Today is day 11 on stims. The longest I've gone is 12 days. The end is near...I hope.
Right - 21, 18, 17, 14.5, 12.5, 11, 11
Left - 17, 15.5, 15.5, 15, 14, 12, 11.5, 11.5, 10.5
E2 is 2435
Lining 10mm
I only have 2 days worth of Menopur left. One for tonight and one for tomorrow. I hope that's enough.
That's what we thought in the beginning...4 years, 8 months and 28 days later, we finally got our BFP. Alexis Marie was born April 10, 2009 at 36w2d. We are now trying to find our way as parents of our miracle toddler.
Showing posts with label IVF#4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IVF#4. Show all posts
Monday, January 23, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Monitoring Appt #2
Nothing interesting...just for my own records...
Right ovary - 15, 13, 12, 10.5...and more smaller ones
Left ovary - 15, 12, 12, 11, 10.5, 10...and more smaller ones
Lining - 9.5
E2 - 931
Back on Sunday for another wanding and bloodwork
I'm starting to feel a tad bit uncomfortable. Leftie sits right under my uterus...so I feel the "expansion" as follies grow. It also makes the wanding a wee bit painful as well. The lengths we go...
Right ovary - 15, 13, 12, 10.5...and more smaller ones
Left ovary - 15, 12, 12, 11, 10.5, 10...and more smaller ones
Lining - 9.5
E2 - 931
Back on Sunday for another wanding and bloodwork
I'm starting to feel a tad bit uncomfortable. Leftie sits right under my uterus...so I feel the "expansion" as follies grow. It also makes the wanding a wee bit painful as well. The lengths we go...
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Day 5
Today is day 5 of stims. I'm slowly starting to feel the bloating in my ovaries. I have my first monitoring appointment tomorrow morning. I'm also going to be transporting DH's frozen sperm from our old clinic to the new one in prep for our ER next week.
NEXT WEEK!!!???
Holy shit...I'm so not mentally prepared for this cycle. I've been so busy with other things that I haven't really been thinking about this cycle.
NEXT WEEK!!!???
Holy shit...I'm so not mentally prepared for this cycle. I've been so busy with other things that I haven't really been thinking about this cycle.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Clear
I'm clear to start stims on Friday.
225u of Follistim in the mornings
75u of Menopur in the evenings
reduce Lupron to 5u
My lining was 2.4 and my E2 less than 15.
Here we go.
225u of Follistim in the mornings
75u of Menopur in the evenings
reduce Lupron to 5u
My lining was 2.4 and my E2 less than 15.
Here we go.
Baseline
I had my baseline b/w & US this morning. I'll find out after 2:30 if I'm clear to start stims on Friday!!
It was interesting sitting in the waiting room and seeing all the women come in. At my old, much larger, clinic...we weren't on any "schedule" per se. Meaning the ER's and ET's were not scheduled for a particular week during the month, and monitoring was able to be done at the satellite offices, so there weren't many people in the waiting room. This clinic is much smaller, operates on a "schedule", and only does monitoring at one location. So there were about 10 women in the waiting room with me.
I was surprised at how easily I was able to guess which ones appeared to be "first timers" and which ones were "vets". The first timers sat in the waiting room, either giddy with excitement or sick with nervousness. They couldn't focus enough to read a book or magazine. Their partners were by their sides, equally giddy or nervous. There were about 4 of those women in the waiting room this morning.
The vets on the other hand, were there alone...seemingly aloof...oblivious to anything going on around them...consumed by their book/ipod/magazine. But you could see it in their faces. The worry. The apprehension. Their wish to be the giddy, nervous one. The first timer. I sat included. Wishing I didn't know that out of the 10 of us...maybe 5 would get a BFP...and of those 5...maybe 3 would get take home babies. I wish I didn't know all the things that DO go wrong.
I'm more nervous for this cycle that I was a week ago. Some of that has to do with things that have been going on here at home...but most of it is because I'm afraid of a BFN. But yet, I'm afraid of a BFP too. Because a BFP doesn't mean a take home baby. And I'm not sure my heart can take much more.
It was interesting sitting in the waiting room and seeing all the women come in. At my old, much larger, clinic...we weren't on any "schedule" per se. Meaning the ER's and ET's were not scheduled for a particular week during the month, and monitoring was able to be done at the satellite offices, so there weren't many people in the waiting room. This clinic is much smaller, operates on a "schedule", and only does monitoring at one location. So there were about 10 women in the waiting room with me.
I was surprised at how easily I was able to guess which ones appeared to be "first timers" and which ones were "vets". The first timers sat in the waiting room, either giddy with excitement or sick with nervousness. They couldn't focus enough to read a book or magazine. Their partners were by their sides, equally giddy or nervous. There were about 4 of those women in the waiting room this morning.
The vets on the other hand, were there alone...seemingly aloof...oblivious to anything going on around them...consumed by their book/ipod/magazine. But you could see it in their faces. The worry. The apprehension. Their wish to be the giddy, nervous one. The first timer. I sat included. Wishing I didn't know that out of the 10 of us...maybe 5 would get a BFP...and of those 5...maybe 3 would get take home babies. I wish I didn't know all the things that DO go wrong.
I'm more nervous for this cycle that I was a week ago. Some of that has to do with things that have been going on here at home...but most of it is because I'm afraid of a BFN. But yet, I'm afraid of a BFP too. Because a BFP doesn't mean a take home baby. And I'm not sure my heart can take much more.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Catching Up
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I know we did. We took Lexi ice skating on the 23rd in the city. She had a blast...and has been asking to go back since. She was actually able to skate a few feet all on her own before falling down. Which is more than I can do! I was on the ice in my sneakers! LOL!
Christmas Eve was spent at the in laws as usual and Christmas Day we hosted here. Santa...aka Daddy...came to visit Lexi and presented her with 2 very special presents. One was the roller skates she had been asking for since Halloween. She was so happy to get them she had to try them out right away. The other very special present was her big girl bed. Daddy had worked on it for a few weeks getting it painted, roughed up and decorated to look like an old rustic bed. Her name is painted on the foot board and there is a lasso on it as well. It's her "Jessie" bed. She seemed to like it, but when naptime and bedtime came around that day she started out in the bed but ended up in the crib. Monday she slept in the bed for nap and bedtime...and yesterday, while she was at school, we removed the crib from her room. She slept in her bed last night with no complaints. I hope she continues to do well in it.
I started Lupron on the 27th in prep for this cycle. My parents are lending us the $1100 to cover the Cobra premium for January. DH went today to take the post office exam...hoping something comes of it. His old employer is contesting the unemployment and he had his "interview" with the local office yesterday...we should know if he'll get any benefits within a week or so. The good thing is, if approved it is retroactive back to the 14th of December...so that first check will be nice.
I'm still afraid of what's going to happen. I still feel like it's not responsible to try to bring another baby into this world when we don't know how we're going to pay our mortgage...but I know we may never have another chance at this...and I know our financial situation is only temporary. So I'm going into this cycle with the mentality that if it's meant to be, it will be.
Christmas Eve was spent at the in laws as usual and Christmas Day we hosted here. Santa...aka Daddy...came to visit Lexi and presented her with 2 very special presents. One was the roller skates she had been asking for since Halloween. She was so happy to get them she had to try them out right away. The other very special present was her big girl bed. Daddy had worked on it for a few weeks getting it painted, roughed up and decorated to look like an old rustic bed. Her name is painted on the foot board and there is a lasso on it as well. It's her "Jessie" bed. She seemed to like it, but when naptime and bedtime came around that day she started out in the bed but ended up in the crib. Monday she slept in the bed for nap and bedtime...and yesterday, while she was at school, we removed the crib from her room. She slept in her bed last night with no complaints. I hope she continues to do well in it.
I started Lupron on the 27th in prep for this cycle. My parents are lending us the $1100 to cover the Cobra premium for January. DH went today to take the post office exam...hoping something comes of it. His old employer is contesting the unemployment and he had his "interview" with the local office yesterday...we should know if he'll get any benefits within a week or so. The good thing is, if approved it is retroactive back to the 14th of December...so that first check will be nice.
I'm still afraid of what's going to happen. I still feel like it's not responsible to try to bring another baby into this world when we don't know how we're going to pay our mortgage...but I know we may never have another chance at this...and I know our financial situation is only temporary. So I'm going into this cycle with the mentality that if it's meant to be, it will be.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Whirlwind of emotions
OMG this week has just been a whirlwind. If you recall, our IVF cycle was cancelled back in November because my TSH levels were crazy high...and I went on Dec 1st for repeat bloodwork. TSH came back at 2.3, not below the 2 the RE wanted. HOWEVER, the nurse had told me to get a letter from my Endo stating I was under her care and that she was comfortable with us proceeding and the nurse would see if the RE would sign off on a January cycle.
I found out on Monday that he DID sign off on it. So we were a go for an IVF in January...our insurance would lapse on 2/29/12 and we'd be done well before then. Things were looking up.
Then, yesterday DH lost his job. His job that carried the insurance for the IVF. So on top of the financial strain of losing his income, we were faced with not being able to do the IVF again because the insurance will now lapse at the end of this month.
Then I think...HELLO! COBRA! Yes, the premiums would be astronomical, but it's still less expensive than paying for a cycle out of pocket. And we'd only need it for January...to cover the ER and ET. Everything else I can send through our other insurance carrier.
But then I started thinking last night...maybe this was God's way of telling us we aren't supposed to cycle...I mean, it was cancelled...then he loses his job. And what responsible people try to bring another child into the world when their own financial future is uncertain? But then I think that we may not have another chance at this. Even if he got another job tomorrow...there is no guarantee they will offer IVF coverage. MY job doesn't. That's why we took the 2nd policy through his job. I want to move forward. I really, really do. My heart is saying YES YES YES...but the logical part of my mind is saying...THINK THIS THROUGH!
What would you do?
Oh...and my schedule for the IVF is:
Begin Lupron 12/27/11
Last active bcp 12/31/11
Baseline U/S 1/11/12
Start Stims 1/13/12
ER & ET week of 1/23/12
I found out on Monday that he DID sign off on it. So we were a go for an IVF in January...our insurance would lapse on 2/29/12 and we'd be done well before then. Things were looking up.
Then, yesterday DH lost his job. His job that carried the insurance for the IVF. So on top of the financial strain of losing his income, we were faced with not being able to do the IVF again because the insurance will now lapse at the end of this month.
Then I think...HELLO! COBRA! Yes, the premiums would be astronomical, but it's still less expensive than paying for a cycle out of pocket. And we'd only need it for January...to cover the ER and ET. Everything else I can send through our other insurance carrier.
But then I started thinking last night...maybe this was God's way of telling us we aren't supposed to cycle...I mean, it was cancelled...then he loses his job. And what responsible people try to bring another child into the world when their own financial future is uncertain? But then I think that we may not have another chance at this. Even if he got another job tomorrow...there is no guarantee they will offer IVF coverage. MY job doesn't. That's why we took the 2nd policy through his job. I want to move forward. I really, really do. My heart is saying YES YES YES...but the logical part of my mind is saying...THINK THIS THROUGH!
What would you do?
Oh...and my schedule for the IVF is:
Begin Lupron 12/27/11
Last active bcp 12/31/11
Baseline U/S 1/11/12
Start Stims 1/13/12
ER & ET week of 1/23/12
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
IVF#4 postponement and Boobies
I felt like crap all day yesterday. Constant headache and overall yucky feeling. The news from the RE's office didn't help. I'm so frustrated. Pushing back this cycle meaning potentially having to pay another year's worth of premiums on this HMO. Don't get me wrong...I'm happy to have insurance coverage and I know how lucky I am that I do...but paying for 2 medical plans is killing us financially! My PCP, my GYN, Lexi's pedi, and DH's MFI doc are all part of my PPO network. They don't take the HMO. The only reason we took the HMO was for the IVF coverage. I can't drop my PPO. DH's job has a wacky enrollment period so coverage runs March 1st - March 1st. So we have until February 29th to have a cycle completed...actually we don't even have that long since his enrollment period is sometime in January. So if I'm not on the Janaury cycle...well, that means another year of HMO premiums.
I guess I'm just mad that the RE didn't order the bloodwork after our first meeting in September. I told him at that point that the only difference between my cycle with Lexi and the cycle I miscarried was that I was on thyroid meds with Lexi's cycle. I told him I wanted my TSH level tested at that time. I just feel that if it had been tested in September that I would have had a few additional weeks to get on thyroid meds...and maybe make the December cycle. December isn't even a chance at this point. January is a glimmer. I'm holding out hope for January.
I have an appointment on Friday with the endo...so hopefully she won't require MORE bloodwork and will accept the results from the test I just had.
Oh and can I complain just a smidge about how LONG it takes to get an appointment??!! I must have called 10 places...each telling me that they are scheduling out to December and January!! Luckily, this Endo dedicates Fridays to seeing new patients and catching up on paperwork. So she doesn't see returning patients and I was able to get in this week!! Sheesh!
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I had my first mammogram this morning. My birthday is Saturday and I turn 35. Not old...but a recent announcement by a famous TV host made me really think. She's only 36. A year older than I. She's done IVF. I've done 3. I know there are no proven studies that show people who do IVF are more prone to cancer, but I can't help but think that all these hormones I pump into my body can't be all that great for me. The lengths we go to...
Anyway, off topic. Mammograms are not very comfortable. In fact, mine downright was painful. Being squished like a pancake was not fun. I know it's all in the name of prevention and early detection...but you'd think with all the advances in technology, they'd come up with a better way to do these. Anyway, I should have my results in a week.
I guess I'm just mad that the RE didn't order the bloodwork after our first meeting in September. I told him at that point that the only difference between my cycle with Lexi and the cycle I miscarried was that I was on thyroid meds with Lexi's cycle. I told him I wanted my TSH level tested at that time. I just feel that if it had been tested in September that I would have had a few additional weeks to get on thyroid meds...and maybe make the December cycle. December isn't even a chance at this point. January is a glimmer. I'm holding out hope for January.
I have an appointment on Friday with the endo...so hopefully she won't require MORE bloodwork and will accept the results from the test I just had.
Oh and can I complain just a smidge about how LONG it takes to get an appointment??!! I must have called 10 places...each telling me that they are scheduling out to December and January!! Luckily, this Endo dedicates Fridays to seeing new patients and catching up on paperwork. So she doesn't see returning patients and I was able to get in this week!! Sheesh!
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I had my first mammogram this morning. My birthday is Saturday and I turn 35. Not old...but a recent announcement by a famous TV host made me really think. She's only 36. A year older than I. She's done IVF. I've done 3. I know there are no proven studies that show people who do IVF are more prone to cancer, but I can't help but think that all these hormones I pump into my body can't be all that great for me. The lengths we go to...
Anyway, off topic. Mammograms are not very comfortable. In fact, mine downright was painful. Being squished like a pancake was not fun. I know it's all in the name of prevention and early detection...but you'd think with all the advances in technology, they'd come up with a better way to do these. Anyway, I should have my results in a week.
Friday, October 14, 2011
If I knew then...
I received my box o' drugs from the UPS man this morning. If I knew then what I know now, we would have used my husband's HMO insurance back then. As much as it's a pain to get referrals and approvals and such...I only paid $103 for all my meds. Yep. $50 co pay for the Lupron. $50 co pay for the Endometrin and a $3 co pay for the antibiotic. Nada for the F0llistim or men0pur. Those were 100% covered by the insurance. So any readers out there in mandated states...use the HMO's to your advantage!!
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I had my saline ultrasound done yesterday. Holy cramping! It wasn't fun. But everything checked out. So I'm happy about that.
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I'm surprisingly nervous about this cycle. I mean, it's nothing new to us...we've done it before. But I think that it being the last opportunity and having a brand new RE are making me a little anxious. I start Lupron on Tuesday...I can't believe this is here already!
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I had my saline ultrasound done yesterday. Holy cramping! It wasn't fun. But everything checked out. So I'm happy about that.
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I'm surprisingly nervous about this cycle. I mean, it's nothing new to us...we've done it before. But I think that it being the last opportunity and having a brand new RE are making me a little anxious. I start Lupron on Tuesday...I can't believe this is here already!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
IVF #4 schedule
Got my schedule for this cycle. I've never done IVF at a clinic that does "batches" so this is new to me. I'm already on bcp and prenatals...
Lupron starts October 18th
Baseline appointment - November 2nd (lets hope that any cysts I may have shrink before then!)
Start stims - November 4th (if all is ok with my baseline)
Monitoring appointments - November 9th, 11th and 13th
ER - Week of November 14th (depends on how many days I stim)
ET - 3 days later.
If I follow all my previous cycles...and stim for 12 days...November 16th looks like ER. Another Wednesday. My past 2 ER's have been on Wednesdays. Which means another Saturday ET. I know where that puts me for an EDD. But I don't want to think that far ahead. I don't want to jinx anything.
Now I wait for the pharmacy to call to confirm the drugs and give me the amount due. I'm petrified it's going to be some crazy amount. I hope it's not.
I'll be on Follistim and Menopur again. And Ovidrel for trigger. This RE only does PIO after ER up until ET...then he does vaginal suppositories 3x a day. I guess it's both a good and bad thing. No 2 inch needles every night...but must deal with the discharge from the suppository. Just breathe...
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In other news. Lexi had her first dentist appointment today. We've been prepping her for a few weeks now...showing her how to open her mouth wide and pretending to count her teeth. She was actually excited to go and readily hopped into the chair. She did EXCELLENT. She even let the dentist do a cleaning and floride treatment on her. No squirmies. I think the cleaning went so well because Lexi has a Tigger spin brush that she uses...so I told her that it would be just like using the Tigger toothbrush. She was awesome. As usual.
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Holy crap...I just got a phone call from the insurance confirming my prescriptions! The nurse just called them in about an hour ago...talk about fast service. The pharmacy themselves has to give me the co pay amounts...and I should hear from them either later today or tomorrow. They are shipping the drugs for delivery on FRIDAY! OMG!! Breathe....breathe...breathe....
Lupron starts October 18th
Baseline appointment - November 2nd (lets hope that any cysts I may have shrink before then!)
Start stims - November 4th (if all is ok with my baseline)
Monitoring appointments - November 9th, 11th and 13th
ER - Week of November 14th (depends on how many days I stim)
ET - 3 days later.
If I follow all my previous cycles...and stim for 12 days...November 16th looks like ER. Another Wednesday. My past 2 ER's have been on Wednesdays. Which means another Saturday ET. I know where that puts me for an EDD. But I don't want to think that far ahead. I don't want to jinx anything.
Now I wait for the pharmacy to call to confirm the drugs and give me the amount due. I'm petrified it's going to be some crazy amount. I hope it's not.
I'll be on Follistim and Menopur again. And Ovidrel for trigger. This RE only does PIO after ER up until ET...then he does vaginal suppositories 3x a day. I guess it's both a good and bad thing. No 2 inch needles every night...but must deal with the discharge from the suppository. Just breathe...
*************************************************
In other news. Lexi had her first dentist appointment today. We've been prepping her for a few weeks now...showing her how to open her mouth wide and pretending to count her teeth. She was actually excited to go and readily hopped into the chair. She did EXCELLENT. She even let the dentist do a cleaning and floride treatment on her. No squirmies. I think the cleaning went so well because Lexi has a Tigger spin brush that she uses...so I told her that it would be just like using the Tigger toothbrush. She was awesome. As usual.
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Holy crap...I just got a phone call from the insurance confirming my prescriptions! The nurse just called them in about an hour ago...talk about fast service. The pharmacy themselves has to give me the co pay amounts...and I should hear from them either later today or tomorrow. They are shipping the drugs for delivery on FRIDAY! OMG!! Breathe....breathe...breathe....
Monday, October 3, 2011
And so it begins
AF arrived on Saturday...and with that I called it in to my RE. I go on the 13th for an HSG, a pratice transfer and to return our consent forms. Tomorrow, we have to get blood drawn for our infectious disease testing (this always makes me giggle for some reason...the wording, not the tests themselves). BCP and prenatals are being called into my local pharmacy. The nurse will call me later this week with actual dates, since they do ERs and ETs in batches. IVF #4, our final attempt, has begun.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Consult for IVF#4
We had our consult with the new RE on Tuesday. I had all my records from my previous RE, OB/GYN as well as DH's urologist. The new RE was impressed. I guess it pays to be organized and anal about things. LOL!
Anyway, I liked him. He reminds me of Mart.in Sh0rt. But with glasses. We talked about the 3 previous cycles we did and he said he would study all the records I brought him so that we can come up with the best plan of action. He is going to change up my protocol a little, which I'm not thrilled about, but he said it's because of my age and he wants to get the best eggs possible.
I'm to call when I get my period in October so they can start me on bcp. I'll have a uterine ultrasound done on the day we go in to sign the 6 inches of legal paperwork involved with IVF. He does his IVF's in groups...so I'm set for the November group. Which means a late November/early December ER and ET. Just in time for the holidays. Great! (enter sarcasm here)
I'm happy to get things moving. But extremely nervous at the same time. Knowing this is the last cycle. Please G0d...
Anyway, I liked him. He reminds me of Mart.in Sh0rt. But with glasses. We talked about the 3 previous cycles we did and he said he would study all the records I brought him so that we can come up with the best plan of action. He is going to change up my protocol a little, which I'm not thrilled about, but he said it's because of my age and he wants to get the best eggs possible.
I'm to call when I get my period in October so they can start me on bcp. I'll have a uterine ultrasound done on the day we go in to sign the 6 inches of legal paperwork involved with IVF. He does his IVF's in groups...so I'm set for the November group. Which means a late November/early December ER and ET. Just in time for the holidays. Great! (enter sarcasm here)
I'm happy to get things moving. But extremely nervous at the same time. Knowing this is the last cycle. Please G0d...
Friday, September 9, 2011
Again
I've made my appointment to see a new RE for our last IVF cycle. After much debate, we decided to go with this clinic. Well, I decided...my DH is indifferent. Why did I choose this one over the 3 others that the ob could have referred me to? Well, one was ruled out because of the distance I'd have to travel for monitoring etc...an hour each way. Plus, they didn't have very many cycles for women over 35 in their success rates on the CDC's website. Like, they performed 1 in 2009. The rest were all younger patients. Another clinic was ruled out because of my personal feelings for one of the RE's in that practice. I don't like her one bit. She was my first RE...the one who left the clinic I was at and didn't tell any of her patients. So that ruled out clinic #2. So, I was left with the one I chose and one other one. I ultimately chose this one because of it's University affliliation versus being a strictly private practice. It's my opinion (right or wrong, it's mine) that University clinic's are more cutting edge and up to speed on the latest and greatest versus the private practices. Again, right or wrong, it's my opinion and I'm entitled to it.
So in 10 days, I will meet with my new RE and go over the last 4 years of treatment. I've requested my medical records from my old RE (to the tune of $50...what doctor charges that much??!!) as well as my OB. I should have them in time for the appointment.
DH's insurance will lapse on February 29th next year...so we have to have everything done by then or else we'll have to pay for another year of his insurance coverage. AF came on 9/2, so I'm hoping that I can start bc with my October period...and maybe, if I'm lucky, stims will start in November...which means a December ER and ET. Not the greatest timing...but I would still have 2 months "play" in that schedule.
As for how I'm feeling...I'm nervous. My previous RE got me pg both times I cycled there. I hope this new RE will be open to following the same, or a slightly modified, version of my last protocols. I'm just afraid he will change things up so much that if it doesn't work I won't know if it's because of the change in protocol or not. Anyway, listen to me rambling...I haven't even met him yet.
Our last chance is starting...
So in 10 days, I will meet with my new RE and go over the last 4 years of treatment. I've requested my medical records from my old RE (to the tune of $50...what doctor charges that much??!!) as well as my OB. I should have them in time for the appointment.
DH's insurance will lapse on February 29th next year...so we have to have everything done by then or else we'll have to pay for another year of his insurance coverage. AF came on 9/2, so I'm hoping that I can start bc with my October period...and maybe, if I'm lucky, stims will start in November...which means a December ER and ET. Not the greatest timing...but I would still have 2 months "play" in that schedule.
As for how I'm feeling...I'm nervous. My previous RE got me pg both times I cycled there. I hope this new RE will be open to following the same, or a slightly modified, version of my last protocols. I'm just afraid he will change things up so much that if it doesn't work I won't know if it's because of the change in protocol or not. Anyway, listen to me rambling...I haven't even met him yet.
Our last chance is starting...
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