Anybody IVF progesterone ring study in Texas?

[Knrjack]

Stressball ~

1. When I did my previous ivf..I only took gonal F this time I am suppsed to take luveris...I dont know why and what does that do...any idea?????

I believe i am on Gonal F. Is that the FSH??? This is my first IVF so I am a newbie in all this so sorry not much help on that. About the money though. My coordinator told us at the time of signing consent forms what I was responsible for paying and roughly the max.


2. I have not been told about bringing back the meds package....yet....

I have not been told to bring back the meds packages either. My husband wants my Portia blue holder to put his hunting licenses in. LOL

3. does Portia stops the ovulation?

From my understanding the Portia (BCP) are to regulate your body to their schedule and get everything in synch for meds. Also I wouldn't think taking them in the afternoon should be a problem as long as you take them the same time each day to be affective.


So stressball when you start your injections I will just be going down to Reno for IVF. How cool we are really close to each other here. I have been keeping my blog so everyone knows what we are doing but one thing is I am not going to tell anyone that if we are or not pregnant until the all clear sign is given from Dr. Foulk. I want to post here and on my fertility friend.com group but you will have to promise not to mention anything on my blog. HE HE. I will have to spill to someone just don't want the whole world to know right off the back in case something were to happen.

[IndieBlue]

Hello ladies Well, today was the saline US and OUCH!!! I cramped for hours afterwards We did the shot class too, and then the bomb dropped....they had initially told me around 2000-2500 for meds, in addition to the 3500 for the study fees. Well, now it's 3000 for meds....she said 'ballpark' UGGHHHH! I can not come up with money after money. I realize it's cheaper than a regular cycle at a regular clinic but seriously, after the 300-350 for the psych evaluation and the 350 for the male testing (they don't cover Semen Analysis or his blood work!!!!) we're already in to this more than we initially saved up for it.

I'm not sure but I'm going to check around at different pharmacies for the meds, they said that we'll take Lupron, Gonal F and Menopur. Oh and the trigger shot. They only contract with 2 pharmacies and said that the meds would be 'discounted', ummm, most people pay 2500-3000 for meds....how is that discounted LOL

So anyhow, that's my big hurdle for today

If you still have your contract (the 23 page thing) on page 7 of 21 it explains that they want all unused, used and applicators, wrappers, rings...etc. My nurse also said that this includes any study meds they supply, so that means the Portia too. The other meds of course are not supplied by them so I'm guessing they wouldn't need those wrappers/containers...etc. May be something my clinic is being strict about again though? Who knows. LOL

[Knrjack]

Indie ~ I am an idiot. How could I have missed that info. OOOPS I kept the needles in the container but discarded a couple of the wrappers. CRAPOLA.

What a big jump in your pricing for meds. Ask who they order through. Mine with ther Schrafs and cost me 2700 after everything. their website is schrafs.com I am taking Menopur, lupron, gonad, follistim too.

[prayingforamiriclein08]

The only meds I am taking that i have to pay for are follistim, luveris, and lupron. They r going to cost me 1882.00. I wonder if I will be taking the meds ya r talking about? I still am learning....

[StayingPositive]

Hi Ladies! Just wanted to join in on the discussion of the Duramed Study. I too am involved in this study. I am doing it in IL, though. I was really excited to find this message board and to find some women who are involved in this at the same time! I just got my big box of medication today! WOW! It cost $4200! I start Lupron tonight...I wish you all the best and will keep you all in my prayers....Here's to a positive outcome for all of us!

[Knrjack]

Staying Positive ~ So nice to have another study buddy. I see that you are starting your Lupron tonight.. I started mine on 3-31 and it is real easy. We shall see when I go up to 3 shots and bigger needles next wednesday.

I see that you are taking yours at night. I was told to take mine in the mornings. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. What did they tell you?

INDIE ~ I brought my consent forms with me to work today to read over. he he. You are on top of things. Thank you so much.


Stresball ~ HOw are you doing with the BCP's. Did you change your time and is it doing better?

Praying for a miracle ~ How are you doing? Have you heard anything about signing those consent forms?? I hope you get in. I know there are several clinics still taking people. GOod luck.


I just took my last BCP YEAH. I am so excited. One less thing. he he. 2 weeks left before I go to RENO. not that I am counting. I am getting nervous now. I hope I am taking the shots accurately, I hope the meds work and I hope it sticks. Boy, I am a baket case aren't I?

[StayingPositive]

Knrjack: Thanks for the welcome! Yes, I have to do the Lupron shots every evening between 6-10. I thought that was odd too, because my first IVF I did the shot in the mornings. I guess as long as it is the same time everyday it is fine. I am also starting at 20 units this time instead of 10 because my first round of IVF did not produce as many embies as the doctor and I would have liked. I stop the pill on the 8th and move up to the 3 shots on 4/15/08. I am glad to find people on roughly the same schedule!

[Knrjack]

Ok, I took my last BCP on friday and wonder how long it will take for AF to show up. My history cycles are 25 days max. When they started me on BCP back in December they called and had me stop after 3 days because of this study. That cycle ended up lasting 31 days. YIKES. I don't want that now. AUGH.

So with lupron can that help bring on AF as well???? I could have sworn I was having AF symptoms on Thursday. I would for this timing to go down nicely. Anything would help from those who allready when this route..

[IndieBlue]

KNR: Hoping your AF shows up soon I know that I track mine on Mycycle.com and the shortest one has been 26 days....longest was 36 I think? It's funny when you start really tracking it how off it is....even though all my life I thought I was 'regular' LOL I haven't started BCP's yet, they want us to wait till Aprils AF...oh and after the Psych. evaluation....which I'm not sure if we're going to go through with. It's another 350.00 and I was not told anything about it when we signed on, that along with the increase in meds pricing has me irritated. Tuesday or Wednesday we'll have the results back from my husbands B/W and his SA....so we'll go from there. Oh and on the meds you mentioned...sounds like what I'll be on too, so maybe I'll not be quite at 3000.00 like the last nurse said. She mentioned Shraffs and Freedom....so I'll have to get a quote from both.

StayingPositive: Nice to see another study participant So you mentioned going on 3 Lupron shots a day....or 1 Lupron and 2 of something else? How much Lupron do you go through? I was looking at the pricing online at the pharmacy that my RE uses and it's 199.99 for a 14 day kit (which our nurse said would be PLENTY)...but I'm wondering LOL The Menopur is 60.00 for a 75ml vial...WOWZERS, wonder how much of that I'll go through. And a 450 multidose of GonalF is 360.00!!!! Again....I think that was one that she said we used a lot of.

Praying: Maybe they all have different meds they use at different clinics and the only thing that is the same is the BCP's and the Progesterone choices. I know that during our shot class she told us we'd all be on GonalF, Lupron, Menopur and the trigger shot. So....seems my RE's office takes a straightforward approach with everyone....hope it works out okay for all of us

Well, best of luck to you all this coming week. I'll have the last of our test results on Tuesday or Wednesday so we'll move on after that and the arrival of AF

[StayingPositive]

KNR: I completely sympathize with your concern. 31 days, ouch!!! AF should show up any day now and when she is ready! Try to relax everything happens in due time. Does the timing of AF effect your cycling some how? My RE told me that after I go off of the BCP’s I may or may not bleed. So, I am sure you will be fine.

Indie Blue: I am on one shot of 20 units of Lupron now ( I think it is a 14 day kit also). I stop my BCP’s on Tuesday and then on the 15th I begin my GonalF and Menopur shots. I got the Lupron through Freedom pharmacy for $100 because of the Duramed Study. I also got a discount on the GonalF and Menopur because of the study. At least I got some type of deal. Although, $4200 is still a lot of money.

To touch on what Praying and Indie Blue were talking about…. IndieBlue you are right. The study has no say as to what stimulation meds we use. That is specifically up to your RE and the protocol that he/she has determined for you.

I just wanted to share a little bit about what I learned going through my first and second IVF’s… The #1 thing I learned is that I AM NOT IN CONTROL. It took me a long time to figure that one out and this was not an easy thing to digest. We are not in control of this entire process. The only thing we are in control of is whether or not we are willing to put our trust into our RE’s. As long as you have faith that you have a good doctor, then try to let go. Give up your power to that higher being and let everything else take it’s course.

I wished I had learned this early on because in the beginning, I obsessed about everything. Am I doing the shots correctly? What if I do the shot 1 hour late? What if I am not on the right dose? Why is this person’s medication different from mine? Maybe my doctor doesn’t know what he is doing? My breasts hurt, I am moody, nobody understands what I am going through… I have to go have an ultrasound and bloodwork tomorrow, on this day I have to start Lupron, on this date I have to stop my pills. It is SO MUCH to absorb. It is so overwhelming when you don’t know what to expect or don’t know what drugs do what etc.… These rampant thoughts ran through my head every second of every day until I drove myself completely bonkers.

The comforting thing is that these reactions are completely normal. It is completely normal to react this way to all of this information being thrown at you. It is normal to over think every aspect of this process, as you try to wrap your head around what is going on. I wish I had tried less to understand what was going on and tried more of just “going with the flow” the first couple of times. Life would have been a lot easier had I not overanalyzed, over thought, and over worried about every step of this long process. We have qualified doctors who have a lot more experience than what we have. They have our best interests at heart and want us to conceive this child that our hearts have been aching for. The bottom line is have faith, trust in the process, and let go. We are not in control! I will get off my soapbox now. I just wished someone had said this to me when I first began this process. Wishing you all the best this week of our journey!

[Knrjack]

Staying Positive ~ Thank you Thank you. For my Re to trust that I will do my shots accurately is HUGE. So far I have been doing ok except when it comes to taking time off work. What if dates change. Well then I change dates. DH and I agreed that my job does not trump IVF so if need be I find another job after IVF ofcourse.

Indie ~ Yes, I track my cycles on fertility friend and have it down to the day. I am very regular except when BCP gets involved even for a short time. he he.

Prayinforamiracle ~ How are you today???

I begin my GonalF and Menopur shots on this Wednesday. I hear they are bigger needles??????????? I will do it because I can and will. he he. Also AF is spotting and trying to knock down the door. I thought I would never be excited to get my period. TOO FUNNY. My Dad will be in town next wednesday to house sit while we head off to Reno for the IVF. It is a 6 hour drive so I have to start looking at hotels in the area. We are going directly to the Study clinic site because my RE founded the clinic in Reno. That is all I can think of, otherwise I would get to stay here. I think I am most looking forward to my PRINCESS DAYS. he he.

[IndieBlue]

KNR: The needles that I'll be using for the Gonal F and the Menopur are exactly the same. She said that we mix it all in the same needle....which I NEVER did before (when I donated eggs)....so that was nice. She said we draw up the amount of water needed for the Gonal F powders and we dissolve one, then draw all that out and put it in to the second powder (or third...etc, however many we're supposed to use). Then she said we mix in our Lupron if we're still on that and draw it all up, switch needles (using the big one to draw all the meds back out) and give the shot. She said the only muscular shot is the trigger....so again, I'd ask and see if that is how you're supposed to do it, and that way you can use the smaller needle.

SA results came back and everything was 'within normal parameters'....guess that's good but I was hoping for a "WOW, those little guys are fertility crazed swimmers" or something LOL I'll take that they were 'A-OK' though LOL

[stressball]

Okay..I am very behind again..I tried to write for past 3-4 days but there was an error saying that the website is in some process...Anyway....I am glad that we have a place tp share our experiences...Okay..First about the costs..here is mine from freedom drug company

3 pens of 900 units of gonal f
Luveris
antibiotic
trigger shot
lupron
Total 2700 dollars....

I have prelupron sono this Fri.

I am feeling very tired today...taking bcps after lunch still...will write soon..

[prayingforamiriclein08]

Well ladies I had some very unexpected but SOOOOO wonderful news today. I got a bfp naturally. I never even went in for my day 3 labs. I am still in shock. My obgyn had told me my only hope was ivf.....but here we are. It is a miracle. I will keep allof you in my prayers that you get your bfp. God has the final say.....not infertility. I never dreamed this would happen. I just wanted to post this to give you ladies hope that God can give us the babies we so badly want. Keep positive and PRAY!!! GOOD LUCK to all of you!!

[beccatx]

Hi everyone- I found this board and wanted to add my experience. I am doing the Duramed study in Dallas/Ft. Worth area. It's my first IVF or any kind of treatment. I am doing egg retrieval Friday- I had a sonogram yesterday and E2 blood test which indicates I need another 2 days for follicles to grow and uterine lining to thicken. I have been on my shots for since mid/late march. Started with lupron and then added Menopure and Follistim. The meds cost me 3100 from Schrafts and I actually have to go to a local pharmacy today for 2 more vials of Menopure since I'm not ready yet (Thank God the clinic gave me 600 IU of Follistim to get me through the next 2 days). I paid the clinic 1200.00 in addition to the meds. and my husband had to pay for his bloodwork. We are doing ICSY with his frozen sperm. We're 35 and 37 and he has very low sperm count and low motility.

Good luck to everyone and have a great day!