The steroid junkies' perfectly unscientific medical trial

[Hope39]

Oh I hope so, been on this journey far too long now xx

 

[mandy1971]

Pip, dr q didn't want me on asprin she felt it wasn't good for developing womb lining....I am taking clexane injections though since 12 dpo, though I don't think I'm supposed to take it till 6 week scan and heart beat detection, figured I should be taking some kind of blood thinner as my placenta was tested from last miscarriage which had blood clots that "weren't usual" according to my consultant, he didn't comment further though and neither did prof q.... So I am left wondering......
Boobs are getting a little more tingly now and occasional pain...
I am currently around 5+4.. Scan on Friday...

 

[mandy1971]

Oh I hope so, been on this journey far too long now xx

Meantime honey you will have a fabulous time over Xmas and new year not stressing about a pregnancy and allowing yourself a little glass of vino or three... New year new beginnings you really deserve it xxxx

 

[Hope39]

New year new beginnings, I have said that every year since NY eve 2010, my firsts due date .

every year I think this year will be different and so far it hasn't so 2014 best bloody well be my year, and yours Hun x

 

[mandy1971]

Not been here for a while so an update I am around 8 weeks pregnant I had my first scan on 22 nd November and it only showed the yolk sac I thought I would have seen the baby at least., follow up scan 6 days later showed baby but at only 1.8 mm and only measuring around the 5 week mark... Then yesterday I went for another scan baby had grown to 4.8mm and had a strong heart beat with good rate... I really thought we were out... I'm still measuring around 6 weeks but putting it down to late implantation or as some girls on parl thread have said maybe a second ovulation....

My symptoms are more pronounced now boobs have been sore on and off for about 2 weeks.... Bad indigestion worse at night in bed... Got to be the steroids.. Gaviscon helps... Getting a bit of back ache now and cramping... Which I know is normal., doesn't stop an rpl lady from suffering the anxiety though...
And also I'm getting really fat scared to weigh myself., if I stick my belly out I easily look 5 months preggers... So I need to reign it in on the diet front.. Bought myself a cheap blood glucose monitor and to date touch wood the levels are normal.

Would be nice to have some other steroid ladies on board here to share the journey x

 

[Hope39]

Mandy that's fab news Hun, your the First Lady I personally know of that has had those scans measuring behind and then boom there a heartbeat when you least expecting it.

I'm dreading weight gain, I've had so many people notice my weight loss and comment all time, now they gonna be thinking I'm getting a chunky monkey. Did it go on quickly? It soons drops off when you weaned too, c

 

[mandy1971]

Hi hope I've been thinking about you past few days.. How are you.,? Weights been gradual.. But I've now been on the steroids for 6 weeks., I had been on 40 mg from bfp and 20 mg from ovulation( not dr quenby a instructions...) or I'd be a bit thinner... I though it was game over when I went for scan last week and reduced the steroids to 30 mg.... I actually feel less bloated this week since dropping the 10 mgs... I have been eating rubbish on them though at times.. So I'm trying to make a concerted effort with eating more salads and soup at meal times.. This past few days.. The face hair is becoming slightly more obvious., thankfully mind is blonde...facial Strip wax is my new friend..lol

 

[Hope39]

oh god dont, im really really dark, olive skinned, dark hair the lot, my moustache is bad enough as it is without more.

in answer to your question as to how i am....................... totally and utterly f'd off. i went for my hystocospy today to check the septate surgery was successful and make sure no scarring......... the consultant turns round after the procedure and
says "you still have a septum there so you need to see your rmc consultant again".

she walked out of the room so the nurses were making me get up out the chair to get dressed while the clamp thing was still inside me, ouch.

i was in tears by the time i had got dressed to go sit with the consultant to discuss.

Im then told the earliest rmc appointment is feb, well you can imagine, the floodgates open and it all came out i refused the appoinment and said i would ring his secretary, that would mean 11 months since my last mc to sort out a stupid septum. i am so angry and upset.

i just wasnt expecting her to say that today, then to top if off even more as im walking out i asked if there was any scarring,her reply "yes but what we do about it is the question". prior to informing me of the scarring she told me to go ahead and try.

im getting upset reliving the scenario

so my plan is to get on the phone next week, demand a 3d scan in the fertility unit as they are open appointments, they booked my last 3d scan on cd1 of my cycle, im only cd13 today and they have open appt due to ivf.

im dreading ringing as i know i will get upset again, the just piss me around constantly

tomorrow is another day xxxx

 

[mandy1971]

oh god dont, im really really dark, olive skinned, dark hair the lot, my moustache is bad enough as it is without more.

in answer to your question as to how i am....................... totally and utterly f'd off. i went for my hystocospy today to check the septate surgery was successful and make sure no scarring......... the consultant turns round after the procedure and
says "you still have a septum there so you need to see your rmc consultant again".

she walked out of the room so the nurses were making me get up out the chair to get dressed while the clamp thing was still inside me, ouch.

i was in tears by the time i had got dressed to go sit with the consultant to discuss.

Im then told the earliest rmc appointment is feb, well you can imagine, the floodgates open and it all came out i refused the appoinment and said i would ring his secretary, that would mean 11 months since my last mc to sort out a stupid septum. i am so angry and upset.

i just wasnt expecting her to say that today, then to top if off even more as im walking out i asked if there was any scarring,her reply "yes but what we do about it is the question". prior to informing me of the scarring she told me to go ahead and try.

im getting upset reliving the scenario

so my plan is to get on the phone next week, demand a 3d scan in the fertility unit as they are open appointments, they booked my last 3d scan on cd1 of my cycle, im only cd13 today and they have open appt due to ivf.

im dreading ringing as i know i will get upset again, the just piss me around constantly

tomorrow is another day xxxx

Oh no hope that's awful.. You poor thing... How can it still be ther did she even explain why.?
And she said you could ttc how do you feel about that ? Do you think maybe the scar tissue might help an embryo implant easier ( remember my biopsy and quenby said to take advantage of the fertility boost from it) ?
You've been so patient this past year and really as you say you dont deserve another set back....

 

[Hope39]

If the egg tries to implant on scar tissue them game over again I believe, I could be wrong but someone I know had 6mc, had her scar tissue removed and bingo had a baby, the scar tissue was the problem for her.

The lady that did hysto today didn't do the surgery so she couldn't answer any questions I had. Maybe he left a bit so didn't get too close too uterus wall incase he damaged it. He did it on cd27 of all days when lining was thick

I'm guessing here though, I can't believe I got go back again

 

[petitpas]

Oh hope, that sounds really crummy I hope a few tears on the phone to the secretary will get you some help.

Mandy, that's great news about the strong heartbeat! Keeping everything crossed here...
As for the heartburn, that could be the steroids but it could also be the pregnancy. I had a bottle of gaviscon by my bed all through my pregnancy, well after stopping the roids!

As for the weight gain, ignore it. You know that is the the least of your worries! Steroids make you hungry, retain water and especially put on trunkal weight (tummy and chest area though strangely not boobs). Once you wean off the steroids you'll notice a huge difference! My weight plateaued for a while in second tri while my body normalised again. My breasts filled out again, my face lost its puffiness and finally, the flab turned into a hard bump. Seriously, look after yourself and ignore or just laugh at the strange things going on at the moment

 

[mandy1971]

Thanks Petipas... That's reassuring to know the weight will drop off. I've done literally no exercise for the past 3 weeks 2 weeks holiday then a week off sick fro work due to the bleed... So I've been burning no excess cals.... Did you do zany form of exercise through your pregnancy.? I am thinking that I may start swimming at least twice a week..?

 

[mandy1971]

If the egg tries to implant on scar tissue them game over again I believe, I could be wrong but someone I know had 6mc, had her scar tissue removed and bingo had a baby, the scar tissue was the problem for her.

The lady that did hysto today didn't do the surgery so she couldn't answer any questions I had. Maybe he left a bit so didn't get too close too uterus wall incase he damaged it. He did it on cd27 of all days when lining was thick

I'm guessing here though, I can't believe I got go back again

Believe you will have this rainbow baby hope..... You've done everything you possibly can to get to that point.... I really do think you will fall pregnant and hold onto a baby.... It is your time. Xxxx

 

[Hope39]

I do believe it will happen, one day, i have to believe that to keep me going xx

 

[petitpas]

Hope, you'll get your rainbow!

Mandy, my steroid consultant said no swimming (I think he meant in first tri). My local consultant preferred me to stop everything and take it easy. Later on, everyone agreed I could do yoga so I did. Twice a week pregnancy yoga until two days before having J and lots of walking. I felt great right up to the end! I'm not the fittest person normally if that helps

 

[LoveandSeven]

Hello everybody,

I'm new here & am hoping you could give me some advice if possible.

Just a little run down; I had two consecutive early miscarriages (around 6weeks) last year, one in January and the other in May. After the second loss my then doctor gave my husband and I all these tests and it appeared that my Antinuclear Antibody levels were 2560 and my Antiphospholipid Antibody level was 11H. From conducting my own research, I realised that these high amounts were most probably the reasons for the pregnancy losses.

Fast forward to today, in preparation to TTC in a couple months, I went along to my appointment at the Mercy Hospital in Melbourne to see if they could help. In turn, the doctor told me that "research" has shown that the antinuclear antibody level has no affect on pregnancy or pregnancy loss and my antiphospholipid antibody level isn't really of any concern seeing as it's "only" 11. Her advice was to begin taking baby aspirin as of ovulation.

Am I wrong to feel as though this doctor is incorrect? Should I seek another opinion? And does anybody know where they would help me in Melbourne?

Sorry for the long post! Hope somebody can help [/SIZE]

 

[Hope39]

I didnt want to read and run

Im afraid i dont know anything about ana levels or the levels for asp

Im also uk based so am not familiar with doctors in melbourne

sorry xx

 

[Hope39]

I do believe it will happen, one day, i have to believe that to keep me going xx

Just seen my post i made in december, now im 25 weeks

 

[petitpas]

Hope, that's brilliant news! Happy belated v-day

Loveandseven, I don't know about exact ANA numbers but pregnancy can skew results so the recommendation normally is to wait for six weeks after a loss before testing. Even if the test comes back in the positive range a second blood test is ordered another six weeks later as the first might just be a temporary fluctuation. When two tests come back 'positive' then you are diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome and will need baby aspirin and daily heparin injections (such as clexane).

On the positive side, even though going through two losses is heartbreaking, statistically the majority off women will go on to have a successful pregnancy without any treatment so I hope this will be the case for you.

Your doctor suggested baby aspirin and I think that is a good idea at this point. Aspirin has benefits such as preventing pre-eclampsia and it is part of the treatment for recurrent pregnancy loss, too.

I would also suggest you post your questions as a separate thread as this one is a bit old and was started to discuss a specific treatment. There aren't many of us active on bnb anymore. You should find that more people give you feedback that way. Good luck with everything, hon!