Anyone have a Prothrombin Gene Mutation??

[heather_2009]

I finally got some good news. BFP! Only, it was a very weak positive. Blood draw yesterday showed hcg levels of 35, which is apparently very low. So, I'm excited, but only cautiously so.

They've started me on the lovenox today and showed me how to do it. I already have my first purple bruise -- as weird as this sounds, it makes me happy to see it, that I'm doing everything I can and hopefully it will work this time. I think I might need a review of how to try to avoid bruising/burning, though!

I have to wait until next Tuesday to get my follow up blood draw because of the holiday. Here's hoping it's good news!

Faithful, faith-dream, and Erin -- I would love to hear your updates! Good luck and I can't wait to hear about your bfps too!

Luck and love,

Heather

[faithful96]

Ooooo congrats. I will be cautiously optimistic with you!

I had a purple bruise from my Lovenox shot as well. It lasted for awhile too. I was going to ask here how to inject without bruising as much!

[heather_2009]

Thanks, faithful! I've made it another day and for that, I'm grateful. I keep thinking of that song, "one heartbeat at a time" (as cheesy as that may sound).

Re: lovenox. Yesterday I followed the nurse's instruction to squeeze out the air bubble at the top and inject, and it left a purple bruise. Today I left the bubble in, per the manufacturer's website, and injected it bubble and all... so far there is no bruising at all. I also iced it after the injection to calm the burning and it seemed to help a little. Let me know what you think.

I look forward to hearing about your journeys!

Happy 4th of July!
-Heather

[marlenect]

Hi Heather,
CONGRATS!!! I haven't been on here for quite a while, so I don't think we've communicated, but thought I'd pass along my congrats and some advice/input.

I can happily report that I just gave birth four weeks ago to a healthy baby boy!!! I was on Lovenox the entire pregnancy (actually from the month we started trying to conceive) .....well I was switched to Heparin for a few weeks right before the birth and immediately switched back to Lovenox 12 hours after birth and I will be on them for 3 months post birth, so now only eight weeks left of shots (and I'm counting!) I also have Prothrombin Gene Mutation and a history of a DVT! Anyways, in my experience, there is no controlling the bruising! You WILL bruise and there is no avoiding it. I tried icing, I tried making sure I applied pressure to the injection site for a good five minutes after a shot was given to ensure that there was no internal site bleeding and although both might have helped a bit, I still had/have a bruised belly the entire pregnancy and still now. With injection a blood thinner in the same area over and over, there just isn't much control over the fact that you will bruise. In the whole scheme of things bruising doesn't matter much, what was and still is a challenge for me is why sometimes the shot and medicine stings and sometimes it doesn't. AND why sometimes the needle easily goes into the skin and sometimes it doesn't. You'll learn your own body and become a pro at it.

Anyways, the medicine seemed to do it's job for me....kept me and my son safe from any blood clots and he's born and healthy. I am very grateful for Lovenox in allowing this pregnancy to happen and for me to have a son now. I wish you all the luck in the world and keep us posted.

If I can answer any questions, please feel free to ask. Also, you can click on my name to see my previous entries and history!

Good luck,
Marlene

[heather_2009]

Marlene,
Thank you so much for your response! I am so happy to hear that there is hope for me and my dreams of having a baby. I am nervous but really hopeful for that follow-up blood work -- I really hope the levels have risen drastically by Tuesday. I read a little of your history about what happened with the "chemical" pregnancy -- I honestly don't even know what a chemical pregnancy is and I really hope that's not what's happening to me.

Congratulations on your baby! That's so exciting! 4 weeks -- I'm guessing you must be exhausted. May I ask how did you deliver him? I have been hearing things about c-sections when you're on heparin... did you have to have a c-section? No one has talked to me about anything like that yet (well, and it's obviously very premature on my part -- I'm just curious).

Did you have any restrictions on your exercise while you were pregnant? Anything else you think I should know? Thanks for your kind words and for the encouragement in your post. It really helped!

-Heather

[Erin83]

I didn't think it had been that long since I'd posted here, but seems like I've missed a lot!!! First of all, CONGRATS Heather!!!!!! That is wonderful news and we're all rooting you along as you go for your follow up b/w!! Please keep us posted on what your numbers are!! My first pg was also a chemical pg. My numbers never reached above 15. So my understanding of a checmical pg is just where there really isn't anything there and your numbers are very low. Evenutally you end up passing it in most cases. Your numbers WILL go up at your next check and there will be no reason to worry about that. With your Lovenox injections, make sure to leave the bubble in the syringe and inject the bubble last. That is what keeps the medicine in your body in the right spot. The other thing is don't push on the injection site after injection because it'll spread the medicine all over in there rather then keeping it where its supposed to be. Otherwise, goodluck with your injections and keep us posted!

Marlene, you and I have been exchanging PMs and I'm soooo happy to hear your little guy is doing well!! I couldn't be happier for you!! Thanks so much for your continued encouragement!

96 and dream, any updates with either of you??

Oh yes, as for the bruising with the injections. It will come and go. Some will leave brusies and some won't. I have had big ugly ones and some were just dots. Right now I don't think I have any!! If you ever find a way to do it where you don't bruise, please share!! I haven't been able to figure it out!!

AFM, I'm currently CD45 and waiting for AF to show up. Think I might have a beta drawn with my other b/w for my hemo on Wed. We'll see. Otherwise I have first IVF appt a week from tomorrow!! Maybe I will be pg and then I can just not have to go through anything else. Ya think??? LOL I just don't think I can be so lucky!! Guess we'll see!!



Erin

[heather_2009]

Hey Erin,
I sooo have my fingers crossed for you!! Wouldn't that be great if it were the BFP??

I think I have bad news -- I don't even really know. I took another HPT today and I got a BFN. I had a tiny bit of pink spotting and that rarely seems like a good thing. Anyway, I'm really confused and just rattling around here at home with my husband. I don't know whether to go ahead and be sad and realize that it's over already, or to just wait and be hopeful for my b/w on Tues and hope that things miraculously work out o.k. I don't know whether to try to rest and be careful and put my feet up, or just go out for a walk, or go out to a movie and try to keep my mind off things. As you can probably tell, I'm in something of a daze.

I hope everyone else had a great 4th of July weekend and that you're all doing really well. Not sure what I'm doing but I will get through it just like I've gotten through everything else... one day at a time.

-Heather

[heather_2009]

So, unfortunately, I m/c'ed on Monday. The only good news is that at least it happened early on, and DH and I can try again this cycle.

I'm not giving up!

Hope you ladies are doing well.

xo
Heather

[Erin83]

Oh Heather dear, I'm so sorry to read this terrible news. You hang in there hun, I'll keep you in my prayers. The thing is you were on your Lovenox already right?? The RE always has told me that I've been pg before, so we know it can happen again and our chances are even better since we know its possible. Keep shooting for the stars hun, it'll happen and stick one of these times soon!!!!! Keep us posted and good luck on this cycle!!!!


I'm on CD48 today and I'm having beta done tomorrow with all my other b/w. We'll see what happends. I doubt that I'm actually pg, but it doesn't hurt to be hopeful, right??? Either way if I'm not pg and still not bleeding by Monday when we go to our IVF appt, they will ask me if I've had a test drawn or not. I will have had to tell them yes!!! LOL I'll let you know the outcome tomorrow when I get home!!!!

Good luck everyone else!!



Erin

[heather_2009]

Thanks, Erin. Wow, CD 48? Are your cycles pretty irregular, because if I were CD 48, that would 99% sure mean I was PG. I sure hope you get that BFP -- have you done any hpts yet?

Hope all goes well for you! In other news, today DH and I are closing on a house and I'm having a party tonight. Yay!

-Heather