Phew

It seems that the blood test showing I had low sodium was a result of a mistake at the lab. So I spent all that time thinking I was dying of kidney disease. And I wasn't.
Anyway, the result of all the tests is that I definitely have fibromyalgia. My doctor is a little upset as it is, as he puts it, a 'dead-end diagnosis'. There is nothing that can be done about it, you can't treat it (just the symptoms) and you basically just have to live with it. DH asked the doctor is there is anything you can do to alleviate the symptoms (exercise or physio) and he said no......

Blood Test Confirms It!

It's official - we are most definitely pregnant. The blood test at the clinic confirmed it!

Second Home Pregnancy Test

I did another one, and it was positive too. So we are definitely pregnant. So much for putting aside the entire year to concentrate on one cycle after another - we only needed one this year (plus the failed one last year).

Home Pregnancy Test

I did one this morning, and it was positive. Very slightly, but definitely a second line. We're pregnant, after only two IVF cycles this time! Woot!

IVF - In Vitro Fertilisation

IVF (In vitro fertilization) is an assisted reproductive technique for the treatment of infertility. It also works in cases where other assisted reproductive technologies fail to treat infertility.

IVF involves the removing ova from ovaries and allowing male sperm to fertilize them in a liquid medium. After the fertilization, the fertilized ova (embryos) are transferred to the uterus.

In vitro fertilization is used in all cases of infertility these days; earlier it was used only in those cases in which females had damaged, blocked or absent fallopian tubes. Proper tests are taken before performing IVF treatment, these tests involve:
Sperm survival test to make sure the adequate amount of sperm are present to perform IVF
Blood FSH level is checked to make sure there are no problems with the ovaries and ovarian reserve.
A hysteroscopy is also performed to make sure the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes are completely normal.
Blood tests to make sure you are not suffering from hepatitis B, AIDS, or any other disease that can cause problems in performing IVF.
IVF is a very costly and complex technique used to overcome infertility, therefore it should be considered as the last option for the treatment of infertility.

IVF Procedure

We had our egg collection today - otherwise known as an EPU (or egg pick up). I LOVE pethedeine. I don't care how it's spelt, I love it. I love the feeling of being safely allowed to give up and float away... Until the pain from the procedure brings you back down to reality LOL. I'd love a hit of peth each night so I could float off to sleep.....

Kidney Disease

The kidneys are the most important organs in the human body, that filter out waste from human blood, to form urine. Disease that affects the kidneys is known as kidney disease.

Following are some of the common causes of kidney disease:

1. Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney disease. Always control sugar levels in your body if you’re diabetic; if sugar levels get out of control it may result in kidney problems.
2. Another cause is high blood pressure, which can destroy the tiny blood vessels in kidneys; as a result of damage, blood filtration processes are affected.
3. It can be a genetic problem as well, if anybody in your family have experienced kidney disease, then you may also be at risk of suffering from it.

Sufferers do not experience any sort of sickness in the early stages of kidney disease, but if it becomes severe then sufferer might have to urinate more often than normal, or they might feel tired or irritated, experience swelling in various body parts, poor appetite, vomiting, drowsiness or difficulty in concentration. If you experience any of these signs, do not ignore them - seek medical attention to avoid the adverse affects of this disease.