Immune/NK issues - aka Pred Thread no.20!

[harrietm87]

Hi all, thought I'd get the ball rolling on the new thread.

Welcome all with immune/natural killer cell issues.

It's been a while since a new thread so thought it might be helpful if we all added our stats:

I'm harriet, age 30, TTC#1.
3 mcs (2 at 5 weeks, 1 mmc at 9 weeks).
Hypothyroid and high NK cells.
Cycle 2 on pred!

Snoopy! Many many many congratulations!! Jeeeez, that baby shot out!!! Rest well, and enjoy your precious bub 💝

Snoopy congrats yay!!! And whooopy to the speedy labour too :)
Hope u and little one are doing well xxx

Oh snoopy huge congrats to you all! Does she have a name yet?

I just want to thank you again - you commented on one of my desperate threads after my third mc and told me about mr s - I am so grateful. Please
stick around on this thread and keep us updated!

Congrats snoopy! That was quick labour! Enjoy time in your new family of 4!

Earlier in the thread someone mentioned about avoiding fruit and cake to stop getting gestational diabetis, as someone whose had it in both pregnancies, it doesn't matter if your whole diet is healthy or if you eat cake and fruit, what determines if you have it is how your placenta deals with insulin, so you could eat cakes and biscuits your whole pregnsncy and not get it, you could rpeat very healthy and still get it! I'll get off my soap box now, I'm quite passionate about gestational diabetis as there is a lot of wrong info out there!

Congrats Snoopy! And well done on a brilliantly quick labour! Enjoy your precious bundle!x

That's such great news Snoopy! Thanks for sharing 😊 Hope you and your latest addition are back home and feeling well asap.

Thanks Sunny, I thought I had to be super careful so as to not get GD. Sugar has been making me feel a bit nauseous so thanks for the low down 👍🏻 Was trying to follow this advice but sounds like some of it could be wrong 😵
m.wikihow.com/Avoid-Gestational-Diabetes

Congratulations Snoopy, great to hear Dr S success stories!
Poppy this is what concerns me, 10dpo is so early to expect a bfp?! Presume you will keep up the pred?
Harriet sorry you're feeling so knackered but it's a good sign! Can't remember if you've told me before what you TSH is? I definitely feel perkier since I've been on it. My result was 4.24, have booked a GP appointment to see if I can get Thyroxine through them, but I think TSH of 5 is their cut off? x

Right, took a second test at 11dpo and negative again plus the spotting is increasing but still not red my temp has dropped below the cover line and most of my "symptoms" have settled except I still feel hot and nauseous. I think what I've got here is that the high progesterone level after O is giving me all the "symptoms" (sore boobs) etc, but the level can drop very suddenly and that triggers AF. So unless things are very different in the next couple of days, I suspect I'm out again :( Weird thing is my cervix has turned super soft in the last couple of days, which is usually a pregnancy sign, not an AF sign. Very confusing, but I'm feeling better about it all than last month.

Morning Poppy, I'm sorry to hear it's all so unsettled still... will you continue the Pred? Remind me, how many cycles have you tried now? It's good you're feeling more relaxed - but I know that it's still a stressful time just waiting to know! 😘

Thanks, Luna. Yes I will stay on the Pred because my doc advises it is taken all the time while TTC. We agreed to start trying from March but the first two cycles on Pred I didn't appear to ovulute and the third DP was on a business trip during my fertile window. So only two cycles in which we were in with a chance. Prior to this we tried in November last year first time ever and I got pregnant straight away (one night hit due to travel schedules), MCd then got pregnant again three weeks later, again just one hit one night. I really feel like the Pred is interrupting it!

Sorry to hear things aren't crystal clear at this stage Poppy. I suppose it's just impossible to judge anything on symptoms within the 2ww on this plan. The pred will mask pregnancy symptoms and the cyclogest will mimic them. Having said that I know it won't stop me analysing everything when I'm at that point.

I see Poppy... I'm worried about the Pred messing with my very tidy ovulation pattern too... what is this 'superovulation' thing everyone talks about - maybe IF this one doesn't work, then you can have that? How can Dr S not have mentioned that Pred messes with or stops ovulation!?? Hhhmmmmm hate all this shit we are shovelling into ourselves 😩😩😩

Congratulations Snoopy!! Another pred baby! Hope you're feeling ok after such a quick Labour! My sister said her second which was really quick was FAR worse than her slower one with her first! So gets some rest and enjoy the snuggles. I'm sure Edie will be a fabulous big sister in a a few days!

Sorry it looks like you might be out poppy. Progesterone has a nasty knack of simulating preg symptoms. Hopefully next cycle will be the magic one!

I've just managed to survive a hens weekend alcohol free! Told a few of the girls just to make things a bit easier. But I still had a wonderful time!
Still feeling very meh about being in limbo and absolutely convinced it's going to be bad news next week. But I'll try to just let the days tick by without thinking about it too much

I feel the same Luna, the one thing I could at least always rely on, if nothing else, was clockwork ovulation. Will be gutted if that goes awry on this plan. I currently take 10 tablets per day, will be 16 in the 2ww 🙈

Oh Poppy how annoying for you. Wish this was more straight forward for you, especially after the effort you made going overseas to TTC.
You're working with 2nd grade tests in a different country. Diet, sleep patterns and climate can randomly effect things so there may still be a BFP yet, sorry you didn't get one when you were around DP though.
Will he be back for your next cycle if this one doesn't work out?

Tee, good to hear your treatment is making you feel better! How are you getting along with things?

I agree Luna, it's scary what we have to be on, but I find it scarier not to be on it at this stage. Just have to see it as us protecting pregnancies from our confused little bodies!
(Or not so little, I'm so bloated I look 5 months preg! Lol)

Xxx

Seeking, bravo for your alco free efforts! 🙌🏼
I feel like it's going to be terrible news every time I get a scan so I think we may have to say goodbye to our intuition on this one?
I can't wait to to get to the stage where I don't have to keep it a secret anymore, a couple of friends know but that's it. I just cba with people getting excited when I feel so on edge, you know?

Xxx

Thanks Luna and Tee4me. I think next cycle I'm going to forget temping and all the apps because realistically all I need to know is when I ovulate. I had an email back from my endocrinologist today which was very encouraging. He said please be reassured my progesterone level (which was measured to assess the quality of my ovulation) is an excellent result; the higher the better despite what the lab here said about my level looking surprisingly high. This basically shows I am ovulating properly and like clockwork again, which is a huge relief. So I don't think super ovulation would be the solution for me. I have had regular ovulation but irregular bleeds for a long time. My big problem seems to be spotting; I get it early in my luteal phase and I get it shortly before I MC. But this is not a progesterone issue, so it's a bit of a mystery. In fact, the specialist is very happy with all my hormone levels and so far none of my bloodwork has ever provided any kind of indication of a problem, apart from that we know that in my 2nd pregnancy, my HCG plummeted from tens of thousands down to about 450 pretty much overnight for no apparent reason. I guess I just have to keep trying and take comfort in the latest reassurance from doc, which has cheered me up I must admit!

Seeking, feeling for you in limbo land. Well done on the hen weekend and I reckon telling some of the girls was the right thing to do. Girl friends really do come up trumps at times like this, don't they? Glad you managed to let your hair down for a bit. I do hope you get some good news soon.

You're right Just, and I'm happy to take anything and everything once I'm pregnant - just scared now I'll skip ovulation - feel immense pressure to conceive first pop; even more than usual... as I'm sure the ladies about to start this rollercoaster feel 😬😬😬

AF in 2 days.... then let the games begin (would rather be a contestant in the Hunger Games than the baby games tho 😝)

poppy, the fat lady hasn't sung yet... 🤞❤️
Seeking, well done for going to the hen - very tough for regular early preg lady let alone one filled with terror ☺️😘

JustLa, just saw yours. Thank you!

Yes it's possible I BFP could still come my way but I'm definitely ready for disappointment now. Sadly I may not get to see DP til mid September now, but this will depend on the travel schedule. Then we have a couple of weeks together on holiday and I should be Oing towards the end of that. It's going to be this way until early October, unfortunately, but it's the nature of his work. He has been deeply apologetic about it and said his greatest worry is the impact it has on me. I know he's doing his best.

Agree I'm too afraid not to take the meds the doc recommends! I just have this feeling it's worth it even for keeping me calmer. Pred has an astonishing impact on MC rates for women with my endocrine conditions; 6% down from 26% normally. I won't sniff at that!

Also, isn't it incredible how much weight we can put on in early pregnancy? Makes all this about when you start "showing at 12-16 weeks" seem kind of laughable when we're bloated since ovulation with massive boobs and people are already guessing we're pregnant way before we announce! I was huge at five weeks!

poppy sorry about the bfn, but you're still not out I don't think. And it is really positive news about the high progesterone either way. I've never had mine tested but always suspected it's quite low because that can be linked to thyroid problems (which I have). I think it's a good idea not to temp and just maybe do opks to confirm ovulation if you are trying again next cycle. How long are your cycles? Will DH be around next FW?

seeking well done for staying strong. How are you feeling in yourself? And when is your next scan?

tee my TSH was 1.89 in April just after my last mc. I'm having it retested on Wednesday so will let you know, but expect it to have gone up a little. I had 6 months where I alternated days of 150 and 175mcg and felt great, though ended up being a bit hyper (TSH was 0.14 which is too low), so might ask for 175 2 or 3 times a week instead of 4 and see how that goes. The tablets only come in 25s and I think for me the optimum is probably like 160 or something!

justla good luck for the scan! Is this NHS or Shehata? I'm fully confident everything will be fine. Mine is 2 weeks today...seems like an eternity.

Ah poppy just saw your message - shame about your DH's schedule -
I really feel your pain. But holiday sex is the best! October will fly in.

Omg you are so right about the weight gain. It's definitely the pred that has done it for me - I'm so hungry all the time and really bloated. We have dress down August at work which is lucky but I know come September I'm not going to be able to fit into any of my smart fitted work clothes!!!

Next scan is on 16th Harriet. So just over a week. I feel very normal. Not in the slightest bit pregnant. But I'm pretty sure I felt the same with Tallulah.
Had a weird kind of hungover sickly feeling yesterday which considering alcohol wasn't touched feels a bit like I've been cheated lol! But that could be preggo related. I don't know. I'm trying not to think about it too much.
Time goes so slowly during the first trimester....

Pred is def a bitch when it comes to weight gain! I'm constantly hungry!

Thanks, Harriet! Yes holiday sex is great however it's the kind of holiday where DP's while family inc kids will be there, so more likely snatched moments! We always manage though and after five weeks apart I'm sure we will manage ever better!

I've gone over and over in mind whether clothes wise it's best to be pregnancy bloated and heavily pregnant in summer or winter! Floaty dresses or snuggly jumpers? Flat sandals or flat winter boots? I think summer is probably easily clothes wise but much harder on your body due to the heat.

Seeking, you seem to be doing so well holding it all together. I hope you can take a little comfort in knowing that if you were going by the NHS scan alone, you wouldn't even be in this position. Still highly suspect the machines are different. There is lots online about this sort of thing but I imagine you're tired of looking things up now, as is the compulsion.

Just wanted to update you all that scan went well 😊 It's always so emotional and I feel so privileged to have found such an amazing sonographer in the NHS. She spends so much time looking around, I have to say she is much more thorough and informative than a certain expensive specialist has been, but hey, I'm where I am today because of those meds so can't complain! HB 150bpm and measuring 10+1 😊

Poppy I love that you share your daydreams about clothes with us. It gave me a huge smile, we should be able to think fondly about these things... in fact I'm going to go ahead and order the blue denim maternity dungarees that I've always wanted to show off my big belly in... eeeek don't want to be presumptuous but sod it. I think it's a good idea to not temp and just roll with it, could the monitoring make you feel more tense or anxious? Just DTD a few times when you ovulate should do the trick soon especially with your fab hormone results ❤️

Seeking, I have so many days where I feel nothing in my uterus and cervix and get so worried. Then a few days later, I'll have tenderness, stretching and pressure and feel so worried about that lol. I hope you're able to relax, it must be difficult to recall how you felt with Tallulah, it's such a long journey!

Harriet it was NHS and great. The woman I see has booked me in for another scan at 15 weeks and is very keen to see me personally, her and her assistant seem like they really care about me and my journey which is a huge comfort. I hope you find someone equally as good if you go for NSH scans 😊2 weeks is a long way when you're constantly thinking about it but it will be here before you know it and you've already conquered two big hurdles- getting pregnant and surviving the spitting! Go you 🙌🏼

Luna will you be TTC in around two weeks from now? I know you're a bit bummed about all the meds but are you excited to be getting on the train? 🚂 Hope the 1st month pressure doesn't stress you out too much.

Just in case it helps comfort anyone, it's getting mentally easier with every scan I have. I'm still so aware and totally prep for the worst every time but I'm not a complete 'losing my marbles' wreck ... just a normal wreck now so that's progress and hope it gives you a little comfort.

xxx

Yikes, sorry about the typos! Harriet I meant you survived the spotting not the spitting! Ugh lol... also typed NSH instead of NHS, doh