Another 10 day wait begins.

Sorry for the delayed absence - my grand plans of blogging in the evenings after Baby B went to bed were scuppered when I realised that Blogger is now blocked in China by the internet firewall. I had downloaded software to get round the wall (live without Facebook for a couple of weeks, no thank you!), but it didn't work.

And to be honest, for the week that I was in China without my Bloke, I was so tired by the evenings that I don't think any posts would have been very coherent!

But, the short story is that all went well. After a couple of weeks of taking estrogen at home, I went back to the clinic in China for a check-up. My endometrium was a little thin (6mm), so I was prescribed a higher dose of estrogen and some aspirin. 3 days later & 3 more mm! So the transfer was booked and my Bloke arrived to look after Baby B.

This time the transfer was less eventful (and less comical) than last time. There were 7 of us waiting for transfers & the egg collections and IUIs are always done first, so I knew it'd be a long wait. And, for some reason, the foreigner is always done last. The procedure itself was fine - I felt a little more poking than last time, but it wasn't uncomfortable (I'd thought that after squeezing one baby out of there, there'd be a bit more room for manoeuvre, but apparently not!). As I lay on the table, the nurse went to the window to collect the embies and I heard her say 'Waiguoren' which is a slang term for Foreigner - lucky I was the only one there that day!

Then they were in & the nurse had me sign that I'd received 2 Grade 7 embryos - kind of like signing for a registered delivery! Baby B (and his unsuccessful partner embryo) were both Grade 8 and I knew our other embies were lower grades, but I was quite happy with that.

An hour lying in the recovery room watching 'Toy Story' on my phone (Baby B's current favourite) and I was sent home.

Melting & thawing...

So we have begun! As usual, things have not been entirely straightforward over the last week, as our FET cycle has started but, considering we are doing an 'international' cycle involving a stay in another foreign country, things could certainly have gone worse.

The short version (not something I'm good at)... We went to China and braved the nearly 40 deg heat (hence the melting in the title). I went to the hospital while my Bloke attempted to entertain Baby B who didn't seem to stop sweating during our entire visit. We started our FET on cycle day 2, which basically involved bloods, scan, Pap smear & signing all the paperwork and getting the medication. I was expecting to need scans or bloods every couple of days and perhaps injections, but no. I was given tablets (estrogen-based) and told to come back in 2 weeks!

So, in a last minute rush as my Bloke was preparing to go to the airport for a flight back to South Korea, we packed, changed flights and went with him. There seemed little point in staying there for 2 weeks unnecessarily, with all the costs and hassle that involved. Especially when the heat and humidity made it almost impossible for Baby B and I to get out and about easily.

And now we're back in South Korea & I'm left feeling as if those few days back in China were a dream... Did we really go? Did I actually go back to the hospital where I spent so much time a couple of years ago? Am I really in the middle of a treatment cycle? Well yes, yes & yes, but it hasn't quite sunk in yet.

I'm not really expecting any medication side-effects from the estrogen. I've read that tiredness can be one, but I generally feel pretty tired by the end of the day anyway (and have taken to lunchtime naps whilst Baby B sleeps recently too!), so I'm not sure I'd notice a difference. But there's always the bloating, so I'll keep an eye out for that.

Otherwise, it's back to 'normality' for a couple of weeks - well, except for the continued bare-faced lying to most people about why we're suddenly back after expecting to be away 3 or more weeks. (My Bloke's work commitments is the cover excuse I'm using). And why we're going back again. (Not getting to see most of my friends in China because they were all travelling - that bit's actually true).

So, fingers crossed for the drugs to do their thing (prepare my endometrium) & for our little embies thaw to go well and see you soon China - don't go anywhere :)

Stimming report #2... uh, what?!!

Well, my new 'Zen' attitude has been truly tested today. I'm just back from my 2nd stimming checkup and the results are:

Estrogen: 686
L: 1.3 x 2, 1.0, 0.8
R: 1.35, 1.2 x 2, 1.1 x 2 (not sure if there are small ones still to grow)
Endo: 8mm

I had hoped for another couple of follies and a slightly thicker endo this time, but I'm taking solace in Miss Mac's story that these figures could lead to good news down the line. But these numbers aren't the reason for my current deep breaths and need to rant here asap. Beware... TMI coming up..

There was a different Doc on duty today, but I know her and have found her good in the past. Picture the scene.. or perhaps that's not such a good idea in the circumstances....  I'm in the stirrups waiting for the dildocam. Dr J wheels over in her chair, looks at my lady parts and does a visible double-take.. now in some circumstances I might be happy to get that reaction, but this sure as hell wasn't one of them. She goes ahead with the scan and I'm buoyed by her reeling off the sizes of my follies - sounded like there were more.. yey!  Then, as I'm pulling on my underwear she asks if I'm feeling any discomfort in my vagina. Uh, no?!  She calmly states that I might have an infection, but they can't check today because it's Sunday and I should ask my regular Doc on Tuesday. Then she wheels away.

Okaaaay... I get dressed and sit with the Doc. I won't repeat the conversation verbatim because I don't want anyone else to experience the frustration that I did. Basically I asked in about 3 different ways why she thinks I have an infection. She didn't attempt to answer my question and just kept saying to come back on Tuesday and ask my regular Doc to check for infection. This was not terribly helpful.  I then had to wait for my blood test results during which I made a frantic web search on my phone which did not yield much of use. When I got called back in I asked if my cycle would be cancelled if I had an infection.. Doc said 'Maybe, just maybe'. Great!

So what am I thinking/wondering right now?  Random thoughts:

• How the hell could she think I have an infection just from looking at the outside of my bits?! They feel fine and, following a hand mirror inspection on returning home, seem to look perfectly normal (though I can't actually remember the last time I had a good look at them, so can't be 100% sure).  My only thought here is that she spotted some CM.. it has been increasing over the last couple of days due to my increasing estrogen levels.. sometimes it is a bit cloudy-looking (well, I did warn you TMI!). Could she have mistaken it for a yeast infection?! Surely Chinese girls have CM too?!
• She can't be that worried if she wants me to wait until Tuesday to go back in. 
• I'm continuing on exactly the same meds so, again, she can't be that worried. 
• I'm not feeling anything different down there but have got a few twinges in my belly which I put down to my ovaries expanding and, from what I've read, that is perfectly normal.
• I'm also trying to reassure myself that it is unlikely any infection, if there is one, is serious or life-threatening. The most likely outcome would be to cancel this cycle and treat the infection. However, my friend here IRL was about to have an FET last week when she was told she had an infection which may or may not be cervical cancer. (Don't even get me started on the heartless way her Doctor gave her this news...). When I spoke to her on Friday she'd been running from hospital to hospital with a translator to get test after test. I don't yet know the outcome of these tests. In all likelihood we're both completely fine and have nothing some antibiotics won't fix, but what are the odds of this happening to us both in the space of a week?!

Sorry the melodrama took over a little bit there. My brain started running down those 'what-if' paths again. I'm reining my imagination back in and trying to work out how to stop obsessing over this for the next 48 hours until I get an answer one way or the other...