The Transfer

So when I finally have a lot to write about, I don't!  Granted, I have been flat on my back for about a week straight..... Sorry to anyone who has been keeping up via this blog. So here's what's been going on...

As you know our transfer was scheduled for last Wednesday, September 18th.  I flew out the evening of the 17th so I would be rested and relaxed for the transfer.  From the very beginning, it was an amazing trip.  It started out on the plane ride there where there were only about 20 of us on this whole jet, and about 10 of the other people were a group of men returning from a hog-hunting trip in Utopia.  Let's just say from their conversation and smell, alcohol and firearms were definitely combined on this fun-filled weekend.  They were actually a rather entertaining bunch, and I was assured repeatedly that should we be stranded in a plane crash (Lost?) I would be well protected because of their crazy supply of weapons and ammo stashed in baggage.  Man, was I relieved.

After an entertaining flight I was met at the airport by my IPs.  I guess I haven't given them a name on here yet, and calling them IPs sounds really cold at this point. I'll think of something fun to call them...Anyway, we arrived at their beautiful home and I got settled in my suite, downed a bowl of cereal, and called it a night!

The morning of the transfer we arrived at the RE office about 10:00.  We changed into our scrubs (I got a little mixed up, blaming it on the Valium) and the doctor came in to discuss the progress of the embryos with us.  It is simply amazing how they are able to create and monitor these embryos, and looking at the pictures really had me in awe of modern medicine. They basically retrieved the eggs, fertilized them with a single sperm (which they are able to pick up and put on a needle) and allowed the embyos to grow for 5 days to see which would have the best chances of "making it".  Some didn't make it, and we were left with four "contenders".  The doctor had picked out the best two and suggested we transfer both.  One was in the early blastocyst stage and one wasn't quite there.  It was an easy decision to go with two.  We were told the chances of pregnancy would be 50%, twins 29%, and triplets 2%.  I wish that first number was higher, but glad the third isn't!!!  The other two were left to grow to see if they would progress to the blast stage so they could be frozen in case we needed to do another transfer. (Neither survived, so no "snow babies" this time around.)

The transfer itself was super easy.  I was instructed to take a Valium one hour before the transfer to make sure I was super relaxed, so maybe that's why it seemed like a piece of cake.  They put a catheter in my uterus and then used that as a tunnel to guide the embryos through. They then shot them out really gently and there they stuck!!  We were able to see them shoot out on the ultrasound which was very cool and so surreal.  To think the embryos were the size of a pen dot on a piece of paper, and they could place them that exactly and gently.  So amazing!!

I rested for about 10 minutes and then we drove back to their house where I spent all of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday on bed rest......TO BE CONTINUED....