Sunday, June 7, 2009

Acronyms

I consider myself fortunate that I did not read any blogs focused on infertility during our 5 1/2 years of waiting for Ainsley. Rather than giving me comfort that other people had the same struggles, their words would have brought more of the pain I was finally handling by the time we got pregnant.

However, when we discovered we were pregnant with triplets, John and I started exploring triplet blogs in the hopes of gleaning knowledge about what our pregnancy and [hopefully] infant road would look like. It was a bit scary to read sometimes because lots of triplet pregnancies end up with insane bedrest/early hospitalization/use of lots of tocolytics, but we found solace that most everyone handles the triplet experience - all of it - without completely losing their mind...even when there is tragedy.

That said, since most of the triplet mamas had gone through infertility treatments and had documented their sometimes painful journey, I noticed in their posts a lot of acronyms I was completely clueless about. Parts of these online journals were completely incoherent to me and it took some time to learn what the heck these people were talking about.

So, I've listed some below. I don't do this because I think it's important for anyone else to know these things, because I don't. I do this because John and I lived on the infertility planet for a long time and this is a part of our story I don't want to forget.

I haven't listed all of them for three reasons:
1. Some of them are 100% irrelevant for what we went through.
2. Some of them are sort of gross (bad images that will never go away from your mind).
3. Some of them I still don't get (lots of the hyper-medical terminology/drugs)

Without further adieu:
2WW = 2-Week Wait (the agonizing time between procedure and hCG tests - see below)*

AI = Artificial Insemination
AO = Anovulation
ART = Assisted Reproductive Technology
AWOL = A Woman On Lupron (a very scary person - do not cross her)

BCP = Birth Control Pills
BFN = Big Fat Negative (pregnancy test results)
BFP = Big Fat Positive (see above)
BW, b/w = Bloodwork (and there's lots of it)
C# = Cycle Number
CB = Cycle Buddy
CD = Cycle Day

DPO = Days Post-Ovulation
DPR = Days Post-Retrieval (of eggs)
DPT = Days Post-Transfer (of embryos)
DP3DT = Days Post 3-Day Transfer (3-day-old embryos)
DP3DT = Days Post 5-Day Transfer (5-day-old embryos)
E2 = Estradiol (hormone)
EDD = Estimated Due Date
ER = Egg Retrieval
ET = Embryo Transfer


FET = Frozen Embryo Transfer
FF = Fertility Friend

GIFT = Gamete Intra-fallopian Transfer (essentially put egg and sperm separately in the fallopian tubes and let them have a party)

hCG, HCG = Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (the hormone pregnancy tests measure - you have to go in for two blood tests measuring your levels after the 2WW to see if you're pg. The worst is when the first test says you aren't and you have to go back 2 days later for another blood draw to find out - again - that you still aren't pg. Twisting the knife.)


IF = Infertility
IM = Intra-muscular (WRT injections) [These are not pleasant, but entertaining. John and I call it "butt darts" b/c you hold the syringe just like a dart]
IUI = Intra-uterine Insemination (one of the first levels of IF treatments people do)

LH = Luteinizing Hormone
LMP = Last Menstrual Period (start date)

LP = Luteal Phase (the critical days post-ovulation)
LPD = Luteal Phase Defect

MC, m/c, misc. = Miscarriage
MF = Male Factor (I must admit this is NOT what I thought it was for a long time...umm...hmm)
O, OV = Ovulation
OD = Ovulatory Dysfunction (an umbrella diagnosis for many infertiles)
OHSS = Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (not good - potentially very dangerous situation and usually results in hospitalization)
OPT = Ovulation Predictor Test
P4 = Progesterone (hormone)
PCO = Polycystic Ovaries
PCOS = Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
POAS = Pee On A Stick (taking a home pg test)
RE = Reproductive Endocrinologist (I seriously had no idea my doc was called this - so clueless)
RPL = Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

SI = Secondary Infertility (easily get pg for first kid, then can't for the second)
SMEP = Sperm Meets Egg Plan

TTC = Trying to Conceive

US, u/s = Ultrasound (there are LOTS of these done and not the fun kind.)

* Everything in parenthesis is from me.

That's about it. Consider yourselves equipped to figure out what in the world those people are saying. Good luck.


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