Well, it went great overall.
BJ and I arrived in Chattanooga at about 10:45. We tried to shop at Hamilton Place Mall, but we never noticed how perfumey (I made up a word...I know) stores were. It's not just Abercrombie...so we finally went to Spencer's because it did not smell like anything. I ended up playing with that "Magic Sand" for 15 minutes...It's pretty calming...98% sand 2% polymer minimal residue...If you are a worrier like me...then it's good stuff...Plus it comes in pink...(Christmas is coming, afterall so *hint,hint*, BJ).
So since our Hamilton Place Mall trip lasted only 45 minutes...and 2 stores, we decided to go furniture shopping because 3 years later I've never found a dining room set I was willing to put in my house. So that got us through lunch and we ended up in the parking lot of the fertility center 8 minutes early. We waited for about 10 minutes past when my labs were supposed to be drawn, and because I am Mary Katherine Roberts, I told BJ...they are going to parade out of there and tell us they are sorry but none of our embryos survived the thaw.
Lets review...The Fertility Center almost exclusively does frozen embryo transfers now. The success rates with frozen embryos have been higher than fresh. They thaw embryos all.the.time. So I was just making myself crazy for no reason. Instead, out comes Susan, our embryologist sent from Heaven, with a huge smile on her face saying that our embryo has already been thawed and had started to continue to develop. So because I have enough hormones in my system to keep an elephant pregnant, it was really hard to hold it together. They drew my progesterone and then it was time for my massage. The Fertility Center's masseuse, Rachel, is the most amazing woman. By the time I got to her, and of course, I was being escorted by Susan because she was explaining what she looked for and how so far Baby Roberts met all of that criteria, I started crying. Not sad tears, but I just won Miss America tears, because none of this ever goes well for us.
Anyway, Rachel remembered me from 3 years ago, and she wanted to do a hot rock massage to try to get the soreness out of my hips from my 2x a day progesterone shots. I have never done a hot rock massage, they're nice. Rachel asked if she could pray with me, she did. And much to my heart she prayed for strength for BJ and I no matter what the future had in store for us. I thought it was a very Episcopalian of her, so I appreciated it.
It wasn't long before they were ready for us in the pre-op area. Jan the IVF coordinator gave me my discharge instructions. Lay low for 72 hours and Susan came back and consulted with us once again.
She gave us a picture of Baby Roberts:
Baby is at 1:00...Just for perspective, here is a blastocyst compared to the eye of a needle...
BJ and I arrived in Chattanooga at about 10:45. We tried to shop at Hamilton Place Mall, but we never noticed how perfumey (I made up a word...I know) stores were. It's not just Abercrombie...so we finally went to Spencer's because it did not smell like anything. I ended up playing with that "Magic Sand" for 15 minutes...It's pretty calming...98% sand 2% polymer minimal residue...If you are a worrier like me...then it's good stuff...Plus it comes in pink...(Christmas is coming, afterall so *hint,hint*, BJ).
So since our Hamilton Place Mall trip lasted only 45 minutes...and 2 stores, we decided to go furniture shopping because 3 years later I've never found a dining room set I was willing to put in my house. So that got us through lunch and we ended up in the parking lot of the fertility center 8 minutes early. We waited for about 10 minutes past when my labs were supposed to be drawn, and because I am Mary Katherine Roberts, I told BJ...they are going to parade out of there and tell us they are sorry but none of our embryos survived the thaw.
Lets review...The Fertility Center almost exclusively does frozen embryo transfers now. The success rates with frozen embryos have been higher than fresh. They thaw embryos all.the.time. So I was just making myself crazy for no reason. Instead, out comes Susan, our embryologist sent from Heaven, with a huge smile on her face saying that our embryo has already been thawed and had started to continue to develop. So because I have enough hormones in my system to keep an elephant pregnant, it was really hard to hold it together. They drew my progesterone and then it was time for my massage. The Fertility Center's masseuse, Rachel, is the most amazing woman. By the time I got to her, and of course, I was being escorted by Susan because she was explaining what she looked for and how so far Baby Roberts met all of that criteria, I started crying. Not sad tears, but I just won Miss America tears, because none of this ever goes well for us.
Anyway, Rachel remembered me from 3 years ago, and she wanted to do a hot rock massage to try to get the soreness out of my hips from my 2x a day progesterone shots. I have never done a hot rock massage, they're nice. Rachel asked if she could pray with me, she did. And much to my heart she prayed for strength for BJ and I no matter what the future had in store for us. I thought it was a very Episcopalian of her, so I appreciated it.
It wasn't long before they were ready for us in the pre-op area. Jan the IVF coordinator gave me my discharge instructions. Lay low for 72 hours and Susan came back and consulted with us once again.
She gave us a picture of Baby Roberts:
Baby is at 1:00...Just for perspective, here is a blastocyst compared to the eye of a needle...
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| (www.eikonika.net) |
So she told us she hatched the zona pellucida with a laser after she took this photo to give Baby Roberts every possible chance.
We went back for the transfer, and with minimal struggle Dr. Donesky got the catheter where he wanted it, and the transfer was completed. He told us he was very pleased with the quality of the embryo. I rested for 20 minutes...during which Susan came back and gave us a worry stone with the word 'Hope' on it. She told me she really liked this one because of the burgundy in it, and it has been in her office for a long time, but she wanted to give it to me. She laid it on my tummy.
I'm sure they go out of their way to make all of us frequent fliers feel special, but they do a good job of really making it seem genuine, even if it's not really special treatment. Plus talking to her, really made the time fly by so I could pee!!! (They do an abdominal US for this procedure so you have to fill your bladder...and hold it for however long it takes plus 20 minutes.)
So since then I've been a couch potato as instructed. I've had some twinges, occasional sharper sensations, but I'm very aware that I have a uterus. I have no clue what this means. I know with my chemical pregnancy I had some sharp cramps, but I don't even remember what day they were on. I remember I had already given up at that point and was an emotional basket-case. This time, I'm feeling optimistic. I know my mother had piercing implantation cramps when she had my brother...That was back in the day when they killed rabbits to see if you were pregnant...but it was so early they could not be for sure whether she was indeed pregnant. I'm choosing to believe this is just implantation stuff until proven otherwise.
Peace, Love and Hopefully Implanting!
MK
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