Update! And a good one at that...another of our embryos decided to start growing so that puts us up to ten...however it's only a two cell and we still have another that's a six cell so likely neither of those will make it to freeze.
However, of the other eight - five have made it to the morula stage which is the stage right before blastocyst. Blastocysts are what we want tomorrow to transfer. Plus, the other remaining three are continuing to grow and may catch up tomorrow or the next day. Yay!
Showing posts with label embryos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label embryos. Show all posts
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Day 3 updates
Hopefully you subscribe to the 'no news is good news' philosophy since I skipped yesterday's update. I had a crazy day at work and then got home and crashed. We did get news yesterday that the nine embryos were all still continuing to grow.
This morning, we got more details about our nine, which is as follows:
-3 9-cell embryos
-5 8-cell embryos
-1 4-cell embryo (this is the only embryo not really in play anymore)
They want to see about four 8-cell embryos on this day so we are in good shape. Last cycle on this same day, we had:
-10 8-cell embryos
-6 6-cell embryos
-2 4-cell embryos
-2 2-cell embryos
So last cycle, we had 10 out of 20 embryos in play, whereas this cycle we have 8 out of 9...I think that points to overall improved embryo quality.
In other news...I saw another amazing rainbow today...like, probably the most amazing rainbow I've ever seen. Each of our previous three cycles, we've looked for 'signs' - the paw print from Carl, the fortune cookies, a transfer on my birthday. I promised myself that I WOULD NOT DO THAT THIS CYCLE. But, I guess I am forever an optimist and I can't help but see these things as good luck. :)
Finally, I have been reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson and oh, friends - my sides...they are splitting. Lawson's book is a memoir of her childhood growing up in rural Texas with a less-than-traditional family including her taxidermist father (that's a father that is a taxidermist...not a father that has BEEN taxidermied...just to be clear). I was reading parts of it aloud to Nick (against his will...but he was folding laundry and kind of a captive audience) and I could barely get through some of it, I was laughing so hard. It's completely irreverent and managed to keep me from focusing on the stress of IVF for a few hours, so that certainly says something.
My transfer has been schedule for 7:30 am on Friday so send some good thoughts our way then. XOXO
This morning, we got more details about our nine, which is as follows:
-3 9-cell embryos
-5 8-cell embryos
-1 4-cell embryo (this is the only embryo not really in play anymore)
They want to see about four 8-cell embryos on this day so we are in good shape. Last cycle on this same day, we had:
-10 8-cell embryos
-6 6-cell embryos
-2 4-cell embryos
-2 2-cell embryos
So last cycle, we had 10 out of 20 embryos in play, whereas this cycle we have 8 out of 9...I think that points to overall improved embryo quality.
In other news...I saw another amazing rainbow today...like, probably the most amazing rainbow I've ever seen. Each of our previous three cycles, we've looked for 'signs' - the paw print from Carl, the fortune cookies, a transfer on my birthday. I promised myself that I WOULD NOT DO THAT THIS CYCLE. But, I guess I am forever an optimist and I can't help but see these things as good luck. :)
Finally, I have been reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson and oh, friends - my sides...they are splitting. Lawson's book is a memoir of her childhood growing up in rural Texas with a less-than-traditional family including her taxidermist father (that's a father that is a taxidermist...not a father that has BEEN taxidermied...just to be clear). I was reading parts of it aloud to Nick (against his will...but he was folding laundry and kind of a captive audience) and I could barely get through some of it, I was laughing so hard. It's completely irreverent and managed to keep me from focusing on the stress of IVF for a few hours, so that certainly says something.
My transfer has been schedule for 7:30 am on Friday so send some good thoughts our way then. XOXO
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Three...it's a magic number
Anybody remember Schoolhouse Rock? This one is apropos today.
I feel slightly less like dying today, so that's good. The upside to feeling like your stomach is going to explode at any moment is that it makes it difficult to stress out when the embryologist waits until 2:00 in the afternoon to call you with the report on freeze-able embryos, or as Nick calls them 'chilly willies'. However, Nick was not so lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) so I was getting near hourly texts from him.
Finally, we got the call that we have three blastocysts to freeze. All along, I'd been hoping for 4-6 total embryos so five is nice and in the middle. It's still a little disappointing given how many eggs we had fertilize, but we'll take it. It's 2.5 times better than our first cycle at least. And they're all good quality, so hopefully that bodes well for future frozen transfers.
Back to work for me tomorrow! I've finally experienced that feeling of 'whatever is going on at work...they can deal with it without me' which I suppose is either a factor of how much we want this cycle to work or how terrible I feel. :)
And now, in the immortal words of Schoolhouse Rock...
A man and a woman had a little baby...
Yes they did...they had threeeee in the family and that's a magic number.
I feel slightly less like dying today, so that's good. The upside to feeling like your stomach is going to explode at any moment is that it makes it difficult to stress out when the embryologist waits until 2:00 in the afternoon to call you with the report on freeze-able embryos, or as Nick calls them 'chilly willies'. However, Nick was not so lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) so I was getting near hourly texts from him.
Finally, we got the call that we have three blastocysts to freeze. All along, I'd been hoping for 4-6 total embryos so five is nice and in the middle. It's still a little disappointing given how many eggs we had fertilize, but we'll take it. It's 2.5 times better than our first cycle at least. And they're all good quality, so hopefully that bodes well for future frozen transfers.
Back to work for me tomorrow! I've finally experienced that feeling of 'whatever is going on at work...they can deal with it without me' which I suppose is either a factor of how much we want this cycle to work or how terrible I feel. :)
And now, in the immortal words of Schoolhouse Rock...
A man and a woman had a little baby...
Yes they did...they had threeeee in the family and that's a magic number.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Emilio Estevez would be proud.
After one more day of not worrying because of yesterday's excellent embryo report, (well, there was a small amount of worrying about the Cardinals ability to win the World Series but I did my part and wore my lucky Cards shirt, so you're welcome, Cardinals.) I woke up at 6am today a nervous ball of energy. The last two days the embryologist called between 7:30 am and 8:00 am. I knew not to expect a call that early on a Saturday, but that didn't stop me from obsessively checking my phone to make sure the ringer was on and the battery was charged.
While waiting, I decided to do the logical thing...make biscuits and gravy. My stomach is still pretty uncomfortable and the thought of drinking my normal breakfast shake made me ill. I was desperately craving biscuits and gravy, but figured the normal greasy version would probably not be a good idea. So, I decided to try my hand at making sausage gravy with turkey sausage and skim milk, along with reduced fat Bisquick biscuits. Surprisingly, it was delicious! :::pats self on back::: The scary thing is that now that I know how easy and delicious and relatively not bad for you it is...I may want to make it a lot more often. I don't think Nick will complain.
After that was done, I realized that Ernie, our new kitten, had somehow gotten into the flour and tracked adorable little extra toed footprints all over the kitchen. I would be mad at him...but seriously, the tracks were too cute. Lucky for him.
Finally, the phone rang and we had our embryo report. I'm pleased to say this cycle's 'mighty ducks' AKA the Tremendous Twenty continue to dominate. Without getting into a lot of science/biology stuff that I'm clearly not qualified to discuss...a quick refresher on embryo quality. The lab is watching the embryos each day to see if they are dividing...i.e. a 2 cell embryo turns into a 4 cell embryo into an 8 cell embryo, etc. They are also grading the quality of the embryo.
So, here's our report. On Day 3, they expect to see a range of 4-8 cell embryos.
We had:
We feel so tremendously lucky to have made it this far and continued to have good news. On the subject of luck, here's a couple of recent good signs we're hoping will help our streak.
As most of you know, we recently lost my beloved cat, Carl. It was completely traumatic, somewhat unexpected and I was inconsolable for days. Three days after he passed away, I was at a monitoring appointment and the nurse pointed out a group of follicles in my ovaries that looked like a cat paw. Weird? Yes. Did I take it as a good sign? Absolutely.
Nick and I have also taken to obsessively collecting fortunes from fortune cookies. Here are two recent ones that we hope bode well for starting our family. "This year, your fondest wish will come true." and "Three months from now, something great will happen." (Pregnancy announcement??)
In addition to these signs of good fortune, we continue to be grateful for all your well wishes and support. We truly could not have gotten through this process without our friends and family, so hugs to you all.
Today, we're off to the zoo to enjoy the gorgeous weather and another day of basking in our embryo quality.
While waiting, I decided to do the logical thing...make biscuits and gravy. My stomach is still pretty uncomfortable and the thought of drinking my normal breakfast shake made me ill. I was desperately craving biscuits and gravy, but figured the normal greasy version would probably not be a good idea. So, I decided to try my hand at making sausage gravy with turkey sausage and skim milk, along with reduced fat Bisquick biscuits. Surprisingly, it was delicious! :::pats self on back::: The scary thing is that now that I know how easy and delicious and relatively not bad for you it is...I may want to make it a lot more often. I don't think Nick will complain.
After that was done, I realized that Ernie, our new kitten, had somehow gotten into the flour and tracked adorable little extra toed footprints all over the kitchen. I would be mad at him...but seriously, the tracks were too cute. Lucky for him.
Finally, the phone rang and we had our embryo report. I'm pleased to say this cycle's 'mighty ducks' AKA the Tremendous Twenty continue to dominate. Without getting into a lot of science/biology stuff that I'm clearly not qualified to discuss...a quick refresher on embryo quality. The lab is watching the embryos each day to see if they are dividing...i.e. a 2 cell embryo turns into a 4 cell embryo into an 8 cell embryo, etc. They are also grading the quality of the embryo.
So, here's our report. On Day 3, they expect to see a range of 4-8 cell embryos.
We had:
- 10 8-cell embryos, 8 of which were considered the best quality
- 6 6-cell embryos
- 2 4-cell embryos
- 2 2- cell embryos
We feel so tremendously lucky to have made it this far and continued to have good news. On the subject of luck, here's a couple of recent good signs we're hoping will help our streak.
As most of you know, we recently lost my beloved cat, Carl. It was completely traumatic, somewhat unexpected and I was inconsolable for days. Three days after he passed away, I was at a monitoring appointment and the nurse pointed out a group of follicles in my ovaries that looked like a cat paw. Weird? Yes. Did I take it as a good sign? Absolutely.
Nick and I have also taken to obsessively collecting fortunes from fortune cookies. Here are two recent ones that we hope bode well for starting our family. "This year, your fondest wish will come true." and "Three months from now, something great will happen." (Pregnancy announcement??)
In addition to these signs of good fortune, we continue to be grateful for all your well wishes and support. We truly could not have gotten through this process without our friends and family, so hugs to you all.
Today, we're off to the zoo to enjoy the gorgeous weather and another day of basking in our embryo quality.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Another day, another eight embryos...
I was going to make you all wait for the big update today with a big long lead-in to the news, but I'm far too excited to be that mean. So...by some miracle, not only do we still have the 12 original embryos continuing to develop, but an additional 8 decided to start growing for a grand total of TWENTY.
TWENTY!!!!!!!!
TWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTYYYYYYY!!!!!
Now, in all fairness, those 8 probably won't be the best quality, but the fact that that many decided to start growing on top of the fact that the original 12 are still kicking it in the petri dish (I don't actually know if they are in a petri dish, but whatever)....that is good news.
And it means that Nick and I can relax for one more day. I was sick with anxiety this morning; I really thought I was going to have to pull my car off the road. Then, the phone rang and the area code was the same as the clinic, so I thought it was the update call. When I heard a man's voice, my heart sank because I thought it was our doctor calling to tell us that all of the embryos arrested.
But...no, it was just Nick, calling to see if I had heard anything yet. No, I haven't heard anything yet! And P.S. thanks for scaring me nearly to death.
So, when I got the actual call and the embryologist gave me the news, I burst into tears which I think scared the poor embryologist a bit. I explained to her that we only ended up with two embryos our first cycle and she assured me that so far, everything looks really good.
Then I called Nick to report the good news. As soon as he answered the phone, I yelled 'it's good news!' which probably startled him a smidge but I wanted to be clear this was not That Kind of Call.
Embryo transfer is scheduled for 8:30 am on Monday!
Continued thanks for your support, thoughts, and prayers. XOXO
TWENTY!!!!!!!!
TWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTYYYYYYY!!!!!
Now, in all fairness, those 8 probably won't be the best quality, but the fact that that many decided to start growing on top of the fact that the original 12 are still kicking it in the petri dish (I don't actually know if they are in a petri dish, but whatever)....that is good news.
And it means that Nick and I can relax for one more day. I was sick with anxiety this morning; I really thought I was going to have to pull my car off the road. Then, the phone rang and the area code was the same as the clinic, so I thought it was the update call. When I heard a man's voice, my heart sank because I thought it was our doctor calling to tell us that all of the embryos arrested.
But...no, it was just Nick, calling to see if I had heard anything yet. No, I haven't heard anything yet! And P.S. thanks for scaring me nearly to death.
So, when I got the actual call and the embryologist gave me the news, I burst into tears which I think scared the poor embryologist a bit. I explained to her that we only ended up with two embryos our first cycle and she assured me that so far, everything looks really good.
Then I called Nick to report the good news. As soon as he answered the phone, I yelled 'it's good news!' which probably startled him a smidge but I wanted to be clear this was not That Kind of Call.
Embryo transfer is scheduled for 8:30 am on Monday!
Continued thanks for your support, thoughts, and prayers. XOXO
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A Dozen Chances...
Hi, people...just a quick update. I spoke with the embryologist this morning and of the 34 eggs they attempted to fertilize, only 12 actually did so. During our last cycle, we had 16 eggs to fertilize, 8 fertilized and only 2 made it to transfer.
We're pretty nervous at this point (understatement of the year!)...we'd like to have at least 4-6 good quality embryos so that we can both transfer some this cycle and have some for subsequent frozen cycles. We were really hoping that since there were 34 eggs fertilized, we would have a lot more that actually did so.
On top of that, I am in a lot of pain still. So much so, that I called the clinic to make sure I wasn't experiencing OHSS. At this point, they think I'm just taking longer than normal to recover from the procedure and it hasn't turned into something more serious. As Nick can attest, all of this is making me fairly grumpy.
Bright spots...a co-worker brought me a pumpkin spice cupcake today, which so far is the only thing I've eaten...and another co-worker brought me the bell I referenced wanting yesterday. I can't wait to ring it at Nick. Don't worry...I won't overdo it. I'm a benevolent dictator.
I think this is the point at which it would be much easier if I wasn't at work. Although, in fairness, if I were at home, I would have far more time to worry, so maybe it's better this way.
Thanks for all the good thoughts and prayers...they are much appreciated! XOXO
We're pretty nervous at this point (understatement of the year!)...we'd like to have at least 4-6 good quality embryos so that we can both transfer some this cycle and have some for subsequent frozen cycles. We were really hoping that since there were 34 eggs fertilized, we would have a lot more that actually did so.
On top of that, I am in a lot of pain still. So much so, that I called the clinic to make sure I wasn't experiencing OHSS. At this point, they think I'm just taking longer than normal to recover from the procedure and it hasn't turned into something more serious. As Nick can attest, all of this is making me fairly grumpy.
Bright spots...a co-worker brought me a pumpkin spice cupcake today, which so far is the only thing I've eaten...and another co-worker brought me the bell I referenced wanting yesterday. I can't wait to ring it at Nick. Don't worry...I won't overdo it. I'm a benevolent dictator.
I think this is the point at which it would be much easier if I wasn't at work. Although, in fairness, if I were at home, I would have far more time to worry, so maybe it's better this way.
Thanks for all the good thoughts and prayers...they are much appreciated! XOXO
Sunday, July 17, 2011
And then there were two...
Embryos, that is...our 'lucky ducks' as we've taken to calling them.
This morning, as we were driving to the hospital I said to Nick that I wished that things hadn't gone so swimmingly up to this point...that whatever 'wrench' was going to be thrown our way would have already happened so we could feel confident that there wouldn't be any surprises on this all important day. I believe in literature that's what you call foreshadowing.
So, the good news is...we had two embryos implanted and the transfer went textbook perfect. One of the embryos was practically perfect (actually growing faster than expected) and the other was very, very good. The other news...and the news we feared this whole last 4.5 months...was that, at this point, none of the other embryos are high enough quality to freeze. They'll continue to watch them and there's still a chance that they could develop to the point where they could be frozen. Rather than try to poorly explain the embryo quality/classification/freezing process, I'm just going to point you here if you're interested. We won't know until Wednesday.
I have to say...this was a blow. We knew it was a possibility but it was going to make it so much easier to stay positive if we knew we had other embryos as 'back ups'. We've thought of nothing else for 4.5 months but this moment. However, the embryos that were transferred were fantastic so we're going to concentrate all of our energy on making sure they stick! I have another acupuncture appointment this afternoon and several scheduled over the next few weeks.
In the spirit of optimism, would you like to see a photo of our lucky ducks...AKA baby's first photo? Pretty incredible!
And now, because there have been next to zero pictures of actual people on this blog as of late...Nick and I at the transfer today. Doesn't Nick look handsome in his scrubs? Hands off ladies, he's mine!
As were walking into the house, a delivery man from Edible Arrangements showed up with a package for me. I know I've mentioned my 'support group' of six other women who are at various stages in the infertility/trying to get pregnant process....these lovely ladies sent me the most wonderful box of chocolate dipped fruit. This is the kind of healthy eating I can get behind! You'll notice I already devoured one.
In summary....4.5 months...2 embryos...hopefully one positive pregnancy test soon. Again, our deepest thanks for your love, support, prayers and good thoughts. If I could share my chocolate covered fruit with each of you...well, I probably wouldn't share. But I love you all just the same. XOXO
This morning, as we were driving to the hospital I said to Nick that I wished that things hadn't gone so swimmingly up to this point...that whatever 'wrench' was going to be thrown our way would have already happened so we could feel confident that there wouldn't be any surprises on this all important day. I believe in literature that's what you call foreshadowing.
So, the good news is...we had two embryos implanted and the transfer went textbook perfect. One of the embryos was practically perfect (actually growing faster than expected) and the other was very, very good. The other news...and the news we feared this whole last 4.5 months...was that, at this point, none of the other embryos are high enough quality to freeze. They'll continue to watch them and there's still a chance that they could develop to the point where they could be frozen. Rather than try to poorly explain the embryo quality/classification/freezing process, I'm just going to point you here if you're interested. We won't know until Wednesday.
I have to say...this was a blow. We knew it was a possibility but it was going to make it so much easier to stay positive if we knew we had other embryos as 'back ups'. We've thought of nothing else for 4.5 months but this moment. However, the embryos that were transferred were fantastic so we're going to concentrate all of our energy on making sure they stick! I have another acupuncture appointment this afternoon and several scheduled over the next few weeks.
In the spirit of optimism, would you like to see a photo of our lucky ducks...AKA baby's first photo? Pretty incredible!
As were walking into the house, a delivery man from Edible Arrangements showed up with a package for me. I know I've mentioned my 'support group' of six other women who are at various stages in the infertility/trying to get pregnant process....these lovely ladies sent me the most wonderful box of chocolate dipped fruit. This is the kind of healthy eating I can get behind! You'll notice I already devoured one.
In summary....4.5 months...2 embryos...hopefully one positive pregnancy test soon. Again, our deepest thanks for your love, support, prayers and good thoughts. If I could share my chocolate covered fruit with each of you...well, I probably wouldn't share. But I love you all just the same. XOXO
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Looking the part...
Tomorrow is the big day and we couldn't be more excited...Nick and I were in the car today and I looked over at him and said "Hey...we're getting pregnant tomorrow!" as if it had just dawned on me. There's so much going on emotionally and physically in this process that I almost sorta kinda forgot the whole reason we're doing it.
So, what have we been up to? Well, although I won't technically (fingers crossed) be getting pregnant until tomorrow, I LOOK like I'm about five months along. The post egg retrieval bloat hit and boy did it hit hard. Nicole - thank you for telling me to bring lots of yoga pants with me because that is the only thing that is comfortable to wear right now. Unfortunately, my normal mostly vegetarian diet of grains, legumes and veggies/fruits is not helping matters. Today, when I went to the acupuncturist, I told her I was afraid that if she stuck a needle in my stomach it would pop like a balloon. She assured me that was not the case.
Speaking of acupuncturists, I can't believe my luck in finding my way to a great one here -Maureen Fox. She's been so supportive and helpful, particularly as in addition to being a licensed acupuncturist, she is also an RN...so she's a nice balance of Western Medicine and Eastern Medicine. In fact, when our schedule got bumped up and we learned that our transfer would be on Sunday, she got one of her colleagues to agree to come into the clinic to see me both in the morning and the afternoon of the procedure, Lori Chapman (Maureen was out of town). St. Louisians - if you're interested in trying acupuncture, I'd definitely recommend both of these women.
I saw Lori today and, along with acupuncture, she used a moxa stick, which is the burning of herbs at specific acupuncture points. More information here if you're interested. She also put her hands on my stomach and felt the energy of my womb before and after the acupuncture. I know...it sounds crazy. I get it. But, the most important thing Dr. Silber has told us throughout this process is to manage our stress levels...if nothing else, acupuncture is definitely relaxing and I feel so much better afterwards.
At any rate, she said that I had a very welcoming womb and that my energy was good...and that she could feel a good anticipation around me. I asked if she ever felt an un-welcoming womb; she laughed and said that, yes, sometimes she could tell that something wasn't right. So, there you have it...my womb is ready. Seriously, there is part of my brain that I can practically feel screaming at me for buying into all of this stuff, but right now, I'm choosing not to listen. :)
Last night, Nick and I joined our friend and former roommate Jessica to see Harry Potter in 3D and Imax. There was a huge line but luckily Jessica and two of her friends scored spots at the front, so our seats were perfect. The movie was great and was one of the few times, I've felt that 3D was worth the cost. I'm kinda sad the movies are over...Nick is not. :)
Today, we ventured to the most popular BBQ restaurant in St. Louis...Pappy's. But a special guest post by Nick is coming on that soon, so I'll just leave you in suspense. Our embryo transfer is scheduled for 10:15 am tomorrow...cross your fingers and toes!
So, what have we been up to? Well, although I won't technically (fingers crossed) be getting pregnant until tomorrow, I LOOK like I'm about five months along. The post egg retrieval bloat hit and boy did it hit hard. Nicole - thank you for telling me to bring lots of yoga pants with me because that is the only thing that is comfortable to wear right now. Unfortunately, my normal mostly vegetarian diet of grains, legumes and veggies/fruits is not helping matters. Today, when I went to the acupuncturist, I told her I was afraid that if she stuck a needle in my stomach it would pop like a balloon. She assured me that was not the case.
Speaking of acupuncturists, I can't believe my luck in finding my way to a great one here -Maureen Fox. She's been so supportive and helpful, particularly as in addition to being a licensed acupuncturist, she is also an RN...so she's a nice balance of Western Medicine and Eastern Medicine. In fact, when our schedule got bumped up and we learned that our transfer would be on Sunday, she got one of her colleagues to agree to come into the clinic to see me both in the morning and the afternoon of the procedure, Lori Chapman (Maureen was out of town). St. Louisians - if you're interested in trying acupuncture, I'd definitely recommend both of these women.
I saw Lori today and, along with acupuncture, she used a moxa stick, which is the burning of herbs at specific acupuncture points. More information here if you're interested. She also put her hands on my stomach and felt the energy of my womb before and after the acupuncture. I know...it sounds crazy. I get it. But, the most important thing Dr. Silber has told us throughout this process is to manage our stress levels...if nothing else, acupuncture is definitely relaxing and I feel so much better afterwards.
At any rate, she said that I had a very welcoming womb and that my energy was good...and that she could feel a good anticipation around me. I asked if she ever felt an un-welcoming womb; she laughed and said that, yes, sometimes she could tell that something wasn't right. So, there you have it...my womb is ready. Seriously, there is part of my brain that I can practically feel screaming at me for buying into all of this stuff, but right now, I'm choosing not to listen. :)
Last night, Nick and I joined our friend and former roommate Jessica to see Harry Potter in 3D and Imax. There was a huge line but luckily Jessica and two of her friends scored spots at the front, so our seats were perfect. The movie was great and was one of the few times, I've felt that 3D was worth the cost. I'm kinda sad the movies are over...Nick is not. :)
Today, we ventured to the most popular BBQ restaurant in St. Louis...Pappy's. But a special guest post by Nick is coming on that soon, so I'll just leave you in suspense. Our embryo transfer is scheduled for 10:15 am tomorrow...cross your fingers and toes!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Lucky ducks
I can't believe I spent so much time updating you all on, you know, the ovary and egg situation yesterday that I completely forgot the most important thing...I saw my lucky ducks again! On Wednesday, I was driving into the hospital and they were crossing the road. So, OF COURSE, I stopped traffic so I could 1) not smash them with my car and 2) take a picture. The doctor behind me in a BMW really enjoyed it, I assure you.
The other Very Important Thing I forgot to mention was the present I got in the mail on Wednesday. Remember Nate the Needle? My dear friend, Vince (the artist himself) sent me a mug with Nate plastered on it. It's a real conversation piece. I'm sitting here drinking coffee in it right now. I feel compelled to apologize for the lack of even reasonable quality pictures right now but I'm really too lazy to take pictures with anything but my camera. Clearly, you aren't reading this blog for its amazing photo quality, so I suppose you are all okay with that.
And now back to our regularly scheduled IVF updates.
IVF Update #1: Nick gave me my first intramuscular shot of progesterone this morning at 5:45 am. I had one at the hospital yesterday but I was on a Percoset high, so that hardly counts. After about 20 minutes of debating where my 'haunches' (the location the nurse said the shot should go in) were, we did it. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Or at least...it was as easy as getting a large shot in the butt can be. We get to do this for at least three weeks and maybe more...woot!
IVF Update #2: I spoke with the clinic today and they were able to fertilize 16 of my eggs...of those 16, eight have definitely fertilized and they are watching five more that they think might still fertilize. Grow, little embies grow!
IVF Update #3: Our transfer is scheduled for 11:15 am on Sunday...so excited!
The other Very Important Thing I forgot to mention was the present I got in the mail on Wednesday. Remember Nate the Needle? My dear friend, Vince (the artist himself) sent me a mug with Nate plastered on it. It's a real conversation piece. I'm sitting here drinking coffee in it right now. I feel compelled to apologize for the lack of even reasonable quality pictures right now but I'm really too lazy to take pictures with anything but my camera. Clearly, you aren't reading this blog for its amazing photo quality, so I suppose you are all okay with that.
And now back to our regularly scheduled IVF updates.
IVF Update #1: Nick gave me my first intramuscular shot of progesterone this morning at 5:45 am. I had one at the hospital yesterday but I was on a Percoset high, so that hardly counts. After about 20 minutes of debating where my 'haunches' (the location the nurse said the shot should go in) were, we did it. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Or at least...it was as easy as getting a large shot in the butt can be. We get to do this for at least three weeks and maybe more...woot!
IVF Update #2: I spoke with the clinic today and they were able to fertilize 16 of my eggs...of those 16, eight have definitely fertilized and they are watching five more that they think might still fertilize. Grow, little embies grow!
IVF Update #3: Our transfer is scheduled for 11:15 am on Sunday...so excited!
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