It's a GO!!!

So, as I was processing the WONDERFUL news we got today it reminded me of our journey through the NICU. There are no certainties and it is a constant uphill battle. One minute you are up and the next you are down and no one can tell you what tomorrow holds. That is exactly what IVF is like. There are a million variables that fit into the IVF equation. Yesterday, we were told we were missing a huge variable, but with God’s grace we were given different news today.

What I really want to say is: Curse the ultrasound tech that started the bad news train yesterday! Now, I’ll be the bigger person and just be thankful for the news we got today and for the girl that actually CARED about doing her job and did it well.

This is what happened. I went in yesterday morning for my u/s and blood work. The u/s tech was in a rush (she always is) and I could tell by the way she did my u/s that she wasn’t doing a thorough job. When the nurse read my scan results to me I was in shock. The u/s tech showed only 6 really good sized follies on the right and 6 ok sized follies on the left. There was a huge discrepancy in the results from Wednesday’s u/s (that was done by the sweet nurse at the satellite office) and the one on Friday. I was missing a lot of follicles on Friday that had been there on the previous scans. Now, I understand that there is going to be some human error, but seriously missing a big number of follies is a HUGE mistake that should not happen. Furthermore, I think I slept for 4 hours total last night b/c I was so sick to my stomach that something had gone terribly wrong. Stress is my enemy, remember!

So, I was up at 6:15 this morning showered, dressed and out of the door with the family in tow by 7:50. We got to the hospital in time and I was met by a different u/s tech. I felt so at peace with everything right before the scan began I had the feeling that this was all going to turn out just right. Still, I would have loved to have known the results right away…not a possibility. There is a large neon green sign posted on the side of the u/s machine that reads, “The u/s staff has been instructed by the doctors NOT to discuss your results with you.” Heart warming, isn’t it???

So, I decided to beat the system and count every time she measured a follicle. You see, when a measurement is taken the u/s tech puts the cross-hair on one end and then at the other and when the measurement is taken the machine beeps. Being the college graduate that I am (Go Red Raiders!!!)…I decided to count the beeps!!! GENIUS!

When I was done, I met B in the lobby and I shared my brilliant “beat the system” news with him. I counted 11 beeps on the right and 7 beeps on the left…which makes 18 follicles. I knew that was only one part of the puzzle though. My estrogen level was next and it would have had to go up in order for our cycle to be a go.

The phlebotomist was awesome this morning. She used a totally new spot that isn’t already bruised and she was in and out with no pain at all! Now it was just time to wait.

Thankfully, I have been seeing a massage therapist every Saturday to help me relax and I had my appointment with her at 11am. I discovered that I also had a hair appointment following that, so it turned into a great day for me to just relax. I told B on our way to the hospital this morning that if we got bad news he would need to get his mom over to our house to babysit because I would be going out to drink…a lot! When I found out I had my hair appointment I thought, “Fantastic, if I end up going out tonight my hair will look great!”

After I told my hairdresser the situation he told me this was my pregnancy hair…since I won’t be able to go in and have it colored for a few months! It was cute.

So, while I was sitting in the chair to have my hair colored the phone rang…it was my nurse! I was shaking and then her voice said, “Okay, are you ready for some instructions???” I just started crying…hysterically…in the salon!!! My first words were, “So, it’s a go…we can do it.” She told me it was great news and to take a second to take a big deep breath. She went on with our instructions and then read me my follicle size, lining measurement and estrogen level. They are all FANTASTIC! I have 17 great sized follies, my estrogen is at almost 3200 and my lining is at a 10. I am going into surgery at 6:45 on Monday morning for our retrieval!!!!!!! YEA…AND PRAISE GOD! I honestly feel like I am on top of the world today. I told B on our way home that I feel like I did at the beginning of this process…relaxed and ready to be successful!

Our embryos will be biopsied on Thursday and one cell from each embryo will be flown to Michigan and taken by courier to Genesis Genetics where the “blue” team is ready to analyze the cells and id which ones have CF and which ones are only carriers. We will get that info and prepare for transfer on Saturday, October 10th! A few days of bed rest (and lots of prayers) and hopefully a little sticky bun will implant itself in my uterus.

So, after our great news today we took Ellie to get a new pair of shoes and then we treated ourselves to dinner and then to a movie! Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is my ALLTIME favorite picture book and it was awesome to see in IMAX 3D.

I took my trigger shot at 7:30 on the dot this evening and tomorrow I actually get a break from all needles!

Thank you for all of your prayers. We will need them for the next few weeks and I truly want you all to know that they mean the world to us right now. We know we are still traveling uphill, but we’re still traveling and that is a miracle!

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalms 118:24

Blessings,
Angie