I had b/w and u/s today. Check nurse said I was ovulating but the follicle was only 15 and e2 117. I asked if I could still do IUI and she said "no, it is not mature." I searched online and women have posted bfp with that size. I know e2 should be higher. I wonder if I should call tomorrow and speak to an RE. I really hate that I only speak to nurses. Last month I did do iui with a 16.5 follicle and 122 e2. I hate this feeling of wasting any egg. Any thoughts?

mmmmm..from what I've read it's too small..too bad it could not stay and grow. How do they know you ovulated??

I don't know your situation, but I guess they are trying to save you money. Call tomorrow and see if you can get more info and if you really want to do ask if you can, it's your money.

I think that 15 is on the smaller size, but there are different size and other thresholds for different docs and clinics. That said, im not sure there is clinical difference between a 16.5 and 15 mm follicle. Clinically, e2 of 117 is not different from e2 of 122. Just had a conversation about e2 levels with my RE, because I never get very high ones. He says some people produce more e2 than others, and this tends to be consistent. His threshold for e2 is usually 100 per mature.

It might be helpful to get your drs threshold for follicle size, e2 levels, what lh numbers thay consider surge, and all that stuff so you get a sense of how well your body is doing by their estimation, and if you are comfortable with there limits.

You can't compare to last cycle unless you know what you lh and p4 levels were at this same point last month. What were they today?

An antagonist like ganirelix or cetrotide, would that hold off the premature LH surge and let the follicle get more mature...the E2 does seem very low and follicle seems too small IMHO. Two more days of growth may make a big difference.

The nurse said I am surging. I was so stunned that I was not going to do the iui and I hardly heard my numbers. I think my lh was 70. I could be totally wrong. I think Check wants to see each follicl produce an e2 of 150-200. I am single, argh! I am almost ready to prowl the bars. Seriously, I am going to call tomorrow. I am in NYC so if they said, yes... it would take me 2 hrs to get there. I don't mind but, not sure if they would do it. I am just sort of tired of having my cycles being dictated by many different nurses. I almost feel if I had the same nurse as the last cycle I would be doing it. I also wonder if Check was even consulted.

Can't you do your IUI here at Repro? By the way, they would do it for you, even if Check doesn't want you to do it. They would do it tomorrow morning if you can get hold of sperm.

Prior to this one? Do you know if your E2 was steadily increasing? Your follicle is on the smaller side and E2 is low so it may be a premature LH surge. I think you should try to get a bigger follicle with higher E2 before doing the IUI, and it may be that the nurses are trying to save you money.

I do think they are trying to save me money. Last month when I had a follicle at 16.5 they discouraged me because of money but, I went ahead anyway. My sperm is at cooper. I have sperm at Cornell as well. I really don't have the money to go to Repro and get sperm there. If Check won't do it I will wait. My e2 on Tuesday was 87. The follicle was 13.5. I am just frustrated. The nurse at Checks had me make an appointment to have another consult with him. This cycle I took estinyl but went off a week ago. I haven't taken any FSH drugs for a few months. I never o'd on them. Before taking them I did natural iui's and made follicles at 18. I do not know my e2 #'s back then. This is so damn confusing.

just wanted to say the Repro idea is very good. Wish I could do it.

You probably could swing it if you went early and did a search... not trying to stress you, but just want you to feel like you have options. xoxoox BD

I just don't think I could swing it monetarily at the moment. I wish I could speak to an RE at Checks early tomorrow. It is hard to give up and feel maybe they know best. Trying to trust during this is so crazy. I am 43 and the sands in the hourglass are running out fast. I hate not taking advantage of any month. I mean if I had a DP we would be BDing right now! Ugh! That is what is confusing if there advice would be to BD why not do the IUI. That was why I did it last month. The nurse said, I would tell you to have TI. It is my money I want to spend it.

Good luck and let us know. I would want to as well. I'm so sorry you are in this situation. I certainly understand. xoxoxo BD

I will let you know what happens.

I do think Cooper is trying to save you money but if you really want to do the IUI, I don't see why they wouldn't do it. You'd have to call first thing tomorrow to get it scheduled. I do understand about not taking advantage of every month. It is very hard to wait out a month.

I called this morning and spoke with the nurse that did my last IUI. She said this cycle was worse than the last and not to do it. She said, it would be a waste of time and money, it would turn out negative. I think because I went off estinyl on 8/10 my fsh got really high like, 130. I think that is what made them feel this was worse than last time. My fsh was only 14 last iui but, I was on it right up to ovulating. I wondered if that was not the best either. For everyone talking about Check monitoring so closely I feel the opposite. I go days without b/w and u/s. Cornell sometimes had me come the next day or max 2 days.
This was a bad month in general. I have been so tense. I can't even explain. The nurse said hang in there. What did bother me was she let me know Dr. Check would be looking at my file on Monday and that a nurse will call me Monday to let me know what to do. So does that mean it was their decision to not have me do IUI and not Check? I don't feel like I want to switch to Dr.T yet. I really like that Check gives estinyl (except I think it might be giving me blood pressure issues, maybe). It could just be tension and stress. I like that they do u/s before iui. I felt like timing with iui's was off at Cornell. I do wish I had better communication with check. Again, this is making me a crazy. I have only had 4 real IUI's that could have worked in 18 months. I really wish I had DP. Nothing I can do about it today. I need to give myself a break. Sorry to go on......I really am so happy to have people that really get this.



Thanks,



Jen

And we are in a similar boat... I think I am done with Dr. Check, I love him, but I've been there a long time already, paid a lot out of pocket, and never get to talk to him. It's time for a change. The only real difference at this point will be that I will talk to a doctor face to face, which is great, save some money, and the big thing will be that the IUI will be at 36 and not 40 now. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it hasn't worked at 40 (although I didn't do THAT many). I'm not sure how long you've been with Check, but if it's been a while (like me), it's reasonable to make a change. Someone on the pregnancy board said try something for a few months and if it doesn't work switch it up (they were talking about supplements and such, but still). I think it's a good point.

I am single too, so I certainly understand that as well. It sucks. (not sure if you know my full story, but I do have DP, but we are very much up and down and way more down lately and he's totally unsupportive - well wants me to get pregnant, but wants nothing to do with it at this point). Sometimes I do wonder if I'd be better off totally alone because he is so nasty about my wishes for a baby sometimes. There is a lot of fighting now, and it just can't be good.

Just curious, didn't Cornell do IUI at 36? Why did you think there timing was off? I'm so sorry you are going through this. Big Hugs. Please come next time to the get together, we have a lot in common! XxoxoBD

I have been lurking on here. Sometimes I am just so depressed I don't join in. I have read your story and I am sorry about DP. IF just is horrible in all situations. Being single or in a relationship just has different problems. I have only done one IUI with Check. With Cornell only 3 that count. I did not ovulate for about 6 cycles. I never got anywhere on injectables. I think though because they were back to back every month my body never recovered. The first cycle with Check I did not O but, after provera and estinyl I made that one 16mm follicle. I was happy that Check even got me to O. Dr. T wanted me to take Femara. I just am not sure that would be right either. If I am not making enough e2 and have to much fsh I am worried about taking something that raises fsh and stops e2. I am just so upset about all of this. I will try and meet up soon. I really appreciate being with people who understand. I am sorry any of us have to go through this.

I would take hcg and lupron trigger the night before iui. There was no monitoring to see if i had o'd until 4 days after iui. So 24hrs after shot and then 48hsrs I did another iui. I don't know maybe it wasn't the timing. I never knew my e2 #'s. I know my follicles were at 18.

I don't think that sounds good... 48 is awfully long and most of the studies do say you ovulate, I think close to 36-40, which is why most places do it that way... I did IVF at Cornell that got converted to IUI, and I never went in for the IUI because it was gettting so expensive and I was so pissed at them, I just did TI with DP that month... so never knew their timing.. I don't think with donor sperm that makes sense at all, maybe with fresh, but not donor... sorry you went through that. they stink.

Sorry, this really stinks. I do think that sometimes the nurses make the calls and not Dr. Check. Check usually works on Fridays in the Melrose Park office but the nurses still should have checked with him. I would specifically put on all my callbacks that Dr. Check was to review my results and give instructions. For your call today, he is probably not in. I don't think he is usually working during the weekends (he stays so late on the weekdays that he probably takes off most weekends). Anyway that is probably why they said he would review your file on Monday.

With Dr. T, he may give you femara which may raise your FSH even higher. I took it once and the next cycle my FSH was sky high. I had thought femara wasn't supposed to do that (like clomid) but it looks like at least for me, that is what it did. Anyway, sorry you have to go through this.

Thanks for responding. Yeah, I am sorry I stayed at Cornell so long. Alima, I did not know I needed to request Check review my case. I thought he did. Do you know how I ask for that to happen in the future?


Thanks,

Jen

on the callback sheets (In big block letters, so they don't miss it). If you don't then they either just figure it out themselves or go to the IVF doctor on call for that week.

Jen,

You are really in a tough spot...but hang in there. I see you've only done 1 IUI with Dr. Check...I would be inclined to stay the course with him for another IUI or two. Is it possible to speak to him after he reviews your file? If so...I would do just that.

I saw your question regarding what Dr. T does to bring down FSH...at least with respect to me...not a damn thing. Not sure if that's good or bad but its the truth. I've been with him almost a year now and as far as I know...they last measured my FSH last September on Day 3. Now....my IVF protocols have been EPP so I guess the estrogen would reduce my FSH. I did do an IUI with him when my FSH was 18.2 and he did nothing to bring my FSH down..regardless...I had a good response. If this is something that is important to you....make sure you ask him before you jump ship.

Anyway....I really hope that you can make our next gathering. In the meantime...hang in there.

Thank you for the info and encouragement. I am going to stay for a few more cycles I think. It is just so frustrating.