The Official TTC for 6 Months or More Thread

[JGator]

LV, good luck with the retrieval. I will be thinking of you tomorrow.

 

[random_thought]

Did the HSG today. My fallopian tubes and egg quality are fine. However, there is a polyp on the bottom of my uterus that may be cancerous. It is also preventing us from getting pregnant. They want to schedule surgery in the next week or two to get rid of it as well as the cyst on my ovary. Sorry if I'm not around much in the next few days, another giant blow like this is going to take some time to process...

Le sigh.

 

[JGator]

RT, good luck with the surgery. At least you have an explanation now. I'm really hoping it's not cancerous and you heal quickly. Hugs to you!

 

[random_thought]

RT, good luck with the surgery. At least you have an explanation now. I'm really hoping it's not cancerous and you heal quickly. Hugs to you!

Well, more of an explanation lol. I still have endometriosis and pcos screwing with my hormones as well. They are going to remove the gigantic cyst off my ovary while I am in there as well...

 

[amc80]

RT, good luck with the surgery. At least you have an explanation now. I'm really hoping it's not cancerous and you heal quickly. Hugs to you!

Well, more of an explanation lol. I still have endometriosis and pcos screwing with my hormones as well. They are going to remove the gigantic cyst off my ovary while I am in there as well...

Sorry you have to go through all of this. Hopefully having at least some sort of path is comforting?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Random, oh my goodness, I was really excited to see your tubes were open, but then I saw your other news. I'm so sorry to hear about the polyp. Thoughts and prayers headed your way that it is benign and the procedure and recovery goes smoothly. I do think it is good that you are getting that cyst checked and removed from your ovary as well though because that could be impacting your fertility as well. My sister had a cyst that ended up damaging her ovary to the extent they had to remove it. One question for you though, how were they able to tell you had good egg quality??? Is that just based on your FSH or AMH levels or something? I didn't think you could tell anything about quality without actually achieving a pregnancy or through IVF, so I'm curious to hear what they said about that.

LV, fingers crossed for you tomorrow! Hoping for lots of mature, good quality eggs.

JGator, I don't think my clinic offers a shared risk program. She told us it would be $9,000 something for the IVF, excluding labs, monitoring and meds. She thinks I would respond pretty quickly to the meds, but that is the unknown part in the equation. Thanks for your thoughts. I have to agree with you that something is just not quite right. I almost hope it has something to due with my tubes or another barrier to fertilization, otherwise, it must mean I have super crappy eggs, and I worry even IVF won't due the trick.

SB, thanks so much for the information on ICSI and advice as well. I think you hit the nail on the head about my disillusionment. I guess nobody goes into IVF for the heck of it, so it shouldn't surprise me that I'm reluctant. I do think it is time to face the facts that it is probably my only remaining option. Sorry to hear your FET might have to be delayed a bit. Sounds like there will be a few of us possibly doing IVF/FET around that time.

 

[royalasscherlover]

MP, I think hesitancy is normal...I was devastated when my last IUI failed because I really didn't want to need IVF. It is a huge step emotionally and financially (we also pay out of pocket), and scary because it feels like a last resort and that there are no other options if it doesn't work. I will say, outside of the OHSS which I suspect you won't get, I didn't think the physical part was much worse than an injectable cycle, so at least you have that under your belt. On the plus side, you do get more info about your egg and embryo quality so I think it is really helpful from a diagnostic perspective for those of us who have had multiple failed IUIs for unknown reasons.

LV, I hope your retrieval goes well today! Here's hoping you get a good one...or more!

RT, I'm so sorry to hear you need surgery, but I am optimistic that it will ultimately help your chances of becoming pregnant afterwards.

AFM, AF came a bit earlier than expected so I am CD1 today. For a change I am excited to see her since it means we can get the FET cycle going!

 

[random_thought]

MP- I believe they base it off the FSH score but I'm not entirely sure? At my last RE when I had the cd3 bloodwork done, they told me the same thing...so who knows! I just really am praying that after that they don't find anything else wrong. I had originally planned to say no to surgery if they said that this time because we really do not have the money for it. But with the history of cancer in my family, particularly uterine and ovarian, my husband is making me do it. If we get pregnant as a result that is awesome. But like I said, really praying for no more issues, we are already on overload already, thank God at least that DH has good swimmers!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Random, that makes sense. You certainly have a much better chance of getting pregnant with a normal CD3 FSH result. My FSH is above what it should be for someone my age, so it seems that poor egg quality is my issue, and there's not much to be done about that. As for the surgery, I definitely agree with your husband that this is much too important to delay. Hopefully, your insurance will cover a good portion of the surgery. Big hugs. It must be really scary, but we are all hoping for good results and positive affects on your fertility.

SB, thanks for your perspective. I'm relieved to hear you didn't think the IVF cycle was much worse than an injectable cycle, and you're right, I wouldn't think I'm likely to get OHSS. I guess the part I'm most worried about it what I'll find out, but in the end, I guess I'd rather know what's really going on and whether it's realistic for me to have any more babies. For once, I'm happy for you that it's CD1. Does that mean you will get a chance to do the FET before the July break? That's great.

AFM, I'm out of town for work right now, but DH and I had a good phone conversation last night, and I think he is coming around to my side and thinking that it's probably time to give up on the IUIs. I do feel bad for him because I know he would do anything to fix this problem and take the pain away. He wants another baby too, but I think he just wants to make sure that I won't fall apart if we don't. Poor man, we've been TTC (and pregnant with my son) for all but the first 6 months of our marriage. It certainly takes a toll.

 

[random_thought]

Consult with ole doc-o today. Fingers crossed she has a plan of action that doesn't suck. I already know I'm staying on the dexamethasone until I'm pregnant so we'll find out if I get to take anymore pills.

Quick question- was looking at my labs and my FSH score is 0.1 below the normal levels. Think it's anything to worry about or just brush it off because it's such a small difference?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Random, what was your FSH? There are different ranges based upon age. Obviously, the lower it is, the better, but everything I've read and have been told is that they like to see it under 10 for a better response to stimulation. It's one of those things that creeps up as you age, and also, it can vary from month to month. I was also told that you are supposed to have it taken on CD3 in conjunction with an estrogen check because higher levels can artificially supress FSH. Good luck at your appointment today. Keep us posted!

LV, hope everything went well for you and is continuing to go well!

 

[random_thought]

Ok so here is what my scores are from cd3 (lol I don't know what else to call them)

AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) 5.4 ng/mL
Reference range for normal - <6.9

FSH- 3.4 mIU/mL
Reference range for follicular phase 3.5 - 12.5

Estradiol- 27.2 pg/mL
Reference range for follicular phase 12.5 - 166

 

[monkeyprincess]

Random, your FSH is nice and low, so that's great. I thought you were saying your FSH was .1 below the upper normal limit, which might have been a different story. I've never heard of there being a problem with having too low of FSH. Your AMH is on the high side, which I assume is why your doctor is treating you for PCOS. From what I gather, someone with high AMH is more likely to have hyperstimulation to injectable meds. But it certainly sounds like you've got plenty of eggs left, so that's good news. I'm the opposite. Everything else seems normal, but my FSH and AMH are on the borderline of diminished ovarian reserve, especially for someone my age (33).

 

[random_thought]

Random, your FSH is nice and low, so that's great. I thought you were saying your FSH was .1 below the upper normal limit, which might have been a different story. I've never heard of there being a problem with having too low of FSH. Your AMH is on the high side, which I assume is why your doctor is treating you for PCOS. From what I gather, someone with high AMH is more likely to have hyperstimulation to injectable meds. But it certainly sounds like you've got plenty of eggs left, so that's good news. I'm the opposite. Everything else seems normal, but my FSH and AMH are on the borderline of diminished ovarian reserve, especially for someone my age (33).

I hate dealing with the labs, they are always so confusing! Thank you for explaining it to me
I'm starting to look forward to surgery now, last night I ovulated from the ovary with the cyst and had to take a morphine and sit in a hot bath for an hour. I'll be so happy to get rid of that thing!

 

[lliang_chi]

RT, sorry you were in such discomfort yesterday. When do you think your doctor will be scheduling surgery?

MP, Hope you're back from your trip and was able to spend Fathers' Day at home with your DH and Ev. Did you guys decide to do the last IUI (even to just check the box)? And I believe you and your DH are such a good example of a strong marriage having to face your struggles this together. And I'm humbled by how graceful and positive you are (almost) every day. I know that response doesn't help you, but just know that you guys are an admirable team.

LV, How are you doing after your retrieval? Hoping all is well for you

SB, Exciting you're one step closer to a transfer. Very excited for you.

AFM, we got a Fathers' Day BFP on Sunday. Still very cautious and nervous. I was excited yesterday, but now I'm just nervous again.

 

[Loves Vintage]

LC - Congrats again!! I am so happy for you!!

MP - Are you back in town? When will you test?

*****
AFM - Retrieval went very well. It was very quick too! We got there a little early, and they took me right away. I was in and out in about an hour and fifteen minutes! They give pain meds at the retrieval, and told me I could take some tylenol if I needed it. But, I didn't. I had a similar recovery last time.

There was a lot of confusion re: how many follicles there were. One RE would count all of them. Another would count just those likely to be mature. The RE who did the retrieval, right before it, told me 8 or 9, which was less than the 11 he told me a few days prior. Then, after the procedure, the nurse told me 21! I was pretty thrilled, but the next day I learned that only 10 were mature and only 7 fertilized. I just found out that the 7 are dividing normally and look very good, per my RE. Yay!! I will learn on Thursday, how many survived and how many were biopsied for testing.

 

[JGator]

LV, sending dust for 7 healthy embies! I hope you get a good number that make it. Will you do a Fresh or FET transfer after the genetic testing?

 

[monkeyprincess]

LV, thanks for the update. So glad the retrieval went well. I'm keeping everything crossed that your seven embryos continue to grow and are normal and healthy when you get your update on Thursday.

LC, I already posted on the other thread. But again, I couldn't be happier for you! Really hoping that you will have an uneventful pregnancy and you will be holding that little bean in your arms in nine months. You've been through a lot this year, so it's great to finally have some good news. And thanks for your kind words. I wish I could handle all of this far more graciously than I do sometimes, but it means a lot to have your support. And yes, I'm very lucky to have my DH with me every step of the way.

Random, you poor thing. Definitely time to get that cyst removed. So hoping you will get good news after your surgery.

JGator, when do you test? I can't remember for sure where you are in the 2ww! Fingers crossed for you as well.

AFM, yes, I'm back in town for now and was able to spend the weekend at home. I'm leaving again this week though, which sucks, but at least my trips fell during the 2ww and didn't interfere with any fertility monitoring or treatment. I will probably test this weekend. I'll be 12dpo on Saturday, so it will likely be accurate by then. I really don't have any expectation that it will be positive, but I'd rather know early to give us a few more days to decide for sure how to proceed.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thanks, JGator! We will do a FET, per my RE's recommendation. We are also testing the three frozen embryos (two of which have to grow a little more, and it kind of amazes me that that's possible!) I am worried about them.

I did want to respond to your post re: your RE said that studies have not shown that testing results in a higher rate of successful pregnancies. I agree, and this is where I got caught up with my prior RE. The first time I talked to him about PGD or CCS, he was all for it. The next time, I came with my own info, and asked him if there were any recent studies that showed testing embryos resulted in more successful pregnancies. He said there weren't, but that the old testing (for which those old studies were done) was done on day 3, and the theory is that this new testing is more accurate. I had also read on another forum (just before that apptmt) about a woman who transferred a pgd-tested normal embryo, that resulted in a pregnancy and yet she had an early loss. That's so unfair. It doesn't seem like that should be possible. Chromosomally-normal embryo implanted - why? To me, it was not worth the cost at that time, especially since I assumed I would only have 1 or 2 day 5's, so we decided against testing. Now, we were going to transfer 1 or 2 of those day 5s with the new RE, until his lab saw the report for them, and were concerned as to their grading. Sooooo, then we decided, ok let's test instead of transferring (likely singles) over and over. And, then there are stats like this: http://www.colocrm.com/Services/ComprehensiveChromosomeScreening.aspx My RE showed me similar stats for his practice. I know it's not a study, but it's the best chance I've seen since starting all of this. And, I am hopeful. Anxious, too!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Double-post!

Good Luck, MP! It is absolutely possible!! I know you have been through a lot, and it is tough to see!

JGator - Are you testing soon?

 

[random_thought]

LC- it is so nice to see a bfp on here! Gives me hope Lots of sticky dust to you! They are trying to get me in this coming thursday or the following thursday. I'm hoping for this thursday so I don't have to use any extra time off work but it is what it is

MP- I'm crossing everything I have (except my legs, can't get pregnant that way!) that you get a positive in the next few days

 

[JGator]

MP and LV, I'm 11 DPO today. I did test this AM, but not with FMU and got a BFN. With K, I didn't get a BFP until 12 DPO, and I only have Wondfos so I'll just try again tomorrow. I'm not that optimistic - actually I'm a little nervous about getting a BFP on our own because of the odds of MC and the resulting delay to getting the IVF train moving. So, I think if I get another BFN or if AF shows I'll be kind of happy/relieved to get started with the CD3 testing. I'm also apprehensive about the whole IVF journey, and my thoughts on the odds for success and likely only trying twice since that's what our insurance will cover at about 75%. So, I'm pretty torn. I need to stay away from the RESOLVE message boards - they make my odds at my age sound very low.

LV, I'm glad you are doing the 5 day testing and FET - I think I will lean that way when/if we get there as well to make the best investment possible and reduce chances of MC. That does sound more promising with ruling out the potential mosaicism issues with the testing on 3 day embies. Those CCRM CCS numbers are AMAZING for my age group! I wish I lived closer to them!

MP, good luck with making your decision on next steps, and I'll continue to cheer for you getting a BFP on Saturday.

LC, congratulations again! Try to be happy and not worry too much - I know easier said than done.

 

[choro72]

mp, you've been such a strong support for me. Hugs to all the disillusion you are going through, and I'm hoping you don't have to go to IVF route. I'm crossing my fingers for your test!

lv, happy for the good retrieval! Crossing fingers for 7 healthy ones!

LC, congratulations!!!!! I'm so happy for you! This gives me so much hope!! Please stop by and leave your positive words!!

AFM, D&C went pretty smoothly last Monday. It seems silly now, but I was terrified of being knocked out. It was my first time. The receptionist asked me about a living will, and that made me sweat even more. I told DH that if I don't wake up, he has to take care of DS's birthday party (Wednesday and yesterday).
Anyway, everything went smoothly. I didn't need any pain meds. Follow up is on the 27th, but I'm still bleeding a little. My biggest worry now is ovulating after D&C. I think LC mentioned while ago that she needed to do something to get the cycle started. I'm trying to hope that I'll end like her. I'm traveling for 2 weeks in July without DH so chances are it's going to interfere with our cycles.

 

[Loves Vintage]

JGator - Yes, that RESOLVE board can be depressing, though I think there's another board where the happy endings are posted. I need to find that one, lol. The thing about the CCRM stats (and others like them), and I feel like a negative nellie for pointing this out, but they are only including outcomes for chromosomally normal embryos. It's possible that some women do not make it to transfer. With all of that said, you are in a good position because you have had a healthy pregnancy already. AND, do not discount the fact that we are all individuals in this, so statistics based on age do not determine the outcome for us as individuals. ETA: SART reports also show how many of a clinic's cases are PGD tested. It's impossible to know the reason why, though. At my old clinic, the nurse told me that women mostly did PGD for sex selection, which seems hard to believe, given the extent to which PDG is discussed re: testing for chromosomal abnormalities.

Choro - Anesthesia is always frightening. (For some reason, I always thought you were in the medical field, by the way.) I am glad to hear that you are recovering well. There is nothing easy about it. Hopefully, you ovulate on your own with no issues. Your trip sounds like a nice break. Thanks for the well wishes toward my little embryos.

 

[random_thought]

Well the good news is that my eggs are exceptionally above average apparently.

They can't get me in for surgery until July. I asked if I could try using clomid to get pregnant without intervention and they gave me a 0.5% chance of that happening. If I got pregnant before the surgery, I would have a 75% chance of miscarriage. Our only option at this point because my endometriosis is so bad is to have surgery in July and then start an iui cycle in August. It costs approximately $800 upfront cash each time we do an iui cycle so we are heading into major saving mode right now.

So that's my update. Feeling very frustrated.

 

[lliang_chi]

Choro, I took Prometrium (I think) to restart my cycle after the D&C. I was temping after my D&C and techinically, it looked like I did ovulate, but no AF and no pregnancy afterwards. The OB prescribed the prometrium and my period started maybe 2 days after taking the last pill. I asked the midwife if this was normal and she gave some hokey excuse of: my lining isn't sufficient so my body just will not shed it. I dunno, I don't buy it. Anyway, that's just my experience, thought I would share it.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Random, I'm sorry you have to wait until next month for the surgery. I'm a little surprised though because didn't they tell you they couldn't rule out that it was cancerous? Any chance they could put you on a cancellation list or something? The silver lining in all of this is that it doesn't sound like you are running out of time. If you still have good ovarian reserve that means that even if you have to wait awhile to get surgery and heal or to save up money for fertility treatments, you still have some time. I know that isn't much consolation, but I hope that is at least somewhat comforting.

LV, that's crazy about the PGD being used for sex selection. I would've thought when you get to the point of doing IVF, worrying about the sex of the baby would be the last thing on your mind. So, did you do a completely different protocol with your new RE? That's one thing I keep wondering about. You read so many accounts of IVF where women did several rounds and switched up the protocols with varying degrees of success. I wish there was a way to know that your RE was choosing the very best protocol based on your particular circumstances.

Choro, so glad the procedure went smoother than expected. I'm sure it feels good to finally have it behind you and to get a chance to move forward. I hope your cycle returns quickly and the timing works out with your trip. Hang in there. I do think it is only a matter of time before you have good news in all of this. I would be nervous about going under as well. Heck, I'm a nervous wreck lately when I get on a plane and always make my husband promise he'll do certain things for our son if anything were to happen to me. I never worried about those kind of things before becoming a mom.

JGator, did you test again today? I guess the good news is that even if it is not a BFP, it doesn't sound like you will be too upset, since you'd prefer to get the bloodwork done beforehand. Yes, I sometimes think it is counterproductive to read about other women going through IVF. It can really get a person down about the odds of it working. I sometimes think my situation does not sound all that dire compared to other people, but infertility has kind of made me always expect bad news or the worst case scenario.

 

[JGator]

MP, I got a BFN again today. I think AF should show Thursday if i have a normal length cycle.

RT, bummer that you cannot have the surgery this month. I'm glad you still have good eggs though. You have something going for you! Hopefully, the surgery wil give you an optimal environment for your embryos to grow.

LV, I hope your embies are growing nicely. From what I read on CCRM, I think they want you to maximize the embryos that they test so they have you go in for multiple retrievals until you get 9 or 10 Day 5-day blasts to test. So, I think that does make their SART scores better if each person is having more than one retrieval and then getting the best of the best genetically tested embies implanted. Here is another study/article I found yesterday on CCS that looks interesting - check out the table on each person's number of retrievals vs. heart beats. Interesting. http://thinkingdavis.com/review/NFFR-CMS/Downloads/Schoolcraft-et-al_Clinical-App-CCS-Blast-Stage.pdf

 

[Loves Vintage]

LV, that's crazy about the PGD being used for sex selection. I would've thought when you get to the point of doing IVF, worrying about the sex of the baby would be the last thing on your mind. So, did you do a completely different protocol with your new RE? That's one thing I keep wondering about. You read so many accounts of IVF where women did several rounds and switched up the protocols with varying degrees of success. I wish there was a way to know that your RE was choosing the very best protocol based on your particular circumstances.

First, I do not think the nurse at my former clinic really understood much about PGD, so I do not know if "family balancing" (that's what they call it) is truly the main reason for testing at that clinic. Second, it appears to be an option, even if IVF is not medically necessary: http://www.ivfnj.com/family-balancing/ .

I did have two different protocols. My RE was expecting more embryos this cycle, I am sure. We will have to see how things are looking on Thursday!

I will write more about each of my protocols. If you are not successful this cycle, then I would have a frank conversation with your RE about what she suggests. And, I really have to suggest you talk to another RE, either in or out of state. On the RESOLVE board, I see that women will consult with top REs and then get a local doctor to do monitoring. In that other case I mentioned, where the lab did not use ICSI, the RE told the woman -- that was our test, now we know what to do next time. No woman wants to be told their first IVF cycle was just a test!! That's a lot to go through, and a huge financial investment. So, I think I would just want you to research the heck out of what is needed to slow your egg development down (if that is truly what's at issue.) Maybe it's not? I'm not a doctor, but I do want you to be successful and happy. ETA: Sorry if it seems like I am down on your RE. I just think you should make sure you have your bases covered, which I have no doubt you will do!

JGator - Sorry about the BFN. Thanks for the link. I will read it later today. A lot of women who have DOR will "embryo-bank" to prepare for PGD. It can take a long time, and it must be very hard with all of the uncertainties involved. All aspects of this are just . . . hard.

 

[Loves Vintage]

I received an unexpected embryo update this morning. All 7 embryos are still growing. Some are ready to be tested today, but they will allow the others to grow til day 6 for testing. Today is day 5. Last cycle, I had 4 remaining at this point, so I am feeling positive at the moment.