Update from Denver

So we did our first embryo transfer today; after 2 years of infertility treatments now we are finally actually trying to get pregnant!   This morning the day 3 embryo we made last December was taken out of the freezer and left out on the proverbial kitchen counter for a few hours.  It did not lose any of its ten cells in the thaw, so we were off to a great start. 

The day for me was very pleasant, especially compared to the other parts of the IVF cycle.  One of the many many things I like about my doctor, Dr. Schoolcraft, or "Schoolie" as I like to affectionately call him when he's not present, is that while he's a real hard core sciency guy,  he still incorporates some aspects of Eastern and alternative medicine into his practice.  So the order of the day for me today was Acupuncture + Valium.  East meets West, indeed.  It was heavenly, the best combination since somebody's chocolate got into somebody else's peanut butter.  When I was reduced to a puddle of relaxation, Schoolie came in with the embryologist and showed me our wee little day 3 embie: 


Our baby looks like a Rorschach test:  Look at this blob, and tell me what you see.   When Shane's mom saw this picture her response was "That is weird.  I will pray for it."  That about covers it.  Once Schoolie put this baby back where it belonged,  I became what is known in infertility parlance as PUPO- pregnant until proven otherwise.  I got another session of acupuncture and then came back to my hotel for 2 days of strict bedrest.  As soon as I got back, I ate a couple of chocolate-covered Digestive biscuits,  trying to encourage this kid to stick around.  Like Eliot luring ET with the Reese's Pieces.  Stick around- there's all sorts of chocolate things in this world. 

Now tonight, the bulgy blob and I are awaiting dinner which is being brought to my bedside by a Stranger from the Internet.  Because Schoolie's clinic is one of the world's best, people come from all over to get IVF here, and as we are "cycling" we connect on an internet message board to root each other on and share info.  Every time I've come to Denver, I've managed to meet up with some of the other women from the message board to hang out, which has been really nice bonding experience.  Yesterday I met up with 8 more of these Strangers from the Internet for lunch, and then again for dinner.  Today, one woman drove me to my appointment and another picked me up, and now they are taking turns bringing my meals.  How awesome is that? 

I am scheduled for another transfer of our Day 6 blastocyte from July on Thursday.  This is a highly unusual double transfer situation but Schoolie insists its the way to go.  We have a lot on the line, with two year's of time, a wheelbarrow full of money, hundreds of injections and blood draws, six trips to Denver and two to Chicago, and a lot of hope and heartache going into this procedure.  We will know in two weeks what the outcome is.  In the interim, I appreciate all the support, and prayers and crossed fingers on our behalf, coming from friends and family and Strangers from the Internet too.  Thanks folks.