BOTW, edition 11.

BOTW, more comprehensively known as Blog Of The Week (ish, usually very ‘ish’). I post because giving back just a little bit of unsolicited niceness to others makes the blogosphere a friendlier place.

Once again I commence another un or semi-solicited blogaview. Blog of the week, the eleventh spin of the carousel….where does the time go?

Ta-Daa!

And so it begins again, the eleventh edition of BOTW. Double figures it is! Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week (roll with it, please, and try not to point out that my personal sense of time must be rather distorted if I think I can continue to get away with calling this sort of frequency or rather INfrequency ‘weekly’.) I choose to review:

CharmingB!tch: by Deels and Shannon.

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

A brilliantly sharp, witty as hell and at times tear-jerking blog about two truckers, life, kids, infant death, pregnancy loss and now, ovarian cancer.

The clever search terms version?

Guardianship, Children, Parenting, Pregnancy, Infant Death, NICU, Grief, Loss, Miscarriage, Ovarian Cancer, Surgery, Marriage, Difficult Family Stuff.

In more detail:

Again, I shall not over-revise The Charming Ones’s history (In case I stuff it up. Check out their blog for the story in their own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but I shall borrow from their very well written ‘about’ page.

2005: Great except for round 1 with MRSA infection and Katrina eating my whole house.

2006: Banner year that included getting pregnant (and not finding out until 10-12 weeks along), getting married to my baby daddy and giving birth in September to Jackson. He was doubtlessly the most precious and perfect baby in all the land but sadly he died a little over a month later. It’s been incredibly hard as I think there isn’t a comparable loss to that of a child and if there is, in fact, anything worse I hope we never experience it or even hear of it, to be honest.

2007: Today though we (Deels and I) are doing our level best to get on with getting on. My sister and her family have already moved to the North West and we will be following them (along with my parents) shortly. Hurricane Katrina fucked us up but good and it’s time for a change, as much as I do dearly and truly love the South.

Deels and I are back on the road (he’s a trucker, too) and that will be evidenced amply with terrible quality camera phone pictures until we upgrade to a proper digital camera. I also love my new bras with what is likely an unnatural passion. Plenty of proof posted already and you can expect regular updates.

And now, as of October 2007, another update. We made the move to the Pacific Northwest in April. This was after I quit my job (all dramatic like, heh) in March and we bought a house (one mile from my sister) site unseen in Vancouver. Moving was great, initially, and things seemed to be, finally on the upswing. I started therapy and then the final blow to our combined dignity was (another) unplanned pregnancy that ended in miscarriage and with Deels getting a (planned for but obviously delayed) vasectomy for his birthday in June. The miscarriage made me again sick with systemic MRSA and a hostage to a port and intravenous drug therapy for months on end. About this time my sister went into inpatient rehab and we had a truck-ton of responsibility for her three kids during that time. Good times, had by all, right?

Picking up from the studio in Portland, we separated in January of 2008 because D had an affair. I know, right? Was horrid. But we lived apart, fixed ourselves, worked too, too much and made things right again. Just in time for my dad to break not one but BOTH ankles in March 2008. And for my sister to chronically relapse, regardless of three trips to rehab in one lonely year. Her husband was also revealed to have a substance abuse problem his own self so we got guardianship of the kids and hauled ass back to Mississippi. Just after getting there, we discovered my former sister in law (I know, I know you need a chart to keep up with this shit) is in the throes of meth addiction so her 14 year old daughter lives with us now, too.

You tired yet? Fuck I am just updating this piece, dang. So. Yeah. Back to Mississippi, moved twice in a MONTH (w/o D being there either time, btw, b/c I AM BAD-ASS) and how we’ve settled into a 104 year old house that is both lovely and awful, is drafty as all fuck but full of so much character we think we’ll stay here awhile.

I mean unless the cancer means we’ll have to move. Ha! Gotcha. Yeah, shortly after all this kid collecting, moving cross country and such, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Ovarian Cancer. It sucks, hard, especially b/c D is back over the road and home really sporadically but it was caught early, is treatable and a year from now will be just another fucked up memory buried amongst so much joy.

So. Yeah. That’s us and our family (C-14 girl S-6 girl H-5 boy J-3inJanuary-boy) – We rock pretty hard given the circumstances, I think.

I have to confess I’ve been lurking this particular blog for some time, mostly because they’ve been through the absolute wringer and the story really pulls at me. I don’t know of many people who can write about cancer surgery and be as funny as hell at the same time, I just don’t.

Care to read and support?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

BOTW, edition 10.

Once again I commence another un or semi-solicited blogaview. Blog of the week, the tenth spin of the carousel….where does the time go?

Ta-Daa!

And so it begins again, the tenth edition of BOTW. Double figures it is! Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week (Yes, okay, probably more like ‘month’. But it’s too late to change BTOW to BOTM after ten goes. Additionally, ‘BOTM’ sounds too much like ‘bottom’ for my liking) I choose to review:

Mrs. Spit Spouts Off, by The Grammatical Goddess herself, Mrs. Spit.

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

Mrs. Spit Spouts Off is a blog about infertility, loss and the grief of losing her newborn son, Gabriel, born too early at only 26 weeks due to severe pre-eclampsia. Oh, and though it all, the Punctuation Queen has kindly educated us all about the correct use of the language that I, personally, see fit to tear to shreds on a regular basis.

The clever search terms version? Geepers, I always feel like I’m highlighting the bad points of each blogger’s reproductive careers in this section:

Infertility, Pre-eclampsia, Premature Birth, Neonatal Death, Loss, Grief, Reflections, Grammar, Etiquette, Knitting, Politics, Religion.

In more detail:

Again, I shall not over-revise Mrs. Spit’s history (In case I stuff it up. Check out her blog for the story in their own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but…

Mrs. Spit, in her own words pinched from her sidebar, …

” She knits, she gardens, she actually understands grammar and she buys too many shoes.

She talks about politics and religion.

She’s wife to Mr. Spit, mum to 2 dogs, 2 cats and a baby boy Gabriel, born 15 weeks too soon, in December 2007, as a result of severe pre-eclampsia.”

Mrs. Spit writes absolutely beautifully about the experience of losing of her son, Gabriel, picking up the pieces in the aftermath, coping with grief and many other matters.

Oh, and I mean it about the grammar.

Care to read?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

BOTW, edition 9.

Once again, with a small amount of guilt related to tardiness, I commence another un or semi solicited blogaview. Blog of the week, the ninth spin of the carousel….

Ta-Daa!

And so it begins again, the ninth edition of BOTW. Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week (ish. Far Far worse than ‘ish’, actually. So very, painfully, far out the other side of ‘ish’ that the joke is no longer remotely amusing. ‘Ish’ went quietly over the horizon and out of the metaphorical rear-view mirror some weeks ago) I choose to review:

Coming2Terms, by Pamela Jeanne.

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

PJ is a blogger who uses writing and blogging to reconcile her loss of what many take for granted- the ability to bear children- despite many years of fertility treatment. Life when involuntarily childless and the under-publicised perspective that brings.

The clever search terms version? Geepers, I always feel like I’m highlighting the bad points of each blogger’s reproductive careers in this section:

Living child-free after infertility, childlessness not by choice, reflections, infertility tales, infertility advocates, as an infertile, memos to the fertile community, (also pre-blog IVF, ICSI, Clomid, IUI, alternative therapies), endometriosis.

In more detail:

Again, I shall not over-revise Pamela Jeanne’s history (In case I stuff it up. Check out her blog for the story in their own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but…

PJ, in her own words pinched from her sidebar, …

“At 29 I learned I might have some infertility issues.

On and off for the next 11 years I tried both conventional and unconventional methods to conceive. Clomid, IUI, ICSI IVF (several times), acupuncture, yoga for fertility, raspberry tea, chiropractic adjustments, Chinese herbs, fertility herbal blends. Diet changes. Lighting candles. You name it, I tried it.

When it became evident that no amount of effort would produce a baby, my husband and I reluctantly got off the infertility treatment roller coaster. This blog — and the book I’m writing called Silent Sorority — give voice to what it’s like to live with infertility in a fertile world.”

Care to reflect with her?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

BOTW, edition 8.

Once again, with a small amount of guilt related to tardiness, I commence another un or semi solicited blogaview. Blog of the week, the eighth spin of the carousel….

Ta-Daa!

And so it begins again, the eigth edition of BOTW. Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week (ish. Geepers. Probably LOTS ‘ish’) I choose to review:

Sprogblogger, by Susan.

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

In the IVF trenches, with multiple failed cycles under her belt. Contemplating the next direction. Adoption? Donor eggs?

The clever search terms version? Geepers, I always feel like I’m highlighting the bad points of each blogger’s reproductive careers in this section:

IVF, miscarriage, TTC over 35, ectopic pregnancy, Frozen Embryos, Donor egg/DE, Adoption.

In more detail:

Again, I shall not over-revise Sprogblogger’s history (In case I stuff it up. Check out her blog for the story in their own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but…

Susan met a man, got married and decided to have a baby.

Well, okay, before that bit she met another man, lived in two other states, her marriage failed and she gained an MLS degree. But THEN she met a man with whom she wanted to have a baby.

Timed intercourse didn’t do the trick, and given the age issue that crops up in those of us over 35, a trip to the RE was next in order. Many problems were ruled out, but on the suspicion of perhaps a tubal issue, a sperm issue and their ages, IVF it was. With ICSI.

Then came cycle number one: miscarriage.

…aaand cycle number two: ectopic.

Cycle number three is in it’s final throes but expected to head into the badlands of BFN’s rather shortly.

She could do with the virtual support as she decides what a lady of a certain reproductive age with three failed IVF’s and financial constraints should exactly DO in this siutation.

Care to cheer her on from inside the computer?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

BOTW, Edition 7.

Once again, with feeling, I commence another un or semi solicited blogaview. Blog of the week, the seventh spin of the carousel….

 Ta-Daa!

And so it begins again, the seventh edition of BOTW. Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week (ish. Although I think I am not too embarassingly delayed this time around, for a change) I choose to review:

Life and Love in the Petri Dish, by Mo and Will.

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

In the IVF trenches after surviving cancer with a bonus kick in the teeth of multiple miscarriages along the way.

The clever search terms version? Geepers, I always feel like I’m highlighting the bad points of each blogger’s reproductive careers in this section:

IUI, IVF/ICSI, miscarriage, fetal aneuploidy, male factor (poor morphology), long lupron protocol, antagonist protocol, endometrial co-culture, hodgkins lymphoma, TTC over 35.

In more detail:

Again, I shall not over-revise Mo+Will’s history (In case I stuff it up. Check out their blog for the story in their own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but…

Mo and Will began attempting pregnancy before their wedding. Both were 35. They were not unreasonably a little concerned given Mo’s history of cancer (and chemotherapy) may have affected her ovarian reserve and that they may have some difficulties. An initial consult with an RE was reassuring, however the wedding came and went (as did the honeymoon) and no pregnancy eventuated.

A second opinion revealed that perhaps there was probably an element of male factor contributing to the difficulty, specifically low morphology and motility. Mo and Will decided that, on the balance, it would not be unreasonable to go straight to IVF given their ages, history and the male factor.

IVF number one was textbook, including a positive beta and fetal heartbeat. They were released to their OB.

Unfortunately, Mo and Will suffered a missed miscarriage before the OB appointment as there was no longer a fetal heartbeat at week nine. Testing revealed a double aneuploidy in the baby.

Saddened, but enheartened by the knowledge that this was an unfortunate but not uncommon event, Mo and Will soldiered on to IVF #2. It was a negative.

But, happily, a spontaneous pregnancy ensued not long after. The betas doubled beautifully. Sadly, this was followed by a second miscarriage.

A second spontanoues pregnancy closely followed, but was unfortunately a chemical one. Further testing revealed fetal aneuploidy as the culprit- trisomy 16.

At this point, Mo and Will were three pregnancies down, with two confirmed aneuploidies and no babies.

I followed Mo and Will through their third IVF cycle which was a BFN. Not easy. Not easy at all.

Mo and Will are now gearing up for IVF #4. Care to cheer them on from inside their computer?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

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PS. New pictures of the Indian Takeaways under the Terrible Twosome tab up top. It’s been a while.

BOTW edition 6.

Yep. I’m several week’ish’ belateds this time around. In fact, it’s probably more like a month’ish’.

I shall continue to blame the babies and/or housemoving, or the fact that our heater now mysteriously does not work, or perhaps if neither of these are sufficient that  I also do not have a phone line despite several polite queries to fecking phone company begging them to take my money.

Sigh.

None of these items can defend themselves on the Internet, so even if I solely have my lazy self to blame I can get away with whining instead. I’m  awfully good at that. Had you noticed?

Regardless. Ta-Daa!

And so it begins again, the sixth edition of BOTW. Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week (ish. This week was especially, abundantly full of ‘ish’. ‘Ish’ for all, I insist, my shout!), I choose to review:

Dreams and False Alarms, by the lovely Sarah.

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

 DAFA is the blog of a self-described (back in early 2008, when she begain writing) ‘37 year old, duly analyzed, and not pregnant, even after 18 months of peeing on sticks, hiking hips up after the procedure, and trying an IUI or 3′. Since then, Sarah has had a rough time at the hands of IVF. She’s facing some very Big Decisions about the future path to take.

The clever search terms version?:

 Infertility, female factor, poor responder, IUI, IVF, miscarriage, BFN, DE, DHEA, antagonist protocol.

In more detail:

Again, I shall not over-revise her history (In case I stuff it up. Check out her blog for her story in her own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but…

I can add to the above summary provided by Sarah herself her bloggy experiences of one cancelled IVF cycle for poor response and converted to IUI, one IVF cycle with a BFP that ended sadly in miscarriage, a third IVF cycle with a negative and a fourth attempt with a less than expected response, slowly growing embryos that arrested and therefore no transfer at all. Not long before Christmas, too.

Sarah is now considering a change of protocol (DHEA, and I think either antagonist or MDL- not the long lupron protocol avec BCP that is the meat and veg of the IVF world because of oversuppression fears), and one more spin of the wheel with her own biological material.

She is facing the reality of possible donor egg use in the future. It’s a big decision and a hard adjustment to make. She could do with support along the way.

Care to read?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

BOTW, edition 5.

And so it begins again, the fifth edition of BOTW. Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week (ish, lest I ever forget. I am nothing if not scrupulously honest about my likely inability to keep strictly to my intended weekly frequency like for example, THIS week), I choose to review:

Duck’s Big ‘Ol Blog Of How To Build A Nest* (By Duck, a blogger who used to blog at another URL)

May I call you and your blog  ’Quack’, dear Duck, for the sake of this review? Otherwise there is an unnacceptably high likelihood of my mangling your blog name into unrecognisable mess, sadly. My apologies in advance.

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

On the road to surrogacy, having taken heavy fire in the alleyways of IVF and cancelled transfer-ville. May this road not be unduly long and winding.

The clever search terms version?:

Endometriosis (severe), Laparoscopy, Laporotomy, Medical Treatment of Endometriosis, Surgical Treatment of Endometriosis, Frozen Pelvis, Injectibles, IUI, Cervical Factor, IVF, FET, Cancelled Transfer, Thin Lining, Vi.agra (no, not for that use), Gestational Surrgoacy.

In more detail:

Again, I shall not over-revise her history (In case I stuff it up. Check out her blog for her story in her own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but…

Quack was diagnosed with advanced endometriosis at an unusually young age, being merely in her late teens. Whilst her friends were out partying, Quack got a sneak preview of menopause- complete with hot flashes- due to medical treatment of her condition. She also had a bunch of surgeries and then took the pill continuously for some years.

Back in 2005, after finding Mr Duck, Quack stopped taking the pill and waited to get pregnant. She even tried relaxing. It didn’t work.

Upon consulting with an RE, Quack discovered that there is probably a good reason she has not been conceiving despite aforementioned relaxation. Her endometriosis has quietly gone and bitten her in the bowel, the ovaries, and the uterus i.e. her pelvis is a frozen mass of scar tissue. Thank you, endometriosis.

She tried an injectible IUI cycle, but gained a bonus diagnosis along the way, becoming the resigned owner of a cervix a corkscrew would have trouble negotiating. It certainly gives her RE’s (who presumably see a lot of cervixii? cervixes? and are therefore somewhat expert on this point) more than a little difficulty.

Quack and Mr Duck move on to IVF, and unfortunately learned the hard way that injectible FSH  can cause endometriosis to become worse, because her ovaries are now riddled with endometriomas. Enter from left stage six months of medical therapy with progesterone.

By this time it is now 2008 and time to give it another burl. I think this is where I first picked up Quack’s story. Everything about this IVF was unremarkable, except for the fact that Quack’s uterus for reasons that shall remain somewhat mysterious never grew a lining. She topped out at a freeze-all-your-embryo’s 2.5mm.

After two failed attempts at an FET (including maximum estrogen and vi.agra to stimulate the uterine lining as much as possible) where things remained a No Go on the transfer front and hysteroscopic confirmation that the lining remained atrophic, Quack ended her TTC journey with her uterus.

She is now beginning anew with surrogacy and could do with some company along the bloggy way.

Care to read?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

BOTW 4

And so it begins again, the fourth edition of BOTW. Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week(ish! don’t forget the ‘ish’, it’s important. I am nothing if not scrupulously honest about my likely inability to keep strictly to my intended weekly frequency), I choose to review:

It’s Either Sadness or Euphoria.*

*Purely because I am a horridly lazy typist and an atrociously careless speller to boot, I hastily abbreviate anything I possibly can down to an unpronounceable collection of capital letters. I therefore temporarily rename this blog IESOE. Catchy, no?

No?

Never mind, at least it isn’t binding.

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

In the trenches taking heavy fire. About to commence a DE IVF cycle after multiple failed attempts with her own eggs.

The clever search terms version?:

Miscarriage, clomid, laparoscopy, mild endometriosis, tubal factor, HSG, IVF (multiple attempts), FET, BFN/recurrent implantation failure, DE/Donor Eggs.

In more detail:

Again, I shall not over-revise her history (In case I stuff it up. Check out her blog for her story in her own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but…

Katedaphne did what many of our high school biology teachers told us would lead to instant-eek-pregnancy-if-we-weren’t-careful back in late 2003, i.e she threw caution to the reproductive wind and ditched the birth control pills. She became pregnant in mid 2004. Naturally.

Whilst it would be truly wonderful if the happily-ever-after ended with a baby at this point, even at the expense of a much shorter column here, it was not to be. Katedaphne unfortunately suffered a miscarriage.

She didn’t get pregnant again.

Clomid was the next port of call, by this point in mid 2005, but did not result in a pregnancy. An exploratory laparoscopy revealed mild endometriosis and raised questions about the patency of her fallopian tubes. An HSG did not entirely clarify the situation, but either way Katedaphne was advised to try IVF.

So she did.

Many times.

Heartbreakingly, despite several cycles and the transfer of beautiful-looking embryos, Katedaphne remained steadfastly sans a second line on a pee stick. However she WAS avec some big bills instead. IVF isn’t cheap.

Katedaphne tried adding lovenox to the mix, without success. She also tried A Big-Clever-Clinic. Nada.

In a last ditch attempt with her own eggs, Katedaphne attempted a FET with embryos from Just-A-Clinic and one from Big-Clever-Clinic. In what can only be described as a bloody rotten thing to happen, the last precious embryo from Big Clever Clinic disappeared into thin air. It simply wasn’t to be found.

Katedaphne still had to pay for the non-existent embryo’s transport/storage as apparently actual existence of the embryo in question is a moot point when it comes to storage fees. I personally still think this was terribly unfair, because clearly somebody screwed the metaphorical pooch along the way. But the buck and the account still reside with the at-you-own-risk consumer. This cycle was also a BFN.

Anyway, to get to the point, after years of heartache and loss Katedaphne is now beginning a new IVF cycle with donor eggs. Wish her luck.

Care to read?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

BOTW, edition 3.

Oh my, time flies when you’re procrastinating and sleep deprived…..Although I am feeling somewhat better today after unleashing my Now Not-So-Inner Vile Cow yesterday. Moo. With HORNS on.

And so it begins again, the third edition of BOTW. Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week(ish! don’t forget the ‘ish’, it’s important. I am nothing if not scrupulously honest about my likely inability to keep strictly to my intended weekly frequency), I choose to review:

A Little Pregnant*

I’m a bit jittery, because Julie is a writer I am positivey in awe of. One of the Big Guns in this corner of the blogosphere. You know the concept of gateway drugs? Well Julie’s blog is my gateway blog. Hers was the first IF blog I ever read, long before the words ’severe male factor’ ‘pcos’ ‘IVF/ICSI’ and ‘anencephaly’ ever entered my personal space.

Even though I’m sure you know all about ALP*, I just can’t resist because if by chance you DON’T, well you should be reading.

Sorry, I’m all gushy. I do that when I’m nervous….

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

Over the infertility rainbow. Parenting an IVF son and a DE IVF son.

The clever search terms version?:

Tubal factor, endometriosis, male factor, IVF, poor responser, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, pregnancy, HELLP/Pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery, thrombophilia, NICU, donor eggs, parenting, sons.

In more detail:

Again, I shall not over-revise her history (In case I stuff it up. Check out her blog for her story in her own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but…

Julie (who to get all gushy again, I started reading years ago) went through four fresh IVF cycles in the conception of her first son. Four complicated fresh cycles, and by complicated I mean with the heartsinking double whammy of poor response = dissapointingly few eggs at each retrieval surgery = not much to work with in the embryo department AND the titular ‘a little pregnant’ twice i.e. an ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage (with early oligohydraminos and fetal demise) thrown in for good measure. I consider this proof positive that on some level the universe really likes to kick us when we’re down.

I also have to say in a small aside that the way that Julie can make anything alternately emotional, enthralling, sarcastic, witty as hell and as funny as heck is impressive.

Her fourth fresh cycle had me biting my nails as I vicariously lived the reproductive life of an utter stranger through my computer. It was a cycle that ended in an encouraginly healthy positive beta.

I bit my nails again when Charlie was born at 30 weeks, a result of HELLP syndrome. Thank you, in all probability, previously undiagnosed factor V Leiden for that twist.

Needless to say when Julie bravely ventured into the land of IVF again, she handled more failed cycles with her own eggs (before turning to donor) with customary aplomb. She also got pregnant from her donor cycle, and despite a higher risk pregnancy due to her thrombophilia and gestational diabetes, delivered her second son at term. Healthy.

I’ve personally only just breathed out.

She now blogs about parenting her boys. She writes well people. Damn well.

Care to read?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

BOTW, edition 2.

And so it begins again, the second edition of BOTW. Not sure what I’m talking about? Click on the logo to be taken to the reasoning behind my unsolicited blogaviews and previous BOTW’s.

BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

This week(ish! don’t forget the ‘ish’, it’s important. I am nothing if not scrupulously honest about my likely inability to keep strictly to my intended weekly frequency), I choose to review:

Taking the Statistical Bullet

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

Over the infertility rainbow. Parenting an IVF son after recurrent miscarriage. 

The clever search terms version? (incidentally, IS it a ‘boolean’ search if you abuse the plus key excessively, and what advantage does this present over simply bashing words into my nemesis, g.oogle?):

Miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage, IVF, PGD, parenting.

In more detail:

Katie began blogging in August of 2007. She joined the ALI community on the back of multiple miscarriages- six, as her blurb in her left sidebar details.

Again, I shall not over-revise her history (In case I stuff it up. Check out her blog for her story in her own words rather than my clumsy paraphrasing), but…

Her first pregnancy, whilst on the pill, was unplanned but nevertheless a very happy event. But it was not to be, and Katie sadly began bleeding by six weeks and was told her pregnancy was chemical. Needless to say, the pregnancy books that had been happily purchased were now a painful reminder and were put away.

She bravely girded her loins (presumably both literally AND figuratively- and as an aside Katie, as far as I am concerned, will forever be emblazoned on my brain as the blogger who coined the term ‘Sex Nazi’), and tried again.

And miscarried.

And tried again.

And miscarried again.

Recurrent miscarriage testing (after the third traumatic loss), revealed no treatable cause. Yet Katie had another miscarriage during the testing process. I think I thoroughly understand why the ’statistical bullet’ joke Katie references was no longer remotely funny by this point. Being young, healthy and able to get pregnant but not stay so for no discernible reason was clearly very difficult, as is made clear in her writing about her lost babies.

Katie’s fifth loss was at a heartbreaking eleven weeks, just shy of that mystical twelve week line many of us draw in the imaginary sand.

Then came the empirical treatment with the Femara, HCG triggers for ovulation and progesterone supplementation…..and a sixth miscarriage.

Turning to IVF with PGD, Katie finally dodged the statistical bullet, conceiving her miraculous son (Will) in her first cycle.

She now blogs about parenting after IF, the good, the bad and the sleepless.

Care to read?

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Want to see YOUR blog featured? Like to be in my blogroll? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll gleefully add you, after all a girl can never have too many hyperlinks in her sidebar.

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Only a week and a bit to go- just a gentle nudge in the direction of composing that brilliant cross-pollination post you’re been brewing and shipping if off via email to your match.

BOTW edition 1

…and so it begins, the inaugral blog of BOTW. An unsolicited admiration of blog-ness. An acknowledgement of the road travelled. Putting my excessive Google Reader activity to good use. On some level, we all write to be read, don’t we?

Behind the Mask.

Firstly, the quickfire version:

In a nutshell?

An IVF blog.

Ok, so you’re all modern, and you’d rather flavours of applicable keywords for your boolean search? (Incidentally, and I digress, many apologies if I’ve massacred the correct use of the term ‘boolean’. Many many lecturers have TRIED very hard to teach me how to use search engines properly but other than merely be present in body at each retelling, I have yet to make progress. To my current understanding it is *something* about search TERM and plus symbol oops-caps-lock-still-on, multipled by yawn and is it lunchtime yet?). Getting back to business…..

On this blog, you will find items such as, but not limited to, the following:

Clomid, metformin, laparoscopy, ovarian drilling, male factor, PCOS, Endometriosis, IVF-ICSI, miscarriage, FET, FSH FET, HRT FET, recurrent implantation failure, hysteroscopy.

In more detail:

Written by the inimitable Mrs Mask, the blog that shall henceforth be affectionately know as BTM* (because I can’t resist a good TLA**) came on the scene in March 2007, commenced as a journal of Mrs Mask’s first IVF-ICSI cycle.

MM*** came upon IVF by way of having patiently tried the usual steps along the way to getting-knocked-up-when-one-is-repeatedly-NOT-knocked-up (and is trying to be, of course).

The full summary can be found in her right sidebar, and I wouldn’t be cheeky enough to attempt to accidentally revise her history here, but essentially MM has tried hormonal treatments (Clomid), metformin, surgery (Ovarian drilling, to be specific. ‘Drilling’ almost sounds like a cute surgical equivalent of teeny-tiny jackhammers on the ovaries, but I suspect it’s no picnic) and time, before moving on to IVF/ICSI (due to a side order of male factor).

Here’s where I picked up MM’s story.

To summarise a year of blogging in a paragraph is difficult, but MM underwent her first IVF/ICSI stim cycle, reponded well to a low dose of FSH, had an uneventful retrieval and transfer, followed by a borderline beta.

She lost ’Bootie’ at 5 weeks gestation, and this loss has been compounded by continuing rough times in the fertility department.

MM has subsequently chewed through the heartbreak (let alone the cost) of another six transfers, using up all her dozen-ish embryos without a blip of HCG. Recurrent implantation failure testing has not turned up a cuplrit to point heparin and/or other big guns at, so here she metaphorically stands, about to start IVF again.

Wish her luck?

 

* BTM = Behind the Mask

** TLA = Three letter abbreviation. Yes, medicos are dorks.

*** MM = Mrs Mask, of course. Only she spells it with an ‘@’ symbol. I don’t, purely because I keep forgetting to put out all the pretend email address spotfires that wordpress automatically assumes I’m typing. See, I just missed another one. Fancy sending an email to the good people of ‘at’? Knock yourselves out. Sorry for mangling your name Mrs Mask.

 

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Next week-ish. Another unsolicited blogaview. Like a review, but for your blog…….want to see your blog here or your URL in my blogroll? Post a comment here and I shall happily oblige…..

Tomorrow, in other business, I shall be emailing out cross-pollination matches. Check your inboxes!

Oh, and just to see if anybody is still reading (if I haven’t bored you silly) the Terrible Twosome page now comes avec new pictures.

BOTW?

Blog of the ya-what?

The cross pollination was so much fun last year (and is shaping up to be again THIS year- I’m taking names for just a few more days, particularly all the lovely ladies of sans) that I’ve hit upon a way to regularly indulge in a little cross-pollination type activity, all on my lonesome. Unilaterally, if needs be, featuring possibly YOUR blog. I like to read, and comment, but I also like to get to know people’s stories.

Perhaps because I’m terminally nosey, admittedly.

Not sure what I mean?

It’s simple, I will aim to feature every week-ish a brief precis/review of blog and blogger from my not-inconsiderable blogroll. Consider it free press.

Why week ish?

Because I’m honest. My intentions are always good, but time is (let’s face it) often not on my side.

I’m also happy to take any extra names whose URL’s I have yet to snaffle and shove in my blogroll, and both list and feature them.

At any time, you can simply click on the snazzy new button in my sidebar to be taken to all the collective featured blogs. In time, I should build quite a little library of our stories that anybody can peruse.

Is that not just the teeniest bit nifty?

Just a bit?