Any Bostonians starting IVF?

[septbride]

Hi, we just visited a fertility doctor after TTC for 9 months, and they recommend that we jump straight to IVF starting in July! Anyone in the Boston area on a similar timeline? Would be nice to compare notes. We're going to Brigham and Women's Center for Reproductive Medicine.

 

[notoptimistic]

Good luck! I am also at brigham but doing iui's. I'm predicting ivf by the end of the summer but who knows? Did you do any iui's?

 

[CandiCanDo]

I am also at Brigham's going through my first IVF cycle- egg retrieval is tomorrow morning! It's a great hospital with top Doctors- good luck!

 

[notoptimistic]

Good luck candi! One of my good friends also goes in tomorrow for egg retrieval but she's at Boston ivf.

 

[septbride]

Hello ladies,

Thanks for your responses. It's nice to hear good feedback about the Brigham since we're just getting started. Notoptimistic, we have not done any IUI -- when we went for our first appointment, the doctor (Janis Fox) recommended that we skip straight to IVF. You could have knocked me over with a feather. My husband's sperm count has been variable, and my FSH level (pre-Clomid) is 10.8, so between those two factors, she thinks we need to get going quickly. How many IUI tries have you done?

Candi, good luck with the egg retrieval!

 

[notoptimistic]

Candi- how did it go?

Sept- I am on my third cycle of clomid/iui, just waiting to ovulate in a few days. My FSH was 6.3 several months ago and I am 33 so perhaps that's why I have to do all these iui's and because that's probably what my health insurance dictates. Also, all the tests they did on me and my husband came back normal. We are meeting with the doctor next week to discuss our options if this third cycle fails. I have a feeling it's going to involve more iui's but this time, with needles. I think my insurance may require that before covering ivf. We'll see! I'd rather skip right to ivf if I have to start dealing with needles. IVF has a much higher success rate!

 

[CandiCanDo]

My egg retrieval went well- they got 7 which was a nice surprise because they only saw 6 follicles. We did have to have an emergency ICSI (where they inject the sperm) because my DH's count was low- which was a surprise because he had 2 test counts that were great prior. . . figures that on the day it counts we have issues. Oh well- good thing they have these backup procedures!

notoptimistic- you should call your insurance company directly and ask them straight out what is covered. I had three friends and acquaintances that had no luck with IUI's and then had babies from their first IVF treatment. When I saw my doctor I said I want to skip all of that and go right to IVF and since my insurance covered it, this was not a problem. The best word of advice I can give to anyone is that you have to be in charge of your own health- it always means more to you than to any doctor so make sure you tell them what you want and do your best to make it happen!

 

[septbride]

Notoptimistic, that's a great FSH level! Mine was in the 6 range *after* the Clomid challenge. Yikes. Also great that your husband's tests are all good. Mine has to go in for a third SA next week as a "tie-breaker" since he had one low and one normal. I hope this third IUI does the trick for you guys. It's so so hard waiting and wondering like this. At least they only do three and then you can reassess. The insurance stuff is such a drag.

Candi, thanks for mentioning that you know people who had babies from a first IVF treatment -- that's good to know. I don't know anyone who has done IVF, so I'm a little in the dark about all the details. That sounds great about the egg retrieval -- is that a large number of eggs? I don't know what the average is. Can I ask what the retrieval procedure was like? Is it painful?

 

[notoptimistic]

Candi- That's good advice. I've actually given that advice to others before. I will be calling my health insurer today to figure out what's covered so I have all that information in advance of my dr's appointment next week. Glad your retrieval went well. My friend who had the retrieval yesterday too ended up with 25 eggs. This is her second ivf round. Last time they got over 30 eggs. She had hyperstimulation both last time and this time even though they gave her really low doses. They say it is rare for people to react like her with so little stimulation. They may not be able to do the transfer. May have to freeze some if there are any good ones. Last time, only about 5 fertilized. I think the higher the percentage that fertilize, the greater the chances.

sept - your husband must be thrilled to have to do all those SA's! I don't hold out much hope for this cycle for me.

sept -

 

[CandiCanDo]

SeptBride- The retrieval procedure wasn't too bad. You're asleep for all the hard stuff and just a little sore when you wake up. The nurses will give you pain meds right away if you need them (which you will and why not be comfortable, ya know?) 7 is not a large number of eggs to be retrieved but anything over 4 is promising, though I've read blogs and posts from women that had a successful pregnancy with just 1 and that's really all it takes in the end.

notoptimistic- Its great advice, though I think we all fall victim to not taking it ourselves I find its much easier to advocate for the health of a loved over myself but I think about my future babies and it gets me fired up and ready to fight for myself. I hope your call went well with your insurance provider!

 

[septbride]

Hi ladies,

Yes, notoptimistic, I hope you had a helpful talk with the insurance company and managed to get some answers. Candi, glad to hear that the egg retrieval wasn't too bad and that you got a decent number of eggs out of it.

As for me, I just got my AMH test results back yesterday and it is not good news -- the nurse didn't give me the exact number, but she said it's very, very low. I'm now scared that IVF will not work for us. Do either of you have experience with low AMH levels? I've heard that some clinics don't want to attempt IVF if your level is very low, but I don't know whether the Brigham is one of them. We don't have our next appointment until June 15, so I'm on pins and needles.

Hope you are both well!

 

[notoptimistic]

Hi gals. I spoke with my insurance company yesterday. It was a bit of a challenge because she kept repeating that infertility services are covered and that IVF is covered but my doctor would need to seek authorization. Well, the million dollar question was whether they would give my doctor authorization for me to go right to ivf after three failed clomid/iuis. She didn't give me a straight answer but when I asked if I'd be required to do an iui with injectables before moving onto ivf she said no. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens at my doctor's appointment next friday.

septbride- My doctor did not order an AMH test for me although it might be a good idea being that my antral follicle count is pretty low. From what I've read online, that's a fairly new test to determine your ovarian reserve and likelihood of responding well to stimulation. I think they will still go forward with IVF even with a low number. I do not think the Brigham program is one that tries to keep their statistics of live births high by denying people ivf. There are some clinics that try to inflate their SART statistics by being extra picky about who they allow to go through to ivf. By the way, if you want to get your actual AMH number, you can get it online at patientgateway.org - you can see all your results once you sign up on there.

 

[CandiCanDo]

Patientgateway is amazing- I use it all the time and always look up my results---please be forewarned that half of what you read online is not correct and will give general ranges for the results that do not take into account your age and other important factors. While your AMH was low, how was your FSH? That can also indicate ovarian reserve and if one is good and the other bad it may just be a wash. My FSH was very bad but my AMH was okay. I'm pretty sure they will still work with you. If your doctor denies you based on that, I recommend requesting an appointment with Dr. Ginsburg- she has been great to deal with and has been listed as a top Dr in her field for several years.

notoptimistic- that is great that everything is covered, you will be able to go right to IVF with no problem. Again, if your Dr says no...maybe talk to another. When I said to Ginsburg I want to go straight to IVF she said OK! No argument- it was such a relief.

 

[notoptimistic]

I'll be interested to hear what my doctor recommends next. Did you have your transfer yet?

 

[CandiCanDo]

I had my transfer yesterday and it went really well! We had 2 eleven cell emby's transferred- I keep saying prayers for them to stick and grow. The procedure was surprisingly comfortable- you can't really feel the device they use to place them and it was all done in 10 minutes or so. They sent me home with a couple of pictures and it really boggles my mind that they're nestled in there now and could potentially turn into babies! Its a long road ahead and has been such a long road to get here as it is...I am not sure how I will get through the 2ww. I've set up a bunch of "projects" for myself to get through. Today I have someone at my house installing new furniture, next up I have a closet that is going to be redesigned...this IVF thing is certainly helping the state of my home. I told my friend the other day that before the 2 weeks is up I may have a new addition built and a couple of blankets knitted. )

 

[notoptimistic]

Candi - It's good that you are finding distractions and your embryos sound promising. How long have you been ttc?

 

[septbride]

Notoptimistic, thank you so much for telling me about Patient Gateway! So helpful. Unfortunately my exact AMH number isn't listed, but I do see a lot of info on other test results. My FSH was 10.8 before the CCCT and 6 afterwards. My ob/gyn said those tests were 'borderline' but Dr. Fox seemed to take that number pretty seriously. I am lucky to have a close friend who is a fertility specialist out in California, and I talked to her about AMH -- she says that those levels are actually pretty variable and that the best next step would be an u/s to check the follicle count, so I'm hoping that we can do that next time so we have a clearer picture of what's going on. Candi, I will try Dr. Ginsburg if all else fails -- she has such a great reputation, that's great that you're working with her.

Patientgateway is amazing- I use it all the time and always look up my results---please be forewarned that half of what you read online is not correct and will give general ranges for the results that do not take into account your age and other important factors. While your AMH was low, how was your FSH? That can also indicate ovarian reserve and if one is good and the other bad it may just be a wash. My FSH was very bad but my AMH was okay. I'm pretty sure they will still work with you. If your doctor denies you based on that, I recommend requesting an appointment with Dr. Ginsburg- she has been great to deal with and has been listed as a top Dr in her field for several years.

notoptimistic- that is great that everything is covered, you will be able to go right to IVF with no problem. Again, if your Dr says no...maybe talk to another. When I said to Ginsburg I want to go straight to IVF she said OK! No argument- it was such a relief.

 

[septbride]

This sounds like good news, notoptimistic!!

Hi gals. I spoke with my insurance company yesterday. It was a bit of a challenge because she kept repeating that infertility services are covered and that IVF is covered but my doctor would need to seek authorization. Well, the million dollar question was whether they would give my doctor authorization for me to go right to ivf after three failed clomid/iuis. She didn't give me a straight answer but when I asked if I'd be required to do an iui with injectables before moving onto ivf she said no. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens at my doctor's appointment next friday.

septbride- My doctor did not order an AMH test for me although it might be a good idea being that my antral follicle count is pretty low. From what I've read online, that's a fairly new test to determine your ovarian reserve and likelihood of responding well to stimulation. I think they will still go forward with IVF even with a low number. I do not think the Brigham program is one that tries to keep their statistics of live births high by denying people ivf. There are some clinics that try to inflate their SART statistics by being extra picky about who they allow to go through to ivf. By the way, if you want to get your actual AMH number, you can get it online at patientgateway.org - you can see all your results once you sign up on there.

 

[septbride]

Glad to hear all went well and that you were comfortable during the procedure. That's pretty wild that they give you photos!

Definitely great to keep yourself busy during the 2WW. My eBay account has seen a lot of action while I've been going through this process -- TTC is really doing wonders for my shoe collection.

Sending you (and those embryos) good thoughts!

I had my transfer yesterday and it went really well! We had 2 eleven cell emby's transferred- I keep saying prayers for them to stick and grow. The procedure was surprisingly comfortable- you can't really feel the device they use to place them and it was all done in 10 minutes or so. They sent me home with a couple of pictures and it really boggles my mind that they're nestled in there now and could potentially turn into babies! Its a long road ahead and has been such a long road to get here as it is...I am not sure how I will get through the 2ww. I've set up a bunch of "projects" for myself to get through. Today I have someone at my house installing new furniture, next up I have a closet that is going to be redesigned...this IVF thing is certainly helping the state of my home. I told my friend the other day that before the 2 weeks is up I may have a new addition built and a couple of blankets knitted. )

 

[notoptimistic]

Sept- I'm surprised they didn't do an antral follicle count on you yet. That was part of my initial testing after my first consult with my fertility doctor at Brigham. They did an ultrasound including the antral follicle count, an hsg, and took about 20 viles of my blood. Anyway, my antral follicle count was pretty bad. I had four on each side which, based on what I've read, is unusually low for someone in their early-mid thirties. My doctor didn't seem overly concerned though. I am excited for my appointment later this week. Hopefully I will also have my iui within the next couple of days. I am cd 16 today and got a negative opk this morning but plan on testing again when I get home from work today.

btw, loved your shoe comment!