Tuesday 3 May 2011

10 day wait...

Good news everyone! I was totally freaking out yesterday morning as we waited to find out if any of our 12 eggs had fertilised, particularly with the panic over my Bloke's 'sample freshness'. I woke up super early and just lay there with a billion thoughts going round my head.. We got to the clinic at 9am and didn't have to wait too long before getting the news from the nurse initially..

6 embryos!!

The doctor confirmed it and that they would transfer 2 that day and freeze the other 4. I was really pleased with this number (kind of feels like an understatement!) :)  I'd been trying to be cautious and hoping that we would get at least 1 to transfer, so this was unexpected. We were sent to get meds and then told to go home and come back at 1ish because the board was rammed with loads of procedures to be done that day and, luckily we live close enough to go to and fro. I couldn't keep the grin off my face for the rest of the morning :)

Back to the clinic at 1pm. Now the water-drinking/bladder-emptying saga began. I knew I had to drink some water for the ultrasound, but I didn't really know when the transfer would be, so when to go to the toilet? Consequently I spent the hour or more that we waited dying to go to the bathroom and trying not to think about it... which is impossible because it becomes all you can think about. The nurse came over and told me to drink water and I couldn't explain that I already had, so I had to drink more...



I finally get called in.. no Bloke to keep me company, no hand-holding or chanting in China... I get into the stirrups and am just praying I won't empty my bladder on the Doctor. The ultrasound lady says something to the Doctor and she comes over to ask me if I need the toilet.. she was concerned that I wouldn't be able to hold it whilst resting after the transfer. We agreed that I needed to empty it a bit, thank goodness! Now I know that this is normal. I've read about it on other blogs. But I'm assuming that in other countries you get to go to the bathroom?! Not in China. I had to squat right there, over the medical waste bucket that sits between the stirrups to collect the used surgical gloves, tissue bed covers etc. With 2 nurses and the Doctor looking on. Talk about pressure! I was trying to stop myself laughing which at least reduced the stress that had been starting to build (along with my bladder pressure). I

It just occurred to me that maybe I should have warned you guys about the content of this post? My apologies if anyone finds this topic TMI :)

In the end I had to squat twice with an ultrasound inbetween to check the volume! Strangely enough, the comedy value of this totally helped to calm me down and the rest of the transfer went fine and was very quick. I didn't get to see the embryos and we don't get a photo, but we found out that the 2 transferred are Grade 8 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best quality). I was reassured by the Dr and the porter, as he wheeled me to the recovery room, that this was very good!

A 90 minute rest accompanied by podcasts of my favourite funny radio shows (prompted by this research) and I'm sent home. I popped to Dr F for my acupuncture and then spent the evening watching comedy shows with my Bloke.

Now the 10 day wait until my beta test begins... :)

12 comments:

  1. 6!!! Woo hoo! That's wonderful! Hilarious account of peeing in the bucket, too! :-) I totally get it because I lived in Korea for over a year - things are just so damn different in Asia! Well, I'm so glad for you and I am sending those little embies lots of good, sticky vibes! Snuggle in, little grade 8s!! (8 is a good luck number in Asia, btw!)
    Love,
    Maddy

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  2. Thanks.. totally forgot about 8 being lucky! Good point :)

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  3. awesome number!!!! and i am totally loving your accounts of this interesting clinic experience! at least maybe the laughter over the the peeing in the bucket incident helped relax you! (and wasn't there an article about clowns and ivf going around a month ago--something laughter being a good thing during the process?)

    dig in deep you stellar embies!

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  4. @EBC.. thanks.. the link to that article about laughter is in my post! Hence the podcasts and Sitcom-watching :)

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  5. Such wonderful news!! Years down the road I hope you will be able to shock and horrify your kid(s) with your tale of peeing in that bucket.

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  6. oh my gosh!! You had to pee in front of everyone! I would be giggling too. I am sorry that there was no one there with you holding your hand and no pictures. But it is all worth it. I am so excited to be going through the 2ww with you. How are you feeling? did you at least get valium during the transfer. I agree with EBC, i am so thankful to be hearing your story. It is so unique and interesting:)

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  7. Thanks ladies... @Annie, hadn't occurred to me to save up these stories for my kids!! Great idea!

    @Marilyn...no valium either, but didn't really feel that I needed it - was so excited to be at this stage (plus the peeing incident) that I felt fine.
    Today feeling great - just taking it easy at home though I know getting out of the house IS allowed! It's hard to know what to do to give these little ones the best chance of sticking...

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  8. Great news! I did comment earlier but my iPhone went all screwy and apparently it didn't register.

    I have to say I wasn't surprised about the peeing, even though it definitely wouldn't happen in Korea. I guess perhaps because I have see Chinese public toilets - emphasis on public!

    Keep watching comedies - it's a great frame of mind to be in and a great way to distract you from your 10 day wait!

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  9. Ha, I had read your post before I went to the clinic for my transfer and I kept thinking of your story - had to wait a long time for the RE, so I decided to go to the toilet. In the end, I could have gone in on an empty bladder. He did the transfer without u/s (he's that sure of himself, ha). It also reminded me of when I was doing the IUIs and our first IVF, when they did the monitoring with abdominal u/s and you had to come in with a full bladder (the whole waiting room full of ladies wanting to pee and the doc coming in almost an hour late).
    Sorry, way too much about me - I hope you're grade 8 embryos stick around and good luck with the wait, I'll be waiting with you!

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  10. What? No chanting? I would say you got short-changed but you did get to pee in a basket and that is just AWESOME! I can't believe we had transfers at essentially the same time. Here's to getting our BFP's together as well.

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  11. Fantastic... 6 embryos is great :)) Great to have a laugh for your transfer :) Thinking of you every step of the way during your 2WW. Sending you lots of sticky vibes xoxo

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  12. I'm glad it went well despite the emptying in front of them all. What a story =) and great numbers. Can't wait to hear the result!

    Left you an award at mine.

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