IVF#4 Follicle Check #1

Today is cycle day 5. AF is still hanging around some which normally is gone by now but maybe due to taking the provera this time around.

First Follicle check this morning. Left side had around 11 and right side around 7 under 10mm follicles so around 18 total so far. Dr. said I am responding well again to stimulation. My estrogen rose from 45.8 to 86.7 and progesterone of 0.25 all good. My TSH was well under to was like .7 so that also is great.

Continuing with 450IU of Follistim at night, 1 Centrotide and/or Ganirelix shot in the morning, and 1 Lovenox 40mg at night along with the rest of my supplements etc.

Next Follicle check is Monday, then probally Thurs then Sat. estimated egg retrieval for the 23rd and transfer on the 27th.

I go Wed. Dec. 18 to Milwaukee Corum Infusions to do my Intralipids IV and then Thurs. Dec. 19th to Chicago to see Dr. Kwak-Kim and do the blood flow ultrasound, blood work, follow up etc.

I've been feeling pretty good so far, just the normal bloating and pressure is starting in and very tired, few mild headaches all to be expected. I almost feel like doing a fresh IVF is less stressful than a FET. It goes faster too less waiting time from start to transfer.

Giving it all I got and trying to remain hopeful.

(1 in 6 embryo's in a 40 year old are chromosomal normal - 35% chance mc - makes me wonder if we even have a chance - also makes me think about how many we should transfer in the past we have done 3 maybe we need to do more than 3)
Great Video on IVF

IVF#4 Baseline

Baseline visit today. Trial transfer followed by ultrasound. All looked good. Blood taking was not fun I don't know why but they always struggle to take my blood in one poke, took 3 this time. :(

Estrogen is at 45 so we are good to start. Did my cetrotide shot earlier today then follistim 450IU and lovenox shots tonight. Didn't know if I would remember how to do the follistim pen but it all came back once I got it out and ready to go.

Hard part is remembering I now need to drink 3-4 liters of fluids to help while stimming and to up my protein intake next 12 days.

Friday morning I go back for first follicle check so we will see how it goes hopefully we will have some activity by then.

Never heard back from Dr. K to see if she would still monitor me even though I did not get down to IL this time. Think for now I am on my own. May have to go to my family Dr. and do my thyroid and chem panel next week if she does not reply. 

Other than that was a pretty normal day for also being my 40th Birthday. Spent the afternoon with my hubby watched Despicable Me 2 and he made dinner and got me a cake. :)

IVF #4 BEGINS :)

AF is finally here. Showed up this afternoon. Called the clinic and set up baseline for tomorrow morning. Think AF is going to be nasty this time around, been sick since yesterday, nausea, diarrhea, sure the provera is going to clean me out. I don't like doing baseline while you have AF that part is uncomfortable but I am SO HAPPY we can get things going. And tomorrow is my 40th Birthday too IVF#4 here we go.

Have to go this cycle without the PGD testing as it was denied and my insurance denied 5 more cetrotide so we will have to mix cetrotide the 7 they allowed me and the 5 ganirelix I already have. But at least we can get this all in before the 31st so only out of pocket is to freeze any embryo's that make it to day 6 and of course gas travel to the RE etc. Hope I can do a few acupuncture too this time around will have to see what the budget allows.

Looking at estimated er on Dec. 23rd and estimated transfer on Dec. 27th. Tomorrow if baseline is good, I will start in on Lovenox blood thinner, Follistim for stimming (makes the eggs), and one of the LH shots (prevents ovulation), and up my predisone to 20mg. Already on baby aspirin and tons of supplements yet. Doing intralipids IV again this cycle getting that set up for a week from now. 

Not sure if I am ready for this all again it's a lot to go through just for a chance but I know if we don't try we never know if it will work. Thankful my husband can drive some now after his shoulder surgery cause I don't do so good in WI snow and him being off work we don't have to worry about that part. 

Well everyone wish me luck and keep me in prayer this is our last shot at this. Praying this is it!

Still waiting for AF

CD 30 and Day 10 of taking Provera, no sign of my period yet. Still waiting. With the PGD testing denied feeling pretty hopeless that this IVF will even work, no way to know now if any of the embryo's we make are any good. Don't get why nothing works out in our favor. Been a struggle and fight to get my IVF medications. I had plenty of Follistim left but I needed the medication that prevents ovulation while stimming. My insurance changed how they do things and I had to go through a whole process of pre-authorization got that all done and then the insurance nurse will only approve 7 of the 12 cetrotide shots when I need 12, to get 5 more I have to do the pre-auth all over again. It's like daily calls between my insurance and my clinic to get this done all before my period. It's been beyond stressful and hard to not get depressed right now. Dealing with infertility is hard enough without also fighting your insurance for coverage. Tired of it all, really feeling like even though I push and fight to get another chance that it won't work for us anyway.

PGD info submitted to insurance for review

After a ton of run around (and much stress) I finally got things submitted to our insurance for review to see if they will give me authorization to do the PGD testing (embryo testing, (do it on day 3) that helps us see which one's are chromosomal normal to help our chances of pregnancy and no mc - at my age 1 in 5 embryo's will not be normal so this will help us determine which one's we should transfer, give us better chances). 

They are reviewing the information from my Dr. and should have a answer in a week or so. 

PLEASE PRAY they approve this testing and will pay for it. Doing this test will really improve our chances and being this is our last fresh IVF we really need this to be something we can do. After all the stress I went through to get this information submitted to them I just need them to say yes and give us authorization for this testing.

12/4 - Totally bummed - Insurance denied the PGD genetic testing. Without this testing no way to know if any of my embryo's are any good could be going thru IVF for nothing. Starting to feel like it does not matter what we try we won't end up parents. :(

Started Provera

CD22 today. Started in on Provera yesterday for the next 12 days to bring on my period. Meds usually work pretty fast on me so I am thinking by next week we will be getting this IVF going. Not looking forward to winter here in WI and snow and trips back and forth to our clinic almost 2hrs one way. Had a dusting of snow already this week just praying it all holds off for us. Scott should be able to do some driving soon his shoulder is getting better, if nothing else I can shift for him if the weather is bad he is better at handling it then me. I don't see us being able to consult in IL with Dr. K this time around just too much travel and I won't drive there. I'll just have to go off what we did in the past for starting my blood thinners, predisone and setting up the intralipids. I can't really do the NK killer testing anyway as my insurance is bawking at paying for repeated testing right now and being stuck with $900 lab bills each time they test is not what we can do.

The main issue now is getting my IVF medications. I have most leftover I can use but there is one I still need. I've been going crazy dealing with my insurance's new policy that says I need pre-auth to get my IVF medications now. My Clinic had to re-fax them the information as they said they did not get it all the first time. I've been on the phone Friday, Monday and Today going back and forth and about to pull out my hair just to get my meds. And the specialty pharmacy is closed for the holidays on Thurs and Friday so I don't know if I will even get my meds shipped out this week. Thankfully I have 5 shots of a similar med Ganirelix we can use if the Cetrotide does not show up in time. Also still dealing with getting my insurance the information they need to review for the PGD testing pre-auth they said they never got that fax also and I had to have my clinic re-fax. It's enough to drive one crazy dealing with this all and some of my insurance reps are down right rude and you never get the same rep so I have to explain the situation every time I call. Right now I am waiting to call again as they did finally receive the fax for my medications but the nurse has to review it yet today.

Thanksgiving will just be me and Scott. My sil passed away in Oct of cancer and she always hosted thanksgiving for my husbands side of the family and with her gone it seems they won't be getting together this year. My mom is gone volunteering to help with a community meal. We don't really have any other family so it gets lonely for the holidays and not something I even look forward to anymore. More than likely we will end up with a close to Christmas transfer again this time around. Our #3 IVF we transferred on Christmas Day. Making any Christmas plans is hard to do till I get my calendar.

Getting very weary of  the constant stress of ttc. My 40th Birthday is coming up Dec. 10th closer we get the more down I've been feeling. I think last 6 months I really been feeling my age and looking at friends with kids almost grown makes me feel even older and sadder while we have none. Tired of having a empty nest and nothing to look forward to especially around the holidays. So ready for our Christmas Miracle!!!

Karyotype Tests

Very happy my dh and I karyotyping genetic testing came back normal. Guess it's one more thing ruled out as the problem. So now we are just waiting on getting my IVF meds and see if insurance will approve PGD testing of embryo's. Should be starting provera soon to get things going waiting on a call from them yet to tell me when to start. Really hoping a fresh cycle will be it for us that things will work this time around.