Immune/NK Issues - aka Pred Thread no 26

[KtAgs]

This thread has been running for many years and has proved invaluable for so many of us who have suffered recurrent miscarriages as we go through this incredibly tough journey.

Discussions cover immune issues, NK (natural killer) cells, thyroid issues, PGS and many many more.

Welcome to the group no-one wants to be in

@HoldingOn2Hope*@Crystal2020 @Wishing5tar*@hrtbrk2 @VenusStarr @jellystar23 @3verhopeful35 @hazlet2 @whyisthistakingsolong @NICK7nick7 @LR12 @Lalaifa @lookingforanswers86

Please tag anyone else I've missed.

Thanks for replying . I’m so glad they were
Nice just hoping this new strain of covid doesn’t cause the clinic to close down 🙄
Have you got a follow up with Brosens ? X

Finleysmom84 I have got a follow up but it does say on the first results letter that “If you wish to discuss the test results before the second biopsy or if you do not wish to have a second biopsy, please arrange a telephone consultation.” So I have asked for one. I don’t think they are allowed to prescribe the steroids though atm. I hope it doesn’t close too for you. I don’t suspect it will as no ivf clinics have closed for it... good luck!

Does anyone have plans to revamp aspects of their lifestyle in the new year?

I’m conscious of putting too much pressure on myself but I know I have to make some changes, I’ve let it all go this christmas (and for most of this year 🙈).

Thought I could start with trying to drink more water, trying to increase fruit and veg intake and attempting to reduce sugar. More regular exercise. Crafting for mental health (instead of aimlessly scrolling through phone!). I'm wondering if there are any diet/lifestyle tips that specifically help with immune issues/are anti inflammatory.

Would also like to get better at tracking ovulation, as that stresses me out when TTC. Before all of the drugs I found it easier to just know vaguely, but not put too much pressure on timings. With cytologest I will have to be more aware - any tips?!

Hope everyone isn’t feeling to overwhelmed by the new year, I understand that different dates and milestones mean different things to different people x

Struggling today . I find this time
Of year hard . I had my 5th loss confirmed at the beginning of December. Xmas day was
The due date for my first miscarriage and all
I’ve been thinking is if that had worked
Out I would of had a one year old
Now .

My son is 7 and I’ve gone through the motions of Xmas for him . The age gap is just getting bigger and I’m getting older . I feel very isolated , my partner has dealt with the losses very differently to me . I spend too much time on google basically . I’m also pissed off he keeps forgetting to take his well man vits. I’ve been poked and prodded so much during this ‘journey ‘ and I’m hoping I can have a biopsy at Coventry next month .- so all he has to do is take them and he can’t even do that 🙄

I always find the time between Xmas and new year depressing that I’m actually looking forward to going back to work!

Sorry for my depressing ramble 🙈x

@ginandoreos I had a big plan to completely cut out everything from January - zero caffeine, processed food, alcohol, dairy... but I found that even thinking about it was making me feel under so much pressure. I was spending so much time worrying about having one cup of tea, that the stress probably did more damage than the caffeine! I think for me it feels about having an element of control over a terrifying situation.

So new plan is just to cut down a bit. I’ve cut out coffee and just have one tea a day. I eat generally healthy anyway but I’ll just make a bit more of an effort to avoid processed stuff/white carbs. And planning to only drink occasionally rather than 2/3 times a week like I do now! Oh and also, like you, hoping to stay off my phone and all the millions of miscarriage Facebook groups I’ve ended up in.

And I’m going to start the yoga with Adrienne 30 day yoga challenge from January 1st - last year I got pregnant two weeks in so never finished it!

@Finleysmom84 so sorry you had a tough time. I kept thinking about the ages my babies should be too. I should have a newborn this Christmas so it was a real struggle. I have an older child too so although I know I’m so so lucky, I just wish so much his siblings were here with us instead of just letter decorations hanging on the tree.

I feel exactly the same .

Hello, I hope you’ve all had a lovely Christmas (or as lovely as it can be in this Covid world at the moment).

I recently saw Mr Shehata and would love to join this thread to learn from your experiences and offer support if I can :)

I sadly experienced 3 early miscarriages between August 2019 and 2020. I haven’t fallen again since then. My AMH is not brilliant, not awful (I don’t think!) and my antral follicle count dramatically dropped over the past year. I recently completed a round of egg collection, which unfortunately didn’t go very well at all (gd amount of eggs collected but poor development into embryos).

Mr Shehata identified that I have a below ‘normal’ number of nK cells but their activation markers are high. I also have high thyroid antibodies and high cytokines.

Mr Shehata seems to strongly counsel against doing IVF again and suggested trying naturally or using his superovulation programme alongside intralipids and hydroxychloroquine.

I have to admit I am feeling extremely confused about what to do!

I was wondering if anyone here has tried the superovulation programme and why you decided to go for it? Did you have success and how many rounds did it take? Is anyone else weighing up this approach and IVF? Thank you.

It’s lovely to meet you all. Thanks for having me :) x

@Finleysmom84 feeling the exact same...Christmas this year was not fun :( and I am also dying to go back to work for the distraction. I got a million pictures of all my girls group kids on Christmas day....there is only 2 of us in it without kids...I also am 35 in a few weeks so dreading that too...I keep thinking how is it so easy for everyone else and what did I do in life 😬 it's so hard to believe it will happen sometimes...

@Marabouchoc welcome :) but sorry you are here :(. I have no experience of the superovulation programme but a few of the others do and I am sure they will share their experiences :)

@Marabouchoc if you fell pregnant 3 time in a year it doesn't seem like you need IVF unless you are concerned re egg quality and are considering PGS testing. Sounds like trying naturally/ superovulation (if you want to speed things up) makes sense to me but that's just what I would do I think....

@LookingforAnswers86 thanks for your reply hun.

Yes we did IVF so that we could do PGS testing, as we were told our miscarriages were likely down to chromosomal abnormalities. Mr S seemed to disagree that this was a significant issue, which I found confusing. My IVF consultant at CRGH and Mr S seem to be coming from different angles :/. We have two day 3 Frosties on ice and are now trying to decide on our next steps. A) try on our own with Mr S’ treatment plan B) superovulation C) Mr S’ treatment plan, IVF and PGS testing (if we ever make any day 5 embryos!).

My antral follicle count and AMH are dropping so it always feels like a ticking clock. Cliche alert. Ugh. Thanks again for coming back to me.

Xx

Hi ladies, hope you all had a nice Christmas. Always a hard time of year if ttc and thinking about the what ifs.
@marabouchoc, I'd also be inclined to try Super O, I don't think IVF really helps with miscarriage unless it's the PGS screening. And it's so expensive!

I've just had a faint BFP. It has totally filled me with dread and feel like I'm now just waiting for it to go wrong. Gone are the days of joy with a BFP! For me it's always early losses but not finding out til later. At least with CRP clinic, will be checked early.
Does anyone have any tips for trying to keep calm in early pregnancy??

@Whyisthistakingsolong aaaaah I’ll keep everything crossed for you hun. This is one of the hardest times to stay sane I think. Distraction has usually been my friend. Keep us posted xxx

Does anyone know when the clinic reopens? I’ve tried calling today but they’re no answer on any line.

I am trying to decide whether to go for a blood test through my GP to test my FSH etc. Mr S said to do day 1-3 but that fell over Christmas and bank holiday. Today is cycle day 4. Any thoughts are v welcome! X

Congratulations @Whyisthistakingsolong ❤️ A lovely late Christmas present!
I don’t have any tips on staying calm I’m sorry, but Mr S plan has worked for so many so why shouldn’t it for us? I was doing well until the last couple of days but zero-symptom anxiety is setting in 😩 This is my sixth pregnancy so you’d think I’d know by now that each one is different etc but all rational thoughts are out of the window at this point!

@Marabouchoc if you can get in for a blood test today with your GP, I’d say go for it. At worst Mr S will say it needs to be repeated next cycle within day 1-3. The clinic is not back open until 4th Jan. xx

@Jellystar23 thanks! I can get it done through the GP today :). I was thinking shall I gamble his accepting/rejecting the results as if he’s not happy with CD4 I think I’ll struggle to get my GP to write me another blood form. It’ll mean paying and a long car ride to Epsom. I think I’m going to go for it though, thank you xx

Re clinic opening, I’m meant to be going for an intralipid on Dec 31st so am a bit confused if it’s going ahead :/

It was meant to be today but I had a call to say the clinic had to be shut due to a confirmed Covid case and that my appt would move to NYE. Is there a out of hours number I wonder? Hmmmm.

Xx

@Marabouchoc - now you mention it, I’m sure another lady in here is due in on 30th/31st. Perhaps only the nurses are working? Could try dropping them an email see if they respond that way 🤞🏻

I have the same trouble with my GP - asked for a LFT so I didn’t have to drive 4 hours each way and was told “as you are now under private care, all tests must be completed privately until discharged” 🤯 If there was any sort of miscarriage clinic in Wales I may be inclined to understand but when there are zero facilities, what do they expect!!

@Marabouchoc they are closed but just opening for the necessary appointments - scans and intralipids. I was due to have a scan on 30th with Dr S’s colleagues but it was then changed to 31st and now with Dr S although they didn’t say why.

@Whyisthistakingsolong gentle congratulations! I’ve been using affirmations to try to help me, such as ‘I am keeping this baby’ and ‘my baby is strong and healthy’ - I created a manifestation board in my phone with this and other photos on it of me reaching milestones and I look at that when I’m feeling doubtful. I’m trying to also find the balance between keeping busy to keep distracting but also getting some rest . It’s so hard though, I am still overanalysing everything.

@Whyisthistakingsolong congrats!! I’ve had mindfulness apps highly recommended and also gentle exercise will help with endorphins. Like @NICK7nick7 I have found ticking off milestones quite helpful. My top tip is just staying away from Dr Google and looking up scary internet statistics as they are so unhelpful and will get you down (I was terrible for that early on and spent the whole time highly stressed out). I really hope this is it for you and have everything crossed xx

@Whyisthistakingsolong congrats 🥰! I hope the next few days of holidays are a bit of distraction 🤞🤞

@Whyisthistakingsolong congrats fingers crossed for you try stay busy ☺️

I’ve stalking these pred threads for a while and I’ve seen it mentioned quite a bit that dr S had said early losses are harder to treat ? Does anyone know why ??
I’ve had three chemicals ( one of which I’d never of known about if I hadn’t tested at 9dpo x

@Marabouchoc just for some reassurance I was on day 4 when I had my FSH done with mr S and he still did it then and was happy.

Thanks @Rebecca9876 @Marabouchoc @NICK7nick7 @Jellystar23 @LRL12 I
I particularly like the affirmations, will give that a go.
have intralipids booked in with the clinic tomorrow, surprised they managed to get me in over this period.
I think I am just in denial at this stage... Self preservation.
@Finleysmom84, I have no idea why, but he did say to me that earlier losses are hard to treat as well. All my losses have been before 6 weeks.

Happy New Year to everyone, let's hope 2021 bring lots of little babies to us all x

Would anyone like 2 boxes of Cyclogest? I’ve got two unopened boxes and about 1/2 packet if anyone wants them rather they go to some use then in the bin. X