IVF or FET November/December 2015 - chat thread

[klik]

Scooby: You'll be cycling next month, right? The estrogen priming is for the cycle before the active cycle, so if you were doing that, I reckon you'd know by now! I've been using transdermal patches. My RE is a real believer, and right now so am I... it just kind of helps discourage cysts from growing (a must for me!) and also it slows down the lead follicle so it doesn't grow too far ahead of the smaller ones. Might be worth asking your RE about it--you're supposed to put the patch on a week after ovulating in the "prep" cycle (and it doesn't interfere with natural attempts at conception, which is extra-nice, especially compared to BCP or norethisterone used for similar purposes...) But most people don't use it, so if you don't, don't worry about it! Good luck! As for your business, it sounds soooo exciting! I say go for it! But yeah, good idea on trying to make it a bit later, after your potential IVF. It will be hard to juggle so much responsibility and a new baby, if it comes, but I get the feeling you're a rise-to-the-occasion kind of person, so I'm sure you'll make it work!

Wish: hey! Sorry you're having to work so hard... do you enjoy it, though, or is it too much? And as for the ERA, ugh!!! I mean, ok, it makes sense to fine-tune the process, but I think I'd be climbing up the wall in your case. I wish you much patience! Glad you got to see your family--sounds really nice! Oh, so part of the reason for going to Cornell is to go for more than one at a time--my local clinic only lets me do natural cycle IVFs, due to my knackered ovaries. Last time at Cornell we only got two embryos, but boy did we get close to getting that THB...

Gals, it's so funny I'm coming across as optimistic. I feel kind of twisted, actually--like, "my uterus has definitely cleared up so I should do an IVF cycle, but then it's definitely not going to work." Obviously nonsensical--if it's not going to work I certainly shouldn't be doing it--but that's where my mind is at the mo... Oh, well, the mind just needs space to be nuts sometimes...

 

[Wish2BMom]

hahaha klik - I feel that way sometimes too! you are entitled to feel however twisted you want at any time!

work: I do enjoy it, better than being bored. And I seem to function quite well at this level of stress, but I also know that I'm not able to give 100% to everything I'm involved in. But I seem to be giving enough of a % for everyone to remain happy with me so that's a good thing! I do hope I get a break soon, though - I think I will. We're hiring a junior to be on my team and our 2 implementations should be live by the end of Feb, just in time for my next transfer.

speaking of which, I found out that after my next biopsy, I should be able to just either a) go straight on to estrace to start the next cycle or b) finish off 10 days of progesterone as if it were a natural cycle, get AF and get on estrace. So no real delays of being on BCP like we did with this last one, as the results should be back in by the time we'd transfer and we'll just adjust it by a day if necessary. WOO!

 

[Disneyfan88]

Great news, Wish.

 

[Wish2BMom]

disney - what crazy trips do you have going on this year before baby comes?

klik - how's NYC going?

scooby - that business opportunity sounds incredible! I agree, how could you not take them up on that? But yeah, hopefully you can time it just right so all of your stress is out the door by then. Many CEOs and women climbing the ladder have been successful at having and raising a family as well - you'll do wonderfully.

how's everyone else?

boopin - thinking of you. i hope you're well.

 

[scoobybeans]

wish- I hope you had fun on your NC trip! I have family down there as well Your protocol sounds identical to mine. I hope I don't need max doses though, that sounds rough! Thanks for your tip on combining shots. I'm definitely asking about that at our meds class this weekend. I'm so glad you don't have to wait this cycle! It sounds like our transfer dates will be pretty close. I can very much relate to your feelings on work. You're right- women can and do get to have both a family and a career these days!

Disney- I'm so glad your pain started to get better. Those long pregnancy pillow noodle thingies look awesome. I showed my DH and he told me he was going to steal it from me when I was done with it lol. He's a real pillow guy. Anyway, I hope you get your results soon, although I'm sure everything is just fine

klik- I should be starting in about 2-1/2 weeks. Argh!!! Thanks for the info on the estrogen priming. It sounds like I wont be doing that this round, but it's always good to know options for the future. Thank you also for your advice on my business opportunity. I think I've decided to go for it! In the long run, it will actually give me more control over my schedule. (Which potentially means more time to be with any little ones we may have.) That was so sweet about me being a rise to the occasion person. I guess I am! Never really thought about it. I'm definitely a late bloomer. I didn't get serious about life until my early thirties. It's weird, my aunt used to do astrology and she told me that my chart indicated that I'd be more successful in later life. Hmmm. Anyway, as for you I think it's totally okay to feel nuts! Honestly, I think any and all emotions are 100% acceptable with this process. Fear, anxiety, despair, anger, joy, hope... sometimes all at the same time

Yikes, sorry for the novel lol! Hope everyone is having a great day. Anyone have fun plans for the weekend? I'll be watching my Packers hopefully winning on Sunday.

 

[klik]

Disneyfan: we cross-posted last time and I didn't even notice. Thanks for the welcome! I'm really glad to hear the pain has let up. I can imagine the anxiety, waiting for those results... I've got everything crossed that you get the all-clear...

Wish: it's good that you can kind of enjoy the pressure, and that your % are acceptable to all! The timings that are coming up all look good--I hope they align beautifully for you!

Scooby: so much better to be a late bloomer than to burn out early! Though of course those are not the only two options. 2 weeks is not far at all! Good luck!

I just had my scan, and unfortunately I've still got products of conception in my uterus... My RE explained that it's not only that the embryo may implant exactly there, in the wrong place, but also that any foreign matter in the uterus can cause the whole environment to be wrong: wrong hormones, etc. It runs interference. So... I'm afraid we'll freeze, this time around. Then I HAVE to sit the next one out, and use it to do a hysteroscopy to get the RPOC out. *sigh*... I was so hoping not to have to do one... Then, in March, I guess, I can come back and try to do a fresh/frozen combination. So much for my instincts!

 

[Disneyfan88]

Results from these test just came in. They came back negative (I believe for the 3 main trisomies). Gender results say we are having another girl!

Scooby - I have a Snoogle pillow from my last pregnancy. My husband tried to steal it from me on more than one occasion. I haven't pulled it out just yet, but it's probably not a bad idea. Congrats on the job opportunity. It sounds like an excellent proposition, and I know you'd be great at it!

Klik - I'm sorry that you are still retaining POC. I know you'd rather not do the hysteroscopy, but mine wasn't too bad. And the time will pass before you know it Do the hormones that you referenced have any impact when you are stimming? Good luck with everything. Hang in there.

 

[klik]

Disneyfan: WOW, what a relief! Congratulations on the all clear!!! And oh, another little girl, how wonderful!!! Super happy for you!!!

Thanks also for the thoughts and reassurance on the hysteroscopy... Yeah, I've never had one before. I'm not too sure whether the hormones have an impact on stimming--I assumed not, but I didn't ask, actually... Still, so far it certainly looks like my follicles are doing ok: something like 14, 11, 11, 9, 9, and a couple of smaller ones. Starting to have some hope that we'll get an extra embryo this time (so, three rather than two...)

Could you remind me... was the hysteroscopy after your m/c? Or were you just making sure your uterus was in tip-top shape generally (which it certainly seems to be!!! )

 

[Wish2BMom]

morning girls

disney - CONGRATS!! well weren't we all wrong thinking baby girl was baby boy giving you different hormones! I'm so happy for you that everything came back negative - hopefully you can relax, even slightly, a bit more now. I know the worrying is never done, though.

klik - I've had a saline sonohysteroscopy before, is that what you're having? It's actually completely fine - I only had issues b/c my cervix wasn't cooperating and wouldn't let the catheter in. Once that was in, I didn't feel a thing and it was quick and easy. That sucks that you have POC, though - why do we have to keep waiting, waiting, WAITING??

scoob - great job on the decision to go for it! So what do you do, exactly? Just curious - and you may have told us already, I'm sorry if I don't remember. I was a late bloomer too (hello, trying for babies after 36...), in my career as well. I did fine earlier but I wasn't very dedicated. Though I think that was an easy thing to not be at the huge company I was at. You were either a drone or you got ahead based on who you know. Very rarely did (and does, still happening b/c DH works there) someone get the right amount of promotions based on their actual worth. Now I work for a very small, start-up company and I LOVE it and am quite motivated by the visibility.

on another note...Trump is sworn in today. Heaven help us all!

 

[scoobybeans]

kilk- I'm sorry the POC is impeding your next attempt. I had to do a hysteroscopy and D&C to remove a 1cm polyp in November for the exact same reasons (hormones get screwed up, embies like to implant in that spot, etc.) I have a sneaking suspicion the polyp is why I've never gotten a BFP. It was first discovered back in May of 2015 during an HSG but my OBGYN said it was "too small" at 5mm to cause any problems. My 1st RE wanted to remove it in December of 2015 but our insurance was changing in January and we only had time to do one quick monitored IUI cycle while it was covered. So we made the decision to do the IUI instead of remove the polyp. Fast forward to September of 2016, my new RE did a saline U/S and saw it had grown to 1cm. It doesn't sound big, but if you saw the photos from my surgery it took up like 1/4 of my uterus! So, very long story not short (lol) the surgery wasn't bad at all & I just wish I'd done it sooner. I think this might actually work out great for you, giving you a chance for more embies

Disney- Congratulations on your awesome test results and your little girl!!! Haha, I was right! Will you be sharing the gender with anyone? My sister and BIL found out but kept it a surprise from all of us until the birth, which was pretty fun actually. What's with guys and pillows lol? They're so funny.

wish- Thank you! I work for a kitchen and bath company. I do design, supply, project management and estimating for large affordable housing projects in the NYC metro area. I came here 3 years ago from a larger company where I worked for 11 years and was totally undervalued. This was a start-up and I've been running things since day one, so it shouldn't be too hard of a transition. I just need to learn the operational stuff like billing, payroll, etc. I actually hired my husband about a year ago because he was fed up with the field he was in, so he'll be running things with me (although I'm still in charge, naturally ). My boss is going to keep a 1/3 stake in the company so that takes some of the pressure off, as he has tons of experience on the operational side and a lot of great industry contacts. So it sounds like you and I both took really similar paths and are now in places that allow us to shine

As for the Orange One, I can't even discuss him without getting angry & frankly terrified of what the future holds. I just want to stick my fingers in my ears and say "la la la not happening la la la".

 

[Disneyfan88]

Thanks, ladies! It certainly is a relief to get the results back. With all of the failed transfers that we've been through plus the abnormal embryos that we had to discard, it was hard to know what could happen this time. We are still doing other routine 1st trimester screening stuff, but I think this takes the pressure off a little. And while we ultimately would have been happy with either gender, we're thrilled to be able to reuse clothes and other girly things that we already have.

Klik - Your follicles sound like they are doing great! My hysteroscopy was performed at the same surgery center as my D&C (and by the same doctor - my RE). The procedure took a similar amount of time, and recovery was similar afterwards, though with less bleeding. I was put under for both. The hysteroscopy was done after my D&C and was mainly scheduled to make sure that everything looked good in there. She did remove a small amount of retained tissue related to the miscarriage but gave me the all clear otherwise.

Wish - I'm so not looking forward to the swearing in of our new president. Supposedly gambling places put it at 4-1 odds that he won't last through the end of the year.

Scooby - Your job sounds great. I'm so thrilled for you!! We haven't shared the gender news with anyone yet, though I was itching to tell my parents as soon as we found out. We won't keep it a secret, but my husband wants to wait a little longer.

I try not to talk about pregnancy stuff too much and be respectful of the journeys that you are all still embarked on. You've all been so supportive through my ups and downs, and this is where I feel the most at home on these forums. I sincerely want to see all of you succeed and believe that you will each get to that finish line. I hope you don't mind me continuing to hang around.

 

[Wish2BMom]

Ms Disney - and EVERYONE ELSE... we all want each other to be successful and we want to share in that success with you. So we WANT you to stick around. If there are actually women on here who want to form relationships with each other but ONLY if they remain without children, they are psycho and gluttons for punishment or misery. I come on here for like-minded situations, support and to support others and, if I'm very lucky, a couple of friendships along the way. So YES, you BETTER stay here!!!
Honestly, I may never get pregnant. I've literally got 4 more tries and then we're done. I might be that statistic that you know - the one-in-however-many that never has a baby. So be it. But that certainly does not mean that I wish for anyone else to be in my situation. And my cheerleader self LOVES the fact that I have people to root on!!
Honestly x2, if someone left us just b/c they got preg, that's kinda crappy. I get the guilty feeling but you don't need to have that. If we make connections, we should be able to keep those connections. I would just feel like I was only here for you to have a shoulder to cry on and then once you got preg and left, we weren't good enough anymore.

also, that's hysterical about the odds on OP (Orange Prez). He really is begging to be impeached. It'll be an interesting year, that is fo' sho'.

scoob - your job sounds amazing, I've always wanted to have the talent to look at a space and just go crazy with someone else's money and design! I can draw, but that's really the extent of it. I am sure there is loads of training involved to be able to create a space but the beginning creative, look-past-what-is-to-what-can-be gene, I don't possess. So I am very jealous of you!!

 

[amanda1235]

Disney, congrats on the results and on having another girl! I feel the same as you, this forum is by far where I feel the most at home, all you ladies have been so supportive and amazing ofer the last....14+(?) months!! I also hope that my sticking around isn't making it difficult for anyone. Wish, I appreciate what you said! ❤️ I have faith that one of those 4 tries will yield a healthy baby, but whatever happens we're here for you!

Klik, ugh, totally shitty that your uterus wasn't clear as you had thought/hoped. I've had 2 hysteroscopies, and both times I was under sedation, but not completely out of it. Whole procedure lasted 10-15 minutes, and although it wasn't fun, the nurses kept pumping in the pain meds at any sign I was in pain, so really wasn't so bad. Had some painful cramping for about 30-45 minutes after, then all was good. I spotted a bit, but nothing major! Your follicles seem great, here's hoping for more embryos this time!

Scoob, your job does sound cool!

Sava hope things are going well!

A quick update on me, I'll be 24 weeks on Sunday, and can feel her moving quite a bit. To be honest though, it all still seems so surreal. It still hasn't really hit me that this is happening. After all we've been through, it's hard to believe it's actually happening. One thing that has made me start to breathe again though, is that at 24 (even 23 actually) weeks, it's possible that she could survive out of the womb. I want her to cook a lot longer still, (obviously) but that has kinda taken away some of the stress I was still feeling.

Anyways, hope you all are good!

Oh, and watched part of the inauguration on the Canadian news channels. So much uncertainty of what's going to happen....

 

[Disneyfan88]

Wish - Your comments mean a lot - thanks! Last time I was part of a thread like this one, one of the ladies became very upset with those of us who decided to stick around and continue cheering the others on (there were many of us). We ended up leaving for a new thread, but I always want to be mindful and respectful of others' feelings. You've totally got this, and I strongthly believe that you will find your way with those remaining lucky embryos.

Amanda - Wow - 24 weeks already! I will say that the level of paranoia does seem to ease a bit once you start feeling constant movements, and you're right about reaching 24 weeks being a little more weight off of your mind. I'm beyond thrilled for you. Have you started thinking about names yet?

 

[klik]

Wish: Yes, all this waiting is truly insufferable!!! We'll get there, though. I believe it. Hopefully four more tries is three more than you'll need! The hysteroscopy is different from the saline sonohysterogram, which is I think what you had... I had the saline sonohysterogram in Australia, and that's where we originally determined I had retained POC. As I understand it, with the hysteroscopy you have a little camera inserted through your cervix, so you can get a really good look around and find out what the uterus actually looks like. And then you can see what needs to be removed... Is that what you did have? Generally it's done with general anaesthesia (whereas the sonohysterogram generally isn't), but sometimes, like Amanda, you just get local. Not sure why I'm dreading it so much... Maybe I'm afraid they'll find something else is wrong with my uterus, and it can't be fixed...

Scooby: This is all really cool about your job/business--and I love that your boss is keeping a stake in the company--that's always a good sign! As for your polyp, yeah, 1cm is big and can definitely mess things up. Hoping for good things for you in the fertility and in the business fronts!

Disneyfan: thanks for the clarification! That's super-helpful. Which is one reason why I'd love you to stick around: you're a fount of wisdom! But the most important one is that I really benefit from your support, and I want to be able to support you as you go through your pregnancy, too. Please do share! It would be ideal (albeit boring) if we could all go through this journey at the same speed, but of course that's impossible... But I'm really aware that this is not a pie, where if you take a slice then there's less for me. Rather, you're in a good place now, after so much struggle and heartache and pain... You bring me hope! And yeah, if I don't make it... Then it's obviously not your fault, and if you're around I know you'll comfort me and I know it will be heartfelt, because you know how hard it is. You're incredibly valuable!

Amanda: same goes to you--thank you so, so much for sticking around! Interesting that your hysteroscopies were done under local anaesthesia. I'm really glad you've crossed that 23-week threshold and your little girl would even be able to survive outside your belly. I can imagine the relief there... That said, may she stay til she's reached full term... You're doing great! And yeah, names... So exciting!

Re. the orange one: anyone marching tomorrow? I REALLY wanted to be able to go to DC, since we're so close, but can't risk not making it back in time for monitoring... So we're marching in NYC instead.

 

[klik]

follies: 18.6 16.7 14.3 12.4 -- trigger probably tomorrow...

The march was awesome! I wish I was still there.

to all...

 

[scoobybeans]

Disney- I just wanted to echo what wish & klik said. I 100% want you to stay here. I root for everyone to succeed and I love to see a happy ending. I'm also aware that it simply doesn't work out for some women and so I'm also here to support anyone whose path goes a different way. Please don't go anywhere.

Amanda- Same as above goes for you of course. 24 weeks is super exciting!!! I think the thing I'm looking forward to the most about pregnancy is feeling movement. That's got to be just amazing.

wish- It's definitely fun to figure out how to fill a space and a great challenge if you like to problem solve a little out of the box (which I do). My favorite thing is following a project from conception to completion. There's nothing like seeing something on a blueprint and then walking through that three dimensional space 2 or 3 years later and knowing how much hard work went into making it a reality. It's very cool. As I'm typing this, I'm realizing that this is why I like to pour through pregnancy journals when I have free time lol. I love reading about the whole journey and seeing the outcomes. Anyway, there are some definite not-so-fun aspects of my job too. (Math, math and more math.) But I feel very lucky to have found something that seems to suit me so well.

klik- My hysteroscopy was done under general anesthesia and the whole thing took about 3-4 hours from when we got there to when we left. I had some light bleeding and then spotting for a few days and only minor cramping after. They gave me Motrin which worked great. It's actually kind of cool to see the photos and it's a great diagnostic tool. They'll be able to make sure your tubes are clear, see if you have polyps or fibroids or even endo. I think it will actually give you some peace of mind. I was a bit of a baby about going under anesthesia but it was totally fine. On another note, I'm so excited about your four follies!!! So what is the plan, they will do a retrieval and then try and get them to 5 days for freeze?

AFM, we had our medication class on Saturday and all I have to say is HOLY MOLEY THAT PIO NEEDLE IS HUGE. I've heard people talk about how much that one sucks but honestly I wasn't expecting that!!! On the plus side, my DH has lots of experience preparing and giving shots coming from a medical background so he's super comfortable with this part. (So glad, because I'm not.) Our IVF class is tomorrow, then we have to sign the consent form, find cheapest meds and get loan approval. Feels like a lot to do but I'm off of work tomorrow so I'll get it all done.

I was taking another look at the protocol my doctor gave me and it looks like I'll be on BCP for 2-3 weeks. I'm a little nervous about that. Don't a lot of women get over suppressed? Anyone have experience with that? Also she anticipates stimming for 8-12 days. Does that seem long or about right for my age?

 

[Disneyfan88]

All of you ladies are so great!

Klik - You're getting close, and your follies look great! Good luck with the trigger and retrieval!

Scooby - I always got my specialty meds from Freedom Fertility (mail order) pharmacy, but my insurance made me go through them anyway. They do next day deliver for free and include sharps containers, alcohol swaps, and cotton swabs in your orders for free. It could be one to look into for pricing. I think they are based out of Massachusetts or somewhere on the east coast. I was lucky with my PIO shots in that my doctor ordered me the 1 inch needles (she said because I was small framed). The 23 gauge needles worked best for us because they were thinner than the 22 gauge needles. We tried the even skinnier 25 gauge needles, but the oil was so hard for DH to push through that he kept moving the needle, and it took forever to administer. One of those small electric handheld back massagers help reduced knots that you will eventually get a little bit. That's great that your DH is comfortable doing it for you.

I did BCP before both of my IVF cycles, and the number of days of stimming sounds about right. I was 28 back in 2013 when I did my 2 cycles.

Also, most people do the trigger intramuscularly in the butt. My doctor had me do mine (Novarel) in the tummy. I'm not sure if there's a difference based on trigger brand, but it could be something worth asking about. I prefer the tummy shots.

Also, I found it easier to do the tummy shots myself, and leave the butt shots to DH, but everyone has their own personal preference. Some of the medications could potentially sting a little bit, and I found it easier to be able to control the speed of the injection myself.

 

[klik]

Scooby: Our plan is to freeze on day one (fertilization day)--my RE prefers not to grow embryos to blast in the lab, as he feels you might lose some that might survive in the womb... Hey, it's so cool you get to be really and truly creative! Yeah, the PIO needle is indeed huge... Hopefully your DH can make that easier for you, with his medical background, but sadly nothing will make those injections pleasant. Oh, and as for BCP, yes, about a year ago it was definitely oversuppressive for me and now I treat it like the devil incarnate... But before that, when I was 40, I took it a couple times and had no problems whatsoever. My hunch is, with your good AFC and FSH, you'll be ok with BCPs. But hard to know for sure until you try... As I mentioned before, I prefer estrogen patches in the place of BCPs, partly for that less suppressive effect.

Disneyfan: thanks! Yeah, I was sure I'd trigger tonight but my doc decided to wait one more day, to see if we can get one more mature egg. Hopefully the lead follicle won't overcook (it's at 19.5 already). Always such a difficult balance...

So yeah, trigger probably tomorrow. My current conundrum (I always seem to have one!): My doctor here said hysteroscopies are usually done in the first half of the cycle, but for some unfathomable reason my London clinic likes doing them in the luteal phase, around day 19. Early "feels" better than late to me because it means the body has more time to recover before the next IVF assault. So I'm thinking I might use an ob/gyn instead for this--the guy I was hoping would deliver our baby... DP is nudging me to come back to NY and do it here, but not only is that super-expensive for no great reason, with travel, hotels, etc., I'd also love to just stay put at home for one measly month...

 

[amanda1235]

Klik, yay for triggering tomorrow! As for the hysteroscopy timing, I know they like to do scratches in the second half of cycle specifically to help with implantation, as the trauma to the uterus can create the perfect implantation site due to extra blood going to regeneration or something. My dr even did my scratch at the very beginning of one of my transfer cycles, as he believes closer is better. (That one implanted, but we lost it after). Maybe, since they often do a biopsy during a hysteroscopy, which is essentially the same as a scratch, that's why they'll do it later? The only reason my clinic will do a hysteroscopy in the first half, is that IF you're pregnant, it would jeopardize the pregnancy. My last hysteroscopy (month before this pregnancy) is was in the second half of cycle, as I had had a beta, and knew I wasn't pregnant. Something to think about!

Also, that may have been super confusing lol, let me know if it wasn't clear