Spot the difference

Ok so now its time to play a little game of spot the difference.  It’s a game that is impossible to avoid during the 2ww.  The past few days have been spent reflecting and drawing up comparisons or differences between this IVF cycle and my previous ones. 

The biggest one is if I can make it through today without any blood then this will mark the biggest difference for me as it will mean I’ve past the point where I started bleeding with previous IVFs.  Of course this means nothing really as it is probably all the meds that I’m on thats holding back AF and it definitely does not mean I’m pregnant.  So remind me, what was the point in playing this game again?

Other things that I’ve done differently this time are:

1) Taking it EASY.  I am a person who is easily filled with guilt so it has not been easy to step away from my busy job and life and let my husband pick up the slack.  But I did it and I’m super glad I did. 

2) Acupuncture.  I had acupuncture just before and immediately after transfer and it is the first time that I havent had horrible cramping immediately after transfer.  I don’t know what this means but I never felt it was right on previous IVFs that my body seemed like it was rejecting the embryo seconds after it was put back.  Any time over the past few weeks that I’ve felt myself getting carried away with my over active brain I’ve imagined myself back at that acupuncture table and pictured my zen being beautifully aligned.  I don’t even know what it means to have your zen aligned but hey, don’t argue with what works right?

3) Flare Protocol.  This is a new protocol for me and it was supposed to be ideal for low responders like me.  Not that it went according to plan, as it very nearly turned into a disaster at retrieval but, whatever. 

4) Double trigger.  This was supposed to overcome the fact that last time my eggs were hard to retrieve and I had a lot of ‘empty’ follicles.  I don’t think it helped as we still only ended up with only one egg, but who knows maybe we wouldn’t have had that single egg if it wasn’t for the double trigger?  Imagine zero eggs, that would be so much worse.

5) Extra meds.  Post transfer I have been taking heparin injections twice daily (to assist with implantation and blood clotting issues), Dexamethasone (to cancel out any undiagnosed auto immune issues that may be lurking), Estradoil Valerate  three times a day (to keep my E2 levels up).  As well as this I’ve also been on the normal regime of high dose folic acid, progesterone pessaries three times a day, pregnancy multi vitamins and fish oil caps.  Will they help?  I don’t know but it has been worth it for me to at least give these drugs a chance.  I feel like we are trying everything we can with this cycle and that has helped me not slip into the depths of paranoia during this 2ww.

But all the analysing and comparing in the world does not give me the answer I really want.  And now that BT day looms closer I find myself wishing it would never come.  I am so scared of a negative result that I would rather stay here in ignorant land than get a negative result.  I have a conditioned response to the words “blood test” and just the thought of waiting in the room to get my blood drawn brings back all the previous times I’ve sat in that same room over the past 4 years.  Medlab should do something for repeat customers like me, surely they could find an incentive programme that would make going there less gloomy.  Maybe if they stamped a card each time I went there and after 10 visits I got a free hamper like this one here then it would feel less depressing!

PS – Still sending good luck and loving hugs to my cycle buddies Hope Springs & Shell.  And also sending strength and massive congratulations to Sonja who just saw 4 heart beats in her first scan!!! FOUR.

[Via http://egghunt.wordpress.com]

The waiting game

Sooooo. While all of the other IF bloggies I read seem to be moving at warp speed (Clomid! Ultrasound! Ovidrel! Positive OPK! Progesterone spikes! 2ww!), my own journey is stuck in a bit of a rut. I’m waiting for my period folks. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

The past couple of times I’ve taken Provera, my period showed up 36 and 48 hours after popping the last pill. So I’m already a bit behind schedule. (But me impatient? Never! Haha.) I finished up the Provera in the wee dawn hours of Monday morning. I had an acupuncture session yesterday. I was hoping I’d wake up to spotting this morning. No such luck!

Anway, I wish I had some awesome news to report. I was really hoping to be able to get into the RE for baseline tests (dum dum dum, is the cyst gone?) before the weekend. This cycle’s timeline is sensitive because I’d really like to do an IUI before leaving town on the 24th. I know that’s a silly thing to focus on and it’s not a huge deal if it doesn’t work out that way (heck, a month ago I was nervous about even DOING an IUI!). But still, after a month of sitting around doing nothing on the baby-making front, I am so raring to get this cycle up and running.

I know there’s still time, I’m just starting to get nervous. I’ve already done all the tricks (wear white undies, threaten taking an HPT), but my period is nowhere to be found. And so, I wait.

Workout update: I’ve been a little under the weather since the weekend so I was totally cool with taking Monday and Tuesday off working out. Today I rode my road bike in front of the Today Show for 45 minutes. Nothing crazy, just a mellow sweat session as it sleeted/snowed/looked like the North Pole out the window.

[Via http://suchagoodegg.wordpress.com]

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The Yin and the Yang: the West and the East medicine

yin and yang

Recently Suzanne Somer released a book about alternative approaches to cure medical conditions as cancer. She went on TV explaining that traditional therapies -aka chemo and radiation- are not the only treatment available. She even went further declared that those show very dismal results and we should not call it a cure for cancer. Cancer is a serious condition that can be, in most cases, efficiently treated if diagnosed early and followed by a rigorous protocol. Cancer is nasty and in those circumstances you should apply a response equal to the treat: burly and potent.  

 

Somer is right the drugs used against cancer have heavy side effects -even though it’s getting better and better. The actual treatments are based on the paradigm: kill the cancer before killing the healthy tissue. We are far from having won the war but we are winning battles. Doctors and scientists are working very hard to change the deal.Nonetheless this controversy made me think. As a scientist I’m trained to ponder all the aspects, both sides of the story – as in journalism.  So I decided to see what was out there for those who want a alternative approach to medical conditions.  

 

 Here are the results of my journey…I decided to take advantage of all the potential of that multimedia journalism can offer: hope you will learn more about  alternative medicine either by reading the post, watching the videos (bellow in the post), participating (answer the poll at the end), going to other websites to find more information or leaving a comment. Let be interactive and explore all the forms that information can take to inform you, my dear reader.   

 

 A center for an alternative

 

I started my journey wondering how “traditional’ medicine answers to those who doesn’t belive any more in it. As  everyone I started by googling alternative medicine. I found that the National Institute for Cancer evaluates the impact, the efficiency of such therapies by conducting scientific studies. As a scientist working at UCLA I wondered whether UCLA had to offer: either to patients or by doing studies to establish the potential of such treatments.   

 

UCLA has a Center for East and West Medicine. I went there to find out more about the center. Dr Malcom Taw and Suzie Lee answered my questions about the center and Eastern medicine. This center exists since 1993 offering Chinese medicine for those in pain, depressed, stressed or when traditional approaches have failed. The center is based on a combination of the best of both medicines.  As Lee enlightened ” Eastern medicine needs western medicine and western medicine needs eastern medicine’.  Like the Yin and the Yang. In order word medicine is entering a new word: integrative medicine is the way to go ie combining different approaches.   

 

However she regrets that some patients may not be able to benefit from their approach, mostly those is financial difficulties as many health insurance companies don’t offer it. As Lee pointed out, “it should be a primary care. And not what people try after they tried everything else.” If you want to know more about the center: http://www.cewm.med.ucla.edu or if you want to find how and which insurances are covering Chinese medicine: http://www.daan.com/alternative-therapy-insurance-and-you/ 

 

The Center for East and West Medicine at UCLA the clinic of the last resort?     Dr. Malcom Taw, M.D. Assistant Professor and Suzie Lee, nurse, both working at Center for East and West Medicine

Even though mentalities are changing referring patients to chinese medicine is still difficult.  Dr. Meeyro Choe, M.D. fellow at UCLA, and her family employ Chinese medicine. However she still have conflicting thoughts when referring a patient.  

 

Alternative medicine well named?   

Meeyro Choe, M.D. fellow at UCLA. 

 

 

Your opinion

 

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survey

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opinion

 

My Conclusion

After this journey I am convinced that other alternative exits,that the future of medicine lies in integrative medicine i.e a combination of multiple and different approaches. Everyone should found what works the best for each of us. But once again the key words: BE INFORMED when you take a decision.

 

[Via http://frenchtouchinscience.wordpress.com]

Hope...

Some time ago, I had received en email from a website, NewDoctor.com.  It was written that they had recently ran a poll asking the professionals listed what online informational resources they use to keep up to date or even to simply find great information. It many of their users had labeled my blog as an excellent source of Medical information. They had decided to make my blog as part of our top medical blogs and award me with a Top Medical Blogs award banner. This had really give me encouragement and support… Lately, again, I received a wonderful news…
Another foreign website had listed my blog as one of the “Top 50 Blogs for Holistic Health and Wellness”. It provides people with ideas, thoughts and spirits different from those of Western Medicine. It also contain information about healthy treatment and health care. The Top 50 blogs listed there were categories into 10 groups, with one of them is for Traditional Chinese Medicine. My blog was listed in this category. It had commented my blog as a site providing health information including information about Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. From these two notifications, I had an inspiration: “True and Traditional Chinese Medicine has a wide range of market, where it is popularly accepted by Western countries. “ I was also deeply impressed by people’s urgent desire to seek for knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I do hope that the launching of my new personal website – http://YeSenAcupuncture.com can bring more comprehensive information on Traditional Chinese Medicine, and helping  everyone to be healthy.

New Book Release

I am thrilled to announce the release of my new book, Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for Women’s Health: Bridging the Gap Between Western and Eastern Medicine.

The book demystifies and explains acupuncture.  It describes how the body works and how it  benefits from Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Your body is like a circuit board with all of the organ systems connecting; treatment opens up the flow of energy through your body and blood so that the body and mind work optimally and in balance.

My book discusses nutrition, diet, and lifestyle, all which contribute to imbalances and disease.  Our bodies are often exhausted and toxic and these crucial issues are under addressed in Western medicine.

We need to educate doctors to better help their patients.

We need to bridge the gap and improve the healthcare for women.

We need to help ourselves and our daughters from these issues…Your first wealth is your health!

To learn more, please click on the “New Book Release” tab above, and to read a chapter or buy my book, please visit my website: www.orangecountyacupuncture.com

Here’s to your health!

Prescription: Spa

I am fortunate enough to work in an industry that accepts alternative healing remedies as gospel and encourages participation in indulgences such as beautification and stress relief.

Science tells us that an estimated 90% of our maladies are stress-related, and yet many continue to view the spa as a frivolous luxury. If a traditional spa therapy such as massage has been clinically documented to reduce stress, why, then, do we not proactively treat our troubles?

I would like to share a story about a spa guest who understood the value of the healing spa environment. Andrea was diagnosed with breast cancer and had just finished her last round of chemotherapy when she walked into the spa. Her doctor recommended that she incorporate various stress-reducing activities into her daily life so that her body would, in turn, continue to heal itself without distraction. As most would, she turned to the spa for regular massage therapies.

In today’s spa world (fortunately for Andrea!) most spas are also true wellness centers, and can therefore provide even more support than at first glance. Because Andrea was so forthcoming with her intentions and goals for visiting the spa, she was recommended other expertly acknowledged stress reducing disciplines such as meditation, Yoga, and acupuncture.

Having been an athlete much of her life, Andrea recognized the value in cross-training, and applied that same concept in her recovery. She started taking private Yoga sessions and working with a massage therapist and acupuncturist weekly. After 4 weeks, I received a call from her doctor, who was very carefully monitoring her condition, thanking me for our dedication and special attention to his patient. I assured him that her progress had everything to do with her dedication to making stress-reduction a priority in her life.

Clearly this stress-reduced living has its merits, but for many who are time-starved in this stressful world, adding another ‘to do’ to the list seems very Catch22-ish. Unfortunately, it often takes a ‘have to’ situation to nudge us in the right direction. Andrea’s situation, however extreme, demonstrates the importance of incorporating stress-reducing elements into our daily lives for the betterment of our general health. Identifying wellness centers is as easy as a Google search, yet some of the most well known healing centers exist as destinations (Miraval, Canyon Ranch, Golden Door).

While it’s important to maintain a stress-free life, you can jumpstart this by scheduling a week or more in some of these reputable places, all while being monitored by medical doctors. Whichever wellness path you take, remember that your goal is to make you feel better for your greater good, and though it may feel indulgent and extravagant, it doesn’t lessen the therapeutic benefits of stress management.

The fact that stress management via the spa environment is increasingly more accepted by the medical community speaks volumes; are you listening?

How do you manage your stress on a daily basis?