Week of Feb 17

[msmerymac]

wise_rita, I had to do 2 triggers this time and was all, "HOW WILL I DO THEM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME?!" Plus, it's a new drug you're not used to injecting every day, so it's difficult!

Anyway, my retrieval was supposed to be at 9:30 AM and I was wheeled into the OR at 9:34, so I wouldn't worry. They'll also ask you probably at your follow up appt or the day-of what time you did the shot and they can adjust.

[msmerymac]

Guys, 24 of the 31 eggs fertilized! With standard fertilization, not ICSI! I am blown away. This is a much better cycle already.

[seeyalater52]

Feb 19, 2019 8:12:49 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Guys, 24 of the 31 eggs fertilized! With standard fertilization, not ICSI! I am blown away. This is a much better cycle already.

This is the BEST news!! I know it must have been scary to change up the fertilization method but it sounds like it really
paid off. Really hoping you continue to get good updates.

[seeyalater52]

Feb 18, 2019 18:37:03 GMT -5 vmars said:

Labcorp posted my AMH results. It’s 8.57. Is that normal? Seems to be high end of normal?

It’s definitely on the higher side. Would be PCOS range loosely speaking, but AMH doesn’t diagnose PCOS so you’d need other symptoms. You’re gearing up for IVF, right? It’s a great sign that you’ll respond well to the meds and harvest a lot of eggs!!

[vmars]

Feb 19, 2019 8:17:17 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Feb 18, 2019 18:37:03 GMT -5 vmars said:

Labcorp posted my AMH results. It’s 8.57. Is that normal? Seems to be high end of normal?

It’s definitely on the higher side. Would be PCOS range loosely speaking, but AMH doesn’t diagnose PCOS so you’d need other symptoms. You’re gearing up for IVF, right? It’s a great sign that you’ll respond well to the meds and harvest a lot of eggs!!

I have looked up the symptoms and I think the only one I def have is abnormal hair growth.

Yes, so far the plan is to do IVF when I get my period the end of March.

[stellelinds25]

Feb 19, 2019 8:12:49 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Guys, 24 of the 31 eggs fertilized! With standard fertilization, not ICSI! I am blown away. This is a much better cycle already.

I love this news...that's amazing!!

[G22]

wise_rita, I'm sorry you had a panic moment with the trigger! But I'm glad you caught it and all should be fine!

chocolatepie, sending you sticky, snuggly embryo vibes!

msmerymac, wonderful update on your embryos!!

[Jalapeñomel]

I looked at a clinic that’s near my new job, but success rates for my age will plummet to 16% in December. 😭

The world is a cruel, cruel place.

[G22]

Feb 19, 2019 10:32:53 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I looked at a clinic that’s near my new job, but success rates for my age will plummet to 16% in December. 😭

The world is a cruel, cruel place.

Ugh the hits just keep coming for you. ((hugs)) I'm sorry!

[vmars]

So riddle me this. DH and I are both state employees (same state agency but different office locations). I submitted my FMLA paperwork (incl retro time for this month) and I am approved for intermittent fmla until August. DHs office won’t approve any retro time whatsoever. His HR sucks!

[stellelinds25]

Feb 19, 2019 10:32:53 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I looked at a clinic that’s near my new job, but success rates for my age will plummet to 16% in December. 😭

The world is a cruel, cruel place.

I'm sorry...sending ((hugs))

[stellelinds25]

Feb 19, 2019 11:05:11 GMT -5 vmars said:

So riddle me this. DH and I are both state employees (same state agency but different office locations). I submitted my FMLA paperwork (incl retro time for this month) and I am approved for intermittent fmla until August. DHs office won’t approve any retro time whatsoever. His HR sucks!

That's so odd! I am a state employee as well and all of our FMLA requests go to one central office within our agency. I wonder if it has something to do with him not being the one actually going through the procedures?? In any case, that's so annoying! 

[vmars]

Feb 19, 2019 11:43:04 GMT -5 stellelinds25 said:

Feb 19, 2019 11:05:11 GMT -5 vmars said:

So riddle me this. DH and I are both state employees (same state agency but different office locations). I submitted my FMLA paperwork (incl retro time for this month) and I am approved for intermittent fmla until August. DHs office won’t approve any retro time whatsoever. His HR sucks!

That's so odd! I am a state employee as well and all of our FMLA requests go to one central office within our agency. I wonder if it has something to do with him not being the one actually going through the procedures?? In any case, that's so annoying! 

I don’t think so, they have pulled this shit before. My current boss had his approved no problem for his wife’s IVF cycle too.

[barney96]

Didn't want the weekly thread to be buried. How's everyone else's week going still?

[lexisgrrl1980]

Beta has been changed to Thursday due to snow (I officially hate the snow). It is the 9th anniversary of the day DH and I met so hopefully that’s a good sign.

[G22]

I have my first acupunture appt tomorrow before my u/s. I hope it's as relaxing as it was last time around.

[barney96]

G22, I could never get into acupuncture- just hurt the whole time- zero relaxation. I did it before thinking of fertility treatments so not sure if the needles would be in a better place, but I doubt it. Since you enjoy it, I hope you continue to have a relaxing time!

lexisgrrl1980, I love it that beta's on a significant day for you! I hope the snow starts to melt sooner than later too.

[G22]

barney96 I did find it mildly relaxing this time, but my anxiety has been rearing its ugly head lately and I found myself working through the beginning of a panic attack in the first few minutes after the needles were in and the lady had left. I hate anxiety. Once I got through that, it was fine. But its definitely not my choice of relaxation for sure!

[robinsbff]

home for a snow day today, trying to keep my mind occupied. beta is tomorrow AM. deciding when to test myself to be prepared for the news, either tonight or tomorrow AM. i feel kinda crampy, so thinking my period is around the corner and not feeling hopeful.

[moonriver]

Jumping in here. CD1 was Monday, so tomorrow I’ll go in for bloodwork and ultrasound. It all is well, I’ll do clomid cd5-9. She’s upping my dose from 50mg to 100mg so hopefully I respond this time. Last cycle I didn’t at all.

[EllenGriswold]

So, I had my baseline for FET yesterday and they found a cyst on my right ovary. Blood draw showed the cyst was producing estrogen so right now I’m continuing Lupron to hopefully shrink the cyst but if it’s not gone by next Monday when I go back to check then likely this cycle will get cancelled and I will go back on BC to try and get rid of the cyst. I’m trying to stay positive but definitely worried.
AND, the extra appointments are not helpful. We’ve moved since the last time and gone from RE that is maybe 25 minutes away from my house and 15 minutes away from my job (in the right direction), to RE being an hour and fifteen minutes from my house and an hour and a half from work, in the opposite direction. Soooo...I’m filling up my podcast que.

[chocolatepie]

robinsbff holding hope for you!

moonriver fingers crossed all looks well and that the high dose shows better response this time!

EllenGriswold boo! Fingers crossed it shrinks super fast so you can move forward with this cycle - esp since the travel time you've already invested is so much. My clinic is 30 minutes from me and I whine about that (but clearly shouldn't!).

At my transfer on Monday, they weren't sure any of my remaining embryos would make to freeze but I got word this afternoon that 3 pulled through! I literally burst into tears when I hung up the phone. While I'm praying like mad that this transfer works, I realize the odds are against us and knowing we have a few to transfer before doing an entire retrieval again was such a good boost for me.

[red]

EllenGriswold- I’m sorry about the cyst and long commute.

I feel like my FET is forever away because I’ll be on BCP this month, transfer the week of 3/25. My old RE never did BCP, it’s worth a shot I suppose. Those who are transferring this month, were you on BCP last month?

We are traveling out of town to visit my sister in NC Fri-Sun. I have an interview Tue for a full time position at College I work for, I am currently adjunct. I need to prepare my presentation tomorrow before we leave.

[G22]

EllenGriswold I'm sorry about the cyst. I hope it shrinks so this FET can move forward.

red I was on BCP last month prior to this FET for like 5 weeks I think.

[vmars]

red don’t feel left behind! Your FET is probably when I will be beginning my retrieval cycle! 

[G22]

Transfer is on the 27th!! Because they need to check my progesterone levels the day before and since we live a 4.5 hours round trip from the clinic, we are going down Tues for the lab draw and then staying in a hotel the night before FET to save on driving so much 2 days in a row. I see beach time in my future if the weather is nice to pass the time 😎

[EllenGriswold]

red, I’ve always been on BC before a cycle (both retrieval and FET) and it does feel like it makes things take forever. I’ll commiserate with you.

[wise_rita]

Good egg count from my retrieval (11).

I'm blown away by the huge numbers I see online, 20-30 is not unheard of. They're much more conservative here with meds and what they want to see (6-15 is a good number).

Glad to see my trigger screwing up didn't do any harm!

[msmerymac]

Day 3 embryo update: They are all still growing, but 4 are pretty slow. That means 20 are still on track to develop into day 5 blastocysts. 

[seeyalater52]

Feb 20, 2019 20:24:48 GMT -5 vmars said:

red don’t feel left behind! Your FET is probably when I will be beginning my retrieval cycle! 

And I’ll likely be transferring again right around the same time as vmars, sometime in April depending on what protocol we end up using. There will be plenty of us still around for company.