Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous complication facing pregnant women, but new research suggests an experimental test may be able to get ahead of the illness. Researchers at Kings College London say they’ve developed a new test that can predict which women will have the condition. Their findings were published Nov. 4 in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation. “The test is designed to differentiate women with preeclampsia from those with high blood pressure alone,” study author Dr. Lucy Chappell, a clinical senior lecturer in obstetrics at King’s College, said in a press release. “Current tests for the condition only detect that it’s happening, rather than predicting it, and by that time the disease has progressed and has likely already caused organ damage. Preeclampsia is a severe form of high blood pressure marked by excess protein in the urine. It affects about 8 to 10 percent of pregnant women in the U.S., according to the AHA. Symptoms that seem to occur with preeclampsia include persistent headaches, abdominal pain and blurred vision or light sensitivity. Click here to read more and view video
A Little Sunshine in a Dark Week
Today, I found out a fellow angel mom had nominated me for the Sunshine Award! I was shocked and touched to receive this acknowledgement, and it couldn’t have come at a better time! I always try to maintain a positive attitude and sense of humor with all the ups and downs of trying to conceive and recurrent pregnancy loss, but lately I have to admit that I have been struggling with it all. I had a mini breakdown last night and found myself going to a really dark place full of bitterness, anger and self loathing. Then, this morning I logged onto my blog and discovered this little gift. Thank you so much Recurrently Lost for your nomination and for brightening my day! This angel mom always writes from the heart and her stories have been a constant inspiration to me. I am so honored that she thought of me. Thoughts on the Sunshine Award When I received my nomination, I immediately tried to do a search about it and learn more, and was confused at first when I couldn’t find a website for the Award. I could only find other bloggers who had received the award nomination and had…Continue reading A Little Sunshine in a Dark Week
Preeclampsia Foundation News
Educational Conference Brought Controversies to the Forefront Preeclampsia is a complex disorder that often confounds even the most skilled clinicians, and there are very few postgraduate courses offered on this subject. One of the missions of the Preeclampsia Foundation is to fill this gap by facilitating healthcare provider education on the subject with the aim of improving health care practices. Almost every year since the inception of Saving Grace, the Foundation has sponsored a major continuing medical education event for healthcare providers in that region. Click to read more… (www.preeclampsia.org) Also check out: The Preeclampsia Registry (www.preeclampsiaregistry.org) The Preeclampsia Registry is a “Living Database” bringing together those affected, their family members, and researchers to advance knowledge and discover preventions and treatments for preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Preeclampsia Foundation Facebook Page © Preeclampsia Foundation 2013 | www.preeclampsia.org
IVF with PGD: Egg Retrieval Part 2 – Update
We are officially beginning our second round in the IVF and PGD process. I went in yesterday for an ultrasound and blood draw to test my estradiol levels. All was good, so Dr J gave me the go ahead to begin taking birth control pills again. I’ll take the pills for the next 17 days, then stop and get another period, then I’ll start injections again and my next egg retrieval is tentatively booked for Dec 1st or 2nd. If we get enough eggs and enough fertilize, then we’ll grow the new embryos and the 5 we have frozen to 5-day blast and on the 5th day, they’ll take a biopsy of each embryo and send it to the PGD lab for chromosomal testing. So we should know by around Dec 6th or 7th if we have any viable embryos. If we do, we’ll likely wait until the end of that cycle and one more before doing the transfer. So sometime in mid January we will hopefully be ready to transfer an embryo. I’m feeling a little more positive today. When I wrote my last post, I wasn’t feeling very positive about moving forward this time around, but I’m feeling…Continue reading IVF with PGD: Egg Retrieval Part 2 – Update
IVF with PGD: Egg Retrieval Part 2
Here We Go Again It has been a while since I last wrote. It is partly because I decided to take our forced break in the PGD process as an opportunity to take a long overdue trip home to Canada to see my family and friends. I had been putting off traveling because of my hysteroscopy last November that marked the end one pregnancy, then trying to conceive again, then another pregnancy, then another miscarriage and finally our decision to move forward with IVF and PGD. It just didn’t seem like a good time to travel or even think about being away in another country. So when Dr J told me we would need to wait a cycle and go another round, I didn’t even hesitate. I booked the flight a few days later and flew out the week after. I thought going home would rejuvenate me, and certainly seeing my family and friends did help boost my spirit, but I came back feeling depressed and lonely. I spend the week with my nieces and nephew, held my best friend’s new baby girl, played with her other daughter and other friends’ children. It was amazing, I missed them so much…Continue reading IVF with PGD: Egg Retrieval Part 2
Healing Through Sharing: Wave of Light on October 15th
Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support, Inc. This image was shared with me on Facebook today and I just wanted to share it here. Today is October 15th: National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. On this day, I think it’s fitting to highlight this Facebook post because it led me to special Facebook page that provides another source of support for pregnancy loss and infant loss, and we can never have enough resources for this! Click on the link above to view the Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Facebook page. Today, I light 4 candles: one for my beautiful angel Holdon and one candle for each of my embryo angels. Related Articles: On National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, a Mother With a Candle to Light
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Somewhere Over the Rainbow LLC: October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month October is a special month for families who have suffered the loss of a child during pregnancy or shortly following birth. It is known as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, marked by “The International Wave of Light” on October 15. Manchester, New Jersey (PRWEB) October 01, 2013 (www.prweb.com) On October 25, 1988, (then) President Ronald Reagan designated the month of October as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. What an amazing act of love and compassion he showed towards families all over the United States. This later spurred the 2002 petition, October 15th Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, to designate this day specifically as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, a day set aside in which to honor and remember these babies lost. It was an American movement started by Robyn Bear, Lisa Brown, and Tammy Novak. They petitioned the governors of each of the 50 states as well as the federal government, and by October 15, 2002, 20 states had signed proclamations to recognize the date, which was observed for the very first time that year in 2002. 11 years later, all 50 states…Continue reading October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Preeclampsia Foundation News
2013 Vision Grant Recipients to Study the Underlying Mechanisms of Preeclampsia $25,000 research grants will be presented to two preeclampsia research studies Melbourne, FL – September 12, 2013 – The Preeclampsia Foundation announced today that Ana Sofia Teixeira de Cerdeira, MD of the Harvard Medical School and Mandy Bell, PhD, RN of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing are recipients of its 2013 Vision Grants. Vision Grants are awarded to the strongest scientific proposals recommended by the Foundation’s scientific review committee with a further review by a consumer advisory board. The Foundation’s Board of Directors renders the final decision based on those recommendations. Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and fetal pregnancy related disease and death worldwide. Both recipients have the goal of better understanding the underlying mechanisms of the disease and translating their research findings to clinical application. Study #1 is working on the immune mechanisms (NK cells and Tregs) of regulation of placentation in health and preeclampsia. Study #2 is designed to clarify the role that soluble endoglin (sENG) plays in preeclampsia by investigating if differences in the genetic code of the endoglin gene and related genes account for increased sENG in women with preeclampsia. Click…Continue reading Preeclampsia Foundation News
Sharing the Love
A surprise package came in the mail today from a dear friend of mine that brought tears to my eyes. It was so thoughtful and touching, I simply had to share this gift. The best part is I don’t even know what it all is yet! The box included 14 different wrapped packages, one for each day of the 2 Week Wait. She sent it before we had made the decision to post-pone our transfer in order to do another round of meds and another egg retrieval. We made the decision to get as many eggs as possible so we’re now in a 2 Month Wait rather than a 2 Week Wait. However, I could not believe this amazing friend had take the time to collect 14 different items, wrap them all, and write an inspiring quote on each one. Each package has a number between 1-14 and is intended to inspire me and help me cope each day during the all too stressful 2 Week Wait. We all know how difficult that wait is! I know I’m going to especially need this after waiting two months to just get ready to do our transfer! To my dear friend (you…Continue reading Sharing the Love
Update 2: IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)
A Little Set Back But a Move in the Right Direction Yesterday I had my first milestone appointment in the IVF/PGD process, the egg retrieval. I was put under for the procedure and 20 minutes later I woke up with some cramping, but otherwise, I felt OK. So all in all, I would say the procedure was a success. However, it looks like we will be doing this step again, so it’s Phase 1: Egg Retrieval Part 1 of 2. The reason for doing this in 2 parts is we were a little short on the amount of embryos that Dr. J would like to have before proceeding with the next step. We retrieved 7 eggs, but only 6 were mature and of those 6 mature eggs, 5 fertilized. So we now have 5 embryos that are ready to go, but Dr. J has recommended freezing these, taking one cycle off and doing another cycle of fertility drugs and another egg retrieval to get a few more so we can have at least 8 embryos to start the next phase in this process. The Rationale for Doing Another Egg Retrieval Prior to PDG and Transfer Dr. J wants to give…Continue reading Update 2: IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)