Reproductive Immunology Consults (and other things)

So, I may have jumped the gun in making that appointment for the second opinion about my immunology issues. My consult with my original RI center was today, and I actually liked the doctor I spoke to (I'm going to call him Dr. I). I was worried about how he would react to the fact that I believe I've been pregnant 5 times, but have never had a BFP (a lot of people get skeptical about that). He did ask some questions, but after I explained, he basically summed it up by asking, "So, you assumed you were pregnant, but never got a positive test?" and I said "Yes," and that was that.

To my relief, Dr. I recommended a much more aggressive protocol than what the otherwise wonderful Dr. R was recommending. Dr. I said that my main issues are elevated cytokines, and low leuko.cyte antibodies. He's not as concerned about the additional clotting disorders, since they are what he calls "minor factors", although, since I have three of them, he will treat them during the first trimester. The low leukoc.yte antibodies were something I wasn't sure about the meaning of, since the word "NEGATIVE" was on the results, and usually that is a good thing, but I had read that these antibodies are protective, so I thought that maybe the result was actually supposed to be "POSITIVE". Turns out, the second interpretation was the correct one, and my le.ukocyte antibodies need to be increased enough that they will protect my babies from my immune system. The cytokines are a protein released by natural killer cells, and that protein is what is attacking my babies. So we want to reduce the level of that protein.

The treatment protocol includes leuk.ocyte immunization therapy (L.IT), for the low leu.kocyte antibodies, and hu.mira and IV.IG for the elevated cytokines, if the LIT alone doesn't bring them down. Dr. I said everything else I was taking looked good, and that he can even get me a cheaper source of progesterone when I run out! He also said that progesterone is important to take, because it is an immune suppressant as well. The only thing he changed was that I shouldn't take the dexamet.hasone next time. Dr. I disagrees with Dr. R, and doesn't think dex helps with cytokines. Dr. R did mention hum.ira back in May, as a possible treatment for the elevated cytokines, but he thought is was overkill. Now, after two more miscarriages I'm ready for  this more aggressive protocol.

But I'm not sure if I'm ready to confuse myself by talking to another doctor before I even try this protocol. If we try it and it doesn't work, then it might be worth talking to someone else, but right now . . . See, I found out that the second doctor would have different recommendations. He doesn't use LIT very much. He uses IVIG more. One thing that attracts me about LIT is that's effects can last for months or even years. IVIG doesn't have a lasting effect. It increases your antibodies more temporarily. The second doctor does offer some tests and treatments that Dr. I doesn't utilize, but they seem even more aggressive. How will I know if I really need them, if I don't at least try Dr. I's protocol? And is it worth paying a lot of $$$$ just to confuse myself? Right now, I don't think so . . .

Gah! This journey has so many decisions one must make and so much of it is trial and error that we just don't have time for!

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

On a lighter note, I finally got my class assignments for my music docenting this year. I'll be teaching two kinder classes, starting this Monday. I am very excited. I just downloaded the Little Bird Dance by the Shenanigans to use as our first "movement activity". It's a good starting one, because it will help me see the kids level of body awareness without too much danger of collisions. It's the chicken dance, but with pretty much all the motions done in place, and most of them done sitting down.

What was a really big deal about this, was that I had to program my computer to be able to download the song. I use Ubuntu (a mostly user-friendly form of linux open source software) as my OS, and the Amazon mp3 downloader isn't compatible with the current version of Ubuntu. It isn't even compatible with the current long term support version of Ubuntu. (Ubuntu gets updated every 6 months. But every 2-3 years they come out with a version that will be supported for next 2-3 years, so you don't have to actually re-install ever 6 months. Those 2-3 year versions are called LTS or long term support, and that's what I use.)

So, I'm pissed at Amazon, for not bothering to at least be compatible with a LTS version of Ubuntu. However, the nice thing about open source is that, if you have a problem with it, someone else has probably had the same problem and posted the fix. Which was the case for me. Of course the fix required a little programming (in terminal), and I forgot some of my programing basics, but I eventually remembered or found them all, and it finally worked! I got the song downloaded and it played and everything!!!!!!! I am so very proud of myself!!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: Lest you get the wrong impression, I'm really not that big of a geek, but with The Mister being a geek and having all his computers run on Ubuntu, I wanted to be compatible . . . If he'd been an Apple guy, I would have been happy to be an Apple girl. I don't actually have a problem with hermetically sealed boxes, as long as the work. The Mister is the one who wants infinite customization capabilities. But I do want my computer to be compatible with his printer, and I want him to be able to read the documents I send him. So I do it his way. Because in the end, I don't really care, and knowing a little bit of programming can be fun. When it isn't frustrating. It was both this afternoon.