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

[beaglemom]

Oops Jen, I just remembered you might freeze all your embies and do FET, right? So I guess we won't be in the TWW after all, lol. So have you decided on FET for sure, or is that still TBD?

Yes I was wondering the same thing.

 

[beaglemom]

Where is everyone else getting their meds? I have copays on my meds I think & using Freedom Fertility. But just curious about everyone else. Jen - does your provider accept insurance? Nervous about getting that big box & doing those injections when all this starts.

I am buying a couple of books...The Couple's Guide to IVF & for my husband How to Make Love to a Plastic Cup. I got them pretty cheap on Amazon.

 

[JCM]

How to make love to a plastic cup...I'm getting a kick out of that! I'm going to buy it for DH right this second! Fastivf doesn't take insurance. Off of memory, bravelle and repronex are 32 bucks each. I think Lupron was 69 and I can't remember what my antagon was...check out their website and maybe price compare. I used freedom fertility for my iui meds (same as these ones) 3 days of meds cost me 1200 bucks and remember I was stretched out on my cycle and ended up doing 10 days of those? Ugh. So much money but they got me the meds the second I needed them! Are your copays pretty reasonable? I use my insurance for my heparin and other "endo" meds and have met my deductible for the year so all of the estradiol and progesterone and 500 dollar heparin bottles are all free! Lucky me...all of the progesterone I can handle free of charge!

 

[terripeachy]

Sounds like everyone is moving along nicely. I'm going to email the nurse tomorrow to find out what I need to do should my results come out negatively. I hope I can go on a reduced BCP schedule, if I have to do that at all this time around. Last time I did three weeks but that was because I was traveling. This time I say 'the shorter the better.' It would be awesome if I could do one week and get in line with most of you. hee hee.

I use Freedom Fertility and it goes through my insurance. FastIVF sounds like they have some great deals, though.

Time for bed...I should be able to play tomorrow from work. Have a great night everyone.

 

[moni77]

Yay for starting JCM! Looks like everyone will be close in schedules. Hubby and I started to have the what do we do if it doesn't work conversation last night - I am pretty sure he will be set on saving up the money for another round anew and not dipping into our savings. If we do it again, I would rather get right on it and not have to wait - so we'll see how this works out. I told him the conversation was upsetting me so lets discuss once we KNOW. Hopefully we don't need to have the conversation at all!

 

[beaglemom]

Yay for starting JCM! Looks like everyone will be close in schedules. Hubby and I started to have the what do we do if it doesn't work conversation last night - I am pretty sure he will be set on saving up the money for another round anew and not dipping into our savings. If we do it again, I would rather get right on it and not have to wait - so we'll see how this works out. I told him the conversation was upsetting me so lets discuss once we KNOW. Hopefully we don't need to have the conversation at all!

I hope so too...no need in worrying about it right now.

 

[terripeachy]

Moni-I agree..my hubs doesn't even know I tested the other day. He said "We'll find out Wednesday, we'll find out Wednesday." I have a small glimmer of hope just because, but honestly, we will have that talk tomorrow night and we will proceed. It's good to think about it so you can mentally prepare for cutting back on spending or whatever you have to do. The bad news for us (>35s) is that we really don't have a lot of time to save. It's like find a way now, or else...Well, that's how I feel. I hope you don't have to have the conversation either though. Someone needs to get a BFP around here, and fast!

 

[brighteyez73]

Good morning ladies,

Terri - I agree us 35+ ladies have to make moves quickly. I really hope we get an BFP from some one here soon! FX for us all

 

[ERosePW]

Moni, its good that you and your DH are being proactive and discussing, but I really think you have a great shot with the embie you have in there now. I really do. I've just heard so many times that women didn't get PG with their highest graded embryos, but then got PG with their lower graded one(s). I think they can only tell so much under a microscope. Once they put him/her in your belly, I bet it started thriving.

Terri, if you do get a BFN today (although I'm not losing hope for you), and you're ready to get started on your next one, you could always try the Lupron route this time, so that you can get started sooner rather than later. Are you going in this morning for your blood test? FXD!!!!! I'm hoping this just worked for you, and you don't have to do another one at all!!

As for meds, I go through Cigna Home Delivery. They were expensive as heck (WAY more expensive than yours Jen). But my insurance paid 100% and shipped them overnight, so I didn't think much of it. But I do have a lifetime max on fertility injectables, so I kinda wish I had tried to find someplace cheaper that my insurance would still pay. I'm about halfway to my lifetime max now.

AFM, started my antibiotics this morning, and I'll apply my first Estrogen patch (Vivelle) tonight. If I hadn't gotten the patches, the alternative was IM injections every 3-4 days. My RE almost didn't even tell me about the patches, but I asked if there was any alternative to the IM injections, and she mentioned the patch, but said they're really expensive, and most insurance companies don't pay for it. I was willing to come out of pocket to have patches over IM injections, but my insurance did pay for them. Should be interesting. I've never worn a patch for anything before. During the fresh IVF cycle, I took estrogen AFTER the transfer, but it was just a tiny blue pill. Guess they don't do that PRIOR to a FET.

 

[ERosePW]

Terri, we may have been posting around the same time because I missed that your test is tomorrow. I don't know why i had the 26th in my head! Girl, I'm still holding out hope for you. My paperwork specifically said do NOT rely on home urine tests. I read lots of stories of women who got BFNs at home on the morning of their bloodwork, and then bloodwork came back BFP.

 

[beaglemom]

Jen - I don't see follistim on that list, so not sure how to compare prices. I would stick with follistim if my dr lets me just because that is what I have been on before.

 

[JCM]

My follitism is called Bravelle. It's 32 bucks. I was freaking out looking for my trigger shot script and realized he's using lupron for my trigger....apparently it's supposed to prevent Overstimulation in place of using the HCG shot. I was reading about it all night. So the antagon is the same idea as lupron to suppress ovulation too soon. (I used it during my iui cycle). Then the other two are Repronex and Bravelle. Plus the human growth hormone injectable and my usual 2x per day heparin injections. So some days I'll be doing up to 5 shots. Yuck. At least I'm used to the heparin needles already! My flow sheet says to start estradiol pills and progesterone both vaginally (ugh this guy and "vaginal meds) after transfer. Taking them vaginally is supposed to ease the crazy side effects a bit. So weird.

Moni, when is your blood test? I was told not to rely on any urine tests ever. Lol I did learn my lesson last month when the trigger was still showing up 12 days after I took it. It was a very hard lesson. So I will not be peeing on anything this cycle. I'm so hopeful for you tomorrow, Terri!

 

[ERosePW]

So, sorta off-topic, and sorta not.... there's this show called "The Lottery" on right now, and its about a fertility crisis, where there haven't been any pregnancies or babies born in the whole world in 6 years. They have this doctor/scientist who has been working hard on fertilizing some eggs in a lab with sperm and eggs donated by certain people. The show opens where this doctor has managed to fertilize 100 eggs, and they are figuring out the best way to proceed with them (they need to save the human race after all), and they end up doing a lottery where 100 lucky women get to be surrogates to these embryos. There have already been a few episodes, and it's a decent show. But I couldn't help but laugh at myself last night after we watched it, because I said to DH... "Why are they assuming all 100 of the women are gonna get pregnant anyway?? Only about half of those embryos are even viable!" LOL. How sad that this is my life....

Anyway, like I said, sorta off-topic... but its just funny how this show started up right after my IVF and all this embryo chatter!

 

[booger76]

Afternoon, ladies!

ERose - That's funny about the show. It's amazing how little we all probably knew about embryo viability and genetics before IVF. And yes, sad, that we know it now. But I reckon it will hopefully give us a little more appreciation for our little ones when they finally get here. Not to say that we will love them any more than people who don't struggle with infertility but that we might be less inclined to take the little things for granted. Good to know about the patches. I'm assuming I'll have to do something similar down the road. I'm so excited for you!!

JCM - How exciting that you are gearing up and moving forward! And what an awesome deal on your meds. I have no idea where mine are coming from yet but I have been researching prices a little online. I'll have to see if any of the meds I'll be using are available. Since we are paying for everything out of pocket, I'm all about trying to find the best deal.

Moni - I think it's good you shelved the discussion until it's necessary. No use in fretting over something that may not ever need to be discussed. I wish I could follow my own advice.....

Terri - Fingers crossed that your test at home was just being cruel and that tomorrow's blood test shows some good news. I hear you on the time thing...tick tock, tick tock. It's annoying but I think it's good we have all realized that and are being progressive!

Beagle - I'll have to check out those books. They sound interesting. I have seen the Couples one before on Amazon but have never purchased it since getting DH to read a book is near impossible.

 

[moni77]

My normal clinic is closed on weekends and holidays - so I can go to the NYC clinic as early as Sunday or wait and go to my regular one on Tuesday...

 

[terripeachy]

Moni-Looks like you're up next.

My doctor is happy that I'm going to try again (of course!), and he said that he is really surprised that my results were negative because everything was just about perfect this cycle. He is going to increase my meds in the beginning (so I guess the menopur and Gonal F), and hopefully I will get a few more follies/eggs, and have an opportunity for some frosties. He just left me a message so I didn't talk to him, but it is nice that he called me instead of the nurses. It sucks, but what can you do.

I'm looking forward to wine, coffee and beer at draft day. Oh, and I get to pick up a foster dog this afternoon. It's a little 3 month old that had an infection after her spay surgery. She will be at our house for a week. Unfortunately that's the silver lining today.

 

[moni77]

We decided to do the beta on Sunday and let them leave a message that we will listen to Monday morning (I think).

 

[beaglemom]

The puppy will def lift your spirits!!!

I am sorry it did not work out. Are you able to start right away? Or do you have to take a cycle off? I hope you are quickly back at the retrieval stage.

I plan to email the dr office about my letter for the grant. I hope to be on the IVF train very soon!

 

[brighteyez73]

Terri - I am sorry to hear about he negative news . Things will work out for you, I feel that we all will have our BFP's b4 the year ends. But having the dog should be fun.

 

[ERosePW]

Ugh, Terri.... well, I'm so sorry that it's official now. So frustrating. I'm glad you are jumping right back to it though. That's what I had to do in order to feel okay with it... I just had to throw myself right back in!

Moni, FXd soooo tightly for you! I hope this is it and that you will have good news to report on Mon.

beagle, i'm getting excited for you now too! Will you guys still move forward right away if you don't get the grant?

Hi brighteyez, Jen, and booger!! Hope you're all doing well today.

AFM, not much new to report really. I have my Estrogen patch on my lower abdomen from 2 days ago. Every few days, I'll remove the old patch, and not only replace it, but also add one. So at some point near the end, I end up with 4 patches on at one time, ha! They are clear and not big at all, but I still wouldn't look too cute in a swimsuit at that point, LOL. It seems weird that a little patch can do what it needs to. I guess I'm just so used to shooting stuff into my body with needles, that its hard to believe a patch can be effective, ha! But my RE really likes them a lot and was happy to find out that my insurance would pay.