3rd LIT (and 4th Acupuncture) Session

We had a very long day yesterday.

In the morning, around 8am, we went to Manila Endocrine Lab in Pedro Gil for C's blood extraction. We were to go to Dr. Aleta's clinic on Taft at 2pm for my injections.

After C's blood extraction, we went home to sleep some more and have lunch. For anyone reading this who is going through or about to go through LIT, please remember that your body needs to be in tip-top shape when you get the injections. If your body is fighting off flu, for example, chances are it won't react well to the lymphocytes injected. That's what Dr. Aleta told us. And I remember that when we had our first LIT, I had slight fever and the injection spots didn't itch as much (itchiness indicating the therapy is working). With the second LIT (when I was feeling well), the injection spots felt really itchy.

It's also important that the husband or donor gets enough sleep the night before. Lack of sleep, according to the people in the lab, can make blood extraction difficult.

At 2pm we were at Dr. Aleta's clinic. There was a very long line. She wasn't holding clinic that day at St. Luke's so all her patients were combined in the Taft clinic.

The vials arrived at 3:30pm. This batch of injections hurt more than the previous two. I nearly cried but took a hold of myself. For the baby, I said in my mind. It was really THAT painful because I have a very high tolerance for pain. Dr. Aleta said she was trying to avoid major veins, or else I'll just pee out the lymphocytes.

After LIT, we rushed to Panay Avenue for my fourth acupuncture session. Long line again. I was happy to have C there with me. I also wanted him to see how simple and painless the procedure was. I want him to try it out too, when he's ready.

C took these pictures. I had to close my eyes while he took pictures because I was going to laugh and that might dislodge the needles. Hahaha.

Sister Liu was happy that my period had started. I asked her if it was okay already to get pregnant and she said yes! Yipee! I think she's not the type to just say yes if she wasn't confident things would work out okay.

While sitting in the waiting area, I overheard two girls to my right talking about combining acupuncture with intra-uterine injections (IUI) where they inject the husband's sperm into the uterus at the woman's fertile time. They were talking about some success stories they had heard of.

To my left, a woman was sharing with another woman how she had tried all sorts of expensive things to get pregnant and nothing worked. Till someone recommended acupuncture. Now she's trying for her second baby.

I kinda feel acupuncture really improved my health. My face has cleared up substantially. I had fairly clear skin before my first pregnancy. When I got pregnant, things must've gone haywire with my hormones because I (and my derma) couldn't keep up with the zits that were steadily taking turns at my face. Some balance must've been restored because the zits are starting to pack-up, with fewer reserve forces waiting in the wings. Let's see.

I also have another theory. I think the zit attack started when I got really really serious with running. I was training so hard, that I think my body may have started producing more male hormones. More muscle-building needed for what I was doing. The intense training may have started the imbalance. I remember reading articles that say women runners have a hard time getting pregnant because they don't ovulate as regularly as other women.

So C and I have decided that running will have to be put on hold till we're blessed with a baby and maybe one more, God-willing.

So many theories, so many treatment options. But only one God who decides to make things work. In His perfect time. We praise God for sending us to good doctors and for friends and family who share complementary options. We praise God for providing for our needs and even for our wants. Through all these things, we know that just His love is enough. Baby or no baby.