IVF or FET November/December 2015 - chat thread

[scoobybeans]

It's not due until Friday, so that would be ideal. But if it can hold off until Thursday I'd be fine with that too. I'm trying my best not to stress about it. As long as things look good at my baseline I should be ok to go forward.

Ugh, I'm sorry you're having terrible AF pain! I have dysmenorrhea so I can totally relate. Do you have Aleve or Tylenol to help? I guess the silver lining is you're one step closer to your FET!

 

[Wish2BMom]

good idea not really worrying about it - seems like you got another day in?

AF is here, I'm pretty excited to get started. I don't think I'll start Estrace today, though - I think they push it out by a day or two. So my transfer calculations are probably a little off. Oh well!

 

[klik]

Wish: glad AF is here but so sorry you're in pain... I hope this is the one for you. I really really really do... Your weekends sounds like it was super fun and productive! Bummer to be pulled in all sorts of directions for work. Sorry the natural thing didn't happen--it's always such a nice long shot... OTOH, it's another beginning, and I'm very hopeful for this new cycle!

Scooby: I think estrogen priming + antagonist is actually the Sher protocol. I may be wrong, though... I think Cornell generally does just estrogen for priming and uses the antagonist only in the active cycle. But Cornell is big and I only work with one of their doctors, so who knows? Did they start you on estrogen 10 days post ovulation or post LH surge? Either way, I hope AF holds off for long enough! And most importantly, whatever happens, I hope you get the golden egg this time! FX'ed...

TTC-wise I'm mostly just waiting until OTD, which is Tuesday. I'll go in, do some blood tests, inevitably be terribly disappointed, get off the progesterone and start another cycle. Occasionally when my body feels off (like, why am I PMS'ing so bad so early?!) I start getting a little hopeful and then I get really angry at myself for it. I'm pretty worn out with all the dashed hopes. I mean, if I ever get to transfer again I will allow myself some hope, but an IUI with one follicle? On balance, I basically expect it not to work but there's a little bit of me that won't let go of the possibility that it might. Oh, well, I gotta let my emotions do their thing!

 

[Disneyfan88]

Good morning, ladies. I'm checking in from the lab -- glucose screening this morning. It's been 15 minutes since I finished the drink, so I have another 45 minutes to wait until they draw my blood. I failed the one hour test by one point when I was pregnant with DD1 and had to take the 3 hour test. I really hope I pass this time outright because 3 hours in the lab (and 4 blood draws!) is such a waste of time. I am hoping to get the results before the weekend.

Klik - I hope that the Crinone is just what you need. Good luck!

Wish - I hope AF treats you nicely. I know that you're anxious to get started. I'm feeling good about this next time!

Scooby - I hope AF plays nice for you too - stay away, AF!! I'm sure everything will be ok, but I can definitely understand the worry. Hang in there!

Boopin - Thinking of you and hope that all is ok. Have you picked a donor yet?

Amanda - You're getting so close now. How are you feeling?

The mobile version of this website doesn't make it easy to insert smileys unless you remember the text for them. LOL

 

[boopin4baby]

Fx'd that you pass your 1 hour glucose test. I really hope you don't have to do the 3 hour!! GL Disney!! xx

And congratulations on making V Day!!

 

[Disneyfan88]

Thanks, Boopin.

 

[Disneyfan88]

I passed my glucose test. Big relief as I certainly didn't want to take the 3 hour test this time!

I also found out that despite being on an iron supplement since the beginning of March, I'm even more anemic now than I was then. It's hard enough juggling the iron pill with my thyroid pill. Both pills must be taken at least 4 hours apart from one another; both pills must be taken on an empty stomach; and both pills cannot be taken with calcium, which I still need in my diet and is also in my prenatal vitamin. I suspect I will have to go to iron pills twice a day, but I'm not yet sure how the timing will work out. I'm waiting on a response from my doctors office.

In all honesty, though, I'd rather deal with anemia than diabetes - so I at least have that going for me.

 

[Wish2BMom]

morning, ladies

disney - AWESOME that you passed!! what a drain that 3 hr one must be. So glad you don't have to go through that again. But bummer on the anemia! if it's not one thing, it's another and I'm glad this is the lesser of those 2 evils for you. What a pain with the pills, too. Is nothing ever easy?? haha

boopin - hi!! :wave:

klik - darling klik, an IUI BFP is definitely possible for you!! What you just described is a natural conception on steroids (not REAL steroids, of course) - your ovulation was monitored and the sperm injected down to the proper hour it should be, plus you BD'ed again to help things out! I have my fingers crossed for you that you get yourself a surprise BFP this cycle.
And I have to say - I know you and I are usually positive people. It makes me sad to read (and personally feel) how skeptical we've both become. Probably for the best but I kinda liked being optimistic to a fault! so for you

scoob - AF still holding off?? it's thurs, I hope you made it this far!

I think my AF is going to be negligible. I think PMS is now just starting to get worse for me, as my AF actually gets lighter. Ah, aging...
So I told myself I wasn't going to drink alcohol once AF started, but then I made plans with friends we haven't seen in ages for this Friday. So I'll just have a couple then and that's IT! My caffeine intake has already been lessened to the 2 scoops of caff, 3 scoops of decaf in my pot of coffee in the morning. I'll probably drop that to all decaf tomorrow. And I'm going to pick acu back up now that my bills are under control. I paid off my credit card the other day - WOOOO!!!! what a fantastic feeling that is!! of course I immediately got on to amazon and ordered stuff and hopped on to Express.com to see what they had for work blouses, but I only bought from Amazon and it was minor.

 

[scoobybeans]

wish- AF held off for me until today so you & I are one day apart! Did you find out when you are going to start taking Estrace? Congratulations on paying off your credit card, that is always such an awesome feeling! As far as Amazon, treat yo self! You deserve it I've been off coffee for about a month, just drinking black tea in the morning. As far as alcohol, I've cut way back but did have margaritas with my BFF last night. I think that will be it for me this cycle though. It's always about balance, right? You've gotta live your life.

klik- I looked into it and it seems like they developed EPP at Cornell but all of the major clinics do their own spin on it. CCRM seems to favor the EPP with antagonist in the luteal phase, while I think Sher couples it with MDL. So interesting, all of the variations out there. Yeah, I took Estrace starting 10 days after my LH surge. I'm sorry you're afraid to be hopeful I completely understand and feel the same way now too. Are you planning on POAS or will you wait until Tuesday? I agree with Wish, I think you've got a great shot and I'm so hopeful that this is it for you!

Disney- Woohoo, that's so awesome you passed your test! I've heard the 3 hour is awful. Wow, that pill situation sounds super complicated. What did your doctor recommend? Is there any way to get more iron from your diet so you don't have to take as many supplements? I hope the anemia resolves itself soon! My dad recently had that from taking antacids. It was making him really tired and forgetful. So when you get it under control you should be feeling much better! And yeah, the mobile site makes it tough to use smilies lol. I've been trying to memorize the ones I use a lot

AFM, today is officially cycle day 1! I'm going for my baseline on Saturday and my doctor wants me to start stims on Sunday if all looks ok. That's day 4, a little later than normal, but he wants me to finish the Estrace before I start stims. I'm not worrying about it any more. All of this stuff is out of my hands. I'm thinking positive! All will go well on Saturday and this cycle will be loads better than the last.

 

[Wish2BMom]

I started estrace on my cycle day 1, but my official cycle day 1 will be tomorrow. So I'll transfer on 5/12 and my OTD will be 5/24, the day after my trip to New Orleans. HA!
So excited you're starting, scoob!

 

[scoobybeans]

wish- If I make it to transfer this time I'll probably be within a few days of you. I honestly have no idea what to expect on this protocol though. I've heard some people stim for as long as 18 days. Have sooooo much fun in New Orleans! It's such a great city with so much heart.

klik- OTD is tomorrow, right? Good luck!!!

AFM, started stims on Saturday and going in for first scan tomorrow. Not sure what to expect so I'm trying not to think about it. My boss and I just talked about moving the location of the business again and we both want to be out of here within a few months. So that's going to keep me VERY busy. I really can't wait to move out of Yonkers. The traffic here is insane and our commute is pretty terrible.

What is everyone else up to? How were your weekends?

 

[klik]

Hey, ladies!

Disneyfan: wow, you've passed V-Day! Congratulations!!! And hurray on not having to do the 3-hr glucose test! Ugh on the pill timing, though--did they give you a decent solution in the end?

Boopin: hi!

Wish: yeah, I miss being just optimistic but I guess if some caution hadn't crept in by now that would mean we're unable to learn... The ideal is to find that sweetspot of caution and hope, but for me it's still more like a rollercoaster... except now when I'm at the bottom I try not to go up very high this time. How are you feeling about this next attempt? I have a feeling that transferring two is exactly what you need--exciting that you've started! Do you have any scans before 5/12?

Scooby: EPP+MDL is done at Cornell too--that's my doc's go-to protocol if the EPP+Clomid+injectables results in premature ovulation. The good thing is that these clinics all learn from each other--the bad thing is, so much is still unknown, it's actually a matter of luck, to some extent, finding a clinic that has a good protocol for you... Hey, it's excellent that you've started too! Cool that you and Wish will be having the TWW roughly simultaneously? What stims are you using, again? FX'ed for your scan today! Hope it goes/has gone well!

AFM: Sorry I went MIA--trying to get back on top of the workload that just gets rather neglected when I'm in NY... plus we have an election coming up, so I've been doing some volunteering... busy! I did, after all, become quite optimistic after I wrote you last--but then on Sunday I started feeling "about-to-get-my-period" symptoms. And then yesterday my temperature dropped precipitously. So I was fully expecting a BFN... and then today my temperature went up again, so I searched in a panic to try and see how long after implantation a blood hcg test would show a positive result. The answer does seem to be that it takes a couple of days for the test to be "positive" but beta should be at least 1 or 2 already by the next day. So if it was a ridiculously late implantation dip, I should know later today. Truth is, I don't think so--I just feel like I have the mother of all PMSs and my body is just begging me to get off the progesterone so it can bleed... Exciting times!

 

[Wish2BMom]

omg klik - I remember that feeling one of the times I was preg (wow, that's weird to say...)!! fingers so crossed that it's just that uterus getting signals to start morphing!
I agree with everything you said - I guess it would mean that we were rather ignorant and didn't learn anything along the way. But overall, i'd say we're still positive people.

scoob - good luck at your scan today!! I can't wait to hear how it went! Oh and YES, I love NO. This will be our 5th time there. It's my fave place on earth. This time is going to consist of the most crazy 'non drinking' ploy I've ever tried to pull off. My nurse was giving me suggestions - stomach bug and then when I'm 'feeling better', to have a soda water/cranberry juice drink. Trouble is, we're going with good friends who KNOW that my drink of choice is wine or the fun hurricanes or hand grenades down there. It's NEVER a mixed drink. Oh well - fake it til you make it!

disney, boopin and amanda - :wave:

Things with me have been weird. I had a total breakdown last week that lasted a few days. DH and I were fighting, my cat was having bad days and I thought we were going to have to make 'the call' on euthanasia, work SUCKS right now and I need a new job, etc etc. Not to mention all this stuff. So I was a hot mess - crying at the drop of a hat (and I NEVER cry). I'm better now, for the most part. Looking for a new job, I cannot wait to give my notice. I'll miss the people but I can't keep up with the 'start up' pace. It's really not good for my health either.
Anyway - yes, I have a scan around day 9, I think. I think she set it up for this coming Monday, 5/1. Then I don't think anything until the transfer, maybe some bloodwork.

 

[klik]

Wish: I feel it too--it's so sad to talk about having had multiple pregnancies and have no baby or ongoing embryo/foetus to show for it... And I'm so sorry it's been rough going for you... Poor cat... and fighting with DH is hard. This is such a long, hard road and inevitably pressures builds up for the couple. Maybe having it out will be good for you, once it has settled down again... I mean, it sounds like it's not all TTC but that certainly doesn't make it easier. I'm glad it's better--I hope it continues to improve! I hope you find a more manageable job. I really didn't notice that you didn't like yours--I mean, I know you've been busy but now it sounds like they've pushed you too far. I'm sorry you've been having to put up with that, on top of everything else... Good luck looking for a job! And getting ready for the little embryos... I hope this "total breakdown" is the start of excellent things to come!

AFM: Yeah, it's a BFN. I pretty much knew it--I was having to remind myself to stay at least a little bit hopeful. On the one hand, I can't wait for AF to come so I can just kick this off again--particularly it will be great to be cycling alongside Wish and Scooby! On the other hand, the logistics seem daunting--cajoling my local clinic to prescribe my meds; calculating flights; finding a place to stay; making an arrangement with the cleaner and the dog... Argh! But hey, as a friend has said recently, April showers bring May flowers--I hope that's the case for us!

 

[Wish2BMom]

oh I love it! bring on the may flowers! I'm so sorry about your BFN, though. Soon!! SOON!!!

thanks for the e-hugs. Yeah, it actually wasn't long ago that I loved my job and i was all in. But then i started to realize that I had a false sense of importance. i'd be beckoned on to calls at any time of day, texts over the weekends from my boss(es), etc - all pushing to get things delivered ASAP or find new ways to deliver things. And I'm not getting paid/don't have the title or stake in the company where that type of accessibility should be ok or expected. Just being taken advantage of. And I just suddenly burned out. I shouldn't feel guilty for watching TV or reading a book on the weekends and NOT working. But it's gotten to that. So - enough's enough. i say as i'm on my laptop at 10:30pm b/c of work...

 

[scoobybeans]

klik- I'm so sorry about the BFN hun It seems like you sort of had a feeling about it but that doesn't make it any easier. As for planning your next cycle, I can only imagine how much work is involved. My only advice is try and take it one step at a time instead of looking at the big picture. That's what I've been doing lately, one task at a time like a checklist. It helps a little. I'm sorry you have to go through this again but I'm glad you'll be joining Wish & I for our last chances for May flowers My protocol this time was a choice between EPP/antagonist or MDL. My sister had luck with MDL but knowing now that I'm a poor responder, I was worried Lupron would suppress me too much so I went with EPP. So far I'm a big fan of this protocol but we'll see what happens. They have me on 300 Follistim and 150 Menopur right now.

wish- It sounds like life it just throwing everything at you at once. I'm sorry you're having to deal with so much stress on top of the already-stressful trials of infertility. Ugh! Why can't life just be easy? DH and I had a couple of pretty brutal fights after my last IVF cycle, but I think it was needed to clear the air. Also, the Estrace is probably not helping. It took being off of meds for a month for me to realize how crazy they were making me lol. Anyway, I'm glad you're looking for another job. It's really messed up of them to push you that hard! Hmm, it sounds like you're going to have to be very creative in New Orleans. Cranberry juice masquerading as red wine? Do they make virgin Hurricanes?

AFM, my scan went well yesterday. 5 follies around the 6-7mm range with some smaller ones that will hopefully join the party. No dominant follicles, hooray! Lining already triple striped. So I'm staying on the same dosage and going back in tomorrow for another scan. I'm anticipating a longer stim time, like maybe 12 or 13 days? It's more expensive but whatevs at this point lol. One thing is I'm feeling a LOT more this time around. My left ovary in particular is very achy, to the point where I used a heating pad on low last night.

It's raining in NY today. Again. It feels like Seattle around here lately. But supposedly the sun is finally coming out tomorrow! I went to the Bronx yesterday to see the final results of an apartment building we supplied kitchen and bath cabinets to. It looked so good! I rarely get to see the fruits of my labor so it was really rewarding.

Good luck to all of us on BabyQuest 2017!

 

[boopin4baby]

:wave: Hello lovely ladies!!

Sorry for the bfn klik. Sending you lots of hugs.

Wish & scooby - I have fx'd for your current cycles. I really hope it works for you both. GL ladies!! You got this!!

We need more babies on our thread. That's my wish for us ALL in 2017. Ditto scooby!! bfp's!!

I'm off to Starbucks. I love their coconutmilk mocha macchiatos. Have a blessed day everyone!!

 

[scoobybeans]

Hey boopin!! :wave: That coconut milk mocha macchiato sounds like heaven right now. I hope you enjoyed it! You're so right, we all need to get BFP's on this thread already!!!

Scan went pretty well. Last time we saw 5, today we saw between 6-8. But they are growing slooooowwwwllllyyyyy. I know this is common for this protocol but I'm not the most patient person lol That said, if these follies all continue growing at a nice even pace and it takes me 2 or 3 extra days to get to ER I will be BEYOND THRILLED to get 6 or 7 eggs. Hoping my E2 levels are doubling.

I'm very anxious today. It's the anniversary of my sister's death, and the medication and stress of IVF are definitely not helping. I'm hoping time flies at work today so I can go home and snuggle with my hubby and dogs in my jammies. There may be ice cream involved.

How is everyone else doing today?

 

[Wish2BMom]

doing ok over here - about to attempt a run outside for sanity purposes. Dinner with friends tonight so I'm logging off at 5 come hell or high water.

what day are you scoob? I posted on your journal but I LOVE all the extra follies. Hurry up and grow! or don't and be slow and steady but all of you GROW!

that drink does sound divine, boopin! i'm addicted to their java chip drink. Can't have a lot though, something like 400+ calories!

I caved and just told my friend that we're going to NO for that I'll have just gone through another cycle so I won't be drinking. She's the only one I care about lying to.

 

[scoobybeans]

wish- I hope you had fun at dinner last night! DH is taking me out tomorrow night, I can't wait! Today is day 7 of stims and I'm going in for my next scan tomorrow. I keep all of the nitty gritty details on my journal so I don't bore everyone with sizes and hormone levels (I love numbers but I know I'm in the minority there lol.) I think it was a good call telling your friend. She'll probably even be able to help you cover things up.

I'm doing the follie dance over here! Need these little guys to grow, grow, grow!

How is everyone else doing? Any fun plans for the weekend?