First Half of TWW

1dp5dt:Cramping. Tired.
2dp5dt: Cramping. Exhausted. Fell asleep at my desk at work. Fell asleep at home around 5pm for about 30 minutes. Only woke up because my phone rang. Fell asleep for the night at 10:00pm.
3dp5dt: Cramping. A little less tired.
4dp5dt: Cramping. Tired.
5dp5dt: Cramping. Tired. Small headache.

Progesterone: 29.5 (nurse said it should be above 5)
Estrodiol: 225 (nurse said it should be above 125)

Now I have to wait another week for beta. This is going to be a slow. slow. week.

So sad.

Bad news today. None of our other 7 embryos made it to freeze. So the one we transferred is our only hope. I went from extremely happy and hopeful 10 minutes ago to sad, crying, and hopeless. If those other 7 didn't make it why would the one we transferred make it?

Transfer Day!!

Yesterday was finally transfer day! All my fears of us going to the clinic and them telling us all 8 embryos stopped growing between Day 3 and day 5 were unfounded of course. We still had 8. We ended up transfering one BB Early Blastocyst.

Our transfer was scheduled for 2:30pm and we were told to arrive a little before 2. We ended up getting there around 1:45. The nurse brought us right back to the procedure area and had me take my first valium, change into a robe, and then she drew blood to check my progesterone and E2 levels (I'll get a call today with the results and if they need to make any adjustments to my dosages). Another couple was coming out of the procedure room so we had to wait while they cleaned and reset for us which only took maybe 10 minutes.

They had my assume the position (you know exactly what I mean IVF ladies) and checked my bladder to make sure it was full. The tech said it was good and I could actually go pee for a few seconds if I wanted too if I wasn't feeling good because of it. I told her I was fine, because having to pee and stop when you still have a full bladder sucks. The doctor came in and showed us pictures of all of our embryos and went over their grading. We chose the best one and the doctor started doing her thing. The embryologist brought our embryo over, the doctor injected it, which we could see on the ultrasound machine. The embryologist checked the catheter to make sure it was all clear, then the doc removed everything from my vag. She then emptied my bladder with a catheter which I wasn't expecting at all!!! I was laughing the whole time. And it took a while.that thing was full to the brim. We go to watch my bladder shrink on the monitor which I also found cool. The tech handed us a picture print out of the embryo sitting in my uterus as well to keep.

After that I moved to the stretcher and they wheeled me back to the recovery area. I rested there for about 15 minutes and then off we went for home! We were at the clinic for maybe 45 minutes total. Easy peasy.

And now we wait until September 2nd for our beta. I'm going to take a half day because if they call with bad news there is no way I can go back to work. But for the next 11 days I'm going to think positive and only positive. This will work. There is no reason for it not to.

Me for the next few days:

Day 3 Post Retrieval

We still have 8 embryos growing. The nurse said on day three they should be between 6 and 8 cells. We have 4 8-cells, 2 7-cells, 1 6-cell, and 1 5-cell. The nurse said that 5-cell may catch up before we have to freeze on day 6.

We won't get an update on day 4 which sucks! I just want to know how they're doing! I'm already the world's craziest helicopter parent.

I'm feeling a LOT better today than I did yesterday. I felt not too bad on Tuesday after the retrieval. Wednesday I felt better, even went for a walk. Yesterday, though, by about midday it was uncomfortable just walking at work like to the bathroom or the printer. I think part of it was being constipated because I felt a lot better once I went #2. I drank a cup of coffee to try and get things grooving in there. I still didn't feel great though, a lot of bloating and discomfort when moving so I laid down at home the rest of the night. I was afraid of OHSS but I keep tabs on my weight and it has gone down since the procedure. Today a lot of my bloating went down, my weight is back to my pre-stims weight and I feel MUCH more like myself.

Only a few days until Transfer! Stay strong little embryos!

Day 2 Post Retrieval

Our little embryos are doing good. The nurse finally called around 10:30 (I was waiting on pins and needles, and of course imagining every terrible scenario as to why it was taking them so long to call. Thanks Dr. Google).

We still have all 8 embryos. The nurse said on day two they should be between 2 and 4 cells. We have one overachieving 5-cell, three 4-cell, and four 2-cells.

I keep wishing we had live video feed of them in the lab so I could watch them all day, kind of like doggie day cares that live stream all day to their clients/owners. I'd have my embies up on my monitor all day having a party any time their cute little cells divided.

As for me, I'm constipated (haven't gone since Monday, ugh), bloated, and crampy. I'm hoping this goes away soooooon!

Egg Retrieval and After

I'm one day post egg retrieval! We were able to do the trigger on Monday evening and went in for our retrieval on Wednesday. I took two 250unit ovidrels for the trigger, and luckily didn't have any side effects. ( side note: I think I was pretty lucky as far as side effects went during this whole process! The BCP was definitely the worst. Besides starting to feel slightly bloated I didn't have much else going on.). By the time I woke up on Wednesday I was in a bit of discomfort and pain just from having a bunch of large eggs ready to ovulate. We got to the clinic around 10:45am. They brought us back to the recovery area around 10:55. The nurse came and went over some forms and got my IV set up, the anesthetist introduced himself and went over some more forms, the ultrasound tech I had been seeing the last week and a half came over to say hi. The doctor finally cam over around 11:30 to introduce himself (our regular RE was on vacation so another dr. from another clinic was doing our retrieval). Finally they took me to the bathroom and then right into the procedure room. The anesthetist hooked me up to a monitor and said he was injecting something into my IV. He asked if I felt anything and I said nope. Next thing I knew I was waking up into the recovery area mumbling something about Michael Jackson. We were on our way home by 1:30pm.

I was feeling pretty crappy right after the procedure but probably 10 minutes after we started for home I felt so much better. I did take the tylenol with codeine my doc prescribed beforehand (and that was some good stuff). I drank a ton of water and had a lot of extra protein.

Today, the day after the procedure, I definitely feel sore and crampy. No bleeding which is good, but bloated for sure.I worked from home to not lose a PTO day and to take it easy. I have no idea if I have any work clothes that will fit right now! Do you think it's ok to wear yoga pants and a tshirt in a business casual office?

We got 10 eggs during the procedure. Today the nurse called to update us and said all 10 were mature and they were able to fertilize 8 with ICSI. I didn't think to ask why they did ICSI (we didn't chose this ahead of time, but on our consents chose the option of yes please do what you need to to make sure these eggs turn into embies and they grow). I'm assuming it was because we only had 10 and they didn't want to take the chance of them NOT fertilizing. Now we wait until tomorrow to hear again! It's nerve wracking that everything is out of my hands (and body!), that what happens happens. this $15000 may have been for nothing. But I'm going to believe those 8 embies are strong and all will grow to day 5 blastocysts and the one we transfer comes back out in 9 months.

Cycle Updates

We stimmed for 12 days and were able to do the trigger on Sunday night at 11:30pm so we go in Tuesday at 11:30am for the retrieval. I didn't write down the exact numbers (the tech said she give me a copy of my records sheet but she forgot and I forgot) but on Sunday morning I had 8-10 mature follicles and a few smaller ones hanging around. Hopefully the trigger gives them a boost and I can get some more mature eggs retrieved. I'm excited to be at the retrieval finally, but I'm also terrified I'm going to ovulate early and terrified they'll get in there. And I'm afraid with not having smaller numbers right now that limits my chance for success as they fertilize and grown. I can only think positive thoughts and let what happens happens. At this point it is out of my hands.

And for another edition of Overheard at the Fertility Clinic: "It looks like garlic gloves in there. I have to concentrate to make sure I don't count one twice!"