Welcome to 'Trying To Conceive Over 35'

[twotogo]

AFM - I just realized that today we have to go to a meeting 2 1/2 hours away. Totally messes up my plans for the day.

I took my dog to the vet yesterday for her annual immunizations. She is having a bladder problem. He said it is hard and small. So he wants me to get a urine sample. Before I got the courage up to ask how, he handed me a metal dipper and a syringe. So, this morning I get to follow her around the yard and wait for her to squat, try to catch it, then take it in to the vet. Sounds like loads of fun, huh? Not. Couldn't convince either of my children to do the job even though they both are interested in becoming a vet.
I'm sure the neighbors - if they are watching - are going to get a kick out of me walking around the yard with a flashlight and a metal dipper, in my jammies, collecting the goods. At least my life is never dull.

 

[Samsfan]

Greyeyes. Thanks for checking out my chart. Do you mean jan 14 or cd 14. If you mean jan 14 then I missed it. We BOd all up to cd 13 and 14 and then work and we got lazy. Right to sleep! Sometimes think my DH has a gf , but I know he cant bc he goes from work to home and then he is just so tired I have to say this month I feel different. Usually by now my breasts are sore and I am fatigued and bloated. Ive had an increased appetite for 3 days. Looks like you ovd around cd 13.
My temping I realize I may have stubborn eggs!!!!

Alicatt. Write your questions down. They are good questions. I dont know enough about the topic to chime in.
UOTE=Grey Eyes;24802789]Samsfan- oooo looks like you might get your crosshairs-what, tomorrow? Day after? Anyway, it looks like you ov'd around the 14th or so?

Ali- Ok, from what I understand there are 2 different types of NK cells: blood NK cells and Uterine NK cells. I found some good info at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC534451/ but I am still studying ....Btw- thanks for attempting to interpret my chart. I am now properly lol

Chantal: how could he not go?! Aaargh![/QUOTE]

 

[Samsfan]

Correction. We bod until cd 15. Think i missed it . I think i need to take a leave from work just to do this....to much stress and just exhausted during the week. How do you gals catch up??? And next week i have a serious project...double stress. Maybe Ill ov whike in Florida next month .

Sorry for the short sentences,but i cant stand typing on the ipad

 

[alicatt]

Ali, I think this is the cruise we are going on. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/find...ageCode=FR07E081&date=201308&sailDate=1130908

I went on a cruise with my parents and some other family members a few years ago. I was in the room with my 18 year-old niece - who had the maturity of a 12 year-old, so basically I felt like I was her babysitter. She wanted to go party all night, the rest of us told her no, and she wasn't real happy about it. I really did enjoy the cruise when I wasn't 'babysitting', but this time it will be nice to have my aunt. She's a lot of fun and we get on real well, so this time I will be able to relax.

OHHHH.. That is a very similar cruise to what I went on last Christmas! Mine was on their sister cruise line called Celebrity. We went to most of those same places (Charlotte Amalie, and Phillipsburg). Such fun! Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are to my knowledge the best of the affordable cruise lines. They are newer ships, and offer more things to do onboard, unlike the Carnival or Norwegian lines that are older and don't offer as much to do. YAY! I'm so excited for you! You are going to have an awesome time

 

[alicatt]

AFM - I just realized that today we have to go to a meeting 2 1/2 hours away. Totally messes up my plans for the day.

I took my dog to the vet yesterday for her annual immunizations. She is having a bladder problem. He said it is hard and small. So he wants me to get a urine sample. Before I got the courage up to ask how, he handed me a metal dipper and a syringe. So, this morning I get to follow her around the yard and wait for her to squat, try to catch it, then take it in to the vet. Sounds like loads of fun, huh? Not. Couldn't convince either of my children to do the job even though they both are interested in becoming a vet.
I'm sure the neighbors - if they are watching - are going to get a kick out of me walking around the yard with a flashlight and a metal dipper, in my jammies, collecting the goods. At least my life is never dull.

HAHAHAHA! that is really funny! I wish you luck! Zoe decided she needed to puke yesterday, and I happened to have a bowl in the room, so I tried to put it under her mouth, but she kept moving it! WHY? I was trying to protect my rug. Anyway, she ended up puking on my hand instead of the bowl but at least I saved the carpet! The things we do for our dogs!

 

[alicatt]

Hey ladies.. so yesterday was insane. Did I even attempt to update you all?

Work was crazy. The dogs escaped and were going on their own walk down the sidewalk (across the street). I heard Zoe barking and I'm like I better go investigate, then I look out my window and see Zach trotting down the sidewalk I am not sure how they are getting out? The gardeners weren't even at the house yesterday. So I'm wondering if they just pushed it and it opened? Maybe the gardeners that were here on Tuesday didn't close it properly? I have seen plenty of dogs loose in my neighborhood, I wonder if kids are getting into mischief and thinking it is funny to leave gates open? IDK. Then of course the puke issue. I worked from 9am to 9pm. Fun times!

I had my FS appt this morning, and here is how it went (this is an except form an email I sent to my Mom, I just couldn't bear re-typing it all).

1) Why are my NK cells elevated?

They are elevated because they are. There is no answer, at this point in my life they are elevated, but that doesn't mean that they will be for life. He used the democratic party and the republican party and their defense budgets as an analogy. Right now my immune system is high like it would be under a republican administration, but in a few more years it could be low as in a democratic party administration. Having an elevated NK cell count is normally a good thing as it fights the common cold, and flu and cancer. However for some women it also means it will kill your embryo.

2) What is your recommended plan?

We went back and forth on this. The test they did to determine if my NK cells were elevated included suppressing them with IVIg and Intralipids (the 2 options for suppressing NK cells) to see if my body would respond appropriately. My body did, and with the IVIg they dropped from 12 down to 8, and with Intralipids they went from 12 down to 9. Both would be satisfactory as we want the number to be under 10. The recommendation is to do an infusion before transfer, and if you end up pregnant do 3 more infusions (1 per month). The IVIg infusion costs $3000 per infusion and the Intralipids cost $1000 per infusion, not covered by insurance (of course). So my FS's recommendation (and actually my initial thought as well) was to do the first infusion with IVIg, and if I get pregnant to follow up with the Intralipids for the last 3 infusions.

3) Should we do further testing to ensure I don't have any uterine/entometrial issues?

He brought up a test that is brand new to the US, in fact he said I could very well be the first person to do it in the US. This is something that has been widely done in Europe and they have had great success with it. They are branching out to the US, and are setting up a lab in Miami, FL. My FS is going to be one of the Dr's that are working with them and performing the tests in the US. I asked about what the procedures are and he said that we would do a trial cycle. So we'd just monitor everything and create the exact same environment for the transfer, but not actually do the transfer. During the cycle there would be 2 endometrial biopsies, timed around the implantation window. This would do 2 things. First it would determine the length of my implantation window (normal is 4-5 days), and second it would determine if there were any abnormalities in my endometrium that we would have to deal with. I asked him about cost as this sounded expensive. He said he would run all of the testing through my insurance, and they would cover it, except for the testing of the biopsies. He said that he would work with me and the company that is doing this testing to come up with a discounted rate since this is a new type of test in the US market. So I would have to pay a few co-pays, and the medications necessary for a FET, along with the discounted rate for the testing of the biopsies.

So the full plan is this:

1) Call when I get my next period.
2) Go in and have base ultrasound on day 3-4 of my cycle
3) Be monitored via ultrasound and blood work to detail my cycle, and when the time comes, do the biopsies (this is an in office procedure) not a big deal.
4) Get the results from the biopsy, and use the results to ensure we don't have endometrial issues and to pinpoint the best day of my cycle for implantation
5) Wait for my next period to arrive
6) Base ultrasound on day 3-4 of my cycle
7) Monitored via ultrasound and blood work until transfer day
8) Transfer
9) Wait to see if it takes

Sounds simple doesn't it? HAHAHA!

I am going to do some more research on IVIg and Intralipids and the side effects and whether I should do the first one as IVIg and the rest as Intralipids or whether I should just go with Intralipids from the start? IVIg is expensive. I can't see myself spending $12,000 on infusions! Oh, and the infusions are not fun. They take 4 hours and you just have to sit there with an IV in your arm. I read that with the IVIg that by the 2-3 hour some get clammy and feverish and it is just horrible. So ya, I'm not looking forward to that!

At least we have a plan. I like plans! Plus I think this plan does a lot to ferret out why my body is not allowing for implantation, and fixes the NK cell issue. If all goes as planned, the actual transfer will be around March 20-30th and expected due date will be around Dec 10-20th.

 

[Grey Eyes]

AFM - I just realized that today we have to go to a meeting 2 1/2 hours away. Totally messes up my plans for the day.

I took my dog to the vet yesterday for her annual immunizations. She is having a bladder problem. He said it is hard and small. So he wants me to get a urine sample. Before I got the courage up to ask how, he handed me a metal dipper and a syringe. So, this morning I get to follow her around the yard and wait for her to squat, try to catch it, then take it in to the vet. Sounds like loads of fun, huh? Not. Couldn't convince either of my children to do the job even though they both are interested in becoming a vet.
I'm sure the neighbors - if they are watching - are going to get a kick out of me walking around the yard with a flashlight and a metal dipper, in my jammies, collecting the goods. At least my life is never dull.

HAHAHAHA! that is really funny! I wish you luck! Zoe decided she needed to puke yesterday, and I happened to have a bowl in the room, so I tried to put it under her mouth, but she kept moving it! WHY? I was trying to protect my rug. Anyway, she ended up puking on my hand instead of the bowl but at least I saved the carpet! The things we do for our dogs!

Ali- now that's true parenting! you will make an awesome mom! do you know how many times I've caught puke in my hands? lol! totally missed it yesterday, but I have to admit--I had reason. Not knowing what dd's have and not wanting babes to get it I void it myself so the miss was deliberate! :laugh1:

 

[Grey Eyes]

Ali...hm, good questions! If you did have a VERY early mmc- this could account for an elevated immune system. Just as an example: I had dh pierce my belly button (yee-ooowwww!). I took awesomely and healed nicely. Then I got preggo. Something was apparently wrong and I mc'd. However the elevated immune system - in place to flush the mc- also rejected my pirecing. Odd, I know. The specialist I spoke to said the immune system viewed my stud as a "sliver" or foreign object and simply attacked it. So my point is the elevated NK could be possible if you had an mmc? Maybe ask FS about that too....re:Zack escaping...is he a digger? Check your fence line...


Andra- thanks for the info! My dh is in excessive pain ALL the time and very little helps. His mood does suffer from it once in a while- understandably so. I wish I had a magic wand that'd take all the pain away! We are talking about moving somewhere the barometer is steady so considering CA or NV...plus its warmer there! I love your ticker btw!!! Re:your puppy. Hm. My boston terrier also has a bladder problem- she leaks lol! The vet told me to do the same thing and, um, I told her "huh-uh!" lol! So she said she would do it OR they can insert a tiny catheter

Sam- I had to double check! I meant
January 14 btw...bd'ing up to cd15 is about 2 days (give or take) before Ov...that' actually perfect!!

 

[Grey Eyes]

AFM-
Wow, Ali pm'd me today with a few suggestions, re:my hectic lifestyle :laugh1: Al good advice, what it did is make me concentrate more on organizing stuff. I realized after babes was born I lost control of my children :/ lol! I think I have been too focused on Aeryn and just let the dd's get away with stuff? Anyway- drill sergeant mom is back lol! Teagen is currently sitting at the table working on her grammar and language usage and Kat is sitting in my office with me quietly practicing writing her lterrs Wow Anyway I am def going to keep this up I expect them (especially T) to come up with some kind of retribution but I am ready for it lol

Last night was AWESOME. I put dd's to bed early, dh went to bed, and Aeryn went to sleep so I had a total of 15 minutes to just sit on the couch and I sipped a mug of hot tea with honey and had a piece of toast with honey and watched the new Sherlock Holmes series....in a darkened living room with the crackling fire Ahhh. Anyway I had the whole hour but it got interrupted once by T needing to be re-tucked into bed and poor Kat had a bad dream. Other than that-

Today I am working on a team assignment regarding pollution. I really enjoy earth sciences but I am eager to get back to what challenges me. Can't wait! I am sure I'll be kicking my own pants, lol!

 

[alicatt]

Ali...hm, good questions! If you did have a VERY early mmc- this could account for an elevated immune system. Just as an example: I had dh pierce my belly button (yee-ooowwww!). I took awesomely and healed nicely. Then I got preggo. Something was apparently wrong and I mc'd. However the elevated immune system - in place to flush the mc- also rejected my pirecing. Odd, I know. The specialist I spoke to said the immune system viewed my stud as a "sliver" or foreign object and simply attacked it. So my point is the elevated NK could be possible if you had an mmc? Maybe ask FS about that too....re:Zack escaping...is he a digger? Check your fence line...

I did ask him about a test I had heard of something about a DQ Alpha and how it can tell you if you have ever been pregnant before. A reading of greater than 0 would show that you had been pregnant. When I mentioned the DQ thing he was like.. UGH.. its THAT Doctor. Many of his theories have been disproven. He didn't say whether this marker was a true marker to see if I'd been pregnant or not though. So anything is possible? If I did have a MMC, it would have had to have happened either before I started trying 7 months ago, or before HCG would be detectable on a HPT, if so I was barely pregnant! Not like you where you were much further along. I would think that your immune response was built up over time and was meant to flush the baby out once it was no longer viable. With me, it wouldn't have gotten to that stage?

I'm mostly worried about the suppression of my immune system. Is it going to be suppressed too much? To the point that I will get sick when I'm pregnant? That would not be fun.

My fence is secure, providing the gate is not tampered with! I would love to put a lock on it, but the gardeners need to be able to get in there, so I can't. That is actually something I double checked and sure enough, the gate had been pushed open. I'm guessing that it was not latched properly, and when the doggies saw something in front of the gate, they pushed and were like freedom! Funny thing is that neither of them ran up to the family that were playing in their front yard just down the way. Zoe was sitting in my front lawn barking her head off, and Zach was following our normal path for walkies!

I really do hope I will be a good mom, after everything I have been through I feel like I will HAVE to be a good mom. You know? I spent months and months and put myself through all sorts of horrible procedures and medications and discomfort! I just hope that good things come to those who wait, and I will be one of those women that are given their miracle!

 

[AngelSerenity]

Hiya Ali, elevated NK cells is now a 'fashionable' theory in recurrent MCs, especially in women who MC early i.e. probably with implantation problems. My RMC wont test me for it as it is an expensive test and he doesnt believe in the theory, or my pattern of RMCS points to it. It would cost me too much to travel to another country to get it done (my only other option). I dont think it is an issue for me but for a lot of the ladies I am friendly with on the RMC thread who have been either diagnosed or have sympathetic doctors, they get prescribed prednisolene and also some get intra lipids in addition if their consultant agrees to it.

I have a theory that women's bodies can change when we get older in terms of perhaps once we start to reach a stage that our body thinks we should be preparing not to have children NK cells elevate to reject fertilised eggs/young foetus' . This is simply a theory I have noticed as a lot of the ladies in the RMC thread with NK cell issues are in the 30+ category, most 35+. Perhaps there is something in it, I havent really looked into it to be honest.

xoxo

Hey ladies.. so yesterday was insane. Did I even attempt to update you all?

Work was crazy. The dogs escaped and were going on their own walk down the sidewalk (across the street). I heard Zoe barking and I'm like I better go investigate, then I look out my window and see Zach trotting down the sidewalk I am not sure how they are getting out? The gardeners weren't even at the house yesterday. So I'm wondering if they just pushed it and it opened? Maybe the gardeners that were here on Tuesday didn't close it properly? I have seen plenty of dogs loose in my neighborhood, I wonder if kids are getting into mischief and thinking it is funny to leave gates open? IDK. Then of course the puke issue. I worked from 9am to 9pm. Fun times!

I had my FS appt this morning, and here is how it went (this is an except form an email I sent to my Mom, I just couldn't bear re-typing it all).

1) Why are my NK cells elevated?

They are elevated because they are. There is no answer, at this point in my life they are elevated, but that doesn't mean that they will be for life. He used the democratic party and the republican party and their defense budgets as an analogy. Right now my immune system is high like it would be under a republican administration, but in a few more years it could be low as in a democratic party administration. Having an elevated NK cell count is normally a good thing as it fights the common cold, and flu and cancer. However for some women it also means it will kill your embryo.

2) What is your recommended plan?

We went back and forth on this. The test they did to determine if my NK cells were elevated included suppressing them with IVIg and Intralipids (the 2 options for suppressing NK cells) to see if my body would respond appropriately. My body did, and with the IVIg they dropped from 12 down to 8, and with Intralipids they went from 12 down to 9. Both would be satisfactory as we want the number to be under 10. The recommendation is to do an infusion before transfer, and if you end up pregnant do 3 more infusions (1 per month). The IVIg infusion costs $3000 per infusion and the Intralipids cost $1000 per infusion, not covered by insurance (of course). So my FS's recommendation (and actually my initial thought as well) was to do the first infusion with IVIg, and if I get pregnant to follow up with the Intralipids for the last 3 infusions.

3) Should we do further testing to ensure I don't have any uterine/entometrial issues?

He brought up a test that is brand new to the US, in fact he said I could very well be the first person to do it in the US. This is something that has been widely done in Europe and they have had great success with it. They are branching out to the US, and are setting up a lab in Miami, FL. My FS is going to be one of the Dr's that are working with them and performing the tests in the US. I asked about what the procedures are and he said that we would do a trial cycle. So we'd just monitor everything and create the exact same environment for the transfer, but not actually do the transfer. During the cycle there would be 2 endometrial biopsies, timed around the implantation window. This would do 2 things. First it would determine the length of my implantation window (normal is 4-5 days), and second it would determine if there were any abnormalities in my endometrium that we would have to deal with. I asked him about cost as this sounded expensive. He said he would run all of the testing through my insurance, and they would cover it, except for the testing of the biopsies. He said that he would work with me and the company that is doing this testing to come up with a discounted rate since this is a new type of test in the US market. So I would have to pay a few co-pays, and the medications necessary for a FET, along with the discounted rate for the testing of the biopsies.

So the full plan is this:

1) Call when I get my next period.
2) Go in and have base ultrasound on day 3-4 of my cycle
3) Be monitored via ultrasound and blood work to detail my cycle, and when the time comes, do the biopsies (this is an in office procedure) not a big deal.
4) Get the results from the biopsy, and use the results to ensure we don't have endometrial issues and to pinpoint the best day of my cycle for implantation
5) Wait for my next period to arrive
6) Base ultrasound on day 3-4 of my cycle
7) Monitored via ultrasound and blood work until transfer day
8) Transfer
9) Wait to see if it takes

Sounds simple doesn't it? HAHAHA!

I am going to do some more research on IVIg and Intralipids and the side effects and whether I should do the first one as IVIg and the rest as Intralipids or whether I should just go with Intralipids from the start? IVIg is expensive. I can't see myself spending $12,000 on infusions! Oh, and the infusions are not fun. They take 4 hours and you just have to sit there with an IV in your arm. I read that with the IVIg that by the 2-3 hour some get clammy and feverish and it is just horrible. So ya, I'm not looking forward to that!

At least we have a plan. I like plans! Plus I think this plan does a lot to ferret out why my body is not allowing for implantation, and fixes the NK cell issue. If all goes as planned, the actual transfer will be around March 20-30th and expected due date will be around Dec 10-20th.

 

[never_give_up]

Hello Ladies

Ali - I am so happy you have gotten answers!! I wish I could find a doctor like yours! He is awesome! My RE's only words of wisdom were "You must have bad eggs so you need to go egg donor route" I used to have joint pain all the time before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Rheumatologist said he thought this is why I miscarried the first time. I told my RE that when he sarcastically said it was a fluke I got pregnant at all. I have this book called "Making babies" written by a doctor called Sami David. It's my fertility bible!! He talks about all the autoimmune issues that need to be checked BEFORE doing IVF. Antithyroid antibodies, ANA, APA and NK cells. My RE dismissed my requests to have these tests done. They routinely test for thyroid and that's it. Since we did get pregnant on our own wthout ART 3 years ago. I feel there is something other than bad eggs like maybe progesterone deficiency. Who knows, maybe elevated NK cells? That is why I am not ready to pay 29k for egg donor only to keep miscarrying.

Samsfan - hypothyroidism it is not such a bad prognosis. My friend is feeling much better since on the meds. I took carbimazole for a year 1/2 back in 1999. I had the opposite an over-active thyroid (hyperthyroid) which made me tired, lose weight ( I was down to 89 lbs) and caused my hair to shed.

Coy- Dh didn't go to his appointment because he didn't want to take a few hours since it was only his 3rd day at his new job. I did have a had a heart to heart with him. He said that since his sperm morphology was so poor 2% two years ago why not just use donor sperm along with donor egg? I explained to him that I feel that all the vitamins and change in his eating habits must have helped and I would prefer to have his Even though it would be another woman's egg I would be carrying our baby and it would be genetically his. He didn't realize I felt so strongly about it being genetically his since I was fine with donor egg. He said after over 3 years of trying he just wants us to have a healthy baby.

Andra I am happy you answered Coy's question about fibromylagia. Yes it is nerve pain but feels like a burning pain in muscles. I get mine in my neck, shoulders and back mostly. I agree, lyrica doesn't work after a while and Dr did want me to try cymbalta since I do get depression but I am so done with meds. My body doesnt react well to meds at all! Headaches,constipation etc. I have been very strict with my gluten free diet. Gynocologist thinks that my joint pain flares up (in my fingers and elbows) it is hormone related cuz it always seems to flare up at the end of 2ww.

 

[never_give_up]

Hello Angel. Nice to see you I think we posted at the same time as I didn't see your post till I sent mine. I agree with your theory. I am going to be 42 this year and I think my body has now become my enemy where carrying a baby is concerned. How are you feeling today?

 

[never_give_up]

Where is everybody??

What a day so far! So Teagen and I go to the lab and they take a swab of her throat. Then we are told it's going to be a minimum of 3 days til we can get a report back unless they have to send it out of state for further testing...so since its the weekend coming up we are looking at probably Monday Anyway THEN we get a call from the pediatrician that he has prescribed a medicine for Kat. So I go pick that up. Then I give her a dose (it is a liquid) which she has never had trouble with before but because her butt-sister is standing there making gagging noises just to annoy her Kat pukes all over the kitchen floor.



Then she tries to run to the bathroom and pukes in the hallway.



So...I clean and Lysol the kitchen, get out the carpet cleaner and clean the hallway...Aeryn wakes up and starts to scream Kat knocks over the cold coke I bribed her with so that starts to drip all over the counter. So I run to clean that up when I notice...the coffee pot (which was in "clean" mode) was leaking hot water all over the damned place!



So I cleaned that. I made Kat taker her medicine anyways lol! Ahhhh!

Some days.

Oh wow. Poor you Coy! Your day yesterday sounds like mine on Wedneday. I was vomiting from cramps, couldn't keep anything down (including the ibuprofen) I burst my hot water bottle and dropped and broke a glass

 

[alicatt]

Hiya Ali, elevated NK cells is now a 'fashionable' theory in recurrent MCs, especially in women who MC early i.e. probably with implantation problems. My RMC wont test me for it as it is an expensive test and he doesnt believe in the theory, or my pattern of RMCS points to it. It would cost me too much to travel to another country to get it done (my only other option). I dont think it is an issue for me but for a lot of the ladies I am friendly with on the RMC thread who have been either diagnosed or have sympathetic doctors, they get prescribed prednisolene and also some get intra lipids in addition if their consultant agrees to it.

I have a theory that women's bodies can change when we get older in terms of perhaps once we start to reach a stage that our body thinks we should be preparing not to have children NK cells elevate to reject fertilised eggs/young foetus' . This is simply a theory I have noticed as a lot of the ladies in the RMC thread with NK cell issues are in the 30+ category, most 35+. Perhaps there is something in it, I havent really looked into it to be honest.

xoxo

Yep! It wouldn't surprise me that they are older ladies that are having this issue. I also read a study (which my FS discounted) that stated that some women have elevated NK cells based upon stress levels. Similar to cortisol, it is elevated when you are stressed out. Like when you are interviewing for a new job, or someone almost cuts you off in traffic. That quick burst of stress is enough to elevate your NK cells, and if that happens when your embryo or young fetus is still implanting and not fully attached to you via the placenta, then your NK cells attack. That was his theory, whether it was correct or now, I don't know? As I said my FS thought I was nuts.

Interestingly enough though, 2 times now I have recommended something or discussed something that he dismissed only to have him recommend it after doing his own research! Now who is the Doctor?

I think there is still much studying that is necessary to look at NK cells and their role in infertility. It is still a new and somewhat controversial idea, which is why some Dr's discount it. However if you can find one that is a little more open minded, then perhaps you have a chance? Here is an article where a woman in her 40s was successful in getting treatment for NK cells, and this is posted in a UK paper: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-464381/My-body-tried-kill-baby.html Maybe you can get a consult with another FS?

I don't know if this plan will get me pregnant, but it sure seems to be thorough and at this point with my age (40) and only having 4 frozen embryos I feel it is appropriate.

I hope you find your miracle too!

 

[alicatt]

Hello Ladies

Ali - I am so happy you have gotten answers!! I wish I could find a doctor like yours! He is awesome! My RE's only words of wisdom were "You must have bad eggs so you need to go egg donor route" I used to have joint pain all the time before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Rheumatologist said he thought this is why I miscarried the first time. I told my RE that when he sarcastically said it was a fluke I got pregnant at all. I have this book called "Making babies" written by a doctor called Sami David. It's my fertility bible!! He talks about all the autoimmune issues that need to be checked BEFORE doing IVF. Antithyroid antibodies, ANA, APA and NK cells. My RE dismissed my requests to have these tests done. They routinely test for thyroid and that's it. Since we did get pregnant on our own wthout ART 3 years ago. I feel there is something other than bad eggs like maybe progesterone deficiency. Who knows, maybe elevated NK cells? That is why I am not ready to pay 29k for egg donor only to keep miscarrying.

Can you get a second opinion? Do you currently have medical insurance? All but the NK testing was covered by my insurance. All it takes is finding another FS clinic in your area and making an appointment. They can do the testing to see what your bloods look like, and make sure that they request your prior attempts from your prior FS. I'd see if that was an option now, and by the time you get all of that done, maybe your DH will have gone to see his urologist and you'll have those results as well. Then you'll have all the testing done, and will be able to make an informed decision. I don't like your current FS, he sounds like he's not thinking outside the box. When presented with a complex case, they are just ignoring it and saying let's go the easy route and not bother to look at new testing or new areas of research, etc.

So go check it out online, or call your OBGYN and ask them for referrals? Between the 2 I'm sure you will be able to ferret out a few FS's in your area.

 

[alicatt]

Never - glad you had a heart to heart with your DH. I'm sure that was a sweet moment when he realized how important it was to you to have HIS baby. I wouldn't give up hope yet, you may be able to have YOUR baby too.

 

[Grey Eyes]

Ali- heheh, that Zack makes me laugh! My kinda dog Normal "walkies" route, heh? Can't beat that dog!

Chantal- My cousin also has fibromyalgia and uses a natural supplement thats he says kicks out all of the symptoms. It is sulpher based so I am trying to remember what it is..."M" something...Aaargh! My brain atm... I just finished tutoring Teagen in simple division..it has been so long I think my brain is fried!!

Angel-

AFM- wow, Ali, your advice is helping. Structure. Definately! So- Dd's are all done with school now, much simpler when I focus entirely upon them until completion. Now they are in "recess" and I can focus on my own work. I can't believe it has been so long since I worked a division problem I know it in my mind, just "bam bam" iykwim- but to "show your work" stuff lol!

 

[alicatt]

Ali- heheh, that Zack makes me laugh! My kinda dog Normal "walkies" route, heh? Can't beat that dog!

Chantal- My cousin also has fibromyalgia and uses a natural supplement thats he says kicks out all of the symptoms. It is sulpher based so I am trying to remember what it is..."M" something...Aaargh! My brain atm... I just finished tutoring Teagen in simple division..it has been so long I think my brain is fried!!

Angel-

AFM- wow, Ali, your advice is helping. Structure. Definately! So- Dd's are all done with school now, much simpler when I focus entirely upon them until completion. Now they are in "recess" and I can focus on my own work. I can't believe it has been so long since I worked a division problem I know it in my mind, just "bam bam" iykwim- but to "show your work" stuff lol!

Yep.. Zach is awesome. Love him to death. Zoe too, she is my 'baby girl' but she is more standoffish and less loving. She is older too, so she likes to just lie down and get belly rubs. Zach is the mischievous man! He gets mad when I'm sitting on the couch with my laptop on my lap, nudges my hand when I'm typing and I have to push him away. Then he just says.. and jumps on my belly! That is one way to get my attention! Then he just lies down with he belly in the air and kisses my nose. I mean how can you not love that? Silly guy.

Long division! I am going to sound like a total geek right now, but sometimes I still do long division so that I don't forget how! What I worry about is calculus and advanced geometry! Talk about I got an A+ in both subjects 20 years ago! If you put a physics or calculus or stats question in front of me now, I'd have no idea what to do with it! So I can understand for the non-geeks here how long division would be hard. I know I surpassed my Mom's mathematical abilities around 8th grade. She was hopeless I used to think that meant my mom was stupid, but now that I'm 20-30 years older and haven't done that stuff in that amount of time, I realize that it has nothing to do with brains! Just don't let your D's see you sweat! Research the lesson before hand so that you look all smart and ready to tackle it

I'm glad that I was able to help. I was worried I was stepping on toes or giving my opinion when you didn't ask for it. Hopefully your DD's will be easier to deal with and will be smarter in the long run

 

[Grey Eyes]

Don't let my dd's see me sweat? Nuts! lol