The Genuine BESH Palais. To misquote Carlsberg, we're probably the barrenest TTC-ers in the world...

[HesterShaw]

We are Barren. We are Evil, on account of having left procreating until our 30s. We are Selfish, thinking only of careers and money and cars and holidays. And lastly, we are Hags. Welcome to the BESH gin palace. Babydusters and instadiffers need not apply.

Well done norks! In answer to your question, yes but not by birth, and I'm only just outside the M25. I own no white stilettos, and have never said 'totes' or 'amazeballs' in conversation.

Evening running and being meddled with hags! Just popping in to confirm my continued existence. Hes polyp removal? I've had a small one ever since the MC, it goes into hiding as my lining thickens and they claim it is fine!? Riding 4 days after L&D sounds overly hardcore, I felt rough for a week or so (mainly GA) and then thick for another two... I went for a nearly 4mile run on Sunday and have mainly sat on my bottom and eaten since then. Maybe tomorrow. On other news I am feeling very grumpy, but your stories of "f(r)iends" and the comic that is nokkie have cheered me right up. Btw twink trimming the moon cup and buying some fivers, perhaps?

Btw signing up for the I don't give a damn series, plus ample copies to share around the self-involved diffed, mums and others.

No I don't care you - the useless husband of diffed friend - are being woken up at 7am, as she is in the final stages of pregnancy and very uncomfortable. Which bit of I DON'T CARE don't you get. Especially knowing we would give an arm and a leg to be in your position - or preferably a month ahead - ourselves. GRRRR.

No fivers driz, my cycles are anything from 27 to 36 days long and I'm only having normal PMT symptoms. If there's no droid in a week's time I might consider POAICing. But that won't be necessary. Also - punch that husband in the nuts.

Cheers twonks . I feel good. Though fuck knows how long it will last, all this running lark. Essex is.....interesting. I went on a night out in Romford once. At the end of the night, I saw a tattooed sloppy breasted vodka addled cougar literally devour a dumb looking eighteen year old. It was like watching one of those snakes swallowing its prey whole. To be fair to the lad, he'd been duped. She was a BOBFOC. Body off Baywatch, face off Crimewatch.

drizz good on the running luv. Don't be grumpy. I shall try to cheer you up. Here, have some turbot. And a signed copy my bestseller 'stop whining, you cunt'. You can give it to diffed friend's husband.

at BOBFOC. We say that round these parts too.

I've never been to Romford. I shall make a mental note to keep to that. You do have quite the way with words :) I would like 6 copies of 'stop whining you cunt' to distribute in the first instance please. I can think of several good homes for them.

Arf @ BOBFOC! I was amused once to hear someone referred to as "A Kronenberg" - 1664. 16 from the back, 64 from the front Not very sisterly I know

Well done on the run Noks, I seized up after the first run. I was sceptical about the second one, but actually felt better and I've not had any muscle ache since. Ankles and shins take a good few hours to recover though. Thank god for the day off in between! I'm up at 6am for Run 2 of Week 2.

Night hags, try not to sacrifice too many instadiffers in the night. Bloods a bitch to get out of the carpet

jeff it's a good one, that.

twonks don't go there. It's ghastly. I shall send the books over right away. Six copies enough ?

Night night franks. Good to hear the first one is the worst. Keep up the good work. X. Run, Forrest. RUN.

Aww, I was thinking I might be asking too much from surgery+ponies, but thanks all for making me more realistic. I shall ask the surgeon what he thinks, and play it by ear - I can at least pick an obliging horse and refrain from galloping about :(

Essex is weird. I'm automatically judgemental and snooty about it, but every time I'm there I'm struck by what a beautiful county it is.

My right leg is paying for my superspeedy cycling efforts. OUCH.

I just had a lovely impromtu evening with some instadiffer friends of mine, who have a lovely baby. What makes them so particularly brilliant is that in the whole evening, they mentioned said infant once, when I asked how he was (he is well and has grown some teeth). They know about my barrenness, and asked how it was going once other friends had left. On hearing about impending surgery, they expressed exactly the right amount sympathy/concern and positivity, without veering into trite platitudes.
Why can't all parents be like that?

I love the rules of BESH.
I love BOBFOC and 1664

End of transmission. Sleep tight, BESHly ones.

cap'n they sound lovely. May we adopt them as BESH mascots ? Nighty night. X

I missed BOBFOC. What's BOBFOC?

Body off Baywatch, Face off Crimewatch, hest.

It's another glorious day! I've taken HOTB off to catch his train, he'll be home tomorrow evening, so I have many hours to run amok entertain myself. Whatever shall I do?

I have to do a large amount of emailing, then painting

Morning hags!

Hest I was at an event last night (with Cherie Booth, dontcha know) and chatting to someone who is heading to your part of the world this summer. I recommended you. :)

Noks I'm placing an advance order.

Draf as a Kent girl, I'm kinda the same about Essex. I have a good friend who has moved out there and the village she lives in is lovely and you can get so much for your money.

moll what great friends. Could they start running some kind of seminar series for other friends of barrens?

Hi Euro, if Cherie and Tone turn up, I'll know who to thank!

BTW, I saw your query about NK cells on another thread. I was the same - rarely got ill, have some allergies and also Raynaud's which is another indicator. I had mine tested a couple of years back. One marker was sky high and another was borderline. I took steroids and various supplements for 6 months to try to moderate my immune system. At the end of it, I got my first ever abnormal smear and upon googling discovered that one of the risk factors for cervical abnormalities is that group of steroids! I had no idea. Anyway, I stopped taking them and my follow up smear was normal. I'm about to have another. If it stays normal I will be pretty sure that the steroids were to blame.

Anyway, I didn't get diffed despite the treatment (on the 6 cycles I was on the steroids I tried 3x superovulation, 2xIUI and we had one natural cycle while we were on holiday).

They seem to be a bit of a marmite issue - some drs believe in them and treat them aggressively; others are completely dismissive.

I get reynauds. What are nk cells?

(Yes! A new paranoia!)

As I understand it, moll, they are a component of the immune system. The thinking is that if the levels are too high, the body will reject an embryo as it is 50% foreign DNA. However, there is a lot of debate about whether the type of NK cells in the blood tells you anything about the levels of NK cells in the womb and even if it does that means anything for fertility stuff. I read up on it quite a bit and it makes a lot of sense to me, but my experience with the smear really freaked me out. What else was lowering my immune system doing? So I didn't have any treatment alongside my IVF.

There is loads of info over on Fertility Friends and the Prednisolone thread on this board is full of ladies who are having the steroid treatment for high NK cells.

Hello BESH. Long time no see. I have been off being selfish (working too hard) and evil (drinking too much) and trying to forget about my barren-ness. What news?

What Ho Merks! Glad to see you.

I never get colds

So ...... Day 23 and I had LOADS of CM this more, like a bucket full, that means if I ov today, which might make sense as I've had a really sore lower back and stabby pains, ill be having a 37/38 day cycle. :/ we did manage to DTD when we woke up though, thought I'd escaped menkulling this month but obviously not now!