Still At It - SUMMER 06' edition

[SAI Ladies]

This thread is for people who have been TTC for an extended period of time (6 months or more) and/or for those with known/diagnosed infertility issues. The and/or is the most important statement here. ;) We welcome you to join whether you're trying to conceive for the first time, already have children, have suffered miscarriages, you're seeking treatment or not.

For non-members:
We always welcome supporters and cheerleaders! Please understand that this is our own safe place to discuss infertility and our feelings about it, and keep your comments supportive and on-topic. Thanks!

Table of Contents for Page 1:
Post 1: Members (part I)
Post 2: Members (part II)
Post 3: Members who are expecting
Post 4: Members' BABIES! (part I)
Post 5: Resources (including HPT Sensitivity Comparison)
Post 6: Links to old threads, recent congrats & condolences


Your current threadmistress is isign - please try post all updates in red so that they're easier to see!

Still At It...Membershttp://www.webmuseum.com/blove/ttc.gif
in alphabetical order by user name


Alioop12345
TTC #2 since 5/05
On: Estradiol, Gonal F, HcG, Viagra supps and Progesterone supps
New plan: Estrogen, Gonal F, Viagra entire cycle, HcG, Progesterone injections instead of supps

Alliannie
Me: 22
DH: 23
Married: 08/04
TTC: 1/05
Charting: 5/06
M/C: 06/06 10wks-D&C
Issue: Anovulatory cycles or very weak ovulation, delayed ovulation
Treatment:
5/06 start Provera to induce period and then Clomid 50mg


Almostthere
me: sarah - 28
dh: andy - 32
DD: Hailey - 3
married 6/2/01
started TTC #2 9/05
12/05 - Blighted Ovum - 9 wks
5/06 - Blighted Ovum - 6.5 wks
8/06 - Day 3 test came back elevated 12.1


Asha
both of us are 28
married 8/16/03
off bcp 01/04
first started ttc 7/04
tests done - dh had semen analysis and everything is ok on his end, we are going to wait one or two more cycles before i go for testing
charting for three months with no clear indication of ovulation
2/06 - transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasounds - no cysts
3/06 - hsg - clear tubes but a heart shaped uterus (uterine anamoly)
4/06 - starting 50 mg clomid
8/06 - possible pelvic and abdominal adhesions caused by ruptured appendix and subsequent infection as a child, but need a lap for definitive diagnosis


Bumble
Me – 30
DH - 33
Married – 8.31.03
Charting – 1.05
TTC – 4.05
Off BCP – years
m/c in June 05 @ 8wks
Obstacles to overcome: impatient-ness
RE visit 1.06, diagnosed with PCOS
SA 1.06, count looks good
HSG 2.06, tubes clear

Chris~n~Jen
Me – 28
DH - 30
Married – 10.29.05
Charting – 02/06
TTC – 10/05


CTs_Punkin
Me - MMT (34)
DH - CT (37)
Married - 11/2004
Charting - 1/2005
TTC - 1/2005
Off BCP - 11/2004
Issues: Premature Ovarian Failure
April 06 - Diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure
April 06 - LAP - no blocked tube, a little endo removed from back of uterus.
My Chart!! (http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/mmthomas)
7/06 - Acupuncture & Chinese herbs


DaniML
Me: Daniela - 30
DH: Ross - 36
Married: 04/13/03
TTC: 06/04
11/04: Cervical Ectopic (2 shots of methotrexate to terminate)
TTC again: 01/05
11/05: Dx: Borderline diabetis (weight related) & PCOS, Metformin (850 mg twice a day)
Still not ovulating on a regular basis (every 3 - 6 months), going to doc in August for Clomid

GA GAL
Me:25
DH:25
Married: 12/03
TTC:9/05
HSG: all clear
1/06-2/06: testing
3/06: Menopur injections and trigger shot, BFN
4/06: Cysts on both ovaries
5/06 - menopur injections and trigger shot, BFN
8/06: Letrozol and Menopur injections

Gymwidow
ME: 29
DH: 29
Married since: 6/03
Off BCP since: 2/05
Charting since: 2/05
TTC since: 7/05
Known issues: PCOS diagnosed 9/05, HSG clear 10/05, SA normal 11/05
Treatment:
Treatment:
Clomid - 11/05-3/06, last 3 with IUI
natural ovulatory cycles - 4/06, 6/06 (with IUI), 8/06
Gonal-F - 5/06, 7/06, both with IUI
IVF - 9/06


Happy1
Me: Nikki
DH: Tim
Married: June 8, 2002
Forever in our hearts: Jacob John born and died
10/6/03 at 35 weeks due to genetic issues.
TTC #2 since: January 2004
Known Fertility Issues: DH has an extremely low sperm count which we just found out about a month ago. He has seen a Urologist but there are no physical signs that would explain the decrease.
IUI - it worked! - BFP - Jan 2006






Jess71903
Jess71903
Me: Jessica (27) - December 10
DH: Tony (26)
Married: July 19, 2003
Last BCP: Date August 21, 2005
TTC since: Aug 2005
Charting since Jan 3, 2006
Issues/tests:
CD 21 b/w (I think feb 06) progesterone level of 20-normal.
SH's SA (I think March 06) all good

jessied1025
jessied1025
Stats:
Me: 28
DH: 29
Married 10-03
TTC: 9/10-05
Off BCP: 7-05
Charting: 11-05
Known Issues: None that are diagnosed. However, from charting I seem to have short LP's w/spotting.


jodylovesscotty
Me: Jody (32)
DH: Scott (32)
Married since: 08/30/03
Off BCP since: over 11 years
TTC since: 1/05
Known issues/test results:
Male Factor: morphology
Miscarriage June 06
First IUI July 06 BFN
8/06: Repronex/Ovidrel/IUI ~ failed
9/06: Birth Control and Lupron



jlp
Me: 32
DH: 41
Married: 01/04
TTC: since 07/04
Off BCP: since 03/04
Diagnosed with PCOS: 10/04
Irregular cycles, multiple cysts
04/05: Clomid 150mg - small follies/O on CD21 - failed
05/05: Clomid 200mg - 3 large follies/HCG shot on CD 18 - failed
06/05: Clomid 200mg - 2 medium follies/repeat U/S - failed
07/05: Clomid 200mg - HPT + CD19 - failed
08/05: Took the month off
09/05 / 10/05: 1st RE appt. - diagnosed Insulin Resistant - Metformin 1500mg - AF arrived CD85
11/05: Metformin 1500mg - Femara 2.5mg - low dose hcg therapy, and trigger CD15 - failed
12/05: Metformin 1500mg - Femara 5mg - 2 17mm follies, and multiple small to medium - trigger CD 14 - failed
01/06: Metformin 1500mg - Femara 2.5mg - 75 units Repronex CD7-11 - trigger CD12 - failed
02/06: HSG - tubes clear
03/06: 2nd round of Femara with increased injectibles, more follies, but not big enough - 03/06 FAILED
04/06 and 05/06 wasted cycles to purchase injectibles (doubled from last month) from Europe.
06/06: Missed cycle due to vacation
Just waiting to O.


JnShanna
Me: Shanna (30)
DH: Jose (31)
Married: October 1, 1994
Charting since: August 2005
Off BC: July 2005
Issues:
11/12/05 first known anovulatory cycle (2 others since)
05/26/06 SA - abnormal, zero sperm count (DH started Clomid every other day to increase testosterone)
07/07/06 Confirmed Clomid is working and is increasing testosterone - Continue with Clomid (Will repeat SA in 3 months)
08/11/06 Diagnosed with PCOS
08/20/06 Glucose 2 hour fasting test
08/21/06 Start Metformin (500mg 1st week, 1000mg 2nd week, 1500mg 3rd week, 2000 4th week)
What's next? In 6 weeks, repeat SA and bloodwork for DH and repeat blood work for me.


Kazata
Me: 33
DH: 33
Charting and off BCP since March '04
TTC since July '04
Issues: Went to the ER twice with ovarian cysts. Cycles on the short side.
Testing: Confirmed ovulation by ultrasound, Progesterone 7 dpo was 9.9.
Post Coital was normal.
SA: High abnormal forms, morphology was 4% (kruger scale) (47% by WHO standards), count ok at 29 mil/ml, motility slightly low, after 30 minutes was: rapid, 41%, slow 5%, no progress 7%, not moving 47%; after 2 hours: rapid 32%, slow 6%, no progress 6%, not moving 66%
LAP on 7/27/06, right tube had congenital defect, was not attached to fimbria and formed hydrosalpinx. RE removed right tube.
I suspect that previous "cysts" may have been hydro tube.
Small amount of endo removed.


knoelani
Me: K / 30
DH: B / 34
TTC: 12-2001
Dx: Late ovulation, PCO w/ 80% of symptoms of PCOS, SA issues
1-05: 50 mg Clomid
1-28-5: HSG, all clear
2-05: 100mg Clomid, 1500 mg Metformin
3-05: 100 mg Clomid, 1500 mg Metformin
4-05- DH SA poor results, clomid break, still taking 1500 mg Met
5-6-5: DH SA & urologist appointment: A okay
6-16-05: 1st RE appointment
7-05: 100mg Clomid
8-05: 150mg Clomid, 1st IUI - Failed
9-05: 150mg Clomid, 2nd IUI - Failed
10-05 to end of year: Break from all things medical
1-06: 150mg clomid, 3rd IUI
3-2006: Lap~ three cysts removed, tube unblocked
4-2006: Injectable / 2 IUI cycle
4-2006: Injectable cycle cancelled due to cysts
May 2006- Follistim Injections / Trigger / 2IUI cycle- Failed
June 2006- Follistim Injections / Trigger / NO IUIs - Failed
July 2006: Break from meds due to travel schedule


looty
Me: Ali, 26
DH: John, 33
Married: May 26, 2001
TTC since July '05
Issues: Dh's sample showed coagulated sperm but dr didn't seem too concerned about it since everything else was good.
Testing:
6/06:Bloodwork for me, SA for DH
7/06:failed HSG

[SAI Ladies]

Members (continued)

MrsR
Me - Jessica, 32
DH - Matt, 32
Married: October 18, 2003
Off BCP since: June 2005
TTC since: June 2005
Charting since: February 2006
Testing results: 4/06 bloodwork normal, HSG clear, SA normal
Treatment:
5/06 - clomid 50mg
6/06 - clomid 50mg; 7/06 - Injectibles (follistim)/trigger/IUI


Patience
Me: 33
DH: 34
Married: 10/03
TTC: 12/04 (with charting)
Issue: Anovulatory cycles or very weak ovulation, delayed ovulation
Treatment: Acupuncture and Chinese herbs
3/06 50 mg Clomid, acupuncture - ovulated
4/06 100 mg Clomid, acupuncture - ovulated
5/06 100 mg Clomid, acupuncture - ovulated
6/06 Taking cycle off

Pocahontas
Me: 36
DH: 33
Married: Sept. 2005
TTC: 02/06
Charting: 12/05
Issues: Fibroids (Tests 04/06: b/w fine and HSG shows tubes open with no adhesions)
Lap 7/06 to remove Endo

pocket[size=1]
Me: Pocket, 33
DH: Pita, 30
Married: 8/23/03
TTC since 8/2003
Dx PCOS
Status – 3 clomid cycles, no dice. Starting injectibles w/ IUI.

polarama
Me: 30
DH: 30
TTC since: 10/05
Charting: 10/5
Known issues: Only had 2 periods since 10/5. RE thinks it's possible PCOS, am in the midst of testing to get a formal Dx.

ptcrn
Me: Jenni, 30
DH: Gerry, 30
Married since: 7/05
Off BCP since: 8/05
Charting since: 8/05
TTC since: 8/05
Chart (http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/bed5d)
Issues: SA 4/06-showed low count (23 mil) and clumping.
Repeat SA 5/06 was normal.
5/06-Started acupuncture.

PurpleSunshine7
BFP March 06

skb
me:31
dh:33
10/04: TTC
03/05: hormone levels, ultrasound, SA normal
11/05: HSG uterine abnormality
12/05: MRI Dx septate uterus
01/06: septate resection
02/06: HSG uterine cavity normal
04/06-09/06: 6 cycles 50mg clomid/follicle tracking/HCG trigger/timed intercoarse no pregnancy
Waitlisted for IVF consultation 2007


TazLuv
TazLuv
Me –30
DH - 29
Married – 7-13-02
Charting – no
TTC – since June '05
Off BCP – 6/05
Issues: annovulatory cycles
4 Failed cycles of 50mg Clomid
Now seeing an RE
Cycle #1 of 100mg Clomid + HMG & HCG injectables + monitoring + timed intercourse



Thea
Me=Thea 30
DH = Craig, 37
TTC since July 2004
Off BCP May 2004
HSG left tube blocked, tubal cath opened tube
Clomid challenge test, other bloodwork normal
SA (X3) low normal morphology %, very high sperm count
Will begin with 3-4 cycles IUI in January 06 then reevaluate
Feb 06 abominal myomectomy to remove large fibroids
Mar 06 cleared for IUI w clomid to strt in April
April 06 Clomid 100 mgday 3-7 IUI failed
May 06 Clomid 100mg day 3-7, IUI failed
June 06 Clomid 100 mg day 3-7 IUI



tigerest
Me-28
DH-29
Married 7/6/02
Off BCP 7/03 (started charting 11/03)
10/04 - DH's SA Normal
1/14/05 -Laparoscopy and Chromotubation=Endo removed/Both tubes blocked
4/15/05 - Laparoscopy #2 a success! Both tubes surgically repaired.
12/22/05 - HSG Both Tubes Blocked Again
Starting IVF January


Wonderousglance
Me: 27
DH: 31
TTC since 1/02 with many breaks in between
Endometriosis diagnosed by laparoscopy in March 05
Just started seeing RE and in the process of getting all the diagnostic tests done

*~*~*~BABYDUST*~*~*

[SAI Ladies]

Taking a Break

hangin'in
Me: Jen (39)
DH: Ron (27)
Married: 10-03
TTC: 10-03
Dx: High FSH in May 04 (13.25) Given Donor Egg speech by RE. FSH retested in February, numbers came back in normal range. Did 1 month of ccupuncture in March.
IUI 2/05, failed
IUI 4/30/05, 2failed
IUI 6/05 failed
the Dr. really only recommends Donor Eggs at this time, and DH and I aren't ready to do that.

isign
Me: 26
DH: 25
Married: 12/02
Off BCP: 02/03
Issue: Anovulatory, very long cycles, no official DX,
05/06 - 1st round of Clomid
07/06: Finally found a pro-active dr, interested in finding a the problem, not just trying to get me PG.
My DX - PCOS
05/06 - 50mg clomid - failed, no O
08/06 - 150 clomid/hcg/timed BD - failed,



jjsanner
Me - Jen (31)
DH - Eric (34)
Married - 4/03
DS - Elijah 2/04
Charting - 10/2004
TTC #2 - 4/2005
Testing Results: 12/05 HSG clear, 12/05 SA normal, 1/05 Bloodwork normal
11/05: Clomid 50mg/Met combo - failed
12/05: Clomid 100mg/Met combo - failed
1/06: Non-medicated cycle, + HPT, miscarried at 4 weeks
2/06: Took the month off
3/06: Clomid 100mg/HCG trigger/Timed intercourse - failed
4/06: Clomid 100mg/HCG trigger/Timed intercourse - failed
5/06: Non-medicated cycle, currently 10 DPO
Next Steps: Lap 7/06
BFP Aug 06!!



MrsSmith
Me: 25
DH: 26
Married: 3/2003
Issues: PCOS, random cycle lengths and no ovulation
TTC: we never officially started, but we've never prevented either
RE visit: 6/2005 - PCOS, suggested Provera and Clomid
Clomid 100mg in OCt 2005


Polkadot
Me - Lauren 26
DH - Brian 27
Married - 11/20/2004
Charting - 5/2005
TTC - 5/2005
Off BCP - 5/2005
Issues - Chem Preg 1/06
5/06 bloodwork shows no O~Clomid 50 mg



Moving on to adoption
Karlatta
Me: Karla, 25
DH: Scott, 26
Married: June 2002
TTC: July 2003
PCOS, Endometriosis, Only One Tube
11/04 - 1st IUI, Pregnant!
Miscarriage 1/05
05/05 - 2nd IUI, Failed
10/05 - 3rd IUI, Failed
Moving on to Adoption


suzfuzsunflower
Me: 25
DH: 25
Married: 08/09/2003
TTC: March 2005
Known Issues: PCOS, male factor (low morphology)
clomid (50 & 100 mg) - did not ovulate
SA 5/06 - 1% normal sperm - count 125 million
repromedix 6/06 - 96.1% of sperm able to fertilize eggs
7/06 - Bravelle/trigger/IUI (15 mil) - did not ovulate
Hoping to adopt soon!


Moving on to IVF

Bellefior
Me – 37
DH - 36
Married – 5.31.03
Charting – 5/05
Off BCP since 5/05
Issues: low SA, repeat SA to be conducted, followed by visit to RE
DX Male Factor Infertility
RE Appointment 6/2
DH dx'ed with varicocele, June /06
Preliminary testing to be completed June/July
Urology consult at end of June
Follow up with RE July 27th

Cath
Me: Catherine, 32
DH: 34
Married: 11/01
TTC: 11/03
Diagnosed w/PCOS in July 2004
Clomid didn't work, now Follistim
3 failed IUIs
1 chemical pregnancy a month we were taking a break(10/05)
2/06 IUI failed

gator97
Me: Kristen (30)
DH: Peter (30)
Married since: 11/06/04
Off BCP since: 12/04
TTC since: 2/05
Known issues/test results:
8/05 laparoscopy: moderate-severe endometriosis
9/05 - Chem PG
1/06- HSG clear
1/06- DH SA normal


julesp313
Me: 34
DH: 39
Married: March 2003
Charting: September 2003
TTC: December 2004
Issues: None known
BFP - 12/2005
M/C - 12/05 @ 6w
May 06 - elevated FSH levels, decreased ovarian reserve


kischer
kisch
WC name- kisch
kischer=ME (31)
hubby=DH (31)
Married- 10/6/01
TTC- 5/02
HSG- tubes clear
SA- normal
Off BCP- of course
M/C's - 7/04 & 12/04
RE - since 9/04-
Clomid - 7 cycles, 2 OBGYN, 5 RE, I think
HCG - 2 cycles
Acupuncture - yes- 4 cycles
back at the RE - 10/05
Letrozol/Femara - 10/05

Suzlywoozly
Me: Sue/28 DH: Jeff/32
Married: 6/15/02
TTC: 10/02
10/02: 1st Lap-Found ovarian cysts and endo
4/04: Started Progesterone supplements and 25 mg clomid
8/04: 50mg clomid - Had no follicles
9/04: 100mg clomid - Had 2 follicles and 1st failed IUI
10/04: 100mg clomid - Had 1 follicle and 2nd failed IUI
11/04: No clomid due to 2 ovarian cysts. Started Metformin 1500mg/day
12/04: No clomid due to "large mass" and ovarian cyst on left ovary.
Surgery the second week of January.
m/c 6/05
IVF 8/05-9/05
9/05 IVF cycle #1: BFN
10/05-11/05 IVF cycle #2:Waiting to do a FET
11/05 FET #1-transfered two blasts; BFN
01/06- Waiting around for a miracle

[SAI Ladies]

http://home.hot.rr.com/lizandrob/smilie_file/smilie_preggo1.gifMEMBERS EXPECTING:
in order by due date and color coded by sex where known



September 2006

UTChick
Me: 28
DH: 34
Married 9/20/03
Off BCP since 12/04
SWH until 5/05
TTC w/ Charting since 5/05
Known issues: irregular ovulation
HSG normal
BFP - DEC 05

Stephanie
Me: Stephanie, 25
DH: Brian, 29
Married: 10/6/01
TTC: 3/04
Known issues: None, that we know of yet. Varicocele possible.
SA to be done in the next month. Cycles returning to normal after BCP.
BFP 12/2005

ocgatita
Me: Judy
DH: Edward
Married: 4/04
TTC #1 since: 6/04
Known Fertility Issues: None
BFP - 12/2005

DallasLady
Me - Giovanna (25)
DH - Tony (39)
Married - 9/01
Charting - 11/2002
TTC - 1/2005
Issues - Low sperm count (14mil/ml) and low morphology (6% Kruger)
First IUI cycle 11/2005- BFN
Jan 2006 - BFP!!

MSH
Me: 24
DH: 24
Married: August 2003
TTC: August 2003
Off BCP: Never on them
Charting: December 2003
12/04: DH had surgery to correct SA issue
02/05: PG!! - m/c'ed at 5w4d
04/05: PG!! - m/c'ed at 5w6d
08/05: CP
11/05: CP - was perscribed prog sup.
01/06: Waiting to have HSG done to make sure tubes are open and there are no other problems
1/06: BFP!!!

October 2006
Nigellas
Me: Kerry
DH: Chris
Married: 8.7.01
TTC: Off and on since 2001.
4 miscarriages (11 wks, 19 wks, 6 wks and 12 wks)
RE is stumped – unexplained infertility and RPL.
5 failed Femara cycles
Currently on Gonal-F with IUI
2/06 BFP!!


November 2006
Kemorr
Me: 29
DH: 31
Married: 1/5/2002
TTC: September 2004
known issues: short LP, spotting, low forward progression, low morphology.
HSG normal, day 3 bloodwork normal, 7 DPO progesterone normal except for most recent cycle - slightly low.
Clomid 50 mg 4/05 - BFN, Clomid 50 mg with IUI, trigger and progesterone
6/05 - BFN
7/05 - Clomid, HCG trigger and IUI - BFN
8/05 - chemical pregnancy
9/05 - injectibles with IUI, BFN and 10/05 treatment break, laparoscopy and hysteroscopy
10/05 - Laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, stage 2 endo diagnosed and treated.
10/23 IUI with injectibles BFN
2/06 - IVF - BFP!!

December 2006

ag05
Me: 33
DH: 31
Married 5/01
TTC since 1/04
Clomid 50 mg 5/04
Clomid 100 mg 6/04
Clomid 150 mg 7/04
Clomid 150 8/04 - pregnant
11/04- missed miscarriage w/ D&C (13 weeks)
Clomid 150 mg 2/05 - pregnant
2/05 - miscarriage (6 weeks)
Started seeing RE 5/05
Known issues - Compound heterozygeous MTHFR, Irregular Cycles
8/05 Femara 5 mg/Ovidrel shot
9/05 Femara/Ovidrel shot
10/05 Femara/IUI
11/05 Chemical Pregnancy
1/06 - Femara/Injectibles/IUI, metformin, baby aspirin, progesterone, 4 mg folic acid
BFP - March 06

Delaney21
Me: 26
DH: 27
Married since: 6/14/03
Off BCP since: 2/05
SWH since: 2/05
Charting: 10/05
Known issues: 2 ovarian surgeries - right ovary potentially damaged

Marteneym
Me: 23
DH: 27
Married since: 10/4/03
Off BCP since: 9/04
SWH since: 10/04
TTC since: 12/04
Fertility Blend cycles 4,5,6
Known issues: Delayed Ovulation, SA issues(improving), Varicocele possible
9/05 Clomid 50mg
9/9 FSH and Rubella- NORMAL
9/12 SA ABNORMAL-
count 30mil /Motility 30%
10/05 Clomid 100mg
11/05 Chlomid 100mg
12/12 IUI #1- failed
count 30mil/ Motility 70%
12/05 Chlomid 100mg
1/06 Chlomid 100mg
2/10/06 IUI #2- failed
count 52mil /Motility 85%
4/06 - BFP!!

Mobox
Me: 35
DH: 35
Married 6/04
TTC since 4/05
HSG Clear 1/06
Clomid 50 mg 1/06

Katmg
Me: 26
DH: 30
Married: 11/08/03
Off BCP since: 5/04
Charting since: 8/04
TTC w/ Charting since: 1/05 (took a break when I started a new job) 05/05
Chart:
Issues:Male factor/low sperm count/morphology.
Jan 2006 - BFP!
M/C - 02/06
Taking a Break until ~May
4/06 BFP!!

January 2007
Lucy Van Pelt
Me: Ginger - 35
DH: Brad - 30
TTC: 3/04
Dx: PCOS 1/05 (no reg periods since I started menstruating at age 12 - usually 6-8 months apart)
4/05: HSG - all clear, SA - perfect (of course, as DH put it, "even my sperm are over achievers")
5/05: 50 mg Clomid - nothing
6/05: 100mg Clomid - ovulated, but had horrid migraines
7/05: Femara
8/05: BFP
9/05: m/c at 6 weeks
10/05: Femara
11/05 BFP
11/05 m/c at 6 weeks
12/05 Metformin
May 2006 - BFP!!


February 2007
Elenna
Me: 31
DH: 33
Married: 9/11/04
Off BCP since 7/04
TTC w/ Charting since 11/04, SWH for 4-5 months in the middle of that time
Chart: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/4b883
Known issues: S/A results are abnormal 9% morphology and low (24%) motility. Family history of progesterone problems.
HSG: normal and all clear.
4/06: 50mg Clomid days 5-9
5/06: 50mg Clomid days 5-9 ---BFP 5/26
DUE - 2/1/07

La_bride_2004
Me: 33
DH: 37
TTC: 2/04
DX: male factor, high DFI
IVF #1- OHSS/ chem. preg (Dec 04)
IVF #2 - FET - chem preg (June 05)
varicocele repair surgery, 8/05, 13 found and repaired
11/05 chem preg., SA results now show normal count
1/05 normal hysteroscopy, no uterine septum
Status: SCSA testing Feb 06, if normal, on to injectibles/IUI
04/06- Injectables/IUI #1- cancelled, wrong med. dose
05/06- Injectables/IUI #2- 8 follicles- positive beta
DUE - 2/14/07

March 2007

Freckles
Me: Heather (30)
DH: Paul (38)
Married since: 02/01/03
Off BCP since: Never really on it
TTC since: 06/04
Known issues/test results: All hormonal issues, as well as lack of CM{hostile environment}. I do not ovulate on my own, nor on clomid. I am on my 4th IUI cycle.
Treatment:
1st IUI~ 150mg Clomid/Hcg Shot/IUI/booster hcg shot/Prometrium-FAILED
2nd IUI~ Follistim Injectables/hcg shot/IUI/booster hcg shot/Prometrium-FAILED
3rd IUI~ Follistim Injectables/hcg shot/Double IUI/booster shot/Prometrium-FAILED
4th IUI~ Gonal-F/Ovidrel Trigger shot/IUI/Prometrium ---PREGNANT Due March2007

Tandis
Me - 30
DH - 31
Married- 4/26/03
TTC - 5/04
Known issues: one fallopian tube, half of one ovary (left side), severe scar tissue, assumed poor responder
5/05-8/05 3 IUIs with 50mg Clomid & trigger shot, all BFN
5/05 - Laparoscopy: removal of scar tissue and freed up tube and ovary
11/05-1/06; 5/06-currently - Acupuncture
5/06 - Clomid challenge: Failed CD3 - 8; CD10 - 13.8
7/06 - IVF #1 w/ICSI & AH, using Flare protocol -- BFP!
EDD: March 29, 2007



[size=3]April 2007
Jeggink
Me – Judi, 33
DH - 33
Married – 9.28.02
TTC – now
Off BCP – years
DS - 9/23/04
m/c 1/4/06 at 8.5 weeks after seeing HB (D&C)
m/c 4/12/06 at 8.5 weeks after seeing HB (D&C)
Issues:
Progesterone at 7DPO - 8.0
ANA - 1:40, somewhat borderline
Positive anticardiolipin antibody test, Negative IGG & IGM
Treatment:
Prometrium, 200mg capsules 1x/day
Baby Asprin, 1x per day

[SAI Ladies]

BABIES!!
in order by birth and color coded by sex

babylove
Me - T (27)
DH - K (31)
Married - 8/2003
Charting - 11/2004
TTC - 3/2005
m/c @ 6w4d in 4/2005
Issues - Luteal Phase Defect (low progesterone, late/erratic O, long cycles)
Clomid 50 mg (O on CD17) - 09/2005 BFN
Clomid 50 mg (O on CD 17) - 10/2005 BFN
Clomid 50 mg w/ u/s and b/w monitoring (O on CD 18) BFP!! - 11/2005
Jacob Dahne born August 13, 2006.

Jennylou
Me: Jenny
DH: Sean
Married: 9/20/03
PCOS
Forever in our hearts, DS Andrew Wyatt 5/20-5/22/05
TTC #2 with clomid and metformin
July 2005 - 50 mg - BFN - 9 day LP
August 2005 - 50 mg - BFN - 13 day LP, spot arrived 11 dpo
September 2005 - 100 mg - BFN - 12 day LP, spot arrived 11 dpo
October 2005 - 100 mg - BFN - 11 day LP
November 2005 - 100 mg - pregnant!!!
We're having a GIRL!!
Eleanor (Nora) Grace born August 10, 2006

ShelbyMay
Me: 25
DH: 27
Married: 05/17/2003
TTC: 2/05
Charting: 9/04
Known Issues: Possible semen allergy; antibodies could be inhibiting
sperm
Lydia Grace born July 2, 2006


klav
Married: 10/03
TTC: since 1/04
Off BCP: since 1/03
MC: 11/04
regular cycles: about 28 days but have been fulcuatio sence MC in Nov
Laperoscapie: 02/03 could not find anything causing pelvic pain
HSG:7/05 thought there might be a blocked tube
All Blood work done for IUI: 6/05
06/05: Clomid 50mg , Estrodil and progesterone - failed
010/05: Clomid 100mg, Estrodil and progesterone will only be one month. Oct
BFP: 10/30/05
EDD: 7/10/06 Liam Rylan born June 28, 2006.


bottleored
Me: Caroline (38)
DH: Paul (42)
Married: 10.03
TTC: 1.04
Charting: 3.04
Uterine Polyp: 5.04 (D&C, hysteroscopy)
SA normal, b/w normal
9.04 - 5.05: 6 rounds Clomid
10.04: HSG - left tube blocked
1.05: Tubal recanalization - left tube unblocked!
1.05, 2.05: very low HCG results, discovered antibody issue
6.05, 8.05: injectibles (and low dose HCG), blood thinner, progesterone
BFP 8.29.05 m/c 9/05
9.05: injectibles
Jackson David born June 20, 2006


ds2003
Me: 27
DH: 31
Married since: 11/08/03
Off BCP: 12/03
TTC since: 6/04
Charting since: 7/04
Known issues: dx PCOS 7/04, annovulatory
Test results: DH's SA-normal; HSG 1/14/05-normal;
-->Ovarian Drilling 5/20/05- I'm finally ovulating
3 failed Clomid cycles before Ovarian Drilling (50, 100, 150 mg)
Meds: Currently taking 1500mg Metformin and 5mg Femara/letrazole
BFP October 2005!
Noah Alexander was born on Monday, June 12, 2006 at 4:26pm via C-section. He was 5lbs 11.5 oz and 19 inches long.
FF Chart (http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/ds2003)

Baby Lust
Me: Amanda (23)
DH: Shane (27)
Married: 10/19/02
TTC: 3/04
Charting: 6/04
SA: High count, low motility
Clomid: 50mg April, May ; 100mg June, September
Chemical Pregnancy: June
BFP: 9/30/05 after 100 mg Clomid, Round 2
It's a BOY! Lucas June 13, 2006

Scooter
Me: 29, DH: 32
married: 8/01
m/c 8/02 at 5.5weeks
TTC since 4/03, charting since 9/02
Unexplained IF, uterine polyps removed 6/04
8/04 failed 50mg clomid cycle
10/04 & 11/04 failed clomid 100mg & progesterone
1/05 new RE, suspects immunological issues, began baby aspirin and Folgard
2 more cycles clomid (100mg) + IUI = failed
started accupuncture
2 cycles letrozole (2.5mg) +IUI + progesterone = failed
7/05 bravelle (1.5 amps) + IUI + progesterone = success!
FF Chart (http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/18494)
PREGNANT 8/18/05!!!!
EDD 4/29/2006
It's a Girl!! arrived 5/8 at 6:56 am. She was 6lbs 14.5oz

jrsygirl
Me: Holly (31)
DH: Brian (32)
Married:September 2002
TTC: 9/04
M/C: 12/04
7/05 injectibles and IUI
PREGNANT 8/18/05!!!!
EDD 4/28/2006
ADD 4/5 - TWINS Paige Kelly and Cole Robert

amygrrl
me: amy (35)
dh: dan (33)
dd: ~avery elizabeth~ born still on June 3, 2005 at 27 wks from possible
cord accident (we love you, baby girl!)
frozen embries: 3 on ice from our round with Avery
TTC since: March 2003
Treatments: 6 failed rounds of Clomid. 1 successful IVF producing
Avery
PREGNANT 8/5/05!!!! our miracle baby!
ADD: 4/3/2006 It's a Girl - Malin Elizabeth


Kopper
Me: Katie (26)
DH: John (28)
Married: 9/21/02
TTC: 7/04
Charting: 03/04
6/05 3rd day BW normal
6/05 HSG all clear
6/05 SA normal count and motility, low morphology
Starting IUI next cycle
FF Chart (http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/9e5e6)
PREGNANT 7/05!!!!
Due 4/6/2006
BOY! Jacob Alexander



amychris03 It's a BOY!!!
Me: Amy, 29
DH: Chris, 35
Married: 6/21/03
TTC: 9/03
BFP: 7/13/05
EDD: 3/26/06
ADD: 3/15/06
Sam, 6 lbs 9 oz, 18.5 inches long

heidi0622 It's a SURPRISE!!!
Name: Heidi/29
DH: Mike/29
TTC: 03/04
Treatments: 50mg of Clomid this cycle and I had acupuncture for the past 3 months
M/C: 10/04 at 5.5wks
BFP: 7/12/05
EDD: 3/22/06
Guess on the sex: BOY (no clue why!)
ADD: 3/13/06
Benjamin John, 7 lbs 1 oz, 20 inches long

Christy5599
Me: Amanda (Christy was my mom's name) 27
DH - Matt 30
Married 06-29-02
Off BCP - 01-03
TTC - 08-03
BFP 6-28-05
Due - 3-7-06
ADD: 3-9-06
Patrick Aiden, 8 lbs 8 oz, 19.5 inches long

angelgirl8
Me: 28
DH: dave, 28
Married: 7.6.03
TTC: 1.04
BFP: 6.2.05 after 2nd IVF -- twins!!
EDD: 2.8.06
ADD: 1.10.06 -- It's a BOY and a GIRL!!

Akire
Me: Erika - 34 DH: Jeff - 37
Off BCP: 7/03
TTC: 7/03
Charting: 8/03
HSG: 5/04 - One clear tube
BFP 11/04!! - EDD 8/6/05
Sydney Allyn 8/07/05 @ 3:23pm, 8lbs 8oz, 21.5in

Carissa (Crosew on WC)
Me: Carissa (25) DH: Eric (25)
TTC: Since 3/03
Diagnosed with PCOS and low progesterone.
Clomid, Metformin, prometrium and trigger shot
BFP 3/04, M/C 4.04
BFP 9/04!!! - EDD 5/25/05
Grace Elizabeth 5/15/05

Jennylou
Me: jenny
DH: Sean
Married: 9/20/03
PCOS
50 mg clomid and 1500 mg glucaphage
Forever in our hearts, DS
Andrew Wyatt 5/20-5/22/05

amygrrl
me: amy (35)
dh: dan (33)
TTC since: March 2003
Treatments: 6 failed rounds of Clomid. 1 successful IVF
Avery Elizabeth born still on June 3, 2005 at 27
weeks from possible cord accident (we love you, baby girl!)

[SAI Ladies]

Abbreviations and acronyms
List of TTC & IF acronyms
written out (http://womens-place.com/ttc/ttcacronyms.php)

HPT Sensitivity Comparison Charts
Fertility Plus (http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hpt.html)
Pee On A Stick (http://www.peeonastick.com/hpts.html)
Mama's Ark (http://www.mamasark.com/hpt.htm)
Baby
Hopes (http://www.babyhopes.com/pregnancy-test-sensitivity.html) (they've checked with the manufacturers to verify the numbers)
Remember, the hCG starts at 1 at implantation and increases as time goes
on, so the smaller amount of hCG it measures, the more sensitive the test
is!

Books
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, MPH (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060937645/qid=1041654042/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-0287896-1655948?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)

The Fertility Sourcebook by M. Sara Rosenthal, PHD (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0737303808/qid=1042220393/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-0287896-1655948?v=glance&s=books)

Healing the Infertile Family by Gay Becker (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0520211804/qid=1125724439/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-5989308-5276662?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)

Inconceivable
by Ben Elton (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385334656/qid=1041659461/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/104-0287896-1655948?v=glance&s=books) The movie "Maybe Baby" (below) is based on this book

Inconceivable:A Woman's Triumph Over Despair and Statistics by Julia Indichova (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0767908201/qid=1059292613/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-2812959-1358247?v=glance&s=books)

The Infertility Diet: Get Pregnant & Prevent Miscarriage by Fern Reiss (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1893290395/qid=1059292976/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-2812959-1358247?v=glance&s=books)

Conquering Infertility: Dr. Domar's Mind/Body Guide to Enhancing Fertility & Coping with Infertility by Alice Domar, Phd (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670031550/qid=1059293116/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-2812959-1358247)

Girlfriend to Girlfriend: A Fertility Companion by Kristen Magnacca (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1588202135/qid=1082306449/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_2/104-9895052-8814318?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)

Great List of books for Infertility (http://www.ein.org/infertility/books.htm)
Includes these and more!!

Movies
Maybe Baby (2001) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000062XKW/qid=1041654127/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_4/104-0287896-1655948?v=glance&s=video&n=507846)

She's Having A Baby (1988) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6300988996/qid%3D1041654195/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-0287896-1655948)

Websites (by subject)

Charting
Ovusoft aka TCOYF (http://www.ovusoft.com/)
The site for Toni Weschler's book which includes message boards, chat and cycle galleries which are very helpful.

Fertility Friend (www.fertilityfriend.com)
A free charting site which includes a lot of information and cycle galleries.

Local Support
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association (http://www.resolve.org/main/national/chapters/resolvenearyou.jsp?name=chapters) Nation-wide referrals to local support groups and therapists.

The American Infertility Association (http://www.americaninfertility.org)
Lots of information and support, including message boards and chat rooms.

Financial Concerns
ARC: Advanced Reproductive Care (http://www.arcfertility.com/)
information on financing infertility treatments

Family Fee Plan (http://www.amerifee.com/fertility-financing/index.asp)
information on financing infertility treatments

State Insurance Requirements (http://www.resolve.org/main/national/advocacy/insurance/index.jsp?name=advocacy&tag=insurance)
Links from the Resolve site about insurance & laws.

Inciid's Insurance pages (http://www.inciid.org/index.php)
Click through menu on right for more financial topics and the insurance
forum.

General TTC
Trying To Conceive.com (http://www.tryingtoconceive.com/)
All things TTC! Lots of info as well as a place to buy herbal therapies for conceiving.

Baby Med (http://www.babymed.com/)
Tons of information. Everything from Chinese gender charts to an FAQ section on pretty much any TTC question you could have.

Baby Hopes (http://www.babyhopes.com)
Baby makin' supplies!

OBGYN.net (http://www.obgyn.net/)
Lots of general info on women's health. They also have doctors on line who answer questions.

Infertility Sites
INCIID (http://www.inciid.org/) Pronounced "inside".
(The International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination) Excellent national resource.

Resolve (http://www.resolve.org)
Wonderful site with lots of infertility information and support.

I dream of baby (http://www.idreamofbaby.com/fertility.php)
Learn the basics of fertility issues here. This site also has a great message
board community!

Fertility
Plus.org�s list of female hormone levels (http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hormonelevels.html#female)
Starting your fertility work-up? Check out this site to see a list of the commonly tested female hormone levels, the function of each hormone, and the normal levels of each hormone.

Shared Journey (http://www.sharedjourney.com)
Shared Journey is dedicated to providing quality information on topics such as
infertility, miscarriage, surrogacy, pregnancy after infertility, living child-free, and adoption. Our information is supplied by well noted Reproductive Endocrinologist's, Psychologists, Adoption professionals and links through various sites.

FertileHeart (http://www.fertileheart.com)
A community of people exploring holistic approaches to fertility. A site by author Julia Indichova (see books above)

Specific IF Issues
Soul Cysters (http://www.soulcysters.com)
PCOS site with lots of support and info

Dr. Beer (http://www.repro-med.net)
Reproductive Immunology information, including lists of tests, pricing, local referrals

Reproductive
Immunology Support (http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/immunologysupport/)
Yahoo group for RI patients, tons of info and articles

Info for Family and Friends
Empty Arms (http://www.vocalicious.com/empty_arms/empty_arms_mod.html)
This is a great video so they can understand what you're going through. (And get out your kleenex!)

[SAI Ladies]

Welcome to the 2006 Summer Still At It thread on Constant Chatter! Let's all hope (and pray if you wish!) that this new thread will mark the beginning of an unprecedented amount of fertility on the board...

In our last thread we have sent a hearty
congratulations to these happy members!!:
MarteneyM
Lucy Van Pelt
Elenna
Mobox
Jodylovesscotty
La Bride
Katmg

In this thread we have sent a hearty congratulations to these happy members!!!:
Freckles :)
Tandis :)
Jeggink :)

Our condolences to:
jodylovesscotty

We welcomed these new members:
Freckles
jeggink
Polarama
Ptcrn
isign
Chris~n~Jen
Jess71903
Pocahontas
looty
Almostthere


Members we'd like to hear updates from:
wonderousglance

previous members who are expecting or had their babies!
Let us put you back in the stats!

[SAI Ladies]

Link to previous threads
SPRING 2006 SAI (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?p=647218#post647218)
2006 SAI (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=13442)
HOLIDAY 2005 SAI (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=11304)
FALL 2005 SAI (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=6389)
SAI (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=192)

We are now open for Business!!!
Here's hoping SUMMER brings us lots of BFPs!!!

Please update any stats that are out of date!!
Also, if you would like your chart added to your info, please post it & I'll add it.

Thanks!

[CTs_Punkin]

Congrats Suzfuz on a lovely new thread!!!

Nothing to update here - we're hoping to do an IUI next cycle... whenever AF decides to show up, which could be tomorrow or 2 months from now. Need to call the RE to see if they'll perscribe some prometrium to get AF rolling....

Thanks again for taking on the duties of Threadmistress!!

Edited to add - can you update my age to 34.... Thanks!!

[SAI Ladies]

Updated to here

Good to see you, doorchick!

[DaniML]

Updates in red (thanks for the PM reminder)

Me: Daniela - 30
DH: Ross - 36
Married: 04/13/03
TTC: 06/04
11/04: Cervical Ectopic (2 shots of methotrexate to terminate)
TTC again: 01/05
11/05: Dx: Borderline diabetis (weight related) & PCOS, Metformin (850 mg twice a day)
Still not ovulating on a regular basis (every 3 - 6 months), going to doc in August for Clomid

I did ovulate this month though! So I am now in 2WW. I'm only 3 DPO and it's killing me!

[jjsanner]

Threadmistress, please update my stats as follows:

Me - Jen (31)
DH - Eric (34)
Married - 4/03
DS - Elijah 2/04
Charting - 10/2004
TTC #2 - 4/2005
Testing Results: 12/05 HSG clear, 12/05 SA normal, 1/05 Bloodwork normal
11/05: Clomid 50mg/Met combo - failed
12/05: Clomid 100mg/Met combo - failed
1/06: Non-medicated cycle, + HPT, miscarried at 4 weeks
2/06: Took the month off
3/06: Clomid 100mg/HCG trigger/Timed intercourse - failed
4/06: Clomid 100mg/HCG trigger/Timed intercourse - failed
5/06: Non-medicated cycle, currently 10 DPO
Next Steps: Lap 7/06

I took an HPT this morning because I've been feeling a little off the past couple of days (and because I'm a glutton for punishment). Surprise, surprise, BFN. I had a good cry and am now ready to move forward with the lap next month. Still waiting for the call to get it scheduled, but I am to go in on CD1 to pick up the meds and to get blood drawn. I was so hoping it wouldn't come to this, that somehow I would be pregnant this cycle. Still no spotting, so I suppose there is still hope, but I'm not holding my breath.

[TazLuv]

No updates here - just subscribing, thanks for the new thread! :)

[kazata]

Hi all just checking in. My stats are still up to date. Sorry I don't post much, but I do follow along. Sometimes I just have to turn my mind "off" all things TTC, so I tend not to post (especially during the 2ww).

Update on me: I've been trying to schedule a lap (RE wants to do it due to sac of fluid he saw on ultrasound), but my insurance has not been cooperating, so we've been delaying. My insurance won't cover my RE to perform it, as opposed to an OB, but I want the RE to do it as he has much more experience, and I figure if there is a problem, then he can fix it right away. When I was trying to figure out all the insurance stuff and get the procedure pre-authorized for out-of-network reimbursement, I got the "procedure codes" from the nurse, and was schocked when one of the codes was to "remove my right fallopian tube." Ummm, I had no idea that this was part of the RE's plan - and it seems kind of premature since we haven't done a lap yet. I asked her to have the RE call me to discuss why he thought that was necessary, and he told her he couldn't talk to me about it over the phone and I needed to come in - I have an appt. next wednesday, so we'll see what's up with that. (I'm a bit annoyed though, because this is exactly why I'm so scared about the lap to begin with - I don't want to be put under, then wake up to find out that somebody made a decision to remove an ovary or tube or whatever - I want to be part of that decision process). I'm also annoyed because it seems like the RE will not code the lap so that my insurance will cover it. I've heard from so many people that laps are covered b/c they are used for non-fertility issues as well - and in my case I've had severe pain that sent me to the ER twice, so it would seem justified - but the RE's office says that if they perform it, then it will be coded for infertility - because afterall I'm seeing them because I want to get pregnant. Grrrr. Why can't people cooperate? Maybe I should just go to an OB and get them to do it so it will cost less....

In other news, I've been doing acupuncture (decided to try that for three months, while waiting for the lap). I enjoy it, and I think it might be helping in terms of regulating my periods, (bleeding has been a bit heavier, cramps have been less), but haven't gotten pg. yet (in fact AF just showed yesterday). I will keep doing the acu. at least until the lap.

Thanks to Suz for taking over the thread and thank you to CT's Punkin for all your hard work!

[SAI Ladies]

Updated to here

Thanks to everyone for updating their stats!

[suzfuzsunflower]

From the old thread...
skb - Thank you for the well wishes for our test results. It does seem like it's been a long time since DH gave the blood work and semen sample, but in reality it has only been 3 weeks - I guess it seems like a lot longer when I think about it all the time. :rolleyes:
I hope that you enjoyed your time at the spa last night. That sounds really nice... I haven't done that in a long time. And that is wonderful that the ultrasound tech was so nice and understanding of IF. Good luck with your appointment today!

MrsR
It is good to see you. I'm sorry about the disappointment with the positive urine test and then the negative blood work. :( That is tough. Good luck with the clomid and the opks. I really hope those work.
BTW, I love your avatar. Are those your dogs? They are so adorable!

And now the new thread...
kazata- Thank you for coming by and checking in. It's good to see you. Do not worry in the least about not coming in often. Sometimes we all need a break. I have taken a short break myself, and it was good to not think about obsess over all of this.
Wow - they were planning on removing your tube? :eek: Hopefully that isn't necessary. I am sorry that you are experiencing a lot of frustration with your doctor and insurance and trying to get the lap covered. Ah!

Hi TazLuv, Bellefior, and doorchick!

jjsanner - I hope that you can get the lap scheduled soon.

DaniML - It is good to see you. Congratulations on ovulating this month!! :D And good luck in your 2ww wait.

CTpunkin - I hope that AF comes soon so you can get the IUI ball rolling. Is this your first IUI?

[Patience]

Thanks Suz for being our new threadmistress. Could you update my stats to the following?

Me: 33
DH: 34
Married: 10/03
TTC: 12/04 (with charting)
Issue: Anovulatory cycles or very weak ovulation, delayed ovulation
Treatment: Acupuncture and Chinese herbs
3/06 50 mg Clomid, acupuncture - ovulated
4/06 100 mg Clomid, acupuncture - ovulated
5/06 100 mg Clomid, acupuncture - ovulated
6/06 Taking cycle off

I went to see my Ob/Gyn yesterday to discuss what’s next. She suggested a HSG then follow by 3 cycles of IUI + Clomid or 3 cycles of IUI + injectables. If I were to go the injectable route, then she will refer to a RE. She didn’t see a problem with continuing with Clomid because I was responding well to it. The HSG should be covered by my insurance as IF testing, but everything else will not be covered. So, I’m waiting for someone from the doc’s office to talk to me about the financial aspects. I’m leaning towards the IUI + injectables route even though it’s a lot more expensive. I’ll have to mull this over some more and make a decision after the HSG.

[SAI Ladies]

Updated

[skb]

patience Choices, choices. Fortunately I haven't really had to mull anything over which would likely complicate matters for myself. I just do as I'm told! Out of curiousity...why would your OBGyn suggest injectables if the clomid works? I'm not familiar with injectables and wonder why they may be better/different or whatever compared to the clomid in your case? I could understand why you may feel ready to move onto an RE though. Marching onward....

kazata I'd be pretty irritated too to find out that type of information via the coding without a discussion first. Can they even do that, can they actually remove anything without informed consent first? I would think not..maybe in emergency situations...but I don't blame you for your concern. The only shock I wold like to have in my treatment process is a BFP! I hope your insurance matters work out.

suzfuzsunflower The new thread looks great. It seems longer than 3 weeks to me. The spa is a good way to take your mind off things.....

jjsanner There is always hope. Sorry for your tough day though.

That's it for shout outs....work calls. I won't be triggering until Monday which is later then usual. But who knows...maybe that will be the ticket. All looks good and I'm hopeful. The spa was certainly a nice break and I've rescheduled for 3 weeks! I'm sure I'll require a nice break again!

[suzfuzsunflower]

OK, skb, I think you've convinced me ;) - I need to make a spa appointment. I have today off, but I think it's a little too late to make an appointment for that. I *might* go and get a pedicure though... :)

ETA: The spa talk got me thinking - what do you ladies do to help you relax/keep your mind off of IF things/get yourself through the 2WW/pamper yourself/etc... I'm going to need something during the next week or I will make myself go crazy! ;)

[Thea]

Wow am I behind. That is what I get for taking a few days off from posting!

Ct's pumpkin Thanks for al of your hard work!

suz Thanks for voluntering to take over.


Can you please update me:
April 06 Clomid 100 mgday 3-7 IUI failed
May 06 Clomid 100mg day 3-7, IUI failed
June 06 Clomid 100 mg day 3-7 IUI
Thea age 30, DH 37

We are calling it a night early tonight, but Ill try to get to SOs later this weekend. 10DPO here. Nothing to report. Trying not to get anxious. Good friend IR had a M/C on Tuesday and I have been trying to support here as well as I can (considering I am in FL ad she is in VT). She has been trying for over a year and my heart just breaks for her.

[Patience]

skb That's a good question about the difference between Clomid and injectables. I dunno the answer, but I'll be sure to ask. Actually I was thinking of asking that question to the RE because I'm not sure my Ob/Gyn is equipped to monitor me very closely if I choose to do IUI+Clomid. At this point, I'm willing to shell out the $$ to assure myself that I'm getting the best possible care.

[la_bride_2004]

Just waving hello to the ladies!

Patience I could not tolerate Clomid (blurred vision) so it made the choice to go to injectables easier. (In my situation though, I had already been through IVF, so I was already familiar with them). I had few side effects on them. I guess it depends if you want to be more or less agressive, plus, there's the financial aspect.

ETA- you will definitely have to be monitored, and an OB/Gyn most likely will not have the capacity to do it.





I do have a stat update:

Due 2/14/07

[gymwidow]

Wow, a new thread! Thanks, suz for taking over, and thanks so much cts punkin for all your hard work!

Drive by posting b/c I have to leave for my acupuncture appt in 10 minutes, but I wanted to give you guys an update:

By Thursday afternoon the spotting had turned into AF. I was actually okay with it, no tears or anything. Yesterday DH and I met with my doctor and we talked about what steps to take next. The doc said we are welcome to move to IVF if we want, but that he thinks we can still give the injectables another 2-3 shots (haha) first. I only did one cycle of injectables and I way overstimulated on them, which might have affected my body and its ability to do the right thing. With another injectables cycle, we would lower my dose so I would respond more normally and hopefully have a better shot. He still isn't too concerned with the length of my LP - they typically average at least 10-12 days, which is generally long enough. He said that taking the drugs I take (Clomid, Gonal-F) can sometimes shorten an LP.

DH and I talked for a few minutes about it and we decided to go ahead with injectables/IUI at least 2 more times. While our chances are obviously greater with IVF, we don't want to move forward to something so invasive (and costly) until we absolutely have to.

So, since we were there yesterday and it was CD2, I went ahead and had my CD3 b/w and u/s done so we could get started. My ovaries were clear this month = no cysts! My progesterone was still a little high, though, so I was told to wait till tonight to start the Gonal-F shots. I'm starting at half the dose I was on last time = 75mg, so hopefully no overstimulation this time!

Oh, and we are going to go ahead with the saline u/s on Monday, just to double check my uterus and make sure there's nothing else in there that might be causing the bleeding or any troubles. DH can't get off from work for that, so my mom will go with me and hold my hand (I'm a little worried about pain since my HSG hurt so damn much).

That's it for now. I'm off to get a dozen needles stuck in me! ;)

[SAI Ladies]

*~*~Updated to here~*~*

Congratulations LaBride!

[skb]

To relax....let me see.......

I'm a regular at the spa primarily for manicures and pedicures which is always lovely. 75 minute massages are great unfortunately I do not indulge nearly as often. Warm soaks in my large bath with my favorite mango butter, cocoa butter or milk products. Lots of long walks with DH at a nearby park which is gorgeous. Cruiser bike rides. Sitting outdoors in the evening enjoying a nice glass of wine or a cup of tea. Spending time with family and friends during a wonderful meal or BBQ. Browsing my favorite home decor shop. Reading. Movies. Exercise. Church. Treating myself to sorbet, truffles, white soya deliciously scented candles or a bouquet of flowers.

Soon I will break into song...~sing~ these are a few of my favorite things......

Have a good weekend girls. I'm off to babysit tonight with DH.

[polkadot]

subscribing....just flying by...will be back later...

[jnshanna]

Subscribed....

Thanks for taking over threadmistress duties, suz. And thanks for the great job when you were tm, CTs Punkin. :)

We're just hanging in there. DH should go in for blood work next week to see if the Clomid has increased his testosterone. Here's hoping! If it worked, we wait more for a repeat SA in a couple months. As for me, I'm not sure what's up. My temps are still really low so I bet I won't O this month. And I've had quite a bit of spotting. I really don't understand what that's all about. Anyway, I'll try to do SO's next week. Good luck to everyone wherever you are in your cycles. :)

[polkadot]

during our vacation...brian and I had a good talk about TTC. We have decided to see what his SA results( he has a varicocele) are and if they are semi good...i will call the doc for another cycle of Clomid, to begin next month...this time with monitoring...if the results arent so good and it will take a miracle for us to get PG given the results...we will discuss the surgery...Brian is very worried about the side effects...he read somewhere that some lost strenght of erection, and another whos testicle swoll to the sixe of a baseball...so he really needs to stay off the internet but...we have decided to wait and see this cycle....We did talk about IUI and IVF....he was very open to the IUI but kinda reluctant to the IVF b/c of cost....soooo i guess we will cross that bridge when we get there....

Also, while we were on Vacation we got a call from a couple that we are friends with saying that they are pregnant. I am happy for them and not at all jealous...they have been trying for about the same time we have and she had a m/c in Jan also....so i know how happy and scared she must be. I know this will happen for us....its just like when we were all getting married...

We were the first to get engaged and the last to actually get married...everyone managed to get it all done before us...we had a long engagement and we are having a lone TTCment...so I am ok with that....i am hoping that this cycle off will be good for both of us...i wont have to worry about temping and **having** to have sex and he can be free of the hormonal mess that I am when stressing out...

I hope everyone is well...and we need some baby dust....or some BFP's in here...:D

[GA_GAL]

Hey girls-

I know I'm really spotty on here, but I promise I need y'all's support. I just don't have the ability to be on the boards very frequently. Anyway, could you please update my stats and add...

5/06 - menopur injections and trigger shot, BFN
taking the summer off to de-stress and re-group

During my two medicated cycles I started my period 7-8 DPO each time. I was already taking progesterone supplements, but my RE said they will most likely increase the dose and possibly try something else to lengthen that time. I'm just trying to take some time off and relax this summer. We're getting ready to go on vacation (Hawaii!!) so I'm hoping that will help get my mind of things. As soon as we get back I'm going in for a consultation to discuss the next steps of treatment. I'm either going to try one more cycle of menopur or possibly letrozole. We're planning to start back up in August.

In the meantime, I can't help but thinking how great it would be to get pg on my own when we aren't really "trying." You know, to have one of those random stories you hear of couples dealing with fertility issues and then magically getting pregnant on a non-medicated cycle. It would be nice!

[Alioop12345]

just subscribing....CD1...again

[polkadot]

hey bellefior~ I forgot to tell ya...while we were away on vacation....the docs office called to tell us they needed to change B's appt. I was less than happy :mad: I told them they had to give us an appt at an earlier date because we could not wait...and it actually worked we now have our appt on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. I am praying we both get great news....i'll keep ya posted!!

[HGMorgann]

polkadot I hope your appt goes well! Good luck
GAGAL I hope the prog. helps your LP! I did the natural kind this month and saw a great improvement!

alioop ITs CD1 for me too.

AF arrived this morning. I'm a bit bummed, but also positive because using Vitex and NPC this cycle helped my LP tremendously. I had a 29 day cycle with an approximate 14 day LP which is incredible for me. So this herbal thing might just work again. I hate doctors.......but will go at the end of the summer if I have to.

[knoelani]

Just subscribing to the new thread, I know I haven't been around much lately, but this journey gets to be too much sometimes. I am reading and cheering for all you wonderful ladies though.

Threadmistress please update my stats:

DH Age: 34
May 2006- Follistim Injections / Trigger / 2IUI cycle- Failed
June 2006- Follistim Injections / Trigger / NO IUIs

[Patience]

La_bride_2004 Thanks for the info on injectables. I'll have a list of things to discuss with the RE when I go see him. BTW, congrats again. It's great to hear success stories in here because it gives us hope that it can happen to us too.

gymwidow I just looked at your TTC history and it looked like you O'ed on Clomid, so what made you decide to go to injectables? I'm doing some research to decide if I should go to injectables. Your story about getting cysts made me a little concerned that I could experience the same thing.

polkadot Welcome back from vacation! Fingers crossed that you'll get good news on Tuesday.

[Thea]

Started spotting today. 11DPO. Completely bummed. We had plan for lots of house work today, but totally bummed out and did mostly nothing. DH is so depressed. Makes it hard because I want to scream and cry, but feel like I should keep my spirits up for him. Waiting for AF, then I will make an appt w RE for beginning of August to discuss options and go from there....

Sorry no SO's. Reading along. Too bummed for a long post....Maybe next week....

[ptcrn]

Sorry I haven't been around much, I feel like I joined this thread and then abandoned it! Thanks to everyone who answered my questions about acupuncture in the last thread, it's helpful to hear other people's experiences with it.

I feel like the acupuncture may be working now. My temps seem much more even this cycle and I actually had 2 days of EWCM for the first time! I'm so excited about that! It may have more to do with the evening primrose oil, but I think both have helped. I'm currently 3 DPO now and actually hopeful about our chances this month.

Threadmistress, just a picky update- can you correct the spelling of my screen name? It should be ptcrn. Thanks! And you can add my chart link if you want too. url=http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/bed5d

Thea, so sorry about the spotting. **Hugs**

Bellefior, I'm glad to hear you are feeling good about the fertility clinic you are going to. It must really help to hear the success stories. You are in Boston, right? I know they have some of the best IF specialist in the country there. Good luck at your DH's appointment!

polkadot I'm glad you had a nice vacation! Good luck with your DH's appointment as well!

HGMorgann, Sorry about AF. :mad: But that is great about your LP! I'm with you on the herbal stuff- I will try anything if it may work!

GA_GAL, I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing vacation in Hawaii. It is incredible there, I'm sure you will have a great time! And I will be hoping for once of those unexpected surprises for you!

jnshanna, hoping for good bloodwork results for your DH!

thedoorchick I'm sorry about the BFN and the news about your SIL. That is such a hard thing to hear, even if you are happy for them. It's good that you have a plan for the next few cycles though.

gymwidow, I'm sorry about AF. :mad: I think it's great that you are going ahead with a couple more IUI's- hopefully you will only need the one, right?! Good luck at your u/s tomorrow, crossing my fingers for a pain free day for you!

suzfuzsunflower, thank you for the new thread! I really need to do more things like massages and pedicures during the 2WW too. It's hard because we are really trying to save money, but sometimes you just need to pamper yourself!

Ctspunkin, thanks for all your hard work as threadmistress!

skb, Good luck with your trigger tomorrow! I hope this is your month!

jjsanner, sorry about the BFN. :( I hope you can get your lap scheduled soon and see where to go from there.

kazata, wow, that's kind of scary about him possibly removing your tube! I guess they do have to prepare for everything, but to not even talk with you about it? I hope you can get the lap scheduled soon- insurance sucks, doesn't it?

Whew, that was a lot of typing! Now lets just hope CC doesn't eat my post! :p I'm sorry if I missed anyone and good luck to anyone testing soon!

[GA_GAL]

HGMorgann- when you say you tried natural progesterone, what do you mean? I've heard of the creams...is that what you used?

[gymwidow]

CD5 here and day 3 of shots. So far, so good. No pain with either shot (pinching the skin where I inject them seems to help). I go in this afternoon for my saline u/s and I'm pretty nervous about how much it will hurt. I forgot to bring extra Advil with me and I only have 2 in my desk stash, so hopefully those will do the trick. DH can't take off from work so my mom is going to come with me and hold my hand.

kazata, what a PITA the insurance is. It's not like this isn't hard enough already! I hope you can get it worked out. How scary about hearing about the possible tube removal like that! I hope your RE is very open at your next appt and gives you ALL the info! I'm glad you like the acupuncture. I'm also glad I'm doing it and I hope that I can see more results soon. It's hard to tell that it's working, but my acupuncturist says it is and I guess I have to take his word for it!

Patience, good luck with all the testing. I did 5 cycles of Clomid (3 w/ IUI) before moving to injectables. This is my 2nd cycle on the injectables and will be my 6th IUI.

skb, jumping in here b/c my RE addressed your question about Clomid v. injectables when we met with him on Friday. He said that there are a lot things doctors still don't know about fertility and meds, but that the strength in the meds can often make a difference in the strength of the ovulation (which affects the viability of the eggs). Just because you ovulate on a certain med does not mean that you will get pregnant on it, and after a certain number of cycles on anything, if it hasn't resulted in pregnancy it *probably* won't and then it's time to move on to something else.

suzfuz, I don't do enough for myself during the 2WW! I used to exercise, but lately I've been turning away from that "just in case" (even though I know that it shouldn't really affect the turnout, I still am hesitant not to do anything jarring to my body. I think I may schedule a mani/pedi for my next 2WW.

la bride, what a wonderful Valentine's Day present you'll be getting next year!

thedoorchick, I am so sorry you had a rough weekend. It sucks when good news causes us so much pain. I'm glad you have your goal of January in sight (it'll be here before we know it!) and am glad you're going to continue with treatment till then. It can't hurt!

jnshanna, spotting sucks. I'm so sorry you have to deal with it.

polkadot, I'm glad you guys had a good talk. It helps to be able to do that with your DH. It sounds like you have a really good plan and I hope that you get the results you want so you can proceed quickly!

GA GAL, I've had similar problems! I always seem to start AF too soon after O, even while on the supplements. My doctor says not to worry, that my LP is still long enough, and that prog. shouldn't be an issue. I hate the nagging fear that he's wrong, but am trying to just believe in him.

HGMorgann, I'm so glad the herbs helped! I think no doctors would be a great thing and am cheering for you!

Bellefior, that's wonderful that you were able to get something so good from church yesterday. It's hard to believe in God sometimes when you're dealing with things like this, but it can be such a source of peace. I hope you find some of that and are able to stay confident throughout your storm.

Patience, my doctor, and all the stuff I read about Clomid, all said that if it hasn't worked by about the 5th or 6th try, it probably won't. No one knows why, but it's the kind of drug they don't want to keep you on for too long, so if no luck, then it's time to move on. I ovulated each time on it - even had 3 follies one month! But I never got pregnant. So we moved to injectables. Again, it's obvious that I respond, but just because you ovulate doesn't mean you'll get pregnant (as we all sadly know too well). So we're hoping it will happen this way, and if not we'll move to IVF when the time comes. Injectables come with a higher chance of hyperstimulation syndrome, which is why you're carefully monitored while on it. I took only 3 shots of Gonal-F in May at a mid-size dose (150 mg) and overresponded to that. I was monitored w/ b/w and u/s daily after that and my dose was significantly decreased (went from 3 days at 150, to one at 75, then one at 37.5, then skipped a day altogether before we could trigger and IUI). I had great care and thankfully didn't get any other symptoms such as leaking fluid into the abdominal cavity. My cysts last month were probably a result of the hyperstimulation - it's not natural to produce 10 eggs in one month, and a couple of those didn't pop and then took their time in breaking down again. However, even with all of that, I have no fear or worries about doing the injectables again. We know I need a lower dose and lots of monitoring and I am confident I'll have no problems this month.

Thea, hugs........

ptcrn, I'm crossing my fingers for you! I hope the acupuncture worked miracles.

[SAI Ladies]

Updated to Here

[suzfuzsunflower]

Hi everyone. I don't have time to respond to everyone right now. I will try later in the week.

This weekend was very stressful. DH and I are trying to figure out whether or not to move. Beazer is having a great sale right now - 3% off a new house if you move within 5 months, 5% off if you move within 3 months. We weren't planning on moving for another 6 months to a year, but getting $12,000 off a house might be too good of a deal to pass by. We would not be as comfortable as we are right now, but it would work. I am worried, however, about having the money needed for treatments. The house has 4 bedrooms and would be great for kids - but we need to get them first - and it probably isn't going to be cheap. I don't want a big house and not be able to afford the treatments necessary for us to have children. So I don't know what we're going to do. DH is confident that we would have the money necessary for dr. stuff, but I'm not so sure. It can be very expensive, as you all know.

Also we told DH's parents about our situation. We weren't planning on doing it yesterday, but with the house hunting the conversation just kind of went that way. Glad that's over with. DH's parents were so nice about everything, and MIL said that if we didn't feel like coming to the big family gathering on Sat. just to let her know and she'd make an excuse for us or say that I was sick. I thought that was very considerate of her.

Only 5 days until we get our results!

[HGMorgann]

GA GAL I use "Natural Progesterone Cream". I use the brand Femgest. I got it at GNC. You can get it at any health food store too.

[polkadot]

Hey girls...i have a question...i thought that I had maybe brusied a rib so I went to the doc today and she said I had defintley not done that...she said she suspects it may be my gallbladder...I have just started taking Evening Primrose Oil..which i have read gives you extra fatty acid...has anyone heard of any correlation thanks in advance....

[Patience]

Thanks gymwidow. Your experience with Clomid and injectables will help me when I talk to the RE. I will bring up the possibility of hyperstimulation to the RE since I’ve responded to each dosage of Clomid. My acupuncturist thinks I’ve been ovulating on my own since I started treatment with her (before Clomid), but since I didn’t do any bloodwork for those cycles, I have no definitive proof except for my BBT charts. How did your u/s go today?

Polkadot I’m not sure if there is any correlation between Evening Primrose and your gallbladder, but I did not have a good experience when I took EP. I thought it would increase EWCM, but all it did was delay O by 4-5 days. I stopped after one cycle. I hope your bruise is nothing serious.

Suzfuzsunflower I would suggest doing a financial spreadsheet to figure out the added expenses from moving as well as those for the treatments you need. One column would have the expenses while the other column will have your income for the next year. If your income is going to be greater than the expenses, then I would say “buy the house” because that’s a good deal. I think that’s great that your IL’s are supportive. It’s always good to have more moral support during this TTC roller coaster.

Ptcrn I’m glad to see that acupuncture is working for you. As I told gymwidow, I’m pretty sure my treatments have enabled me to ovulate on my own before the Clomid.

Thea ((Hugs)) to you.

Hi to everyone else I’ve missed. Hope everyone’s week is going well. Anyone testing this week? We need some good news in here soon!

[Jess71903]

Hi everyone! I see a lot of familiar faces! I am not sure I am ready to join, as I am a member of both the SWH and charting thread, but I may be coming soon. I have a question that I am sure you guys can answer. First a little about me:
*We have been TTC for 10 months, this is my 12th cycle.
*I have been charting since Jan '06 and always show a clear thermal shift.
*I have had CD 21 b/w with a progesterone level of 21, so I am Oing.
*DH has had a SA which the nurse said was "normal" with a count of 131 mill. We never got the report on that so I plan to ask for it to see exactly what his #s were.
I went to see a herbalist a month and 1/2 ago who said to take "raw thyroid" for 60 days and gave DH some stuff to take and I should be pg. It's been about 50 days, but I am on CD 6 so I don't think I will be by the 60 days, but maybe I just need to be patient....yeah, right! He also mentioned that if my temps were below 97.6 that I may either have a thyroid problem or Wilson's Syndrome (wilsonssyndrome.com) and they always are that low. Anyway, with the start of this new cycle, I think I should call my dr. but I don't know what to say. I guess I should tell her about the herbal stuff, but I am not sure how she will feel about that (I'm thinking she is pretty anti-natural). I think she SHOULD want to go ahead and start testing since I have been charting for 6 months and this is my 12th cycle, even though it hasn't been quite a year yet. What is the next step in testing and such? TIA!

[HGMorgann]

jess i never told my dr. about the herbs the first time around. they worked though and i didnt have to do clomid so I was happy;-)

[Patience]

Jess71903 I would tell your doc about the herbs just so she will have a complete picture of your TTC history. I was in your similar situation when I went to my Ob/Gyn to start IF testing (10 months TTC) and my doctor didn't have any problem with starting testing right away. My doc had the following bloodwork done (FSH, LH, estradiol, TSH, free T4, antiphospholipid antibodies, and a couple more that I don't remember).

[gymwidow]

suzfuz, good luck with your decision making. That's a big choice to make, especially when you have other big matters to consider! I'm glad that your ILs responded so well to the news. My DH told his parents, but neither has mentioned it to me at all, which I'm glad about (I am not close with them and don't particularly like them very much).

polkadot, I'm sorry, I have no experience with that!

Patience, I'm glad I could help a little. Hyperstimulation syndrome is pretty rare and a good RE will monitor you closely. My RE said he considered canceling my cycle b/c my estrogen levels were so high, but instead he allowed me to go forward and chose to trigger me differently with a drug designed to lower the estrogen. And he said it was a good learning experience for us b/c now we know much more about how to treat me with these drugs! The u/s went well, thanks for asking!

Jess71903, if it were me, I would tell my doctor about anything I'm taking. And I think you're well within reason to ask for basic testing at this point.



Update on me: I had a saline u/s yesterday and all is clear. There are no polyps or anything in my uterus that could be causing bleeding or interfering with implantation. The procedure itself wasn't that bad. It didn't hurt nearly as much as the HSG - this time all I really did feel were the "really strong period cramps" that they told me to expect before. But I didn't even get to see anything on the u/s monitor b/c I had my eyes closed and was gripping my mom's hand and just trying to breathe. Thankfully it was over fast!

At the same time I had my first monitoring of the month, after 2 days on the Gonal-F. I don't have my b/w back yet (b/c I went after morning monitoring hours I have to wait till this afternoon to get the results), but I did see on my regular u/s that I'm already growing follies. 3 on the right and another 2-3 on the left. Yay ovaries! I'll likely continue at 75 mg today and tomorrow and will go in again on Thursday for my next appt.

The RE did suggest we do yet another SA for DH. His first SA came back with low counts, but his next one was normal. However, his samples that he's given for my IUIs have sometimes shown low motility (the numbers and morphology have all been fine). So he suggested we do another SA in the RE's own lab, where they're trained to look for just the right things and will also take the time to do more than the regular check they do for IUI samples. We got lucky and there was a cancellation today so DH was able to go in and leave a sample this morning and I should have those results also this afternoon.

Totally funny IF story of the day: last night DH was in the bathroom when I went to give myself my shot. I didn't care that he was there so I went ahead and did it while he was brushing his teeth. So, I stick in the needle and you're supposed to hold it in for 5 seconds after you press the plunger to make sure all the meds are dispensed. So I'm standing there with the needle-pen stuck out of my belly counting to 5 and DH starts freaking out, shouting "EEWWW, get it out, get it out!!!!" He was jumping around like a little kid. You probably had to be there (gotta picture my 6'2" bodybuilder husband doing this), but it was hysterical! I'm still giggling about it now!

[polkadot]

gymwidow~ that is great news that the u/s was clear and there were no obstructions and such....I hope you get the news we are all waiting for....fingers crossed...and Yay! for your ovaries!!!:D

As for me....we actually got good news today....We got Brians SA results and the doc says they are all in the normal range...here's what we have...

Morphology~ 31 (normal range 30-100) So we are on the low side there...:(

Sperm Count~ 87 (normal range 2-150) Yay!!
Effective Motility~69 (normal range 60-100) Ok :)

the doctor said that we are in the normal range and there is no reason from a sperm perspective that we could not get PG. We are in the lower part of the normal range but thats ok...

One level that I must go and look up what it actually means...is the Total PMN~ 1.74 (normal range 0-1) and this level being higher than normal indicates a prostate infection that could be effecting the numbers, so...Brian has 6 weeks of antibiotics to take and hopefully after that the infection will clear up and then we will do another SA to see if the numbers improve....soooooooo i am in a much better mood and things are looking up in the Polkadot House!! :D

So now all i need to do is get myself to O..and we will be in business!!!

[gymwidow]

polkadot, thanks, I'm relieved it's over! That's great news you got!!! I'm really happy for you and hope that the next test results come back even higher. Will you wait till then b/f you try Clomid again or anything else, or will you keep trying through the summer?

[Jess71903]

Thanks girls! I didn't mean to ask whether or not I should tell her about the herbal stuff. I will do that. What is the next step in testing, though? Patience, if I understand correctly, is all of that just blood work? Is it just one draw and they test for all of that?

[polkadot]

Belle~ I am hoping that you get good news tomnorrow too...fingers crossed....i had the ultrasound today but i didnt get result back yet...still waiting to here from her actually. oh and thanks i love my avatar too...i found it on LJ.


gymwidow~ we had taken this month off from the Clomid b/c we thought that with the varicocele the Sa results would not be good but they are so...we are going it alone this month...although I am taking EPO hoping it will give me more EWCM....if it doesnt happen this month I am going to take the clomid again..i didnt O on 50 mg so hopefully he will up the dosage!!

thanks for thinking of me girls!!!:D

[Patience]

gymwidow Hooray for the all clear on the u/s and the ovaries working away! I hope your DH's SA is ok. LOL at your DH's reaction to your injection. What a funny mental of him jumping up and down. Thanks for the laugh. :)

polkadot Yay for the good news! It must a huge relief for you to hear that the results should not prevent you from getting pregnant. Ok, polkadot's ovaries, you heard the doctor...ovulate and let there be little "polkadots" soon.

Jess71903 What bellefior said was correct, I had more than one vial of blood drawn for my entire batch of bloodwork. Due to some family medical history in addition to the IF, I ended up having 21 vials of blood drawn! :eek: I think that's more than what IF testing requires, so you might not have that much done.

Bellefior Good luck tomorrow. May the "good results" trend continue with you.

Not much to update with me. AF is gone and I'm still waiting for the authorization for the HSG. I hate HMO's for this reason - it seems like I'm always waiting for them to ok something.

[la_bride_2004]

polka just wanted to peek in and say with the extraordinary count you have, my RU would claim it would make up for borderline motility or morphology. Seems like you are ok! Also, one varicocele doesn't generally affect the results that much. Remember almost half of all men have them, so they don't affect fertility in everyone.

[polkadot]

thanks la bride....i am feeling much better about the whole thing....hopefully we can get me to O regularly and will hear the pitter patter of little feet very soon....fingers crossed!!!

[skb]

Eeek, falling behind......

Trigger shot on Monday went fine despite a minor snagfoo. My doctor was out of town so I was told to see my family physician for my trigger shot. This required me to take part of my morning off work and good thing I did. When she filled up the needle it came up short! Yeah, there I am pants dropped and there wasn't enough HCG in the vial to make up the 2.5cc. Horrified! So I had to run to the pharmacy and fill another prescription and then run back to my doctor's office to get the injection. Nothing major, but it's those little glitches that get goofy in this whole process. I have no idea why there wasn't enough in the vial. It was supposed to be good for 2 injections and has been fine in the past. I could feel my heartrate go up as I tried to figure out just how I was going to get everything done in a short amount of time, get to work and be subject to questions and ridicule as to why I wasn't there first thing in the morning. Anxiety. Honestly, I wish my doctor would just let me do my own triggers! I'm excited about this cycle though. This is the latest I've been told to trigger and my cervical fluid is much better. DH and I have been doing our best in the timed intercourse department. So I am hopeful!

I'll be back to check up on all you later. Must get to work....on time.

[polkadot]

Belle~ I am so sorry you didnt get better news today. But you seem to have a good outlook on the future. I also have sucky insurance I am teacher in Louisiana and I have insurance paid for by the state...and it sucks...no coverage for ANYTHING!!!

Fingers crossed....goodluck!!!

[polkadot]

yeah that does really suck...La is working on making it mandatory but it probably wont be applicable b/c we work for the state :rolleyes:

At least it covers your drugs needed...I had to pay out of pocket for my clomid and estrogen..:rolleyes:

[pocket]

I guess I’m back.

Me – Pocket, 34
DH – Pita, 31
TTC since 8/2003
Dx PCOS
Status – 3 clomid cycles, no dice. Starting injectibles w/ IUI.

Last night I got a call from the Kaiser IF Clinic – a cancellation! They could see me this morning at 9 AM. To summarize – they just hired a new doc – Dr. Nachtigal – and he is taking up the appt backlog. He’s SO nice! I really really like him. We had a nice talk as far as we know I have only ovulated the one time that we know of, though that’s a positive sign. Maybe if I were younger we might go home and come back in 6 months. But since I am nearing the witching hour, we decided to begin a new protocol –

* 3 wks b/c pills to wipe the hormonal slate clean.
* Appt on 7/12 to get a baseline u/s, a scrip for Lupron (one of the injectible meds) and an HSG.
* On 7/18 I have my injectible class to learn how to do the Repronex/Follistim – the other injectible, they have to be mixed together…? I guess this is what I will learn in the class.
* On CD1-3 (probably 7/22-ish) I call and go in for another u/s and start the injections.
* They will monitor me a few times a week, and give me a trigger shot before insemination.
* We will probably do the IUI in August. It looks like I will not be able to go to the beach this summer.

Also, he thinks it’s a good idea to start making plans to do IVF in early 2007. That will mean we have done three IUI cycles, and while we can do them indefinitely, that’s enough tries to give IVF a shot.

I feel so much better now that we have a plan! I know it’s still not very likely to work, and I am trying to be realistic about the chances. But it’s still totally worth trying.

[Freckles]

Freckles
Me: Heather (30)
DH: Paul (38)
Married since: 02/01/03
Off BCP since: Never really on it
TTC since: 06/04
Known issues/test results: All hormonal issues, as well as lack of CM{hostile environment}. I do not ovulate on my own, nor on clomid. I am on my 4th IUI cycle.
Treatment:
150mg Clomid/Hcg Shot/IUI/booster hcg shot/Prometrium-FAILED
Follistim Injectables/hcg shot/IUI/booster hcg shot/Prometrium-FAILED
Follistim Injectables/hcg shot/Double IUI/booster shot/Prometrium-FAILED
Current Cycle: Gonal-F/Ovidrel Trigger/b2b IUIs/Ovidrel Booster Shot after O/Prometrium pills after O orally due to low progesterone
12/05- HSG: Clear
12/05- DH SA Normal

I think I would like to re-join this thread. I was a memeber briefly a year ago, but I was in a bad state at that time, and greatly discouraged. I am trying to remain positive for now, and would like a place to give and feel encouragement, as well as a place to vent. We have just begun our 3rd year TTC, and we are in the midst of our 4th Injectables/IUI cycle----we have one more after this if need be, and then we need to consider IVF or adoption.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y244/ttc_rollercoaster/babydust/thbabydust.gif

[Thea]

Welcome Freckles! We started trying around 6/04 so I feel your pain! The 2 year mark hurt!

OK, everyone. I am in a better place. CD1 today. Knew it was coming, so today wasn't as bad as Sunday. Called my RE's office today and told them we were taking a month off and asked if we could have a phone consultation with my RE to discuss our next options. They agreed to this because we have a 2 hour drive, so I am happy about that. The nurse said that even though I am ovulating fine on the clomid, the RE may still suggest trying the injectables, as it will give them an idea of how I will handle an IVF cycle, and because my insurance covers the meds, that it may be a good option while we are waiting to try IVF. I am calling to schedule the phone consultation tommorow. I guess what we really need to figure out now is the financial aspect of IVF.

OK...I'll try to get to SO's tommorow. DS will be at daycamp and I am off. Gotta run and cook dinner now though. :)

[pocket]

oh yeah, one more thing -

I talked to the NP about acupuncture. First of all, you can't get a Kaiser referral (you need this to have it covered) for infertility only for pain management. That sucks. Second - she and Dr. N both agreed that there's no point really to doing acupuncture with injectibles/IUI. The reason is that what these drugs are supposed to do is cut off my own hormones and create an environment where they can manipulate my hormones. So acupuncture won't help. BUT they said if we go to Israel to do IVF in December I should start acupuncture before I go. It helps a lot with IVF success rates.

Right now we are planning to go to Israel for IVF sometime in the Winter. Has anone else done international IVF?

[gymwidow]

Jess71903, before my doc would start me on any drugs, I did a full blood panel and HSG and DH did a SA.

polkadot, sounds like a good plan. Definitely ask for a higher dosage! I O'd, but late, on 50 mg and my doc immediately moved me to 100 mg.

Patience, we've got to be able to find some humor in all of this! My ins. co. was such a PITA with the HSG. They told me it didn't need to be pre-authorized, but then denied my claim because I hadn't had it pre-authorized! Thankfully my doc's office straightened it all out.

skb, ugh! What a mess. Why won't they give you the pre-filled syringes? The Ovidrel is no-fuss, easy to use!

Bellefior, I'm sorry. That's not great, but at least you still have options and are somewhat prepared for it. For lack of a better word, it really sucks that the government gives less coverage to its employees than many goverments mandate for private employers! Sending you many hugs.....

pocket, welcome back. I'm glad you were able to get in and can start treatment again so soon. I'm on my 2nd cycle of injectables with IUI and going for my 2nd monitoring appt of this cycle tomorrow. Good luck to you! That's interesting what your doc said about acupuncture. Mine said that it's not been proven to help with IUI, but that he wouldn't discourage me from doing it. My acunpuncturist says that the treatments are supposed to help increase blood flow to the area and something else that I can't quite remember right now..... I don't know if it's doing any good for real, but I figure it can't hurt for now and if we have to go to IVF, I'm all set! :rolleyes:

Freckles, welcome back to you, too. My meds are very similar to yours! What does the Ovidrel booster shot post-O do for you? I hope this cycle is the one that works for you!

Thea, hugs, and I'm glad you're doing okay today. My RE says that sometimes women who O but don't get pregnant on Clomid do great with the injectables (at least that's what I'm hoping for). I hope it works for you!

[Patience]

skb Sorry you had to go through the incident at the doctor's office today, but it's good that it worked out in the end. What reason did your doc give you for not letting you do the trigger shots yourself? I don't know anything about trigger shots/injectables, so I'm curious.

BellefiorI'm sorry you didn't get the news you hoped for. But you guys seem to have a good plan for the next step.

pocket Welcome back! Yay for getting a such a nice doctor. You and your doc seem to have a good plan. I know what you mean about getting closer to the witching hour because I'm just one step behind you (33 nearing 34). Your comment about acupuncture has me intrigued. Why would acupuncture help IVF, but not injectables/IUI if both require some sort hormonal drug to induce extra follicles? I should ask my acupuncturist the next time I see her.

Freckles Welcome back! Let's hope this cycle will be successful.

Thea Sorry about AF. I wonder if my RE will tell me the same thing about starting injectables even though Clomid has worked.

gymwidow The staff at my doctor's office has been very helpful to me in sorting out everything related to insurance and testing. Yes, the insurance company can be such a PITA, so I don't dare do anything unless my doc has gotten the authorization first.

*A quick update on me*
My doctor's office is trying to schedule a last minute HSG for me because my authorization came in on Tuesday, but I'm already on CD9. So, the latest they can schedule me is Friday. Ok, I'm off to research what I need to do before a HSG.

[Freckles]

Thea~ I hope this cycle off is relaxing, and that you come up with a great plan with your RE for next cycle.

Has anone else done international IVF?
Pocket~ No, but I am interested in some info if you have any to share. Is the cost much less?

Freckles, welcome back to you, too. My meds are very similar to yours! What does the Ovidrel booster shot post-O do for you? I hope this cycle is the one that works for you!
Gymwidow~ It is nice to have someone on a similar protocol to share the experience with, and I hope we both get our BFPs soon. As to the 2nd hcg Ovidrel shot, it is a booster to support the luteal phase, because I have very low progesterone, so I have the booster after O and then I start prometrium the following day.

Patience~ Good luck with your hsg. I took some aleve an hr before the procedure to help minimize any discomfort.

[jeggink]

Can I join??

Jeggink
Me – Judi, 33
DH - 33
Married – 9.28.02
TTC – now
Off BCP – years
DS - 9/23/04
m/c 1/4/06 at 8.5 weeks after seeing HB (D&C)
m/c 4/12/06 at 8.5 weeks after seeing HB (D&C)
Issues:
Progesterone at 7DPO - 8.0
ANA - 1:40, somewhat borderline
Positive anticardiolipin antibody test, Negative IGG & IGM
Treatment:
Prometrium, 200mg capsules 1x/day
Baby Asprin, 1x per day


I am actually just starting my 2ww now and start prometrium on Sat. My dr said if my ANA was a bit higher he would put me on baby asprin or steroids, so I just decided to go ahead and take some baby asprin. I am hoping this will help and we can carry another child to term. With DS I never had any of these issues except we have had subchorionic hematomas with each pg which I guess can also indicate some immune issues (Dr Beers site). If we have another loss we will do further testing.

I am hoping this will be a good place to discuss what I am going through, it has been a rough road so far.

[suzfuzsunflower]

Hello everyone! Thanks for all your advice on what to do during the 2WW/waiting period to keep your mind off things and help you relax. I have one for all of you....find something else to obsess over! :eek: Anyway, we decided to go ahead and buy the house, and that has brought A LOT of stress into our lives this week (not good) BUT I haven't really thought about DH's test results (good) that we're getting on Sat. until we got a $1500 bill in the mail yesterday for the bloodwork. :mad: Not happy about that.

I feel badly for just running in and out of here, but I am reading along. We have another house meeting tonight, and we're also trying to get our house ready for sale by Monday.

[SAI Ladies]

Updated to Here

Welcome back, Pocket and Freckles!

Welcome Jeggink!

[gymwidow]

Patience, I'm glad your doc's staff is helpful! It makes a huge difference when you get the support there that you need. I hope you were able to get your HSG scheduled. Don't forget to take about 4 Advil or Tylenol ahead of time.

Freckles, gotcha. I hope it works this month! I picked up my trigger dose of Ovidrel this morning on my way to work and have to remember to take it out of the office fridge and take it home with me tonight!

jeggink, welcome. I hope this 2WW goes quickly and ends happily for you!

suzfuz, wow! Congrats and good luck selling your place! This will definitely keep your minds busy while you wait.


So, for my update: my b/w and u/s were good today. B/W came back fine and my u/s showed TEN follies growing! :eek: Five on each ovary, ranging in size from 13mm to 15 mm. My uterine lining is at 9 mm. I'm to stay with my current dose for the next 2 nights and go back on Saturday for another check. I'm hoping that I'll be able to trigger that night and IUI on Monday. Hopefully at least one of these ten suckers will find a little spermie it wants to let in to play. :p

[TazLuv]

Well I see the new thread is moving along, nice to see some new faces. Welcome. Glad to hear things seem to be relatively uneventful (in the bad way) for everyone, here's hoping to some BFP's for July.

CD-1 for me. I will start the 4th round of 50mg Clomid on Saturday and I'm also starting with the OV Watch this cycle. I'm probably changing doctors but if I don't get an appointment with the new one before CD-1 or a BFP I'll do 100 mg Clomid next cycle.

I'm off to a wedding for the weekend - everyone have a fabulous weekend and a fun 4th of July! :D

[Patience]

My doctor's office was able to get me an appt. for a HSG tomorrow morning. I have my Advils ready and have started taking the antibiotics that my doctor prescribed. I hope it's not going to be painful because I'm a wuss when it comes to pain. I'm making my DH go with me in case I can't drive home afterwards. Besides, it's good to have some moral support. :)

Freckles Thanks! I'm taking the Advils an hour before the HSG.

jeggink Welcome. I'm sorry for your two losses. The women in this thread are a wonderful support network, so feel free to discuss whatever is on your mind.

suzfuzsunflower Congrats on deciding to buy the house. Good luck on selling your house quickly!

gymwidow 10 follies! That's fabulous!! One spermie has to get lucky with 10 follies. ;) Good luck!

TazLuv Have a great time at the wedding. Maybe this next round of Clomid will be your lucky one.

thedoorchick Thanks for the advice. I hope any cramping I feel will be bearable. So, what is involved in an embryo toxicity test? That’s odd that the two RE’s in the same practice would have such differing opinions on IVF. I would ask for a consultation with both RE’s to figure out what’s the right choice for you and your husband if the injectables+IUI doesn’t work.

[gymwidow]

Bellefior, I was so nervous the first time I gave myself a shot, my hands were shaking and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it. I just took a deep breath and stabbed that sucker in! And you know what, it didn't hurt! I've given myself over a dozen injections now and only one hurt. You can ice the area before you inject, but I never remember get ice from downstairs and bring it upstairs, so I just pinch the skin and put in the needle and that's it. I rarely even feel a pinch.

TazLuv, good luck this cycle! Have fun at the wedding.

thedoorchick, thanks. I hope you're able to get a clear answer on the IVF soon. Will the embryo toxicity test help figure that out?

Patience, thanks. I hope your HSG is quick and painless. Definitely bring DH with you. I could drive home after mine, but certainly wasn't in the mood to do it, and I'm glad my DH was with me. Good luck!

Not much for me. I have my next appt tomorrow morning. I'm not looking forward to getting up so early (the doc's office is an hour from my house and I have to be back home by 9, so I have to leave around 6 am to drive there), but I know the little bit less sleep will be worth it in the end!

[Patience]

My HSG went well - no blockage. I did feel cramping when the dye was being injected, but it wasn't too bad. I'm still feeling dull cramps now. I guess I could have gone to work, but I decided to take it easy the rest of the day at home.

gymwidow Thanks! The HSG was relatively painless. It was nice having my DH there to keep me company. As for your appt. tomorrow, it sucks having to wake up so early on a non-work day, but it's all for a good cause. ;) I hope your doctor will give you more good news.

[jjsanner]

Holy cow, Gym thats a lot of follies! I am keeping everything crossed for you this cycle. I'm getting tired of seeing you (and me) over here in SAI ;) . Time for both of us to move over into the pregnancy threads!

Patience, good luck with the HSG today!

thedoorchick, I too am curious as to what the emryo toxicity test is. I don't think they've spoken to me about that one. Mabey its something I should mention to my RE at our next appointment.

Taz, have a great time at the wedding!

Belle, so far I have only given myself the HCG trigger. I am a TOTAL wimp when it comes to needles. The first time I did it I sat there for 30 minutes staring at the needle. When I finally stuck it in, it didn't even hurt! I practically made myself sick for nothing!

As for me, I went in yesterday for my day 3 bloodwork AGAIN. They lost my first set. Anyway, I still hadn't heard back from them regarding my Lap, so they scheduled it tentatively for August 17th! So, we are doing a clomid/trigger/IUI cycle (started the clomid last night) and hoping for a BFP so I don't have to deal with the lap. Feeling very confident about our chances this month. The nurse told me it would be a "super" ovulation cycle, same meds but they won't trigger unless there are at least 3 eggs. Does this sound right? I guess I need to get more info. Anyway, I am excited about the IUI because I fear our issues might be immulogical (i.e. hostile CM), and this would bypass that. Here's to hoping for a boatload of BFP's in here this month!

Have a Happy 4th, everyone!

[pocket]

No, but I am interested in some info if you have any to share. Is the cost much less?

MUCH less!

Pita and I are talking about going to Israel to do ivf this winter. It costs about $3000 not including the drugs. in fact, it costs much much less almost everywhere but here. medical tourism, here i come!

[skb]

jjsanner Did your RE say anything more regarding the "immunological" part of unexplained infertility? My doc basically said that we have "unexplained primary infertility which is typically attributed to an immunological problem"......"once all the tests come back good, yet there is an inability to conceive...then it is pretty much assumed to be immunological and there may not be a test for it." So I understand what you mean when you say you fear an immunological problem. WTH does it mean? But if it can be as simple as hostile cervical fluid that makes me feel better. I was thinking my body attacks the sperm, or my egg doesn't like the sperm, or my body attacks the embryo......who knows, I didn't know what to think or if it's more of a reason for concern.

[gymwidow]

Patience, that's great!

jjsanner, you got that right! ;) That sucks that they lost your b/w, but at least you're all scheduled for the lap, which hopefully you won't need. Good luck with your cycle!


So, my RE called me today (in the middle of a meeting!) and we went over DH's latest SA results. They're not perfect, but could have been worse. His count was fine, but he's borderline for both motility and morphology. The motility we knew went up and down (his was 44% when 50% and above is "normal"), but the morphology was a new one (was 3% when they like to see above 4%). We're going to have his first two SA results sent over on Monday to the RE so he can look over all three.

If we truly do have "mild male factor", then that could be why we've done 5 IUIs and none have taken. My RE said we can continue to try IUI with injectables for another 1-2 cycles, but he suggested that we start thinking about IVF. I told him I've been thinking about it already! He's going to have their IVF coordinator call me next week to go over what tests we'd need to have done and to talk about what cycle I'd be able to get in on, if that's what we decide. I'm going to talk again with my RE after that and ask what he thinks. If we have to wait to get in for an IVF cycle, we can continue trying IUI till then. But I think I'm ready to move on. I don't want to waste any more time on something that seems less likely to work.

So, I came home and had a dinner of Ben & Jerry's, and that's it. My last self-indulgence. I have been indulging too much lately and want to get myself back into the best shape possible, especially if we're going to add the stress of IVF soon. I'm pretty much off the gym already this month - today I could realy start to feel those 10 eggs sitting inside me - but I can clean up my eating a lot! We're still going to do IUI this month, so I'm off to the doc in the morning and it'll be a fresh start from there!

[julesp313]

I'm still lurking and cheering everyone on in here... just wanted to respond to Bellefior and say I just had my first shots last night, and neither hurt at all. The Follistim pen is a total breeze - I literally have to watch myself give the shot to make sure the needle is all the way in because I can't feel it. The Menopur, which is the intramuscular shot into the hip, didn't hurt either - I iced the area for a couple of minutes, bent over, and DH was done with the shot before I knew it. Without his running commentary, I wouldn't even have known the needle was in! And believe me, I detest needles - I used to get all light headed and cold sweating just thinking about a needle, but since starting this IF/IVF route, I'm really over that fear. Blood work every other day plus 2-3 shots a day will do that to you! Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

[suzfuzsunflower]

Finally had our doctor appointment today. All of DH's tests came back normal. Bloodwork was great, DNA testing showed that 96.1% of the sperm should be able to fertilize and undergo normal DNA reaction with egg. This is what the RE suggested:

Injectables (w/IUI) or IVF - we would have a much better shot with IVF, but of course it costs a good deal more. So we're going to try the injectable drugs and see how it goes. I am also being put on metformin, which I am starting tonight. I really don't know why I'm being put on it as my blood sugar levels are fine, and I do not have diabetes.

So that's where we are at. I think we are going to go ahead and start this month! :) I'm going to take a preg. test tomorrow, and then take provera, and then we'll be ready!

One bad thing - RE thinks that I have an increased risk of hyperstimulation to the meds...doesn't sound like fun. Do you know how many mature follicles they will allow you to get the hcg shot and continue with the cycle? My RE said that if I had 10, the cycle would be canceled. We didn't talk about a number lower than that. I am concerned about cycles being canceled.

[gymwidow]

Jules, I'm glad the first set of shots wasn't bad!

suzfuz, that sounds great! I had hyperstimulation my first month on the meds, and am producing a ton of eggs again this cycle. I was allowed to trigger with ten eggs, but my doc triggered me differently because of my high estrogen levels and to decrease my risk of OHSS. This month I have about 8-10 eggs maturing but my estrogen levels are more normal (I'm on a much lower dose), so it looks like I'll be able to go forward again.


My monitoring appt yesterday was fine. I haven't progressed much since Thursday. I still have 5 follies on the left and now only 3 maturing ones on the right, all about the same size as two days prior. My b/w was fine, so they upped my dose from 75mg to 100mg for last night and tonight and I go in again tomorrow for another check. I'm hoping at least a few of these suckers are ready to go so that I can trigger and do the IUI on Wednesday.

Oh, and I started spotting again this morning. CD11, pre-O, what fun.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

[Freckles]

Bellefior~ I have to admit that I still have a mini panic attack everytime I take the injectables, but I am really needle-phobic. The trigger shot does hurt a bit, but the FSH pens only pinch, so I get all worked up over nothing. My hubby has to give me my shots, because my hands shake too much. LOL I believe most women handle it better than I do.

TazLuv~ Hope you had a wonderful time at the wedding. Good luck this cycle.

Thedoorchick~ I hope this IUI cycle works magic, so you don’t have to face that next step, especially if they think that IVF might not be the best option.

Patience~ Glad the hsg went well.

Jjsanner~ I’m a sperm killer {I have a hostile environment} and the IUI corrects that issue, so I hope this super-ovulation IUI cycle works for you, so you get to avoid the Lap.

Pocket~ Thanks to your post we are now researching IVF abroad---very interesting how much more affordable it is even for high quality care.

Suzfuzsunflower~ My RE will NOT do the IUI with anything more than 6mature follicles due to the risk of high level multiples. He would prefer 3-5 mature follicles, and strongly encourages selective reduction for anything more than twins or triplets to give the babies a better chance. The difficult aspect being that you have to carry to 10-12 weeks to see which babies stick before reducing.

Gymwidow~ Sorry about the spotting. It’s too early for a progesterone issue, so what causes the spotting so early? You certainly have lots of follicles…interesting how differently each RE treats the IUI cycles with many mature follicles.

My Update~ 4th IUI Cycle
This month I was switched from Follistim to Gonal-F at 225U, since I never responded well on the Follistim. On Monday, CD9 my ultrasound showed 13 follicles growing towards maturity, so my RE wanted to covert to IVF since I had responded so well, but given that we pay out-of-pocket for everything we were not prepared to switch protocols, so they dialed down my meds t