Immune/NK cells - pred thread 29

[StillTrying10000]

Starting a new thread as the last was full.

@InvisibleDreamer please don't be hard on yourself for having a D&C, that was the right decision you made for you at the time. I hope that you haven't got complications from the surgery. Have you booked a hysteroscopy?
Life does feel very hard ❤️

Dh and I have leave next week as its his birthday, so we have a few plans so that should be a nice focus. X

@Sezmarelda1 it's definitely possible. And it's always nice to have the new treatment to try as if just feels like you're doing something extra. Fingers are crossed for you. Have you started trying now?

@WillowTree0721 hopefully you've spoken to the clinic now. What did they advise? I don't have any experience to offer any words of wisdom here.

@TheHopefulEgg egg and sperm salad sounds just delightful 🤢🤢. Really made me laugh though! It sounds like you are doing really well getting in the good stuff, and definitely allow yourself a bit of a treat every now and again. Otherwise it all just gets a bit consuming.

Have you had your consult yet? How was it?

@VenusStarr @TheHopefulEgg test day is Saturday. It feels far away at the moment. I just feel so exhausted by it. I want to be excited to test but I just don't want to see a blank space staring back at me. At my last appointment I asked about progesterone as I stopped having any effects from it. Strangely I think I do this cycle. I think maybe because the trigger was timed closely to my own LH surge. Maybe it's just a double boost.

@VenusStarr your week off sounds lovely and very well timed. Do you have any plans or just going with the flow? How are you doing?

@InvisibleDreamer it's really lovely to hear from you, although I am sad to hear you are struggling. I can also see what you mean about having been pregnant, it almost feels like you were so close that it has to work. And also shows you can get pregnant. It's such a hard journey.

I also understand what you say about the joy being taken. I am really trying now to find and seek out the good things and focus on them, try and get this to be background activity rather than everything. I do feel better, but it isn't easy. Especially when there are appointments, medication, pregnancy announcements bloody everywhere!!!

Sending you all so much love xxx

@myrainbowjourney @VenusStarr the nurse consultation went really well, thanks. It followed with a call from an embryologist, which was unexpected, but very reassuring. As we’re having embryo testing they were keen to run through each step, so I feel about as prepared as I can be for this first cycle.

I took a note of all the meds so I’ll need to look into the protocol a bit more. But I’m ready for bed after back-to-back calls today so will have an early night and revisit tomorrow. Hope you’re both doing well 💛

Morning all, I wonder how many of you are going through IVF? This is my protocol for EC. Is it similar to what others are doing?

Cycle Day 2/3 to 5/6
AM: Dexamethasone 2mg (throughout)
PM: Gonal F 250iu injection (for 3 days)

Cycle Day 5/6
Replace Gonal F with Pergoveris 200iu
Commence daily Fyremadel injection 250 µg

Trigger to be determined closer to EC

Might bounce off an infertility board as I guess I’m most curious about side effects. The only one that was mentioned was bloating, which I can understand given my ovaries will swell.

Decided to start testing ovulation to give me more of an understanding about when I’ll need to travel. I think it’s just over two weeks away but will be good to get more of an idea.

I’ve been catching up on the thread and wanted to send lots of love to you all. I know how upsetting and frustrating the cycles of testing and treatment and waiting can be. The only advice I can offer, having been there for three years between 2016-19, is to make sure you have a good support network around you, to turn to the things that help you feel good and to try to make this a part of your life and not your whole life. I think that’s easy to say when you’re not in the thick of it and this might change for me in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I’m trying my best to access things like journaling on my feelings as it settles me, meditation such as the IVF prep ones on Insight Timer, walking with a friend who is curious and lets me pour it all out, and asking for what I need from my OH because he doesn’t have a clue.

Going to try and distract myself with work today and come back to it all with fresh eyes later. Can feel that overwhelm creeping in 💛

@VenusStarr The clinic want me to wait for the hysteroscopy until after my final banking cycle which seems a long time to wait. They don’t seem very concerned about it and don’t want to seem to give any possible diagnosis beforehand so now I will be worrying for the next couple of months. I have appointment with consultant tomorrow so I will try and get more answers then if I can.

@myrainbowjourney I feel like I’ve put my life on hold to do IVF this year so I wouldn’t have to worry about other stressors. Now I want to forget about the IVF completely so am thinking about what to do next.

@myrainbowjourney I'm still waiting for AF to return after my latest miscarriage before we start trying again. It's been 27 days so I'm hoping it'll come soon, but I think I was waiting about 7 weeks for AF after MC #3 so it might be a bit longer yet...part of me is really keen to start trying again as soon as possible but part of me feels like I'm not emotionally ready, and perhaps my body could do with a rest.

@InvisibleDreamer I hate it when people quote the stats around miscarriage rates to me. I too repeatedly seem to end up in that tiny % of things that go wrong. It feels like one blow after another and is bitterly unfair. Whatever the cause of your lining issues I hope it's something that can be treated.

Today would have been my due date for the baby girl we lost in September :( OH is completely oblivious. We buried the remains in a plant pot with a rose so I think I will go and spend some time outside later just to feel near. It's nice that the sun is shining here today x

@Sezmarelda1 Yes totally hate the stats thing I have no faith at all that I won’t be in that 1% every time, at the end of the day someone has to be.

Tomorrow I should have a 1 month old baby, its hard when you are wondering what could have been. My baby is also in a plant pot. It really makes me think now how many babies there must be in plant pots in peoples gardens. Mine is planted with purple anemones then I have a matching pot with spring flowers in. I hope you find some peace in today.

I think it’s sometimes easier for OHs to not remember. That’s how mine copes.

I'm so sorry @InvisibleDreamer, it's so hard isn't it. Your pots sound beautiful. I sometimes like to think that the babies are part of the plants and it brings me some happiness when the plants flower. Did you do anything to mark your due date last month? I feel like I should do more, but at the same time I can't bring myself to. All four of our miscarried babies are in the same plant pot together which I really love - although after MC #4 we had to buy a bigger pot to transfer them all to as we ran out of space. Oh the naivety when we bought that first pot...I never imagined it would one day be too small :(

Hi again all, I've just been catching up. I'm so sorry some of you are going through/ have been through such difficult times. It's just so unfair and it amazes me how strong you have all been. I too would have a 1 month old baby by now, my due date was the end of January. Just to let you know - I spoke to the clinic and they said I can continue on the prednisolone as long as my covid symptoms are mild and I'm triple vaccinated which I am. I would say for anyone reading this in the future though to ring and check as that advice to me was based on my current circumstances/ treatment protocol etc. I'm so relieved I don't have to abandon this month's cycle but also pretty fed up with the whole covid situation. I feel like the treatment is hard enough without having covid to contend with 😢 x

@TheHopefulEgg sorry to not be able to help - I have no idea on IVF protocols. I hope the side effects are non existent for you.

Totally agree about a support network. It's so isolating without it. With my first few miscarriages I didn't really talk to anyone. The ectopic made me talk because I'd had emergency surgery so it was difficult to do the whole 'I'm fine' strategy. I think it's sad how many can't talk to me about it though, I know it's a tricky topic, but people just don't know what to say. I think my friendship groups have adjusted since.

How are you feeling now?

@InvisibleDreamer how are you doing? I can totally understand you wanting to not think about the IVF. Will you give this one a shot?

@Sezmarelda1 how are you? Any sign of AF yet? You'll definitely know if you are ready. We took 3 months after the ectopic but I sort of had to and I think i needed it.

@WillowTree0721 I'm glad you were able to continue your treatment. How are you feeling now?

@VenusStarr how are you doing? Week off next week?

@StillTrying10000 how are you? Did you have your hysteroscopy? Don't think I've seen an update?

xxx

@Sezmarelda1 So sorry you have been through this 4 times. It’s my worst fear that it will happen again. Have you ever had any testing or answers for your losses? I’ve found not having an answer very hard especially as I possibly have an unspecified autoimmune condition & there doesn’t seem to be any proven treatment - other than steroids (which I was on til 8 weeks anyway).

When my mum asked what I was doing for my due date and I replied staying at home and crying all day she insisted we went out. We went to a local farm tea shop which has a lovely lake and blew bubbles over the water & went on a walk around the farmlands. It was actually a really nice day and I didn’t feel too sad so it was a good distraction.

@myrainbowjourney yes we will keep going for now have just finished one round so now have a 6 week break before the next. This round hasn’t gone that well so considering a further round after that. After that we may then do a donor round but that would be the last one. Thinking of starting back doing some private work now and getting back into a few hobbies so the IVF isn’t my whole focus. Also getting much further along with our house renovations so can do some of the fun decor bits which is really lifting my spirits.

I hope you're feeling ok @WillowTree0721. I'm on long-term immunosuppressants (for an auto-immune condition) and caught Covid in January. I had a very mild case thankfully but you do have to be careful, and I'd second what you say for anyone reading this in future - it's always best to seek medical advice if unsure as you can do downhill quickly with any infection (not just Covid) when immune suppressed. Better safe than sorry.

@myrainbowjourney I have no idea what's going on with AF tbh. I had some very light bleeding for two days so I thought it was here, but then it stopped, and then it started again. I find the waiting and not knowing quite frustrating. I usually track my basal body temperature when TTC and it gives me clues as to what's going on with my cycle but my temperatures are all over the place at the moment.

@InvisibleDreamer I had the standard recurrent miscarriage blood tests after my second MC which came back normal. I had them repeated after my third MC and all normal except for APTT which was slightly low (indicating I was clotting faster than I should be), but my obstetrician said it was nothing to worry about, as did Prof Quenby. I had the same blood tests repeated after my fourth MC. All were normal, except they somehow managed to forget to run the APTT blood test that time . I'm off to get it repeated tomorrow. I had cytogenetic testing on the placentas of MC #3 and #4 (it wasn't offered for my first two MCs). Both babies were chromosomally normal. I haven't had full results back from MC #4 yet, but with MC #3 there were abnormalities in the placenta. I also had pre-eclampsia and inter-uterine growth restriction with my son who was born alive and healthy, so again a placenta problem. That also points to immune issues from what I've read.

My due date was really difficult, I needed to be sad and mope about the house all day and that's pretty much what I did. I managed to spend a few minutes near my plant pot of babies and I added some pretty white pebbles to the pot to make it look nicer. Your day out with your mum sounds lovely @InvisibleDreamer, it's nice just to know someone remembered too x

Thank you for asking @myrainbowjourney ❤️ yes have broken up for a week off. Dh is working today so I'm going to get all the party bits sorted. It's not til next week but as we're off together, need to sort it today. He's been really stressed and not sleeping well lately, so I'm hoping this helps him.
Not much to say for me. I'm seeing Dr S a week on Monday but I've only been on sitagliptin a couple of weeks, so still a way off trying again. I got the all clear for my smear.

How are you, is it test day today? I hope you're OK xx

@InvisibleDreamer I'm sorry this round didn't go as well as you hoped. I hope your break in treatment helps. I think not thinking about it all the time is helping me, it's obviously still there but not as intense.

@Sezmarelda1 I'm sorry for your losses ❤️

@WillowTree0721 I'm glad you checked. When are you due to test?

I'm glad you got your protocol @TheHopefulEgg it's completely different meds to mine. I like tracking my cycle when not ttc as it helps me to know when to expect my period etc and that things have settled down. I've got a rough date in my heard for when I hope we can plan our FET.

@StillTrying10000 I hope you're OK and that this cycle is going well ❤️

Lots of love xx

@Sezmarelda1 I’ve found that you just have to do whatever you feel you need to do at whatever time, place etc… and not question it. I was happy my mum remembered my due date she was the only one. I’m not sure my OH was even aware of my due date he doesn’t really pay attention to details so I was glad my mum asked.

I hope the answers you have will help you plan for any further pregnancies although as I’m finding out there seems to be so much unknown about what causes many of these issues in pregnancy. It makes me wonder if anyone is bothering to research it. I also suspect I have an autoimmune issue my ANA results were indicative of some kind of autoimmune disease and I had high thyroid antibodies but I’ve no idea what further tests I should have or how/where to get them.

@VenusStarr it sounds like a week off together is just what you both need. It's meant to be a lovely week for weather too, so you've picked a good one!

It is test day today. I have had a super faint line, but I just don't think it's a real line. I'm wondering if it's the trigger, or possibly won't implant properly. It's so faint, and I'd expect a better line. Will test again tomorrow and see xx

Oh wow @myrainbowjourney I understand your hesitation but I'm hoping it's a real line. You're 12 days past trigger aren't you? Mine lasted 10 days. I've got everything crossed for you ❤️

Thank you, I'm hoping we can spend some nice time together. He's been working lots of late nights recently x

Yeah 12 days post trigger so I don't know if it would be that, it's just not a line I'm comfortable with at the moment. Just self preservation I guess.

Thank you ❤️❤️

@VenusStarr line no different this morning. If I'd have to say, I'd say lighter than yesterday. I feel absolutely devastated xx

Oh I am so sorry @myrainbowjourney ❤️ I really hoped this would be different for you today. It's a very cruel process. Sending you a big hug xxx

@VenusStarr I just don't understand what it could be. I'm sure it can't have been the trigger? I just don't know what to do any more. I keep thinking whether there is still hope, but I know there isn't xx

It does seem late to be the trigger @myrainbowjourney it's horrible because it's the weekend, but maybe message the clinic tomorrow and tell them what's happened. Its confusing. I'm sorry you're in limbo xx

@myrainbowjourney perhaps it’s a chemical? :( keeping fingers crossed for some line progression.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you @myrainbowjourney! Can you bear to wait a couple of days before testing again or does the clinic require you to test sooner because of medication? Sorry I'm quite new to some of this! How many days post-ovulation are you?

@Sezmarelda1 thank you ❤️

the clinic ask you to test so that you can stop the medication if negative. I haven't taken my meds today, as I don't think it's going to go anywhere, I think I'd have seen some progression.
I expect if I test tomorrow, it'll be negative.
I had my trigger shot 13 days ago, so I think I'd be 12dpo today, although I think you can ovulate up to 36 hours after the trigger so could be 11dpo.
I think I'll test in the morning and then just email the clinic and ask what they advise. I don't know whether to take a break, even just a cycle, but it's so hard to do that when you are in the thick of it all.

How are you doing?

Thank you @InvisibleDreamer ❤️. It could be. I don't know what's worse, dodgy tests or a chemical. If it's a chemical it just feels more hopeless, maybe. It's all just rubbish. I think I'd have had some progression already if it was anything, but will wait for final confirmation tomorrow.

How are you?

@VenusStarr I definitely will get in touch with them tomorrow. The first 2 cycles on super ov I had faint tests and they put it down to the trigger. The next 3 I didn't have any faint lines, so I wonder if it can be? Surely either the trigger stays in your system or it doesn't? It's so annoying. Testing early isn't a good thing, I think they just need to let you take the meds longer so you get a clear answer.

Thank you all for your lovely messages

Xxx

@myrainbowjourney I’m doing ok thanks. Miraculously we managed to get a day 6 embryo from this round so it wasn’t a complete waste in the end, although won’t know if it’s genetically normal until we test after round 3.