Fertility Appointments and Beyond.... the journey continues

[Gracie2021]

New thread for us to continue our fertility clinic appointment progress...

Some of us are waiting for initial appointments, some are having tests and some are starting treatment!

@tillybabs
@thislittlebird
@kay00
@jeaniej
@PurpleUnicorn01
@paintfairy
@dogmam
@flutterby8
@Ughmaybenot
@dancingfairydreams
@beckycarlos
@jkjellyhead
@juno231
@decaffe
@bumble44
@BritinNZ
@tinkerbell098
@pinkginpls
@thedaydreambelievers
@everymumday
@wanderlust16
@lori23ttc

I just told my manager today @pinkginpls. It changes nothing in terms of me flexing my time or taking annual leave for EC but I feel less pressure trying to hide it etc. actually went really well telling them. Hope yours goes as well.

@PurpleUnicorn01 flowers would definitely be better but hopefully it will come around quickly for you now!

@Kay00 lucky cleaners

Definitely nervous energy, I'm always yapping away and bouncing around but probably some of what @Juno231said too. Plenty of trauma to cause it, that's for sure.

I don't feel embarrassed mentioning it as such, more for sharing too much in a very unnecessary situation. But I am probably an introvert who does embarrass more easily!

@Juno231 that's the thing, when people ask I'm kinda tired of saying "yeah maybe, at some point". Now we have this actual thing that gives us a chance it feels like a solid something I can say, even if I'm saying it too much lmao

@beckyCarlos I'm legit glad I'm not the only one who does this dumb shit. I'm just out here sharing my life with strangers! I haven't told him, which is impressive, because I tell him everything, including the minutiae of my tedious at home work day. Luckily I had the pregnant friend to tell him about, and our robot vacuum that ran rampage in the night!

So about 1.5 months until down reg? Is that right?

@thislittlebird oooh tell us about the robot vacuum! Yeah noones talked through the timescales with me yet, I'm guessing they either will next week, or I'll make them (/in reality I'll ask politely haha) do it'll either be downreg in half a month, or a month and a half I think. Either way my drugs are in date till 2023 so as long as its before then 🤣

@beckyCarlos you’ve got plenty of time then! 🙃

I came downstairs today to find this scene. I was very confused as to how the robot had lost some parts on the floor. Text my husband and he said he came down to chaos in the living room 😂, blinds all messed up, exercise mat moved, slippers all over the place, air purifier unplugged and the bot in its cradle a bit wonky on charge. Somehow it went rogue in the night and must have got trapped in the purifier wire and lost its brush??? Husband claims I’ve accidentally set a timer on it 🤨

Sorry if this posts twice, mn seems to be having a moment.

Wtf has happened there 🤣 they have timers?! Thats amazing! I would get one but I'm not sure it would agree with my dog x

@beckyCarlos I didn’t realise it could be done either but I somehow managed to set one accidentally before, and it kept starting up at 12am and I assume it did the same last night lol.

The remote in the charging dock (pictured!) has all the functions, I don’t use them often but apparently do use them when not trying.

Your dog might love one, you never know 🤔🤔🤔. I love it because I can just set it to run and get on with not hoovering. Probably quite useful if you have a pet though! It picks up plenty of my hair :/

@pinkginpls I'm with Kings for NHS treatment (I too was basically just asked on the phone whether I wanted to be referred to Guys or Kings and I chose Kings as the wait time was shorter and it's within walking distance of my house haha). I'm doing IUI but I was told the referral process is the same for IUI and IVF. I got an initial consultation 3 weeks after the referral was made and everyone I have dealt with there has been incredibly helpful and kind, from the doctors to nurses to receptionists. They also offer free fertility meditation and counselling - not sure if this is normal but I was pleased about it. Interestingly I've also noticed lots of flyers around the clinic asking for couples to take part in a reality TV show about the fertility treatment journey they are filming at Kings. Might be great for some people but I personally couldn't imagine anything worse!

@thislittlebird I'm so sorry that is awful. I feel like there is a way she could have broken the news to you empathetically rather than having to find out like this.

My approach is maybe a little different in that 6 months into the TTC process we basically became really honest with friends and family about what was going on - I found it helpful as it means now no one asks me about it unless I volunteer information. It also meant that I could have discussions with friends trying to conceive ('if you get pregnant, please tell me via text rather than in person, I'll be thrilled for you but will need to process the news on my phone'). All my friends did this and most were incredibly empathetic and sensitive in how they broke the news. One or two were 'yay I'm pregnant!' but what can you do!! I've also been very open with my parents - my dad is actually an OBGYN (although based in NZ and I'm in the UK) so not very helpful in terms of treatment but he's been really supportive and great to get a second opinion on everything - although a bit weird to have one's dad so involved!

@Gracie2021 did you trigger?

I went to have my baseline scan yesterday and all looked good. I appear to have ovulated for the second month in a row (shocking after a year of not ovulating) so just have to wait for my period and then can start the letrazole. I picked up all my drugs for the cycle and was not prepared for the hour+ wait at the hospital pharmacy!!

*on my own, not on my phone!

@thislittlebird haha! Your poor hoover, sounds like he had a bit of a night of it, before stumbling back on to its charger and pretending like nothing had happened

@magnoliasinbloom Ooh, your dad is an Obgyn, how interesting! It must be really nice to have the support you have from your friends and family I'm certainly inching towards telling some people, but only when I'm a little further towards IVF/any other serious treatments.

@magnoliasinbloom thanks it seems most people have good experience with Kings so I hope we will have a choice to go there too. Does seem the largest in the London area. I couldn't imagine putting this experience on telly! As if it isn't emotional or stressful as it is!

Good thing the baseline scan came back ok. Hospital pharmacy is a nightmare, at ours you basically need to hand in your slip before lunch otherwise you won't get the meds within the same day.

@Kay00 that’s exactly what my husband said 😭😂. He had a big night out!

Look what arrived today

Ooh - exciting! Do you need to keep some of it in the fridge? Due to house renovation work (and a current kitchen that is basically some slate on top of some wooden stilts... it really is crap) we only have small fridge, and no freezer. So fridge storage is a bit of a problem for me.

I had my appointment letter come through today for my next conversation with the consultant about our next steps. Its on 15th Feb (romantic!), which will also be around the time my next period starts and I start my final Clomid cycle.

@thislittlebird how exciting

Perfect timing to get sorted for after your final clomid @Kay00. Glad you have the app sorted.

@thislittlebird what a haul! Seeming very real?

Glad your baseline went well @magnoliasinbloom and you're all set for Letrozole. So many people have great success with it!

Triggered Tuesday night and think I ovulated yesterday. Managed good coverage of -4,-3,-2 and O so in with a shot at least. Thinking all three follicles should have been a decent size by time I ovulated yesterday so here's hoping. But also just bought my IVF meds and arranged for delivery today so all bets are hedged 😂😂

@Kay00 yeah, but it's only the larger boxes, and I think you'd be similar because of your high AMH?

The 15th will be here in a blink of an eye!

Yeah, kinda real @Gracie2021, but better somehow than the waiting without progress??? Like I know this is a thing we need to do now and here's the proof.

@magnoliasinbloom glad it went well, Letrozole was great for lack of symptoms for me!

@Kay00 here you go, it’s not a HUGE amount of room in there but maybe you have a mini fridge right now lol

@thislittlebird this looks like my kind of fridge! I definitely enjoyed the drug delivery, made it all seem real and like something to focus on.

But jeez, I have so many more drugs than you all 🤣 (I say this lightheartedly, I know its swings and roundabouts, and ultimately we'd all like a spontaneous conception)

Oh and @kay00 my husband decided to DIY fit our kitchen before christmas... it was...an experience 🤣 its lovely now its (almost) done but my days, when it was being done I seriously questioned our sanity! It'll be worth it in the end 🥰

@beckyCarlos our fridge is a strange selection of an excessive number of courgettes (I didn’t buy them), leftover Baileys and tonic water 😂

I actually thought that when I saw them, that I’d seen ladies on here with a lot more of a haul than I had. What’s yours again?

My husband immediately picked up the sharps box and started messing with it. The lid then locked shut and he spent 20 minutes fighting it with a knife to get it back open 🥴. I walked away and left him to it lol

@thislittlebird you can lock the lid shut?! I best not investigate that 🤣
Ill send a pic when I can get into the web version of the site!

@beckyCarlos yeahhhh, i guess it's so when it goes off to landfill or wherever it goes it's not going to fall open.

So today I realised they've given me an antagonist trigger (Ovitrelle) when all the way through my dealings with private doctors I was told I'd need an agonist trigger for IVF. I cannot stress how annoyed I am, not to mention nervous, about this junior doctor. Everyone else on the Guys thread seems to have had the consultant and I got some junior doc. I'm worried about OHSS as it is, but I'm definitely asking about a freeze all now I realise I have an HCG trigger. I might ask the nurse why I wasn't given an agonist too. It's incredibly frustrating how little attention this doctor paid to my medical profile.

@dogmam can I ask what trigger you had? I know you have high AMH.

Haha @thislittlebird I love that your fridge is dedicated to booze, drugs and 🥒 😆 my fridge isn't mini, it just isn't very big, and we cook a lot from scratch so it fills up quickly.

I assume we'll be on a similar drug profile due to the high AMH. I hope your doctor hasn't made an error? Definitely call up to check tomorrow 🧐

@thislittlebird my trigger was Buserelin 1mg. For me, the actual drug wasn't decided or prescribed until the day before I was due it as it was dependent on my last follicle count scan.
I've just read your post about the adventures of your hoover lol and enjoyed your description.

@pinkginpls how did telling your work/HR go? My work gives 5 days leave for an ivf cycle so I told my manager, reluctantly. I then got promoted during my last FET and when I had the MC I ended up telling my new manager for some time off work, she also told her manager. So now I have 3 people who know which I really don't feel comfortable with, especially when I'm struggling with not telling my mam, yet 3 other women know. I do feel guilty that I'm now allowing my mam the opportunity to support me because I'm sure she will be gutted that i haven't told her but I just can't pluck up the courage to actually tell her. Have you told any friends or family?

@PurpleUnicorn01 aw I'm gutted your FET was cancelled. How disappointing for you! My first FET my lining was over 7mm at my first scan but my second FET it was too thin so had my estrogen upped and was re-scanned a week later. Wonder if they will start you on extra estrogen straight away or just see how you get on first?

@Kay00 I'm still waiting to find out what we're doing with whole bag of wonky courgettes he wanted to buy! I can't even have the booze because I'm waiting to do this prolactin test and I forgot to pick the form up today

I emailed them tonight and also started a thread on this topic in infertility. I'll see what they say, and I felt bad emailing like I'm asking a stupid question but it's better safe than sorry I guess.

@dogmam that's the thing, it feels like this doctor went 'tick tick tick, 38, lots of drugs, standard trigger blah blah' and didn't think for a second about what would be best so I now have an HCG trigger :/ I have emailed to ask them to check with a consultant. Did you have any OHSS?

Great that your work gives IVF leave. I'm going to take sick leave, my boss has said that's fine, but I'm not sure when to take it for the best.

I've told everyone including the window cleaners because I'm crazy @dogmam so don't worry about the few colleagues, maybe you can tell your mum, she will be pleased to know?

@dogmam it was disappointing but it was a relief as I hadn't realised how anxious i was after the mmc going through it again.

How are you?

In regards to estrogen I have no idea. I think the spanner in the works was having progesterone 2 early hence they scrapped the entire cycle.