4 embryos froze today

Hopefully that will be one of Bingo's siblings (Banjo) and Bingo is attaching and growing inside me.

If Bingo stuck - I'm 3 weeks today.

Isn't science amazing - it gives me a 2 week head start.

I will start taking urine tests on the 4th. The official blood work test will be the 11th.

Transferring Bingo?

The transfer went really well.  The whole thing took about 10 minutes - it took a lot longer to drive there and back.

Here are the photos.  The big deal one is last.

The date we know if everything works will be December 10th (blood test).  

1. Me waiting for my ride - the wonderful and pregnant MM.

2. Me waiting for instructions in the transfer room

3. My patient sign 

4. What I wore (yeah I went photo happy - it helped occupy the wait times).

5. The screen I stared at during the process

6. This is the embryo they transferred into me. Is this Bingo?  

The embryo stats.  This one was double A good (the highest ranking they have).

Two embryos are being frozen today and the other 9 are being watched.  The ones that make it to blastocysts will go to the deep freeze on Wednesday.

Embryo in me!

Longer update later.  About to inhale a ton of pineapple and drive home.

Embryo in me!

Longer update later.  About to inhale a ton of pineapple and drive home.

Amazing news on day 3

I still have all 12 embryos and they are growing nicely.

Two of them are growing slowly - only 8 cells.

8 are almost to blastocyst (that is the goal for a higher rate of implantation)

2 will be at blastocyst tomorrow.  So they will be mega strong on Monday.

My transfer will be Monday morning at 9:30 am.  And then I'm on bed rest for 24 hours :)

Follow up call from doctor

She wanted to make sure I got a call.  

Still 12 strong embryos, no fragments, symmetrical size, and all 2-4 cells.

Now I could looks a few because at this point they aren't as controlled by the fertility clinic.  But she thinks mine look nice and healthy and I should have a healthy, easy transfer and have a few siblings to freeze.

The soreness is still there and it hurts to walk so cancelled my evening plans.  But  feet up, heat pads and rest should make it all better.

The doctor asked how I was feeling and I said a little nervous because I know this is going to work.  And said she feels that way too.

Day 2 update

I still have 12 embryos dividing and multiplying.  

My transfer will be Monday (time will be determined tomorrow).

I will also find out tomorrow the quality of the embryos.

I'm still sore but I'm resting at home today.

Egg Update - Great News!

21 eggs taken out of me

15 matured

12 fertilized successfully 

This is fantastic.  I should find out soon about quality and what day the single embryo will be transferred.

Still sore

I slept peacefully through the night. I can't sleep on my side because it just hurts too much and that is how I normally sleep.

But I am a lot better than yesterday.

Going to get some food at sticky fingers and then bed rest.

Harvest went well

21 eggs!!! Yeah wow.

All won't survive until tomorrow but it's a good harvest.

I'm in a ton of pain, I'm sore and very tender.  It hurts to move. Just took the Vicodin. 

Me before egg retrieval

Egg Harvesting I will go!

So yesterday was a work stressful day so no updates.  But I do have good news.

My blood work shows that I responded to the trigger shot and everything should be clear sailing.

My procedure to take the eggs out will be at 9:15 am in Rockville.  I have another SMCer taking me.


I also spoke to the doctor yesterday.  She wanted to make sure I wasn't surprised by anything that will happen tomorrow.  This was good.  She said I responded better than average for someone my age to the meds.  I have a good amount of eggs (16) and she thinks that I will have a 5 day embryo transfer.  A 5 day transfer gives me better odds of it sticking.

Based on everything she can see before the eggs are out - she thinks I will have a lot of mature eggs to be fertilized and that they should take to the fertilization well.

I should be home by noon and plan on doing nothing but sleeping today.  I am off from work and plan on chilling out and watching funny things.  If you are local feel free to stop by.

The embryo transfer should be Monday.

I will be posting on here the update about the eggs and how things are developing.  While they should be able to get 16; 16 fertilized eggs will not make it to day 5; quality will change; etc.

Trigger shot done!

I did my trigger shot tonight at exactly 9:15 pm.  My egg harvesting will be Wednesday at 9:15 am.

I am very very grateful to a fellow SMC TTCer (trying to conceive) that will be taking me in the morning.  She has to pick me up at 7 and wait the whole time.  It's a big ask and I'm very grateful.

I should be out of commission all day Wednesday and then chilling out on Thursday at home.

The embryo transfer (assuming the eggs are fine and meet the sperm well and grow well) should be put in me on day 5 on Sunday.

And then we wait for 11 days for the big test.

The clinic says 18 days and they do the big test but the doc told me I can try on my own 11 days after.  But nothing is done until I've had three blood tests that show my HSG rising (that was the problem with the last pregnancy).

It's Wednesday

I'm doing the trigger tonight and eggs will be harvested on Wednesday.

Wow!

Quietly freaking out but so ready to pop.

My only hiccup is I have a meeting at 11. I'm going to see if a coworker can cover for me.  

Monday monitoring

I was originally going to complain about all the monitoring but ha ha ha - it might be over.

My eggs are all borderline to be harvested.  The determination will be my blood work which comes back in a few hours.  Wow!

I have a friend who can take me on Wednesday (phew) and I only have one meeting, which depending on when I'm scheduled will be done via phone.  Wow wow wow!!!

Below is what I wrote while I waited for the ultrasound.

Because I didn't get here at 7:15, I arrived at 7:45 I have to wait forever.

Blood was just drawn after 30 minutes.  I'm double bandaged because we tired my right arm first (left one is looking a bit abused) but no blood would come out.  So jabbed again on the left.

I'm having the high estrogen symptoms of headaches, loss of appetite and fatigue.  Lovely.  It ends in a few days.

Sunday monitoring

GDone in Rockville.  I liked the techs a lot better.

Still 16 eggs w no mushing.  They are getting bigger and I can feel it.

I might end up harvesting on Wednesday (yikes!!! I have a meeting at the White House that day) and I don't have a ride.

I forgot my new biohazard box for the used needles so I had to go back up.  When I walked to the area where I left it I saw a man pass out as he was watching his wife/girlfriend getting her blood drawn.  Oh my.

Evening update:

I'm progressing a wee bit too quickly so they are taking one of my doses down a bit.  My estrogen is now at 1,462.

And I have to go in for monitoring tomorrow.  Fun - another early morning.

But they don't think I will be harvested on Wednesday - it looks like it will be on Thursday.  

Exciting but ouch my ovaries hurt.

Sperm pick up, drop off and tank return

Hopefully the last time to make this trip ever.

They gave me this tank because I'm spending the morning transporting 2977 so it doesn't matter that the name is visible.

This tank is mega mega light - wow!

And first time I saw other people at pick up.

And hot damn the parking lot was so

Crowded at the clinic I had to park on building over and the waiting room is insanely crowded too.  Interesting.

Making eggs

So 2nd monitoring visit was today.  I have 16 eggs growing.

They were able to measure 9 eggs.  They are growing at the right size.  And apparently they aren't smooshing into each other which is very very good.

I am starting to feel a bit uncomfortable - more of an awareness of my ovaries.

Estrogen is at 554 so also increasing nicely.

I got a photo of my ovaries to share.  The ovary is the chocolate chip cookie looking thing on the far right and far left.  The big chocolate chips are the eggs.

Next monitoring day is Sunday!!!

4 day monitoring - first monitoring post injections

So went in for my routine blood work and  ultrasound.

9 follicles (eggs) on each side - total of 18 and the biggest is 9 mm (they want to get it to 18).

Fell completely down in the middle of the crosswalk - skinned my knee a bit - didn't need to ice anything it's so cold outside.

I do suspect major pain in the morning though.

----

Estrogen 268

Sperm pick up, drop off and tank return

Hopefully the last time to make this trip ever.

They gave me this tank because I'm spending the morning transporting 2977 so it doesn't matter that the name is visible.

This tank is mega mega light - wow!

And first time I saw other people at pick up.

And hot damn the parking lot was so

Crowded at the clinic I had to park on building over and the waiting room is insanely crowded too.  Interesting.

First injection down

It didn't hurt and I'm grateful for all my belly fat now.

3 injections that should have been 2.

I couldn't get all the menapur in one needle.  But I think I will be able to tomorrow.

Whoo hooo!!!!

This is happening.

First IVF exam done

35 eggs (follicles) ready and no cysts.

Blood back this afternoon

----
Update - blood is great and all the hormone levels are where they need to be.  So injections will begin Sunday evening in my stomach.

Needle class

Needle class - Thursday, October 31 - again didn't post when I wrote it.

I'm kind of excited.  10 days until my first injection.

Score for having pcos - I don't have to do an inter muscular shot!!!

None of my shots will be worse than an allergy shot.

Look what I got in the mail today!!

 This arrived on Tuesday, October 29 - but for some reason blogger didn't post right away.

This is happening!!!!

Thankfully this load cost me $185 because of my insurance.  The street cost is $4,000.

Yeah no typos.

And I am now going to be a patient advisor to Shady Grove so other people don't have the same shitty experience I have had so far.  

But look what else I got - JTW - please go ballistic - I don't even have a bun in my oven.