So Thursday, October 25 we drove downtown to River North to 'pick up' our kids. Our appt. was at 9am, however they wanted us there at 8am....and I had to drink 20 oz. of water. We left around 6:30, but then got gas and John then realized that my tires were flat, so we had to fill those suckers up. By the time we got to the highway, it was jam packed....so I started freaking out cuz we weren't going to be there by 8am. John tried to calm me (several times actually) to say there is nothing we can do about it and we'll still make it there by 9.
We got there at 8:50 (geez....over 2 hours of traffic....ugh, ugh, ugh!). There was nobody in the waiting room and we were called in right away. The staff didn't seem bothered at all that we weren't there any earlier (my worrying was for absolutely nothing...still I apologized and blamed the traffic). I had drank probably about 40 oz. of water and had to pee badly. I was plopped in my same room (Room #1) again with my name on it (and on the other ever-so-important door to where our lovely embryo-children were). They were moving right on schedule so an ultrasound tech came to check my bladder...I had over-acheived and was told to pee 2 cups out....not a problem and gladly! :) Ah....I felt much better!
So the doctor came in and went over what was going to happen....which is not the order of how I wanted to discuss things...I interrupted him and asked how the kids were doing...how many survived....how many will freeze...what quality they were....and how many he wanted to put back in. Still he stopped to dwell on a few things here and there...but eventually got to what I wanted to hear (so I have little clue all the babble he said beforehand). He said that so far about 12 embryos degenerated.....several more still have some growing to do. He said that we had 2 Grade 1AA embryos...which apparently is the HIGHEST quality an embryo can have. Then there were already 3 more that were at a good enough quality to freeze and most likely survive a thaw. He estimated that a few more would make it.
So then he continued on how it was going to happen. He suggested only putting one of the BEST embryos in. He said that 1 would give us a 50% chance; 2 would give us a 60% chance so he thought just one would be good; I disagreed as did John. We previously discussed that we would rather have twins than nothing and I would regret the decision for the rest of my life if we only put one in and I didn't get pregnant. He said not a problem and we all made the decision to put 2 in. He left the room to get things prepped and notify everybody that 2 big embryos will be going back in.
The doctor came back in...along with a nurse and the ultrasound tech. I was prepped (just like any other insemination), but the ultrasound tech kept a picture of my belly on the screen so the doctor could make sure everything was going in the right place. Since we could see the screen too, it was SO cool to watch! John snapped a picture....and then the ultrasound tech snapped a few screen shots as well.....embryos are microscopic....but they travel in a glowing fluid so it shows up on the ultrasound screen....so we saw 2 glowing spots and knew they were in there safe and sound. (The nurses also hold the tube under a special light to make sure that 'everybody' got out of there safe and sound.)
I laid there for 15 minutes to let everything settle....and then we went home and I laid still there for 2 days not doing much at all....doctor's orders.
Now the dreaded two week wait for the 'big test' with only a progesterone check in between (that wouldn't tell us anything anyway).....okay, positive thoughts!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Egg Retrieval
So it was Saturday, Oct. 20th (Sweetest Day) and I was feeling ever so huge and bloated! We had to drive downtown Chicago to River North, so luckily it was a Saturday with zero traffic. :)
We got there with 'the men' at 7am...and boy oh boy were there lots of other couple all there for the same thing....it was kind of weird. We were called in around 7:30ish and they had Room #1 waiting for me with my name on it and everything! I changed into a fancy hospital gown (okay not that fancy) and we waited. There was another door opposite the one we entered into the room...that door went to the 'egg retrieval' room....a sanitary members only kind of place. My name was on that side of the door as well (just so there's no mixup...good!). Several nurses/doctors came in to see me and explain what was going to happen. In the meantime we could hear the embryologists in the back counting eggs from other patients...they shout it out so the doctor doing the procedure can know they successfully grabbed an egg from a follicle...it was pretty cool to hear. This one lady had 41 eggs...we were amazed! Then around 8:45 I was wheeled away.
John stayed in our room so he could hear the countdown. I was quickly drugged up. When I got back into my room no more than 15-20 minutes later, I was slowly waking up and asked John what he heard...he said he heard 37....awesome!!!!! Then the nurse came in and told me to start drinking water (I had to pee before I left....it was a test). I also had some crackers as I wasn't allowed to eat anything all morning. The doctor came in shortly after and told us that we in fact had 44 EGGS!!!!!!!!! Holy crap! They must have gotten tired of screaming the counts when John was listening cuz he didn't hear all that! :)
I felt fine...needed no pain meds. I tried to pee, but was unsuccessful. So I downed 3 cups of water...and passed the test! I got dressed and we left....leaving our potential 44 children behind was tough, but we knew they were in good hands and had to stay there in order to join together with John's men and grow.
On the way home I talked on the phone a very little bit...but that was enough...John had to pull over so I could 'toss my cookies'.....eeewwwww.
When we got home I was starving and ate a small meal that was probably not the best thing for me to eat at the time.
Soon after I was home the pain and bloating started kicking in...so I started downing the tylenol. I looked 4 months pregnant already with my stomach being so huge. They said because I had SO many eggs, that my ovaries will be swollen for a while. Luckily I had the weekend to rest.
Sunday we got 'the call'. The call that tells how many of our 44 possibilities fertilized and survived. We had 32 eggs that were mature and of those 25 fertilized! A GREAT number!! They said we would most likely do a 5-day transfer, but they would call us Monday and let us know.
Sunday afternoon my Mom and Dad came over. My Mom made us many meals to last throughout the week...Chicken Noodle Soup, Roast, Company Chicken Casserole, Turkey Tenderloin....and Chocolate Chip cookies and a cake! Delicious!!!!! My Dad and John tackled the Hot Tub (it had stopped working mid summer....it was so hot and John couldn't use it anyway (gotta save those men) so we didn't bother fixing it). They did fix it and John hopped in the next day...he hasn't been allowed in for more than 30 seconds since we moved in a year ago!
Monday I worked from home...I was still way too bloated (not fitting any normal clothes) and I really didn't feel well. I got a call around Noon to say that we would definitely have a 5-day transfer. They also mentioned that all 25 appeared to be growing on their own, which was good.
Although I tried to ask the next few days how the embryos were doing...I was told that there was no update....I suppose they don't want to bother them daily to see how they're doing and let me know. Oh well....
We got there with 'the men' at 7am...and boy oh boy were there lots of other couple all there for the same thing....it was kind of weird. We were called in around 7:30ish and they had Room #1 waiting for me with my name on it and everything! I changed into a fancy hospital gown (okay not that fancy) and we waited. There was another door opposite the one we entered into the room...that door went to the 'egg retrieval' room....a sanitary members only kind of place. My name was on that side of the door as well (just so there's no mixup...good!). Several nurses/doctors came in to see me and explain what was going to happen. In the meantime we could hear the embryologists in the back counting eggs from other patients...they shout it out so the doctor doing the procedure can know they successfully grabbed an egg from a follicle...it was pretty cool to hear. This one lady had 41 eggs...we were amazed! Then around 8:45 I was wheeled away.
John stayed in our room so he could hear the countdown. I was quickly drugged up. When I got back into my room no more than 15-20 minutes later, I was slowly waking up and asked John what he heard...he said he heard 37....awesome!!!!! Then the nurse came in and told me to start drinking water (I had to pee before I left....it was a test). I also had some crackers as I wasn't allowed to eat anything all morning. The doctor came in shortly after and told us that we in fact had 44 EGGS!!!!!!!!! Holy crap! They must have gotten tired of screaming the counts when John was listening cuz he didn't hear all that! :)
I felt fine...needed no pain meds. I tried to pee, but was unsuccessful. So I downed 3 cups of water...and passed the test! I got dressed and we left....leaving our potential 44 children behind was tough, but we knew they were in good hands and had to stay there in order to join together with John's men and grow.
On the way home I talked on the phone a very little bit...but that was enough...John had to pull over so I could 'toss my cookies'.....eeewwwww.
When we got home I was starving and ate a small meal that was probably not the best thing for me to eat at the time.
Soon after I was home the pain and bloating started kicking in...so I started downing the tylenol. I looked 4 months pregnant already with my stomach being so huge. They said because I had SO many eggs, that my ovaries will be swollen for a while. Luckily I had the weekend to rest.
Sunday we got 'the call'. The call that tells how many of our 44 possibilities fertilized and survived. We had 32 eggs that were mature and of those 25 fertilized! A GREAT number!! They said we would most likely do a 5-day transfer, but they would call us Monday and let us know.
Sunday afternoon my Mom and Dad came over. My Mom made us many meals to last throughout the week...Chicken Noodle Soup, Roast, Company Chicken Casserole, Turkey Tenderloin....and Chocolate Chip cookies and a cake! Delicious!!!!! My Dad and John tackled the Hot Tub (it had stopped working mid summer....it was so hot and John couldn't use it anyway (gotta save those men) so we didn't bother fixing it). They did fix it and John hopped in the next day...he hasn't been allowed in for more than 30 seconds since we moved in a year ago!
Monday I worked from home...I was still way too bloated (not fitting any normal clothes) and I really didn't feel well. I got a call around Noon to say that we would definitely have a 5-day transfer. They also mentioned that all 25 appeared to be growing on their own, which was good.
Although I tried to ask the next few days how the embryos were doing...I was told that there was no update....I suppose they don't want to bother them daily to see how they're doing and let me know. Oh well....
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