IVF Converted to IUI Complete - TWW Begins

IUI is complete!   Pretty bad pains on my right side.  Maybe fluid just filling my empty follicles on that side?  I doubt I'd get any OHSS with e2 only 1125 on the day of trigger.  So there was a little bit of blood after the IUI.  I hope it was from my cervix and not from my uterus.  When she had the catheter in there I swear she poked me with the end.  I felt a sudden pinch then a few flutters like spasms.  Maybe it was when she put the sample in and it going through my thinner left tube?  Who knows.  Either way I hope everything is okay.  She said I had about 5 matures when they triggered so I'm just lucky they let us attempt this and didn't just cancel outright.  So I'm officially in the TWW!!!

Monitoring Appointment #4 - IVF Converted to IUI

We went to Cleveland Clinic this morning for a monitoring appointment.  We have two 20mms, and I think it was 3 between 12 and 17.   My e2 was actually up to 1,125.   It was decided to cancel the cycle (I knew it!).  They wanted to cancel cancel and not even attempt an IUI but I made the nurse call the doctor back after I reminded her that my husband has 0% morphology she called the doctor back and then called me back that they'd do it!!   So we will trigger tonight and do an IUI in 2 days on Monday.  Yes, I am disappointed in this cycle, but yes, I am happy to save $11,000 and not proceed just to retrieve a handful of eggs.

Monitoring Appointment #3

So I have an 18mm on the right and 19mm on the left. My e2 was only 234 two days ago when my lead was 15mm. I just don't think this is sounding good. Especially since I reached these sizes on only 6 days of stims. My guess is they will have me coast 1 more day to try and let the others catch up. I'm not sure of sizes of the others (yet) but they definitely looked bigger. I'd say I have about 8 over 10mm. I am anxiously awaiting the doctor's call about the plan. Too bad they probably won't call for 6 to 7 hours! I am so anxious I pooped twice already today. Waaaay too much TMI but I just wanted to depict properly how nervous I am!

Cleveland Clinic, if you ever google yourself and find this, just know you are TORTURING women everyday waiting until the very last possible second of the business day to call them back with their results.  

Monitoring Appointment #2

Soooooooooooo, they called at 4:05 pm (yes, I almost blew a blood vessel in my brain with anticipation since they took their sweet time calling me that day) and said I need a monitoring appointment the very next day!  So I had to rush and call my OB to get an appointment for the very next day.  Anyways, my follicles are up to 13-15mm.  So, as expected, Cleveland called early in the day to tell me to take my first ganirelix injection (which I brought to work anticipating this).  Anyways folks, I do not things are looking good for this cycle.  I think the several lead follicles are absorbing all of the FSH and LH from the follistim and menopur and taking off while the 6mm ones aren't growing at all.  I told the nurse this morning that I do NOT want to proceed with a retrieval if we are looking to get less than 10 mature eggs.  Even 10 would be a low number.  So, now I wait again to hear back from them this afternoon as far as what does of follistim/menopur to take tonight.  I will do ganirelix injections every morning to make my body not ovulate early.  The nurse this morning, after I told her my concerns, said we should at least stim for a few more days and then talk about options then.  So that's what we'll do.

Just in case anyone is wondering.... here are our IVF fert reports to compare....

IVF#1
17 eggs
12 mature
7 fertilized
5 transferred
1 babies

IVF #2
14 eggs
7 mature
6 fertilized
4 transferred
0 babies

UPDATE:  Up dose to 200 follistim, 75 menopur, repeat monitor Friday 10/24.

Monitoring Appointment #1

Three days of stims (100 follistim, 75 menopur) under my belt as of yesterday.  Monitoing appointment today went okay.   I have a lot of follicles (they still haven't given me a count) but I'm a little worried.  Some are way bigger than others.  I think I saw a 13mm one and most were like 5mm.  I hope that's okay.  I know in IVF they should all be the same size so they grow at the same rate and can get harvested at the same time.   Don't have a good feeling about this cycle.  It will either be cancelled or changed to a stimulated IUI I bet.  :(  I'm so upset.

IVF #3 Stim Calendar

Baseline Complete

I had LOTS of antral follicles.  I asked how many and she said she only measured the first 10.  I wish I would have counted all the black dots.   I swear I saw at least 15 if not more.  I am super pumped!  A few follicles looked way bigger than the rest so hopefully they aren't too big.  They are all supposed to be roughly the same size so they grow evenly!  Now I wait for CC to call me back.  That should be between 1 and 4 this afternoon.   I'll update the blog with what they say when I hear!

UPDATE:  E2 was 33!!  Woo hoo!  Let's get this party started.  Start stims tomorrow for three days then repeat a monitoring appointment Tuesday.   My starting dose is 100 follistim and 75 menopur.

IVF #3 Underway

Full red bleed today so I called the clinic at 8:05 am to let them know.  The receptionist took my call and said a nurse would call me right back.  Am I cursed?  It's now past noon and still no call.  Sorry that I always sound like I'm bitching....I just feel like there have already been a ton of bumps with this cycle.  I hope this communication shortcoming thing comes to an end soon.  Luckily, I anticipated this happening and booked a baseline appointment at my local OB for tomorrow (internal sono to count antral follicles and bloodwork to measure e2 levels).  Hopefully they say that's okay (when they call back) and don't make us drive to Cleveland for the baseline (1.5 hour drive for a 10 minute appointment).  I am beyond nervous to hear the antral follicle count.  I have been on DHEA for over 100 days and that supplement alone should increase egg count and quality.   I only had 10 antral follicles in February and retrieved 13 eggs.  I hope they see at least that if not more!

UPDATE.... still haven't heard from my clinic at 4:07pm.  Are they TRYING to give me a heart attack?   Thank God I am a veteran at this shit and made my own appointment with a local OB for tomorrow morning?   Pardon my French.  You don't mess with a woman who just got her period.   Cleveland Clinic..... Y U no call me?

UPDATE 2:  They called at 4:15.  Baseline Friday is fine.  Start stims Saturday.  Recheck follicles/e2 next Tuesday!

CD 30

More brown spotting, maybe some burgundy.  I need it to change to red so I can call the clinic and see when they want me to do my baseline ultrasound and bloodwork.  If my period full on starts today, I would think the baseline would be Friday (day 3) and I would start stims that night.

Update (4pm):  PRACTICALLY red but still considered burgundy if you ask me.  It's not "bright red" that they are looking for.  Come on full on red!  If you don't come today, we'll have to drive 1.5 hours on Saturday to baseline in Cleveland and back (instead of baselining Friday in Erie).

CD 29

Cycle day 29. No sign of AF at all. Not a single cramp. Last month was 33 days. All three months before were all 27 days. Why did it have to get long all of a sudden to screw with my mind? lol. As soon as it starts I can start stimming!

Update:  started spotting brown around 3pm.  Come on red!   It has to be red to start!

Also, my drugs came!!!!!!!   It's like Christmas!

Vitamin D and IVF Outcome

This study, "Vitamin D Deficiency and Infertility: Insights From in vitro Fertilization Cycles", made me super paranoid to get my Vitamin D levels checked.   Noteably, this result grid says it all:

Luckily, I am good to go!   Here are my Vitamin D results:

Almost time!

Cycle day 25. I've been getting AF like cramps for a few days now. BDed a few times this month after O'ing on cycle day 16/17. BFNs so far on wondfos. Was sooooooo hoping for a miracle baby before starting IVF madness again. The cramps suggest AF is right around the corner. Some of my recent cycles have been as short as 27 days and some as long as 33. As soon as she arrives I'll baseline and start stimming!!!!!!

No Meds

So I posted a while back that I was going to get my IVF meds any day.  I still don't have them!  I could get AF any day now (I'm cycle day 23 and it's come as early as day 27 before).   So I called Cleveland Clinic.  The lady was super nice on the phone but she mentioned something about Barron's waiting for me to call.   UM, no.  I am Walgreens Specialty.  For the 100th time!  Ugh, I sure hope this isn't foreshadowing of communication problems right from the start!  

Besides that, I am not sure if I posted this, but I start acupuncture 4 weeks ago again with Maki.  I love her.  I leave the appointments feeling so relaxed.  I hope it's working to de-stress me (save the debacle above).

Today marks me being on supplements for 90 days!  My eggs should official be energized with goodness!!  

Latest Thyroid Results

TSH: 0.75   (smidge below optimal fertility 1-2) but I'd rather it be too low than too high (which is worse).
T4: 1.42
T3: 3.4