FET Cycle Underway

Usually when I start a new cycle I'm a mix of emotions. And don't get me wrong, this time is no exception, but the emotions themselves are a bit different this time around. Instead of fear and anxiety mixed with hopefulness and excitement, I'm mostly just excited and impatient. I just wanna get the cycle over with and have our results one way or the other so we can move on to the next step. Don't get me wrong, I'm also hopeful, but a lot of the fears I've had in the past are gone and I feel strangely at peace.

Yesterday was November 22nd... our baseline blood work appointment. 11/22! If you don't know us you'd have no idea just how significant that felt to us. Quick rundown... tons of birthdays in our families on those dates (ie. brother on 22nd, mom on 11th, Eric's sister on the 22nd etc etc.). We got engaged on the 11th, married on the 22nd. It's just ongoing in our lives. So the fact that we started this cycle on that date... well set me up to be so hopeful. I believe in signs, call me a kook but I do.

In complex trains of thought signs are indispensable.

- George Henry Lewes

Speaking of signs... I took it as a sign that I wasn't meant to have intralipids this time around given how much of a nightmare it was trying to get it approved. I literally wanted to pull my hair out (although it needs little help these days... seems to be falling out on its own with these meds. Eek. True story. But anyways, I tried and tried and tried but because we were out of state, and because this isn't a common thing it was just road block after road block. I was supposed to have my appointment on the 22nd and started trying to get it organized weeks in advance and just wasn't happening. Then I saw Dr. Braverman (a reproductive immunologist) on a forum talking about how he is probably going to be moving away from using them as treatment, so I took that as a sign that it just wasn't meant to be. It didn't help us last round so I'm sure it won't be the be all end all this round either.

So anyways, I went for blood work yesterday and that was all fine. Dealing with making sure the results are sent to my clinic on the other hand, a bloody nightmare. So not cool. So I spent hours on the computer going back and forth between clinics; "did you fax it?", "they're faxing it now", "did you receive it?", "they didn't receive it, did you fax it?", "they're faxing it again..." Seriously. It was ridiculous. Eventually they got them (right around 5pm which is absurd), and gave me the green light to start meds today, which is the 23rd.

This morning I took my first injection of Lovenox (I have generic enoxaparin, same thing), and that stung like no other. Small price to pay though... I can deal. I also started prednisone, vaginal viagra, and femara (letrozole), as well as continued on with my Lupron. Tonight Eric has to give me my delestrogen shot intramuscularly.

I'm praying for a Christmas miracle. Please let this be it for us. 

Slowing Ramping Up

So been in contact with the clinic these last few days, sorting out a few final details about the plan and scheduling our call with the financial coordinator.

I'm really nervous for that call, which will actually fall on Halloween, simply because we aren't sure what our coverage will look like under this new insurance plan. So basically, we will be going over the covered expenses, and things that will be out of pocket. Hopefully the former will be the majority, but we'll have to wait and see.

At some point, we'll also have to get all the meds ordered which I'm terrified about. Meds cost so much and so far our coverage hasn't been the best. Boo. So we'll see what that turns out to be. I have a weird feeling it's going to be higher than past cycles especially since we're on all sorts of immune meds and they'll be coded for infertility likely and not immune related since we're not working with an RI (Reproductive Immunologist).

That aside, good news is our lovely friends back in New York have offered up their home for us to come stay at. We are definitely planning on taking them up on that, as it will immensely save on the cost of the cycle. It also alleviates a lot of stress too surrounding timelines since with IVF and FETs you never really know your dates for certain... It's all very fluid and changing, so when you have to be going with the flow it makes booking accommodating a bit tricky. Anyhoo, glad that's sorted as we don't even know our rough dates at this point.

I DO know that I need to start looking into where I'll get my intralipids done. Since I need to do one infusion 20 days prior to transfer, and a second one 10 days before transfer, it'll be best if I can find a place that will do it here in Texas. Otherwise I may have to fly out for the first one, come back to Texas, and then fly out for second one and probably just stay out there at that point. Even so, if I do that, it'll be almost 3 weeks that I'm in NY for, which isn't ideal. Need to figure out what to do about our dog. Eek.

Finally we feel like we're getting moving again though which is nice, so I'm glad to be back "in the game" so to speak. I have a pretty rigorous plan for our upcoming FET just diet wise and the "additional" things we're going to try like brazil nuts etc, so we're really hoping this is the one. Plus, not being home and around my dog which I'm allergic to, may be just what this little embaby needs to stick around.