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

[moni77]

So sorry Beagle. I was hoping for better news. But as they said - you have a good plan in place.

Terri - Todays the day! Let us know how many they put in and how many they freeze when it is done. 2ww it is!

Booger - I was not given that option. If I was, I would prob still stick with the single cycle.

AFM - Eggs are progressing - doc is on the fence between sat and sun - those on the right can use another day, but those on the left could go...so he is going to let the labs decide...

 

[booger76]

Oh, Beagle, I'm so sorry. I agree with Terri, do what you need to do today to take some time for yourself. How is your DH doing? Happy Birthday to him, even though it may not be the happiest of birthdays. Stupid symptoms always make one so hopeful only to mean nada in the end. I'm proud that you were able to hold out on testing though - you are strong! I hope that having a plan in place to move forward offers a little solace for you.

Moni - Keep us posted on what they decide. Are you getting excited, nervous, anxious? All of that and more?

Terri - Good luck today!!! Super exciting. I hope your little embryos bring you a good report card today.

As far as the multi-cycle plan goes, I don't think every clinic offers it (obviously) and then I think it's often based on age. It looks like ours goes up to 40 yrs old and the plans are tiered based on what age category you fall into. Basically, the younger you are, the cheaper the plan is. We are still on the fence. It's all such a gamble - we could pay for it and then be successful on the first try and get no refund so we will have overpaid (not that that would be the worst thing, at least we would have a baby!)......Or we could not pay for the plan, not be successful on the first try and then end up paying more than necessary for more cycles. Oh well. I'll try not overthink it and hopefully we make the right choice. Haha.

 

[terripeachy]

beaglemom-My best friend boy in college is named Bruce. Unfortunately, my hubs likes K names, so he kind of overrides my college bestie. Just a little. hee hee.

My doctor called-WHICH FREAKED ME OUT. He said that three made it to blastocyst stage. Two are in very good shape, and one is kind of a slow divider, but it's going in anyway. No frosties for this chick, unfortunately. I am PRAYING this works because I really don't want to have to go through that stupid anesthesia/ hand needle again.

 

[ERosePW]

If I remember correctly, that multi-cycle plan was brought up when we went to the seminar. My clinic holds a seminar once a month in Orlando. Anyone who is interested in learning about IVF can go, but patients about to HAVE it, are actually required to go before having the consult with the RE. When you go in, they give you some brochures, and I think the one that contained info on financing options, was the one that also talked about the multi-cycle plan. So it was kinda mentioned there, and the brochure was handed out, but my RE's office didn't mention it again. I didn't qualify since my insurance was paying almost everything. If I had been paying out of pocket, I dont think I would've done it, only because I knew that once they have the embies, the cycles after are a TON cheaper than the actual IVF cycle itself. And I had a gut feeling that I'd get enough embies that even if I did a fresh cycle and two FETs, it would still be cheaper than what they'd charge for 3 IVF cycles. But I didnt look into it that much, so I'm not sure what the cost was, so I could be wrong.

 

[ERosePW]

beaglemom-My best friend boy in college is named Bruce. Unfortunately, my hubs likes K names, so he kind of overrides my college bestie. Just a little. hee hee.

My doctor called-WHICH FREAKED ME OUT. He said that three made it to blastocyst stage. Two are in very good shape, and one is kind of a slow divider, but it's going in anyway. No frosties for this chick, unfortunately. I am PRAYING this works because I really don't want to have to go through that stupid anesthesia/ hand needle again.

Oh wow, I thought you'd have frosties for sure. That goes to show you how unpredictable this IVF stuff is, geez! Well thats ok, Terri, because it's gonna work the first time. It seems like your only issue was DH's sperm count, right? So getting the spermies to fertilize those eggs was the problem. Your doctors took that part out of the equation for you! Now you have those babies and they just have to be put in. I love science and modern medicine!! This is gonna work for you, my dear, I know it.

 

[beaglemom]

I second that...don't even focus on the frozen piece...this one will work! And you are lucky enough to have some insurance coverage if you need #2. But I don't think you will need #2 until you are ready to have baby #2!!!

I ordered some pizza for my husband & his management team...gonna surprise him at lunch. Trying hard to be in a positive mood. However my boss seems pissy or maybe he is just rubbing me the wrong way today.

 

[ERosePW]

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.

You have a great plan beagle. And i have to admit, I'm pretty excited that you may not wait until Jan and go ahead and start BCP in Oct. I guess I'm just so ready to see us all get our BFPs. We're gonna be such great moms. When it takes this much work, time, energy, and money to make this happen, I feel like we will have so much more appreciation for how precious life is than if it had only taken us 3 months or something. FXd that you get that grant!!! Happy Birthday to your hubs!

 

[booger76]

I know it's hard but don't freak out, Terri! Focus on those two high quality embryos. I'm so excited for you I could burst - I can't even imagine how you are feeling.

ERose - that's kind of how I'm feeling - that hopefully we get enough eggs and embryos that we'll have enough to freeze. We do get to wait to make a final decision about the multi-cycle plan to see how my bloodwork turns out and what the doctor thinks about how well I'll respond based on those results.

Beagel - that's so sweet of you to do that for DH! Doing stuff for others always makes you feel better too. Sorry your boss is being a bugger.

 

[JCM]

Oh beagle I am so bummed! I was rushing the kids out the door this morning for school so I could jump on here for an update! You usually stop the P on day 14 right? I'm still hoping AF DOESNT COME!!!

Terri good luck today! Wow! 3 going in! I didn't realize you were doing 3. Like Erin said, if the fertilization was the problem you should be good to go! My hubby had a vasectomy reversal so ivf was always in the back on my mind. I thought "you mean you can actually make the baby outside of me first????" Haha I too, love science. I guess we could have pulled sperm out of him to bypass the huge surgery but I think we really liked the idea of trying on our own. So much for that! ; )
Great news on the progression Moni!
Booger, I'm trying to do orange theory fitness. I'm told 30 mins of it is running. I think I can run for like 10. Haha I need your energy!

 

[beaglemom]

JCM - I can only run for like 30 seconds (that is not an exaggeration!). I have been spoiled by a thin body & fast motabolism my whole life. So I never exercised. After turning 30 everything slowed down.

The past few cycles I was using the P based on my upcoming schedule...so I would stop early or later depending on how the days fell. But last night (13dpo) will be my last unless I get a positive tomorrow or the next day. Otherwise within a day or 2 I should see the spotting & then AF. I am glancing at my calendar trying to figure out if we can start IVF my October cycle. I think I can...trying for it not to fall on Thanksgiving week. I just can't remember the timeline when on BCP. So what CD do you start those? Then after the 3 weeks, how long after is estimated retrieval?

 

[ERosePW]

beagle, the gals who have done the BCP can answer you on that part, but I did want to remind you, JUST in case you look at a calendar and figure out that it might work well for you... don't forget there's also the Lupron option. You can start that in the cycle prior to an IVF cycle, and by the time AF comes, it has already done what the BCP would do. So it might prevent you from being pushed into Thanksgiving. Its just a thought. BCP is easier because it's just a pill instead of a shot. And there are different reasons for doing one or the other (which your RE usually decides). But in my case, I liked the quicker option, so my RE did the Lupron lead-in. Its just something to think about. I certainly don't think one is better than the other... it just gets you ready earlier. Its a super easy shot. So it just really depends on how quickly you'll want to get started, and whether or not your RE will be ok with Lupron.

 

[beaglemom]

beagle, the gals who have done the BCP can answer you on that part, but I did want to remind you, JUST in case you look at a calendar and figure out that it might work well for you... don't forget there's also the Lupron option. You can start that in the cycle prior to an IVF cycle, and by the time AF comes, it has already done what the BCP would do. So it might prevent you from being pushed into Thanksgiving. Its just a thought. BCP is easier because it's just a pill instead of a shot. And there are different reasons for doing one or the other (which your RE usually decides). But in my case, I liked the quicker option, so my RE did the Lupron lead-in. Its just something to think about. I certainly don't think one is better than the other... it just gets you ready earlier. Its a super easy shot. So it just really depends on how quickly you'll want to get started, and whether or not your RE will be ok with Lupron.

My RE just said BCP. She did not mention the Lupron. I could ask about that. I am just hoping that my body goes back to 28 days...or shorter...if I get pushed out to 30 my whole plan will fail. But it wouldn't be the end of the world if I waited until January. I could even start with my Dec cycle...then I would be on bcp during Christmas.

 

[JCM]

That's exactly what's happening! I hit 30 and I can't do whatever I want anymore! No fair. I take bcps for about 30-40 days (a normal bcp intake at my clinic is 2 weeks though). So far my plan is, once I'm given the ok to stop my bcp I will have a withdrawal bleed or light period, and start my injections on cd3. Mine is a bit different because I'm being "cleaned out" with my month of bcps. So I guess I just start the fun meds right from the start! I'm told I'll do all of those injections about 10 days, maybe more depending on my follicle sizes. Last cycle they kept increasing my dosage every two days after a scan and extending my cycle. I didn't trigger til cd20. It was exhausting so hopefully we've got a handle on that this round. The nurse said "he's going to hit you hard right from the beginning" scared me a little! Then I'll trigger and have my retrieval 36 hours later. Typically he does a 5 day transfer and we will do 2 embryos. As you all know, I haven't decided how I will feel about a fresh transfer. DH says it's the best chance. He's not in my body though and doesn't know how much all of this stuff wipes me out. Emotionally he sees it but physically he doesn't get it. I can say oh I have really bad cramps or I can't button my pants today or I have a horrible headache but it doesn't really explain it still!

Erin I wasn't even given that option! I would have taken Lupron!!! At the time I was still considering another iui I think though. My bcps are now free at this point though so I was happy about that! So is my progesterone! Haha thank god because I'd really hate to be paying for that awful drug. It's my least favorite. Mainly because it tricks me so well...

 

[beaglemom]

I do not pay a lot for the P...but it is the suppositories. So I am thinking 3 weeks on BCP & 3 weeks of an open calendar after should be good, don't you think? I think that should give me enough time to do everything. I will just have to see how the next couple of months go.

Oh I don't think I mentioned...I sent my office an email explaining the letter I needed. I did not have my dr email address so it went to the general info contact online. So within about an hour or 2 I had an email back saying my dr wanted the foundation name & info they needed. So I quickly emailed her the link & the pdf of the application. So I am excited she got back to me so quickly. That also means she has been informed my cycle did not work. Hopefully she gets the form back to me quickly. I have everything filled out except my medical procedure history. I will need to go through all my paperwork so I can get that all together. I hope to do that this weekend.

It's funny...we are going on vacation in Sept...same time every year...last year this time I had just gotten a clear hsg & was given clomid for the first time. We went on vacation hoping for a relaxing fertile window. Now a year later & this is where we are. Oh well...I am close to the finish line. And it is still within my mental time line (give or take a few months).

 

[ERosePW]

Funny you mention that, beagle... this time last year, I think I'd been trying for 9 months and hadn't really thought a lot of it, considering my age anyway. It was probably right before I decided to go see my OB. I think I went to him last Sept and he gave me Clomid for Oct, Nov, and Dec. I got pregnant in Dec. What a shame that couldn't have just worked out. I'd be due any day now.

So glad your RE is being so responsive so quickly! That's great!

 

[ERosePW]

I think I might test tomorrow for this current cycle... I know it's early as heck, but since today was my 3rd day of the Lupron, I want to know asap if by some miracle I'm PG. My RE never seems worried, but as far as I'm concerned, the sooner I find out, the better.

 

[booger76]

Oh, you naturally thin ladies drive me nuts. If you saw me, you would not think I was a runner. I definitely do not fit the long and lean mold. I started running when I was 11 though and then transitioned into soccer through part of college so it just kind of stuck with me. It's definitely getting harder as I get older too, but it does help keep my weight from creeping higher and keeps me sane so that's why I keep at it.

I wasn't offered the Lupron option either. I started my BCP on CD4 but only because they wanted my CD3 bloodwork and they didn't want the BCP skewing those numbers. I think you would normally start on CD1.

Terri - How did the transfer go???

 

[beaglemom]

My dr emailed me back letting me know she was out of the office to return Monday & would get my paperwork done next week. That is very exciting. I have never had to reach out to my office for anything like this before, so it is great to know how quickly they got back to me...especially since she is not in the office.

 

[terripeachy]

Sorry I didn't get to update earlier. I posted on a couple other forums, texted my sisters, and then my phone died. Then we stopped at a local place to get take out for lunch and THEN we watched a movie, so I'm just now getting back online.

Oh and they told me that I have a retroverted uterus. Who knew?

It went well. There was some confusion between the doctors/embryologists, so initially I thought that I had 4 embryos to transfer, and then they decided on three. BUT, I may actually have three to freeze. The people performing the transfer said that sometimes people can't understand my main doc or he doesn't understand what people were asking, so who knows. I asked him what happened to the other three when he called me this morning and he just said 'well, they didn't make it.' I think he might have meant that they made it to Day 4- or morulla stage, but they didn't make it to blastocyst. Now, does that mean they are terrible? Not sure...so I'll just wait for the call and see what happens. If I have frosties, cool, if not, that's fine. They also gave me a picture of my three embryos. I said 'These look like the embryos that I saw on the computer. How do I know they are mine?' They all laughed, but really a name sticker would be cool to add to the picture or something to make it a little more unique. HA!

I have no adverse affects and I'm feeling good. Enjoying laying on the couch. They say that it's not necessary to be on "bed rest", but I don't care. I can take the time to sit here. I have absolutely no plans.

Glad you ladies had a fun day chatting today.

 

[ERosePW]

terri, I'm super happy to hear that you have some frozen ones. Even though its gonna work this cycle, its nice to know that you'll have some left for a future child if you decide. Glad you're feeling good, and i'm glad you're being a vegetable! I love those kinds of days. But yea, sometimes the DHs have to go and ruin our "me" time, heheh! We love 'em, but we need our "me" time now and then, right? I got a picture of my embryos too. It did say my name in the upper left corner. Maybe me and DH both, I can't remember. It was at least my last name, I remember that. DH took a picture of that picture with his phone and texted it to his mom, LOL. She replied back and said "The one on the right looks like you".

I got a call from my nurse with all my test results finally. Everything is normal, just as my RE suspected. The only thing we haven't gotten back is DH's karyotyping. He did his a few days later than I did, so it might be next week before we know, but I bet his is normal too. If it's not normal, then we'll go ahead with the PGD of the embryos. But if it is normal, then DH and I need to have a chat. He still wants to do the PGD, but my RE really feels like we shouldn't mess with them at this point since we could lose some during the thawing/re-freezing process. I want him to feel like his opinion matters, and these are his babies too, so I'll just have one more talk with him and go from there. I did email the finance girl and asked her if my insurance covers it, JUST in case we do decide to do it.