Immune/NK issues - aka Pred Thread no. 22!

@Chickjen okay, wow, that's interesting about N Acetyl. Thank you for enlightening us, so much out there and so little do I know. Also absolutely not stupid, you are going with your gut instinct and doing what's best for you. Also about the injection - would you be more comfortable if your partner did it for you? Is it sub cutaneously administered? If so, it's super easy, usually you won't even feel it.

Also I completely agree with you, I have recently realised that it really doesn't help talking to people who have not gone through similar issues, or with people who have little sense of empathy or knowledge in this regard. I did mention my miscarriage and ectopic to a few 'friends' and 'family' (naively in hindsight) and only felt more alienated because they don't get it. It's strangely still a taboo topic I feel. My closest of friends (coincidentally they are doctors), both our parents and my brother have given us the kind of support we needed. My husband's brother and wife have been rather insensitive. The ivf and pregnancy are all very hush hush because I realise the less people know, the better I can deal with everything.

@DaniMERL Good luck!! Let us know how you get on and if you need us, we're here!

@Sunshineblonde1 amazing news on bub's progress! Super pleased for you ❤️. At my 8 week scan, baby measured a day late. But Dr S wasn't too worried. The 3D/4D scan photo was so graphic! Haha. Yes I am doing the Harmony test too (without the sex) and then the nuchal at week 12. My hospital also offers the dating and nuchal scan so having it done there too. Do you think I should avoid the repetition as it can get confusing? I'm also sticking with Dr S till week 16. My ivf clinic basically routinely checks my Tsh as part of their protocol and amended the levothyroxine accordingly which Dr S didn't like. He said, all immune issues must go through him. So I have stopped consulting my ivf clinic as their job really is done now.

A bit long and late post, hope everyone's well! Sending positive vibes to all.

Hi all, just checking in. Am on day 2 of the letrozole and have my follicle scan next Tues on CD9. This will be out first month of trying the SuperO and the first month of trying since our first loss on the programme at the beginning of Jan. Now on the complex plan with steroids, hydroxy and the rest. Will keep you posted!

@chickjen I know what you mean, fear of the unknown can be paralysing. From what I’ve learnt on this journey so far we have to just trust the experts and take that leap of faith, if I knew what I know now about taking the steroids I would never have faffed in the first place. So I think the same will apply to the humira. Good to do the research and reading first though to get the old pickle around it! Hope some ladies here can give some words of comfort and advice on Humira xx

@Sunshineblonde1 I think I actually read it on an old version of this thread I found before I found this live one.
I'm hoping for £900 it's been relatively idiot proofed and just a case of sticking it in but the unknown is the most worrying

Great news @Nixwix and good advice thank you 😄 I am taking the supplements but at the moment I am living from the microwave, might be another good reason to wait a couple more weeks to start! 😀

Hey @chickjen 🌞 that’s interesting about the N Acetyl. Where did you find out about it?

I think you’ve got the right idea, fertility and conception is all about balance. I believe it’s never just a silver bullet but a number of supportive things that helps us get the sticky one. Mental, physical and nutrition playing their roles too. I think our bodies have just been a bit out of whack in the past. Plus there’s a bit of ‘grace’ and a wing and a prayer too.

I’m sorry I don’t know anything about Humira, but will be interested to hear more about your journey, cheering you on! Can Dr S nurses give advise about how to inject? I’m sure if Dr S suggests it, you can be confident all would be ok? X

Hi @nixwix lovely to hear an update from you and so pleased that your scan went well, that’s so reassuring! Yah I’m here now, had the 8 week scan, we have arms and legs and a good strong heartbeat 💗 😍 amazing how much the bean has progressed in 11 days. Measuring 8w4d. Phew! Another milestone achieved. Yes I’ve booked the 10week harmony and Sex test and 12 week nuchal. Dr S said at 10 weeks the miscarriage risk goes to 2% so everything crossed for that milestone. We’ll stick to Dr S until 16 weeks I think.

I think I just had this preconception that IVF selects the best egg and sperm? I’m fairly young (?) I guess but my egg reserves are that of older 🤪

What did your IVF clinic say about thyroid meds?

I hear you Hunni, this baby is our holiday money this year 💸💸💸 but his tests, advice and equipment really are the Rolls Royce of treatment.

Hope all are well and looking forward to updates 😘 hope you are all enjoying the beautiful spring weather x

@Sunshineblonde1 fingers crossed all is well at your scan today 🍀

N Acytyl Cysteine I believe is a type of protein you get from food. It is supposed to help with all sorts of things including liver health and fertility, especially PCOS. I did drink a lot in my 20's and because I had had cysts plus my cycle which used to be around 30/32 days suddenly dropped to 26, I thought I would give it a try. But like you say there are so many of these things it is impossible to know which one might help your specific circumstance.

Work don't know what's going on, I stopped telling them after the 3rd. I think they would be supportive if I asked but I find it so much easier to deal with with the less people who know. I also find it really doesn't help talking to people who have never experienced anything like this, and nobody at work has.
I'm sure once I commit to the protocol it will all fall into place, what I am struggling with at the moment is starting the humira. It costs around £900 and DrS does not stock it, he advised to shop around a few pharmacy's for the best price, and for the next few weeks I just don't see where I will find time, also nervous about injecting myself with such an expensive drug, what if I get it wrong! Has anyone else used humira? I think I need a few weeks to get the house a bit more 'normal' so I can put full attention into this. But in the meantime it did cross my mind, not to try, but not to try and prevent it either just in case a miracle happens stupid I know!

@Sunshineblonde1 I hear you babe, but ivf doesn't necessarily negate those problems, which is why I am just as nervous about the nuchal scans and blood tests. Natural conception is really the best way of weeding out the less capable sperm, plus you have been healthy, exercising, and you are young, I am positive that all's well on your end. Did you have your scan and intras today? I was there today! I wanted to write in advance but I was in a rush so I forgot to post here to ask you if there was any chance of spotting you! Wedding planning sounds like they are on schedule! And so does the house search situation.

My scan today went well I think and heard heard the hb first time. Had the intras after. Cyst is still quite big but going by what you guys have said and what Dr said, I am not as worried anymore. Sunshine are you doing the NIPT test around week 10?

@Chickjen If you are not thinking about Dr S now, I would still say keep the folic acid, healthy eating and exercise up! And if I were you, I'd invest in the OPK to track ovulation just to get an idea since you started new supplements. Also yes, what are N Acetyl?

Dr S did tell me off for listening to my ivf clinic with regards to my thyroid meds (yikes) so I think I am going to voluntarily graduate from my ivf clinic and stick to Dr S and my hospital to avoid confusion. But my pockets feels very light after paying the invoice today. This baby is rather expensive!

Hope everyone's well! @HappyApple05 How's it going??

Xxxx

So true @nixwix, the 8-10 weeks are another critical milestone as that is when any DNA missing information plays out which can stop the little one growing. So everything crossed for the next two weeks. Although I think If I had gone for IVF I would feel a bit better than I do as I would know that the most viable egg and sperm had been chosen. So that must be of comfort to you. I'm a bit worried about potentially having dud eggs! I am intrigued to see what shows up on my scan on Monday!
Wedding plans in full swing. One last venue to view on Sunday, just as a comparison but my mind is pretty set ;-) My OH is saying I can chose the venue if he can chose the house hehe! Fine by me. He has good taste in that department .

@Chickjen wow that is quite the adventure in your new home and a great little project, which really is a blessing in terms of a positive distraction. Life does go on, and beautiful things happen along the way . The appointments are a bit of a pain and he gets SO ridiculously booked up, I only just about got all my dates booked in up to 16 weeks in advance. They are pretty full on once you get the BFP but hopefully it works the first time round, are your work understanding?

Tell us more of N Acetyl - that's a new one for me! Is it a powerful antioxidant? What are the proposed benefits? So many of these tablets and therapies seem to alter cycles which can be a bit annoying! How long is your cycle normally? Miscarriages can alter cycles. Mine went from 28 days to 30-35 days after the last MMC. I wouldn't delay the protocol, although I had the same thoughts and feelings as you and was reluctant, but by the time the months had rolled by I had gotten my head around it. And now that I know how well I am getting on on all the drugs, I know I needn't have fretted and agonised as much as I did. I was being a fanny! Dr S has found things that need to change for you so I would put your faith in that and follow it whole heartedly.

P.S. Re: the cysts, I also read they remedy themselves! xx

@HappyApple05 @Sunshineblonde1 @NixWix Hi Ladies, thanks for asking, the move was chaotic and stressful, the new people's movers turned up at our old house before we had finished, and at the same time BT turned up at the new house to fit the phone line! The new house has been empty for quite a while and needs lots of updating and maintenance, we have already had to unblock the drains and have no hot water at the moment, but we are in and it is an excellent distraction 😀
I have kind of blocked out Dr S for the moment, it is too much to think of at the moment, I think it's all the appts that worries me most, having to organise it with work etc. I started taking N Acetyl recently and I think it's changed my cycle, I was ovulating really early at around day 10 and its day 12 now and still no sign, im wondering if it might be a good thing and it has crossed my mind to try one more time before starting the protocol, but maybe i am just finding excuses to delay it.

@NixWix yes they just resolved themselves, the next time I went for a scan they were gone, although that was a few months later with the next mc so I'm not sure how long they took to go.

Thank you @Sunshineblonde1 @Chickjen @HappyApple05 !

I agree @Sunshineblonde1, the next few weeks are the most important. Like you my first mmc happened around 8-9 weeks so I know I am not out of the woods yet. So totes understand you feeling nervous yet optimistic. I am actually quite calm which surprises me, minus the random outburst of tears lol. Good pointer on the up hill walk! I'm going to try that. Any progress with wedding planning?

Thanks for enlightening me @Chickjen . Did your cysts go away naturally? I'll be sure to check my Tsh and have my Levo adjusted accordingly. How did the house move go? Hope you settle in well.. Must be exciting!

Good luck @HappyApple05 ! Are you on any tracking app to help you figure out your ovulation dates? Flo is quite good! I used the clear blue opk - they are quite useful although both the times I got pregnant naturally I didn't use them - tbh didn't even plan those..

Hope the others are doing well!

Best of luck for your next BD'ing @HappyApple05 !! Some strategic boinks to be had this month ! When is your next follow up with Dr S/Epsom?

@Chickjen how did the house move go?? How are you feeling?

Love to all!

x

Hi @Nixwix congratulations on your scan! Everything on track yay 😀 I have had scans where they have seen cysts and no one was particularly bothered, they said lots of people get them and they come and go, admittedly though that was NHS. Also I'm taking 100mg levothyroxine so 50 seems fine to me, you may find as the pregnancy progresses you have to keep increasing, as your body is working harder.

Hey @nixwix that was awesome news to wake up too this morning! Huge congrats! Hold onto that good feeling to see you through the the next scan 😀 I don’t know much about cysts at all but you can be reassured that they would say if it was something that needed to be looked into? What did they say about it?

I’m on 50mg too, perfectly normal dose 😄

Re: the scans. I understand how you feel. There would be nothing stopping you from not booking Dr S for the 10 week. They don’t hound you to book in, as my experience goes. I have booked in as per his protocol - next is week 8,10,12 and 16. I am also booked in with the EPU every other week. It just depends whether you want that ‘peace of mind’ scan between week 9 and 12? I’m already freaking out about next weeks scan as the last little bean we had stopped growing close to 8 weeks. So it’s a big milestone for me. Working so hard to keep my thoughts in check. But my radar is on red alert 🚨

Exercise wise walking including some uphill is always a winner 🏃‍♀️ I’ve dropped down to jogging rather than running. But still going on with Body Balance and Yoga. Swimming could be good? Xx

Thank you for the good wishes love. My scan showed that fetus measures accurately at 7w+ 1, saw the hb, however they found a cyst on my right ovary. Hoping to get more insight from Dr S next week!

@Sunshineblonde1 are you getting weekly scans done with Dr S? I also have to do my intralipids and scan with him in week 8 and then the next scan would be around end of week 9 with my hospital - I am just wondering if I could risk not seeing Dr S at week 10 and save a few bucks. And then seeing him for week 12 for the intras and scan again. Feel confused! Also what's your levothyroxine dose? I'm on 50mg as of few days ago... is that high?

I want to do light exercise but don't want to over do anything - to counter the excess eating haha. Any suggestions on what light exercises I could do? Xx

@nixwix all the best for tomorrow hun, I know how nerve wracking it is and will be thinking of you - let us know your good news after the scan!! I have my week 8 scan and intras on 25th Feb. Gonna be (shitting a brick for want of a better expression) for that!
Thanks for the intel on the supplements, I love learning about all this stuff! I only just found out today that spotting a few days before AF is a sign of low projesterone. I always had spotting just before AF, but when I mentioned it to NHs DR and Gyno they didn’t bat an eyelid! Thank god cyclogest is part of Dr S’s protocol!!
Yup I’m on Levo since Dr S established I was borderline Hypothyroid. My number was 4.88 before the levo and now in the safe zone for pregnancy 😃

I’ve not had any spotting yet either, but as I’m on Fragmin and baby aspirin I’m getting a bit of blood in my nose and those burst blood vessels which he detected on the scan. Other than that zero size effects from the Pred - just preggo symptoms. The increased CM sure has led to a few nervous dashes to the toilet to check it’s not anything untoward 😱 i find exercise makes more CM come down x

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's/Galentine's Day/weekend!

Brilliant idea of gifting yourself @HappyApple05. I went up to Glasgow to see my friend's new born baby and had a nice time with my girls too. But have a bad cold now. Well done on the steps and diet change, are you noticing changes? - I am inspired!

@Chickjen you have so much on your plate, I agree with sunshine, take it easy, one step at a time. All the best, get healthy, prepare your body, light exercise, follow Dr's advice to the core and then you will find yourself ready to start the protocol! All the best. You have got this.

@Sunshineblonde1 the ivf clinic didn't mention anything extra to me. Just the usual pregnacare. But Dr S mentioned omega 3 and extra folic acid to me. I was on proceive during conception phase that I got from Holland and Barrett. It had all the right elements in good quantities so took that. I also had a lot of Brazilian nuts and avocados. A lady in MN gave me a lot of vitamins that she was on - given we are both hypo thyroid and have thyroid anti bodies. I'll try to find that list and post them here. And she was also on pred. You also mentioned that you resolved thyroid prior to ttc - have you changed anything in your diet cause of that? Are you on levothyroxine?

Also amazing news on the baby! So happy for you!!! And thanks for letting us know about possible cause of spotting. I don't have it yet, but makes me nervous every time I visit the loo, in anticipation of finding sth on wiping.

My 7 week scan is tomorrow! (Nervously smiles)

Hope everyone's Sunday is going well.

Forgot to say, we broke a mirror today, so all hopes totally scr8wed

Thanks @Sunshineblonde1 you make everything sound so reasonable! You are going to be an awesome mum to this sticky bean
My DH didn't understand my reaction either, he never gets thrown by big events, although tiny minor non events he is a complete drama queen 😹 He says we need to throw everything at it so we don't regret it when we are 50 and it's too late, which is actually my words to him 6 months ago when I was calm and not freaking out

@HappyApple05 thank you for your positive wishes :) I saw Mr S today and he waved his super, gold plated magic wand. He found the baby measuring to be more advanced then the grainy EPU scan from yest, but I guess his is some super duper scan equipment! He also noticed a burst blood vessel in there which he wasn't concerned about but mentioned if I get spotting I may need to stop the aspirin and double the progesterone. Just noting for anyone that may read the thread with spotting and wonders what it could be (I don't have spotting yet but he said I might get it but not to be alarmed) x

Hey @nixwix I have a question, just out of interest and as you mention in your note to Megan above about vits and supplements, what ones do the IVF clinic recommend? Always keen for education :) x

Hey @Chickjen, you have so much on your plate hunni no wonder you feel overwhelmed. How you decribed your feelings is EXACTLY how I felt when I got my test results in Sept. All I can say is, believe it or not, and although you feel like the goal posts have changed, this extra time is actually a gift. I know its hard to believe but trust me, you want to get this next bit right. Now have some time to get your head around the new protocol, get your mind and body ready for all the meds, continue getting those supplements in your body and work on building up your mental strength before you know it the months whizz by and its time to TTC!!!! I had to wait 6 weeks for a thyroid problem to be resolved and then another 5 weeks for sperm results. At the time it was SO frustrating but necessary. You are in the best hands with Dr S. He wants you to get pregnant as soon as is possible. Trust in the process, listen to his guidance and everything else will fall into place. I felt the same as you, I walked out of there feeling totally deflated like someone had knocked the wind out of my sails. It took me a good two months to get my head around it all and even then I was dragging my feet along. My partner couldnt understand why I reacted so bad as in his mind 'we had the answer!'. But I needed to process it. The path is set very clearly for you now hunni, follow that yellow brick road, take one step at the time and start the protocol asap.

Re: Sperm comet - I 100% recommend it without delay. My partner wasn't keen either but I am so glad we did it and the urine analysis. Its the best test out there and if there is an issue with sperm then you need to know it so it can be rectified and no more extra time wasted :)

You can do this hunni!!!! Come join us as we all go through our journey together xx