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

[HappyApple05]

Helllooooo dearies

Opening this new thread looking for a light in the tunnel during my journey towards conception. Would be nice to walk along with people in the same journey. To cut my story short, 3 miscarriages and referred to Mr.S, diagnosed with high NK cells and lupus positive, already on levothyroxine. After 2 weeks of staring at the med pack, I have now finally started on Aspirin, Vit D and Pregnacare plus. Awaiting Ovulation to start on Pred protocol.

Miscarriage history:

1. July 2017 - In my 12 week scan, found foetus with no hb (6 weeks foetus size), devastated! Had severe morning sickness, didn't predict anything negative. Took my son (6 years then) to the scan planning to break the surprise where he could see his sibling in scan.. We all broke down, opted d&c

1. March 2018 - started bleeding in 6 weeks and miscarried naturally.

1. July 2018 - spotted in 6 weeks, scan at EPU no pole, returned when 9 weeks along, still nothing, opted d&c

Bought the ovu predictor kit for the first time, counting days to use it. Any of you in the same position? Would be great to hear your stories and cheer each other up towards the destination. Previous threads were beautiful, so supportive but sadly the latest post was in Sep 2017. So most of them would have crossed the bridge. Decided to start on a fresh thread.. So here we are....

Looking forward to catching up... Take care you guys.... Plenty of baby dust to everyone

Aww amazing about your sabbatical @nixwix that sure would have taken some stress away so you could focus on your special journey this year. My best friend hosted an intimate gender reveal gathering for me this weekend and to be honest it was so lovely to celebrate the little miracle. She deserves it 💗 it helped me relax once I saw the joy on my best friends faces and got to pop the balloon.. Feeling very emosh as I’ve kept it all suppressed for so long. As we all know it’s hard to relax but if feels good. My boss is losing 3 to maternity this year. I think he’ll have an aneurysm when he finds out 😂 My sleep has been ok, just not had enough of it. How about you darling? I’m trying to sleep on my left side as per advice.

@HappyApple05 oh gosh are you actually being physically sick too? I found keeping full and sleep the only real remedy for me. I really suffered with the nausea non stop for the first 10 weeks. It felt relentless. The constantly feeling wet down there is an excellent sign, that’s the oestrogen doing its thing. Expect that for a while! so pleased for you hun, I can’t tell you how much 💐 You are so lucky re: your clothes all fitting the first time round, I am not so lucky. I tend to wear very fitted clothing so I really cannot get away with it now and my ribs are expanding. My whole body shape is different. Im aiming for wrap dresses, far more forgiving.

@chickjen this is it!! 🌞 keep positive darling!! And good luck for FRER tomorrow morning. Wait until then if you can. Give your HCG time to go up even more 🌷 xx

@Sunshineblonde1 a girl!!! Congratulations how exciting 🎀 is DP pleased?

The saga continues this morning. One step still slow and faint and convincing me this is chemical. However FRER is strong and clear and popped up in 30seconds. So confused!! I am about to try and write an email to the clinic to see if I can start the pred, but not too sure what to do if they offer the intralipids, I don't really want to waste time and money and stress on a chemical, not to mention getting my hopes up. Still haven't told DH 🙈

Don’t worry about the one step @chickjen. Go with the FRER. I honestly had the same thing happen to me and it really worried me at the time so just stick with FRER for your sanity!

I’d say get on the Pred and book the intras for next week some time. I couldn’t go for a week after BFP. And that’s that. Yes they questioned it but it’s your choice and you are in control so be confident in that. Was AF due yesterday Hunni or next week? Xx

DP is over the moon. He was secretly hankering for a girl 💗 xx

@Sunshineblonde1 Oh how sweet 😍 It brings tears to my eyes, so made up for you ❤️

AF is due tomorrow, but the worry has set in already. MrS diagnosed some factor that makes chemicals more likely and I can't clear that from my mind, but also a little surprised to have got this far 😵

More likely maybe but that doesn’t mean a chemical is a given every time just remember that 😘 move forward positively Hun there are no signs not too and just know that you will deal with whatever this pregnancy brings most likely hunger and Pred head hehe 🥰 get cracking on the Pred and when your ready the intras. Plenty of ladies who have been on his protocol without the access to the intras so I’d say the Pred is the main thing. Xx

Thanks for the welcome, everyone - I've really enjoyed reading everyone's stories. So many highs and lows . . .

I have a question that I wondered if someone could help me with - today is day 12 of my 4th fresh donor egg cycle and I feel awful. I had a bad cold over the weekend and now it has settled in my chest, I feel achey and I have a cough etc. Under normal circumstances this would be no drama at all but I'm wondering if the Prednisolone is suppressing my immune system to the point where I won't be able to shake this illness before embryo transfer? And will being sick affect the chances of success?

Panicking slightly . . . :-(

Hi @RedPandaFluff sorry to hear you are feeling crappy, on the plus side if your immune system is suppressed enough to get sick maybe it is suppressed enough to accept the embryo. How many days till transfer day? Do you have time to go on a health purge, stay home, whack the heating up and take loads of vitaminC? Or maybe call the clinic for advice?
Try not to stress and make yourself feel worse, far easier said than done though 😟

Hey @RedPandaFluff aww sorry to hear your poorly there is so much flying around at the moment. Your in a very low dose of Pred aren’t you? How many mg again? I cold will not affect your chances I was poorly when I fell preggo - all is well. Xx

Thank you for your replies! Yes, I'm only on 10mg daily of prednisone, which I learned from this thread is lower than the dosage prescribed by Dr Shehata.

I think embryo transfer is likely to be Monday or Tuesday, but we won't know for sure until after the eggs are collected and we see how they develop. I will take it easy until then if I can, but, typically, work is a pain at the moment.

@Sunshineblonde1 I think that's the first time I've ever been delighted to hear that someone was ill (in the context that you still got pregnant 😄)!

I think I need to just give up and go with whatever happens - it's all so far beyond my control.

Completely understand your anxiety @RedPandaFluff! But please don’t fret 10mg won’t be suppressing to the point that you won’t be able to shake it. 100mg + maybe but not 10 or even 25mg :-) and babies are made in feast or famine so try not to worry, put your feet up and get some well deserved TLC ahead of your big week next week. Much love! Xx

@Sunshineblonde1 omg I didn't understand the 'she deserves it' (How daft of me) and thanks to @Chickjen I do now! A baby girl!!!! 💖 Congratulations!!!!! Just feeling so so happy for you and your DP. And what a beautiful way to celebrate the gender reveal. I know what you mean by feeling relaxed when you have been keeping it on the down low for a while- it's so liberating right? I hope you can enjoy this pregnancy and not feel the need to suppress any more. My DH also wants to do a little gender reveal for me but I am nervous abt getting too excited prematurely (I tend to do that). Yes, I am also trying to sleep on my left and sleep has been better, although very broken. 5 more days of pred, so glad these meds are coming to a halt one by one.

@Chickjen The FRER is responding fast which is great! I hope you can get in touch with Dr S soon (I email him and he has emailed me directly many times so you could try that?). I think you are being very practical, positive and patient about this, which is great! Keep going love!

@RedPandaFluff i agree with @Chickjen just after my embryo transfer I got a bad cold and I had immediately locked myself up in the house for 48 hours, slept and loaded up on the vit C and hot drinks. I did have the advantage of no work though. Also, according to my acupuncturist's advice (don't know if this works but I followed it diligently) I kept my body and feet warm, ate lots of protein and warm foods, put a hot water bag on my tummy and ate lots of Brazil nuts and avocados - apparently good for implantation? And ofc I did acupuncture regularly leading upto ET day esp an hour before and an hour after transfer. I don't know if any of this helps but thought I'd share.. good luck!

- did not mean to post that! Slippery fingers at 3 am

Hey @nixwix that’s awesome advice. I put a little heat pad on my tummy too and ate a sack of avo’s! Accupuncture really helped too I agree. Awww that’s so sweet of your DH, you and your little bump deserve to be celebrated!! I think it’s safe to let that excitement creep out now. We must balance the hard slog with some normality it’s great for the soul 😀 xxx

@NixWix I can't believe you DH has kept this to himself so well, do you have any inklings at all?

I didn't test this morning as I'll drive myself nuts, however the clinic called and wanted me to go in for intras today, but i was already at work so we have agreed for Monday and getting the pred sent out today. But it has set the panic in. Completely convinced I am not pg anymore as I feel completely normal (apart from the panic) 😜

@chickjen enjoy feeling normal, we moan that we don’t feel pregnant at first but that will soon change in two weeks 🤪😝😉 Get that Pred down your neck you’ll be fine 😃

@Sunshineblonde1 I have always had sore boobs in the past, even before I test. This time..nothing.. But maybe different is a good sign! 😊
The pred will be delivered tomorrow I think, so most probably starting Saturday 😵

Me too @chickjen! I didn’t get sore boobs until much later this time and I don’t even know that they are even really that sore now! Every single pregnancy is different. There is no normal or abnormal 😀

@Sunshineblonde1 I don't know how you got pregnant (whether through IVF or not) but I can't stop smiling at the thought of you being ill (sorry!) but still insisting to your OH that you should DTD. I needed that. Haven't been smiling much lately x

@KittyKatSmile anything in particular getting you down? I know we can't fix it 😥 but we can listen and understand better than others who haven't lived through this !&@!

Well my OH doesn't want to try anymore so we're going to break up. The last time I got pregnant was our last month trying anyway and I'm sure he probably didn't expect it to work. I'm going to do IVF on my own. (I was doing IUI on my own when I met him.) My heart is breaking all over again and I don't know how much more I can take.

I've contacted the IVF clinic to see when I can start. I imagine they'll say a little while as some of the drugs I'll need to take before my period and I don't really know when that's going to be. I just want to get started and move on but I suppose I also shouldn't spend loads of money without giving it the best shot. On the plus side, they'll do everything (hopefully): get me pregnant and keep me pregnant so I can avoid the Wolf of Harley Street

Sorry for the shitty story. I'm so happy for all you bump ladies. And @Chickjen, I'm so tentatively excited for you my lovely xx

Oh flipping eck @kittykatsmile I’m so very sorry to read that your going through a break up on top of everything else!!! Your doing a tremendous job of riding through this current shit storm darling. How are you feeling about the break up? If there’s anything I’ve learnt through this TTC journey is there really is not one set path to conception. There are so many routes to the final destination and I think it’s great your focusing on your next steps towards reaching your goal. I would totally have done the same and I already knew I would have considered donor, surrogacy or adoption if things hadn’t worked out, You’ll probably find this will make you all the more determined. Your obviously a very strong and independent woman who knows what she wants, hurrah! Believe it or not some of the best things in life often rise from the most challenging of life events as shitty as they seem at the time. We are either winning or learning! Do you have supportive friends and family around you? Can you take some time out just for yourself? After the D+C last year I took myself off on a well being retreat and my DP went and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. A bit extreme I know! But it helped to deal with the grief individually in our own different ways. Sending love and hugs. There will be light at the end of this poxy tunnel xx

@KittyKatSmile so sorry that you are going to have to go through a break up, as if you didn't have enough on your plate. I strongly believe everything happens for a reason and something or the other leads you to your desired destination. I didn't see it as anything positive at the time when I had my mmc or the ectopic but today i feel everything lead me to this. I feel stronger, less naive, more informed and ready to take on anything - quite a difference from how I felt when I first got pg. So who knows where this journey is going to take you... My best friend in the states is also considering ivf with donor sperm and is determined like you. Please stay strong you are doing great, stay positive, look after yourself and take time to heal. Also try to surround yourself with positive and supportive people, your surroundings make a difference to how you perceive everything. It'll work out, one way or another. If anything, you have this group of women who are here to listen and support. Love and hugs. 😊

@Chickjen I don't know how he has kept it from me either.. good luck for intras!! 😊

Woah @KittyKatSmile that is tremendous pressure he has put you under 😡 as if this isn't hard enough already you have all that to contend with too 😲 You are incredibly brave and strong to get this far, and very resourceful, you can totally do this on your own if that's what it takes. That's a great idea from @Sunshineblonde1 to take some time out for yourself, your mind needs TLC just the same as your body. Climbing mountains does sound a little drastic perhaps(!) but do something that suits you, buy a cat, plant some flowers, take up yoga.. I hope he sees the error of his ways and comes back, if you still want him of course

Thank you darling ladies. You are seriously keeping me going through this. How strange is this, a bunch of strangers who don't even know each other's names being the best ever support network?!

@chickjen, have you told your partner yet??!

@Nixwix are you going to tell us?? I can't believe he knows and hasn't told you! Is he not terrified he'll slip up?

I've just made an appointment at the Zita West clinic. They are a little happy clappy but the doctor I've seen there before is lovely so I'm pretty pleased. So now worrying about which month I start is pretty much out of my hands. For now I'll just eat a lot of chicken and stop the wine which is definitely a good idea as it hasn't much helped my mood. The only thing that really helps is exercise so I'll probably be fine to climb Kilimanjaro soon :-)

Have a lovely weekend all. @chickjen good luck for Monday, keep us posted lady x

@KittyKatSmile hahaha! I honestly don't know how he is keeping it from me. But I can tell he is finding it difficult, I am giving it a week before he slips up 😂

You are so right, we are just a bunch of strangers who stumbled upon this thread, providing the much needed support cause we have all been through similar; so lucky and happy I did! I hope we can all meet one day and grab coffee. It would be so lovely. 💕