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

[terripeachy]

Well, I went to my consult today. I didn't hear anything that I didn't know already (thanks bnb!). hee hee. I forgot to ask what type of BCPs I will be on. Oh, actually, I just realized that I really forgot to ask if they will interfere with my blood pressure meds. I guess I better email right away. Ok..that's done. They have a class that is optional where I can learn more about it. I'm considering going only because hubs can go with me and learn about it too,. He is completely clueless. they also have an injections class, and I don't know if I want to go to that. I mean, I did injections for IUI, and I am such a nerd that I always read the well-written instructions. It depends on the time of the class and whether I want to leave work.

So...long story short, if I need to move to IVF, I will order my BCPs as soon as AF arrives, and start taking them for three weeks. Once that is done, they will monitor me with U/S. Then, I start taking additional injections every day, then take a trigger shot in my butt, have ER and ET and I'm on my way. I figure my timeline for ET will be sometime early to mid August. The nurse will give me a calendar once I get my blood test. Of course, I'm still thinking positively about this IUI.

 

[ERosePW]

Things are going well now, thanks for asking Moni! Once I got that needle situation sorted out, things are totally fine. Once you get AF, will you start BCP?

Terri, its funny how we go in to see these Drs and we know much more than they expect us to know because we've been on BnB for so long, lol. Glad your consult went well! Mine was a little overwhelming, because not only did we talk about the different protocols and then decide on one, but they went ahead and showed us how to do all the meds during that same appointment, then ordered all the meds and supplies, AND did a mock embryo transfer too. So it was a lot in one appt, but she knew we were on a fast track. Anyway, FXd that your IUI does the trick and you dont have to worry about any of this anyway!

AFM, I'm getting very excited as it gets closer... DH and I are being very positive... when we talk about the embryo transfer, sometimes we just say "When they put our babies in my belly". Hehe! So far, we're looking at a July 4th or 7th transfer, depending on whether they decide to do a 3-day or 5-day transfer. ER is July 1st at the moment. Although that can all change at next appointment, or the one after that. FXd we stay on schedule.

 

[terripeachy]

Woohoo!! It is getting SO close. July 1 is right around the corner!

Yeah, I'm sure someone who wasn't on a pregnancy website would be SUPER overwhelmed because of the all the letters and injections and such, but after two months, I feel like 'I got this.' hee hee.

At my place he said we would do ICSI. The only decision I had to make was how many blastocytes to transfer back, and there was a chart saying how many are recommended for what age group etc... So I just said 'Uh..I trust your powerpoint slide.' HA!!HA!! Real scientific, as you can tell. Oh, yes, I do have to do the mock transfer/classes and I'll do that while I'm on BCP and once I get back from vacation.

He also mentioned lasering off the outer shell of the egg; the assisted hatching thing, but now I can't remember if that is only for the frozen eggs or for all the eggs. Either way, they do that for all patients over 39.

My day is over...more later!

 

[ERosePW]

Woohoo!! It is getting SO close. July 1 is right around the corner!

Yeah, I'm sure someone who wasn't on a pregnancy website would be SUPER overwhelmed because of the all the letters and injections and such, but after two months, I feel like 'I got this.' hee hee.

At my place he said we would do ICSI. The only decision I had to make was how many blastocytes to transfer back, and there was a chart saying how many are recommended for what age group etc... So I just said 'Uh..I trust your powerpoint slide.' HA!!HA!! Real scientific, as you can tell. Oh, yes, I do have to do the mock transfer/classes and I'll do that while I'm on BCP and once I get back from vacation.

He also mentioned lasering off the outer shell of the egg; the assisted hatching thing, but now I can't remember if that is only for the frozen eggs or for all the eggs. Either way, they do that for all patients over 39.

My day is over...more later!

We aren't doing ICSI, but only because my RE said it probably wasn't necessary; however, they'll do a "Rescue ICSI" if they see many eggs not fertilizing. So that made it fine for me. I trust her judgement, and as long as i Know they can change their strategy once they see what's going on under that microscope, that's fine. As for the Assisted Hatching, thats another thing that they'll do "if necessary". They measure the outer shell of the embryo, and if it's thicker than some certain number, they'll go ahead and do that lasering thing so that it has a better chance of hatching and implanting. I'm tempted to tell them to just DO IT ALL. But again, I'll trust my RE's judgement and I'll trust that the embryologist will know what he's looking at and what's best for us.

Glad your day is over!! Enjoy!

 

[ERosePW]

So... small update. The nurse just called about my blood test. My estrogen is a teensy bit high (good reasons for all this monitoring during IVF!), so what they do in that case, is they have me dial back my dose of Gonal F from 300 to 225. All other meds remain the same for now. Next appt is Wed at 8:45am for same bloodwork and an ultrasound.

 

[moni77]

terri, I would do the injections class ifyou have an intramuscular injection in your protocol. I will have to do IM progesterone shots which are very different from the other injections, so it helped to see it demonstrated in the class.

Erin - that is the current debate going on in my head... now that I am delayed it would make sense to start the BCP once I get AF so that I can do the injections when I get back from vacation. BUT - one of the reasons I had wanted to take the break so that I would have a natural cycle (just in case) and with the cysts I don't feel as if I ever got that natural cycle. So I guess if AF arrives this week, I still have time for a natural cycle before I leave - but any later and I would have to push everything back until I get back...

 

[ERosePW]

terri, I would do the injections class ifyou have an intramuscular injection in your protocol. I will have to do IM progesterone shots which are very different from the other injections, so it helped to see it demonstrated in the class.

Erin - that is the current debate going on in my head... now that I am delayed it would make sense to start the BCP once I get AF so that I can do the injections when I get back from vacation. BUT - one of the reasons I had wanted to take the break so that I would have a natural cycle (just in case) and with the cysts I don't feel as if I ever got that natural cycle. So I guess if AF arrives this week, I still have time for a natural cycle before I leave - but any later and I would have to push everything back until I get back...

Gotcha! I totally see what you mean. And how great would it be if you got your BFP in a natural cycle right before starting an IVF cycle!? That would be awesome, I'd be so happy for you. Well, I guess you just see what happens with AF and then go from there. When is your vaca?

 

[terripeachy]

Thanks Moni for the advice. I'm going to call them when I'm on vacation to schedule the classes. I do have an HCG injection in my butt. hee hee. I think that's the only intramuscular shot I have to take. ERose, you may be able to help me out here? Do you have any shots in your butt?

I have a million and one phone calls to make before I leave and I've just been super lazy. I hate talking on the phone, for one, and my house doesn't get very good reception so I'm constantly saying 'hello...hello...' hee hee. It's annoying and I'm annoying. HA!!HA!!

I think you should probably go natural for vacation too and give your body some time to just chill out a bit before going head first onto IVF. Have a great vacation!

ERose-Good thing your doc noticed your estrogen increase. So Wednesday they are just going to see how your follies are growing, right? I am supposed to go every other day once I'm off BCP and taking the injections. Good thing my boss doesn't come in until at least 10, and the FS office opens at 6:30 or 7a, so I am debating whether I want to even mention it to him. I'm with you on the 'do everything' front. I'm all in!

 

[beaglemom]

I know I am not exactly on the IVF train yet, but wanted to update...my baseline u/s was yesterday & they said there are a whole bunch of little follies just waiting to grow. My follistim was increased to 225 from 150...started femara last night. So my next u/s is on Monday & my IUI is tentatively scheduled for July 2. I am really hoping for at least 2 eggs this time.

 

[ERosePW]

Oh, terri, I meant to comment about the injections class... I didn't have a class (the seminar was about the process itself, to make sure people understood IVF in detail and to make sure it was the right decision for them). My nurse showed me how to do the injections during my consult. Moni is right, there is probably at least one intramuscular injection that you'll have to do. I have to do the P oil too, starting the day of ER, and it is different. And most IVF meds don't come pre-filled like the Ovidrel (except the Gonal F). If Menopur is part of your protocol, you have to mix that one prior to drawing up and injecting. Even the trigger shot I'm doing this time is Pregnyl instead of Ovidrel (not sure why), and that one has to be mixed and drawn up to inject as well. It is beyond me why they dont have all these drugs pre-filled like the Ovidrel... if they can do it with that one, why can't they do it with the others??

BUT, that said, there is also a link they gave me that has videos for every IVF med. You click on any one of the meds to see a video on how to do it, and they are actually so detailed, that I probably didn't really even need my nurse to show me. The good thing about the nurse or a class, is that you can ask questions if you need to, so I guess it just depends on how inquisitive you are . But hey, you're probably gonna get a BFP this cycle anyway, girl!! So you probably won't have to worry about any of this!

Btw, Moni, I don't know about you, but I think that P oil injection looks less pleasant than the others. Is it just me? I think anything going into the muscle is probably just less pleasant in general.

In case anyone is interested, here is the link to the vids. It's at least a good tool to go back and look at if you forget something.

https://www.freedommedteach.com/eng/

 

[ERosePW]

Oops, sorry terri, I posted before seeing that you had already posted!

Yes, my hcg trigger is intramuscular as well, and I'm pretty sure I'll do that one in my butt. Ouch. I think I'll be doing that sometime around Sunday, so I'll letcha know how it goes, LOL! The P oil I'm doing is also intramuscular, and the video shows it being done in the butt too. That one I start the day of ER. So I still dont have experience with either one, but I will soon.

And yes, I love that they monitor every other day, so that they can see how your hormones are reacting to the meds... I guess that's the point. To make sure they're exactly where they need to be during STIMs, so they can adjust the meds accordingly. Yep, Wednesday's appt is an ultrasound to see how the follies are responding, and make sure no over hyper stimulation. More bloodwork too, so they can make sure my estrogen is right. I think they start checking P at that time too, to see how close to being ready the follies are maybe...?

 

[ERosePW]

I know I am not exactly on the IVF train yet, but wanted to update...my baseline u/s was yesterday & they said there are a whole bunch of little follies just waiting to grow. My follistim was increased to 225 from 150...started femara last night. So my next u/s is on Monday & my IUI is tentatively scheduled for July 2. I am really hoping for at least 2 eggs this time.

GL this cycle beaglemom!!! All my digits are still crossed. Hoping for two eggs too, so that you can double your chances, wuhu!

 

[terripeachy]

Thanks for the videos! Even though I read all my Gonal F stuff, I still watched their branded video AND a random woman's YouTube video because I started getting nervous the morning of. hee hee.

As far as the different medications, there are some reasons why companies mix them and some do not. Sometimes they last longer unmixed (shelf-life, stability stuff) and sometimes it may have to do with shipping to different countries/places, following rules and regulations. They may also make the two different parts on two manufacturing lines and it's easier to box them as two separate items, etc..there are a bunch of reasons why things are the way they are. I work in diagnostics, so we have all different products that come in different containers/sizes, etc...it's pretty random most of the time.

beaglemom-Let's hope for two follies too! C'mon, grow grow!

 

[ERosePW]

Ah, gotcha! Thanks for the explanation terri. That makes sense. I know there is one med the nurse said they are currently trying to get the FDA to approve having the pre-filled syringes... I can't recall which med it was though... Maybe the Lupron. That one doesnt have to be mixed before injecting, but it does have to be drawn up into the syringe. So it sounds like that one would be easy to put in the pre-filled syringes. Your explanations on the ones that have to be mixed at home make complete sense. Thanks Miss Diagnostics. Its good to have someone in diagnostics on these threads to explain this stuff!

I asked the nurse yesterday what keeps me from O'ing on my own during the STIMs. I've never been anovulatory, and in fact, my body usually tries to O early. So I started worrying about it yesterday and went ahead and asked her. She said the Lupron will keep me from prematurely O'ing. I figured as much, since that was the drug I used to down-regulate my ovaries. I'm at half the dose now, while taking STIMs, so it makes sense it would work like that. But I freaked out at a temp rise this morning, and had to remind myself that my temps may not make sense during an IVF cycle. I know they know what they're doing, so I'm staying pretty calm about it. That higher estrogen level is probably what drove my temps down so low, and then when I lowered the dose of Gonal F last night, maybe that caused the rise this morning. No reason to over analyze though. I'm being monitored like crazy, so i have nothing to worry about. This is why maybe I should stop temping.

 

[terripeachy]

OOh ERose, we are getting to be like Sis with all this stuff. When you told me that your estrogen was high, I also thought that's why your temperature kept dropping, and I thought the same thing about the rise this morning with your decreased Gonal F. I think you're right. AND...this is why I get mad when the docs say temping is stupid/outdated/old because it works! Look at how we figured that out.

Love,
Miss Diagnostics

My day is over...otherwise I would have typed more. Gotta get my bike to the shop!

 

[moni77]

My vacation is July 23rd - August 4th. So the original plan was to do the BCP from mid-July and start the stims on August 5th.

New hiccup - turns out I am a carrier of Tay Sachs disease. Hubby's test was inconclusive and so he is redoing the test today. If he is also a carrier then we have a 25% chance of our child having the disease - which results in death by the age of 4. So, now it looks like our best option is to go forward with the IVF and do genetic testing of the embryos before implantation...maybe there was a reason we didn't get PG on our own. Of course his test may come back that he is NOT a carrier - which would mean we don't have to worry about it. Hoping for that!

Erin - yeah that progesterone shot scares me - not only is it IM but it is an oil - I'm sure it is better than the BIG needle though!! So you should have no problems!!

Beagle - You will have at least 2 follies this cycle - this is it for you!!

Terri - still looking good!

 

[beaglemom]

Moni, that is great that they found out about that disease...(I hope you know what I mean by "great"). There is probably a slim chance your husband is even a carrier. But yes it is def probably for the best you did not get pregnant on your own. It is amazing what they can do now, so even if he is a carrier, you can do the testing on the embryo.

 

[ERosePW]

Moni, I'm so sorry to hear about the Tay Sachs! Wow, that's crazy. But thank goodness they do genetic testing at these RE clinics, huh? I bet your DH is fine and you won't have to worry about it. But regardless, YAY for medical technology (the embryo testing), so that you know you'll be able to have a baby that doesn't have it. Rooting for you guys over here. Let us know when DH does the test again and gets his results. I really have a feeling he'll be fine!

Terri, yes, we are becoming like Sis, hehe. I guess she rubbed off on us! Now, my temp dropped back down to its lowest point, so I'm not even gonna keep guessing, ha! I'm done. I'll keep temping, but w/ the understanding that my temps may not hold a lot of weight.

My u/s this morning showed out of those 20 antral follies I had, 15 of them have become dominant. The others are trailing behind a bit, so she said they could catch up, but she didn't expect them to. But I'm still happy with 15. I thought of something last night... I guess we don't want TOO many embryos. I mean, I'll want enough that if the 1st transfer is unsuccessful, I can do a frozen transfer in the next cycle, and then maybe even have a couple left for a 2nd pregnancy. But if my 1st transfer is successful (which I'm obviously trying to assume IS going to happen), and then I end up transferring 1 or 2 more for a 2nd pregnancy, I will eventually come to that crossroads of what to do w/ any remaining embryos. And to be honest, I still haven't decided. I know they can be donated, and I do plan on looking into that if it comes to that, but I'm not sure if I'll do it. I'd love to help someone who can't have children of their own, but it would be tough knowing mine and DH's babies are out there somewhere. So DH and I haven't made that decision yet. Anyway, the point being... at first I kept hoping for tons of eggs, and hoping that as many as possible would fertilize and become viable embryos. Now I'm kinda like... well, damn... Where the hell is that crystal ball when I need it, so that I can know exactly how many I need to hope for?

 

[moni77]

Erin - glad the scan went well. I was hoping for an early update.

He went in for the blood work this morning - my guess is 2 weeks or so for the results.

 

[ERosePW]

Erin - glad the scan went well. I was hoping for an early update.

He went in for the blood work this morning - my guess is 2 weeks or so for the results.

Thanks Moni.

Oh that's right... the one problem with that darn genetic testing is that it did take like 10-14 days for the results to come back, I remember that now.