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
Month: September 2013
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)
Update: IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)
We are getting ready for the first big appointment in the IVF process! Egg retrieval! Our egg retrieval is planned for Friday, September 20th! A little recap… I have now been doing hormone injections for 10 days. I began with only Follistim injections in the evenings between 6-8 pm, but after the first 3 days, I also began Menapur injections. For those who are reading this and have had repeated IVF procedures, forgive my exclamation, as I’m sure this is old news to you, but 2 needles in my belly every night is not fun! Then on Sunday, I also began Ganirelix injections in the morning to prevent me from ovulating too soon. So that’s 3 injections per day! This is not enjoyable, but so far things are going smoothly. Well almost. The doctor had me a little worried last week because early in the process after the first few days of injections, there were only 6 follicles showing growth. The other 4 follicles that we saw at my baseline ultrasound were not growing at all. Dr. J said he wanted at least 9 or 10 follicles in order to have enough embryos to send for genetic testing. He said it’s…Continue reading Update: IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)
Inspiring Story: Healing Through Sharing
Photos of Birth Without Fear Today one of my closest friends sent me this Facebook page (link below) and said, “You are not alone. Love you Jo. May this be your rainbow baby.” It truly does help to know you’re not alone! This mom’s story is so incredibly heartbreaking, but also very inspiring. She had the strength to go on after losing so much! Check out her Facebook post below. I recommend reading her story to the end. It’s very sad, but it has silver lining that really reminded me to keep hoping. I am currently in full swing of hormone injections for IVF and about to do my egg retrieval on Friday. I can’t think of a better time to read this story and be reminded that dreams do come true. I have also included a link to her Youtube video. Make sure to have a box of kleenx handy! Facebook post: Photos of Birth Without Fear Youtube video:A Mother and Father’s Journey Through Heartache to Hope
IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)
The Journey to Having a Family Continues After the loss of our son, Holdon, my biggest concern moving forward with trying to become pregnant again was being at high risk for a reoccurrence of preeclampsia. This is still a huge risk that lurks in the back of my mind, but after my 3 miscarriages since then, this fear has been overshadowed by other fears… fear of having another miscarriage, fear of not being able to have another baby, fear of moving forward with expensive fertility treatments that don’t have a guarantee, and could result in further heartache and disappointment. However, after giving it a lot of thought, we have decided to proceed with IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis). After 3 ½ years, four pregnancies, one baby in heaven and 3 miscarriages later, our journey with trying to have a baby has taken this surprising turn. It’s surprising because I always thought of IVF as a solution for infertility, and it didn’t initially occur to me that this was a solution for us because we get pregnant quickly and easily. However, the word infertility comes with different definitions and for us it means recurrent pregnancy loss. Why do IVF for…Continue reading IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)