First time IVF - Started Lupron last Thurs - Would Love some Buddies

[JCM]

Hi guys!!! I'm back from my LA trip! It was so much fun! Nice to get away but I missed my hubby and my dogs. Plus you guys! Wow! You have been busy!
Terri, I was trying to catch up and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! Lol emotional roller coaster is right! Good luck this week! I love how you have "couch potato" plans. I plan on doing the same thing!
Booger, great plan. The PGD thing is interesting. I haven't been given that option. Maybe cause every time I go in there I complain as I hand them my credit card. Haha December does seem long! But August snuck right up on me so hopefully things keep on movin for you like they have for me...I feel the same way you do about carbs. My favorite meal is spaghetti. I would eat it every single day if I was allowed. I ate the best pizza over the weekend. I'm still thinking about it now!
Erin, so depending on when your period gets here, you and I might be on the same cycle days...kind of. My appt to check cysts is the 25th. Hopefully I won't have to continue bcps after that ultra sound. I think last time I stopped bcps I got a small light short period 2 days later and then I was "in cycle". I just need my period to hurry up and happen so I can get there!
Beagle you are staying soooo strong!!! Good for you!
Moni, won't be long now! I got terrible headaches too on all of the injections. Tylenol really blows!

My update: I hate bcps forever and ever. The end.

 

[beaglemom]

Good morning ladies...hope all is well. Just wanted to report back ache continues & now I have a massive headache. It started out very dull & quickly escalated. I have taken some tylenol (bleh!) & we will see how it goes.

 

[ERosePW]

So Jen, if you're clear of cysts and AF has come for you, will you start stimming after that appt?? How exciting! Yes, we will be very close. My appt is the 21st to make sure they have my lining and ovaries where they want them, and i should start my Estrogen right around that time, maybe a couple days later. Looking forward to getting started, as I'm sure you are too! Glad you had fun in LA! There's a lot to see and do out there, so I knew you'd enjoy it.

beagle, waiting patiently for Thurs to get here, hehe! Sorry for the migraine, yikes. I know Tyl probably didn't do crap for it, as we've discussed before. I hope it goes away, or is at least a sign of some changing hormones (the good kind!).

Moni, I hope the timing works out the way you're hoping. We basically didn't plan a single thing since we didnt know how it would work out, but an annual pig roast that is planned for every year isn't exactly something you "plan" (and sounds like a lot of fun too!). It was 4th of July right in between my ER and ET though. In fact, if I had to have a 3-day transfer, it would've been right on the 4th, so we didn't have a clue whether we'd be celebrating or not! DH's mom decided to have a party, so we had to tell her we wouldn't know until that morning whether we could come or not. Of course, I ended up having a 5-day, so we went to the party.

terri, I bet you are SO ready for tomorrow!! I'll be thinking about you today and tomorrow! i'm super excited for you.

 

[moni77]

Beagle - feel better. My headaches have finally relaxed - or maybe I just got used to the pain! Less than 24 hours to go.

Terri - when is your appointment tomorrow?

Erin and Jen - yay!

AFM - scan today showed - the 3 on the right are all between 14-15mm. The left side has 1 at about 17.5 (I am thinking that is the cyst that has plagued me for the last 6 months on that side) then 5 more at the 14-15mm mark and she said there were a couple of smaller ones that could catch up depending on when we go... Doc is in the NYC office on Wednesdays so he will call me later with the new plan. My guess is that Friday is definitely out and as long as he thinks the big one is just a cyst we can prob push it to Sunday or Monday depending on my hormone levels. The PA believes I will definitely need at least one more day of the meds based on what she saw.
If I had thought about it a little more, I should have stayed on the BCP a little longer and started stimming a couple of days later to avoid the pig roast issue - BUT I was so ready to start and I honestly thought with how quickly I normally ovulate that it wouldn't be an issue. I guess the microdose Lupron really does help suppress everything. That's totally my bad - I think hubby has forgiven me...

 

[JCM]

Exactly Erin! Last time, he keep me on bcps for another week so that's the worst case situation. I was thinking, as much as I hate waiting I may just want to do a FET. I just feel like my body is so crazy and overwhelmed on all of these drugs that I worry it's not strong enough to handle implantation right away. My body and I had a really tough cycle last month and with these cysts I just get nervous. I'm hoping acupuncture will help relax and calm everything but what if!? Ugh it's only the 13th. Lol I am the worst!
I literally have nothing going on for the next month and I'm thrilled! I plan on being a homebody while I'm stimming so I don't lash out at anyone. Everyone will thank me later. I can't wait to be in Terri and Monis tww! Then, I will stalk your symptoms and compare them to mine!

 

[booger76]

Hi ladies!

Moni - Glad to see the follies are coming along and that your headaches are gone. I can certainly understand being anxious to start! So I don't blame you there - I would have done the same thing. Hopefully you can have the Sunday or Monday date then. Even though it means a couple more days of shots, I guess.

Beagle - Oh man, I can hardly wait for your test day tomorrow. I can only imagine how anxious you must be. I have high hopes that this has worked for you and and your DH. Hopefully he'll have an extra special birthday this year! Also, I echo what everyone else has already said - why not apply for the assistance? It can't hurt and any help with all of this is great. Such a shame that it's not covered by insurance for us all.

ERose - So you are just on the Lupron now? How is that going?

JCM - Glad you had a good time in LA. How is the paleo thing going? I hope it's not too hard. I'm guessing you may not have been offered the PGD because you are so young and your eggs should still be of pretty good quality. I think it probably only came up for use because I started asking about transferring only one embryo. In general, I think they only start recommending it if you're around 37 or older, or have known genetic issues or if you're interested in eSET. Your update about the BCPs made me laugh. Sorry! I started my BCP this morning. Hopefully, it doesn't turn me into a weepy, angry, depressed mess in a few days.

Terri - Your big day is tomorrow! Have you had an update on your embryos? I'm excited for you too! So much going on around here.

I started my BCP today and had my blood drawn yesterday so I guess I'm officially on the IVF merry-go-round now! I hope everyone is doing well. I may not be around too much the next couple of days after tomorrow morning as I'm doing a 200-mile running relay this weekend. There are 12 people to a team and we each run 3 different legs. It starts Friday morning but we have to head over to the race start tomorrow. It should take us around 30-hours to do the whole thing so we'll be done sometime Saturday afternoon. I'll try to check in on everyone though.

 

[ERosePW]

Exactly Erin! Last time, he keep me on bcps for another week so that's the worst case situation. I was thinking, as much as I hate waiting I may just want to do a FET. I just feel like my body is so crazy and overwhelmed on all of these drugs that I worry it's not strong enough to handle implantation right away. My body and I had a really tough cycle last month and with these cysts I just get nervous. I'm hoping acupuncture will help relax and calm everything but what if!? Ugh it's only the 13th. Lol I am the worst!
I literally have nothing going on for the next month and I'm thrilled! I plan on being a homebody while I'm stimming so I don't lash out at anyone. Everyone will thank me later. I can't wait to be in Terri and Monis tww! Then, I will stalk your symptoms and compare them to mine!

You could always plan on a fresh cycle, but then if you aren't feeling quite right, you can always tell them to go ahead and freeze all the embies at that time. I dont think it hurts to cancel a fresh cycle if that's what the patient ends up wanting... The REs change their minds sometimes too (depending on hormone levels or OHSS, etc.), so I know it doesnt hurt. It just changes their calendars up a little, but I'm sure they're used to that. I know my body didn't feel quite up to par when I went in for my ET. My ovaries were still holding quite a bit of fluid, and I just didn't feel super. I wish they had told me that day that my Estrogen was as high as it was. Although admittedly, I still probably would've gone through with the fresh cycle because I was so ready. You could also see how many embies you get before you make up your mind for sure.

 

[beaglemom]

Jen - I actually think an FET for you may be a good idea. Your body has been through A LOT! And never seems to cooperate. But obviously that is a decision for you & the dr. I know it can be hard to wait another cycle for FET.

I was talked to about PGD & I am 32. I wonder if that is another clinic preference. The way I saw it was an increase in your odds of success...I think it was put to me something like 70%...and also a better shot at a single pregnancy. Some women are set on just 1 baby but also torn on how many to transfer. Do you transfer 2 & take that risk? With the PGD, it is just an extra step all over. I personally would prefer a single but twins would be okay...but I am way over on the single side.

My friend who took 4 years to get pregnant naturally knows about my TTC. She usually messages me every few weeks asking for an update. So she jokingly says if I had 3 eggs, they will all be fertilized & split, so I am set to have 6 babies!!!

 

[ERosePW]

Hi Jen, yep, started Lupron yesterday. It's going fine. I dont have side effects from it, since it's not stimulating anything. I was never one to have side effects from BCP back in the day either though, so not sure if it would affect someone else different. But its really one of the easiest injections I've had.

Good luck on your race! Good for you! I'm not much of a runner... I get that shin splint thing really bad... feels like someone is sticking a knife in and twisting it, ouch. But maybe I just need the right shoes...? Well, congrats on starting the BCP. Welcome aboard.

 

[terripeachy]

booger-Good luck with your race this weekend!! I have a friend that does those hard core relays and she is truly a champion. They look like lots of fun...I am sure you already know, but your running will probably have to slow down a little bit in the future. Intense exercise is one of the no-nos for prime fertility. I don't know how fast or how much you do, but just be cautious. Did you happen to ask your doctor about that? I forgot that you were such a serious runner. I've been LA-ZY this past year, when it comes to running. Sad, really. Apparently, all embryologists take a day off on Day 4, so no update. HA!HA!! Obviously other people have different Day 4s, but mine is off today. I'll get the final update in the morning. I hope they give me the grading as well. I have to remember to ask about it, if they don't come right out and share.

Jen-I'm glad you had a great trip. Sorry you're feeling so miserable on your BCPs, but it's good that you are keeping your calendar open during your stims and such, and you're right...a FET may be better for you. A lot of successful results come from FET, so you may luck out doing it that way. I just can't afford to wait a month, and my body doesn't seem to be doing anything different for me so far, so I need to move forward. I am getting super psyched for my couch potato days. They start in 24 hours! hee hee. I am almost done cleaning, and my house looks/smells so good. I really should do this more often (nah!). hee hee.

Beagle-Tomorrow is the big day. I'll be checking in first thing in the morning for your update. I know you have a lot of forums to post to, so don't rush on posting here. I'll find you, wherever you are! hee hee. I think this is it for you too, and we can be bump buddies!

ERose-Thanks for the well wishes. I am looking forward to finally doing this transfer.

Moni-My appointment is at 12:45 tomorrow afternoon. Boop boop!

 

[booger76]

Yeah - I'm not sure how exactly they decide who to discuss PGD with - every clinic is a little different, I suppose. Your friend's joke made me laugh, Beagle. Shoo-wee, 6 babies would be insane!

Good to know that the Lupron doesn't have any side effects for you and that it's a pretty easy shot, ERose. I should start keeping notes on all this stuff......I really hope I don't get all moody and emotional with these BCPs. If I remember correctly, it was a certain type of BCP that affected me in the past, which is not the one I'm taking now. I guess we'll see. Poor DH - I hope for his sake that I stay even keeled! Shin splints are the worst. I always seem to have some sort of nagging injury but I just can't stop running. It's like an addiction. I've been dealing with plantar fasciitis for awhile now but I just keep going. I can be a bit hard-headed. But running is what keeps me sane - I've tried biking, swimming, CrossFit, etc but I always come back to running. In the winter though, I love to ski!

I know that I'll have to tone the running down during the stimming phase. That is the ONE question I actually remember asking the doctor about. He said I'd have to switch to long walks. So, I guess that's better than nothing. I'll take it. I hope you have a stupendous report in the morning, Terri!

I agree that the FET sounds like it might be a good thing for you, JCM. When we were at our appointment, they kept telling us that by doing the FET, we'd be letting my body recover a bit more from all the stimming and the ER and that's a good thing. I'm not sure if that's just a line they were telling us to try to sell us on the PGD a bit more - obviously, most people do the fresh transfer and they work fine. But if you already know that your body could use the break - it's worth a shot. I think FETs have just as good of a chance as the fresh these days.

 

[booger76]

Can I bother you ladies with another question? If it's too personal just tell me to shove it.

Were any of your offered a multi-cycle plan for a reduced (overall) price? Meaning that you pay a set price up front and it covers a set number of cycles until you get pregnant? If so, did you do it?

Just curious. We have that option but haven't decided what to do.......we are paying for almost everything out of pocket (my insurance will cover some of the monitoring and bloodwork). It's more expensive if you get pregnant right away but it can save you some pretty good money if you need more than one egg retrieval.

Ugh - I hate having to make all these decisions!!!!

 

[terripeachy]

I wasn't offered that option, and not really sure why. I did hear that someone at my clinic got offered that with their donor egg program, but that is SUPER expensive.

My girlfriend got offered that deal for IVF with donor sperm, and she took it. I think it worked the second or third time. Of course, two years later, she wanted to have another baby, and the deal was off the table since she conceived previously. I'm not sure if she was successful on her first or second go round. When she was telling me all about that stuff, I wasn't really paying attention. I was still in my frog kissing decade. HA!!HA!!

If you can afford the deal, why not take it?

 

[beaglemom]

They have that option at my clinic. It is a hard decision to make. But we decided we would stick with the single round...you still get FET for any eggs leftover. It is one of those things where basically we have no crystal ball. I would be more prone to do it if they would offer SOMETHING back if you were successful on the first try.

 

[terripeachy]

Maybe they offer it if you don't have insurance. I'm still noodling why I wasn't offered that deal. Hee hee.

Beaglemom-yeah it would be nice if they gave you back something, but I guess when you get that baby, nothing else matters.

 

[beaglemom]

Negative

 

[ERosePW]

Oh beagle, I am so sorry. I know you had high hopes with your symptoms, and you did so good holding out testing too. We all had high hopes for you. I'm really sorry, girl. Huge hugs to you. Keep your chin up girly... You still have a plan in place, and even though IVF certainly isn't ideal with the costs and everything, once you're holding your sweet baby in your arms, you're not gonna care how you got him/her.

GL today Terri. Looking forward to getting your update later today. It's really a piece of cake! You'll probably get updates on all your embies today too.

 

[terripeachy]

Oh Beaglemom! Huge You see I'm up early to check in. I am SOOO sorry..All the symptoms and hurt back and everything for a BFN. I hope you called out of work today so you can just take some time for yourself. What a kick in the pants. Well, now you start saving, and apply for assistance and move forward. You have done plenty of IUIs, it's time for the big guns, and like ERose said (and my best friend continues to say), all the poking, prodding, testing will be as if it never happened once that baby is in your arms. So do what you need to do. We ha-through positives and negatives.


Thanks ERose...trying to get all my stuff together this morning-Post office run, planting soil (hee hee), take my meds, etc...

 

[beaglemom]

Thanks...I will stop the P but still test again tomorrow. I may not wait until January, but I am def going to try for the grant. In the meantime I will pay down the money borrowed for IUI until then. The grant is supposed to be annouced the first part of October. I think I have to pay before or around when my cycle starts...so I may be starting mid October with BCP. So I am going to work on my 20 page application this weekend. I have to get a note from my dr as well. So I hope to have all this done by the end of the month depending on the note.

The only other thing I have to be careful of is making sure things do not overlap with the holidays. I usually do not take time off for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Other people have it set on the calendar, so I don't want to screw up their plans. Although I know I could do it anyways because it is medical.

 

[beaglemom]

Oh & more cramping today & my back feels fine...even after moving furniture last night to clean...Figures.

Good luck today Terri...I know it will be a success! It's my husband's birthday today...how do you feel about the name Bruce ha ha ha!