I just wanted to take some time to write about obtaining my fertility medications through my prescription's preferred pharmacy, Freedom Fertility.
Thankfully for us, DH's health insurance is amazing and most everything is covered, infertility-wise. The biggest hoop I had to jump through so far was figuring out the pharmacy services.
At my first RE's office, they had a mail-order pharmacy that they preferred to use. It took alot of research and phone calls, but I finally found out I needed to use Freedom. Then, at the new RE's office, they have an actual fertility pharmacy located in the same plaza as them. Another pain in the butt, but I have to use Freedom.
Overall, Freedom is awesome. The RE faxes in the prescription and then Freedom will call you to gather information like your shipping address, insurance information (if it's your first time using them), and a credit card for the co-pay. You just tell them when you need it and it's done. They even email you when the item has shipped. Everything comes via Fed-Ex next day delivery, you just need to have someone home to sign for the package. Every person I've come in contact with at Freedom is super nice and helpful.
Plus, for me, the costs are great. For example, this past cycle I forgot to order my HCG trigger through Freedom, so I had to get one through that pharmacy by the new RE's office. I paid $89 for an HCG shot that I normally pay $5 for with my insurance through Freedom. Thank god for good insurance. In general, all of my prescriptions through Freedom have cost around $5 each. They give me syringes for free and they even give me my own sharp shuttle box, lol.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
On Cycle #12 & IUI #4
I had my 4th IUI today - maybe fourth times the charm?
I had to drive to a further office because, due to the fire at my RE's office, they aren't doing procedures there. I definitely needed the "avoid ghetto" button on the GPS today, good lord.
Anyways, I got there and had my ultrasound. It showed the bigger follicle definitely released, but they were unsure if the smaller follicle released, although they think it did. My lining was only 5mm IE. The IUI nurse said that the lining measurement today isn't as important as what it looks like in 3 days. She said that they'll start me on the Endometrin tomorrow and the progesterone injections tomorrow. I go back in a week for bloodwork and ultrasound to see how the lining is doing. At this point, I really have no clue what else we could possibly do to boost up this lining, ya know? I have faith the progesterone injections will do the trick.
I turned my normal Negative Nancy thoughts into positive thoughts today. I refuse to let my lining number affect my thinking. We had 1, possibly 2, good eggs in there, great timing, and 30 million or so strong swimmers to work with. The progesterone injections are going to help my lining, the Lupron is going to help implantation and this is going to be my cycle. While I laid there for the 20 minutes, I just kept thinking "those little guys are going to find my egg and it's going to be great." That's how I'm thinking today. :)
Edited to add: That was the most uncomfortable IUI I've ever had. I was feeling super crampy all morning, and what normally feels like a Pap felt very uncomfortable, almost painful. The IUI nurse said that sometimes when you release a large follicle, or multiple follicles, the fluid stays in your abdominal cavity and that's the pain/cramping you feel. Here's to hoping that different means good things.
I had to drive to a further office because, due to the fire at my RE's office, they aren't doing procedures there. I definitely needed the "avoid ghetto" button on the GPS today, good lord.
Anyways, I got there and had my ultrasound. It showed the bigger follicle definitely released, but they were unsure if the smaller follicle released, although they think it did. My lining was only 5mm IE. The IUI nurse said that the lining measurement today isn't as important as what it looks like in 3 days. She said that they'll start me on the Endometrin tomorrow and the progesterone injections tomorrow. I go back in a week for bloodwork and ultrasound to see how the lining is doing. At this point, I really have no clue what else we could possibly do to boost up this lining, ya know? I have faith the progesterone injections will do the trick.
I turned my normal Negative Nancy thoughts into positive thoughts today. I refuse to let my lining number affect my thinking. We had 1, possibly 2, good eggs in there, great timing, and 30 million or so strong swimmers to work with. The progesterone injections are going to help my lining, the Lupron is going to help implantation and this is going to be my cycle. While I laid there for the 20 minutes, I just kept thinking "those little guys are going to find my egg and it's going to be great." That's how I'm thinking today. :)
Edited to add: That was the most uncomfortable IUI I've ever had. I was feeling super crampy all morning, and what normally feels like a Pap felt very uncomfortable, almost painful. The IUI nurse said that sometimes when you release a large follicle, or multiple follicles, the fluid stays in your abdominal cavity and that's the pain/cramping you feel. Here's to hoping that different means good things.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
On Cycle #12: IUI Tomorrow!
I went yesterday for my CD12 bloodwork and ultrasound. Ultrasound showed my lining at 5mm (boo!) but the grade was IE/TL - and I think TL is the optimal grade for when you are doing IUI. Also, my follicles grew to 19mm and 14.3mm. I had to do 1 last Menopur shot in the afternoon, and then I triggered last night at 7pm. The awesome part is that we were at a bar, so I brought my trigger shot with me, and my friend injected me in the bathroom of the bar, lol.
Overall, besides some bloating and cramping - no side effects with the Menopur. One thing I noted is that between ultrasounds, my follicles didn't grow as much as I thought they would. I definitely thought I'd see more of a "boost", but besides adding an additional follicle to the mix (which I'm hoping grows a bit more so it releases tomorrow, as well), it seems to have kind of stunted the growth of the original follicle. Plus, I'm not seeing the huge improvement in my lining that I'd hope I'd see.
Something I've learned, as sort of a defense mechanism I guess, is not to get my hopes up. I go into each ultrasound not having high hopes for my lining. I go into each IUI not really thinking it will work. Of course, there is always that devastation when it doesn't work - but it has helped my mental health a bit. I remember how sad I was when that first Clomid/IUI cycle didn't work. I was utterly devastated - I thought for sure it would be IT. And since then, each failing cycle has almost hurt a little less. I hate the idea of having lost hope, but I think I'm kind of at that point. I go through all of the motions and I'll do whatever the doctor and nurses say, but I never really think we'll be successful.
Overall, besides some bloating and cramping - no side effects with the Menopur. One thing I noted is that between ultrasounds, my follicles didn't grow as much as I thought they would. I definitely thought I'd see more of a "boost", but besides adding an additional follicle to the mix (which I'm hoping grows a bit more so it releases tomorrow, as well), it seems to have kind of stunted the growth of the original follicle. Plus, I'm not seeing the huge improvement in my lining that I'd hope I'd see.
Something I've learned, as sort of a defense mechanism I guess, is not to get my hopes up. I go into each ultrasound not having high hopes for my lining. I go into each IUI not really thinking it will work. Of course, there is always that devastation when it doesn't work - but it has helped my mental health a bit. I remember how sad I was when that first Clomid/IUI cycle didn't work. I was utterly devastated - I thought for sure it would be IT. And since then, each failing cycle has almost hurt a little less. I hate the idea of having lost hope, but I think I'm kind of at that point. I go through all of the motions and I'll do whatever the doctor and nurses say, but I never really think we'll be successful.
Monday, December 24, 2012
On Cycle #12: CD8 & CD10 Ultrasounds & Starting Menopur
I had my CD8 ultrasound and bloodwork on Saturday. It showed 4mm lining (boo!) and a 14.3mm follicle on my right ovary. They had me start Menopur 75iu that night. DH prepped the shot and administered it for me. It actually was kind of painful when he pushed the meds (the needle itself didn't hurt) but other than that, absolutely no side effects.
I went for my follow up ultrasound and bloodwork today - lining was 5mm, which is still sucky but an improvement for me and my follicle grew to 16mm and I have another one sneaking up at 13mm. Twins?! LOL. I am doing 2 more days of Menopur, then go back for ultrasound on Wednesday. I am willing to bet I'll trigger Wednesday night and IUI Friday.
Merry Christmas to all!!!
I went for my follow up ultrasound and bloodwork today - lining was 5mm, which is still sucky but an improvement for me and my follicle grew to 16mm and I have another one sneaking up at 13mm. Twins?! LOL. I am doing 2 more days of Menopur, then go back for ultrasound on Wednesday. I am willing to bet I'll trigger Wednesday night and IUI Friday.
Merry Christmas to all!!!
Friday, December 21, 2012
On Weighing In & the Sickies
I almost forgot to do my weekly scale hop this morning, but was pleasantly surprised with a 1.6lb loss. :)
I only hit the gym once this week, due to a crazy schedule and an illness. I've had a sore throat, chest congestion with cough, ear pain, and sinus pressure since Monday. I went to my regular endocrinologist on Wednesday for my quarterly check-up and he listened to my lung sounds and immediately prescribed me a Z-pack. I've felt absolutely awful since then - my daily breakfast is my Z-pack, Delsym, DayQuil, tea with lemon and honey, and a large Wawa Chicken Noodle soup. Yesterday, DH brought me home lidocaine throat stuff, so I've been using that as well.
DH thinks I have the flu. I got a flu shot this year (like every year) but he thinks that the extra progesterone suppressed my immune system and that's why I'm so bad right now. I had a much less intense illness similar to this about 3 weeks ago, so he thinks I never fully got over that and now, here I am. I also have an itchy rash on my hip/butt cheek where he was doing the progesterone injections, so I am probably dying and falling apart, lol. He says if I'm not better by Sunday, I'm paying his urgent care a visit. LOL.
Tomorrow I go for my ultrasound and bloodwork and should know my injectible protocol by tomorrow night. :)
I only hit the gym once this week, due to a crazy schedule and an illness. I've had a sore throat, chest congestion with cough, ear pain, and sinus pressure since Monday. I went to my regular endocrinologist on Wednesday for my quarterly check-up and he listened to my lung sounds and immediately prescribed me a Z-pack. I've felt absolutely awful since then - my daily breakfast is my Z-pack, Delsym, DayQuil, tea with lemon and honey, and a large Wawa Chicken Noodle soup. Yesterday, DH brought me home lidocaine throat stuff, so I've been using that as well.
DH thinks I have the flu. I got a flu shot this year (like every year) but he thinks that the extra progesterone suppressed my immune system and that's why I'm so bad right now. I had a much less intense illness similar to this about 3 weeks ago, so he thinks I never fully got over that and now, here I am. I also have an itchy rash on my hip/butt cheek where he was doing the progesterone injections, so I am probably dying and falling apart, lol. He says if I'm not better by Sunday, I'm paying his urgent care a visit. LOL.
Tomorrow I go for my ultrasound and bloodwork and should know my injectible protocol by tomorrow night. :)
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
On Uterine Lining
Since my primary issue seems to stem from my uterine lining, I decided to do a little internet research on it.
From looking at my ultrasound slips, I've noted there are 3 types of lining "grades" that my RE likes to know about: TL, IE, and HH.
From Livestrong: "The pattern changes during the menstrual cycle; a good pattern in the first half of the cycle, before ovulation, is not a good pattern after ovulation. A trilaminar lining, also called a triple lining or a TL pattern before ovulation is best for conception. Once your body produces progesterone, your lining should change to a homogenous pattern, sometimes called an HH pattern. A lining of between 7 and 12 millimeters is optimal for conception, but people can and do get pregnant with linings as thin as 3 millimeters, Dr. Timothy Hickman of Houston IVF reports on the Fertility Today website..."
From INCIID: "As you approach your LH surge, it should be above 6 mm, ideally between 8 and 12 mm. (If it is much more than that, it may be advisable to ask about a hysteroscopy or sonohysterogram to see if perhaps there is a polyp inside the uterus). You want to have a triple stripe pattern around the time of the LH surge and ovulation. Towards the time of implantation, you want to have a more integrated HH or IE pattern. The triple stripe occurs in response to estradiol; the HH/IE conversion is in response to progesterone. It should also be noted that, although most doctors prefer the above pattern of linings, there is no conclusive research on whether a better pattern actually results in higher pregnancy rates..."
Then, I found this article about pregnancy rates and lining, which shows that the lining should be at HH 3 days after transfer (in IVF, so you'd have to conclude the same should be true for IUI).
I had an IE pattern yesterday at my baseline, now time to see how it goes the rest of the cycle. At my last cycle, I had HH (I forget what thickness) at 7DPIUI, and that's when the nurse said I needed the progesterone injections daily versus every other day.
From looking at my ultrasound slips, I've noted there are 3 types of lining "grades" that my RE likes to know about: TL, IE, and HH.
From Livestrong: "The pattern changes during the menstrual cycle; a good pattern in the first half of the cycle, before ovulation, is not a good pattern after ovulation. A trilaminar lining, also called a triple lining or a TL pattern before ovulation is best for conception. Once your body produces progesterone, your lining should change to a homogenous pattern, sometimes called an HH pattern. A lining of between 7 and 12 millimeters is optimal for conception, but people can and do get pregnant with linings as thin as 3 millimeters, Dr. Timothy Hickman of Houston IVF reports on the Fertility Today website..."
From INCIID: "As you approach your LH surge, it should be above 6 mm, ideally between 8 and 12 mm. (If it is much more than that, it may be advisable to ask about a hysteroscopy or sonohysterogram to see if perhaps there is a polyp inside the uterus). You want to have a triple stripe pattern around the time of the LH surge and ovulation. Towards the time of implantation, you want to have a more integrated HH or IE pattern. The triple stripe occurs in response to estradiol; the HH/IE conversion is in response to progesterone. It should also be noted that, although most doctors prefer the above pattern of linings, there is no conclusive research on whether a better pattern actually results in higher pregnancy rates..."
Then, I found this article about pregnancy rates and lining, which shows that the lining should be at HH 3 days after transfer (in IVF, so you'd have to conclude the same should be true for IUI).
I had an IE pattern yesterday at my baseline, now time to see how it goes the rest of the cycle. At my last cycle, I had HH (I forget what thickness) at 7DPIUI, and that's when the nurse said I needed the progesterone injections daily versus every other day.
On Cycle #12: Baselines
I went to the RE's office yesterday for my CD3 bloodwork and ultrasound. AF came with a venegence on Saturday, first with an awful headache that I originally attributed to being hungover, and then with cramps. I feel as though AF is becoming more and more intense each cycle. It took 5 days for her to come after stopping both the Endometrin and the progesterone injections. I'm hoping that means the progesterone injections were doing their job and bulking my lining up a bit.
The nurse called last night and said everything looks good so far. When I took a peek at my ultrasound slip, it showed my lining at 3mm with a grade of IE. I need to do some more research into the different "grades" of lining. Anyways, we talked about the injectibles. She said that since I make mature follicles on my own, they won't give me the injectibles to stimulate my ovaries, but rather just to help in the lining department. To be honest, I was kind of disappointed because I was looking forward to the chance of multiples, but it is what it is. I go back on Saturday for another ultrasound and bloodwork, and then that night I will probably start the Menopur.
The nurse called last night and said everything looks good so far. When I took a peek at my ultrasound slip, it showed my lining at 3mm with a grade of IE. I need to do some more research into the different "grades" of lining. Anyways, we talked about the injectibles. She said that since I make mature follicles on my own, they won't give me the injectibles to stimulate my ovaries, but rather just to help in the lining department. To be honest, I was kind of disappointed because I was looking forward to the chance of multiples, but it is what it is. I go back on Saturday for another ultrasound and bloodwork, and then that night I will probably start the Menopur.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)