High Natural Killer Cells #7

[Otter]

Also does anyone else get nipples of fire while on progesterone?

[Cathy69]

Otter, if you read back through the thread you will find the majority of posters have positive outcomes with Dr M. At 2dp5dt it isn't a case of success or failure as you are another. 5-7 days away from the embryo definitely implanting of not. Sit back and stop worrying of you will drive yourself crazy.

[Autumn Sun]

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone could tell me what their first trimester was like with Dr M? I'm almost 6 weeks pregnant and haven't heard anything from him. I thought he might want me to get weekly blood tests or something?? If anyone could share their experiences that'd be really appreciated.
Thanks.

[BB77]

@Autumn Sun I saw/still see him every 4 weeks, and in between when I have ivig. So twice a month. I had weekly blood tests until 15 weeks, but only to check my white blood cell count because I was taking neupogen. How often do you see him?

[Autumn Sun]

Thanks BB77. I'm in Melbourne so I don't have regular appointments in person. I saw him about 4 weeks ago for an intralipid but I didn't know at the time that I was pregnant. I thought that he would have wanted weekly blood tests so that he could monitor/adjust my treatment. I think I'll give Gwyneth a call!

Thanks for your reply, it's really helpful! xx

[Autumn Sun]

Also - does anyone think that it's significant that I have cold/flu(ish) symptoms? Runny nose, cough, tired...

Analysing everything!!

[BB77]

@Autumn Sun - nope! I reckon we all read into everything too much. I'm totally guilty of it too. Drives me nuts.

[Legwarmer]

I want to hear some more positive Dr M stories. Ladies if you are out there please share.

Hello Otter

I am a Dr M success story! I did 4 cycles of donor egg IVF without him (I have premature ovarian failure so needed donor eggs to have a baby). Everything was great in my first 3 cycles: grade a embryos, good lining levels, good enough progesterone levels, but no implantation. Was so gutted and felt lost. Switched FS for 4th cycle who did nk cell testing, cameback positive and waa put on the bondi protocol. Still a BFN but a HCG of 8 instead of 0, so something tried to happen,
For 5th cycle my FS suggested I needed stronger immune treatment & suggested I see Dr M as well as her. I had already had an initial apt with him & was waiting for my test results from him.
He recommended far more agressive doses of drugs plus extra drugs for my next cycle. My partner was also not sure & was worried about yhe drugs, as was I tbh. However, 8 years of trying to have a baby plus 2 egg donations (which take months to set up) plus 4 wasted embryos...

[Legwarmer]

I needed to try something else. And after reading these boards I became convinced my immune system was out of whack and too strong - I never had colds, flu anything that everyone else seemed to get. Plus I felt I was running out of options (and money to keep trying endless cycles) sad I was wasting the precious gift of eggs my donors had given me.

So I went with everything Dr M suggested - neupogen injections, very high dose progesterone, one IVIG then monthly intralipids. And guess what, I saw two lines for the first ever time on that cycle!! I could not believe it had worked. And after so much self doubt and umming and ahhing over whether this treatment I was doing was insane, and actually was I insane for going so far in trying to have a baby. But actually... no. It turned out my body just needed ****loads of drugs to conceive and maintain a pregnancy. Suddenly I was in a new camp, one where I could imagine becoming a mother... after so, so long of being shut out in the darkness and grief of failure. I started trying for a baby at age 33 (like most people who have problems, I tried EVERYTHING before reaching the point of IVF and Dr M, acupuncture, herbs temp charting, laying with legs up, yoga, exercise, no exercise blah blah spent a lot of money and years before ever getting to the 'serious' stuff. Not to mention paying for so much counselling over the years to deal with infertility-related bouts of sadness/depression).

[Legwarmer]

Sorry, typing this with one hand in the dark so keep pressing send as don't want to lose what I have written.

Anyway, one month before my 41st birthday I was pregnant. After one round of treatment from Dr M. He is absolutely the reason I have a 5 month old baby boy now. Every month when I would go to Hurtsville Hospital to have my intralipids I would share a room with another of his patients there for the same thing. I went 8 or 9 times in total I think. And you know what... every story I heard was the same. Either repeated implantation failure from IVF, or repeated miscarriage from a natural pregnancy. It couldn't all be a coincidence that all of these women were now pregnant after seeing Dr M. He is not a voodoo doctor or some away with the fairies man gaining cash from vulnerable women. He is a kind man of science and way ahead of his peers in what he does. He is also an obstetrician, so knows so much aside from his immune stuff about babies, pregnancy, delivery, scans, growth etc

I know I am very lucky in only needing one round of treatment with him to achieve a successful pregnancy, but it was blood sweat and a million tears to get to that point. I knew somewhere inside me that I would one day have a baby. That kept me going even when it seemed hopeless and like I was banging my head against a very expensive brick wall. And I am sooooo thankful I listened to myself and just tried it.