IVF/FET May and June

[BronteForever]

Hmm...interesting Rebecca. I might have some more searching to do. I know there are about 15 states that have infertility laws that mandate some sort of insurance coverage. But unfortunately I don't live in one of those states. I've thought about switching insurances but have looked into anything I can get easily and nothing covers it. Admittedly, insurance is not my strongest area of expertise at all and I usually try to avoid anything to do with it. So I'm having to step out of my comfort zone to learn a lot more. Any more tips would be hugely appreciated. I'm definitely going to figure out pharmacy info on where it might be covered. Thanks!

 

[froggyfrog]

I agree, insurance stuff is so confusing! Bronte you are right about it depending on what state you are in. There are only 15 states that mandate some sort of coverage. And not even all of them is it really mandated. I know in Texas it's completely up to your employer. We have blue cross blue shield of Alabama, and Alabama is one of the state's that doesn't mandate ANY coverage. It really is not fair that infertility treatments fall under elective procedures, especially since it is seen as a disease, and I certainly didn't elect to require treatment.

 

[BronteForever]

I agree, insurance stuff is so confusing! Bronte you are right about it depending on what state you are in. There are only 15 states that mandate some sort of coverage. And not even all of them is it really mandated. I know in Texas it's completely up to your employer. We have blue cross blue shield of Alabama, and Alabama is one of the state's that doesn't mandate ANY coverage. It really is not fair that infertility treatments fall under elective procedures, especially since it is seen as a disease, and I certainly didn't elect to require treatment.

Totally agree!! It isn't fair.

 

[rebecca822]

It sucks! Luckily we live in IL and its mandated. We actually have blue cross of Iowa and they cover as well.
I'm switching insurance on June 1 to my husbands office plan which is also blue cross. They cover an amazing amount of treatment however my deductible is super high and the premium is $1700 a month!!
My DH plan covers 4 full IVF cycles and if a successful pregnancy is achieved they give you 2 more cycles of IVF.

 

[Timetotry]

I can't wait for my follow up with my RE next week. I wanna know what she has to say about our failed cycle.
In the meantime I went to see my naturopath and she put me on coq10, melatonin and inositol (along with the prenatal and metformin that I already take). Oh and my RE put me on birth control (I had ovarian drilling in Dec and don't want to recruit more crap follicles).
My naturopath said that sometimes women with PCOS produce eggs that have a really hard outer shell and the sperm may not be able to get in, so icsi helped us with that issue, but even though the sperm was put in, the egg is still abnormal and there are likely other issues as well.
Darn eggs.

 

[Timetotry]

Rebecca, thats amazing coverage!
I wish there was more coverage up here!

 

[rebecca822]

I can't wait for my follow up with my RE next week. I wanna know what she has to say about our failed cycle.
In the meantime I went to see my naturopath and she put me on coq10, melatonin and inositol (along with the prenatal and metformin that I already take). Oh and my RE put me on birth control (I had ovarian drilling in Dec and don't want to recruit more crap follicles).
My naturopath said that sometimes women with PCOS produce eggs that have a really hard outer shell and the sperm may not be able to get in, so icsi helped us with that issue, but even though the sperm was put in, the egg is still abnormal and there are likely other issues as well.
Darn eggs.

Good luck next week, I'm always so eager for my appointments.
We were offered the option of assisted Zona hatching if the outer layer of our frozen embryos are too firm and need help "hatching" so they have a better chance to implant. Maybe that will help you?

 

[Fern81]

Lots of interesting pages to go through!

I'm also a bfp virgin (the cp's don't count they were basically just a light positive for a day or two, I don't count them as pregnancies ).

I'm from South Africa and over here no insurance plan will pay for IVF. Some plans might pay for a few of the meds & blood tests but my insurance is very basic so we will probably have to pay everything out of pocket.
A fresh cycle at my clinic is R40,000 for everything including the meds. And FET in a natural cycle only costs R4000. I can't remember what it costs to freeze embies but it's also not extravagant.

AF showed up with a vengeance yesterday. I'm so sick from it today that I couldn't go to work (I was vomiting from the pain this morning). Horrible post-op AF. So I'm on the pill and short protocol IVF starts in less than 4 weeks eeeekkkkk!

 

[Fern81]

So interesting about the eggs with a hardened shell etc. I've read that it can happen in endo cases too but I might be wrong. Definitely going to talk to my dr about it because he mentioned doing ICSI but I want to know if my eggs can actually be fertilized naturally; so I would like at least one or two eggs to not get ICSI, just so we can see what happens if that makes sense.
I suppose it depends on how many eggs I get though.

 

[Timetotry]

I'd love to know if my eggs would naturally fertilize too! But I didn't ask during our first ivf, and I probably won't bother next time either.
I really would like to know if that's one of our issues, but what if we waste some eggs doing that?? Eek.

I had a dream last night that they made us wait a year and a half for our next round hahaha.

 

[rebecca822]

I'd love to know if my eggs would naturally fertilize too! But I didn't ask during our first ivf, and I probably won't bother next time either.
I really would like to know if that's one of our issues, but what if we waste some eggs doing that?? Eek.

I had a dream last night that they made us wait a year and a half for our next round hahaha.

I was also curious if my eggs would fertilize naturally due to the MF. My eggs are fine. They didn't give us a chance, told us we needed ICSI on all them. Originally they were going to do half ICSI.

 

[BronteForever]

Yeah I would hate to hold back just to see if they fertilize naturally and then have it not work.

Rebecca - That's interesting they told you they could do half that way and then switched? Did they tell you why they changed their minds? Did something change after egg retrieval?

We just found out today we shouldn't need ICSI, but I am anxious to see how it works without it.

 

[beneathmywing]

I too am curious if my eggs would fertilize on their own, but I'd hate to take a chance and lose some.


I have a day 21 scan tomorrow and should be start Lupron if everything is well for eight days! getting this partyy started.

 

[rebecca822]

Yeah I would hate to hold back just to see if they fertilize naturally and then have it not work.

Rebecca - That's interesting they told you they could do half that way and then switched? Did they tell you why they changed their minds? Did something change after egg retrieval?

We just found out today we shouldn't need ICSI, but I am anxious to see how it works without it.

Initially they wanted to do half ICSI as a means to diagnose DH's sperm. They wanted to see if they would be able to fertilize on their own. So they planned to do half and leave the rest to fertilize on their own. I guess when they got his sperm and saw the quality/quantity they didn't have a choice but to do all ICSI.

Good news Bronte that you don't need ICSI, that will save you some money!

 

[BronteForever]

Yes I was excited about that, Rebecca. Originally the financial person said our shared risk program "likes" to have you do ICSI regardless unless everything is perfect, but I verified with them today they take the doctors recommendation so she gave me new quotes without ICSI. We didn't have husbands SA back yet and while it's not perfect it's pretty close. In a weird way it makes me feel kind of worse that only myself is causing the infertility. But oh well, I just need to get over it. I know my husband doesn't blaim me in anyway (at least not that he'd ever be brave enough to admit to). Just a sucky feeling.

Beneathmywing- how exciting!! I'm so excited to see how everyone does. Baby dust to everyone.

 

[froggyfrog]

Yay for starting Lupron beneathmywing! It seems like the time is finally getting here for some of us!

Bronte, that good that you won't need icsi! I wondered too what would have happened had we not used icsi, but I would have definitely been more nervous!

Afm, Monday I have my endo scratch! Have any of you ladies had one before? I have read that for some it's painful, so I'm a little nervous, but excited to get that step past me.

 

[froggyfrog]

What a horrible dream timetotry! I couldn't imagine being told we had to wait that long!

 

[beneathmywing]

Yay for starting Lupron beneathmywing! It seems like the time is finally getting here for some of us!

Bronte, that good that you won't need icsi! I wondered too what would have happened had we not used icsi, but I would have definitely been more nervous!

Afm, Monday I have my endo scratch! Have any of you ladies had one before? I have read that for some it's painful, so I'm a little nervous, but excited to get that step past me.

I've had an endo scratch in the past.. I think it just depends on your pain tolerance and the doctor performing it, but mine wasn't bad at all anddd he had to do it twice because he didn't get enough tissue the first time! Lol bummer. Take Tylenol an hour or so before it! You will be fine

 

[Timetotry]

Yay for starting Lupron beneathmywing! It seems like the time is finally getting here for some of us!

Bronte, that good that you won't need icsi! I wondered too what would have happened had we not used icsi, but I would have definitely been more nervous!

Afm, Monday I have my endo scratch! Have any of you ladies had one before? I have read that for some it's painful, so I'm a little nervous, but excited to get that step past me.

I've had 2 scratches. One awake and one was done during my laprascopic/hysteroscopic surgery.
I don't want to scare you, but the one I was awake for was horrible. We didn't know ahead of time that they woukd do one that day (my appt just happened to be at the perfect time in my cycle). All I had before was 2 alieve. Thank goodness dh was with me. I clawed his hand. And was begging them to stop.
I'll likely have another one done next month. I'm not looking forward to it. I have some tramacet left over from egg retrieval, so I'm gonna ask if I can take some before.
I bleed for almost a week afterwards

 

[Timetotry]

A what if question for you ladies....
Would you consider using a donor egg (if eggs were you problem)?
How many ivf attempts would you try with your own before moving on?

I'm just pondering the future and things we may need to consider.