Wednesday, July 4, 2012

21 DPO results

I''ve gotten zero work done today, I'm truly a disgrace. Just got this in, after badgering my amazing endocrinologist, who thankfully, does not mind being badgered. Seriously, If you live in NYC, and can go here, then pick Dr. Robert Lind as your endocrinologist, if you need one. 

21 DPO values
Beta HCG =2486.5 (doubling time of 32.66 hours from 17 DPO)
Progesterone = 28.2  (slightly worrisome, but it does seem to yo-yo, different from the first two, but I've thankfully stopped trying to interpret things).

I have not started Crinone yet (have not even picked up my prescription). Right now, I'm taking the call to go au naturel all the way. Also FYI, for now, I've dropped my vitamin D dosing too. Previously, I'd take 2000 IU every night, with 1000 IU in my prenatal. Now, I take 2000 IU every other day, and 1000 IU (in prenatal) daily.  I've not yet checked my vitamin D, because it requires a walk to Labcorp, and my veins are just too poked and prodded.

Today is also a day of BIG decisions. My housing is provided (or rather, subsidized) by my work, and I just found out that moveouts can only be at the end of the calendar month. So I can stay here till August 31st, or I can stay till the end of July.

Right now, for my own sanity, I'm picking the end of July. But having made that decision (I have not even told my boss yet, he is away on vacation), I'm starting to freak out. OMG. A brand new country. A totally different way of life. A new healthcare system. ACK!

I've started investigating medical care in India. If I go back around week 9, then I have to be bloody darned sure that the kind of prenatal testing I want, is available there. If anybody visiting this blog has gone through a pregnancy in India (or had one for say, your surrogate), I'd appreciate it if you could chime in.One thing sticks out, I want to have Sequenom's Tri21plus blood test done. Calling them now for information, will update.

This is the information I got after talking to a Genetics Counselor at Sequenom:
  • The test (which checks cell free fetal DNA in the maternal blood for Trisomies 13,18 and 21)  can only be done if the blood is mailed in from a US location. Interestingly, she bought up that a company in Hong Kong now offers a similar test. Tried to dig, but could not find it.
  • It can be done at the earliest of 10 weeks of pregnancy. You need to be 'high risk' to qualify at Sequenom, less they mess up their false positive/false negative rates: Criteria: advanced maternal age, evidence of an earlier trisomy in a previous pregnancy, or any abnormalities showing up in a screening test.
  • She did chime in that while previously only high risk people were getting referred, they are now starting to hear from 'patients like yourself'-- she was too polite to say 'paranoid as hell'. In a while, this may change sequenom policies (globs and globs of dollars waiting to be made) but right now, the  policy above stands.
I was mentally pushing back my departure date to the end of August when she bought up the criteria. Right now, I don't qualify (which is a good thing, really). But she said she would talk to her boss to see if my earlier Turners (Monosomy  45X) qualifies me. Waiting to hear back.

9 comments:

  1. That's a great progesterone level. After I went off injections and suppositories, my level was 25.4, and everyone was perfectly satisfied with it. 

    Glad the numbers look good! I'm sure it's intimidating to think about moving to India and taking care of your pregnancy there, but you'll do great!

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  2. I have a friend who married a guy from India this spring. When we saw them recently he reported that his sister in India is pregnant. When I asked further details (such as the sex of what they are having) he said they don't let you find out in India. She still gets regular ultrasounds and everything, but will be surprised. Not a big deal though. Great numbers, this pregnancy sounds very promising!!

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  3. So excited for your numbers!!!!  What wonderful news!

    I'm excited to hear about the move to India, and the rest of this pregnancy from there!

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  4.  That one is because of female foeticide, lots of shitbags (mostly in the villages) abort if they find out they are having a girl.

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  5. Your progesterone sounds great!  My RE didn't want to put me on the supplements even with mine at 14 and I insisted.

    I'm excited to hear about India!

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  6. your numbers are looking fabuloso. Seems like everyone is thinking your progesterone is a-ok.
    When I think of you continuing most of your pregnancy in India, I can't help but thing that it will be ok. There are how many millions of women having babies there each year? The care won't be exactly the same as it is in the US, but you will still get prenatal care. And you'll have your family. Although, can I just say that North America will miss you very much.

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  7. Your numbers look great.
    Is there a reason why you lowered your Vit D dose to 2000 IU every other day?  After reading your posts I got tested for Vit D back in Dec - its was low and I was put on the 8 week D2 pill and told to take 2000 D3 daily. I am cycling and still taking it.  Wondering if there was some scientific reason for you to lower it after you found out you were pregnant. Ex does it affect the featus etc?

    Thanks.

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  8.  It is really important during pregnancy, its important to prevent autoimmune inflammation, and also to prevent microbial infections, so being deficient in pregnancy is a bad thing, and low levels are linked to everthing from preterm birth, preeclampsia, bacterial vaginosis etc.

    Interestingly, after getting vitamin D replete
    (in this pregnancy vs the last 2) , I noticed my HCG levels were so much lower during this pregnancy than the before, when they were crazy high, more than 90 % of all reported pregnancies for that day on beta base.

    I found a study where it showed that vitamin D (in higher doses) can suppress HCG production. Because the lower HCG  numbers and the slower doubling times were stressing me out, I dropped my vitamin D dose, by taking 1000 and 3000 on alternate days, while before, I was taking 3000 every day. Coincidentally or not, after that my doubling time and my HCG #s looked better, though its still significantly lower than my previous pregnancies.

    I'm going to go in for blood tests for vitamin D to try to fine tune the amount I take. It will have to be increased i think, as the pregnancy progresses.

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  9. Ah got it. Thank you.

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