it's all over but the cryin'
I stayed home from work yesterday. It didn't make sense to go in because I knew I wouldn't be able to focus anyway. C. and I left the house at noon and went to lunch. We got to the clinic at about 1:30 and saw the finance woman to give her some money. After that, it was just waiting until my bladder filled up and time to go for the transfer.
By 2:00 my bladder was comfortably full and they brought me back to the transfer room. The setup is actually kind of cool. There are doors from the transfer room directly to the lab so the embroys have very little distance to travel. By the time things started happening my bladder was getting uncomfortably full. It was 2:20 before we saw the embryologist. She turned on a monitor in the transfer room and told us that she'd show us the petri dish with our embryos in it and would show us that my name and birth date is on the dish. Then she'd turn off the light until the Dr. was ready. Once he was ready, she'd show us (on the monitor) the embryos being loaded into the catheter and then she'd be in for the transfer. She also gave us pictures of the embryos and the embryology report:
- 16 eggs retrieved
- 14 mature and ICSI'd
- 12 fertilized
- 4 arrested (RIP embryos :-p)
- 2 transferred (5AA (beginning to hatch) and 4AA (fully expanded)
- 6 pending day 6 evaluation for cryopreservation
Shortly after she left to prepare the embryos, the Dr. came in. He asked if we had any questions, took a look at the pictures of the embryos and told us they're "as good as they get" Wheeeeeee! He said my lining looks great and there's no reason this shouldn't work. Of course, the success rate is ~80% so there's no guarantees but he is very optimistic. We chatted for a few minutes while we waited for the IVF nurse coordinator and finally got started at about 2:30. Tanya came in and did the transabdominal ultrasound to visualize the uterus while the Dr. placed the catheter. If I remember, he said that he tries to get the embryos about 12 mm from the top of the uterus. The embryologist showed me the petri dish with my name and birth date and then we saw them being drawn up into the catheter. A few seconds later, she showed up in the doorway and they did the transfer. She went back to check the catheter under the microscope to verify that the embryos didn't stick to it and called the "all clear!"
They had me stay laying down for 20 minutes and by then I felt like my bladder was going to explode. Naturally (and just my luck), the rest room was occupied. While I waited, the Donor Coordinator came out to talk to us and give us the aftercare instructions:
- Meds: Continue 1cc PIO (Progesterone in Oil) daily and 2 Estrogen patches, changing them every other day until directed otherwise. If test is positive, continue these meds for several more weeks.
- Activity: Bedrest day of transfer and the following day. May resume normal, no strenuous activity after that. This means no vigorous exercise (walking is fine) or heavy lifting. May return to work.
- Pregnancy Test: Quantitative pregnancy blood test on Sunday, July 16. Clinic will call later that day with results.
I came home and hung out on the couch for the rest of the day. I'm back on the couch today and will do my usual Saturday chores tomorrow.
The clinic called a few minutes ago -- they were able to freeze 5. WE'VE GOT 5 TOTSICLES!!! This is getting really surreal.
Here's a blurb about blastocyst quality grading:
The number refers to the degree of expansion of the blastocyst (1 is the least expanded, 6 is the most expanded). The first letter (A,B, or C) refers to the quality of the inner cell mass (the part of the blastocyst that is going to be the baby) and the second letter (A, B, or C) refers to the quality of the trophectoderm (the part of the blastocyst that is going to be the placenta).
posted by Debbi @ 8:44 AM
6 Comments:
I really hope this works for you. Everything sounds so positive. Good luck!
I am rooting for you! I hope it works!!
These are great results! Two great embryos transferred and five frosties!! Good for you! I am hoping for good news for you!
Congratulations on the transfer and the embryos. Best of luck to you!
That sounds great. I am hoping to hear some good news from you very soon!
That all sounds wonderful! Good Luck!!
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