The Really Useful TCM Thread

[muncho]

oh i have something positive.
i started to grow my own wheatgrass and they started to sprout today...yipeee!

 

[abster]

Oh cool! Yay! Something positive.
If you want a good laugh, check out the There are no stupid questions, only stupid people thread. Good grief!

 

[jojo-m]

hey my chinese herbs arrived today IN A BOX, bloody hell one of them looks like a box of blooming trees! I'll get them bubbling away on Friday ready to start on saturday!

Sorry af got you Abi, I'm cd 4 too, the rudeness hey?!

Muncho I have no idea what wheatgrass looks like or that you could grow it but YAY to anything growing, i'm loving growing things, next thing rocket - because its gorgeous!!!!

xx

 

[rubyloo]

hey all - sorry to hear about arrivals of af and general lack of positivity....but i'm on a big pma today so have lots to share!

second acu session today. had fewer needles as had such a strong effect from the last treatment (slept, a LOT). the ones over my ovaries esp the left one really 'pulled' and was almost painful. my prac was pleased with my pulse and tongue - i have been eating loads of iron-rich foods and getting lots of rest (to help my Yin energy) and am generally feeling much better! no change in ov dates yet (not a suprise - still very early in my treatment) but i've noticed lots of ewcm (tmi, sorry) this cycle. very hopeful that ov is going to happen this weekend so a bding marathon is on the cards! she gave me some really interesting info on Yin energy, how to nourish the blood and general digestive health from a TCM viewpoint. booked in again next week......hope everyone is ok and fingers crossed for ongoing treatments, new cycles and the like

 

[abster]

You certainly do sound positive, rubyloo; really pleased for you. I normally get over it by sometime on day 2 and start looking forward to ovulating. I tell you, weekly acu sessions are really keeping me going at the moment!

Rudeness doesn't quite cover it does it, jojo? Did you invite her? I certainly didn't!
I know what you mean about the herbs; some of them look incredible don't they? I've only had the tablets myself, but have been boiling up my partner's psoriasis ones for a while now.

Speaking of pills, I remembered this morning, about an hour after taking them, that I shouldn't have had them last night or this morning. Whoops! No more til saturday morning...

I tried the femoral massage from Infertility Cure this morning. Maybe need a bit more practice. Took me a while to find the right spot and takes a lot of pressure with the fingers. Will persevere though. Have also been doing the massage Quing showed me (just below my inside knee and my inner ankle, both legs) for catarrh (spleen) and I have to say I feel bit like Vic Reeves!

Have had a head cold this week - def a cold rather than horrible spleen catarrh - wonder if that has had any effect on my cycle? I don't think so.

Jen and Glitterqueen, get your pregnant selves back here!! Now!!

Hope you're all doing well and feeling positive, girls.

Abi x

 

[Laummatt]

Hey.

Im really sorry to hear the witch has been raising her ugly head, and your chart was looking fab Abster!?!

I hate the first few days of the cycle all those hopes dashed again and then just like you say pick myself back up and start looking forward to ov again... altho all this can get a bit tiresome dont you think. #1 is a currently being a nightmare at night and lets just say its not exactly romantic!!! ahh well Im sure to be joining you soon, 6 dpo with 7 LP I think I will be sulking around saturday... and then the rugby is on and we'll lose again (eng) and hubby will gloat (welsh) great, what a weekend to look forward too... then again we might win and she might stay away a while longer (9 months would be good thank you!)

Ive been drinking my herbs (instant coffee like) and I think they are starting to taste worse, I literally gagged on them this morning........

 

[abster]

Hey Laummatt, #1's fine at night - one of us has to stay with her til she's asleep, but after that she'd great and has never woken up to come in with us when we're trying to make her sibling! My problem is the fact that I'm not particularly interested in sex at the best of times - let alone cycle 17 when we're havin to do it at specific times! Someone's having a laugh at my expense, I think (ha, bloody ha!). Sorry yours is being a pain at night. Hope you start getting some good nights. #1's always gone very well through the night, although until she started walking at 15 months she was never asleep til about 11pm, and one of us always had to be with her til she fell asleep. Good god were we glad when that ended!

That's the thing about charts though isn't it? Even a triphasic chart is only proof that you have good post-ov temps. It'd just be great to celebrate a long LP at the moment though - preferably with a BFP at the end!
Wish I'd started acu about a year ago. If I'd not left it til my 14th cycle I'd not be so impatient about the TCM working, which I'm sure it is. Bloody me!!

It was certainly starting to look like a good past-ov chart, just not quite warm enough. Hopefully it'll be better pre-ov and then awesome and ongoing this time round.... yeah, right, of course. (Positivity hasn't quite returned yet).

Speaking of positivity... the rugby. I always approach the first match thinking England could do really well but I think that, without exception, since we started watching in 2004, we've been pretty disastrous to begin with haven't we? Maybe this year....

Nothing to do with acu, but everything to do with (hopefully well-placed) positivity!
Good luck to you - for either a BFP or a long LP (but pref the BFP, obviously!)

Abi

 

[Laummatt]

Abster - as much as I love him I really dont want to see him at 3am, altho if Im going to get a cuddle off anyone I would rather its him. He used to be so good and lately he's well laying me up rotten - usually shouting 'mummy wake up!!!' little so and so....

How to get in the mood?? god its hard sometimes huh, basically want to say 'look I love you but tonight hunny I just want your sperm, then you quite welcome to zonk out!' told you its not romantioc round at ours!!!!

I really hope your temps are good this month, may not be back on here for a bit due to no intenet at home so hope you pick up soon, fingers crossed for the rugby Sat - come on boys!! kick those welsh butts!!

Im sure AF will come along bang on time, dont feel Ive been on TCM long enough yet!

Lau x

 

[Laummatt]

hey all - sorry to hear about arrivals of af and general lack of positivity....but i'm on a big pma today so have lots to share!

second acu session today. had fewer needles as had such a strong effect from the last treatment (slept, a LOT). the ones over my ovaries esp the left one really 'pulled' and was almost painful. my prac was pleased with my pulse and tongue - i have been eating loads of iron-rich foods and getting lots of rest (to help my Yin energy) and am generally feeling much better! no change in ov dates yet (not a suprise - still very early in my treatment) but i've noticed lots of ewcm (tmi, sorry) this cycle. very hopeful that ov is going to happen this weekend so a bding marathon is on the cards! she gave me some really interesting info on Yin energy, how to nourish the blood and general digestive health from a TCM viewpoint. booked in again next week......hope everyone is ok and fingers crossed for ongoing treatments, new cycles and the like

Hey how you doing? what tips did they give you for nourishing the blood etc? would be interesting to hear.

Good luck with that marathon!!

 

[fitzy79]

So...am in a bit of a quandry here girls and could do with some advice...

Had my first appt with FS yesterday and she confirmed PCOS(which I had suspected so wasnt surprised but still not nice to hear). Anyway it is only evident in the follicles on my ovaries...no physical signs like weight gain and excess hair and my hormone levels are within normal range.

So...She prescribed 10 days Provera to bring on a "period" so that I can start on my 50mg Clomid. I will then have to go in for my day 12 scan to see if the clomid has resulted in a follicle developing and followng that my day 21 bloods to check progesterone levels after ovulation.

Anyway, I am just a little reluctant to take the Provera because after my two mths sccu and herbs I want to see when ovulation occurs naturally this cycle. At the same time, this could mean a LOOONNNNGGGG wait if last couple cycles are anything to go by. What would you gals do??? Go for bringing on the hormone induced bleed so can take my first cycle of Clomid ASAP or wait to take Clomid on a natural period...which I may be waiting a long time for???!!!! What to do...I'm confused!!

For the record Dr. Wu was totally against me taking the provera yesterday when I told him but no surprises there as it would be completely against TCM principles!

 

[muncho]

fitzy thats a difficult one, I suppose it depends on how long the herbs take to work.
i may be inclined to see if the herbs work - but its a hard call where as the clomid is 90% sure to work the 1st time

i dont know...sorry!

 

[fitzy79]

Thanks Muncho!! Yeah it is a toughie....am gonna toss it around in my head for a few days and see if one argument wins out over another eventually. Hope your injections are going ok?

 

[muncho]

girls i think i had my final session of acy today. If tomorrow my ivf cycle gets cancel im going to stop it altogether .
with out IVF i am ovulating, he cannot make me ovulate from my right ovary and i keep bloody ov from my left where the tube is blocked. he cant do anything about the blocked tube so i dont see how it can help me
i have been doing it for 3 months now and although its helped with progesterone , im not sure if this is the acu or having a lap that helped.

we will see tomorrow.
Im still going to be reading and coming on here....i wanna hear about all these BFP's form you xx

 

[muncho]

watch C4 tonight at 9pm i think about 8 couples who will do anything for a certain gender when having a baby !!

 

[fitzy79]

Muncho, it sounds like you're making the right decision for you and three months is a good trial period. Wishing you every success with the IVF and will look forward to reading about a BFP for you in the not to distant future

 

[abster]

Fitzy I'm sorry, that mustn't have been nice to hear, even though you suspected it yourself.
Coming from me, this probaby won't be a surprise to you - I think you should stick with the acu and herbs for natural ov. Have you bought the Randine Lewis book, The Infertility Cure? There's a section in there about PCOS and how acu/herbs can heal your ovaries.
It's recommended that you give TCM 3 months to start working properly.
I think it's better to work to balance regain the balance in your body naturally, rather than smacking it with a big, synthetic hammer - but like I say, that's only my opinion.You might find you don't end up needing the clomid in the end - and from the look of it clomid can have all sorts of side effects, whereas acu just makes you really relaxed and happy.

Abi x

 

[jojo-m]

fitzy good luck making your decision it is a tough one. I have to say though my friend has pcos, she came off the pill and didn't have any periods, they put her on clomid, 50mg didn't do anything, so up to 100mg, they told her to go home and have sex, 9 months later out popped a baby. They have just concieved their 2nd naturally after 2 months of ttc so think having dd1 gave her a kick start! She is very much a fan of clomid after that!

xx

 

[abster]

Hey Muncho,
Not an easy decision at all, I'm really sorry.
You really sure you want to give it up yet if they cancel your IVF cycle? Might it just take a while longer? Randine (yes, have mentioned her before?!) recommends 3 - 6 months of treatment. Might that help with your right ovary? I'm not trying to force you to carry on, I just want you to give yourself every chance and you've tried really hard so far.

If you do decide to stop, you'd better keep coming back here to say hello or you'll be in a lot of trouble young lady!
Hope tomorrow goes well x
Abi x

 

[muncho]

Abs who is Randine..............please dont answer that...lol

course i will still be coming on here, when im 60 yrs old ill still be on here !

 

[rubyloo]

hey all - sorry to hear about arrivals of af and general lack of positivity....but i'm on a big pma today so have lots to share!

second acu session today. had fewer needles as had such a strong effect from the last treatment (slept, a LOT). the ones over my ovaries esp the left one really 'pulled' and was almost painful. my prac was pleased with my pulse and tongue - i have been eating loads of iron-rich foods and getting lots of rest (to help my Yin energy) and am generally feeling much better! no change in ov dates yet (not a suprise - still very early in my treatment) but i've noticed lots of ewcm (tmi, sorry) this cycle. very hopeful that ov is going to happen this weekend so a bding marathon is on the cards! she gave me some really interesting info on Yin energy, how to nourish the blood and general digestive health from a TCM viewpoint. booked in again next week......hope everyone is ok and fingers crossed for ongoing treatments, new cycles and the like

Hey how you doing? what tips did they give you for nourishing the blood etc? would be interesting to hear.

Good luck with that marathon!!

Hi there! all good here, despite a really full-on stressful day at work. got another long one tomorrow.....oh well, enjoying a bit or R&R with dh in front of the tv!

here's the list i got for blood nourishment:

aduki beans, kidney beans
apricots, grapes, dates, figs
beef, liver (organic if poss)
beetroot, dark leafy greens, watercress, spinach, parsley
sardines, oysters,
chicken eggs

apparently dark leafy veg is best esp. when combined with grains and most meat, beans and some seafood will strenghten the blood. Floradix liquid was also mentioned as being really good- am almost of my Spatone iron stuff so will try some of that next.

marathon started last night although dh feeling rough with a cold tonight so will have to make a bit of extra effort (for that read sexy undies! )

still high on PMA - goodness knows where its come from....

to some of you lovelies on here - my lil sis has pcos with no other symptoms other than cycsts on her ovaries and absent periods. she's had some very successful treatment with homeopathy and had her first period after coming of bcp over two years ago - maybe another avenue to consider? muncho - i'm still so new to all this but my instinct would be to give the TCM another 3 months? goodness knows how hard all this must be for you....all i can offer is my sincere hopes for you