The Official TTC for 6 Months or More Thread

[JGator]

MP, did your sister have her baby? I remember when you posted about her - it really seems like yesterday!

RT, Happy Birthday this weekend and Happy AF also so you can get your show on the road for surgery and hopefully a subsequent smooth TTC-ville!

LV, good luck with your upcoming travel. I have not travelled yet - I used to travel all the time. I know it will be harder on you than your DH and daughter. How old is she?

AFM, not much going on. 1 week to go for the RE follow up. We have a busy weekend planned so it will help the time pass. And, work is insanely busy all of the sudden too.

 

[Loves Vintage]

JGator - She's 3.5. It will be interesting to see how this goes. I really hope it will be harder on me than her. I have a jam packed schedule, so at least I will be busy!

 

[random_thought]

AF update-
Thought she was coming last time I posted. CD32 today and no signs. I didn't bd at all this cycle so I assume it's because I've started jogging every day during my lunch break at work. I've heard that can postpone it. Hopefully it gets here soon!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Random, were you keeping track of ovulation? Hoping you get some clarity soon, so you can get that surgery scheduled!

LV, when is your trip? I really do think the anticipation (at least for me) is much worse than actually being gone. I also do think it is healthy for kids to see that it is okay if mom or dad need to be away a couple of nights. Although, we'd all obviously prefer not to be away form our kids. DH and I still haven't been away from our son together, but I'm hoping we'll get a chance to get a night or two away sometime in the next year. I think it would be good for us to spend some child-free bonding time, but I'm certainly not ready for more than a night or two. My SIL has two kids that are 11 and 9, and the only nights she has spent away from her oldest is when the second one was born, and she has only spent about two nights away from the youngest when he went camping with his dad. They've also never had a babysitter ever other than my MIL. I think that is the other extreme, which isn't that healthy for anyone.

JGator, yes, my little nephew arrived last Wednesday. He's a tiny little peanut, which is strange for our family because my mom, sister, and most of our cousins and aunts have all had around 8-9 pound babies. I guess they had a scary moment when he was first born when it took several minutes for him to breathe, but after that, he did great. I got to see him and hold him a few times, which was bittersweet for me because I kept wondering if I'll ever get to experience that with my own child again. But I'm very happy for them. Like you, I don't really have much going on right now until I finish my BCP pills next week. Hope your appointment goes well this week and you get some good information about the next steps.

Sb, thinking of you, and hoping all is going well!

Hello to everyone else!

 

[monkeyprincess]

JGator, DH and I are still going back and forth on the Counsyl test. He is inclined to do it, and I'm inclined not to do it. At this point, we will both have to take them simultaneously rather than sequentially due to time limitations before our anticipated IVF. Were you told that it would only be $99 max for each of you have insurance even if insurance doesn't cover it? I thought that is what I was told. Just curious if you knew offhand. I just texted DH that if he feels strongly about doing it, I will do it, but then we better get it done tomorrow!

 

[S&I]

MP, my insurance covered most of the Counsyl test, but when I got the actual bill from Counsyl, they had given me a $0.79 "discount" to make it exactly $99. It seems like they're really pushing for this test, so they want to make it affordable for most people. Good luck with whatever you decide on the test, and with your IVF cycle!!!

 

[JGator]

Hi, MP, they said max out of pocket with insurance is $99 for each of us for a total of $198. I haven't received a bill yet, but I did see an eob online showing the cost to us is $105 and insurance is paying - they negotiated down to about $500 from the original bill of $1500 to the insurance company. So, we'll see if it's $105 or $99 in the end, but it looks good. I did call my insurance ahead of time and they looked up Counsyl and said it was out of network and now it looks like it was covered as in-network for some reason.

LV, good luck with your trip.

RT, hope you had a great b-day weekend. Did AF show yet?

 

[random_thought]

AF decided to show up on my birthday so that was lovely lol.

I'm scheduled for my surgery on July 17th (Thursday next week) . I have my pre-op visit on July 14th (Monday next week).

I won't lie. I'm a little nervous. I've been having nightmares for about 2 weeks now about waking up in the middle of the surgery lol.

 

[JGator]

RT, sorry AF showed on your birthday, but I'm glad you have your surgery scheduled. I'm sure you will be fine. You should let them know you have a concern about waking up though so they keep close watch on you during the surgery.

AFM, I got my results from Counsyl today and I am a carrier for one genetic disease - D-bifunctional protein deficiency. So, as long as my DH is not a carrier, we will not have any issues. He had his Counsyl test done about 5 days after mine so hopefully we will get his results in the next 5 days. MP, it took about 12 days for the results from the time of the blood draw for your timing purposes.

 

[monkeyprincess]

RT, yay, I'm so glad you will have this surgery over with by the end of next week, so you can hopefully start moving forward. It's completely understandable that you're apprehensive; I would be too. But I'm hoping it is complication-free and you get the all clear to start trying again very soon.

JGator, that's so interesting. Is that a serious disease? The chances of your DH also being a carrier are minimal, so it's hopefully a moot issue. DH is pretty adamant he wants the screening and I couldn't come up with a satisfactory reason not to, so we go in tomorrow morning. That should give us sufficient time before our expected retrieval/transfer dates in late July/early August. I just hate how all of this turns so medical once you decide to do IVF. Most fertile couples don't even have to think about this kind of stuff, and I just want to feel normal and not have to obsess about all the what-ifs. You know? I guess I just need to focus on being grateful for the fact that technology exists to even give us a chance at a baby.

S&I, thanks for the info. I hope it really is only limited to $99, or I'm going to be even more irritated! Hope things are going well with your pregnancy. Hoping we will all get to join you someday soon.

AFM, I have to confess some bad behavior on my part. This morning when I called over to schedule the Counsyl screening, the receptionist pissed me off with her condescending attitude and talking over me, so I hung up on her after I had given my name. That is so unlike me! She called back and left a voicemail saying we had gotten cut off and she needed to know the day I planned to come in. I then had three hours of meetings before calling back and of course got the same lady. I just pretended I had gotten cut off. She's the same one who questioned whether I had waited long enough to make sure my pregnancy test was really negative. I want to blame my current bad attitude on the BCP becauase I do feel like it is making me more emotional and anxious than usual, but it might just be the stress getting to me. Anyway, I feel better getting that off my chest!

 

[JGator]

MP, the disease sounds horrible - baby would only live to be up to 2 years old. I am very optimistic that the odds are in our favor that DH would not also be a carrier for this random disorder. I'm feeling super anxious as well and I just had the most stressful day yet in my career since I changed jobs 4 years ago. Don't worry about the receptionist. I think she definitely had it coming!

 

[amc80]

JGator, DH and I are still going back and forth on the Counsyl test. He is inclined to do it, and I'm inclined not to do it. At this point, we will both have to take them simultaneously rather than sequentially due to time limitations before our anticipated IVF. Were you told that it would only be $99 max for each of you have insurance even if insurance doesn't cover it? I thought that is what I was told. Just curious if you knew offhand. I just texted DH that if he feels strongly about doing it, I will do it, but then we better get it done tomorrow!

I'm not familiar with the Counsyl test or their billing, but I wanted to chime in. The MaterniT21 test maker was doing something similar- they would bill insurance for something like $1700, then, if denied, only charge the patient a max of around $130. The problem is they were sued because apparently you can't bill insurance one thing and the patient a different amount. So now, everyone getting that test is on the hook for the entire balance of the negotiated amount. So you may want to call your insurance to make sure.

 

[monkeyprincess]

amc, that's interesting on the MateniT21 test. I tried calling my insurance carrier yesterday, and I gave them the codes, but all they could tell me was it was something that required pre-authorization, otherwise, they won't know until the claim is reviewed whether there is coverage. Because it is time-sensitive, we just elected to go ahead and do it this morning after the nurse assured us that they are only charging OOP patients a maximum of $99. Obviously, if that is not true the fact that the clinic told us it would only be $99 isn't going to change a darn thing, but I'm hoping they are right. And really, poor insurance companies.... They get better rates for things all the time. Whatever! Hope you are doing well, BTW.

JGator, yikes, about that disease. Good to know I guess, and when K is ready to start a family (a long time from now!), it will be good for her to know that she is also potential carrier. I'm sure things will have changed drastically by then in terms of genetic screening, etc. Hoping your DH's results come back a-ok. So sorry to hear about your stressful day. I hope today is better for you. I really do feel like this upcoming IVF is weighing heavily on me, and I'm sure you feel the same. It's a lot of hurry up and wait right now, but that doesn't mean it isn't on my mind constantly.

ETA, and I just found I need to travel again on Sunday-Tuesday. This is getting old! But I figured I better not try to get out of it since I will still be on BCP at that point, and then I can save up my excuses for not traveling once I start the injections.

 

[royalasscherlover]

Mp, congrats on your nephew and I hope all goes well with the tests and the travel. Trying to get information from insurance is so frustrating, isn't it? And IVF is so much waiting...it goes so slowly. When do you expect to start the stims?

jgator, sp sorry about the anxiety and stress. I hope today is better. The odds of your DH being a carrier for the same disease is very small, so try not to worry.

rt, happy belated birthday and I'm glad you got your surgery scheduled.

lv, I hope your trip is going well.

choro, hope you're doing ok out there.

AFM, not too much to report...my labs last week looked good so I started the estrogen tabs three times a day to build my lining for the FET and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for my lining check next week. I'm feeling like all I do is take medications...I'm up to five times a day between all the things they have me on and it's a little overwhelming trying to keep track of it all. Hopefully it's all for a good cause.

 

[monkeyprincess]

SB, keeping everything crossed for you that everything lines up just right for your FET. I don't blame you for feeling overwhelmed by having to keep track of taking medication that many times a day. That's crazy! Did you elect to do PGD? And what has your doctor said about transferring one or two? Keeping you in my thoughts and am really hoping for good news out of all of this.

 

[royalasscherlover]

Thanks Mp! I am keeping everything crossed for you too.

We didn't do PGD - we're both in our mid-thirties and from different backgrounds and didn't think it was worth the risk to the embryos. We didn't do the full genetic testing, but I did do cystic fibrosis since we know my DH has carrier's in his family. Fortunately I am not so it's not an issue.

My RE suggests transferring 1 fresh embryo or 2 frozen if you are under 35, and I think they go up to 2 fresh if you're over 35. We ended up with an odd number of embryos so we're doing the best quality one alone first and then the rest in pairs if the first transfer isn't successful. If I were you, I would probably wait to see how your embryo quality comes out (though that is not a perfect predictor of success) and only do two on the fresh transfer if the quality isn't great.

 

[monkeyprincess]

SB, thanks so much for the info. Our RE did not recommend PGD for similar reasons. If I had insurance coverage for any of this, I might consider it, but it's hard to justify an additional $5,000 on top of everything else we're spending when my RE isn't recommending it. Sounds like you have some high quality embryos to choose from, which is awesome! I'm pessimistic that I'm going to end up with a lot of good quality embryos because at this point my AMH and FSH seem to be the only concerns, which I assumes means bad egg quality. But if I do end up with more than a couple good quality embryos, then I think I would also choose to only transfer one. I'm just so scared I'm not going to have any to transfer. I wish I could skip ahead and know how this is all going to turn out.

 

[JGator]

We had our RE follow up today. The RE wants me to go on BCP when my next cycle starts and to schedule the polyp removal at that point. Then, he suggested IVF which will take 2-3 months depending on whether we do genetic testing or not. He was back and forth on PGS depending on the number of embryos we get - it might not be worth it. We also found out if we do genetic testing and embryo freezing, our insurance will consider that 2 cycles because of the gap between egg retrieval and embryo transfer. Our insurance covers a max of 2 cycles at 70% and does not cover the PGS. I think my DH got information overload and felt like he was being pressured into IVF as he has not been studying this for months like I have. Since we were able to conceive our DD on our 3rd Clomid/Ovidrel timed intercourse cycle, he doesn't understand why we should rush into IVF especially if we did not do genetic testing on the embryos then we would still be taking a big gamble for a huge price tag. So, he's a little freaked out right now. I tried to explain that my fertility is likely 1/2 what it was 2.5 years ago when we conceived our daughter, but he doesn't buy that. I may call my old RE to find out what my AMH and FSH were back in early 2012. The RE said we had a 2% shot with timed intercourse and a 8% shot with an IUI. I think it was 20% or less for IVF. So, I don't know what we are going to do. I think my DH needs some time for this to sink in. We are still waiting on DH's Counsyl results which I assume will be done in the next day or two.

 

[monkeyprincess]

JGator, big hugs to you. It is all so overwhelming, isn't it? Hopefully, you and your DH will get on the same page about how to proceed. It's hard because we are given these percentages, but in the end, they don't really mean a whole lot because everybody's situation is so different and you have no idea on which side of the odds you will fall. I think it's a great idea to find out whether you have AMH and/or FSH results from TTC#1 because that will give you a better idea of how quickly things are changing and whether you are much worse off than a few years ago. Do you think DH would feel better about proceeding with IVF if you gave IUI a try first? Maybe that makes sense since your doctor isn't totally sure about PGD in your case anyway. But I also know that you are hoping to give yourself the best odds upfront. It's just a touch situation all around. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts!

ETA: I just got the weirdest voicemail from my RE's office. The person who left the message acted like she was calling to tell me I'd won a prize or that I was miraculously pregnant. Instead, she was just telling me that my husband and I do not have HIV. Obviously, that's good news obviously, but not exactly unexpected, you know. I wish I could play the voicemail for you, so you could see what I mean about her tone of voice. I guess you just have to laugh.

 

[JGator]

MP, too funny about your unexpected news that you do not have HIV!!! Guess what? We found out we don't have it either today! Lucky us!!! I think DH actually just wants to do the timed intercourse with trigger/Clomid like last time. I think I can convince him to try the IUI though. DH also likes our old RE better, but monitoring would be a pain as we moved further out in the suburbs since we went through this last time. I did call my old RE's office about the blood tests, and I had to submit a medical records release form which hopefully will get signed off on by the RE tomorrow, and I will get whatever blood results they have either tomorrow or Monday. My in-laws are coming indefnitely on Tuesday also! They have a 1-way ticket to our area and plan to go to the West coast at some point in August, but that's not confirmed yet. Fun times ahead.

 

[JGator]

MP. also on Counsyl...after you get the blood draw, you can register on their site. They will email you as soon as your results are in, and you can see the results online. I actually saw them about an hour before my doctor called with the results. They have a billing section of the site also. Our bill was just posted, and after insurance we owed $105, and there is a line item that says Patient Service Adjustment of $6 for us so the total is in fact $99!

 

[monkeyprincess]

JGator, you're a saint. My MIL lives in town, so I see her frequently, but we never have overnight (let alone) extended stays! Hopefully, most of your upcoming treatments will be after they go on their way. Thanks for the info on the Counsyl website! I just registered, and they had my order but haven't received the sample yet. That's also promising about the $99.

 

[random_thought]

I think a big round of congrats is in order for our HIV NEGATIVE GALS!!!! I know I'm a little late to the game but I too tested negative

 

[monkeyprincess]

Random, hope things are going well with you this week. You're having your surgery, right? Best wishes for a successful procedure and fast recovery!

JGator, according to the Counsyl site, our insurance didn't cover it, so they are only charging us $198 for both tests, so that's a relief. Since Friday, it has said they are processing and analyzing our samples. I thought that meant we'd get our results early, but it's not looking that way. I wasn't in favor of doing the testing, but now that we have, I'm so curious to see the results. Hope things are going well with you. Did you find out your old blood test results or DH's Counsyl results? How are things going with the in-laws?

SB, hope this cycle is going well!

LV, did you have your work trip yet? I just got back late last night from another work trip. I keep saying this, but I really do think it will be my last one for awhile. I'm not going to be able to travel for at least the next couple of weeks assuming we get the go ahead to start the IVF process.

AFM, I take my last BCP tonight, and I go in for the baseline ultrasound and bloodwork on Friday. I don't think I mentioned this before, but they saw a cyst on one of my ovaries when I had my sono-hsg two weeks ago. She didn't seem to think it was a big deal and thought it would be resolved when I finished my BCP, but since I always have to worry about something, I'm paranoid it will still be there on Friday. Not sure I'm mentally ready to start the injections again, but I'm ready to get going on this. Also, I just realized I need to stop following the other TTC thread. It just makes me sad that TTC can't be a fun process for me like it is for others, and I don't have the luxury of trying for a particular sex or for a particular due date, etc., and it's too hard to read about people getting pregnant without even trying. I'm trying to avoid putting myself in the position of feeling even more sad about my situation, and that's a good start! Glad we have this thread for those of us who struggle with TTC.

 

[random_thought]

Random, hope things are going well with you this week. You're having your surgery, right? Best wishes for a successful procedure and fast recovery!

It's tomorrow at 2pm MT. I'm ready to rock n roll!

*Disclaimer: Not responsible for any postings made while under the influence of recovery drugs.

 

[lliang_chi]

Good luck RT. Hope your surgery goes off without a hitch and recovery is smooth. Enjoy the drugs

MP, Hugs my friend. I get what you're saying about not having to struggle TTC vs others that just happen without trying. I'd totally get jealous/frustrated of ladies that have short regular cycles. I'm glad the Counsyl testing is "just" $198. Hopefully you'll get your results soon. Sending you luck with the injections this cycle. I remember yo said you have a lull in your work travel, right? Hope it stays for the next month or so. Hoping the cyst is a non-issue. Wlil they be doing another U/S or anything before you start injections?

JG, hope things with the in-laws are going OK. I like my ILs and everything but I dunno about them staying with us for an indefinite amount of time. It might drive me bananas.

 

[JGator]

MP, my DH just got his Counsyl results today - 2 weeks and a day after his blood draw. He is negative as a carrier for anything so we are in the clear. Mine took about 12 days so you will likely hear between 12-15 days from the blood draw. I was anxious about DH's results too. I got my blood work from my old RE - they have no AMH score though so apparently they didn't test for that. I'm not sure anything else is going to help from those tests since my FSH is normal now and I think it was then. I need to analyze, but nothing jumped out at me. In-laws got here yesterday, and we don't know when they are leaving yet. No issues yet with them. Other than my MIL is not happy I'm still doing the South Beach diet as her food revolves around white rice and potatoes. She asked how much longer I'm going to be doing this diet? I said I don't know. I'll just eat something else - don't cater to me. I'm sure I'll have lots of zingers to share here during the stay. She also mentioned we need to get K potty training this summer. And, yes, I so hear you on the other threads - I can't stay away though I need to! Good luck with your baseline this week - I hope the cyst went away on its own.

RT, good luck this week. I'm rooting for you to have a safe surgery and speedy, pain free recovery.

AFM, CD 1. I called the RE's office to schedule the polyp removal after the inlaws leave and before our vacation at the end of August. So, it's scheduled for Aug 14, and I need to take BCP from CD 3 until then which seems like a LONG time. I still don't know what we are doing after that though. I'm pretty sure DH is not jumping into IVF, but we haven't really discussed it other than holding off for now. I'm hoping we can at least do an IUI but also thinking let's just do the 1 IVF with PGS and call it a day! So, we'll see.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Random, thoughts and prayers headed your way today. I hope everything goes as smoothly as possible, and you can put this all behind you! Hopefully this will be your key to finally getting pregnant again.

JGator, that's great your DH's results came back negative. We also just got our test results back, and both DH and I screened negative for everything tested. I guess that's one less thing to worry about, even though I knew we didn't have much to worry about in the first place, and that's why I didn't want to bother with it. Sorry you have to be on BCP and wait almost a month for your surgery, but it sounds like you will be busy between now and then anyway. I assume you will have to wait another cycle before TTC after the surgery, right? Or can you start right away? If you decide to go straight to IVF, I would just make sure they don't keep you on birth control for an extended period of time because I've read (and my doctor confirmed) that it can oversuppress your ovaries and result in fewer follicles and eggs retrieved, especially if you have DOR. I don't think it would be a bad idea to try at least one IUI before moving on to IVF, although I can understand why you are anxious to move forward and give yourself the best shot. That's too bad you don't have an AMH from last time to compare, but in the end, you really don't know how you're going to respond until you try it, so it probably wouldn't have made much of difference anyway, you know? Hang in there!

Also, I went to the website again after the nurse called, and it says released to physician, but not released to me. I wonder how you were able to see it before they called you?

LC, thanks for understanding. I know your journey this time around was difficult as well, and I always appreciate your support. Hope you and the little bean are doing well! And yes, I have an ultrasound and bloodwork tomorrow, so I will be able to find out what's going on with the cyst before starting injectables. If all goes well tomorrow, I believe I'll be starting them within a few days. Hard to believe!

 

[royalasscherlover]

mp, so glad that your test results were negative. (How often do we say that on this thread?!?) I too know what you mean about feeling sad and jealous that this process is so much harder for us than other people. I hope your u/s goes well tomorrow and you are on your way soon. Do you know what your protocol will be?

jgator, also glad your DH came back negative and you don't need to worry. Good luck with your inlaws, and I hope you and DH can figure out how to move forward after the polyp removal. I can understand why you're ready to go straight to IVF.

rt, hope your surgery went well today and you're feeling ok!

lv, I hope all is well with you.

afm, I had my lining check this morning and everything looks good, so we're on for the FET next week. I think I am still in a bit of disbelief that everything actually worked out, since I've been trying so hard not to get attached to the idea of this schedule in case we were postponed. Other than starting the dreaded progesterone shots tonight, I am really happy that we're getting a go at this and keeping everything crossed that it will be successful. I am trying to stay positive and tell myself that this is the best chance of success we've had so far. Hopefully this blast is a good one!

 

[monkeyprincess]

SB, yay, that's so great that things are a-go for this cycle! I'll be crossing everything I have for you. I was also told I'd have to do the PIO injections for IVF. They're intermuscular, right? I'm not looking forward to those because I always get so stressed out when we have to do the trigger shot (which is also intermuscular), and that's only once a cycle. Let me know how they go. I will be using Gonal-F and and adding Ganirelix at some point apparently. What was your protocol?

Random, hope everything went okay and you are recovering well!

AFM, I had my u/s this morning, and the cyst was gone! I'm waiting for them to review my bloodwork and call me back to tell me the plan. I think she said I won't be starting the Gonal-F until Sunday.