Queer Conceptions February 2012 - Page 14

[gellybeangrl]

Hello everyone...

Has anyone taken Delestrogen aka EV2? I'm doing a FET in March and I have been prescribed this. The generic is about $20 and the brand name stuff is about $500 or more. My new RE's staff insist that I take the brand name and keep telling me that I will not have the optimum results with the generic...but I just don't know if they are telling the truth.

Anna~ So sorry to hear about your KD. Hope you and S have better luck finding another KD if you are planning to go that route or are you all going to look into donor sperm?

Carmen~ Hugs...

 Waving at everyone else.

Gelly

[outdoorsy]

Oh, Anna, that's so horrible and lucky at the same time.... lucky, like you said, that you dodged the bullet of bringing that person into your lives and your future child's life forever. I originally wanted a KD, but after our first two choices didn't work out and we went with a WTBK donor, I still wondered whether there would have been snags with the known donors that we couldn't have foreseen. It could happen to anyone. I am sorry to hear you ask Nosreves to be taken off the list. I hope you guys are back here soon with a plan you both feel good about.

Sky, welcome back! I missed seeing you around here. Good luck with try #3!

AFM - CD 24. Temp is zig-zagging all over the place. Still no smiley. Today I bought some Target cheapies (less than half the price of Walgreens, by the way), and although it was negative, the test line was fairly dark. Tomorrow I am going to use both the digital and the cheapie. Obviously this would be late to ovulate, even for a long-cycle girl like me. I had some peripheral signs that point to possible O on CD 19. I plotted my data on FF and it has not detected a likely ovulation date.

As a side note, I got a new short haircut after having my hair below my shoulders for several years. I call it my "empowerment" haircut. I am trying to muster enough charting vigilance and positive attitude to get this situation under control!

And as always, good luck and bonne chance (hi nosreves) to everyone in the TWW.

[esenbee2]

Outdoorsy, my temp has zigzagged the past 3 days too!  I thought maybe I had missed my surge.  I hate it when signs aren't clear!

AFM, the past two days have been crazy, I'm glad that I can come here to share...

Most recent first -I called my sister tonight to find out where her boyfriend took her on their surprise getaway which she had told me about on Tuesday.  Turns out, she knew where she was going, she was going to Hawaii to elope.  They decided to because they didn't want a big wedding, wanted a ceremony on the beach, but didn't want to miss out on my dad walking her down the aisle.  So, they "last minute" decided to go to Hawaii where my mom and dad were on vacation for 2 weeks.  She has been married for about 20 minutes now I guess...  Excited for her and all, yes, but quite hurt.  When we were younger, high school age, she had told me she would make me her maid/matron of honor.  I hadn't given it much thought at that time, but I was touched and decided that she would be mine too.  When I got married, I asked her to be, she said yes, and flew to Connecticut for the ceremony.  Now, my only sister (and only sibling) is getting married, I don't get to be her matron of honor, or able to be there at all, and was lied to about the whole thing.  AND, my dad didn't walk me down the aisle (because I wasn't marrying a man) though he did attend.  I knew that he would probably walk my sister down aisle, but it is still a little jab now that it has actually come time for that.  I feel like the LEAST she could have done was asked me and DD to come, even if she thought it was too last minute or we couldn't have afforded it (I'm just guessing that is the reason).  I would have found SOME way to get there.

Next, I went to buy a car today at an auction during their "Buy Now" program, bypassing the bidding wars.  I found a car, it looked great, was in my (cheap) price range, test drove great.  I bought it, was waiting on my proof of insurance to be faxed over, and got curious about what exactly this "Odometer Disclosure Statement" meant and using my phone, paid the outrageous amount for a CarFax report.  They said the car was True Miles Unknown.  From what the auction place said, it seemed like AutoCheck.com just couldn't find enough records to prove the mileage that it was listed as.  Come to find out, there is such thing as a True Miles Unknown title, where if there is a report of a mileage discrepancy, they mark the title with this.  The Car Fax report shows the last known mileage, before the discrepancy report, to be 214,000 aprx. in December!  The mileage on the odometer?  107,000 aprx.  I was so sick to my stomach!  I asked the auction what I could do about it, cuz I did NOT want a car with 214,000 miles, I need something reliable!  They said, I couldn't do anything, I bought the thing.  They asked the dealership who sold it if we could just void out the whole transaction, and of course they did not want to.  The auction did offer me a deal, where they would run the car through next week's auction and Buy Now program to see if I can get back the money I put into it.  They would waive the seller's fee for me, reinburse me for the taxes and title fee, and if I found a car at next week's auction, they would deduct the buyer's fee that I paid.  On the way out, they flagged me down saying that there was someone who had wanted the buy the car while I was in the process of making my offer.  They called that person back to see if they wanted to buy it, they had already went to work, but would come back tomorrow morning.  SO, here's to hoping they will buy it or it will go for enough at auction next week...  In the mean time, I'm getting a hold of my consumer rights lawyer and getting some advice.  It is my fault for not being aware of what TMU meant, but it is misrepresentive to post the 107,000 that the odometer reads when you KNOW mileage is DOUBLE, but just using a loophole of a TMU title and a disclosure statement.  Augh, I still feel sick to my stomach about it for being completely duped!

Last thing -My temps have zigzagging!  I got a temp rise Tuesday CD 15, I thought I had missed OV because I did my first OPK Monday.  CM was mostly EW, but mixed with white.  Temp back down on Wednesday CD 16, I had hope (but scant CM)!  Temp back up this morning CD 17.  I was worried again and making plans to schedule an RE appointment to store our shipped swim team for a month and just start doing office insems. for next cycle.  But then, I got 2 smiley OPKs today!  So, we will be insem-ing soon!  (Guess it's a good thing that my sister didn't invite me to her Hawaii wedding...)

I am emotionally EXHAUSTED from today!  Night all!  Here's some baby dust to all of you!  

[DesertSunsets]

esenbee, oh my gosh.  First off, about your sister, I'm so sorry.  Undoubtedly, she probably didn't want you to feel obligated to spend the money, or had some kind of good reasoning - but those unspoken assumptions always end up hurting feelings.  It also cuts deeper when it's family, especially close family.  I really understand how you must be feeling that your dad walked her down the aisle - my parents ended up not coming to our wedding in California after I finally found out my dad was going to refuse to give me away, since he and my mom didn't believe in gay marriage.  It was heartbreaking.  Hugs to you, lady.  Secondly, about the car!  Whoa!  That definitely seems like some kind of dirty and underhanded dealing.  Even if it is legal, it certainly isn't ethical.  I hope you're able to get it resolved without too much hassle.  

outdoorsy - your "empowerment" haircut sounds great!  I'm sorry your temps are all over the place and your cycle isn't cooperating.  

HEY to Gelly!  Nice to see your name around here again.  Good luck in March!  Sorry, I don't have any knowledge about those meds at all. 

And hello to everyone else!  I'm cheering you all on, waiting for all your lovely BFPs.  

[esenbee2]

I can’t believe I almost forgot about the most upsetting thing I’ve been through this past few days!  At a doctor’s appointment Wednesday, I heard the words, “Might be cancer.”  NOT the doctor’s appointment I thought I was going to have…

Back in 2005 during my freshman year of college, away from home, a doctor found a nodule on my thyroid.  They did few tests, including a fine needle biopsy, came back with nothing to worry about.  Fast forward 6 years, I went to my family doctor in December for a pre-TTC check up and to schedule an echocardiogram (my mom and aunt have hereditary cardiomylopathy, both with pacemakers/defibulators now).  My family doctor wanted to follow up on my thyroid nodule, so an ultrasound was done, came back with blood flow, a cause of concern and they wanted to do another fine needle biopsy.  That came back non-cancer, but they wanted me to see an ENT specialist to have someone that I could regularly go to for follow up care.  I couldn’t make the appointment and had to cancel.  Then here recently, I came down with serious sinusitis with horrible pain in my cheek, eye, and jaw.  It wasn’t going away, so I set up another appointment with ENT.  The soonest was a week away and my sinusitis ended up going away, but I kept the appointment to have the consultation about my thyroid.

He looked at my results from the fine needle biopsy and found quite few things of concern and said the biopsies are only about 75% correct in detecting cancer and because of the other things of concern he wants to do surgery and remove my left thyroid, do a complete biopsy of it while I am still under anesthesia and if it is cancer, then remove my right thyroid too.  If I get to keep my right thyroid, it will be enough to produce the right amount of hormones.  If it gets removed too, then I have to be on medication for the rest of my life.  I told him about TTC and we came up with a plan to wait to see if I get pregnant with this cycle, and if I do, finish with the pregnancy and breastfeeding and then do another ultrasound and biopsy and see where we are at.  If I don’t get pregnant this cycle, then I will be taking a break from TTC (we were probably going to take a break anyway for financial reasons) to have the surgery and get my left thyroid removed.

I was pretty shaken up about it all, I really thought I was just going to touch base with the ENT and he would say, See ya back in a year to do follow up tests.

Now I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to get pregnant this cycle so I don’t have to deal with the thyroid stuff ‘cause I’m quite scared about it all!

[darthtunaqueen]

Oh geese, I go to work for a couple days and everybody's life blows up.  Is Mercury in retrograde again??????

Anna, I'm sorry to hear about your batshit crazy donor.  Talk about near miss... yikes!  If you do end up going with fertility clinic, UBC Fertility Clinic at BC Women's Hospital (conveniently where I also work!) is the cheapest, and I've heard amazing things about Genesis (friends of ours used them), but much more expensive.  But good god, what a douche.  Sounds like he's got some SERIOUS shit to deal with, shit that you don't want to be caught up in.  Glad you've found peace in this, he sounds like he's got a lot of growing up to do.  And to stop running away from his problems or conflict or fears or whatever.  Enough pathos.  :D  I will miss you, my fellow Vancouverite!!

Esen, it sounds like you've been through the ringer!  I hope your thyroid thing gets all checked out, your thyroid is not something you want to be riddled with cancer... :(  Bad things come in three's, so I hope you're done!!  And I totally sympathize with the whole sister thing, my childhood best friend who is basically like my sister is getting married in the summer and didn't ask me to be in the bridal party, so so so crushed, considering she was only one of TWO bridesmaids in our bridal parties (DW and I had 2 each).  It sucks hardcore.  But at least I'm invited to the wedding (in Calgary... in August.  Outside.).  

Soooo.... has anyone ever heard of queer mama accidents????  DW's AF arrived right on time, mine is mysteriously absent.  Maybe it's just teaching me a lesson for assuming that we now cycle together?  Maybe the stress of house buying pushed my ovulation back?  I don't track my cycle other than to keep track of my bleeding days... I'm not totally outside a range of normal cycle length, I'm CD29 (anything up to 33 is pretty standard issue for me in the past).  Maybe I've willed my body into a hysterical pregnancy?  I'm unwilling to POAS until I hit 34 days.... Has anyone ever heard of this?? I've assumed it's possible, especially with home insems, but likely extremely rare.  I'm having a ton of CM too, which after the discussion about copious CM has me totally freaked out.  AHHHHHHH.  

[outdoorsy]

so sorry esenbee. I'd say more but...

quick question, please help... just got a smiley shortly after 1 p.m. today on *CD25*. Is this possible? Is it likely this isn't a healthy egg? My temps and CM don't line up. What about the possible O pains and temp drop I had around CD19? Is it possible for LH to rise again later in the cycle, in the luteal phase, in a way that wouldn't mean I'm ovulating?

thanks guys.

[outdoorsy]

OMG. Tested two more times, both negative. WTF.

[kgulbransen]

Outdoorsy: so you got one positive OPK around 1pm today and then tested again within an hour or so and got negatives? You can't ovulate twice in a cycle but your body can gear up to ovulate, then it doesn't actually ovulate and then it tries to gear up once more. But it sounds like in following your other signs, you did ovulate around CD19. How has your temp been since ovulation? That's another good indicator. Did it do a fallback?

Do you have higher levels of FSH? It's more common in high FSH women to get double LG surges.

Also, if you tested on three tests within the same time frame, you could just have hit a defective test. That's totally possible! Try not to freak out and best of luck.

Krista

[outdoorsy]

Krista, Thanks for the quick answer. I tested three times with the same cup of pee. First one positive, then two negative. I also used cheapies and the lines are very close, but not quite as dark at the control line. My temp did its first real drop of the month at CD 19 (97.76 to 97.44), when I was having possible O pains. Since then it has zig-zagged up two days, then down up down. My highest temp was 97.92, and today was 97.77. On CD18, CM was wet. Otherwise it has been pretty dry/lumpy the whole month. I have no idea if I have high FSH. I had $900 worth of bloodwork done on my first day at the midwife's office, and no one mentioned any issue with FSH.

Thoughts? THANK YOU!!!

[lisedea]

gelly--Nice to see you back!

esenbee--Yikes! Sounds like you have had a rough time! I will be thinking about you and crossing my fingers tightly that you get pregnant this cycle--otherwise, I am so hoping your thyroid issue is resolved quickly.

Allison--Hahahaha! Umm...nope, never heard of one. I suppose it might be possible but terribly unlikely! Just take a test to see! Ha!


Well...AF is officially late and my test this morning showed another very, very, very faint line. Definitely pink tinted so I consider it a BFP. I had a beta test this morning and should know the results tomorrow (I was promised that they would let me know before Monday even though all offices are closed on weekends here). I am nervous and feeling rather cautious. Last time, I had a m/c and I had pretty strong lines at 10dpo. Now, I am 14dpo with lines so light I can barely see them. I don't know...I will be waiting around on the sidelines and will keep you all updated on whether or not this turns out to be viable and *hopefully* can move on to Q&P in the upcoming weeks. Good luck all!

[dandylez]

Esenbee, thinking about you. I hope this cycle is the one, and that your health news is good.

Lise, OMG! I've got a veggie parade waiting for you as soon as your good betas come back. Fingers and toes are all crossed for you!

Allison, Whatever is going on, I hope it's good! FX for you too!!!!

[outdoorsy]

 

My whacked-out chart. I should point out that the low temp on CD19 was taken at 5 a.m. because we had to get up early, whereas I normally temp at 7.

 

Esenbee -- to get back to what I should have said before, I'll be thinking about you, and I really hope it's not cancerous. I hope you get pregnant this cycle, but if not, don't put off the treatment. The sooner it's over, the better.

 

Lise, woo-hoo for faint lines! You deserve it! I too am looking forward to the veggie parade.

[DesertSunsets]

Lise! I'm so hopeful and excited for you! I'll be checking back for those beta results. Hugs!

[kgulbransen]

Quote:
Originally Posted by outdoorsy 

Krista, Thanks for the quick answer. I tested three times with the same cup of pee. First one positive, then two negative. I also used cheapies and the lines are very close, but not quite as dark at the control line. My temp did its first real drop of the month at CD 19 (97.76 to 97.44), when I was having possible O pains. Since then it has zig-zagged up two days, then down up down. My highest temp was 97.92, and today was 97.77. On CD18, CM was wet. Otherwise it has been pretty dry/lumpy the whole month. I have no idea if I have high FSH. I had $900 worth of bloodwork done on my first day at the midwife's office, and no one mentioned any issue with FSH.

Thoughts? THANK YOU!!!

Outdoorsy: For whatever reason, I can't see your chart as I wanted to look at your coverline. Does FF indicate you have risen AND stayed above your coverline for three days at any time after CD19? Just from reading what you wrote, it sounds like your body is gearing up, then it doesn't ovulate and then it gears up again. And without knowing your cycle history, I can't tell if this is a one time occurence or something regular for you? Do you typically have a cycle that a certain number of days in length or does it fluctuate?

Did you not get copies of your test results? I would hope if they found something that was problematic like a higher than normal FSH, they would note it but I still find it a really good idea to keep track of all your test results. I have mine in a spreadsheet so I can do comparisons and provide copies to other doctors.

[outdoorsy]

Krista, sorry you can't see my chart. I don't know how to post a link to it, because the URL on the page is http://www.fertilityfriend.com/ttc/index.php, which seems like a generic URL that won't take you to my chart. My temp has not stayed above the coverline for more than two days in a row at any time since CD 19, and the two consecutive days happened only once. It's been mostly alternating up and down. My cycle length fluctates a lot, from 29 days to 36 or more, and about once a year I have a cycle that's 40-50 days. I didn't get copies of the test results right away because I didn't know if I'd have any issues. I've only insemmed at the clinic one time.

What does it mean if my body gears up more than once a month?

[pokeyAC]

I know someone who got a positive on CD26 and got pregnant and had a healthy baby girl.  So, it is possible.

Question for you all--Have you ever gotten very itchy around the time of conception to implantation?

[kgulbransen]

Originally Posted by outdoorsy 

Krista, sorry you can't see my chart. I don't know how to post a link to it, because the URL on the page is http://www.fertilityfriend.com/ttc/index.php, which seems like a generic URL that won't take you to my chart. My temp has not stayed above the coverline for more than two days in a row at any time since CD 19, and the two consecutive days happened only once. It's been mostly alternating up and down. My cycle length fluctates a lot, from 29 days to 36 or more, and about once a year I have a cycle that's 40-50 days. I didn't get copies of the test results right away because I didn't know if I'd have any issues. I've only insemmed at the clinic one time.

What does it mean if my body gears up more than once a month

Outdoorsy: you have a lot of signs that point toward an anovulatory cycle. You can learn more here: http://infertility.about.com/od/causesofinfertility/a/anovulation.htm.

Have you ever gotten confirmation through testing that you've actually ovulated? Usually they do that with a progesterone test to see if your level was high enough to indicate ovulation. That is approximately CD21 but that would be different if you don't ovulate around the same time every month. A period is not a 100% assurance that you have ovulated.

Also, have you ever tracked your luteal phase (the time between ovulation and your period)? Do you have monitored cycles with your midwife since you're doing IUIs? In other words, how are they helping to determine when you should be insemming?

Your cycle length plus this "up and down, up and down" you're seeing in your BBT and your varying cycle length could also point towards Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. My sister has it so I'm quite familar with it (she does have two boys so that's good news, don't panic on anything!) Have you ever had a CD3 baseline ultrasound to see what your ovaries look like? Has anyone mentioned during this ultrasound that your ovaries look like "a string of pearls?"

Don't freak out on any of this. I know it's a lot of info but again, this is why it's really important to act as both your own doctor and your own lawyer. It's no fun but the more you know and the sooner you know, the quicker the time to getting pregnant! Have you thought to investigate your cycles deeper because they are so varied?

I'll keep checking on you to talk if you want to explore more.

Krista

[nosreves]

lise -- i *knew* it!  i've been FF stalking you this month, and after that dip at 6dpo followed by a temp spike, i told my DP that you were going to get a BFP this month.  i'll withhold the veggie parade until you get back to us with the beta numbers, but congrats anyway :)  

skyandtru -- welcome back!  i hope you have a nice short stay here.  btw, i went ahead and moved you to the "Waiting to O" list on the first page of the this thread.  let me know if that's not where you should be. 

mrs² -- how's the TWW(T) treating you?  have you already started noticing every teeny tiny twinge?

anna -- okay, i admit it....i went against your wishes and put you in the "Figuring Things Out" list.  it just didn't seem right to erase your name completely.  and anyway, i figure you'll be back very very soon .  how are you and your DP doing? 

carmen -- how are you doing? 

amt1015 -- i'm *so* happy that you are getting back on the rollercoaster with us!  i'm not so happy to hear that your DP is feeling unwell again.  i hope it was just a bug of some sort.  how much longer before you inseminate?

gelly -- good to see your name in here again!  i looked up the delestrogen to see if i could get any info on the generic vs. name brand, but i couldn't find anything.  i did find one article where a doctor was saying that it makes a difference with some drugs, but he didn't get specific...  i dunno what to tell you.  i'd certainly be tempted to go with the cheaper stuff, but if your doctor is adamant and you don't think he's in the drug company's pocket, then maybe you should listen to him.  how many blasts are you going to transfer?  fingers crossed that this is the magic cycle!

esenbee -- yikes!  i'm so sorry to hear about all the crappy things that have been going down in your life.  hopefully, you'll get your BFP this month and not have to worry about the thyroid business until next year some time.  

allison --   we might have to start a religion based around you if you end up being preggo this month.  i definitely think that the stress of the housebuying situation could have thrown off your ovulation this month.  hell, the stress of ttc alone could do it, and you've had a lot more than that on your plate.  

outdoorsy --  hi back!  it sounds like you have some pretty irregular cycles.  i definitely think you should take all of krista's advice...she's our resident expert, and she's helped me a lot in the past.  whatever is going on, i hope you get it figured out soon.  sending big hugs your way.

rs11 --  i've had a lot of weird side effects/symptoms from the trigger shots.  you're at about 7dpo now, no?  how are you feeling now?

pokeycip -- itchy how?  like yeast infection kind of itchy or itchy on other parts of your body? 

and a big  to anyone i might have missed!

afm.... well, DP will be at 12dpo in a few hours, and she's finally stopped the spooge pills (aka vaginal progesterone).  she's had a significant sustained temp rise for the past couple of days, but i don't think either of us is getting too hopeful just yet....still, i'd love for her to get her BFP this month.  i'm on day 5 of my first round of follistim injections, and the first and only monitoring i'll have is an u/s next monday morning.  i keep reading about other women who are doing injectables, and it seems like every single one of them is having an u/s every other day as well as bloodwork.   i guess i just have to hope that all goes well and i don't overstimulate.  if i have some good follicles, i'll be heading back to belgium sometime next week.  we've also lined up our lovely KD so that we can hopefully up our chances a bit.  i'm trying to keep my hopes up and believe that everything we've been through and are going through will bring us our LO(s), but sometimes it's hard....  i'm working on my children's book and a submission for threadless to try to keep my mind occupied during this school vacation.  

good wishes and baby dust to all you lovely gals! 

[carmen358]

esenbee: Wow, sorry to hear about all the challenges you're going through. And I truly hope your future tests concerning your thyroid come back clear.
 

Allison: Did you take a pregnancy test?!

outdoorsy: Yes, it's absolutely possible to get a possible opk on CD25. Lots of women O later in their cycle. As Krista said, sometimes your body can gear up to O but not for some reason (stress is a bit factor) and then tries again later. Are your cycles *usually* regular in terms of when you O and your LP length? Do you usually get a temp shift? If yes to those, this is probably just an odd cycle for you. I second getting some basic bloodwork done if you haven't already.
 

Afm: Well, I filled the prescription for misoprostol. It came with a prescription for tylenol 3. I'm not a very good medication person....but I'm planning on used the tylenol for sure. I'm scared but I really, really hope this works. I'm going to take the first batch of misoprostol when my DP gets home from work and hope it passes sometime during the evening so my DD isn't up to see me uncomfortable. Wish me luck that it goes smoothly and quickly and I can avoid a D&C.

eta: Hi gelly! Welcome back :) (Can't remember if I said that yet)