Starting IVF!!!!!!
So I know we decided to wait until summer when school was out, but I can't take it. Waiting for nothing to happen is killing me. I want this so badly and must be proactive. I hate when shit is it out of my control!
I called Shady Grove in December and was able to set up a free phone consult with my RE, Dr. Bromer of Shady Grove Fertility Center. Click here to learn about them.
I filled out my previous history for both my hubby and I and faxed them some recent bloodwork. My local RE had to fax them my previous IUI cycles. Also, my OB-GYN had to send in the most recent pap results.
Dr. Bromer called us on December 31st. We had a free 45 minute phone consult.
My bff Vicki had given me a bunch of questions to ask him for she has been down the IVF road before.
He said that we had mild male factor and unexplained infertility. He said that low progesterone is not a real diagnosis and cannot be tested by CD21 blood test. A true test would be in the uterus.
I was very happy to hear that..I had been agonizing over these progesterone levels.
He said that I should respond well to stims since I did during the IUI cycles.
Fast forward a few days and we got our first orders for infectious disease testing for both of us. I would get my AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) checked too and that is not cycle day dependent. I would have to get some testing done on CD2-4 and a baseline ultrasound for antral folly count. The AMH was very important to Dr. Bromer because he said that it can test your ovarian reserve far more accurately than FSH.
Click this to learn more about AMH (anti-mullerian hormone). If you haven't gotten yours checked yet, I highly recommend it. It is not cycle day important: meaning you can get it done anytime. Your FSH is only accurate from CD2-4.
They were testing: Rubella (German Measles), RPR (syphilis), HIV, Hep B, HCV (Hep C), Varicella (Chicken Pox). I also had to get an Antibody screen, AMH (antimullerian hormone), and ABO & Rh for my blood type.
For my husband he got tested: Syphilis, HIV, Hep B, and C.
Here are my orders:
I called Shady Grove in December and was able to set up a free phone consult with my RE, Dr. Bromer of Shady Grove Fertility Center. Click here to learn about them.
I filled out my previous history for both my hubby and I and faxed them some recent bloodwork. My local RE had to fax them my previous IUI cycles. Also, my OB-GYN had to send in the most recent pap results.
Dr. Bromer called us on December 31st. We had a free 45 minute phone consult.
My bff Vicki had given me a bunch of questions to ask him for she has been down the IVF road before.
He said that we had mild male factor and unexplained infertility. He said that low progesterone is not a real diagnosis and cannot be tested by CD21 blood test. A true test would be in the uterus.
I was very happy to hear that..I had been agonizing over these progesterone levels.
He said that I should respond well to stims since I did during the IUI cycles.
Fast forward a few days and we got our first orders for infectious disease testing for both of us. I would get my AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) checked too and that is not cycle day dependent. I would have to get some testing done on CD2-4 and a baseline ultrasound for antral folly count. The AMH was very important to Dr. Bromer because he said that it can test your ovarian reserve far more accurately than FSH.
Click this to learn more about AMH (anti-mullerian hormone). If you haven't gotten yours checked yet, I highly recommend it. It is not cycle day important: meaning you can get it done anytime. Your FSH is only accurate from CD2-4.
They were testing: Rubella (German Measles), RPR (syphilis), HIV, Hep B, HCV (Hep C), Varicella (Chicken Pox). I also had to get an Antibody screen, AMH (antimullerian hormone), and ABO & Rh for my blood type.
For my husband he got tested: Syphilis, HIV, Hep B, and C.
Here are my orders:
All of our diseases came back normal and I have a blood type of B- which I already knew.
My AMH came back as 1.84 which is great! You want it to be over 1 or 2. Under 1 is a sign you have diminished ovarian reserve. My other blood work on CD4 was that my FSH was 10. That is considered borderline. It needs to be 9 and under to show a good ovarian reserve. Women who get high numbers have less eggs in reserve. But since my AMH was fine, Dr. Bromer was not worried.
I had a baseline ultrasound with my local RE and it showed 12 antral follicles. Shady Grove likes to see 10.
My AMH came back as 1.84 which is great! You want it to be over 1 or 2. Under 1 is a sign you have diminished ovarian reserve. My other blood work on CD4 was that my FSH was 10. That is considered borderline. It needs to be 9 and under to show a good ovarian reserve. Women who get high numbers have less eggs in reserve. But since my AMH was fine, Dr. Bromer was not worried.
I had a baseline ultrasound with my local RE and it showed 12 antral follicles. Shady Grove likes to see 10.
An info-graph I found on Pinterest.
First visit to Shady Grove
I had received 3 very detailed and friendly voice mails from the out of state patient liaison Kendra, my financial adviser Delphinia, and nurse Shirley.
They were all there to help us through the process of getting these preliminary tests done before starting the protocol.
I was to go to Shady Grove's Frederick, MD office for a free mock embryo transfer and get genetic testing.
We went on January 20th which I had off for Martin Luther King, Jr.
A mock embryo transfer is painless. It took like 5 seconds and I didn't feel anything. Now some other people I've talked to say there's was hell! So I guess just be prepared for either!
Dr. Bromer counted 8 follies on the right ovary and 10 on the left. However, he did find 2 polyps!!!
He said they were about .5cm each and they were very common in those who had taken stims. He says that is what caused them. Here is some info on polyps.
They were all there to help us through the process of getting these preliminary tests done before starting the protocol.
I was to go to Shady Grove's Frederick, MD office for a free mock embryo transfer and get genetic testing.
We went on January 20th which I had off for Martin Luther King, Jr.
A mock embryo transfer is painless. It took like 5 seconds and I didn't feel anything. Now some other people I've talked to say there's was hell! So I guess just be prepared for either!
Dr. Bromer counted 8 follies on the right ovary and 10 on the left. However, he did find 2 polyps!!!
He said they were about .5cm each and they were very common in those who had taken stims. He says that is what caused them. Here is some info on polyps.
Click here to learn more about the mock embryo transfer.
They just insert the catheter to make sure you can eventually get it in there.
Then the RE will squirt some saline into your uterine cavity. That is how he saw my polyps and my local RE didn't.
I will be getting my hysteroscopy once I start birth control on CD3 in February. As part of the protocol, you start BC to shut down the ovaries so the next cycle, they can pump them up with the gonadotropins. It will be an in-office procedure where I will get local anesthesia. I heard it can hurt...a lot! But it is necessary before IVF to have these polyps out for they can affect implantation and cause miscarriage.
I also had a blood test down to check me for any genetic and ethnicity based diseases. This wasn't mandatory, but it was recommended. If I show up to be a carrier, then my husband will be tested. The results took about 2-3 weeks to come back. Here is the company they used: check them out at Counsyl.
Dr. Bromer called me on January 31st to say that my results came back that I have an intermediate mutation of Fragile X. Basically it's nothing to be worried about for I am not a full on carrier of the disease. Fragile X is the most common genetic developmental disability: it causes mental retardation in boys as well as ovarian failure in girls.
He said that I wouldn't have a child with Fragile X, but my grandkids might. So, he didn't recommend for me to get Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a reproductive technology used with an IVF cycle. PGD can be used for diagnosis of a genetic disease in early embryos prior to implantation and pregnancy. Check out this site to learn more.
It does cost a couple thousand to have PGD done. That might be something you'd want if you turn out to be a carrier for something. Since my RE didn't recommend it, we are not going to have it done.
I also had a blood test down to check me for any genetic and ethnicity based diseases. This wasn't mandatory, but it was recommended. If I show up to be a carrier, then my husband will be tested. The results took about 2-3 weeks to come back. Here is the company they used: check them out at Counsyl.
Dr. Bromer called me on January 31st to say that my results came back that I have an intermediate mutation of Fragile X. Basically it's nothing to be worried about for I am not a full on carrier of the disease. Fragile X is the most common genetic developmental disability: it causes mental retardation in boys as well as ovarian failure in girls.
He said that I wouldn't have a child with Fragile X, but my grandkids might. So, he didn't recommend for me to get Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a reproductive technology used with an IVF cycle. PGD can be used for diagnosis of a genetic disease in early embryos prior to implantation and pregnancy. Check out this site to learn more.
It does cost a couple thousand to have PGD done. That might be something you'd want if you turn out to be a carrier for something. Since my RE didn't recommend it, we are not going to have it done.
Click here to learn more about carrying Fragile X syndrome.
Since I was intermediate, I must carry 45-54 allelles that repeat.
Premutations carry 55-200. Full mutations have over 200 repeats.
So what's it gonna cost?
We met with Delphinia our financial advisor and she went over the numbers.
We qualified for Shady Grove's Shared Risk program. It is AMAZING!
Click here to go back to a page where I describe it.
But basically, you get up to 6 fresh IVF cycles and FET cycles for flat fee of $20,000. That includes all your anthesia fees, etc. But doesn't include meds or ICSI. ICSI is $2,000 more.
With the Shared Risk program, if you don't deliver a live baby, you get your money back! PERIOD. Miscarriages or stillborns don't count. I don't think you can find a better deal anywhere else besides Shady Grove. Here's what a typical IVF cycle looks like at Shady Grove: click here. Shady Grove has this option for anyone no matter their location. They have 21 offices in Maryland, Virginia, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. Check them out PLEASE! http://www.shadygrovefertility.com/locations
Dr. Bromer suggested we add ICSI due to motility issue. I was happy about this because I definitely think my eggs are tough and not letting the sperm penetrate their shells!
We signed our contract and filled out a bunch of paperwork about cryo-storage, what will happen in the case that I or my husband dies and we have frozen embies, etc. It is definitely a lot to look at and very similar to a closing on a house....initial a million pages!
We qualified for Shady Grove's Shared Risk program. It is AMAZING!
Click here to go back to a page where I describe it.
But basically, you get up to 6 fresh IVF cycles and FET cycles for flat fee of $20,000. That includes all your anthesia fees, etc. But doesn't include meds or ICSI. ICSI is $2,000 more.
With the Shared Risk program, if you don't deliver a live baby, you get your money back! PERIOD. Miscarriages or stillborns don't count. I don't think you can find a better deal anywhere else besides Shady Grove. Here's what a typical IVF cycle looks like at Shady Grove: click here. Shady Grove has this option for anyone no matter their location. They have 21 offices in Maryland, Virginia, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. Check them out PLEASE! http://www.shadygrovefertility.com/locations
Dr. Bromer suggested we add ICSI due to motility issue. I was happy about this because I definitely think my eggs are tough and not letting the sperm penetrate their shells!
We signed our contract and filled out a bunch of paperwork about cryo-storage, what will happen in the case that I or my husband dies and we have frozen embies, etc. It is definitely a lot to look at and very similar to a closing on a house....initial a million pages!
Click this to learn more about ICSI.
Basically those damn sperm are FORCED into eggs! No more wallflowers..they must dance!
So it will cost us $22,000 for the program. We are to have the cash money before I start stims. The only con of this program is that if you conceive on your first cycle, you would have paid more than a traditional IVF cycle would have cost. HOWEVER, I must add that we infertiles/miscarriage survivors unfortunately need to watch our money. If someone told you that you could have a baby in 6+ cycles or you'd get your money back....wouldn't you do it? HELL yeah you would! It's what we want and if a regular IVF cycle costs $10,000 or so, you don't need to be anxious that all your money is riding on that one cycle. You have breathing room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you make under $95,000 total gross income, you can apply for Shared Help and get a discounted rate. There are also some other financial options.
I already increased a previous loan and will be putting the rest on my credit card. It is expensive, but this is the best possible deal overall.
If you make under $95,000 total gross income, you can apply for Shared Help and get a discounted rate. There are also some other financial options.
I already increased a previous loan and will be putting the rest on my credit card. It is expensive, but this is the best possible deal overall.
Let's do this!!!!!!!!!!
I literally am dying to start CD1. It is supposed to come today. I have all the skin breakouts like usual and I am clinging to a teeny bit that I am prego and it will have cost $0, but at month 47, I doubt it! So....
Let's start AF!!!!!!!!!!!
Let's start AF!!!!!!!!!!!
So It's February 11th and CD1.
HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I guess I've never been so excited for my period...like ever!
I called my nurse, Shirley, and we set up a bunch of shit:
Birth Control Pills: Start Feb 13 on CD3.
Hysteroscopy: Feb 20
Well, I'll just post a photo rather than me re-typing all that...Sorry for them being blurry, but I tried to enlarge them.
HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I guess I've never been so excited for my period...like ever!
I called my nurse, Shirley, and we set up a bunch of shit:
Birth Control Pills: Start Feb 13 on CD3.
Hysteroscopy: Feb 20
Well, I'll just post a photo rather than me re-typing all that...Sorry for them being blurry, but I tried to enlarge them.
It's definitely weird taking birth control again! It's been a LONG time since I had to worry about it each day. I'm very happy to have finally ordered all my meds. They will be coming this Tuesday.
Let me tell you...specialty pharmacies give you a fucking rough time!
There were so many meds that were not the 'preferrred' prescription. Like for example:
They wanted Gonal-F...insurance would cover Follistim
They wanted Endometrin...insurance would cover Crinone
They wanted Cetrodtide...insurance would cover Ganierelix
Menupur was the only med, that I couldn't get a substitution. There are none I guess. It will be like $1,100 for 15 vials.
Everything else: Estrace, Z pak, Trigger was $10-$20 which is great.
I will post a list when they send me the invoice.
Let me tell you...specialty pharmacies give you a fucking rough time!
There were so many meds that were not the 'preferrred' prescription. Like for example:
They wanted Gonal-F...insurance would cover Follistim
They wanted Endometrin...insurance would cover Crinone
They wanted Cetrodtide...insurance would cover Ganierelix
Menupur was the only med, that I couldn't get a substitution. There are none I guess. It will be like $1,100 for 15 vials.
Everything else: Estrace, Z pak, Trigger was $10-$20 which is great.
I will post a list when they send me the invoice.
The meds!!!
Minus the damn Z pak they forgot!
I got:
4---Follistim 600
6---Ganirelix
60---Crinone gel
1---Pregnyl trigger shot
15---Menopur vials
60---Estrace tables
2--Z packs (should've gotten)
Plus a sharps container, syringes, needles, and alcohol swabs.
The total cost was: $1,216.99
Here's the breakdown of what insurance paid and retail of Freedom Fertility's prices: http://prices.freedomfertility.com/---you can just plug in the quantity and get quotes.
4---Follistim 600 iu.......$20 with insurance....4 for $1079.20 =$4,316.80
6---Ganirelix....$20 with insurance....6 for $144.90 = $869.40
60---Crinone gel.....$20 with insurance....60 for $16.20 = $972.00
1---Pregnyl trigger shot.....$10 with insurance.....1 for $85.90
15---Menopur vials...Insurance won't cover.....15 for $1,139.70
60---Estrace tablets....$7.29 with insurance....not sure the retail price
2--Z packs (should've gotten)....$9 with insurance
I paid $1,216.99....Retail cost: $7,323.95 (without the Estrace or Z pack prices included)
Minus the damn Z pak they forgot!
I got:
4---Follistim 600
6---Ganirelix
60---Crinone gel
1---Pregnyl trigger shot
15---Menopur vials
60---Estrace tables
2--Z packs (should've gotten)
Plus a sharps container, syringes, needles, and alcohol swabs.
The total cost was: $1,216.99
Here's the breakdown of what insurance paid and retail of Freedom Fertility's prices: http://prices.freedomfertility.com/---you can just plug in the quantity and get quotes.
4---Follistim 600 iu.......$20 with insurance....4 for $1079.20 =$4,316.80
6---Ganirelix....$20 with insurance....6 for $144.90 = $869.40
60---Crinone gel.....$20 with insurance....60 for $16.20 = $972.00
1---Pregnyl trigger shot.....$10 with insurance.....1 for $85.90
15---Menopur vials...Insurance won't cover.....15 for $1,139.70
60---Estrace tablets....$7.29 with insurance....not sure the retail price
2--Z packs (should've gotten)....$9 with insurance
I paid $1,216.99....Retail cost: $7,323.95 (without the Estrace or Z pack prices included)
Hysteroscopy time!
My hysteroscopy is scheduled for 10:30 am on Thursday, Feb 20. I found out this morning that I will be put under....HALLEJUAH!!!! In case you didn't know, MOST women are just given a local anesthesia in the uterus without an IV. This is great...I was very nervous about getting it done in an office without full anesthesia.
I have to be at the Rockville, MD office at 9:00 a.m. and my husband has to take me. They said they won't do the surgery unless someone is actually there with me the entire time! So I will be there to 12:30 p.m. because of the time to recover, etc.
I'm not nervous about the surgery...I've had so many hip ones plus the mini-lap and D&C. It's just what I'm used too!
I have to be at the Rockville, MD office at 9:00 a.m. and my husband has to take me. They said they won't do the surgery unless someone is actually there with me the entire time! So I will be there to 12:30 p.m. because of the time to recover, etc.
I'm not nervous about the surgery...I've had so many hip ones plus the mini-lap and D&C. It's just what I'm used too!
So the hysteroscopy went well. They put me under which was awesome! I did have cramping and spotting afterwards, so I just took it easy the rest of the weekend.
In fact, it's been 2 weeks and I'm still spotting. Yesterday was my last birth control pill, so that could explain why I'm starting to bleed more. My friend Vicki said I will be getting a real period soon. I will actually be on stims while bleeding.
In fact, it's been 2 weeks and I'm still spotting. Yesterday was my last birth control pill, so that could explain why I'm starting to bleed more. My friend Vicki said I will be getting a real period soon. I will actually be on stims while bleeding.