My bleeding continued, it was fairly light, but more than spotting. I rushed off to the clinic, another blood test and wait for the results. I got a call about 6pm. My hormone level hCG) has dropped to 178.
It's all over.
They will do another test on Monday to confirm, so I am not to stop the drugs just yet.
I know in my heart this is the end. The strange exhaustion I felt mid week is completely gone. It's so sad to think we came so close and beat all the odds that were against us. To get this far and then lose it. We have no embryos 'spare,' none frozen.
13 embryos, 5 without TCS, 2 survived to implantation day (day 7), one positive pregnancy test, 0 babies :-(
Showing posts with label Blood Test. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blood Test. Show all posts
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Beta #2 Test Day
Another blood test and another excruciating wait.
I finally got the call to say that the hormone level has more than doubled. It has gone from 99 to 220! The clinic are happy with this and do not need to see me again until my 7 week scan. Tears of relief!!! Still a long way to go, but it seems this scare is over.
I finally got the call to say that the hormone level has more than doubled. It has gone from 99 to 220! The clinic are happy with this and do not need to see me again until my 7 week scan. Tears of relief!!! Still a long way to go, but it seems this scare is over.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Progesterone Check
After a very chilled day at home yesterday doing very little. Trying to be relaxed and calm (it's going to be a very long 2 weeks!), I went back to the clinic yesterday for a blood test to check Progesterone levels. Waited 1 hour 15 minutes after my appointment time before I was seen, and was in and out in about 2 minutes. Back home again straight after as I'm supposed to be taking it easy after ET.
I got a call from the hospital saying my progesterone levels were a little below 75. They would like it to be 100 (Although 75 would be the level for a normal pregnancy at this stage). I had to go back in today to collect more medication.
They have added a Progesterone tablet three times a day and another injection every other day. This one has to go into the muscle. The injection itself isn't so bad, but the ache a few hours afterwards is quite unpleasant. Feels like I have cramp! Poor husband is going to have to do this for me as injecting in the upper bum muscle is kinda hard to reach yourself!
Long needles, and yes it has to go all the way in!
I have to confess to a wobble today. It was late, I was tired, my bum was very sore, and I was struggling to get the clexane injection needle in. (They are wider, and it seems harder and more painful to penetrate the skin). There were tears. I'd had enough. A cup of tea from Hubby, and straight to bed soon sorted that. I've told myself off, and I will not do it again!
My drug regime now:
I got a call from the hospital saying my progesterone levels were a little below 75. They would like it to be 100 (Although 75 would be the level for a normal pregnancy at this stage). I had to go back in today to collect more medication.
They have added a Progesterone tablet three times a day and another injection every other day. This one has to go into the muscle. The injection itself isn't so bad, but the ache a few hours afterwards is quite unpleasant. Feels like I have cramp! Poor husband is going to have to do this for me as injecting in the upper bum muscle is kinda hard to reach yourself!
Long needles, and yes it has to go all the way in!
I have to confess to a wobble today. It was late, I was tired, my bum was very sore, and I was struggling to get the clexane injection needle in. (They are wider, and it seems harder and more painful to penetrate the skin). There were tears. I'd had enough. A cup of tea from Hubby, and straight to bed soon sorted that. I've told myself off, and I will not do it again!
My drug regime now:
Monday, 28 November 2011
I have follicles and he has working bollickles!!
Hubby laughed when I said that. I guess a sense of humour is going to be vital through this :)
Today I was seen by Lynn (doctor) and Nathalie (nurse) and I had an ORT (Ovarian Reserve Test). The description on the CRGH website is:
"The ORT (Ovarian Reserve Test) is performed between days 2-5 of the period. It involves a transvaginal scan and baseline blood hormone profile (E2, FSH and AMH)."
So they tell you what it is, but not what they are looking for or why they do the test. The scan (see blog dated 4th November 2011) was to count the follicles. I had five one side and four the other. This is a good number, a relief given my age. The number of follicles is a good indicator of how many eggs a woman has left (remember we're born with all our eggs, once they're gone, they're gone!)
While I was having my scan, the nurse said "I'm just going to take some blood while you are having that done". Hang on a minute! One thing at a time, I'm busy! Oh, I don't think I have a choice in this. I guess might as well get it all over at the same time! I'm a woman, I can multitask. There was of course the advantage that I was laying down, no chance of passing out :)
I was reading a CRGH brochure that I'd kept from a visit about 3 years ago. It describes how they used to just test the FSH hormone levels, but that it was possible that a woman can still have normal FSH levels even though their egg reserve is low. Hence they now do the scan and use the number of follicles as an additional indicator.
Blood test over and done with very quickly, and I was told to phone Karen next Tuesday as the results will take about 1 week.
I found a useful diagram:
I also found a few videos, I'll evaluate them and post a link to the ones I think are best.
More detailed information for those who want to know ......
First day of period flow is counted as day one.
A follicle is an anatomical structure in which the primary oocyte (mature egg) develops. Typically around 20 follicles mature each month and only a single follicle is ovulated (an oocyte is released). The rest undergo atresia. That single dominant follicle becomes a corpus luteum following ovulation.
The blood test checks for three hormone levels:
AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) is a hormone that is produced by the ovaries and is strongly correlated with the egg follicle pool. This hormone does not fluctuate month to month like other hormones, and is a strong predictor of ovarian reserve.
E2 - Estradiol (also known as Oestradiol). From Wikipedia: estradiol acts as a growth hormone for tissue of the reproductive organs, supporting the lining of the vagina, the cervical glands, the endometrium, and the lining of the fallopian tubes. It enhances growth of the myometrium. Estradiol appears necessary to maintain oocytes in the ovary. During the menstrual cycle, estradiol produced by the growing follicle triggers, via a positive feedback system, the hypothalamic-pituitary events that lead to the luteinizing hormone surge, inducing ovulation. In the luteal phase, estradiol, in conjunction with progesterone, prepares the endometrium for implantation
FSH - Follicle Stimulating Hormone, produced by the pituitary gland and directly stimulates the ovaries to recruit and support ovarian follicles, each containing one egg. The hypothalamus adjusts the production of FSH depending upon the levels of other hormones such as estrogen.
Healthy day 3 FSH levels are generally less than 10. Values of 10 to 18 are generally intermediate and are sometimes associated with lower fertility and higher miscarriage rates. Pregnancies are rare and miscarriages increase with high FSH values more than 18. This hormone level needs to be considered along with the E2 level, to check that the FSH level was tested whilst the E2 level was low (which it will be on days 3/4). A high FSH level can be an indicator of low ovarian reserve in older women, less so in younger woman, hence the additional Antral follicle count.
Today I was seen by Lynn (doctor) and Nathalie (nurse) and I had an ORT (Ovarian Reserve Test). The description on the CRGH website is:
"The ORT (Ovarian Reserve Test) is performed between days 2-5 of the period. It involves a transvaginal scan and baseline blood hormone profile (E2, FSH and AMH)."
So they tell you what it is, but not what they are looking for or why they do the test. The scan (see blog dated 4th November 2011) was to count the follicles. I had five one side and four the other. This is a good number, a relief given my age. The number of follicles is a good indicator of how many eggs a woman has left (remember we're born with all our eggs, once they're gone, they're gone!)
While I was having my scan, the nurse said "I'm just going to take some blood while you are having that done". Hang on a minute! One thing at a time, I'm busy! Oh, I don't think I have a choice in this. I guess might as well get it all over at the same time! I'm a woman, I can multitask. There was of course the advantage that I was laying down, no chance of passing out :)
I was reading a CRGH brochure that I'd kept from a visit about 3 years ago. It describes how they used to just test the FSH hormone levels, but that it was possible that a woman can still have normal FSH levels even though their egg reserve is low. Hence they now do the scan and use the number of follicles as an additional indicator.
Blood test over and done with very quickly, and I was told to phone Karen next Tuesday as the results will take about 1 week.
I found a useful diagram:
I also found a few videos, I'll evaluate them and post a link to the ones I think are best.
More detailed information for those who want to know ......
First day of period flow is counted as day one.
A follicle is an anatomical structure in which the primary oocyte (mature egg) develops. Typically around 20 follicles mature each month and only a single follicle is ovulated (an oocyte is released). The rest undergo atresia. That single dominant follicle becomes a corpus luteum following ovulation.
The blood test checks for three hormone levels:
AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) is a hormone that is produced by the ovaries and is strongly correlated with the egg follicle pool. This hormone does not fluctuate month to month like other hormones, and is a strong predictor of ovarian reserve.
E2 - Estradiol (also known as Oestradiol). From Wikipedia: estradiol acts as a growth hormone for tissue of the reproductive organs, supporting the lining of the vagina, the cervical glands, the endometrium, and the lining of the fallopian tubes. It enhances growth of the myometrium. Estradiol appears necessary to maintain oocytes in the ovary. During the menstrual cycle, estradiol produced by the growing follicle triggers, via a positive feedback system, the hypothalamic-pituitary events that lead to the luteinizing hormone surge, inducing ovulation. In the luteal phase, estradiol, in conjunction with progesterone, prepares the endometrium for implantation
FSH - Follicle Stimulating Hormone, produced by the pituitary gland and directly stimulates the ovaries to recruit and support ovarian follicles, each containing one egg. The hypothalamus adjusts the production of FSH depending upon the levels of other hormones such as estrogen.
Healthy day 3 FSH levels are generally less than 10. Values of 10 to 18 are generally intermediate and are sometimes associated with lower fertility and higher miscarriage rates. Pregnancies are rare and miscarriages increase with high FSH values more than 18. This hormone level needs to be considered along with the E2 level, to check that the FSH level was tested whilst the E2 level was low (which it will be on days 3/4). A high FSH level can be an indicator of low ovarian reserve in older women, less so in younger woman, hence the additional Antral follicle count.
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