Housecleaning: Ditching the Drugs

IVF Drugs for Sale!

I've been gun-shy about doing this earlier because I didn't want to "curse" myself.  At this point, however, I am starting to get into nesting mode and just want to get my old piles and crap cleaned up.  And if the sh** should hit the fan with this pregnancy, I have other things to worry about besides whether or not I still have drugs to use for another cycle.  Sorry if you think this is uncouth, but I had to pay for everything in my cycle out of pocket, so would love to recoup anything possible.

[Shipping costs included for all.]

Vivelle Dots - 3 unopened boxes of Vivelle 0.1 mg "dots."  Each box has 8 dots/patches.  I have an additional box with 5 patches out of 8 left (unopened).  Expiration Date: 07/2013.  I paid about $65 per box.  I will charge you $40/box and throw in the extra 5/8 box for free. 

Menopur - 3 vials of 75 IU single-dose Menopur.  Includes 5 vials of sodium chloride diluent.  I paid $210, will sell for $100.  Includes Q-caps and needles.

Endometrin - progesterone vaginal insert, 100 mg.  17 unopened inserts.  I paid $115 for 21.  Will charge $50.  Includes unopened applicators.  Expires October 2012.

Follistim - AQ Cartridge 900 IU.  Unused/unopened and stored in the fridge from the get-go.  I paid $782 for one of these puppies.  Pen included, if you need and microneedles.  Will sell for $300 and ship overnight on ice.

First Ob/Gyn Appointment - 9w3d

Overall, I would say my assessment of the appointment is mixed.  My ob/gyn was not as cool and magical as I'd remembered her to be.  Maybe because I haven't seen her in over a year and she didn't really know who I was.  Maybe too it was late in the day and I annoyed her by mentioned "the Internet" one time too many (but when she asked me how I knew about NT scans, that's the honest answer).  A couple times when I asked her questions, "She said, I don't have that figure memorized.  If I had known you were going to ask that, I would have looked it up before I came in."  (about miscarriage rates -- which having had one, I'm nervous about -- jeez).  "I'm not in that field.  If I had studied that, I would be practicing that now."  (basically saying that I should direct that ? to my RE, who I don't see anymore... SORRY!).  So it was weird.  BUT, she let me take as long as I needed and it was a long visit.  She also does the u/s herself and really let me watch the baby for a long time.  Heartrate was 161, lower, but I'm assuming fluctuations are normal.  She also pounded on my stomach (practically) to wake it up and so we got to see the gummy bear dance a bit.  Even though the aforementioned put me off a bit, she did offer to assuage my nerves by letting me have another u/s in two weeks.  So I appreciate that.  It's so weird when at CCRM you are there all the time and they monitor every little thing to now be so isolated and on your own for so much of this.  Just a waiting game now.

In other news, I am wearing a belly band for the first time.  Mostly because my pants (having gained 10 lbs this year) were already on the verge of not fitting before the BFP.  So between my prenatal hamburgers and those 10 lbs, I can barely wear anything except for elastic waistbands comfortably.  I don't feel right digging out my old maternity clothes yet and who knows how dated and sketchy those look (being from 6 years ago).  The jeans are probably light colored.  : )  Anyway, I am feeling good, down to my one endometrin per day (with Friday being the last day) and am wearing just a single Vivelle patch, which is the last one.  Really nervous about the wean with no monitoring.  I asked my ob/gyn about that and she said they don't monitor progesterone and estradiol and that I should just trust Dr. G or ask for a consult.  I was hoping that they could squeeze that in among all the other bloodwork I have to get done.  Poo.  I'm tempted to bug/beg CCRM for one last blood test.

I'm also ready to start telling people, but I'm definitely going to stick to 13 weeks to tell coworkers, FB friends, etc.  I'm just really excited to tell DS and other family members, but mostly DS. 

Okay, gotta get back to work.  Hope 2012 is off to a great start for everyone!

Weaning off of Drugs - Freaked

I got an email today from the nurse (which was really hard to understand, so I had to call them anyway).

1) Estrace - 1x/day for 4 days (I'm now taking 2/day), then stop
2) Vivelle - reduce by one, every other day (I'm now taking 4 every other day), then stop
3) Endometrin - 2x/day for 4 days, then 1x/day for 4 days, then stop (I'm now taking 3x/day)

Then they said, let us know when the baby is born.  No more monitoring of levels!!!  WHAT?  That freaks me out to no end.  The nurse said, that Dr. G says I'm far along enough and he does this all the time and that it's fine.  FYI, my E2 is at 2000something (supposed to be ~500) and progesterone is at 36 (>20).  I'll be off of all the drugs 2 days before I'm 10 weeks along.

Since I see my ob/gyn on Tuesday, I may ask her to check the levels, so I'm sure they'll be taking my blood anyway.

Anyone who has had experience weaning, please reassure me!!!  I feel like they just ripped off my training wheels and are saying, "Good luck in the Tour de France -- let us know if you finish the race!"

Beta #2!

I'm pleased to report that my second beta is: 679!!!!  Psych!  I found this cool resource to calculate the doubling time:

http://www.countdowntopregnancy.com/tools/beta_doubling_calculator.php

So when I entered in my values, it was 33.97 hours.  "Normal range" is 31-72 hours, according to their chart.

Now we just gotta cross the next hurdle -- ultrasound and bloodwork on December 15.  While it is starting to become more real to me, I'm wondering if I'll be able to "settle in" after 12/15, BIAGO.

If you're doing a FET, you can obsess by checking out this site:

http://www.ivf.ca/fet5dayduedate.php

Back when I was preggo in 2005-2006, I probably wasn't super aware because of the different circumstances, but holy gamoly, there are some amazing resources out there!  (Babycenter did exist tho).

Just reordered more meds to last for 4.5 more weeks (according to the nurse), which seems early to me (tell me, you BFP ladies -- when did you finally wean off of your meds?)  Ugh, can't wait to stop paying for that stuff -- especially the Vivelle!  $$$$

I really appreciate everyone's positive wishes, especially when so many of you are going through your own trials and tribulations.  It's very generous and very touching.  Thank you.

Drugs Galore & Last Hurdle...

I can't get over the vast pharmacopia that is coursing through my body right now... it's tough to keep track of and I've started using one of those Sun-Sat pill boxes that I associate with "old people."  What's weird, too, is how I'm experiencing little to no side effects.  I'm off of the Lupron (yay, no more injections!) and am now taking:

• estrace - 2x/day
• Vivelle dots - 4x every other day
• endometrin - 3x/day (progesterone inserts)  So glad I don't have to do PIO, which just sounds frightening
• medrol - 1/night, steroid to avoid rejection of embryo - tastes disgusting!  Thanks for the tip, TurtleMama (take w/ plenty of liquid and do not let it linger on the tongue due to bitter taste)!
• tetracycline - 4x/day, take on empty stomach
• baby aspirin
• prenatal vitamin
• Colace - TMI, sorry -- stool softener, these drugs are stopping me up!!

My biggest challenge is timing the tetracycline 4x/day on an empty stomach (1 hour bef a meal and 2-3 hours after meals).  I eat ALL the time...  so unfortunately, some of those doses are not really on am empty stomach.  Hope that is not an issue, have not discussed w/ the nurse or anything.

Last Hurdle: Had my progesterone level checked today and according to my nurse's voicemail, "looks fantastic!"  So no # specificity, but I'll take it!

Just gotta get those report cards all done and sub plans for Friday written up and lay out all my bedrest diversions and I'm good to go.  Nervous, but cautiously optimistic.

Still in it, but barely...

It's been nearly a week and I am no less riddled with emotions and the marital strife has not dissipated.  It's like 1 step forward, 2 steps back.  I am deeply appreciative of all of your support.  I hope that this FET cycle will not be in vain and that my dreams of another child will come true.  Of course, I hope that this current challenge in my marriage will be surmountable.

As far as the nuts and bolts of my cycle -- a week of Vivelle dots has had no noticeable impact on me thus far (the nurse said it makes many people nauseous).  But I haven't yet gotten to two patches, let alone 4.  Had blood drawn today for estradiol levels and it was at 85 and they want over 50.  The Lupron has been making me very bruised recently, despite the beginning of it being bruise-free.  Is it air?  Is it my technique?  My greatest epiphany though, today, was finding a way to get rid of the adhesive from the Vivelle dots in a VERY easy way (I have read so many posts from women having trouble with that darn adhesive).  I use Goo Gone for household adhesive removal all the time, so I squirted a little into the cap of the bottle.  Then I submerged a Q-tip in the Goo Gone.  Wiped it back and forth on the adhesive residue and voila!  Gone w/o a trace!

Next appointment on Friday -- u/s and another blood draw for estradiol.

Not out of the woods w/ H yet and while he does want another child, our issues are definitely affecting whether or not we go through with transfer on the 18th.  Between now and then, I will do everything I can to get us back on track...