Phase 3, Embryo Transfer

The Big Day!!!!!!!

Welcome Cathey Embryos!!!!!!!!!

Today was the big day! This is a lovely picture of me in my hospital gown and Brad in his scrubs (and of course we are both sporty very attractive hair nets). It is a self portrait in the changing room, in case you were wondering. We were both super excited! Unfortunately we couldn't take the camera into the room where they did the transfer (which, BTW, was the same room I was in for the retrieval) but Brad got to play DJ on the iPod speaker system. So I got serenaded with some Ben Folds and other soft rock during the transfer (I'm sure Brad was disappointed that they weren't Tool fans).

Is it too early to share pics?

I know I'm a little biased bc I am the proud mama, but aren't they adorable little blobs? :) I only hope they stick around for nine months. If not, it's back to the human pin cushion gig (which I could live without). And yes, this is a pic of our actual embryos...don't you see the resemblance? So, Dr. A showed us the above pic and then told us he would be transferring those two particular embryos into my uterus. He also told us that the lab would continue to monitor the remaining embryos until they reach the 5-day blastocyst stage. At that stage, if they are of adequate quality, those remainders will be frozen for future frozen embryo transfer(s).

After the pleasantries above, it was legs in the stirrups, table raised and tilted, and external u/s on the belly (woo-hoo for external vs vaginal). Dr. A showed us the catheter loaded with our embies, pointed out the catheter on the u/s screen as it was inside my uterus, and finally the air bubbles surrounding the embies that were visible after they were transferred. Quick and painless. Easiest thing about the whole process.

Another memento......

After completing the transfer, Dr. A gave us this little memento. This is the petri dish that our embryos were incubated in. I almost cried when they gave it to us...I know, what a sap?!

Ok. Prayers have been said. Transfer completed. Meds will continue. Dr. A advised us, "Just don't think about it for the next couple of weeks.". I won't, if you won't. LOL! So it's the waiting game now. I am surprisingly calm and relaxed....today......

Who travels for love finds a thousand miles not longer than one.
-- Japanese proverb.

Phase 2, fertilization:???

(The picture to the left is an actual
egg being fertilized via ICSI)

So, I got a call this morning from one of the IVF nurses. Yesterday the nurse had said that about half the eggs would fertilize; today we were informed that 7 out 8 eggs fertilized! I am elated. ICSI was definitely the route for us! We are now scheduled for the embryo transfer on Sunday morning. We have to be there at 8:15 so we should be undergoing the transfer around 8:45. We won't know until Sunday morning how many embryos survived the weekend and of what quality they are; that will determine the number of embryos they put back into my uterus. While I think it is up for discussion, it is likely that the doc will put 2 back in considering my age and their desire to keep multiples at a minimum. Brad and I are all about twins, buy one get one free! LOL!

Having the world's best idea
will do you no good unless you act on it.
People who want milk shouldn't sit on a stool
in the middle of a field in hopes
that a cow will back up to them.

-- Curtis Grant.

Phase 1, collect oocytes: romance is in the air!

Ahh, let the romance begin. :) This is the stuff Shakespeare, Lord Byron, and Emily Dickinson wrote about. Today was egg retrieval day. Brad and I parted ways in the pre-op area of our fertility clinic with a kiss and a groggy smile on my end. The retrieval suite was adorned with a lovely blue sky and fluffy cloud ceiling and the vocal stylings of James Taylor (which I just remembered). Everyone at our fertility clinic was amazingly nice and comforting. I even have to give mad props to Dr. A who was more animated and endearing than I have ever seen him (see previous posts re: my affection for Dr. S, my normal doc). He informed me that they were able to retrieve all 8 of my eggs and that, as Dr. A described them, they were "top notch". Brad contributed his "part" without sedation or abnormal incident! We must now leave things in the very capable hands of the ART lab with their microscopes and micro-manipulation devices (enter phase 2 with the aid of ICSI...more on that tomorrow after we hear back from the office). I am breathing a little sigh of relief for phase 1.

How am I feeling you may ask? (How thoughtful of you!) I am doing just fine. I slept for several hours off and on today thanks to the residual effects of the conscious sedation (odd feeling by the way, I am missing entire blocks of time....like when they removed my legs from the stirrups in the retrieval suite, getting from the gurney to the post-op area, etc.). Brad took good care of me today including timely presentation of additional Tylenol and yummy Chinese food. Here is my fortune: "Your secret desire to completely change your life will manifest". I thought it was pretty profound. Brad, the other hand, pointed out my faulty logic by stating that my desire to have baby was hardly a secret. You know, TTC blog and whatnot. Darn him and his cynical logic. Blissful ignorance and optimism are much more fun.

Preparing for phase 2, we will find out tomorrow how many eggs fertilized and of what quality they are. We will also be given a date for the embryo transfer (assuming we have embryos worthy of transfer). It will likely be on Sunday, unless they are looking sickly and then possibly Saturday. I am supposed to return to work tomorrow but am wishing I had a cush desk job. I am still pretty sore with constant cramping (can I get another round of Tylenol?) so I anticipate being limited in my capacity to treat patients. Fortunately, I have great co-workers who are privy to my plight who will likely cut me some slack.

Just want to end tonight's post with a big thank you to everyone who has been sending us thoughts and prayers. I need to trespass on your kindness a little longer and request that you keep sending them our way!

'Hope' is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all.
-- Emily Dickinson