Immune/ NK cells - Pred threat 27

[LaurenAB94]

@Bambii @Daffodil21 @Eeviee @Everhopeful35 @farfromperfect82 @Eeviee @Everhopeful35 @Hazlet2 @farfromperfect82 @HoldingOn2Hope @Jellystar23 @KtAgs @Lalaifa @LookingforAnswers86 @Marabouchoc @LRL12 @MrsMargot @Naticle @NessyT91 @NessyT91 @NICK7nick7 @rainwillmaketheflowersgrow @Rebecca9876 @Sophfr17 @Tinpo @VenusStarr @Wheresmyrainbow @Whyisthistakingsolong

@Luckyducky2

Fingers crossed for you!

We’re only about 45 mins away from the clinic and it’s even closer to my office so I thought it would be convenient future appointments.

I’m eager to see how my body responds as we’ve never tried any kind of assisted conception before.

Do you know what dose of omega 3 and vit d is recommended? I’ve got a combined supplement with 1200mg omega 3 and 1000 IU of vit D but I have a feeling this isn’t high enough 🤦🏻‍♀️

Oh you are so lucky, will be easy to nip over if there's a cancellation then!

Had a check and my plan doesn't actually say what amount of omega 3, just 1 softgel (i just buy big bottles of them in boots or supermarket)and its 2000iu of vit D so 2 of those tablets you have xx

@Luckyducky2 thank you!

Yes I feel very lucky after seeing how far some people travel to see him!

@Badlydrawngirly I’m so sorry for your losses. It’s definitely worth waiting for Dr S even though it must be so frustrating having to wait especially in the infertility/miscarriage world where we always feel we are waiting for something or feel left behind. In the meantime you can get your body ready - eat healthily and do some exercise and take the supplements that he recommends you take 8 weeks prior to trying anyway - omega 3, vitamin d, prenatal and aspirin 75mg (although the aspirin part may be different for you if you have thrombophillia). You could read ‘it starts with the egg’ if you haven’t already as that talk about ways of improving your egg quality for previous chromosomal losses. At least then you will feel like you’ve made a start which may help with the waiting.

Does anyone know if when you’re pregnant Dr S is advising shielding once you’re off of the steroids?

Hi everyone, took me a while to find the thread. I guess it moved to pregnancy from the other board as most are pregnant now. Hope all is going well.

Thought I'd share an update. I had my 3 month review with Mr S this week. He has added predisolone into my plan now. He thinks that because my nk cell activation is exceptionally high, I should try the steroids from ovulation as well as the intralipids and hydroxy. We're going to ttc this cycle (should ovulate over the weekend). If no luck, we're going to try superovulation for 3 months and then look to do ivf. Still struggling, especially knowing we've been ttc for nearly 3.5 years now 😔 but having a change of plan has given me a boost, just hate test day.

@NICK7nick7 he didn't say I needed to shield on the pred, but might be worth checking if you're worried x

@NICK7nick7

Thank you so much and I’m sorry for you too, it’s such I difficult journey. You’re right, I’m trying to focus on what I can do in these next months and trying not to count down the days! I’ve already decided I want to go for SO and possibly IUI, which I think will have to be at new life clinic. It sounds as if he doesn’t like patients telling him what they want though! I do only have one tube though and at 42 I want to start with what will give us most chance!

@VenusStarr

I’m glad you have a new plan, that always helps. It took us a 3.5 years to conceive before this last loss and it’s made me so impatient to fall pregnant again.
Do you mind me asking why he didn’t start you on steroids straight away?

@NICK7nick7 I'm just heading back from the clinic on our epic journey for intralipids (shattered!) and the nurse said they recommend shielding from weeks 6 - 12 but just need to be careful after that with usual precautions, mask, handgel etc. I was asking should I keep my wee boy home from nursery and she said yes as too risky.

@VenusStarr hello, I remember speaking to you before....we are also 3.5 years trying now, when I look back I cant believe how long we have been ttc, its just crazy. Fingers crossed SO does the trick for you guys!

@Badlydrawngirly we looked at IUI aswell and the success rates were really low for our age group, less than 5%. I spoke to the ivf clinic that I ended up going with and they agreed if i could save up a bit more money the success rates were much higher for ivf over 40? I think 3 rounds of iui were the same price as the ivf so we ended up waiting 3 months and doing that instead? (More waiting aah!) Just food for thought....you want the best result for all the money you spend but honestly I'd give the SO a go, it might just work for you and save you all the hassle?! xx

@Luckyducky2 hope you get home soon you can get some rest. Thank you, that’s really helpful. A shame that you can’t send your son to nursery but then I understand that it is risky at the moment and your safety is the most important thing. I’m nearly 15 weeks and weaning off steroids over the last few weeks so hopefully I’ll be OK then to stop shielding and for my daughter to return to school, will see what he says when I see him next Monday. We are all going stir crazy in the house, although thankful to be safe.

@Luckyducky2

That’s really interesting, I thought the chances were the same for IUI and IVF? I think I’ve read so much my brain is frazzled! I think I’m so exhausted with it all that I’m getting too lazy to even think about having sex and just want it all dealt with for me 😂

Hi @Badlydrawngirly he didn't say why he didn't put me on them straight away. I suspect it may have been an oversight to be honest, but it may also to be with covid as well. I asked him if it was worth exploring and he went back to my test results and said your levels are exceptionally high and I usually would use steroids... And then said I'm happy to add them into the plan. I'm not going to overthink it though, just glad I can try something different. I've found these last few months since I got my results and plan really, really difficult. This new plan has given me a bit of hope again.

Thank you @Luckyducky2 best wishes for your transfer. Hope you weren't too tired from your trip. I was absolutely shattered after going down this week. X

Hello friends. I did SO last month on 7.5mg and got two follies but a BFN. Mr S decided to increase the dose in the hope of 3 follies (and 10mg). Upsettingly it hasn’t worked at all and not even one dominant follicle is coming forward. I’ve always ovulated naturally and am now worried I’ve broken myself :/. Has anyone experienced this? Thank you. I could do with a verbal hug xxx

Sending you a big hug @Marabouchoc ❤️ I'm sorry you didn't respond to the letrozole this time. Does Mr S think you will ovulate later? Just wondering if inducing a bleed is an option?
I know how upset you must be feeling, it's very difficult to be in this limbo. Xx

Hi @VenusStarr

I can imagine as I’m frustrated and impatient with the idea of a plan that might not work and I’ve not even got it yet! I can see myself getting so wound up between now and April that I go and and bang my fist on his desk and demand he gives me the best he’s got 😂 I honestly think i’m losing my mind with all of this. I don’t know if it’s hormones or sheer frustration!

I had a reading with a psychic who is very accurate, she picked up on so many small details and knew about the pregnancy and has assured her I’ll be pregnant again soon. I’m not sure how I feel about anything anymore.

Hi @Marabouchoc

Sending you a virtual hug and I really hope the increase in meds works for you. Do you mind me asking how many scans you need when you’re doing SO?

Thank you!

@Badlydrawngirly I know that feeling, it all becomes such a chore after a while doesnt it, ovulation sticks, popping pills to ovulate, etc ....I was almost relieved when I did ivf....just somebody get me pregnant lol! Now I just need Dr S to help me hold onto one!! Its beyond frustrating how something that is so easy for everyone else is just so hard?! It would send anyone crazy, think I'm already halfway there haha! 🤣 oh and I went to a psychic years ago during my first pregnancy, I was about 9 weeks pregnant, she picked up on it and told me I was either going to have twin boys or two boys very closely together. Totally convinced myself i was having twins of course 🙄 but my world fell in when I miscarried a couple weeks later and then i fell pregnant with my wee boy. I haven't gone to see her since, I just couldn't take it if she said anything else as I'd just get my hopes up and ive lost too many now? Torture isn't it!

@Marabouchoc I think the SO can take a good few months to work? I used to always fall pregnant between 2-5 months of doing it but after a while my body just stopped responding to it. Hopefully next month will be the one for you! Xx

@NICK7nick7 you must have been going stir crazy in the house, you will be desperate to get out and about soon! Can I ask did you take pred and hydroxy or just the pred? Pinning all my hopes on these steroids, I hope they do the trick and its always reassuring hearing from women who have had success on them! Xx

@Luckyducky2 I had just steroids and intralipids last time but unfortunately I miscarried so he added Hydroxy this time as well as the steroids and intralipids. Really hope this is the one for you! Xx

Has anyone been prescribed progesterone? If so how long did you take it until? Scared about coming off the pred (took my last dose yesterday) and progesterone

@Daffodil21 I'm on 800mg progesterone until 16weeks

Thanks @LaurenAB94 that's what my prescription says too (I was 16 weeks on Thursday). My consultant said I could stay on it until 20 weeks if I wanted to, but sort of said it like it wouldn't make much difference. I'm a bit nervous about stopping now because I don't want to stop the pred and the cyclogest at the same time in case it's too much of a shock to the system? I'm probably being completely ridiculous though. I'm just debating whether to come off it before 20 weeks or not and was wondering what everyone else was doing. I might cut down to 400mg maybe. I'm starting to find the ridiculous weight gain a little uncomfortable, but I also don't want to stop and then regret it. 16 weeks does seem normal though..

@Daffodil21 why don't you stop the prednisone and reduce the progesterone 400mg for a week and then stop the progesterone

@LaurenAB94 i took my last dose or pred on Saturday morning so I was thinking of keeping on the full dose of progesterone for a week, then halving it for a week or so. Then I think why don't I just stay on it until 20 weeks but it does seem a little unnecessary. This has all turned me into a nervous wreck 🙈

@Daffodil21 I think it's probably safe to come
Off it at 16weeks but do what makes you feel more at ease and what the doctor recommends

@Daffodil21 I’m 15 weeks and currently weaning off the Prednisolone by 5mg every 5 days and then coming off of the progesterone at 16 weeks. Dr S wouldn’t say it’s ok to come off of if it isn’t but just do whatever makes you feel comfortable. I can’t wait to come off of the progesterone, although more nervous about coming off of the steroids but I need to trusts that Dr S knows best! Xx

Thanks @LaurenAB94 and @Luckyducky2 that's very reassuring. I don't really have a doctor if that makes sense. I had a meeting with a consultant when they messed up the karyotyping of my last pregnancy and I asked her if I should stop at 16 weeks, and that's when she said I could keep going until 20 weeks if I wanted to, but she didn't seem like she thought it was necessary, so knowing dr s says 16 weeks soon after coming off the pred is very reassuring.

@NICK7nick7 I know what you mean, I'm so happy to be off the pred but was nervous of it too. I had hoped the weight gain would even out after coming off them both, but I'm not sure it will! Never mind, small price to pay