now. I don’t know how you educators do it. I’m trying to support him as best I can. All of that scheduling stuff sounds so stressful but I’m glad you were able to get squeezed in for the biopsy last minute. I totally understand wanted to do everything you can before deciding to move on to surrogacy.

@optimistgardener good news about the Pap smear! That is frightening about the follicles, glad she was able to find those last few and that the lupron didn’t break your ovary!!

AFM: AF showed up yesterday so I called the RE and I go in 1/25 for a lining check and hopefully our FET will be the first week of February!

optimistgardener · January 2022

@shortstack930 remind me of your protocol for this fet? and what's the estrogen delivery method? so exciting. glad to have some transfer buds.

acleverusername · January 2022

@keikilove YGPM.

keikilove · January 2022

@optimistgardener So glad that your appointment went well and that you got the green light to move forward with the FET regardless of pap results! AND that the doc saw all those eggs! Sorry for the anxiety about your ovary shutting down😳 I should’ve clarified that those stories of women going into early menopause are from those who do the larger dose of Lupron Depot shot once per month for 2-3 months, not from people who use smaller doses more frequently in the days leading up to a retrieval or FET.

I love the solar-powered boom box detail! I’ve now changed my choice to the box of mixtapes!

⬇️ Me getting in my 10,000 steps per day on the deserted island while accompanied by all my favorite music😁

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/zr/wnt2nu1n9or6.gif

And if I don’t want to leave a big carbon footprint while out in nature, but instead become one with my surroundings, I can always stay put on the beach and opt for this solar-powered beauty😄

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/ws/2ym87l1ujd9g.gif

@shortstack930 Sorry to hear you’re still dealing with the estrogen-induced headaches. But YAY for AF showing up so you are one step closer to your FET! I hope that the lining check on the 25th goes great and that it all continues to be green lights for you. // It sounds like you’re doing a good job of supporting YH with the chaos that is school right now. Just being aware of how hard it is for educators right now is probably very helpful for him. I totally get that he’s over his job right now—the burnout is so real at this point in this 2-year ordeal.

@kiki047 I hope my comment yesterday about your protocol didn’t put any seeds of doubt into your mind about it working. I wanted to share something my RE told me at my appointment yesterday: she’s been helping a lady for 10 years during her struggle to have a baby. This lady has been to Dr. Kwak-Kim, had done some rounds of IVF with Dr. Geoffrey Sher, who also uses an immune protocol—basically; she was like me in leaving no stone unturned. Well, my RE asked the patient if she’d be willing to try Neupogen/Filgrastim since it was something that she hadn’t yet tried and the patient agreed. Lo and behold, that patient had an appointment with my RE this week and they heard the heartbeat for the first time. Sooo, hoping that any of the new things in your protocol work their magic for you!

AFM, the endometrial biopsy went great. It’s the 3rd one I’ve done, but the first one that I’ve taken 2 extra-strength Tylenol beforehand. Thankfully, those meds worked and it wasn’t nearly as painful as the previous biopsy I had. Random not-important wonderings I was left with after the appointment:

I’ve been mulling over a couple of things my RE mentioned. First, she said my lining wasn’t very thick, then said it was barely there at all. I’m not sure how thick it should be 5-7 days after ovulation, and I’m not exactly sure what day it was, but I think it was day 5 or 6 past ovulation. Then she measured the uterus and counted follicles, per her routine. First she measured one follicle out loud that was hypoechoic, meaning it was empty & collapsed. So I thought that it must be the one that I just ovulated. Then she counted three large follicles on the left and three large follicles on the right. I asked if they were empty or not and she said she couldn’t tell. I didn’t push for any more answers but that had me wondering: is there any tiny chance I didn’t ovulate all the eggs yet? Or were those actually cysts she was seeing from the previous cycle? They were definitely way too big to be antral follicles. These are the things I drive myself nuts by wondering about. The bloodwork definitely showed elevated progesterone (although it wasn’t quite 10 yet) and a decent number for estradiol, so I know logically that I ovulated. Oh well. I guess the one thing I should be very happy about is that I continued to produce a decent number of eggs despite not taking any stimulating meds for the past 2 cycles. That is encouraging.

shortstack930 · January 2022

@optimistgardener right now I'm doing estrogen pills twice a day and wearing the patch for three days at a time. For the FET I'll be doing prometrium suppositories daily and PIO twice a week I believe. Hoping that fewer PIO shots will be better this time around!! I'm so glad we'll be FET buddies!!

@keikilove good idea with the extra strength tylenol! I can't imagine how painful the biopsies must be otherwise. I have no insight on the follicles re: if you ovulated or not but hopefully the bloodwork is accurate. Definitely encouraging that you're still producing a good number of eggs without meds!

optimistgardener · January 2022

@shortstack930 i feel like i've spent a lot of effort trying to learn more about different follicle stimulation regimens and now i know nothing about transfer regimens! they've started me on 2x weekly estradiol valerate shots and i'm continuing w/ a reduced daily lupron dose all the way thru the end of january before they start me on the PIO. i'm a week out from my cd1 right now.

@keikilove i love your 10k steps program on the deserted island. gotta keep up the work! actually though that might be a nice reason for the tape deck/boom box option. a little motivating soundtrack can be important. so glad your endometrial biopsy went well and that the tylenol was helpful. i for one am cringing and squirming just thinking about it. i think we can all agree that if a dude had to do an equivalent procedure they'd have arranged for some high quality pain meds to mellow him out first. When I've had to do my cervical biopsies the gynecologist who did the procedure was like, "don't worry, most women don't have nerve endings in their cervix." WELL I DO.
Also I'm so curious about what your RE encountered in there. Firstly, I feel like 5-7 days after ovulation you should have a pretty plush lining. Definitely not "barely there." Is this something you've encountered in the past? A thin lining after O? Also what's up with those 6 big ol' follicles hanging around after O?

AFM I did my first intramuscular e. valerate shot last night and it wasn't too bad! i don't even feel the injection site this morning. but the castor oil it's in was so gloopy and slow to inject, gross.

bows22 · January 2022

@kiki047 you are probably right that the couple did IUIs somewhere else first. I’ll still be keeping that in my back pocket though haha. I have been thinking about you and hope that everything everything is marching along as it should.

@acleverusername thanks! I ended up going with freedom, but I may look into something else for next time if needed.

@k@keikilove phew, busy as usual I see! I’m glad you were able to get the biopsy, but that’s really weird about your lining. Did you ovulate really early and maybe that could be why? Although I guess I still wouldn’t expect it to be barely there. Also do you at least have a million airline miles so that you can go somewhere fun at some point? Or are these flights not like that since they are more “internal” for lack of a better word

@o@optimistgardener im so glad you were able to discuss the possibility of an abnormal pap and get it done anyway! Also nicely done on the shot last night!

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