TTC or pregnancy on prednisolone or similar part 9

[sarahs999]

Oh dear - we reached 1000 posts on thread 8 without noticing! I hope you can all find this. THis is a positive thread for all those diagnosed with High or Very High NK Cells and looking to start TTC or already pregnant on Prednisolone and/or Intralipid treatment.

Newcomers very much welcome!

Links to earlier threads:

Part 8: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/a1492407-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-8#33842381

Part 7 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1452035-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-7

Part 6 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1419032-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-6

Part 5 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1391787-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-5

Part 4 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1366323-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-4

Part 3 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1348773-TTC-pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-3

Part 2 here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1323594-TTC-pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-2

Part 1 here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1236324-TTC-pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar

Oh Buster - fingers crossed everything's fine.

I've had a mad few days as my OH is spending his 4th night in hospital having been rushed in with a v v sore throat. They're not quite sure what's wrong, but it may be a severe infection of his lymph gland.

Hopefully he'll be home tomorrow.

Apart from spending all of a gloriously sunny weekend at the hospital, I've spent a fortune on parking there. Not to mention the fact that I'm so overtired where I've been anxious about him and not sleeping brilliantly.

Here's to a better week! xx

Coopde I would say you'd be ok to test today...tomorrow for sure.
With my IVF I got a BFP at 8dpt (3day transfer) 2 chromosonally chekced embryos. I mc a week or so later but still with IVF or FET there is no ambiguity around dates. Best of luck.. but pls don't be too disheartened if you don't get what you hope.. there are still so many other factors other than immune factors that will determine if assisted fertlity works. I am learning the hard way. have my fingers crossed for you though x

duggs thanks, I did cave in and tested this morning on a clear blue digital and got a BFN. However, I know it's not over til the fat lady sings! Off to Boots to stock up on FRER for tomorrow and Wednesday. Still hoping. If it doesn't work I'm not sure what our next steps will be. We've got one in the freezer, but as time is marching on I wonder if we should do another fresh cycle again. Well, things to contemplate over a bottle of wine if the time comes (and I can't wait for nookie again!!).Still got stomach cramps but not sure if that's good of just my endometriosis doing pre period grumbles. Well, keep everything crossed, I hope to be the bringer of good news this week.
X

buster that sounds very scary, hope you're doing ok. I also have a bicornuate uterus, and the past two pregnancies I've had a period in the early weeks. I wondered if its due to that, as I've read that one horn might not realise the other one is pregnant. Don't need that on top of everything else though do we?!

lj hope you're oh is on the mend.

coopde its torturous waiting to know, must be even more so if you've gone through ivf. Hope you get a bfp v soon!

Hello to everyone else.

Oh my Buster, what a stressful week. I rarely use cyclogest up the "visitors" entrance but have had a slight bit of blood on one of the occasions that I have so maybe that's what's caused it. I really hope there's a simple explanation and that all is well at your scan tomorrow. Do let us know how you get on. With regards to your symptoms, they can fluctuate throughout pregnancy.

Mercator, that would be amazing but it's quite an expensive one you've got. Can I offer you some money for it?

Coopde good luck with testing over the next few days. I hope you get a BFP.

Another BFN today. OTD tomorrow, but not holding out any hope.
Trying to hold it together at a meeting for the day but just cried in Asda when I spilt my coffee so it's going to be a long day!
As for next steps, I have no idea - another fresh cycle or use the frozen? Looks like we will be swapping to new life now our NHS funded cycle has been used.
Hope everyone has a better day.
Emma x

buster Hope all goes well for your scan today. I'd echo what kittens said - I understand using the visitor's entrance for cyclogest can cause irritation and I know of others who have had minor bleeding because of it. Using the tradesman's entrance seems not to cause issues. Hope that's all it was for you too!

Hello!!
Thanks for all your kind words and support!!
Painfully had to wait till 3pm for scan.......but thankfully all good!!! Such a massive relief!! Nuchal fold was 1.4mm so hopefully thats positive too, fingers crossed bloods come back ok too. Hoping it was probably down to using the visitors entrance so it will be the tradesmans from now on!!
So off to Epsom tomorrow for my lipids!!

xxx

Happy congrats to buster and greenolives on such great scan news. kittens woohoo for a great nuchal result. So pleased to see that all is ok for you too abney. I feel sure I have missed someone for which I apologise!

Sad to see that a few of you (us) are experiencing the misery of miscarriage (again) and the awful toll of bfn's particular those of you on the ivf route, just so many layers of disappointment.
ari I'm sorry that your results weren't more positive...oh for a crystal ball to know if this heartache is worth it.

sue I think of you and Scarlet often xx I wish you the greatest of strength and peace as you lay Scarlet to rest.

Hi All

Buster what a relief the scan must have been. Glad all is well.

kittens pm your address and I'll pop it in the post. May take me a day or to to get it in the post but would be nice for it to go to a good home on here. May need new batteries but I'm sure you can sort that out. Don't worry about any money just feel free to pass it on when your finished with it.

coopde sorry to hear your news.

sue thinking of you.

Waves to all.

buster Fantastic news about your nuchal scan, and a big relief!!

sue Hope you're ok after yesterday, and that you gave your little one a beautiful laying-to-rest time.

clabbage If you ever hear of anyone with that crystal ball, please let me know, I'd give a lot to know if this will all be worth it in the end!!

Great to hear all is well Buster. What a relief!

LJ, how is your OH? Have they managed to find out what's wrong?

I'm off on holiday on Sunday for 10 days. I can't wait! I don't need to get a letter from my GP for flying at this stage do I?

Oh damnit, I just realised sue that Scarlet's funeral is next Tuesday, not this week. So sorry, and still thinking of you for next week.

Thanks for the kind words mercator and clabbage.
I don't know where we get our strength from. There's so much sad news and we are all back on the roller coaster as soon as possible.
I'm so organised, I've booked to see Mr S and sorting out plan B for FET before Christmas hopefully.
Had a rubbish day, ending with a row with my mum when I asked her to stop telling every Tom dick and Harry (including mums of people I went to school with who hated me!) our personal ivf fertility details. I know she finds strength talking it through with people - I know that - hence writing on here, but really, the small town doesn't need to know my business (and I know she's doing it to be the centre of attention!). That will be her not speaking to me til Xmas! Joy!
I have a glass of Rioja ... Every cloud.
Well, I'm going to keep reading on here and popping in to see how everyone is doing. Is anyone else having intralipid etc with ivf?
Emma / coopde xx

coopde a bottle of Rioja sounds more appropriate I know how u feel. Words can't describe the crashing feeling after going through IVF plus all the intrallipids and steroids and clexane injections so you look like a battered woman for it to fail. The fact dr s is soooo confident can be a little misleading - tbh there are other things even in his world of immunology that are wrong and need to be addressed or wrong and can't be - I'm sure not intentionally but sometimes his approach can seem a little cruel. Have you been pregnant naturally or assisted before?

Kittens thanks for asking. My OH finally came home on Monday night after 4 nights in. He in the end had v severe pharyngitis, but they were concerned it was a retropharangeal absys, which could have been v v nasty. He went through loads of drips to rehydrate him, plus to give him antibiotics intravenously. Had lots of injections in his tummy to thin his blood (apparantly that one really hurt), iv steroids which really stang. Plus obviously pain relief. But ... he is now home and slowly recovering. He's signed off for 10 days but I am sure will try to return to work next Monday.

Maybe a good job we weren't successful last month (af in full flow now!) as I'm sure his sperm weren't top quality!

Thinking of you all, with good and bad news xxxx

duggs
It's a fine balance to stay positive and realistic while having ivf. I'm 38 so the statistics are only about a 19% chance of success irrespective. We've been trying 3 years and only pregnant once after ivf in May but then m/c shortly after. We've never had an explanation about why we can't get pregnant naturally, my eggs are good quality and DH is fine. Finding out i have high NK was the glimmer of hope that I thought might explain why. As you say, mr s was quite confident that he'd nail the problem and I was really hopeful.
I tested again today in vain hope as no AF still - still negative.
DH wants me to take time out and try naturally for a few months but I can't contemplate wasting a month let alone a few months so hopefully FET before Xmas. I don't know where I am getting my motivation from - urgh - the thought of another 2ww!!!
Meantime, hoping to loose a few lbs..... Feeling very middle aged, frumpy and miserable. I had that glass of wine last night and it just gave me a thumping headache!
Well ladies, keep calm and carry on as they say!
Emma / coopde xx

coopde hearing you loud and clear. It might comfort you slightly as it did me when a friend gently reminded me we all have 20 to 25% ( 25% if under 30 and no body is under 30 these days) chance of conceiving naturally each month. It isn't very high as we're not designed to be high multiple reproduces as our survival rates are so high. So 19% isn't too far off a natural cycle. BUT after going through a round I thought I could handle it after all the immunology stuff. I Totally underestimated it and would say is one of the most difficult things to go through. ( grief etc aside) that just comes after when it fails. I would ask again about your NK results what did they come back as? I discovered other issues with dr gorgy as he is much more in depth than dr S and tests other things like hidden infections and sperm DNA fragmentation - all sent off to america.

coopde I thought I'd just chime in here and second what duggs is saying. I'm not doing IVF, but from a testing point of view, much as I really like Mr S and hold him in high regard, there are quite a few things he doesn't test for that Dr G (and others) do - and they can all have a huge impact on your fertility/ability to get/stay pregnant. I hear you about the time pressure - no-one more so than me! - but honestly you need to know that you're not wasting your energy in doing IVF and all the strain that goes with it if you have other issues that are thwarting you. If your eggs are fine, and your OH's sperm is fine (has it been tested for DNA fragmentation, btw? doesn't show up in normal tests), then yes it might be high NK cells stopping you - but it might be something else alongside them too. TNF-a, DQa, hidden infections, LAD count, all may be relevant (and there may be other things too).

Not presuming in any way to tell you what to do, obviously!, just that there are other things that Mr S doesn't routinely test for that may potentially be having an impact.

And 38 is still young ... I had my DD 2 days before my 39th birthday, and she was a complete accident, I hadn't been TTC at all, just a one-off that really shouldn't have happened (but obviously now I'm glad it did!). Ok, so I'm struggling for a second - but I'm a lot older, and have issues now that I clearly didn't have back then. All I'm saying is, time isn't really against you yet, so you could possibly afford to take a bit of time to make sure you have the complete picture, IYSKIM.

/waves to everyone

Sorry, meant to say, LJ so pleased your DH is on the mend, it all sounds a bit scary what he's gone through.

Ari and Duggs
Thanks for your kind words and advice. I really do appreciate the feedback. It's good to be told to take a breath and consider other tests, as much as I'm digging my head in the sand as I really don't think I can face more bad news, I know I need to know and not waste precious money on treatments that won't work if there are hidden issues.
So the additional tests you mention, do you think NL won't offer such tests? Just wondering now if I should not spend the money seeing NL and go straight to Dr G?
My head hurts!!!

It's difficult to say really, I can only speak from my own personal viewpoint after having been with Mr S since my third miscarriage July 2011. If I knew then what I know now, after all I've been through since that first appt with Mr S, much as I rate him (and I do), I would have gone to Dr G instead. He believes in, and tests & treats, for so much more than Mr S. I wish I had had all the testing I've subsequently had to research for myself and specifically request or else go off on my own to get done elsewhere .. some of which Mr S still pooh-poohs the results of but Dr G treats for.

Obviously this is only my own personal view, and what is right for me may not be for you - but If I were doing it again, I'd be going straight to Dr G. YMMV :)

Coopde my mum is another one who likes to broadcast my bad news. We went to theirs for a BBQ 2 days after I had my awful 20 week scan and one of their neighbours came over and started asking me about the problems that had been found. I had told my mum to keep it quiet until we knew what was happening. I just burst into tears and ran into their house as couldnt talk about it. She has also told all of the customers and staff in the hairdressers where she works and (like you) mums of people I went to school with who I never liked. I was so angry with her as there are some things you dont want to be broadcasted. My mum likes to play the victim so they sound very similar!

My friend just had twins through IVF and she is 40 so you still have time. A midwife at the hospital told me she saw a first time mum of 55 with twins so it can happen if you are older.

I still believe that persistence pays off. My doctor said to me 'there is always hope if you are prepared to keep trying but there is no hope if you give up'. Obviously that doesnt take into account the cost factor! Its hard but I think you have to try and keep as positive as possible inbetween the miscarriages and whole TTC game.

I would say to get the hidden C tests done with Dr G like Duggs has done whilst you are waiting but maybe try the FET on Mr S's treatment plan. I know one of the ladies on here was using the ARGC clinic for immunes (plus they can do IVF with the immune treatment plan) but it is a lot more expensive and time consuming than Mr S as they use additional drugs and test for other things. I think it all depends on how much time and money you have to throw at it. I personally found the intrallipid and drug plan not too invasive with Mr S which is one of the reasons I am going back to try again but then I already have a DD so I can rule out some of the tests that you might need. If it was me I would want to be tested for everything as it is almost like a checklist.
Have you also looked at acupuncture? The guy I use has helped some of his clients get pregnant after failed IVF so maybe you could look at alternative therapies too? I was having weekly acupuncture with my last pregnancy so I still don't know if it was that or Mr S's treatment plan that got me passed 12 weeks or a combination of both.

Hey I'm with ari wish I'd gone to dr g a year ago would've saved me about £12k and 12 mths of failed SO, IUI, IVF, FET if it wasn't for sue not sure where I'd be. Best of luck have a think as is v personal.