Saturday, November 27, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Pro-Life Events scheduled for November & December 2010 in the Capital District
WORLD PRAYER VIGIL FOR PRE-BORN HUMAN LIFE
In an unprecedented request, Pope Benedict XVI has asked the faithful throughout the world to pray during the Season of Advent for our preborn brothers and sisters who are in danger of abortion. In keeping with the Holy Father’s request to pray for a renewed commitment and witness to the Gospel of Life there will be a SPECIAL EUCHARISTIC PRAYER SERVICE FOR PRE-BORN HUMAN LIFE on
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH
1. St. Madeleine Sophie Church, 3500 Carman Road, Guilderland, from 1 PM to 2 PM
(Call St. Madeleine Sophie Respect Life coordinator at 518-355-5919 for details.)
2. Our Lady Queen of Peace Church (formerly Our Lady of the Assumption),
210 Princetown Road, Rotterdam, from 7 PM to 8 PM. (Call 518-346-4926 for details.)
3. St. Joseph Church, Main St., Broadalbin, from 1PM to 3PM.
4. St. Mary Church, 31 Elm St., Cooperstown, from 11 AM. to 12:00 Noon.
5. St. Anthony Church, Nott & Seward, Schenectady, 5:00PM, following the vigil mass
NATIONAL ALL NIGHT PRAYER VIGIL FOR LIFE
The National Night of Prayer for Life bridges the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe to honor the Blessed Mother and to pray through her intercession for a return to the Culture of Life. Area parishes participating are:
1. St. Madeleine Sophie Church, 3500 Carman Road, Guilderland, from 10:00PM on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8th to 1:00AM on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9th. Prayer Service includes Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. (Call St. Madeleine Sophie Respect Life coordinator at 518-355-5919 for details.)
2. St. Pius X Church, 23 Crumitie Road, Loudonville, from 8:00PM on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8th TO 12:15AM on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9th. (Call Mary Dooley at 518-463-7575 for details.)
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
CANDLE LIGHT PRAYER VIGIL AND CHRISTMAS CAROL SING
Sunday, December 12th from 4:00PM to 5:00PM on the public sidewalk in front of the Planned Parenthood, 1040 State Street, Schenectady. Please bring candles or a flashlight. Sponsored by the Ave Maria Network.
EUCHARISTIC HOLY HOUR FOR LIFE
St. Gabriel Church, 3040 Hamburg Street, Rotterdam, Tuesday, December 21st from 7:00PM to 8:00PM. Please come pray with us for a return to the Culture of Life. Prayer Service includes Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. This Holy Hour for Life is held every month on the THIRD TUESDAY of the month.
PUBLIC PRAYER VIGIL FOR LIFE
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26th (Black Friday), 11:00AM to 12:00 NOON, on the public sidewalk in front of Colonie Center Shopping Mall, Central Avenue (Route 5) in Albany. Your prayerful witness is a message of love and hope to the community that all human life is sacred. All are welcome. Signs will be provided by Citizens Concerned for Human Life. Please contact 518-355-2959 if you need more information.
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Saturday, November 20, 2010
November 2010
The treatment plan this month:
Biaxin for CD 1-10 for both of us. Mucinex starting CD11. Get US scans to track follicle development and then take trigger shot at maturity. The trigger is actually 3 shots. One 10,000 units of HCG and Two amps of menopur.Post peak PIO shots again. They really seem to be working in making the unruptured cysts go down. (This is a big step forward) I am also getting that mass on my ovary checked out and DH is getting two tests done.Start of the cycle:
Everything going fine. CD 4 US showed no residual cysts. I got that mass checked out. It appears to be a hemorrhagic cyst. From what I have read, these things are persistent and can take months to go away. I will get it rescanned it a few months to recheck its size. DH got his tests done without any drama. We did a regular count and then the DNA fragmentation test. Still waiting for results.
Mid Cycle:
US showed two follicles maturing. This is interesting because I have not taken any stims. I guess this goes with my wacky ovaries, LUFS, and cysts. At CD 14 they were 15 and 16. So I had to go back after a few days to check on them. On CD17 they were 17 and 19. So I took the triggers the next day. This is the first month that I took HCG as a trigger. In the past I took ovidrel. I will go back in a few days to see if it worked.
End of cycle:
Went back for the US P+4. The follies were still there, but much larger. UGHHHHHH The Dr. called me today and we spoke in length about the frustration of nothing working. He told me to take the next month off from meds and call him after Christmas. I asked him again about trying that med from the research study in Japan. He did not call the Dr yet. I took this as a bad sign. He said that he needs to talk to other drs to make sure that he will not get in trouble.ughhhhhhhhh So after I hung up, I cried because now I am at the end of the road. There are no other options left for me. He said maybe after Christmas, but I am starting to doubt it. After I hit rock bottom, I decided that I am not ready to quit. I am still a patient at my RE even though my NAPRO dr has been calling the orders for the past year. I decided to write him a letter and give him a copy of the research and see what he says. After that I might write Dr. Hiilgers, and after that I thought about writing the Dr in Japan to see if he can write the script of knows any us DR that would........ I AM STILL FIGHTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BW came back. I had to do p+10 becuase of the holiday. P15.6 and E 52. Took a test on P+14 and it was negative.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Congratulations to Archbishop Dolan
Archbishop Dolan is a supporter of the Gianna Center in NYC. He was just elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Tuesday in Baltimore.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/us/17bishops.html
Here is an excerpt from the article.
"In a surprise move, the bishops that lead the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, elected Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York to be their president on Tuesday, rejecting the conference’s more liberal vice president. It was the first time in history that the bishops had not voted to elevate the vice president to the president’s post, affirming a conservative turn among the bishops."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/us/17bishops.html
Here is an excerpt from the article.
"In a surprise move, the bishops that lead the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, elected Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York to be their president on Tuesday, rejecting the conference’s more liberal vice president. It was the first time in history that the bishops had not voted to elevate the vice president to the president’s post, affirming a conservative turn among the bishops."
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Pope Benedict Calls for Worldwide Prayer Against Abortion November 27.
Read the full article here http://www.lifenews.com/2010/11/11/int-1681/
Pope Benedict XVI has issued what Catholic pro-life advocates are calling an unprecedented request for prayers worldwide from all pro-life people against abortion.The head of the Catholic Church will begin Advent by celebrating a solemn “Vigil for all nascent human life” at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, November 27.
The call is not limited to Catholics as the Pope is asking that “all Diocesan Bishops (and their equivalent) of every particular church preside in analogous celebrations involving the faithful in their respective parishes, religious communities, associations and movements.”
The call is not limited to Catholics as the Pope is asking that “all Diocesan Bishops (and their equivalent) of every particular church preside in analogous celebrations involving the faithful in their respective parishes, religious communities, associations and movements.”
Mary McClusky, the Special Projects Coordinator at the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, says the call is especially important at a time when attacks on the dignity and worth of human life seem to be at an all-time high.
“At this moment in history, when societies are now endorsing the killing of humans as a perceived solution to social, economic, and environmental problems, the Holy Father is reminding us of the necessity and power of prayer to protect human life,” she said. “Despite the challenge of these events being held on Thanksgiving weekend in the United States, Catholics should not miss this opportunity to pray for unborn life.”
She said the Pope’s call “may help increase awareness among family and friends about abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and other threats to children in their earliest days and weeks of life” while women who have had abortions “may be inspired to learn more, or to begin a much-needed conversation about healing from a past abortion.”
Friday, November 12, 2010
Yes, Catholics can get a sperm test done that complies with church policy
You can get a sperm test done without going against the church. You can use a perforated, non spermicide, non lubed condom. I got mine from my doctor, but you can also order them online. This month were are getting two tests done. We just did the first one, which is the basic everyday lab test. This one measures sperm count, mobility, and shape.
Next we are getting a DNA fragmentation test done. This is a special test that you have to order from South Dakota. It came in a plain discrete box. You get a canister shipped to you that will freeze the sample for shipment. Then you collect the sample at home and put it into some vials with a pipette. Lower it into the tank and ship it back. So far I have been very satisfied. It came on time today just like it said it would. The box was plain. This was important becuase I had to get it sent to my job due to a signature requirement. Inside the box, were great instructions. They even included the zip ties, return label, and packing tape needed to send back the tank. In a week we will get the results.
****Test results came back. 5% fragmentation which is great. They said that less than 15% was excellent.****
http://www.scsadiagnostics.com/
Next we are getting a DNA fragmentation test done. This is a special test that you have to order from South Dakota. It came in a plain discrete box. You get a canister shipped to you that will freeze the sample for shipment. Then you collect the sample at home and put it into some vials with a pipette. Lower it into the tank and ship it back. So far I have been very satisfied. It came on time today just like it said it would. The box was plain. This was important becuase I had to get it sent to my job due to a signature requirement. Inside the box, were great instructions. They even included the zip ties, return label, and packing tape needed to send back the tank. In a week we will get the results.
****Test results came back. 5% fragmentation which is great. They said that less than 15% was excellent.****
http://www.scsadiagnostics.com/
IVF opened 'wrong door' to treating infertility, says Vatican official
You can read the full article here http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1004064.htm
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While honoring one of the inventors of in vitro fertilization with the Nobel Prize for Medicine recognizes his contribution to human reproduction, it ignores the ethical consequences of his opening "the wrong door" in the fight against infertility, said the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
British scientist Robert Edwards, a retired professor at the University of Cambridge, England, was named the Nobel winner Oct. 4 for the development of in vitro fertilization.
His work led to the birth in 1978 of Louise Brown, the world's first "test-tube baby."
In a press release, the award committee said: "Approximately 4 million individuals have so far been born following IVF. Many of them are now adult and some have already become parents. A new field of medicine has emerged, with Robert Edwards leading the process all the way from the fundamental discoveries to the current, successful IVF therapy. His contributions represent a milestone in the development of modern medicine."
Msgr. Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said he recognized that Edwards "ushered in a new and important chapter in the field of human reproduction in which the best results are visible to everyone, beginning with Louise Brown."
However, "without Edwards there wouldn't be a market for oocytes (immature egg cells), without Edwards there wouldn't be freezers full of embryos waiting to be transferred in utero or, more likely, to be used for research or to die abandoned and forgotten by everyone," the monsignor said in a written statement released by the Vatican press office Oct. 4.
The written statement came after Msgr. Carrasco spoke with the Italian news agency, ANSA, and said the Nobel committee's selection of Edwards was "completely out of place."
The extraction and trade of human eggs and the number of frozen embryos that end up being abandoned or left to die all represent "a problem for which the newly awarded Nobel winner is responsible," the monsignor told ANSA.
A few hours after the ANSA interview appeared, the Vatican issued a statement saying his comments, which were made in response to journalists' questions, represented Msgr. Carrasco's personal opinion and did not represent the pontifical academy.
In the statement released later by the Vatican, Msgr. Carrasco said while Edwards presented a whole new approach to the problem of infertility, "he opened the wrong door from the moment in which he focused everything on in vitro fertilization," which also meant he implicitly permitted people to turn to donations and a buyers-and-sellers market "that involves human beings."
By focusing so much research and action on the in vitro method, Edwards did not confront the pathological causes or epidemiological aspects of infertility, he said.
A more ethical and effective solution to the "serious problem" of infertility is waiting in the wings with methods that are also less expensive, he said.
The Vatican-based International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations also expressed its dismay about the Nobel committee's announcement.
"Although IVF has brought happiness to the many couples who have conceived through this process, it has done so at an enormous cost. That cost is the undermining of the dignity of the human person," said the federation's president, Jose Simon Castellvi.
The IVF process has created and discarded millions of embryos that have been treated and used "as experimental animals destined for destruction," he said in a written declaration Oct. 5.
"This use has led to a culture where (embryos) are regarded as commodities, rather than the precious human individuals which they are," he wrote.
"As Catholic doctors we recognize the pain that infertility brings to a couple, but equally we believe that the research and treatment methods needed to solve the problems of infertility have to be conducted within an ethical framework which respects the special dignity of the human embryo, which is no different from that of a mature adult with a brilliant mind," he wrote.
Meanwhile, Lucio Romano, president of the Italian association Science and Life, told Vatican Radio Oct. 4 that Edwards did make a huge mark on modern science because he took techniques used for breeding livestock and applied them to human beings.
But "this absolutely does not represent progress for the human person," said Romano, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Frederick II University in Naples, Italy.
Awarding the Nobel to Edwards, he said, ignores all the ethical problems connected with IVF, in which human eggs are removed from a woman and fertilized in a laboratory. The fertilized eggs are implanted in a woman's uterus with the hope the pregnancy will progress normally from that point. Usually, multiple eggs are fertilized at once with only a select few being implanted.
A 2008 document on bioethics issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith repeated earlier Vatican condemnations of in vitro fertilization because it separates procreation from the conjugal act in marriage, and because in practice unused embryos are often discarded, thus violating the principle that "the human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception."
- - -
Contributing to this story was Cindy Wooden at the Vatican.
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While honoring one of the inventors of in vitro fertilization with the Nobel Prize for Medicine recognizes his contribution to human reproduction, it ignores the ethical consequences of his opening "the wrong door" in the fight against infertility, said the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
British scientist Robert Edwards, a retired professor at the University of Cambridge, England, was named the Nobel winner Oct. 4 for the development of in vitro fertilization.
His work led to the birth in 1978 of Louise Brown, the world's first "test-tube baby."
In a press release, the award committee said: "Approximately 4 million individuals have so far been born following IVF. Many of them are now adult and some have already become parents. A new field of medicine has emerged, with Robert Edwards leading the process all the way from the fundamental discoveries to the current, successful IVF therapy. His contributions represent a milestone in the development of modern medicine."
Msgr. Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said he recognized that Edwards "ushered in a new and important chapter in the field of human reproduction in which the best results are visible to everyone, beginning with Louise Brown."
However, "without Edwards there wouldn't be a market for oocytes (immature egg cells), without Edwards there wouldn't be freezers full of embryos waiting to be transferred in utero or, more likely, to be used for research or to die abandoned and forgotten by everyone," the monsignor said in a written statement released by the Vatican press office Oct. 4.
The written statement came after Msgr. Carrasco spoke with the Italian news agency, ANSA, and said the Nobel committee's selection of Edwards was "completely out of place."
The extraction and trade of human eggs and the number of frozen embryos that end up being abandoned or left to die all represent "a problem for which the newly awarded Nobel winner is responsible," the monsignor told ANSA.
A few hours after the ANSA interview appeared, the Vatican issued a statement saying his comments, which were made in response to journalists' questions, represented Msgr. Carrasco's personal opinion and did not represent the pontifical academy.
In the statement released later by the Vatican, Msgr. Carrasco said while Edwards presented a whole new approach to the problem of infertility, "he opened the wrong door from the moment in which he focused everything on in vitro fertilization," which also meant he implicitly permitted people to turn to donations and a buyers-and-sellers market "that involves human beings."
By focusing so much research and action on the in vitro method, Edwards did not confront the pathological causes or epidemiological aspects of infertility, he said.
A more ethical and effective solution to the "serious problem" of infertility is waiting in the wings with methods that are also less expensive, he said.
The Vatican-based International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations also expressed its dismay about the Nobel committee's announcement.
"Although IVF has brought happiness to the many couples who have conceived through this process, it has done so at an enormous cost. That cost is the undermining of the dignity of the human person," said the federation's president, Jose Simon Castellvi.
The IVF process has created and discarded millions of embryos that have been treated and used "as experimental animals destined for destruction," he said in a written declaration Oct. 5.
"This use has led to a culture where (embryos) are regarded as commodities, rather than the precious human individuals which they are," he wrote.
"As Catholic doctors we recognize the pain that infertility brings to a couple, but equally we believe that the research and treatment methods needed to solve the problems of infertility have to be conducted within an ethical framework which respects the special dignity of the human embryo, which is no different from that of a mature adult with a brilliant mind," he wrote.
Meanwhile, Lucio Romano, president of the Italian association Science and Life, told Vatican Radio Oct. 4 that Edwards did make a huge mark on modern science because he took techniques used for breeding livestock and applied them to human beings.
But "this absolutely does not represent progress for the human person," said Romano, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Frederick II University in Naples, Italy.
Awarding the Nobel to Edwards, he said, ignores all the ethical problems connected with IVF, in which human eggs are removed from a woman and fertilized in a laboratory. The fertilized eggs are implanted in a woman's uterus with the hope the pregnancy will progress normally from that point. Usually, multiple eggs are fertilized at once with only a select few being implanted.
A 2008 document on bioethics issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith repeated earlier Vatican condemnations of in vitro fertilization because it separates procreation from the conjugal act in marriage, and because in practice unused embryos are often discarded, thus violating the principle that "the human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception."
- - -
Contributing to this story was Cindy Wooden at the Vatican.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Possible Treatment for LUFS
I have LUFS, which is Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome. With this condition, I have normal 28 cycles. I have normal BBT rises. I get a positive OPK. I even get a progesterone level over 15, at 7DPO. It all makes it look like I am normal. BUT I do not actually ovulate. My follicle does not pop.This is why the RE told me there was nothing wrong with me and IVF was the only way to go.
I came across this LUFS treatment Article on the internet. It was written two years ago by a DR. in Japan. Here is my summary on it becuase the article is very complicated to read. Right before ovulation there is an increase in some type of white blood cells. This reacts with the follicle wall. It makes it thinner, so that when you get the LH surge it will pop open. This makes complete sense for me. I can grow a normal follicle on my own, but they never pop. THis medicine is supposed to increase your white blood cells to provide the missing reaction.
I was very excited to have an option to pursue becuase it seems that everything else has failed. I emailed the Dr in Japan and he emailed me back the next day. He is still doing the research and now has a 90% success rate. I asked my Dr about it. He said that he never heard of it before. He is going to call the Dr in Japan and ask him about the research and then he will consider treating me with it....... I am so excited that I may finally have a real treatment after 3.5 years of infertility........
I am pasting the response from the Dr in Japan below...
__________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you very much for your interest in my research!
If your LUFS is not caused by severe adhesion of around ovaries due to endometriosis, pelvic surgeries, etc, the treatment using G-CSF is effective at the rate of more than 90 %. The number of our clinical trial reached to 70 cycles and the effective rate is more than 90%.
We will publish the new paper in English regarding our clinical trial, when the numbers of the cycle reach to 100 cycles.
G-CSF is widely used in the field of cancer treatment to increase the number of Granulocytes. In the USA, it is marketed by Amgen with the brand name Neupogen (filgrastim), although we are using another type of G-CSF, lenograstim. There are no differences between them.
In our country, we can use any drug for any purpose, if patient gives her doctor an informed consent.
I don't know the situation in the USA. If the situation is the same, you can receive G-CSF treatment by your doctor.
Until today, we have no side effects of G-CSF in our clinical trial.
If your doctor has more questions, I am willing to answer his questions.
Thank you again for your interest!
with best regards,
Yours sincerely,
********************************************
Satoru Makinoda, M.D.
Professor and Chairman
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Kanazawa Medical University
Uchinada
920-0293 Japan
E-mail:mak@kanazawa-med.ac.jp
Tel.:+81-76-218-8142
Fax.:+81-76-286-2629
********************************************
I came across this LUFS treatment Article on the internet. It was written two years ago by a DR. in Japan. Here is my summary on it becuase the article is very complicated to read. Right before ovulation there is an increase in some type of white blood cells. This reacts with the follicle wall. It makes it thinner, so that when you get the LH surge it will pop open. This makes complete sense for me. I can grow a normal follicle on my own, but they never pop. THis medicine is supposed to increase your white blood cells to provide the missing reaction.
I was very excited to have an option to pursue becuase it seems that everything else has failed. I emailed the Dr in Japan and he emailed me back the next day. He is still doing the research and now has a 90% success rate. I asked my Dr about it. He said that he never heard of it before. He is going to call the Dr in Japan and ask him about the research and then he will consider treating me with it....... I am so excited that I may finally have a real treatment after 3.5 years of infertility........
I am pasting the response from the Dr in Japan below...
__________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you very much for your interest in my research!
If your LUFS is not caused by severe adhesion of around ovaries due to endometriosis, pelvic surgeries, etc, the treatment using G-CSF is effective at the rate of more than 90 %. The number of our clinical trial reached to 70 cycles and the effective rate is more than 90%.
We will publish the new paper in English regarding our clinical trial, when the numbers of the cycle reach to 100 cycles.
G-CSF is widely used in the field of cancer treatment to increase the number of Granulocytes. In the USA, it is marketed by Amgen with the brand name Neupogen (filgrastim), although we are using another type of G-CSF, lenograstim. There are no differences between them.
In our country, we can use any drug for any purpose, if patient gives her doctor an informed consent.
I don't know the situation in the USA. If the situation is the same, you can receive G-CSF treatment by your doctor.
Until today, we have no side effects of G-CSF in our clinical trial.
If your doctor has more questions, I am willing to answer his questions.
Thank you again for your interest!
with best regards,
Yours sincerely,
********************************************
Satoru Makinoda, M.D.
Professor and Chairman
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Kanazawa Medical University
Uchinada
920-0293 Japan
E-mail:mak@kanazawa-med.ac.jp
Tel.:+81-76-218-8142
Fax.:+81-76-286-2629
********************************************
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Sperm DNA Fragmentation Screening
Here is some information about sperm DNA fragmentation screening
from http://www.scsadiagnostics.com/
For trying-to-conceive (TTC) couples and their doctors, the SCSA test is the original and Gold Standard for sperm DNA fragmentation screening that delivers a highly accurate measure of male reproductive health. Because the SCSA analysis was pioneered, patented and tested for over 25 years by the founder and president of SCSA Diagnostics of Brookings, South Dakota, only SCSA Diagnostics can be trusted to provide accurate and time tested results. International medical literature states that SCSA is the ONLY sperm DNA fragmentation test that has an established clinically significant threshold to helping you determine sperm DNA health.
from http://www.scsadiagnostics.com/
For trying-to-conceive (TTC) couples and their doctors, the SCSA test is the original and Gold Standard for sperm DNA fragmentation screening that delivers a highly accurate measure of male reproductive health. Because the SCSA analysis was pioneered, patented and tested for over 25 years by the founder and president of SCSA Diagnostics of Brookings, South Dakota, only SCSA Diagnostics can be trusted to provide accurate and time tested results. International medical literature states that SCSA is the ONLY sperm DNA fragmentation test that has an established clinically significant threshold to helping you determine sperm DNA health.