I've never been so happy to be a crampy, bloated, hormonal mess. There have already been a number of crises and I haven't even had my first date with the dildocam.
Despite asking several times last week, no one at the RE office would tell me when I would start my meds. All the microdose lupron flare protocols I could find online come with weeks of birth control first, which I can't take. So, when CD1 rolled around (yesterday) and no one answered my OMG-WHAT-DO-I-DO emails, and my meds arrived but were missing the microdose lupron, I started to panic. At 8pm, a new nurse called and said my nurse had been out of the office, I didn't have to worry because the RE lab is closed until next week (WTF?) so no new IVF cycles can start this week anyway (WTF!!!!), and I should get on birth control pills until my stims start next week (F.T.W.). Clearly, she missed the part in my chart where I ALMOST DIED FROM BIRTH CONTROL last December.
I wrote an email to my nurse this morning explaining that whomever called me last night was a HAZARD TO MY HEALTH and that this whole IVF timing, birth control, and missing meds thing needed to be worked out. My nurse called me back and treated me like a lunatic, which I somewhat deserved, but mostly did not. She tried to chastise me in her own special way ("I guess I shouldn't have taken yesterday off") and I fell for it, stupidly beating myself up for having a minor email confrontation over something important.
We straightened out the missing medication. Apparently you need a compounding pharmacy for microdose lupron. Then she told me to come in on Friday (CD5) for a baseline ultrasound and to start meds on CD6. I tried multiple times to get her to explain why we were waiting to start meds until CD6 and she just kept placating me with "it will be fine", "it's just how we do it", "you don't have to worry". I'm not a real doctor, but I do play one at my job, and understanding my protocol is important to me. Not explaining makes me think either she doesn't know (which is fine, but I'd rather she just say that) or she is messing with my protocol for the benefit of their lab schedule (would they do that?).
All of this prompted much googling on my part and I found that 1) not doing anything until CD6 is not "standard" and 2) it's all the rage to "hate" the microdose flare protocol (seriously, more than one RE publicly admitted to "hating" microdose flare).
So, as of today I am:
...excited to be starting IVF
...aggravated at how things have started
...scared that my protocol is f'ed up
...wondering if I should bring up my protocol concerns with my doctor or just trust that 1) I don't know everything and 2) she has a degree in egg making
...holding out hope
*updated: they just emailed to say they are adding ganarelix on CD3 and CD4. Here we go....
Despite asking several times last week, no one at the RE office would tell me when I would start my meds. All the microdose lupron flare protocols I could find online come with weeks of birth control first, which I can't take. So, when CD1 rolled around (yesterday) and no one answered my OMG-WHAT-DO-I-DO emails, and my meds arrived but were missing the microdose lupron, I started to panic. At 8pm, a new nurse called and said my nurse had been out of the office, I didn't have to worry because the RE lab is closed until next week (WTF?) so no new IVF cycles can start this week anyway (WTF!!!!), and I should get on birth control pills until my stims start next week (F.T.W.). Clearly, she missed the part in my chart where I ALMOST DIED FROM BIRTH CONTROL last December.
I wrote an email to my nurse this morning explaining that whomever called me last night was a HAZARD TO MY HEALTH and that this whole IVF timing, birth control, and missing meds thing needed to be worked out. My nurse called me back and treated me like a lunatic, which I somewhat deserved, but mostly did not. She tried to chastise me in her own special way ("I guess I shouldn't have taken yesterday off") and I fell for it, stupidly beating myself up for having a minor email confrontation over something important.
We straightened out the missing medication. Apparently you need a compounding pharmacy for microdose lupron. Then she told me to come in on Friday (CD5) for a baseline ultrasound and to start meds on CD6. I tried multiple times to get her to explain why we were waiting to start meds until CD6 and she just kept placating me with "it will be fine", "it's just how we do it", "you don't have to worry". I'm not a real doctor, but I do play one at my job, and understanding my protocol is important to me. Not explaining makes me think either she doesn't know (which is fine, but I'd rather she just say that) or she is messing with my protocol for the benefit of their lab schedule (would they do that?).
All of this prompted much googling on my part and I found that 1) not doing anything until CD6 is not "standard" and 2) it's all the rage to "hate" the microdose flare protocol (seriously, more than one RE publicly admitted to "hating" microdose flare).
So, as of today I am:
...excited to be starting IVF
...aggravated at how things have started
...scared that my protocol is f'ed up
...wondering if I should bring up my protocol concerns with my doctor or just trust that 1) I don't know everything and 2) she has a degree in egg making
...holding out hope
*updated: they just emailed to say they are adding ganarelix on CD3 and CD4. Here we go....
Not sure if this will make you feel better, but I dont think the timing matters as much as we think it does. When we found out the lupron we ordered wouldnt arrive until tomorrow (instead of today) our nurse barely batted an eyelash and told us to start it when it arrives. I get the sense that this whole process is SO controlled that being a day or two off, is something they are able to control by upping the meds later or recalibrating.
ReplyDeleteSo, try not to worry (haha) -- honestly, I think a couple of days is not going to mess up the cycle.
Thanks, e. It does make me feel better! Every little thing seems so HUGE right now. Have to stop and take a deep breath :)
ReplyDeleteWow, all of that is so frustrating. It's obnoxious that your healthcare provider won't address your concerns directly.
ReplyDeleteBUT, exciting that things are getting started!
It is incredibly frustrating to ask legit questions and not get answers. When you're paying so much money you would think they would be more responsive but it's like they know you want it so badly you're willing to put up with thier shenanigans. Good luck with everything!!
ReplyDelete