Halloween Embies!

Weight: 156.7 lbs
Mood: Bummed in AM, much happier after nurse's call
Medications: 150 Menopur, 125ish Follistim, 250 Ganirelix Acetate

Today was my final ultrasound/bloodwork. I did my normal run through Spinning class. Brenda was substituting for Wendy, so I didn't have to explain why I was taking it easy to a second person. Lifted a few weights but didn't do a full 15 minute cardio because I thought we'd be on the edge of egg retrieval. I was wrong.

I got to the RE's office by 8:10, looks like I was again fourth in line. Started with my ultrasound, he was counting and measuring away. He also took a measurement of the thickness of my lining. Same resident/intern was recieve lessons on how to manipulate my uterus so you could get a nice side view. Good thing I wasn't tender today. So either way, my left ovary is still the leader with 11 folicles (7 big, 4 small) and my right has made an attempt to catch up with 6 follicles (4 big, 2 small). Only one was over 20mm so RE said retrieval 40% chance for Wednesday, 60% chance for Thursday depending on bloodwork.

At this point is when I asked him if there was a big red button for Dh to push where he could say "release the hounds". He laughed and said "He has to do the HCG shot". I guess it counts cause its a plunger. Maybe I should get magic marker and color the end of the syringe red. RE was pleased with the appearance of things.

Then they shuffled me off to the nurse's office for consult regarding HCG shot and retrival procedures. The nurse (#3) filled out two seperate protocols entirely for the two date options. They said 9:30 appointment for either day, but they want us there at 9:10 with dh's sample. I guess dh has to do a urine test and blood draw the day of the retrieval. I assume they'll get the same from me, but they where not explicit about it. They also told me about my antibiotics and how I can't eat/drink milk products with them. Darnit! I want my cereal for breakfast!

The blood draw today was not fun. My previously reliable left arm gave up, the nurse (#3) hunted around for another vein in my right arm and wasn't having any luck. She was looking in my hand, but didn't want to go there because my hands where too cold. She got called away by nurse (#2) who substituted in, hunted around another few minutes before going back to left arm and trying a vein about 1/2 cm to the outside of the first try. That was not pleasant; I won't miss blood draws!

Two things I like about my RE's office, good magazines & bowls of chewy candy and chocolate. One thing I don't like (and neither do they), no space. The place is tiny. Two docs, three nurses, two embryologist and 4 receptionist/secretaries in an office the size of a 2 bedroom aparment. Nurse #2 joked that you should see them all and lunch time crammed around their little coffee table.

I was pretty depressed coming home. I started doing the math and with a retrevial on Wed or Thurs our weekend was going to get really complicated. They prefer 3 day transfers, being a "right to life" orientated office, RE is nervous the longer embies are out of the body or not frozen. So we where looking at an embroyo transfer on Saturday or Sunday, right when we where supposed to be spending the weekend at the in-laws. Dh was already living down the flack from bailing on grandpa's visit when his class got rescheduled. So was it going to be Wed/Sat and screw up dh's parent-teacher conferences & kidlet's soccar game, or was it going to be Thur/Sun and cause issues with in-law brunch?

So I sat at work, bloated and bummed out about the excuses we where going to have to make. Luckily, nurse called and said Thur/Tues(Wed). Woot! 5 day transfer. Makes me happy because it's a reduction in multiple rate and they must feel confident about my chances to take it to 5 days. Many outfits don't do 5 day transfers because 1) it takes more effort in the lab, 2) they don't want to be in the position to say none of the embies made it to 5 days and there is nothing to transfer. Doesn't matter where the embryo is, petri dish, or in uetro if there is something wrong with it, it won't make it to day five. Shaking the rotten apples out of the tree before you start picking might mean fewer apples, but they'll be better.