IVF or FET November/December 2015 - chat thread

[klik]

Boopin: hurray for the successful dental surgery, the Percocet, and the road ahead! So exciting you have a tentative transfer date! I think mine will be a few days after yours, but it will depend on when I get my next AF. I'm excited for you!!

Amanda: I think your plan is ideal. The embryo quality stats are in your favor, and of course, sadly, chromosomal issues are not the only potential obstacles... Personally, I'd rather spend money and time and energy on the transfers rather than on the testing--but of course, the testing can help you avoid eventual heartbreak, so it's hugely personal which way one goes. But again, I'm totally with you--I say, go for it. A 5-day blast is indeed already way more likely to work out than a 3-day embryo! As for the saline sonogram/hysteroscopy... Since you had a polyp in September, you might want to do that again. The doc who did mine on Monday said they do it before every FET, because polyps can show up anytime. So unless it's prohibitively expensive, I'd do that and stand the pain once more... Anyway, I'm sorry for your loss... it's really sad, but I'm also glad there's a lot of room for hope!

Also, I agree re. the ladies on this forum--thank you, gals, you are amazing and I feel really supported by you all!

Disneyfan: I'm really upset on your behalf about the 2 "normal" embryos not working out. It's heartbreaking, but it's also enraging. And I'd forgotten how young you were when you froze those. It all seems really wrong... But hey, I'm very hopeful for your medicated FET--I hope your body responds beautifully and makes an ideal home for that little frostie you've got. I think it's nice that you'll be coming into if after a lovely holiday and then your DD's birthday. A lot of positivity around, which I'm sure is really welcome after such disappointment...

Wish:

Hope: I hope you're enjoying your pregnancy, lovely lady!

I start norethisterone today, to downregulate, in preparation for the actual FET cycle. I don't like norethisterone because it means not trying naturally, but I keep telling myself it's all for a most excellent cause. I mean, I didn't know we even could make a blast in the first place!

 

[amanda1235]

Thanks Klik! Here's the thing about the hysteroscopy/hystosonogram....my Dr. is gone for a few weeks, we were lucky to be able to be squeezed in yesterday before he left today. If I go ahead with the scan, I may have to wait until he gets back, which means skipping the next cycle while I wait, and then skipping the cycle after that in order to do the scan. I think my clinic does the scan between day 5 and 12 of your cycle, but I don't THINK it can be during a cycle that you are doing a transfer. That being said, I'm not entirely sure. I go back to my clinic tomorrow for another blood test to make sure my levels are back at 0, so I will ask them how it would work if I decided I DID want to do it. This is all so difficult. I don't really want to skip potentially 2 cycles if I don't have to, mentally I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I had to skip one cycle in December because the clinic was closed, and it was hard knowing that there was nothing I could do to move forward that cycle (if that makes any sense). I've google the crap out of recurrence of polyps, and although they can recur, I THINK it usually takes longer than a few months. It's been 7 months since I had the polypectomy. I honestly don't know what the right decision is. I mean, I could say forget it, I'm just going to do the transfer, and make a decision next time based on the outcome of this one. That being said, in theory I could be wasting this embryo by not doing the scan if there is indeed something there again. The other thing, is as everything else, there is a cost.....and we are paying for this entirely out of pocket.
I honestly don't know if I'm making the right decision, but I will them ask again tomorrow when I go.
Klik I really appreciate your opinion Thanks!

Also just realized this post was a bit of a "thinking out loud" for me. oops!

 

[Disneyfan88]

Amanda - Thanks for the extra info on the immunology testing and the book recommendation. I'm definitely going to check that out. Regarding the saline sonogram, I had mine done on November 16, a month before my December 17 transfer (same cycle). I'm not exactly sure about the hysteroscopy. It's hard to say if our vacation will get in the way of me having it done in May, so I'm still in a wait and see for that.

I definitely have to echo your comments and everyone else's about the support on this thread. You ladies are amazing.

Klik - Thanks! Best of luck with the downregulation. It'll be totally worth it.

 

[boopin4baby]

amanda - Before the FET cycle can start your hcg needs to be undetectable (<5) and you need to have a period after mc. Then, you can have your scan at the end of your period, its okay to have it done on the last day of your period when bleeding is light (CD5-12). I just had a saline sonogram on 4/13 the day after my period ended. If your going to go straight into an FET cycle like I did after the saline sono, then you need to start BCP during that same period. Then you'll start Lupron a couple weeks later. Your going to have another period while on meds and if everything goes accordingly then your FET will be scheduled within 2 weeks of that period. From the time you start Lupron to transfer it's an average of 4 weeks.

If your clinic allows you to start a FET cycle the same month you have your procedure done, like mine does, then you'll be fine. The only snag you may have is your doctor being away for a few weeks. Can you see another Doctor in the clinic while he's away??

 

[amanda1235]

Thanks Boopin!
So my FET cycles seem to be planned a little differently. It's crazy how different Dr's do things so differently! Here's my protocol:
I need to wait until HCG is at 0, then presumably will start AF a week later. On the 1st day of AF I call my clinic to go in for a baseline scan, and if all is good (no cysts) then I start estrace at 2mg 3 x day. I start going in for scans about a week later to monitor lining thickness and quality. Once it's good, they schedule the transfer and I start progesterone. That's why I don't think I'll have a chance to do the HSG this time if I'm doing a transfer. I don't think they can do it, then transfer a week later? There is probably another Dr at my clinic that could do it, as he's the one that will do (and has always done) my transfer. I'll ask when I go tomorrow and see what they say. I guess I'm just really trying to hold on to the fact that this was just bad luck. Maybe that's really naive of me.....but....that's where I'm at right now.

 

[Disneyfan88]

Amanda - Here's what my calendar looked like when I did the saline sonogram and transferred that same cycle. I started BCP on cycle day 2. My lining check was a week earlier than it would normally be scheduled because I was out of town the following week.

 

[Disneyfan88]

And here's my medication calendar that I was to follow once my lining was confirmed to be thick enough. You can typically start progesterone and whatever other meds your doctor pics for you once the lining thickness is confirmed to be thick enough. We chose the transfer date which was still 2 weeks away after my lining check, so we waited another week to start.

 

[Disneyfan88]

Let me know if you can't read the text in the pictures, and I'll try to find another way to post them.

 

[amanda1235]

Thanks!! I'm pretty much doing the exact same thing as you, except I'm not doing the BCP beforehand. I wonder why my dr doesn't do that? I've noticed most people on here take that first. I also just check my medication list, and I am taking Doxy, Medrol and baby aspirin as well. I had forgotten that I did those during the FET, thought the Doxy and Medrol was only for the fresh cycle.

 

[Disneyfan88]

I did BCP for that cycle, but not the one after. I think part of the decision to use it comes down to manipulating the timing of the cycle. I also used dexamethesone in all of my transfer cycles prior to this last one (when my doctor suggested we try me not taking it).

My next cycle will be way different, but we will be starting with BCP again.

 

[Disneyfan88]

By the way, I HATE medrol. It tastes disgusting no matter how fast you try to wash it down with water, and it makes you have to pee a lot at night.

 

[amanda1235]

OMG I know!!!! Medrol is awful! I am not sad that it's only for 4 days!

 

[boopin4baby]

My medications and supplies arrived this morning. Let's get this party started!!

Desogen (BCP's since 4/12)
Lupron 2 week Kit
Estradiol Valerate in Sesame Oil
Progesterone in Sesame Oil
Estrogen/Progesterone Suppositories
Aspirin
Medrol
Zithromax

Insulin Syringes
1cc TB Luer Lock w/o Needles
22G 1.5 in Needles
ETOH preps
Sharps container

Wish me luck Ladies!!

 

[amanda1235]

Yay!!! Good luck!! Must feel good to be starting up again? It worked once, it WILL work again.

 

[Asterimou]

Amanda: I'm so glad we have each other. There is so much ch knowledge between us it really helps to ask questions on here as sometimes you just don't get answers from the pros.

Boopin: congrats on your baby making box!

I'm doing fine on my stimms, Menopur seems to sting a bit more when it goes in but it's nothing really. I'm on day 4 so have my scan on Friday. I've been listening to some good IVF affirmations by Bree Taylor Molyneaux, really helps me stay positive.

 

[amanda1235]

Aster I've never heard of her? What is it? At this point I will honestly try ANYTHING to help me BE (nevermind stay) positive!

 

[Asterimou]

Bree is an Australian hypnotherapist and has a range of CDs called pregnant possibilities. I have Apple Music and it is free on there but I'm sure you could download them fairly cheaply online if you don't have that. You could search other similar things. I mainly listen to the daily affirmations for pregnancy or the one for IVF pre pick up. It felt a bit silly at first but I swear the repetition of it has made me more positive. The tracks are only 15 minutes so easy to fit in at some point in the day.

 

[amanda1235]

Thanks Aster! I will definitely check it out glad you are feeling more positive, I know you've had some rough times too

 

[Disneyfan88]

For someone who is supposed to be on a break from thinking about her own TTC stuff, I seem to be doing a pretty poor job.

My meds that have been ordered are starting to arrive at my house (my insurance requires me to use a mail order pharmacy). My lupron and lovenox (kicked over to a different but related specialty mail order pharmacy) are scheduled to arrive Friday, and the rest of my meds are slowly trickling in via mail. Now I wait for AF so that my doctor can let me know when I need to start taking some of what I received and when I should expect to do my hysteroscopy.

I'm still having sporadic spotting from after my D&C (4 weeks later! ). I'm curious how long I can expect it to go on...


Asterimou - it's been 3 years since I've used Menopur, but I seem to recall icing beforehand and injecting super slowly to help with the burning effect.

Boopin - Good luck!!!!! Your medication list looks somewhat similar to my meds for my new protocol.

Desogen (birth control)
Lupron 2 week kit + needles
estradiol 0.1mg patches
femara
progesterone in oil + syringes + needles
doxycycline
medrol
dexamethasone
valium
aspirin
lovenox

 

[boopin4baby]

Disney - Our meds are very similar. I hope & pray we get our Rainbow babies!!