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

@NessyT91 congratulations! I know how you must be feeling, are you able to get a blood test anywhere or will you wait a bit to retest? It’s awful that the excitement is replaced with fear for us. Keeping everything crossed for you.

@VenusStarr hope you’re ok and feeling ok about starting IVF.

I ovulated in CD11 (despite the letrozole) so same as last month so hoping the follicles had grown enough and my lining will be thick enough for implantation. There are so many things to think about! Going back for more acupuncture this afternoon to try and help things a bit!

It’s interesting that Dr S prescribes estrogen when my dr said it could prevent ovulation, it’s all so confusing!

Thanks @VenusStarr. I’m going to test again tomorrow and if it’s still looking positive I’ll book intralipids in with a clinic in Dublin. I know Mr S doesn’t want them administered anywhere else but it’s just too much stress to get to the UK right now. We’re also moving house this week and getting a second rescue dog so it’s all a bit mental!

I’m glad you got to chill out a bit this month. When does your IVF cycle start? Everything crossed that it goes well for you.

@Badlydrawngirly thanks so much. Ya it’s crazy how your feelings change after loss - I don’t think I’ll be allowing myself to believe it’s real until we’re out of the danger zone. I’m just going to retest tomorrow and hopefully the line is as strong if not hopefully a little stronger.
I hope everything goes well for you this month. I’ve been doing acupuncture too and find it really helps calm me down. I also love the heat lamp she puts on me 😂

🤞 for tomorrow @NessyT91 I hope this is the one ❤️ you've got a lot going on, what kind of dog are you getting?

I've got my nurses appointment this morning, so should be getting my protocol today, with medication doses etc. Had to watch the administration videos yesterday 🥺🥺 bit scary, but I'm getting excited. Should be ovulating this week, so hopefully starting in less than 3 weeks! Eek. I need to book intralipids for when I start stims.
How are you getting on @Luckyducky2?

Glad you ovulated OK @Badlydrawngirly I've booked acupuncture for next Wednesday, looking forward to going back. I'd like to do it with my ivf cycle, but not sure if I'll be able to book it all in.

With the progynova, my lining on cd26 was 9.5mm (it was 7mm when I triggered)

I'll let you know once I've had my nurse appointment with next steps :)

@NessyT91 congratulations this is such amazing news! It’s my first cycle trying under Dr S’s treatment plan and I’m currently 6DPO. How did you know when to start taking the progesterone without the OPKs? Did you guess when you ovulated or do you have strong signs of ovulation. I would have never of known that I ovulated on CD12/13 if I didn’t start using OPKs, I’m so silly I used to always just trust my app :/
I’m positive your pregnancy will stick - keep us updated! Xx

@VenusStarr that’s so exciting! I’d say it is a bit daunting at first to administer the injections but fingers crossed it will all be worth it.
We are getting a greyhound sister for our eight year old greyhound. She’s been an only child for a long time so hopefully it won’t be too much of an upset 🤞😂

@HopingForABlessing thanks so much. Hopefully this one is here to stay! I don’t really get ovulation signs but I BBT monitored for a few months and seemed to always ovulate on day 16 or 17. The nurses told me to take progesterone from day 18 for 8 days and then test, as if I had ovulated on day 16.
Best of luck to you on the plan! ❤️

NessyT91 congratulations. To be honest your post made my day. I am struggling to have any hope after the two pgt embryos failed to implant and I only have one left. It just seems like there isn’t any hope left and then you posted and it made me have a flutter than maybe there is something that will help....

@Unicorn9 thanks so much, I’m glad it’s given you a boost! I’m so sorry about your embryos. Do you know when you will transfer the next one?
I have also really struggled to remain hopeful and even last night had a complete meltdown to my husband as I was so sure it hadn’t worked for us again this month.

What protocol did Dr S put you on? I’ve only tried pred and intralipids once and hope he has more to add... maybe hydroxy. Hopefully not ivig or lit as we can’t afford those. It just seems so hopeless. We can do a natural transfer where they let me ovulate naturally and then transfer the embryo or I can do an ERA and then see if my timing is out and transfer after. But my head is swimming because I don’t know which to do and it’s the very last embryo:-(

How lovely @NessyT91 I love greyhounds, they just seem so gentle. Hope they both settle quickly 🥰

I'm the same as you @Unicorn9 really struggle to have hope we'll get there ❤️ I'm on the full complex plan with hydroxy, pred and intralipids. When are you seeing Dr S? It is so hard to know what's the right thing to do.

Had my nurses appointment, my head is officially 🤯 but we're on track to start with my next period, so hopefully 2 weeks :) should get my meds in the next week or so. Then I'll need to book in at crp for my intralipids once I've had my first monitoring scan. Feel a bit overwhelmed but excited to get going now xx

I think I would have more hope if I knew we could do one more ivf cycle and then not bother with pgs testing and just put whatever we got back two at a time. But then who knows if that will work. It’s so frustrating because I fall pregnant quickly naturally but with ivf I haven’t even seen a faint bfp with euploid embryos. And I’m 42 so it doesn’t sound like there is much hope for me anymore. My doctor is referring me to Dr S so I have to wait to see what will happen. The clock ticks loudly...

I think it might be a good idea to check with his NHS clinic about the waiting times. I was being referred by my consultant to Mr S in Epsom but he said I'd be waiting a while so we were lucky to be able to (just) afford private care. This was pre pandemic but the pandemic started and stopped our treatment plan for two months. Then my husband and I mentioned that we were going to be referred via the NHS in passing to Mr S when we were pregnant and on his treatment plan and he said in late last year there were over 400 people waiting on the NHS and they were having to hire extra staff to deal with the backlog as everything had stopped because of COVID. I really don't want to be the bearer of bad news but I've always preferred my expectations being set - especially when so many of us have waited such a long time for our babies already. Of course, a lot of things may have changed since then as its probably around 5-6 months since I had this conversation with Mr S and I would be delighted to hear that things have moved on since then. Perhaps other people on the thread know more? I don't know if anyone else on here has been to his RMC in the NHS recently? I've been speaking with people on here since Jan 2020 ish and I think there were a few people at the time that were seeing him via the NHS. From memory, I think typically you don't see him but his staff if that makes sense? Katy x

@KtAgs thank you for your post. I have been referred to Mr S's NHs clinic (it's at my local hospital) but have chosen to book privately to see him. I have wrestled with whether we should be spending the money on something which I could have free if I just waited, but reading that has made me feel better about making the decision to go privately.

Congratulations @NessyT91 my fingers and toes are crossed for you.

I was referred to Epsom NHS RMC in October 2019. At that time it took about 4 months to wait for blood tests and then a results appointment, but I can well believe it will be longer now with the backlog of covid. The 4 months (and then a delay when the clinic closed due to covid) felt like a very long time - if you can afford to go private then don't feel guilty for doing so! Having said that, I had a good experience overall with the NHS clinic and successful treatment with hydroxychloroquine - I'm now nearly 35 weeks pregnant

Hi @Hippo20 was thinking if you other day, glad all is ok, xx

Thanks for that @Hippo20. Like @LRL12 said, I'm so glad all is well. I'm nearly 37 weeks with our little boy so on the countdown now.

Thinking of everyone here who is grappling with what to do for treatment plans and weighing up finances. It's an awful position to be in but there is such a wealth of knowledge in these 'pred threads' and I'm always so grateful people have been up for sharing their stories. (I think I read the thread from start to finish a couple of times before deciding what to do.)

xxx

Lovely to hear from you @KtAgs too, and I'm so pleased your pregnancy is going well!

I was so nervous about taking pred when I first got my results (I was prescribed that first then swapped to hydroxy because of covid), but this thread was so helpful in learning what to expect. Wishing everyone the best in what is a very difficult journey!

@KtAgs lovely to hear all is going well for you. I’m currently 23 weeks pregnant on Dr S’s treatment plan of steroids and hydroxychloroquine following a loss on his plan preciously of just steroids.

I haven’t been getting notifications for some reason about this thread so apologies if I’ve missed anything.

I just wondered if anyone knows what Dr A’s current viewpoint is on the covid jab? I’ve been offered it and emailed it and they basically just said ask whoever is now in charge of your care, even though they said when I was discharged at 16 weeks that I could contact them with questions! I’m not on immune suppressants any more. Thanks 😊

That is a good question and glad to hear things are going well for you too @NICK7nick7. If I wasn't so close to my due date, I would have loved to get the vaccine and hope I will be offered it soon after birth. I was offered it through my work in December but weighed up the risks and benefits (at that time) and decided against it

If it helps, this came out two days ago: www.tommys.org/pregnancyhub/blogs-stories/covid-19-vaccine-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding. If I was offered it again now and was in my 2nd trimester, I'd probably take it.

@KtAgs thank you, that’s really helpful. I wouldn’t have taken it before but I think now given this updated advice that I will have it.

Can I just ask, when do you stop testing after a positive? I tested again yesterday and the line had gotten a bit stronger which I’m obviously really pleased by. I suppose I’m just worried that I’ll have a chemical pregnancy and not know until my 6 week scan because I’m taking progesterone.

@NessyT91 I don’t know if this is helpful or will create MORE worries but you could try the clear blue weeks monitor. I have heard horror stories-people relying on them and still having different results to what they imply but in their defence they helped diagnose my upcoming miscarriages and also told me it was good news when it was good news. Maybe I was lucky. Good luck x

@Naticle and @NessyT91 I would stop doing them now and definitely not do the clearblue ‘how many weeks’ ones either. It is so hard to wait until 6 weeks but less anxiety provoking than using the tests. I ignored the advice about this and used the clearblue ones and my weeks weren’t progressing which resulted in me feeling really anxious and having 2x HCG blood tests - one of which (and the results from them) had to be on Christmas Day! That was with my current pregnancy (23 weeks) so obviously all was OK. It caused so much unnecessary worry.

@NessyT91 I was testing everyday until I was 5.5weeks because I was so worried that I might have another chemical but luckily the tests got darker. Clear blue weeks one was ok I only used it to get my 1-2 weeks and 2-3 weeks and tbh it wasn't that accurate as I had bloods done at my GP and my levels were nice in the thousands it took ages ages to get 2-3 so not sure I'd trust them tbh. I think just looking at line progression. I've got everything crossed for you. Not long till your 6week scan just count down and set little goals in between to get time going quicker xx

@NessyT91 I did exactly the same as @NICK7nick7 - once I got a digital confirmation I stopped testing, and I also got the doc to do HCG bloods to see if the levels were rising when it was too early for a scan. Then I booked a ridiculous amount of scans. Genuinely lost count how many but think I'm up to 10, or not far off it!! Best of luck x