The Transfer...

OK...sorry for leaving you hanging folks (Sorry Katie!). So...here is what happened with the transfer...

On Saturday 12/17 we head in at 11:30 for a 12pm transfer. I had to start drinking fluids at 11, and take a Valium (the first because I was supposed to have a full bladder, the second, I assume, was because there is something I would freak out about. I chose not to think about that one.). We get there at 11:30 - get stuck back in our little cubicle, and get into the gown, etc. And we wait. Of course, when I'm supposed to have a full bladder (for the girl who has to go to the bathroom about every hour), the doctor is late. 12:30 comes around, and I'm doing a little dance on my gurney. Not a happy girl.

So, at about 12:45 the doc shows up. The good thing is that it is my doctor (you generally get whoever is on rotation) - so I'm more comfortable with that. She tells us that one egg did really well - is at blastocyst stage (which is the highest chance of success), and then the rest aren't really doing anything since last night. They were going to take the blastocyst and the best of the slow bunch, and use those. She does say that that blastocyst is a "baby maker"...that's good news. I say goodbye to the wife (have to go into a surgical suite for this, so she's not allowed), and head on back, trying not to moon the rest of the place. I hate those stupid gowns.

So...this is the cool part. I get into the surgical suite, get settled, and the Embryologist (I know...the embryos have their very own doctor...super cool) hands me photos of our embryos - simply amazing to look at. So, I'll share:

These pictures live on our fridge, and I stare at them all the time. If this works - I have a picture from 5 days after conception. The earliest baby pictures ever!!

So...I got to watch on a monitor while the doc chased the eggs around in the petri dish, trying to get them into the catheter that she was using for the transfer. Then, on the other monitor, I got to watch the ultrasound image of the catheter going into my uterus, and the eggs shooting out. I must say - science is amazing stuff.

Then we go home, and I have to be on bed rest for 48 hours. Which, with my a goodie bag from my friend Jenny with a book, puzzles and a National Enquirer (you wouldn't believe all the crazy stuff Tiger has been doing), and some movies, I settle in for my imprisonment. I will admit, it drove me nuts to just sit in bed that whole time. After 24 hours I was allowed to go downstairs and sit in my chair. Exciting stuff. But, I behaved for the sake of the kid, and that was totally worth it.

I found out on Monday that the other eggs never grew beyond what they were on Friday night - so they never made it to the freezer. I guess it doesn't shock me...with all the fertility issues I've been having, it would have been surprising if all 9 eggs grew normally. All that means is that we have to start from scratch next time...we won't have any in the freezer that we can use. Hopefully we don't have to think about that until we talk about a second child. Fingers crossed on that one.

And...we wait. The embryo has to attach, and once it does it starts producing whatever hormone it is that pregnancy tests test for. I go in on the 29th for my first pregnancy test - one of 3. Because of all the hormones I have going, they have to do three to be sure that the hormone level is actually going up. But I suspect we'll know something by the first week in January. You would think, with all of the crazy scientific stuff they've done so far, that they'd have a faster way to figure out if this worked. I guess they haven't gotten that far yet.

So, wish us luck. I'm hoping for good New Year's news...

Because I find this stuff super fascinating, I found this video of an egg going from a single cell to blastocyst (first 5 days)...it totally makes you believe that some sort of brilliance went into designing the human race:

From Fertilization to Blastocyst

IVF Update...

Hi all...been a while!

Well, we are mostly through our IVF process. Here's what has happened since the last update:

1. Blood work and ultrasound on 12/10...at this point they tell me that I'm ready to go for the retrieval. I have to do two shots of Ovidrel...which is a medication that starts the ovulation process. It basically thins out the walls of the follicles so that the eggs can get through. I had to take it exactly 36 hours before the retrieval...which was scheduled for 11:30am on Saturday 12/12. So...I had to stay up until 11:30pm...which, let me tell you, I'm WAY too old for. The wife knocked out at 11. Hard to sit there in bed watching the clock while she snores away.


2. 12/12 - the big day. No food or drink after midnight...which is really miserable. Especially on the way to the doctor while the wife is knocking back coffee. I would have protested, but one of us without coffee is bad enough.


3. We go in at 10:30 so we can go through all the prep stuff. They knock me out with Propofol (which the anesthetist referred to as the Michael Jackson drug...I don't know if the pharmaceutical company is too happy with that association). They get 11 eggs. Pretty impressive, overall. I go home, half drugged with the wife and Hydrocodone.


4. The next 24 hours are kind of miserable...mostly because Hydrocodone has acetaminophen in it, and I'm allergic. It makes me itch like I have a poison ivy or something. I don't sleep all that well.


5. The nurse calls the next morning (12/13) to let us know that 9 of the eggs successfully fertilized. VERY COOL!!! We were only expecting about 50%.


6. The nurse is an angel, and finds a pain med that I won't have an allergic reaction to...which is apparently very complicated because most every narcotic has acetaminophen in it. But she searches until she finds one. I rush to the Teeter to pick it up. Finally, an hour later, I feel like I'm not dying anymore.


7. I start shots of Progesterone on 12/14. These the wife has to give me, because they go in, well, two large muscles behind me. I'm not acrobatic, so it is finally her turn to participate. The first day of this, I prep the rather large needle and make her watch the training video twice. I lay there...waiting...for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I say "are you going to do this? You're killing me!". Response: "shut it...this is a lot of pressure!!". Finally, we get it done. The wife was kind of shaken up, but I'm fine. I'm used to needles now. (PS - it has gotten a bit better now...but she still gets all nervous. Truth be told, it's kind of cute.)


8. They call on Tuesday...all 9 are still growing and doing well. We are on track to do the transfer on Thursday 12/17.

Well, for now I'm out of time. Next in the series, the transfer. That part is pretty cool...and involves less pain, but still some suffering. I'll get that one out soon...I promise!!

News from hormone hell...

Well folks...I'm exhausted. I'm smack in the middle of this IVF thing, and I'll be honest...it is one of the hardest experiences of my life. The drugs are wearing me out (4 injections a day...I know, right?? Crazy...), I'm grumpy, tired and trying to move on as normally as possible...which is only sporadically successful. I won't lie - it is highly painful (literally and figuratively).

So...our status:

1. Started the hormone protocol on Sunday, 11/29. That started out with 2 shots and 1 pill per day. Not too bad.


2. Went in for bloodwork and an ultrasound on Thursday, 12/3...added another injection. We were up to 3 shots a day at that point. Still only the one pill. Well...the one pill on top of the 4 pills of seizure meds, 4 pills of folic acid, and the one prenatal vitamin per day. That's math that I just don't want to do.


3. Went in for more bloodwork and ultrasound on Saturday, 12/5...they added another injection, so we are up to 4 per day. And did I say that these ultrasounds are the really invasive kind? Yeah...that's a load of fun.


4. Another round of bloodwork and ultrasound on Tuesday 12/8. Same meds - no change. Darn it. However they did give me the good news that I would be in the office every day now. Fan-freakin-tastic. They are guessing at this point that I'll have my retrieval on Friday.


5. More bloodwork, and of course the fun ultrasound this morning, Wednesday 12/9. Probably no change in meds, but now the guess is that the retrieval will take place on Saturday. My eggs are growing - but not as fast as they would like. grrrr...

So...more bloodwork and another ultrasound in the morning. Great...just great.

I will say, that regardless of how hard this is...it is still totally worth it if it all works. Of course, if it fails I'm going to be raging pissed off. Just warning you all. :-)

Retrieval of the eggs will happen some point soon. Then 5 days later they'll put them back. I'm on bed rest for two days after the implantation - but the wife is staying home with me and waiting on me. If I am not going stir crazy from being in the bed, I may just enjoy that.

Then...we wait. Somewhere in the waiting period will be when I am using the two other vials of meds, and that large bag of needles. I'm totally not looking forward to that.

Thanks for hanging in with us folks! More pain and suffering...coming soon!!