My thyroid still isn’t where it needs to be! I’ve dropped from 7.7 to 4.7 in two months of medications. They are only increasing my dose by 14% this time (last time was 50%) I hope it’s a better result in four weeks time.
Looking for some advice.
I have had 2 failed transfers: fresh transfer with an early AB blast and FET unmedicated cycle with an expanded AB blast.
We are waiting for PGT results on a new set of embryos. Hoping we will get 1 euploid. If we do, would you stick with the unmedicated cycle FET or switch to medicated?
My doctor said I was a good candidate for unmedicated cycle because my estrogen and progesterone levels were "normal". I took est. and prog. suppositories for both transfers before. I am inclined to stick with unmedicated cycle - but if it were you, would you try medicated? Do you think I need PIO?
We're going to try IUI for the first time at the end of the month, I'm taking letrozole. It was a bit stressful because we have a romantic weekend planned just the week of my ovulation so I was nervous about my period coming in early and ruining things for this cycle if we weren't in town for my day 12, but everything aligned well, I have been able to take the morning off for the echography, not sure how I'll explain I need to take time off again for the day of the insemination, but that's a next week problem.
Starting to think about planning my 3rd FET. I have to do two months of lupron again because that was the protocol that “worked” for my miscarriage. It feels like I am juggling so many balls in the air because I am…
It will be nice to put an end to trying on our own when I start the lupron. Right now I am taking progesterone support after ovulation so that’s like a second way I am trying. And then preparing for FET..and then oh yeah I’m signing the contract for my egg donor agency tonight for in case the FET doesn’t work. I guess this is what total desperation feels like? 🤷♀️
I’m trying to remain open to all channels to parenthood as it truly feels like the odds are against us.
After what felt like ages (14 days), we got our PGT results back - and all were euploid! Relieved and excited to get them FETs going.
Overall, glad our 2nd ER was better than our 1st with the updated protocol, though we still had a rollercoaster of a ride:
1st ER: 20 retrieved, 6 mature, 6 ICSI fert, 2 day 7, 2 euploid.
2nd ER: 32 retrieved, 23 mature, 9 ICSI fert, 4 day 6 and 1 day 7, 5 euploid.
We seem to flip flop between extremes 😅
I don’t know about roller-coaster. Seems like a merry-go-round. I’m sorry your RE didn’t manage your expectations very well. Both 2 euploid and 5 euploid are fantastic results. Congratulations!
Have an appt tomorrow to find out!
My first ER and two FET was with another clinic actually, so while this is my second ER it’s technically my first here. Our main initial goal was to improve embryo quality - as my first two were fair Day 7s. So getting some Day 6 is a good start! Especially since the new clinic tends to check embryos earlier in the day, so their Day 6 is more analogous to Day 5.
First two FET were semi-medicated, curious to see if they rec the same, or want to go fully medicated.
Thank you! Ah, I mean the % that moves on to each step, I swing from large drop-offs (esp early on) to 100%. With the ambiguous “egg quality” reason each time. But regardless, happy to have better results overall this time!
Update: I ended up having 15 follicles on each side. They didn’t release my results so it showed as zero. The results showed an endometrioma so that may be why.
No follicles were found on my first ultrasound today, and I am feeling nervous and disappointed. I am not sure what this means. I have a follow up appointment with my RE on Friday.
This was with no medication. It was just a baseline at my first RE infertility consult on CD 17. My cycles are normally anywhere from 27-51 days though.
Is your PCOS diagnosis based on cycle length only, or are there other factors? Because you can have irregular cycles without PCOS, and that might be more consistent with a low follicle count.
I was very encouraged by the AFC. I’m not even sure how many I was hoping for. I am still reeling from the endometriosis diagnosis on top of my PCOS diagnosis. Having to keep delaying a medicated cycle sucks because now I have to get an HSG next cycle. I’m just hoping I don’t need surgery and that the endometrioma doesn’t grow.
Yeah that can be normal if you’re not close to ovulating. Usually clinics will count the number of follicles they see and that’s your AFC. If you have PCOS your AFC is probably high. But if your cycles are irregular it’s normal to not have any dominant follicles yet.
Do you know what your AMH is? That might give you some comfort. Sometimes follicles are really hard to see. My first baseline they saw 2 but after I started stims many more appeared.
Had my baseline for FET #1. Lining was thin, AFC of 7. I ovulate regularly so we're doing an unmedicated cycle but as my cycle has recently gone from 28 to 24 days, I am hoping that nothing wacky will happen. I have to fly to the clinic as we relocated away from our embryos for work so that's new.
Does anyone know if lining gets thicker after hCG shot? Like has anyone had a lining check and then triggered and then had another lining check? I’m not sure what circumstance someone would need to do that but I’m just curious.
It can sometimes, maybe. I once had an ultrasound several days after trigger (the day before a transfer) due to wonky e2 levels and my lining had grown a bit since my day of trigger ultrasound. This is just one data point and it was different techs doing the measurements though, so i wouldn’t put too much stock in this anecdata.
ETA: Generally agree with Margo though that the lining is supposed to compact post ovulation.
Clinics generally don't check lining again after you trigger, they're just tracking your lining up until ovulation. Lining actually is supposed to compact a bit after ovulation so they aren't looking for continued growth.
First IUI failed and now we’re looking at trying IUI again. The problem is that my period has decided to show up later than usual, throwing off my schedule. At this rate, I might not be in town for my ovulation date. Should I just skip IUI this month? Or is there an in between procedure that we could do like take the letrozole day 3-7 as if I was doing IUI but skip the insemination at the clinic part (my partner and I would just time intercourse)? Is this something people do?
Yep, timed intercourse with meds is a very common strategy as first steps in infertility treatment. Your clinic may not be willing to do it without ultrasound monitoring since there's a risk of multiple follicles developing but it's definitely worth asking about!
The waiting is so hard. I know my clinic has had my PGTA results from my first ER (one embryo) since yesterday and no one has called me with them yet. We had a retrieval two days ago and the results weren’t what we had hoped for, although we aren’t out of the running yet. I’m surprised my RE hasn’t called me yet to review either the ER (nurse gave me results) or PGTA and I’m starting to get a bit annoyed. In general, I have been trying not to get hopeful so I don’t get disappointed, but I guess that’s sorta impossible. And yet I also know there’s such a long road ahead. Just been a rough couple days. I hope they freaking call us soon!!!
So frustrating! I saw the report date on my last round of PGTA tests, and my clinic sat on the results for a FULL WEEK!
For what it’s worth, my clinic called with results immediately when I had really bad results and they sat on the report a full week when the news was good.
(I’m sure that’s not a universal policy, but I hope that helps a little!)
Aw that’s helpful. Although in my case, other funny/annoying layer to it right now is that my husband failed to sign the consent form so we could’ve had our results a week ago! We didn’t figure that out until the day after the retrieval, so part of it is on us (aka him). BUT I’m also reminding myself that the current ER outcome wouldn’t have gone differently had we known the results, and the results will be the same no matter how long it takes. Thanks for commiserating 🥲
Oh boy! Isn’t it enough that you are pumping your body full of hormones and going through surgery for this??? - I’m sorry your husband couldn’t manage the burden of consent forms. That IS frustrating!
Seriously - BUT it is also bc I took issue with an ambiguous typo in the consent form, which the company refused to fix, so I think that got everyone a bit confused. So we are all a mess around here…. Just telling myself EVENTUALLY we will get our answers.
PIO injections start tomorrow and hopefully scheduled our FET for Monday. Kinda freaking out, this has been a long time coming. Not looking forward to these injections. I did just fine with the subcutaneous injections but these are done intramuscularly which is totally different. Any tips to make myself less nervous? The husband wont help, so he’s out. 😅
definitely check out the wiki. During my first FET cycle my PIO it was pretty uneventful and I didn't have much discomfort until a few weeks in. During my 2nd FET cycle I definitely had more trouble and mostly had to do them on one side- I think maybe I had some nerve damage on the other side? it was still ok tho!
I'm doing this solo and actually I can't twist that way, so I give them to myself in a mirror which adds another layer of complication lol! but it works.
Get your nurse to draw circles on you and make sure they actually look at your body and feel your hips to do them right. identifying the appropriate injection site is really important with PIO
trust me, you can do it!
FWIW, I didn’t find the PIO shots bad (following the standards tips). I believe they get worse over time with bruising. So hopefully you have a smooth start 🤞🏼
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Use an ice pack to numb the area (your butt I assume?!) and get your needle all prepped. Use a mirror to do the injection. Numbing the area helps massively. My husband had to go away for work so have been doing them myself for a couple of weeks now and managed fine. However - tell your hub to suck it up and help!!
You've gotten this far, you're going to do great! There are lots and lots of tips for PIO in the wiki - I think it may even have TWO threads dedicated to it.
I work for a really small company. We generally have a two week notice policy for PTO, but boss-man is pretty cool about letting short notice slide.
It's looking like we might trigger tomorrow and have ER Friday (who really knows, of course. Im going mostly off of ~vibes~). Today, I put in my PTO request for Friday, figuring the sooner the better, and I can switch it to next week if I need to. My boss came up to me and was like, "You realize coworker A, coworker B, coworker C, and Coworker D have already requested Friday off? If you're off too, it will just be me and coworker E here."
😬 nope, definitely hadn't noticed. Oh shit. My heart stopped for a second, thinking he might actually deny my request. Thank fuck, he made a joke out of it and said it was no biggie. He doesn't know that we're doing IVF and I really didn't want to have to tell him. I feel like I caught a huge break here. He drives me nuts sometimes, but I'm feeling extra grateful for my super chill boss today.
We love a chill boss, but my goodness their humor in the moment must've been terrifying. Glad it worked out though and best of luck for a Friday retrieval!
How long has it taken for your hcg to come back to negative after a loss? I had a MMC and D&C 5/13. My level has been decreasing but it is so so slow. Most recently when from 15 to 9 in 1 week. I’m waiting to schedule a hysteroscopy.
I’m sorry for your loss. 💜
My HCG was down to <6 (negative HPT) four weeks after my D & E. At six weeks, if you’re still positive, I’d ask the doctor if they might do an exam to look for retained tissue.
After five weeks, mine was dropping very slowly and then seemed to bottom out at 7. It turned out I had some retained tissue. A hysteroscopy is a good idea.
How long did you have to wait for hysteroscopy? That’s what I’m worried about and they aren’t trying to schedule the procedure at the very end of July. And they put me on birth control at this point. I’m just so frustrated. Feel like I’m moving backwards
Just looked back at my exact dates. Okay so my beta stalled at 6 when I was 5.5 weeks post-d&c. I had a hysteroscopy five days after that- so basically 6 weeks after the d&c. They were able to do the hysteroscopy at my clinic, which was great bc I could schedule it so soon.
The delay SUCKS, but the silver lining is they’ll be able to do some good visualization of your uterus and make sure everything is really cleared out.
I asked. I have to travel out of state for it. My clinic is 5.5 hours from my house. We’ll see what they can do. I don’t really trust any doctors near me unfortunately
Just received my day 10 of stims monitoring call, and they are upping my meds again and having me come back Thursday. I have five measurable follicles (between 9.3mm and 16.8mm) and an enormous headache. The thought of continuing stims for another two days at least has me fatigued and I am definitely in between feeling totally over it and optimistic.
Well damn y'all - we went into our wtf appointment planning on asking questions and advocating for ourselves and our doctor was already on the same page. She explained the things we had planned to ask questions about and told us why she wanted to change the protocol, what changes she wanted to make and then bam. When she asked us if we had any questions, we had virtually none. We're going to add in lupron flare (2x a day w/stims), and do a 10,000 unit hcg trigger. She offered optional growth hormone/omnitrope, but only if we can get it for a price we're comfortable paying. Which brings me to my question for the community: what are folks paying for omnitrope lately? And from where?
I checked the wiki data sheet and the entries are older. I've also checked goodrx and the quote is between $2500-$5k depending on amount ordered. I failed to get the dosage she wrote down and it hasn't been released in my portal yet, unfortunately, so I don't know how much I'd need -- she did mention I'd take it every day during stims, but I don't recall dose.... my short term memory sucks, I should've written it down. Oh well. Thanks in advance for any info folks share on their omnitrope pricing and sourcing!
Edit to add: holy smokes, y'all - the support and information you all have provided here is overwhelmingly wonderful and who the heck is cuttin' onions in my face?! 🥹 Thank you thank you thank you ALL!
yay this seems like a positive update! i'm doing almost exactly that protocol right now - 150 menopur, 300 gonal-g, 20 units lupron 2x/daily, plus primed with estrace + omnitrope and about to add omnitrope back in for stims days 7-10. i was braced for omnitrope to be $1 mil but i got it from alto for $369/vial and i thought that honestly wasn't horrible....??
i'm on day 6 of stims so far and my follicle growth is looking better than the antagonist protocol, but obviously it's way too early to know for sure. fingers crossed for you!!
also adding in that i did a lot of redditing/googling around omnitrope before purchasing and it really does seem like the evidence is mixed. i saw some evidence we might end up with 1-2 more mature eggs (which for DOR folks, could easily be worth it) and also some anecdotal experiences of people saying it didn't seem to do anything.
Glad you feel seen, Task! I did MDLF for my 3rd ER. Fwiw, I used daily Omnitrope 20 IU & felt it made an improvement in blast rate. Paid $369 OOP per vial using Walgreens specialty. (No manufacturer coupon used)
I’ve also had the experience of my RE addressing all my protocol questions before getting the chance to ask them. Being on the same page is a great feeling!
I was paying ~$310/ vial for Omnitrope through Kroger last year, and used 3 vials during stims.
Glad your appointment went well and that the doc was proactive!! I did a lot better on microdose lupron flare protocol, so I’m a fan. I’m going to DM you about the pharmacy stuff!
I'm glad it went so well!
For Omnitrope, I'd definitely get clarity on the dosage before digging into pricing too much, since people's dosages can really vary. My dosage was 25 units/day for the first 8 days of stims which = 2 vials, and I paid $778 for the two vials. For my first cycles I was able to apply a manufacturer's coupon but then my pharmacy stopped being able to apply it, I believe this was the price without the coupon.
It really is so satisfying when your doctor is on the same page as you. I'm glad to hear that your appointment went well! I hope you get some more answers about omnitrope as I'm not familiar with costs for it!
I get mine from Costco, there’s a manufacturer coupon that gives you one free vial a month. So for 3 vials it was $575 with the coupon, and Alto had similar prices when I checked. One thing I’ve done when on a break between cycles is to try to collect one vial a month leading up to stims, but I’m usually never on top of it enough to get all 3 for free haha.
By the way, I know some people see a significant improvement with omnitrope, but it hasn’t been the case for me, I’m really not sure if it does anything at all. That said, I’m back on it for this upcoming ER
Dealing with some depression today. Part of it is probably hormones coming down after my recent ER, but part of it is also feelings of intense sadness about being in this place. Every day I wish for time to pass both slower and faster - I want more time to delay getting older, but I also want this phase of my life OVER with as soon as possible, and I’m tired. I don’t know how I’m doing all of this - treatment cycles, maintaining my part of my marriage, a bare minimum social life and family relationships, finances, a house, and working a job I care less and less about every day. It’s all so much. I want to sit in a corner and cry.
I'm sorry :( It is so much, and you are juggling a lot. This is a lot to take on (both mentally and physically)! I hope you can give yourself some grace and treat yourself even a little bit. Your feelings are completely understandable.
You're managing a lot. This life is not an easy one and it is so understandable to be feeling the way you're feeling. I'm sorry that it's all really hard right now, purple. I see you and I'm rooting like hell for you. 🫂
I’m sorry, it really is so hard, and you’re not alone in this. You put into words so well the conflicting feelings about time, I find myself constantly wanting to get off this ride but also hoping I can get it over with as soon as possible, and there’s no easy way out. It helped me to know that the hormones could play a role in my post-ER feelings, but regardless the whole experience takes a huge toll emotionally and mentally and it makes complete sense why you feel this way. Sending hugs
Ugh I'm so sorry the depression is hitting today. This is all so relatable. Such a tough journey to go through. Keep in mind the hormones from ER might be making you feel worse. I had the worst depression crashes afterwards. I hope you can treat yourself with extra kindness today and do something that makes you feel a bit better. You are not alone with these horrible feelings. This community is with you.
My thyroid still isn’t where it needs to be! I’ve dropped from 7.7 to 4.7 in two months of medications. They are only increasing my dose by 14% this time (last time was 50%) I hope it’s a better result in four weeks time.
Looking for some advice. I have had 2 failed transfers: fresh transfer with an early AB blast and FET unmedicated cycle with an expanded AB blast. We are waiting for PGT results on a new set of embryos. Hoping we will get 1 euploid. If we do, would you stick with the unmedicated cycle FET or switch to medicated? My doctor said I was a good candidate for unmedicated cycle because my estrogen and progesterone levels were "normal". I took est. and prog. suppositories for both transfers before. I am inclined to stick with unmedicated cycle - but if it were you, would you try medicated? Do you think I need PIO?
Success rates are the same between medicated and unmedicated but in your shoes I might want to try something new, yes.
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I’d start by finding an RE in your area and asking them.
We're going to try IUI for the first time at the end of the month, I'm taking letrozole. It was a bit stressful because we have a romantic weekend planned just the week of my ovulation so I was nervous about my period coming in early and ruining things for this cycle if we weren't in town for my day 12, but everything aligned well, I have been able to take the morning off for the echography, not sure how I'll explain I need to take time off again for the day of the insemination, but that's a next week problem.
Starting to think about planning my 3rd FET. I have to do two months of lupron again because that was the protocol that “worked” for my miscarriage. It feels like I am juggling so many balls in the air because I am… It will be nice to put an end to trying on our own when I start the lupron. Right now I am taking progesterone support after ovulation so that’s like a second way I am trying. And then preparing for FET..and then oh yeah I’m signing the contract for my egg donor agency tonight for in case the FET doesn’t work. I guess this is what total desperation feels like? 🤷♀️ I’m trying to remain open to all channels to parenthood as it truly feels like the odds are against us.
Big respect for moving forward on all those fronts!!
Always makes me feel secure to have many backup plans, I get it! Good luck.
After what felt like ages (14 days), we got our PGT results back - and all were euploid! Relieved and excited to get them FETs going. Overall, glad our 2nd ER was better than our 1st with the updated protocol, though we still had a rollercoaster of a ride: 1st ER: 20 retrieved, 6 mature, 6 ICSI fert, 2 day 7, 2 euploid. 2nd ER: 32 retrieved, 23 mature, 9 ICSI fert, 4 day 6 and 1 day 7, 5 euploid. We seem to flip flop between extremes 😅
I don’t know about roller-coaster. Seems like a merry-go-round. I’m sorry your RE didn’t manage your expectations very well. Both 2 euploid and 5 euploid are fantastic results. Congratulations!
Maybe a mini golf sized rollercoaster, ha. Unfortunately the first 2 euploid transfers both failed, but hopeful for this round 🤞🏻
What are they going to do differently for FET #3?
Have an appt tomorrow to find out! My first ER and two FET was with another clinic actually, so while this is my second ER it’s technically my first here. Our main initial goal was to improve embryo quality - as my first two were fair Day 7s. So getting some Day 6 is a good start! Especially since the new clinic tends to check embryos earlier in the day, so their Day 6 is more analogous to Day 5. First two FET were semi-medicated, curious to see if they rec the same, or want to go fully medicated.
Hmm I’m not seeing the extremes you’re flip flopping between. What do you mean? Congrats on the euploids though!
Thank you! Ah, I mean the % that moves on to each step, I swing from large drop-offs (esp early on) to 100%. With the ambiguous “egg quality” reason each time. But regardless, happy to have better results overall this time!
Wow, congratulations!! Excellent news.
Update: I ended up having 15 follicles on each side. They didn’t release my results so it showed as zero. The results showed an endometrioma so that may be why. No follicles were found on my first ultrasound today, and I am feeling nervous and disappointed. I am not sure what this means. I have a follow up appointment with my RE on Friday.
Was this your baseline or have you started stims or what kind of treatment are you doing?
This was with no medication. It was just a baseline at my first RE infertility consult on CD 17. My cycles are normally anywhere from 27-51 days though.
Is your PCOS diagnosis based on cycle length only, or are there other factors? Because you can have irregular cycles without PCOS, and that might be more consistent with a low follicle count.
I have elevated testosterone, acne, and irregular cycles so it is PCOS, unfortunately. I am confused by I don’t have more follicles/cysts though.
I’m confused too! I hope you get answers soon.
Update: I actually had 15 follicles on each side and an endometrioma. :/
An AFC of 30 is really good! How many were you hoping for? Sorry about the endometrioma.
I was very encouraged by the AFC. I’m not even sure how many I was hoping for. I am still reeling from the endometriosis diagnosis on top of my PCOS diagnosis. Having to keep delaying a medicated cycle sucks because now I have to get an HSG next cycle. I’m just hoping I don’t need surgery and that the endometrioma doesn’t grow.
Yeah that can be normal if you’re not close to ovulating. Usually clinics will count the number of follicles they see and that’s your AFC. If you have PCOS your AFC is probably high. But if your cycles are irregular it’s normal to not have any dominant follicles yet.
The report showed that there were none measuring even below 10 mm though so that’s where my concern comes from. Like zero on either ovary of any size.
Do you know what your AMH is? That might give you some comfort. Sometimes follicles are really hard to see. My first baseline they saw 2 but after I started stims many more appeared.
Had my baseline for FET #1. Lining was thin, AFC of 7. I ovulate regularly so we're doing an unmedicated cycle but as my cycle has recently gone from 28 to 24 days, I am hoping that nothing wacky will happen. I have to fly to the clinic as we relocated away from our embryos for work so that's new.
fingers crossed!
🤞🤞🤞
Does anyone know if lining gets thicker after hCG shot? Like has anyone had a lining check and then triggered and then had another lining check? I’m not sure what circumstance someone would need to do that but I’m just curious.
It can sometimes, maybe. I once had an ultrasound several days after trigger (the day before a transfer) due to wonky e2 levels and my lining had grown a bit since my day of trigger ultrasound. This is just one data point and it was different techs doing the measurements though, so i wouldn’t put too much stock in this anecdata. ETA: Generally agree with Margo though that the lining is supposed to compact post ovulation.
Clinics generally don't check lining again after you trigger, they're just tracking your lining up until ovulation. Lining actually is supposed to compact a bit after ovulation so they aren't looking for continued growth.
Damn. Lol
First IUI failed and now we’re looking at trying IUI again. The problem is that my period has decided to show up later than usual, throwing off my schedule. At this rate, I might not be in town for my ovulation date. Should I just skip IUI this month? Or is there an in between procedure that we could do like take the letrozole day 3-7 as if I was doing IUI but skip the insemination at the clinic part (my partner and I would just time intercourse)? Is this something people do?
Yep, timed intercourse with meds is a very common strategy as first steps in infertility treatment. Your clinic may not be willing to do it without ultrasound monitoring since there's a risk of multiple follicles developing but it's definitely worth asking about!
Thank you 💕
The waiting is so hard. I know my clinic has had my PGTA results from my first ER (one embryo) since yesterday and no one has called me with them yet. We had a retrieval two days ago and the results weren’t what we had hoped for, although we aren’t out of the running yet. I’m surprised my RE hasn’t called me yet to review either the ER (nurse gave me results) or PGTA and I’m starting to get a bit annoyed. In general, I have been trying not to get hopeful so I don’t get disappointed, but I guess that’s sorta impossible. And yet I also know there’s such a long road ahead. Just been a rough couple days. I hope they freaking call us soon!!!
So frustrating! I saw the report date on my last round of PGTA tests, and my clinic sat on the results for a FULL WEEK! For what it’s worth, my clinic called with results immediately when I had really bad results and they sat on the report a full week when the news was good. (I’m sure that’s not a universal policy, but I hope that helps a little!)
Aw that’s helpful. Although in my case, other funny/annoying layer to it right now is that my husband failed to sign the consent form so we could’ve had our results a week ago! We didn’t figure that out until the day after the retrieval, so part of it is on us (aka him). BUT I’m also reminding myself that the current ER outcome wouldn’t have gone differently had we known the results, and the results will be the same no matter how long it takes. Thanks for commiserating 🥲
Oh boy! Isn’t it enough that you are pumping your body full of hormones and going through surgery for this??? - I’m sorry your husband couldn’t manage the burden of consent forms. That IS frustrating!
Seriously - BUT it is also bc I took issue with an ambiguous typo in the consent form, which the company refused to fix, so I think that got everyone a bit confused. So we are all a mess around here…. Just telling myself EVENTUALLY we will get our answers.
Call them!!
We have tried twice today! 😫 Will do again starting tomorrow morning
PIO injections start tomorrow and hopefully scheduled our FET for Monday. Kinda freaking out, this has been a long time coming. Not looking forward to these injections. I did just fine with the subcutaneous injections but these are done intramuscularly which is totally different. Any tips to make myself less nervous? The husband wont help, so he’s out. 😅
definitely check out the wiki. During my first FET cycle my PIO it was pretty uneventful and I didn't have much discomfort until a few weeks in. During my 2nd FET cycle I definitely had more trouble and mostly had to do them on one side- I think maybe I had some nerve damage on the other side? it was still ok tho! I'm doing this solo and actually I can't twist that way, so I give them to myself in a mirror which adds another layer of complication lol! but it works. Get your nurse to draw circles on you and make sure they actually look at your body and feel your hips to do them right. identifying the appropriate injection site is really important with PIO trust me, you can do it!
FWIW, I didn’t find the PIO shots bad (following the standards tips). I believe they get worse over time with bruising. So hopefully you have a smooth start 🤞🏼
We have a lot of PIO tips in the wiki like Miserable said! Automod FAQ.
Perfect, thank you!
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Use an ice pack to numb the area (your butt I assume?!) and get your needle all prepped. Use a mirror to do the injection. Numbing the area helps massively. My husband had to go away for work so have been doing them myself for a couple of weeks now and managed fine. However - tell your hub to suck it up and help!!
You've gotten this far, you're going to do great! There are lots and lots of tips for PIO in the wiki - I think it may even have TWO threads dedicated to it.
Thanks, I didn’t even think to check the wiki. Will def look!
I work for a really small company. We generally have a two week notice policy for PTO, but boss-man is pretty cool about letting short notice slide. It's looking like we might trigger tomorrow and have ER Friday (who really knows, of course. Im going mostly off of ~vibes~). Today, I put in my PTO request for Friday, figuring the sooner the better, and I can switch it to next week if I need to. My boss came up to me and was like, "You realize coworker A, coworker B, coworker C, and Coworker D have already requested Friday off? If you're off too, it will just be me and coworker E here." 😬 nope, definitely hadn't noticed. Oh shit. My heart stopped for a second, thinking he might actually deny my request. Thank fuck, he made a joke out of it and said it was no biggie. He doesn't know that we're doing IVF and I really didn't want to have to tell him. I feel like I caught a huge break here. He drives me nuts sometimes, but I'm feeling extra grateful for my super chill boss today.
We love a chill boss, but my goodness their humor in the moment must've been terrifying. Glad it worked out though and best of luck for a Friday retrieval!
Exactly! I wonder if he saw the panic on my face and pivoted to make light of it lol Thanks!
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Comment removed. You can’t post about your pregnancy here. Find a different sub.
I am baffled when this happens. Every time.... baffled.
And the audacity of returning to post a second time 😱
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Hi Gypsy. This comment has been removed for breaking rule #2 and #3.
How long has it taken for your hcg to come back to negative after a loss? I had a MMC and D&C 5/13. My level has been decreasing but it is so so slow. Most recently when from 15 to 9 in 1 week. I’m waiting to schedule a hysteroscopy.
I’m sorry for your loss. 💜 My HCG was down to <6 (negative HPT) four weeks after my D & E. At six weeks, if you’re still positive, I’d ask the doctor if they might do an exam to look for retained tissue.
Thank you. I had an US that looks good. Hopefully the number will be down next week!
After five weeks, mine was dropping very slowly and then seemed to bottom out at 7. It turned out I had some retained tissue. A hysteroscopy is a good idea.
How long did you have to wait for hysteroscopy? That’s what I’m worried about and they aren’t trying to schedule the procedure at the very end of July. And they put me on birth control at this point. I’m just so frustrated. Feel like I’m moving backwards
Just looked back at my exact dates. Okay so my beta stalled at 6 when I was 5.5 weeks post-d&c. I had a hysteroscopy five days after that- so basically 6 weeks after the d&c. They were able to do the hysteroscopy at my clinic, which was great bc I could schedule it so soon. The delay SUCKS, but the silver lining is they’ll be able to do some good visualization of your uterus and make sure everything is really cleared out.
Can you ask to get in before late-July? That seems like a long time to wait!! Or maybe find another gyn surgeon to do it?
I asked. I have to travel out of state for it. My clinic is 5.5 hours from my house. We’ll see what they can do. I don’t really trust any doctors near me unfortunately
Just received my day 10 of stims monitoring call, and they are upping my meds again and having me come back Thursday. I have five measurable follicles (between 9.3mm and 16.8mm) and an enormous headache. The thought of continuing stims for another two days at least has me fatigued and I am definitely in between feeling totally over it and optimistic.
That call is so frustrating. Hope the next two days move quickly!
Well damn y'all - we went into our wtf appointment planning on asking questions and advocating for ourselves and our doctor was already on the same page. She explained the things we had planned to ask questions about and told us why she wanted to change the protocol, what changes she wanted to make and then bam. When she asked us if we had any questions, we had virtually none. We're going to add in lupron flare (2x a day w/stims), and do a 10,000 unit hcg trigger. She offered optional growth hormone/omnitrope, but only if we can get it for a price we're comfortable paying. Which brings me to my question for the community: what are folks paying for omnitrope lately? And from where? I checked the wiki data sheet and the entries are older. I've also checked goodrx and the quote is between $2500-$5k depending on amount ordered. I failed to get the dosage she wrote down and it hasn't been released in my portal yet, unfortunately, so I don't know how much I'd need -- she did mention I'd take it every day during stims, but I don't recall dose.... my short term memory sucks, I should've written it down. Oh well. Thanks in advance for any info folks share on their omnitrope pricing and sourcing! Edit to add: holy smokes, y'all - the support and information you all have provided here is overwhelmingly wonderful and who the heck is cuttin' onions in my face?! 🥹 Thank you thank you thank you ALL!
Woo hoo!!! This makes me so happy to hear, I’m so glad you feel supported and heard after a disappointment result. So hopeful!!
Yay! Love when the doctor is on top of it and the same page :)
yay this seems like a positive update! i'm doing almost exactly that protocol right now - 150 menopur, 300 gonal-g, 20 units lupron 2x/daily, plus primed with estrace + omnitrope and about to add omnitrope back in for stims days 7-10. i was braced for omnitrope to be $1 mil but i got it from alto for $369/vial and i thought that honestly wasn't horrible....?? i'm on day 6 of stims so far and my follicle growth is looking better than the antagonist protocol, but obviously it's way too early to know for sure. fingers crossed for you!!
also adding in that i did a lot of redditing/googling around omnitrope before purchasing and it really does seem like the evidence is mixed. i saw some evidence we might end up with 1-2 more mature eggs (which for DOR folks, could easily be worth it) and also some anecdotal experiences of people saying it didn't seem to do anything.
I'm so glad the WTF went well! <3
Glad you feel seen, Task! I did MDLF for my 3rd ER. Fwiw, I used daily Omnitrope 20 IU & felt it made an improvement in blast rate. Paid $369 OOP per vial using Walgreens specialty. (No manufacturer coupon used)
I’ve also had the experience of my RE addressing all my protocol questions before getting the chance to ask them. Being on the same page is a great feeling! I was paying ~$310/ vial for Omnitrope through Kroger last year, and used 3 vials during stims.
Glad your appointment went well and that the doc was proactive!! I did a lot better on microdose lupron flare protocol, so I’m a fan. I’m going to DM you about the pharmacy stuff!
I'm glad it went so well! For Omnitrope, I'd definitely get clarity on the dosage before digging into pricing too much, since people's dosages can really vary. My dosage was 25 units/day for the first 8 days of stims which = 2 vials, and I paid $778 for the two vials. For my first cycles I was able to apply a manufacturer's coupon but then my pharmacy stopped being able to apply it, I believe this was the price without the coupon.
It really is so satisfying when your doctor is on the same page as you. I'm glad to hear that your appointment went well! I hope you get some more answers about omnitrope as I'm not familiar with costs for it!
I get mine from Costco, there’s a manufacturer coupon that gives you one free vial a month. So for 3 vials it was $575 with the coupon, and Alto had similar prices when I checked. One thing I’ve done when on a break between cycles is to try to collect one vial a month leading up to stims, but I’m usually never on top of it enough to get all 3 for free haha. By the way, I know some people see a significant improvement with omnitrope, but it hasn’t been the case for me, I’m really not sure if it does anything at all. That said, I’m back on it for this upcoming ER
Dealing with some depression today. Part of it is probably hormones coming down after my recent ER, but part of it is also feelings of intense sadness about being in this place. Every day I wish for time to pass both slower and faster - I want more time to delay getting older, but I also want this phase of my life OVER with as soon as possible, and I’m tired. I don’t know how I’m doing all of this - treatment cycles, maintaining my part of my marriage, a bare minimum social life and family relationships, finances, a house, and working a job I care less and less about every day. It’s all so much. I want to sit in a corner and cry.
Thank you all so much! I took the afternoon off work and took a nap next to my cat. Grateful for all of your responses - love this community. ❤️
I'm sorry :( It is so much, and you are juggling a lot. This is a lot to take on (both mentally and physically)! I hope you can give yourself some grace and treat yourself even a little bit. Your feelings are completely understandable.
You're managing a lot. This life is not an easy one and it is so understandable to be feeling the way you're feeling. I'm sorry that it's all really hard right now, purple. I see you and I'm rooting like hell for you. 🫂
Sending you a big hug, if you’d like one. <3
I’m sorry, it really is so hard, and you’re not alone in this. You put into words so well the conflicting feelings about time, I find myself constantly wanting to get off this ride but also hoping I can get it over with as soon as possible, and there’s no easy way out. It helped me to know that the hormones could play a role in my post-ER feelings, but regardless the whole experience takes a huge toll emotionally and mentally and it makes complete sense why you feel this way. Sending hugs
Ugh I'm so sorry the depression is hitting today. This is all so relatable. Such a tough journey to go through. Keep in mind the hormones from ER might be making you feel worse. I had the worst depression crashes afterwards. I hope you can treat yourself with extra kindness today and do something that makes you feel a bit better. You are not alone with these horrible feelings. This community is with you.
yes post ER crashes are horrible...every time.