Transfer Day! Link and Zelda survived the thaw and were transferred into their new home around 11:10 this morning. Here's a picture!
Hee, hee :) So probably not the picture you were expecting yet. Don't worry, you'll get to see that too, but this picture makes me smile a lot. They pull off the tough but cute requirement well, don't you think? And Link has lots of experience with recovering from Ice Caverns, so his resume is definitely tight.
Overall, it was a very easygoing day. My new drug cocktail from the allergist works pretty well. The only problem is that I take it two times per day, and it really seems to last only about 6 hours for total relief. But I think as I build up in my system it does still help overall. Last night, I did wake up around 2 or so to get some ice packs, but after that, I didn't wake up again until after 6. I'll take that every night if that works!
We had to define a very specific timeline this morning, because I have one antibiotic I had to take that couldn't be taken within an hour of dairy, iron supplements, or antacids. Well, crap. I really want a latte, I need to take my multivitamin, and Zantac is part of my allergy protocol now. So I had to time everything out to the hour, including when I could lay down after taking the same progesterone suppository that caused some laughter during our retrieval almost a year ago. But all was well, because I wore my lucky socks! Orange is T's favorite color, so these socks mean business:
( I took this picture while sitting on the couch with my pants hiked up, so I think I look like I have weird munchkin legs. Although maybe that is really just what they do look like?)
So T made me eggs and toast, then we jetted off to a quick acupuncture appointment. The pre-transfer appointment is the one that is most important if acupuncture is meant to have an impact. We had a little over an hour after that before go time, so went to a Starbucks to finally get a latte. I also needed to take a Valium and fill my bladder prior to the transfer as it makes the ultrasound guidance easier. We were sitting right by the counter, so I grabbed a water bottle from their case, and turned to get in line to buy it after I was almost done with my coffee. The line was crazy long, so I sat down and planned to finish off my coffee so the line could die down. Got up again, and the lady in the front that had seen me stand up and sit down told me she just paid for my water! How sweet is that! I felt like that was a great sign of the good things to come. I just love good acts like that in the world, and I'll definitely pay it forward soon.
And this point, I'm about to pass out from the Valium and REALLY have to pee, so off we went to the clinic.
This was the easy part. T and I put on our scrubs (I love it that he joins me on this one) and grinned at our reflection in the mirror with our sexy hair nets. We were set up in the transfer room, told that both survived the thaw and were of great quality. The blastocyst shrinks down in the freeze (as the water in the cells are removed) and then expands back after it is thawed. One of our embryos was almost fully expanded again, and the other was a bit behind. But they hadn't been out of the freezer that long, and they should expand fully after transfer (ideally) and implant (EXTRA ideally). After the transfer, the doc and nurse left us in the room about 30 minutes to rest. T and I both said a prayer for the transfer to be successful, and were pretty emotional at this point (there may have been tears from both of us). I'm so happy we have each other no matter what.
Here are the REAL pictures you'd want to see.
They aren't quite both in the picture, but it gives you the idea. The top one is the one close to full expansion, and the bottom still needs a little work. But they were both actively expanding, so we still feel good about them.
The nurse gave us this picture of the ultrasound as well. The dark area to the right is my very full bladder. The lighter area is my uterus, and the red circled area is our embryos! How cool is that?! We are going to have the best start to a baby book ever.
I'm on "bed rest" the rest of today and tomorrow, although I'm probably not being as particular as I was last time. Bed rest is kind of doctor specific and plenty of people don't do it. So my plan is to pretty much stay on the couch, but don't worry if I'm inclined a certain way, or laying on my side or whatever. Any excuse for T to baby me though is welcome :)
And there you have it! A lot of tears (pretty sure my mom was crying when I called her post-transfer), a lot of love, and a random act of kindness. Sounds like a pretty nice day to me. So, mom, you better work on your sweater knitting, because I'm harboring high hopes for these frosties.
Love you all! Have a great weekend!
awww...so sweet girl. loved the random act of kindness you received before your transfer, very touching. Wishing you a great 2ww!
ReplyDelete