OK. I’ll admit it. I feel asleep Friday night at like 9:30 p.m. (WHAT?!? I am an old geezer) instead of writing my Friday blog post. So here we are on a fresh and sunny Saturday instead.
AF showed up exactly on time, so yeah, I didn’t even have to POAS because hey, I could never be pregnant for even maybe a day on my own. No anxious “maybe maybe crossing fingers” hope for me. Perhaps my contribution to IF Haiku was a premonition for the month? Feh. Anyway, a week ago Friday was the day that I headed off for playing in the waves at Huntington State Beach. I’m riding shot-gun when my phone rang. Caller ID showed it was my RE’s office.
Me: Ummmmm, hello?
IVF coordinator: Hi. I wanted to talk to you about your next cycle schedule.
Me: OK.
IVF coordinator: The team decided to put you on the micro-dose lupron protocol for your next IVF cycle. I was looking at the potential calendar and we may have some issues between your schedule and the embryology lab closure**. Normally you take BCP for about 10-14 days, if we push it to the max of 14 days, we’ll then have you start stims. We estimate you will be ready for egg retrieval on the day the lab opens. When do you expect day 1 of your cycle?
Me: Friday the 17th or Saturday the 18th. It sort of depends on the time of day things kick off.
IVF coordinator: Oh. Um, do you think you may be a little late?
Me: I’m typically never late. But who knows, now that I’ve said it out loud. So let me understand this, you’ll be pushing me to the edge of your protocol and expect that I will be available on the day the lab opens. What if I am a day early, or 2 days early?
IVF coordinator: Ahhhh, good point. Well how about we chat again when you start cycle day 1 as this may be a moot point depending on the day you start.
**Oh, by the way, I forgot to write in my post IVF WTF meeting that we were taking one month off due to Dr. recommendation and then planning to do IVF #2 in late July/Aug. It was estimated that the RE’s office embryology lab being closed for a month for cleaning wouldn’t be an issue for our schedule, but GUESS WHAT? How lucky can one girl get? Murgdan’s post, Frozen in Time explains she has the same thing going on this month. Her FET was delayed another month due to lab closure. I understand why it is necessary…really I do, but AAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!
Fast forward 1 week
Friday comes and it is for sure cycle day 1. I call the RE’s office leave a message at 11:30 am saying it’s CD1. At 3:45 pm the IVF coordinator (who is a really nice person BTW) calls me back.
IVF coordinator: OK. I’ve developed a plan and sent the calendar to you via email. We’ll have you come in for a baseline bloodwork and ultrasound on Sunday, then you’ll take 14 days of BCP starting on Monday. We’ll have you start stims and I have you expected for egg retrieval on 8/17 which is the day the lab opens back up.
Me: Great, um…well. We’re back at the same place aren’t we? What if they find (like last time) that I am ready for egg retrieval early? I understand that they do not expect to have the same problem with LH surge since I am not on Cetrotide, but what if something else happens and I am a day early? Do one of your other offices in the area have an open embryology lab?
IVF coordinator: No, those offices do not have labs.
Me: OK. Well. Honestly this makes me a little nervous. I have never been on this protocol and have never taken Lupron. It’s not just the time and the emotional issues, but we’re talking like $12,000 here. Maybe I should wait another month if things seem too close.
IVF coordinator: (very nicely) I thought you told me that you didn’t want to wait another month before starting the next IVF?
Me: I don’t. Believe me. I have been waiting for one thing or another, complications, etc. for 5 years. I am very very tired of waiting. I want to do this, but I am scared that something may happen. I don’t understand all this stuff. I don’t know if pushing the protocol to the edge is routine or not. I have my expertises, but this is not one of them. Do you think I can talk to the Doctor to answer my questions? It will help me to decide whether to go forward this month or not.
IVF coordinator: I’ve got an idea. I’ll talk to the IVF lab folks and see what they plan to do if there are any early emergencies. Also DocO will be there for your baseline bloodwork and ultrasound. We need to see how you are looking and we can develop a plan. I’ll schedule your appointment as the last one of the day and he can talk to you, answer questions and help you decide what is best. OK?
Me: Oh, thanks so much. I really do appreciate it, even if I sound a little insane.
So now I have an appointment for blood draw tomorrow at 8am and a baseline ultrasound/consult at 9:15 am with DocO (he wanted to have the bloodwork results). I’m sure these guys will put me at ease and I’ll be glad to have MrBeep along to help decide but why, WHY does it have to be so complicated?
Anyone else do the micro-dose lupron protocol? How many days did you take birth control pills? How long did your stims last? Anyone else have good questions I should ask DocO? I really don’t want to wait another cycle, it’s a bad idea when you are an older patient. Should I go for it? Should I wait? I am stuck in a Clash song from the 80’s.
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble,
And if I stay it will be double,
So you gotta let me knohoooow
Should I stay or should I go?
11 comments on "Should I stay or should I go now?"
Uh, why are these clinics so annoying? Why can't they just get their act together? I think if they can provide the support/backup that you could need, you should go for it..
I don't have any brilliant insight on the protocol, not having been through IVF myself. I hope that tomorrow the doc can put your mind at ease -- I find that I always feel better after I see our RE.
With the facts as they are now, I guess the question would be: Which is more upsetting, the thought of the cycle getting messed up because your eggs are ready early, or the thought of delaying (yet another) month?
I would like to be the voice of calm. However, I can't. This is all very troublesome to me. The lab closure is just beyond my comprehension. I understand the issue, but there has got to be a back up plan. Also, I did the micro dose Lupron and my cycle was cancelled on day 8 due to poor response. I found the lupron to be miserable, and I have since learned it's becoming an archaic protocol for those of us with AMA. I haven't read back through your entire past but yeah, I'd be concerned too. Hopefully your doc can set you at ease...
Hi again. It's always not a good idea to open one's mouth before one has all the details. Uhm...yeah. So I just read further back and see you had some successes on your last cycle. So maybe the lupron is the way to go. I would still be very encouraged with those results and proceed to the next cycle, but ASAP. So yeah, if there's a lab back up plan in place, then I think you should go for it. Sorry for opening my mouth too soon. ;)
I haven't done the micro-dose lupron either, just antagonist cycles. The first I was downregulated on the pill, and the IVF nurse said patients usually take that for between 2-5 weeks before you stop it to check the downregulation. I'd have thought you could take the pill another 4-5 days to give yourself a little buffer zone for the lab reopening.
Hope you can run things by the doctor and get some real answers. They really do need to have a good contingency plan if their lab is closed near your retrieval date.
I did micro-dose flare for my first IVF, and it did not work for me. My cycle was converted. For other women, it works. Unfortunately, the only way to find out if it works for you is to try it. I don't know, but I would wait if there was any risk of something weird happening with your cycle. When I did the micro-dose flare, I took BCPs for 21 days (yuck).
I'm sorry that I can't offer any insight on the protocol. I agree with Sunny, that it's going to come down to which option is going to be easiest to live with. I hate waiting too, but $12K is a lot of money.
Sending prayers that your doctor will be able to put your mind at ease tomorrow.
Curious about what today brings! Hope it brings clarity and a sense that you know what to do, and I hope you can do it this cycle.
When you are on the wait wait stuff more from the beginning, the body's ways of getting us to ovulate are pretty well shut down-- so they are in more control really-- can slow down stims, etc. BUT that being said, this is all such a friggin gamble, and an expensive one, so-- here's hoping that your bases can be covered and you get to start your cycle soon.
Thanks for the great Haiku! I posted it, I admit. Let me known if you want me to take it down.
You are such a sweetie for your comments and support. let's just get pregnant already, it would be great if we both won the prize this month.
warmly,
Kate
Oh gawd... nothing's ever simple is it? I certainly hope the docs clear things up for you and you are good to go for this cycle. It would be a shame to wait for another...
I can understand your concern...I'd want to know if there is a backup plan as well.
I hope your appointment helps you decide what to do.
That is so frustrating. We have been very lucky with our doctor and lab.
We just went through an egg retrieval that did not go so well. It's all very emotional. I wish you all the best of luck.
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