Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Updates and A New Plan!

So, my new cycle started on Sunday and I called the new RE on Monday to try to get in for a CD 3 ultrasound so that we could go ahead with treatment this cycle, but then the receptionist said that since I didn't have a treatment plan from my previous RE that I would need a new patient appointment before we could start treatment and my new patient appointment wasn't until Thursday (CD5).  So, I asked her if she had any cancellations for Monday or Tuesday  (this was at 11:00am on Monday) and she had a cancellation for Monday at 1pm.  I told her I could make it (since I was post call and not working).  I'm hoping it was fate! So, I went in for my new patient appointment and it was wonderful.  I love my new RE.  He's younger and very considerate and awesome!!  The office is great too.  They got all of my old records too which really helped.  He did a history and we talked about what I had tried in the past.  Then, he said "don't you want to know why you aren't ovulating regularly?"  And I said "Definitely."  I feel like he's treating me like a serious case now and wants to figure it out.  Then, he said " so are you pretty much at the end of your rope?"  Finally, someone who is acknowledging how hard this is and justifying my presence in an RE's office.  I told him I definitely was and then almost started crying, but he was very understanding and very positive.  It was awesome.  Then, we went in for an exam and ultrasound.  I have an anteverted uterus and we could see the corpus luteum cyst on my left ovary and a few follicles and then a cyst on my right ovary and quite a few follicles.  So, he said it looks like a mild form of PCOS.  Then, after I got dressed we met again to talk about a treatment plan.  So, here it is.  Femera (Letrazole) 5mg CD 3-7.  Then, I'll go in for an ultrasound on CD 13.  If there's a mature follicle, I'll do a trigger shot there and come back the next day for my first IUI.  CJ and I are both so excited for the IUI because it's something that will help our chances and it's totally different than what we've been doing in the past.  I just hope we get the timing down.  I'm also really excited about the femara since it seems to have a better success rate than clomid and there are none of the bad side effects (thin lining and poor CF).  I think I had thinner lining on clomid because AF is almost gone and it's only CD 4.

Here's the cost breakdown for the cycle.
New patient appointment and ultrasound and blood work - covered under fertility testing by my insurance --> $30 copay
Femera  - not covered by my insurance --> $152 at Walmart Pharmacy
Mid-cycle monitoring ultrasound --> $157 (hopefully only x 1)
IUI --> $400
OPKs - I'm going to start testing at CD 10 to make sure I don't surge earlier on the femera --> $25
Pregnancy test - I have 2 dollar tree tests left over --> $0 (I'm going to try to just wait on AF)
Total cost --> $764 (As long as I only need one ultrasound.)

So, it's not too bad, we were figuring somewhere between $1000-2000, so this sounds really good by comparison.

Plus, CJ even said that this may not be our last cycle with treatment since it sounds like my new RE is really good.  So, that takes some pressure off too!

Alright, well cycle 9 and our first IUI (hopefully!!).  I can't wait!!!

2 comments:

  1. This sounds like a great plan! It is good to see you looking forward to the next steps. :)
    Femara is AMAZING compared to Clomid. This was my first cycle on Femara. My only side effects were some mild headaches with sensitivity to light and a little fatigue. Clomid on the other hand gave me the worst hot flashes, made me an emotional wreck, nausea, etc. etc. On Femara my lining was perfect, I responded well, ovulated earlier than I did on Clomid (CD 16 vs CD 18-20). I took 2.5mg CD 3-7. If this cycle doesn't work out I will do another round of Femara only with IUI this time.
    Good luck!

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  2. Yay!! I love plans!!! Good luck my friend!!! This is it!!!!!! =)

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