The IVF Emotional Rollercoaster

February 02, 2018

The IVF Emotional Rollercoaster

Hello 2018! December left me emotionally drained, frustrated, and feeling hopeless this process would every work for us. But hey, it's a new year! YAY! New year, NEW IVF PROTOCOL here we come....

The first day everyone was back at work in the new year we decided to have our follow-up with our Doctor. NEWS FLASH: NOT THE BEST IDEA! Insurance companies are busy, overwhelmed with phone calls, scrambling to approve, and an absolute disaster! We saw our Doctor and she told talked to us about what she thought went wrong with protocol IVF attempt #1 and how we would adjust this month. Well, she gave me dates and we had a plan to start stimulation 4 days later. What happens next left me angry, in tears, and wanting to throw a tantrum (but that is not acceptable as an adult). A nurse we haven't met yet came in and I started asking her a few questions. She was not sure of the answers, so she grabbed her preceptor (since she was still training). They came into to answer my questions together and had to step out at another point. Eventually, coming back in to let me know that we do not have insurance approval since it was a new year and plans change. I had told the new hire on December 27, 2017 when she had to call to tell me my pregnancy test was NEGATIVE (someone forget to pass the info along!!!) So financial put everything on hold pending approval. So they delayed me from January 6, 2018 until January 20, 2018 (cue TEARS). I had to continue taking Estrace to suppress me from ovulation. Two days later, my insurance thought they could get one passed me and they DECLINED my IVF cycle. I was now Furious! I immediately pulled up my insurance benefits and found where it was and called up the insurance company. After 45min on hold, I got through to someone explained in detail and had her calling to get it approved. Mini-meltdown over and I can breath again. I called the entire next week asking if we could start early and I got no where and I did not understand why I couldn't get any answers. Finally, one nurse informed that they skip a weekend a month to give the embryologist time off. Not one person explained this to me before. It all began to make sense why I had to skip a weekend.

This next protocol was a micro-flare and I would start Cetrotide a week before on January 13, 2018 in hopes of my ovaries to be shut down, but get energy to produce mass-amount of healthy eggs. The week before when I talked to the nurse that actually listened to me I was telling her that I thought I was possibly getting ready to ovulate. She consulted with my Doctor and she said the Cetrotide would stop anything from growing further. Come Thursday January 18, 2018 I went in for my baseline ultrasound with the friendly TWAT-Wand. Guess what I had 18 follicles resting!!! WOW, the most I have ever had, but I had a 12mm enlarged follicle. I was crushed! Another delay. I had to continue taking Cetrotide another 4 days and repeat the ultrasound on Monday morning. Cetrotide requires you to take in the AM and 5 min earlier each day as it only works for 24hours. TEAM NO SLEEP! I had to wake up at 6:30am to give myself a shot, which requires me actually being awake to mix it, draw it up, and more. Monday morning comes and I tell my doctor before the wand is inserted that I am pretty sure I am about to ovulate. She does not believe me.. until the TWAT-wand is placed in and its a 20mm ready to go Mature follicle. UGHHHH..... Now I have to Trigger and cancel IVF. My husband was taking Brielle to school and I was in tears in the parking lot at the clinic. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? After grieving another cancelled IVF cycle, timed intercourse for 2 days and enjoyed the pain of the trigger shot ovulation, we wait... the wonderful TWW. One week post-ovulation I had to go in for my Progesterone check to show I ovulated. I waited all day for the call to confirm so I could move forward to the next IVF attempt #3. No call at 3:30pm, so I gave them a call. The ever so helpful nurse, got my labs and confirmed my new protocol starting with injections to suppress that night. My progesterone was 19, the highest I have had since being tested. Trying to look at all the positives that have came out of yet another cancelled cycle. Something will have to give and go our way, but until then we wait and see what this "Lucky egg" manages to do...