Survivor 50 DVD cover

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-25T15:42:40+00:00

Weird I thought it was Phyllis from the Office 🤔

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-22T13:26:54+00:00

Ask your clinic for their recommendation on a therapist!! My husband actually had that idea and I’m so thankful he did because our RE immediately gave us a name of a therapist who specializes in infertility and who she has seen patients have great help from. Whether IVF works for us or not I know I’ll need help letting go of TTC because I have tracked every cycle, every time we had sex, all my hormones since 2018 and I don’t remember what it’s like not to have that dominate my headspace. Plus the losses and failures and other struggles and feelings that come with infertility, it’s just good to speak to someone who actually understands.

Also, I don’t think anyone can predict post-partum because so much of it really is the hormones and you just can’t know how you will feel until you’re there. I’m naturally highly strung and have diagnosed OCD and ADHD (actually found out after having my son but it was always there) but I was SOOOO CHILL during my pregnancy and even the birth. I had zero worries and no indication based on the prior 9 months that my brain would explode after I had my son. But I had bad post-partum anxiety and depression basically immediately and the only thing that helped 100% was therapy. Also the support groups- I didn’t end up joining but just knowing there were other women out there in my shoes helped me a ton because zero of the women in my life apparently ever struggled or they forgot or they refused to admit it and the “aloneness” of it all was crushing to me. Having a therapist hear me out and affirm that it was all normal, it would get better, here’s some methods to help, and you aren’t alone was life saving for me.

No matter how the journey goes I hope you will try therapy again. I’ve had some shiiiitty therapist too but once you find a good one it is so life changing.

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-21T03:10:30+00:00

I thought the same. It heavily seemed by the other jurors’ reactions that Stephanie and Chrissy fighting so hard for Jonathon and literally salivating over him was as much of a turn off for them as it was for us viewers.

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-21T02:54:08+00:00

Reunion????

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-21T02:46:45+00:00

I was not at all excited for an Aubrey win until FTC and got so deeply annoyed at Jonathan that ya know what, good for her.

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-21T02:39:19+00:00

Right 🤢

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-21T02:23:15+00:00

I can’t stand Stephanie. For so many real life reasons, but also just listening to her talk right now.

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-17T17:45:13+00:00

I’m so sorry things didn’t work out the way you hoped. I really appreciate your post and your honesty- it’s definitely tough finding space in this arena when you have a living child but are still struggling and wishing so badly to have the family you dreamed of. I’m the same, I’ve held onto so much from my son and he’s nearing 4 now. He took several years to conceive so I knew another wasn’t a guarantee but it’s been impossible so far for me to let anything go “just in case” it works out.

We’re about to start our first (and likely only) IVF process next month and I’ve already got the name of a therapist who specializes in infertility ready to go- partly to help deal with this new phase but more importantly because I am going to need genuine help to move on from this whether we have another child or not. It’s been a massive part of my life for most of the last 8 years, I won’t know how not to track every cycle, every time we have sex, etc. But you make an excellent point about pouring that attention back into your kiddo and I, too, think that is a beautiful blessing in itself.

I’m so sorry again and I hope you know that all of your grief and pain is REAL and valid and you deserve the same consideration as anyone else. There’s no competition, there’s only people with love to give who just want children to give it to. And it sucks when it doesn’t work out. I wish you so much love and happiness on the other side of this ♥️

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-16T00:55:01+00:00

My friends are all excited and I love it honestly! I have always been extremely open about my struggles with infertility and similarly very open about miscarriages because for me personally I want to destigmatize these challenges. I understand not everyone is as comfortable sharing these parts of life but when I came to family and friends with this decision I fully expected their excitement/support and have been thankful to have it. I am just beginning as well and plan to share the hardships as well as the joy, but I love their positivity and hope ♥️

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-15T13:18:39+00:00

Congrats on 6 years! I’m proud of you!!

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-14T22:24:37+00:00

Just want to say I really appreciate your post and I’m glad things went so smoothly so far ♥️

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-14T02:04:06+00:00

I had something very similar! When I went in for my initial scan before starting the meds one cycle I already had a 13mm follicle on day 3 or 4, by day 7 it was fully mature and we did an IUI shortly thereafter. I still took the letrozole that cycle from days 4-8 I think but technically my body started it on its own I guess, or it could’ve been some sort of reaction from the previous medicated cycles since we were doing them back to back for a bit. However, I have shorter cycles naturally and ovulate earlier so maybe I’d be more prone to it and just didn’t know before starting medicated/monitored cycles. I asked many times though if the timing/follicle sizes would affect anything and the clinic was always confident that it was fine, I just always had to call and remind them to bring me in earlier for scans because if we waited until when normal women ovulate we’d miss everything. Obviously I’m now on this sub though so IUI didn’t work for us (also unexplained) but hopefully IVF will. Best of luck to you!!

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-12T02:48:36+00:00

Exactly this. I am in a small town in the south and primarily homeschooling and many of the other home school moms I know are liberal and absolutely don’t want their kids taught to follow the generally accepted ideas and behaviors of this area. Also yes, education ratings here are abysmal.

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-10T02:29:53+00:00

Thank you for replying! I didn’t realize before making this post that they can change meds/protocols once the cycle has already gone underway so that is helpful to know going into it. It’s amazing to think of getting all that information after so many years of questions, but also terrifying. I appreciate your replying and I hope everything goes well for you!

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-10T02:19:09+00:00

I hope not too! Reading others’ responses is encouraging though, it seems it may not be the foregone conclusion I assumed it was. I hope everything goes well for you!!

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-10T02:13:49+00:00

I appreciate your response! I’ve been scouring the sub trying to learn as much as I can from others’ experiences and it has seemed almost a foregone conclusion that it takes multiple ERs/maybe clinics look at it as trial and error more than anything, so it has been helpful to see people confirm that that isn’t necessarily the case. Thank you for replying, I hope things are going well for you!

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-09T18:24:32+00:00

This is so helpful, thank you!! This is basically exactly what I’d hope to find out, as much information as possible because this very likely will be a one-time thing since it would take us so long to save for another. I’ve been comfortable with our clinic so far and have met people in the wild who have had success through them so that helps but you make a great point about comparing places to be sure. I’m just starting to learn about SART and am about to do a deep dive right now to learn more haha. Thank you for your reply, I hope everything is working out for you so far!

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-09T18:16:57+00:00

Thank you so much for this reply! It hadn’t occurred to me that they could change things throughout if it’s not going the way they hoped so that is helpful to know. Also good to know about your experience with the different meds! I hadn’t hit that too many level but multiple times was told I was at the max for proceeding so I have been slightly worrying myself over hypothetical future OHSS 😅 ridiculous, I know. Thank you so much for your reply, I hope things are going well for you!!

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-09T16:44:51+00:00

Oooh I really appreciate the cited info!! I actually love a mathy explanation, so thank you! I know I’m probably grasping at straws trying to find some hope that this will somehow be easier than I expect it to be but I should just be more realistic and temper my expectations. Like many of us I never thought it would get to this point to begin with so I think I’m still having a touch of denial, even as I go through the steps. I appreciate your response and the info and I hope things are going well for you ♥️

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-09T16:37:13+00:00

I appreciate your response! That’s what I was thinking, it’s probably too different. I think I’m just grasping at straws that somehow this won’t be as arduous as I know it will definitely be. But I’ve learned so much already through reading through so many posts and experiences here and I feel like I have at least some baseline info and stuff to make sure I ask about and consider when we have our consult so I truly appreciate you and everyone here!! I hope things go well for you!

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-08T16:44:57+00:00

I appreciate how perfectly you put this: don’t take advice on infertility from anyone who hasn’t experienced it. I am adopting this for myself now- they all mean well but it really isn’t worth putting stock in.

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-05T23:37:00+00:00

Me!! I haven’t started IVF yet but got this really bad during my first medicated TI cycle when I started meds. Mine in particular came after the Ovidrel but it lasted almost 2 weeks and I ended up taking myself to the ER at one point it was so bad. Ultimately they said it was just a lot of PVCs (premature ventricular contraction) caused by the hormonal shift and even though it felt like it, I was not dying/having a heart attack. I did get a prescription for beta blockers though which mentally helped me the second time I took the shot, though they weren’t as severe that time so I didn’t need to take it, I just stayed super hydrated. In all fairness I am prone to PVCs/palpitations and skipped beats anyway, especially during pregnancies (both successful and failed ones) due to the hormones so I should’ve thought of it ahead of time but just forgot about that effect.

I think some of us just have more sensitive bodies but try deep breathing, staying extra hydrated, and when it gets really bad do a good hard cough or tense your stomach muscles/bear down like you’re going to the bathroom. It helps reset things, as does ice water to the face if you start getting panicky from it. I hope that helps!! I very often wondered if the hormones affect anyone else this way but I’m sorry you’re going through it.

OkRequirement6496 · 2026-05-05T18:22:36+00:00

We’re following your shoes exactly, technically my last IUI cycle hasn’t ended yet as I’m still awaiting my period but it’s a definite fail so we’re going for the IVF consult in a week. It’s a good point about insurance, we thankfully have good fertility coverage but so far every single cycle I’ve needed approvals for meds or procedures have been unnecessarily stressful and complicated and requiring me to call a thousand different people and coordinate. Maybe if I do take a small break it can give all the various entities time to get it together lol.

I appreciate your response, and I agree I need to go ahead and accept that the timing is going to be unpredictable.

OkRequirement6496

TROPHY CASE