Saturday, February 16, 2008

Matters of the Heart (A Personal Post)

Hello! Happy belated Valentine's day...I'm pretty low key about the day, so I didn't feel like posting about it. For those who have been following along with my drama of trying to conceive: It was also the day that we met with our Reproductive Endocrinologist to find out the results of my seemingly thousands of blood tests. Most everything (the possible blood clotting disorders and things like that) came back normal (yay!) But they found one thing. I have a genetic mutation called the MTHFR C677T mutation. The genetic polymorphisms of MTHFR C677T are associated with unexplained recurrent early spontanous abortion. (early miscarriages). My RE believes that this is what has been causing my losses. A large percentage of the population has at least one mutation (inherited). I have 2 mutations since I inherited one from my Mom and one from my Dad. This is a lot more rare. This is also reminding me of Sophomore Biology class...
Anyway, apparently it is linked with risk for cardiovascular disease and blood clots in the veins. Grrrrreeeeaaaaaat. So, as I understand it, they have to check my homocysteine levels each year to make sure they aren't too high (thus causing clots and possible hardening of the arteries in the future). The mutation (if you have 2) is also possibly linked to episodes of depression (which I battle) and possibly to migraines. What do you do to help matters you ask? Well, I have to take a simple prescribed supplement with a TON of extra folic acid and vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. I will have to take it daily for the rest of my life. Now that I'm trying to have a child, I also have to take a prenatal vitamin along with it (just to give me even MORE of aforementioned vitamins). I've already been taking them daily, but I guess it wasn't nearly enough for me. These will supposedly keep the levels of homocysteine down. I guess the mutation causes my body not to process those particular vitamins properly and thus I need 4 times more than the normal person. Not having enough Folic acid can cause birth defects/problems with an early pregnancy hence the miscarriages.
Sorry for all the scientific talk, but I thought it would help for anyone else going through something similar. Overall, it's a simple fix that SUPPOSEDLY should help me keep a pregnancy with me in the future. We shall see. I'm always tired, so I'm happy that I'm taking tons of extra B12 now. It should give me my energy I always seem to lack (a nice side effect!) I'm happy that's all they found (well, that and my slight t-shape I mentioned in an earlier post) and that it's treatable. So, Valentine's Day brought us some much-awaited and prayed-for answers. That beats out chocolates any day. Despite a few obstacles, it looks like the future for a wee one is looking much more bright. And now, back to our regularly artsy posts...


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to hear that there is a positive light at the end of this tunnel for you guys. What great news to get! Thinking of you!
love, Ro

Poppy Letterpress said...

Fantastic news that it's a treatable thing. It must help your peace of mind to know exactly what's going on and how to deal with it.

Yes, much better than chocolates or flowers!

Laura said...

Wow, that's wonderful news for you--and a seemingly easy treatment with vitamins/folic acid. I look forward to more happy posts from you!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful news! I'm glad that you finally have some answers. I have several friends that have used the vitamin therapy with heparin or lovenex and have had successful pregnancies (I think they had additional clotting disorder issues).

Here's to a fresh start!

Anonymous said...

I came across your blog a few months after suffering two miscarriages and a loss due to a corneal pregnancy and have been lurking from time to time. I just wanted to wish you the best of luck on your TTC journey and hope that now that you know the reason for your losses you will go on to have a succesful pregnancy very soon. To add a little hope, after surgery to remove the corneal pregnancy and my right fallopian tube, I am now 20 weeks pregnant with a baby girl and everything is going great. I never had any testing for clotting disorders or causes for my losses but went on daily low-dose aspirin therapy as a precaution. It seems to have worked for me.

Good luck!

Unknown said...

Hi Tracy,
Thanks so much for your story of hope! It makes me feel so much better to hear someone else having gone through similar things and then went on to have things work out so far. Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy and I hope I am as lucky! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi, Megan,

I'm just catching up on your news from February. I'm so glad to hear that the RE has found a likely cause for your miscarriages and better yet a possible solution! I'll be sending all positive thoughts your way, along with peace and strength...

Love,
Betsy