CARE Fertility Bulletin Board

won't stop trying · 22 Nov 2003

Hi, I've just spent all morning trying to organise hospital appointments, samples, bloods for testing in Chicago, swabs and smears, trips down south. My head is pounding with all the phone calls and god only knows what excuses I'll give to colleagues at work for all the time off. Next week I have a visit to Nottingham on Monday, Tuesday I have appointment with NHS hospital in Scotland, then on Thusday I have to go to doctors to get swab done. Took holiday today to do all the phone calls. DH is cracking up as he has to produce yet another sample. Hopefully when we start the treatment it will be less stressful than all the organising. Also had problems with applying for a Mint Visa, they have obviously run out of application forms but won't admit it. Ended up contacting my own bank and have been approved for their credit card. What a hell of a way to spend of days holiday! This immune stuff is so complicated and takes some amount of organising. I just hope it will get us a positive this time. Love Wendy

nagina · 20 Aug 2003

Hi Wendy, You poor thing, it's just not fair! I think organising these appointments & blood test are the worst part, attending them is easier. Are you having all the Chicago tests done (endio biopsy as well?) Good luck with your appointment at Nottingham. I'm sure you will come away feeling like it was worth all the headache. I'm also changing clinics to Nottingham & am not looking forward to the all the phonecalls & admin involved either. Chin up & keep going. nagina

won't stop trying · 22 Nov 2003

Hi Nagina,
Sorry I haven't replied sooner but I've been really busy with my second job which I do in the evenings. I took part in a study at Care for LIF at the end of 2001 and had a biopsy done as part of the protocol. It came back normal, some of the biopsy was stored and was send to Chicgao for testing, it also came back normal. Do you think the NK cells can be detected in the biopsy? I was just wondering how long it takes for the remicade or humira to work. Is the treatment a weekly injection and how often do they test your blood to see if the levels are dropping? Getting really excited about the 3D scan on Monday, hope I have problem with blood flow as you just want to be able to say 'it hasn't worked so far because.....'. A reason for it all not working so far makes you feel a lot more positive for the next cycle, especially if it's something that can be fixed. Your making an excellent choice by going to Care. We were sent to them after our local hospital could do no more for us. I feel they are really dedicated to finding out why the embies don't implant and George always takes time to explain everything. The journey's a bit of a drag (6hrs driving) but you get used to it and DH does all the driving anyway. We usually leave about 1.00am and I get a snooze in my sleeping bag in the front seat!
Wishing you lots of strength and determination.
Wendy.

nagina · 20 Aug 2003

Hi Wendy,
I just wanted to let you know that they can detect NK in the endio biop as I have slightly raised NK which they found in my biopsy, but I don't have it in my blood.
I'm not sure how the Rem works, but I can tell you that humira you take an injection it every 2 weeks & then have the bloods a week after the 2nd injection. The results with humira are pretty rapid that is why Dr B recommends it. You should have gd news from the first blood test. Humira did not suit me & made my TH1/2 flare up but it seems to hv worked for others.
Good luck with you 3D scan on Mon, it it called a Doppler scan. I would like to have one done as I have terribly thin linning of womb & suffer from low blood pressure so had to have viagra & clexane when cycling.
I'm so glad you were pleased with George.
naginax