INFERTILITY NEWS, FACTS AND VEIWS “Conflicting criteria clarified for diagnosing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome”

A typical polycystic Ovary

As one who suffers from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which was the cause of my decade long struggle with infertility, I am very much interested in any new development relating to this condition.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS, affects millions of women worldwide and is a leading cause of infertility.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH). This condition causes diverse symptoms, and its causes are poorly understood. The definition and even the name of PCOS have been subject to debate. An NIH panel concluded in January 2013 that the name focuses on a specific symptom - cysts in the ovaries and this symptom is apparently not present in all PCOS cases. This is part of the confusion about the condition, they say.

The Endocrine Society in October 2013, issued a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome. In the CPG, The Endocrine Society recommends that a diagnosis be made if adult women have two of the three main features of PCOS (diagnostic criteria supported by the NIH panel):

§  Excess production of male hormones called androgens.

§  Anovulation, a condition where the ovary does not release a mature egg each month. This causes irregular menstrual cycles.

§  The formation of clusters of pearl-size cysts containing immature eggs in the ovaries, which is called polycystic ovaries.

Well, I can safely say that my diagnosis was right as it is supported by two of the above symptoms and I am indeed happy to say that this recent development will certainly allow for more accurate diagnosis of this condition, so that proper treatment and management can begin earlier.

The more you know……..

MONDAY RAMBLINGS: Your marriage after Infertility

Infertility can  have  adverse  effects on a marriage and sadly some  marriages succumb to the pressures of this common condition.

I  must say that fortunately for me, infertility did not affect my marriage in any adverse way but what I recall though was resenting my husband for not showing any signs of yearning for children as I was. Near to the end of my struggles, I had a conversation with him about this and he quickly admitted to me that he was indeed yearning for children, but decided to conceal his feelings so that I was not made to feel any worst. How noble is that, and I  suddenly  felt like the luckiest wife ever. God honored his nobility and faithfulness shortly thereafter, with the birth of our son.

After the birth of our children, our marriage felt new, we had been married for 14 years at the time of the birth of our son  and it felt like we were newly weds again because the path life was about to take us on was entirely new, as we had never been parents before. We felt close to each other, as we learned and grew as parents and as we revel in the triumph of  overcoming infertility. Now everyday with our precious gifts  is like a continuous adventure, filled with new challenges and learning experiences.

I would say then, that my marriage has certainly benefited from  infertility, how about yours, is it stronger after infertility?

Be encouraged, therefore.

image by: http://married.answers.com/advice/dealing-with-pregnancy-loss-and-infertility-in-your-marriage

INFERTILITY NEWS, FACTS AND VEIWS: Male Infertility

When a couple is diagnosed  as having infertility issues,  the woman is the first to wonder what could be wrong with her, the man is usually looked at secondary.  In my case, my husband was  examined long after I was diagnosed.

Male Infertility contributes to a couple’s infertility quite significantly with  up to 80% of cases  cannot be diagnosed or treated. This is why according to an article in Medical News Today,  a team of Bay Area  Researchers is examining  the factors both physchological  and biochemical which tells when sperms are fertile and infertile.

Read more by following the link below:-

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/272851.php

From the Article

“At the 58th Annual Biophysical Society Meeting, which took place Feb. 15-19, 2014, in San Francisco, Calif., the team presented its work to identify and characterize proteins known as ion channels, which are crucial for sperm fertility and expressed within a sperm cell's plasma membrane.

To study ion channels, the researchers are recording the electrical activity of sperm ion channels under strictly controlled conditions.”

Overall, the findings from this research could prove crucial in future development  of  new pain management therapies  as well as diagnostic tests and treatments for male infertility.

image by: http://eivf.net/blog/2013/12/20/male-infertility-is-not-uncommon/

GRATEFUL WEDNESDAYS : ” SMILE AWHILE”

"Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. 

And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, 

you can survive it."  

Bill Cosby

Today I am grateful for Laughter.

I am sure you have realized more than once that when you are  stressed about things,  all you  have to do is be given the chance at a very good laugh and then you feel so much better. It might be just for a moment, but it feels good.

The matter I wrote about for my last ‘Grateful Wednesday’ post, have me feeling a bit conflicted and even angry at times. The thing is, I know God is at work, as I can feel it, but as we all know, the humanness in us, at times, try to help God out along the way and we are left with nothing but more conflict and stress.

Thank God for my children, as they are helping me preserve my sanity at  times. The other evening, while my son , (now 6) was about to start his homework,  his sister (now 2) ,threw a book and hit him smack in the middle of his chest, I thought he would began bawling, (as he often does when his sister beats up on him), instead after gaining his composure, said, “girl, you going to kill my heart and cause your only brother to die.” I could not help it, I had a hearty laugh.

Last night I was putting his sister to sleep and she had actually began dozing off, when  he hopped onto the bed and decided it was time to play with her. Of course, she got up instantly, all bright eyed and bushy tail as she is not one to miss out on a good play with her brother. Realizing that I was about to lose this battle, I said to him, “don’t you see I was putting your sister to sleep and now you have awaken her and riled her up.” He said to me, matter-a-factly,  “I  just want to play with her as she is so cute.” I had another chuckle and just resigned myself to choosing my battles and this was definitely not one for my choosing.

It is indeed amazing how children can bring us back to the reality of what should be important in our lives. With their childlike trust they remind us that it is never wise to get so worked up and stressed out about things and we should employ this same childlike trust in our Heavenly Father to see us through difficult times. It’s just easier said than done though, because we often do feel that we have given God our cares, only to find that we have taken them up again, as we still continue to worry and be stressed/

In the meantime though, I am grateful for laughter as it is the thin thread that keeps us from going over the edge from time to time.

BE ENCOURAGED ALL!!

MONDAY RAMBLINGS: "A little wisdom goes a long way……."

It won’t  hurt  if we use wisdom when we speak to each other concerning certain subjects, like, for someone who  is struggling with infertility, don’t tell them that their struggles is a blessing in disguise because of how expensive  and difficult it is to raise children. Trust me, they won’t see it that way and they will resent you.  During my infertility struggles, I had  it said to me a few times, why was I so stressed about having children, It got to me even more when someone I cared about a lot told me that she does not thin k that she would be so stressed and troubled if she had to struggle to have children. I knew she meant well, but I just could not receive that at the moment, instead I said to myself, how cruel, how could she say this when she has a child.

In the same way, you , a married individual, cannot say to someone who wants to be married  to never do it because marriage is hard  work and that they should be happy they are  currently alone and have no one to answer to. I know you most likely mean well, but they will resent you for saying this.

The thing is , we all yearn for things in our lives which we feel would make us complete, I yearned so much for  children, because I felt they would make my life more meaningful and complete and how dare someone to say to me to turn down or shut off my yearning, when they are having the experience of  raising children, whether difficult or not.

It is important then to use wisdom when we try to help each other out  along certain lines, in life. We have to allow people to pave their own pathways and have their own  experiences  so that they can learn from these experiences, which should make them better, stronger  individuals.

DON’T CHEAT THEM OUT OF THIS.

image byhttp://purplevineclub.com/a-daily-dose-of-wisdom-goes-a-long-way/

INFERTILITY FACTS, NEWS AND VIEWS - Endometriosis: there could be better treatment and management.....

Endometriosis, a condition affecting over 176 million women and girls, occurs when endometrial tissue, which lines the inside of the uterus, is found outside. In the majority of cases, this tissue is usually trapped in the pelvic area or lower abdomen, but it can also be found in other areas of the body.

Endometriosis is a common cause of infertility problems.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have uncovered cellular activity that may provide a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the condition. This is according to a study recently published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

While the cause of endometriosis is largely unknown, the researchers say that they know there is a genetic component, an environmental component and an inflammatory component, but it is difficult to tract the exact series of events leading to individual patient’s symptoms.

The Researchers  say  their findings could lead to the creation of better drugs for this condition and  help to determine the best treatment for patients. resulting in better management. Further, these  findings could make it possible for the development of a  "patient stratification system" similar to that used for breast cancer patients. This involves treatments being individually developed and tailored to the molecular characteristics of patients' tumors.

Great news I might say, since so many women struggle with infertility caused by endometriosis.

image by: http://www.physio-pedia.com/Endometriosis

GRATEFUL WEDNESDAYS - FAITH UNDER FIRE

Today I am grateful for Faith.

“Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it, the elders received a good report.” Hebrews 11 verses 1 & 2 - KJV

At a time in my life, if someone told me about faith, I would have asked, faith who? I knew faith existed and I knew it could be used to enhance my life, but I just did not know how to use it and as a micro-manager, I guess I did not think I had any use for faith.

Later on in my life, I found I had to draw on my faith and so I made the effort to find out what it was all about and put it to the test.

I remember when my infertility issues began taking its toll on me, I felt I needed a break and so I decided that a trip to the United States, could help. I had gone to the American Embassy a couple times before and they had turned me down. This time, I would not take no for an answer and so I called a travel agency, booked my flight, then I went to the Embassy to ask for my visa. Yes, it had to be there waiting for me to have had such audacity. Let’s say, that vacation did me good.

As my infertility issues took its toll on me, I knew somehow that I would come through it victoriously. There were times, I must admit, when this hope stood on shaky ground, when I felt like I had gotten to the end of my rope, but I tied a knot and held on for dear life, I held firmly to the thinnest thread of faith. God rewarded me as you all know by now, and I have the gifts to show. My mother-in-law reminded me of my faith in this regard, when I shared with her our current plight.

I cannot count the ways that he has used our faith to bless our family financially and even as I pen this,  he continues to work in our finances in ways that is beyond words.

We have now come to a point in our life, where we are forced to put our faith to the test again. We are about to embark on a very significant move, but the thing is, our faith is being frustrated by well-meaning critics, who feel that our fabric is not up to the test. Let me say here that I do respect and appreciate their interest in our well-being, but our God who is above all and knows all, stands ready to help too, and I want to give him that chance. In all fairness, though, for all we know, God could be using these critics in his overall plan, to convince us that what they are proposing is the plan he has for us as well, but you know what, I am not at the point yet where I believe that God is, by any means, through working his plan out and so I am challenged to continue to seek him to the very end. With this said, I hope it is not my own naïve agenda speaking here, but I will allow God to be the judge of that.

God is not known to lie about his promises and as experience has taught me, once I am aligned with his will, I have every confidence that he will reveal to me his plan and equip us for its undertaking, to his honour and glory.

I am therefore extremely grateful for having allowed faith into my life.

BE BLESSED ALL!!!!