Posts from — July 2008

Well, this is the second Follistim cycle and as you know from the previous post, I have been instructed to give myself 75, 75, 75 IU injections in the last 3 days. This is in the hopes that I take it “slow” and avoid OHSS.

Early tomorrow, I go for Estradiol blood draw and ultrasound to monitor my response to this lower Follistim dosages. I’m excited to see how my ovaries and follicles responded this time. Check back tomorrow for the ultrasound image!

Meanwhile, I’m not having the same severity of adverse effects as the first cycle (and higher dosage) of Follistim. I still have some mild burning eyes and dull ache on the lower buttocks but they did not stop me in cooking up a storm for my husband’s birthday! I am also spotting a bit. I better check that last one with the doctor tomorrow (because I got confused about this the last time).

FYI also, I am using the leftover Follistim from my first cycle. Recall that my doctor’s previous advice that I should just keep it in the refrigerator and it will still be good for my next cycle - which is now! I need to check with the doctor also on the drug’s literature which stated that it is good for 28 days once opened. I opened that in June 4, so 28 days would be July 2. And I started using the leftover on July 11.

I got reminded to have a conversation with my husband regarding “until when will we try to conceive”? - this is after I commented on a blogher.com article referencing the same news about the new record on the oldest mother I mentioned yesterday. I told him about the thoughts that got triggered in my head.

DH agreed with the idea of having a limit, a stopping point although we both actually sounded upbeat and hopeful for the next steps in the next few months and years. We also clarified that that timeline included all infertility treatments and medical interventions.

I was a bit pleasantly surprised that DH was the one who brought up “what about adoption”? [Read more →]

My cyst monitoring ultrasound turned out to be my baseline ultrasound for the next Follistim cycle. The last 2 follicles on my right ovary that were >20mm are gone. (Yes!) So I should be ready for Clomid, said Dr Hansard…

Wait a minute… We’ve tried Clomid and that did not work. We’re not going back to Clomid, are we?

Dr Hansard checks my charts and realizes her faux pas. She says she must be hungry already. Perhaps since it was noon. So, yes, we were ready for Follistim and my instructions are 75, 75, 75 IU in the next 3 days.

Well, not exactly the next 3 days because if I start Thursday, I need to go in on Sunday for ultrasound and estradiol monitoring. That means additional surcharge for coming on a weekend, which (of course), I said no to. Instead, I start Friday and go in on Monday. I guess it is okay to start Follistim on CD5 then…(I thought I needed to start it on CD3). (I should mention that I have a great assumption in here and in the last blog - that CD1 was 7/7/2008.)

Dr Hansard also said that she would be happy to see 3-5 follicles mature in this Follistim cycle #2. Oh, I guess this next one is good news… Dr Hansard said that during the previous Follistim cycle #1, she did not expect a lot of my follicles to be stimulated considering my age. I jested that my eggs must all this pent-up potential (masked by my previous dermoid cysts and chaotic hormone levels) that they are all so excited to grow. Good girls!

I wonder though if this suggests that I still have significant ovarian reserves and that my egg quality is still good??? I should ask that question on my next visit.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for the next few days on the saga of Follistim cycle #2! Have a great weekend!

COST: $180 (Follicular Ultrasound)

In Monday’s breakthrough bleeding post, I said I was going to listen to my body despite the Saturday advice of one of the Texas Fertility Center’s staff to expect my period a few days AFTER the active Loestrin pills and that I was only breakthrough bleeding.

Afterwards, I googled my question in - how to differentiate the breakthrough bleeding with the real menstrual flow if they overlap? Seems like this question has not been asked. However, what I discovered is that breakthrough bleeding is common with Loestrin (and a lot of the birth control pills) on the first 3 cycles. Somehow, I convinced myself that it was indeed breakthrough bleeding that I had. And that my real flow will just follow after a few days… [Read more →]

Being of “advanced maternal age” myself, the question of until when will you try to get pregnant is something that has crossed my mind a couple of times. Even as early as 25 years old, I have heard comments and read articles that mentioned about a woman’s biological clock tick-tocking away. Apparently and as always, the answer is personal and is different on a case-to-case basis.
[Read more →]

Last month, I had my first cycle of Follistim. The Texas Fertility Clinic had a couple of brochures from different pharmacies where I could possibly get them from. One of the staff members though mentioned that I could get it at the lowest price at a certain pharmacy. [Read more →]

It is my first time (that I am aware of) to experience what I now know as breakthrough bleeding. I started spotting Thursday with 3 active Loestrin pills to go. So I thought my period was going to start anytime during the long weekend. (Didn’t want that to happen because we were going out of town and may have to come back early for an ultrasound.)

On Friday, I had a weak flow so I was a bit confused whether I was having my first day of flow already. I remember though Dr Hansard telling me that flows would be weak when one is under a birth control pill regimen. So I already resigned myself to coming back early from out of town to have an ultrasound done within the 9-10am limited clinic time on Sunday.
[Read more →]

My desire is that we conceive naturally - yes, I’m still praying for this miracle! If not, then my next preference is that we do conceive in this July 2008 cycle. My worst case scenario (aside from not having my biological child/ren) is that we will have to go the more expensive routes to try to conceive.

I have nothing to do aside from implore the Lord about these desires of becoming pregnant and having a child - even if he knows about them even before I approach him. I pray for grace, peace and patience as I wait on the Lord on this. I need that a lot!

He knows what’s best for me. And He knows what is best for you. I can pray for you. Will you pray for me, too?

God bless America!

Enjoy the fireworks!

Be safe…

How much have you spent for your infertility treatments? I imagine that we all start out thinking “whatever the cost”. As women though, we do worry and obsess about the financial cost of our infertility treatments. For some of us, it can be a real financial burden.

I did an analysis of just this year’s cost of our infertility treatments. For half the year, we now have spent about $4,500 since we started with our new Reproductive Endocrinologist due to our relocation. That was the price for infertility baselining, laparoscopy, 2 clomid cycles and 1 follistim cycle. Check out the Cost page for the detailed breakdown of our expenses so far for our infertility treatments.

With half a year to go and no baby yet, we will probably be incurring at least $3000 more for 1 IUI cycle. If we need to go beyond that - whether another IUI cycle or graduate to the more expensive IVF treatment, obviously the infertility treatments is going to cost even more. Oh my!

Will you share how much you have spent already for your fertility treatments and how you coped with it?