Thursday 2 April 2015

#AtoZChallenge: B is for Blood Tests

This is the second of a series of posts that I’m posting during the A to Z Challenge; that’s a blogging challenge where you aim to post a blog post for each letter of the alphabet throughout the month of April (with Sundays off for good behaviour). During my first A to Z Challenge I wrote about infertility, which I’m sort of revisiting during A to Z Challenge 2015.

My theme this year is IVF/ICSI, a process we’re starting at the moment and today it’s B for Blood Tests.


I mentioned yesterday that you’ll obviously have a lot of hospital appointments. Well, one of the things you get used to having at these appointments is blood tests. Actually, if you’ve had issues conceiving up to the point of needing to have IVF/ICSI you’ll probably already have had a couple of blood draws (depending on your doctor).

Before this point I’d had blood tests to check I’d had all the vaccines I needed (specifically against Rubella which can be particularly harmful for pregnant women). I also had one which is known as the ‘Day 21 Bloods’; this is a test which is done on the 21st day of your cycle which checks you’re ovulating. I was actually lucky enough to get mine done three times as the lab very helpfully didn’t do the test they were supposed to do the first two times (more about that in tomorrow’s post).

Once you’ve had all the blood tests to establish that everything is (or isn’t working) correctly, as well as a whole host of other tests and procedures, and finally get that golden ticket for your IVF or ICSI treatment.

And that’s when the blood tests really start!

First you get to have tests to check you don’t have any STDs or blood born diseases like hepatitis or HIV. This can be a little bit awkward because no one really wants to share that they’re having tests for these kinds of things; you don’t want people to get the wrong idea about you or your partner. And then when you do get the results back you can’t really share them with anyone. Maybe it’s just me but I just don’t feel right posting ‘Yay! I don’t have any STDs!’ on Facebook. Again, it kind of prompts awkward questions.

But those aren’t the only blood tests you get. You’ll also get one to check your egg quality. This helps to work out the best treatment protocol for you. I’ll explain more about protocols way ahead on the 18th. Men are lucky suckers and can keep producing their little swimmers for pretty much as long as they want to, but as with so many other things, women get the short end of the stick and ours degrade over time. The higher your number from the AMH blood test, the better.

And then it doesn’t end there. Throughout your treatment cycle you’ll have regular blood tests (read: each appointment) to keep track of how you’re responding to treatment and to check when you’ll be ready for egg collection. Your arms will start to look like you have a bit of a problem from all the track marks down them, but you won’t be too concerned about that since the appointments will involve some other things that’ll be far more uncomfortable (more about that on Saturday).

So if you’re going through the treatment, this is a good excuse to take it a bit easy. Another good excuse not to do any heavy lifting (since bending your arms will be sore – along with other bits of you of course). Ask your other half to look after you. ;-)


And if you’ve got a friend or family member going through the joys of assisted conception, sympathise with them, don’t comment on the needle marks and bruises on their arms, and if they need something up on the top shelf, maybe take pity and lift it down for them.

24 comments:

  1. Cor blimey, will you have any blood left by the time Dr. Acula is done with you?

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    1. Hehe, well they give you a day or two in between tests to recover before the next one. ;-)

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  2. They made me take blood tests recently at a yearly doctor's visit, for all kinds of things. It is always nerve wracking to wait for results...

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
    MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary

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    1. It is. Especially if they're important tests. Luckily because these blood tests are time sensitive, you get the results back fairly quickly; once the process starts you'll have blood taken in the morning and find out the results in the afternoon. :-)

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  3. Hi there - Your topic for the A-Z challenge is very unique and very informative. I'd never realized the process involved. :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. Glad you're finding it interesting. :-)

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  4. I have this weirdness about having my blood drawn. I don't like to see it going though those tubes. If they can take it with a needle quickly, great, but when you have your cholesterol checked or you donate blood, they drain it. That gives me the skeeves!

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    1. You're not alone there! I don't really mind giving blood too much (but that feeling when you give blood and they tape the tube to your arm so you feel it go warm as the blood comes out weirds me out).

      I think it's one of those things you sort of get used to. My husband is still celebrating the fact that he hasn't had to have his blood taken... Yet. ;-)

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  5. I've always had this phobia/general dislike for hospitals. The last time I had to go in for a blood test, I was literally holding my breath the entire time I was there.

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    1. I think lots of people feel that way. There's something about the smell of them. My husband feels much the same, he's dreading having his blood drawn at some point for tests, though he's not getting a huge amount of sympathy from me, since I have to have it done loads, hehe.

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  6. Have to laugh at the comment you made about women's eggs degrading as they age... My mom has said for years that she now has powdered eggs... And seeing some of the posts on Facebook, "Yay, I've no STD's" might be one of the LESS awkward ones! ;)

    Cat

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    1. I like your mum's comment. Someone on one of the blogs I read (whose infertility is caused by an issue with her ovaris) says her eggs are 'scrambled'.

      And I think you have a point about the Facebook posts, some people share way too much!

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  7. A lot of good information that may be just what someone was looking for.

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    1. Thank you, hopefully someone out there finds it useful. :-)

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  8. What a fantastic theme for the A to Z challenge. I commend you for sharing the process, and look forward to learning more.

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    1. Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it (and hope you enjoy my other twenty-four posts). :-)

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  9. I don't mind, although I have a thing where I laugh as they stick me. They think I'm weird.

    Bushman
    2015 A to Z Challenge Ambassador
    @jwb81074

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. :-)

      I don't laugh, but I do like to watch what they're doing which makes me seem weird since so many people look away.

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  10. Fascinating topic to this nurse! I'm your newest follower!

    Shelly from the A to Z Challenge, blogging at www.nebraskafamilytimes.blogspot.com and www.achristianmomsguide.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you, glad you're finding it interesting. :-)

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  11. My sympathy goes out in bounds to women who go through this. I was this close to going through it, and I would have, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been easy. The emotional impact is huge. That's true strength.
    So happy to be here and read your posts.

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    1. Thank you, hopefully these blog posts can help spread awareness in their own little way. Thanks, also, for sharing your experience.

      Hope you enjoy the rest. :-)

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  12. I had to do a blood panel recently. They took something like 7 or 8 vials. Nearly walked into a wall afterwards!

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    1. Ooh there's nothing worse than going to give blood and thinking it'll be one little vial and it turns out to be a lot more.

      Once I went and the nurse took too vials, took the needle out, moved some paperwork on the desk and realised she needed to take a third so had to do it in the other arm instead. That was sore, hehe.

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Let me know what you think. :-)