Well, I met with the hemotologist on Friday. His take on my history of miscarriage and new test results is that I should be on Lovenox for my next pregnancy. While the thought of giving myself injections for nine+ months doesn't thrill me, I am still encouraged that each doctor I talk to wants to pursue treatment to help me achieve the best possible outcome. So do it, I will.
We talked about living with a blood clotting disorder and what I need to know. Mostly it's just awareness, except for being on a blood thinner during pregnancy, unless I ever develop a blood clot.
The new information and new plan is a good reminder that nothing is certain. Plans will change, and that's okay. It's just the means to achieve the end. Accepting that I can't control or plan for everything has been a lesson learned (and one I'm still learning) throughout all that has happened.
But I still like having a plan, even though it is subject to change...
Showing posts with label testing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label testing. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
the results are in!
My doctor called today! My blood tests turned up heterozygous factor V Leiden, an inherited blood clotting abnormality. Everything else (and they were looking at a lot) looks normal.
So we have a plan now. My doctor wants me to start baby aspirin. That's it! I can do that!
She explained how she came to the decision not to do heparin; doctors are split on using heparin when a patient presents as I do, with recurrent pregnancy loss but no history of blood clots. After consulting with other doctors in her clinic and the perinatologist (see previous post on finding out that bit of info), she feels that the benefits don't outweigh the risks of heparin at this point, since the literature and protocols don't point to it as the standard treatment. If I were homozygous (two affected genes) instead of heterozygous (one normal gene, one affected gene), the recommendation would be heparin. Or if I had two blood clotting abnormalities, heparin. Insurance won't cover heparin therapy at this point. She did say, though, that if I were to have another miscarriage, we would do heparin and insurance would cover. Of course we hope that the aspirin will do it. It stinks to go through the steps one at a time sometimes, but it's helping us gain more information and rule things out at the same time. I am seeing a hematologist on Friday to learn more about the test results.
So medically, we're cleared to start trying to get pregnant again. Emotionally and mentally, we're not quite there. I feel so much better after talking to my doctor, though! I think going through the tests and getting results is a big step in moving forward. We have a plan.
We also have a plan for when I do get that BFP. My doctor wants me to call right away to get started on progesterone and have baseline hcg and progesterone levels taken. Then as soon as hcg is over 1000, I'll go in for an early ultrasound. Knowing that she plans to monitor me closely also gives me confidence.
So thank you, friends, for your kind words and thoughts!
So we have a plan now. My doctor wants me to start baby aspirin. That's it! I can do that!
She explained how she came to the decision not to do heparin; doctors are split on using heparin when a patient presents as I do, with recurrent pregnancy loss but no history of blood clots. After consulting with other doctors in her clinic and the perinatologist (see previous post on finding out that bit of info), she feels that the benefits don't outweigh the risks of heparin at this point, since the literature and protocols don't point to it as the standard treatment. If I were homozygous (two affected genes) instead of heterozygous (one normal gene, one affected gene), the recommendation would be heparin. Or if I had two blood clotting abnormalities, heparin. Insurance won't cover heparin therapy at this point. She did say, though, that if I were to have another miscarriage, we would do heparin and insurance would cover. Of course we hope that the aspirin will do it. It stinks to go through the steps one at a time sometimes, but it's helping us gain more information and rule things out at the same time. I am seeing a hematologist on Friday to learn more about the test results.
So medically, we're cleared to start trying to get pregnant again. Emotionally and mentally, we're not quite there. I feel so much better after talking to my doctor, though! I think going through the tests and getting results is a big step in moving forward. We have a plan.
We also have a plan for when I do get that BFP. My doctor wants me to call right away to get started on progesterone and have baseline hcg and progesterone levels taken. Then as soon as hcg is over 1000, I'll go in for an early ultrasound. Knowing that she plans to monitor me closely also gives me confidence.
So thank you, friends, for your kind words and thoughts!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
not quite an answer
So the nurse from my doctor's office called me back today. She said all my tests are in (good), and my doctor was waiting until she had them all to contact me (ok). But first, she wants to consult with a perinatologist in Sioux Falls (no peris in ND) about the course of action/treatment plan for me (huh). But the nurse didn't have the results, so she wasn't able to tell me anything more. I asked what the timeline is for getting back to me, and she's going to get back to me on that...
Heeeeeeeere comes anxiety! I am numb. My thought process - test results in + my doctor consulting a perinatologist = they found something that's out of the ordinary = something wrong. I know that I really don't know anything right now. And I will try to wait patiently. Instead of being scared, I'll try to think of it instead as they found something that they can respond to...and that will be good.
After I cried in a colleague's office, I left work early to do a little shopping at Michael's.
Tomorrow is another day...hopefully with another call from my doctor's office.
Heeeeeeeere comes anxiety! I am numb. My thought process - test results in + my doctor consulting a perinatologist = they found something that's out of the ordinary = something wrong. I know that I really don't know anything right now. And I will try to wait patiently. Instead of being scared, I'll try to think of it instead as they found something that they can respond to...and that will be good.
After I cried in a colleague's office, I left work early to do a little shopping at Michael's.
Tomorrow is another day...hopefully with another call from my doctor's office.
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