Major (Late) updates.

I've had a few things happen over the last week and a half.

First, the u/s I had on Friday the 4th reviled that my lining was actually 7.00mm.  (from one quick measurement by the RE I do not like. . .but you can look into previous posts for that).  

I was confused because he told me that was the cut-off.  7.00mm.  Not 8.00mm as I was told by the last RE I saw at the office.   

Lucky necklaces. 

So . . . who's right and what do I believe?

I was set up for my FET transfer date on 10.10.2013.    I of course wanted to feel like everything was fine, but at the last appointment it looked like my lining was higher?  I wasn't feeling very secure in my situation.

I called the nurse line on Wednesday 10.9 after a few days of mulling it over.  I talked at length to the nurse who seemed to not only have a large language barrier but to be more on the defensive (albeit in a nice way) for the RE's.   We finally decided it was best to discuss this further with the "Manager".  Apparently, RE's office has a manager?  I'm guessing it was the head nurse.

A couple hours later the RE I like called.  He was the one going to be doing the transfer on the 10th.  We had a good discussion.  I explained all of my concerns and confusions.  Especially about the differences in measurements and cut-off "policy" and how that is extremely confusing and seemly unorganized for patients when each doctor gives a different answer.  Especially when it appears my measurements went down and not up.  He explained that his measurements (he did three or four) were a range and that I was actually closer to 6.35mm on Wednesday the 2nd.  The other RE did one measurement and got 7.00mm.  The policy is 7.00mm or larger although my preferred RE's old office always did 7.5mm as a cut-off and he liked to be closer to that.  Whatever.  If he thought it was good enough I was going to trust him.  

I did make sure I explained how these are my last two embryos and that I'm not going through a fresh cycle again.  My last two remaining embryos are very different in quality and that this is really the last chance that looks good on paper.  He asked if I felt most comfortable waiting another month.  But I decided to proceed.  I'm putting my money down on this cycle.  Fingers and all else crossed.  I just wanted to remained him how important this is to me.  I'm not a number.  It's not just a disposable embryo to me. I feel oddly connected to this embryo as it was the one that was originally supposed to be emplaned at my last FET almost three years ago that gave me the boys. 

Lucky socks.

The fun thing about my FET date is that 10.10.2013 is EXACTLY three years (minus one day) after the egg retrieval.  (10.11.2010.)   I'm taking that to be a good sign.  The last transfer was DH's Birthday on 3.11.2011, another double number scenario.

Ritualistic "Night Before FET" veggie sushi dinner.

10.10.2013.

FET day came rather uneventfully.

I went in with my full-bladder at 1:45p.  By 2p I was back in the procedure room.  It was new, but familiar all at once.  A new office, nurses and doctors than last time but much of the process was the same.  It really is probably the easiest, and most nerve-racking part of the entire process.

We very awkward embryologist came and talked to us about our embryo (6AA).  I don't think he knew much about social cues but he pretty much told us it looked good (already hatched) and had a good chance. The nurse later came in and talked to us for a while while we waited for the RE.

There he/she is!  Our hatched 6AA embryo.  A few of my buddies and I think it looks just like a smiling goldfish cracker.  DH thinks it's a girl with a ponytail.   

Resemblance? 

Once my RE was there it went rather quickly.  They located my uterus on the u/s, cleaned the cervix with a solution the embryos seem to "like", something like a growth medium.  Then, placed the larger catheter that will guide the smaller one containing the now thawed embryo into the uterus.

The embryologist then took the embryo into the smaller catheter (we could see this on a TV screen hooked up to the microscope).  The RE placed the catheter into my uterus and the embryo was placed inside along with a bit more of what I think what the growth medium.  It 'flashed' like a bright white light on the u/s screen.  All seemed to be in the right place and the embryologist checked to make sure the embryo wasn't still inside the catheter.

That's it.  Simple and complex all at once.

I decided to lay 'flat' for another 30 minutes before I left. DH and I discussed how much faster and sudden this round has been.  Perhaps because wet don't have as much time to sit and think solely of this process.  We have two boys as a result from the last FET that keep our minds occupied.

My BETA is set for October 21st, 2013.  Another whole week from today!  How can I wait??!?!?!
Sigh. . . It'll be day 33 of this cycle.

In the meantime, I remain on 1cc of Progesterone, 6 oral estrogen pills, and 2 estrogen suppositories each day.  Plus my other pre-natal vit, iron, and folic acid.  My lower back is killing me already from all of the progesterone shots.

DH and I ordered that I stay on fairly constant bed rest for three days following the FET.  It worked last time and since the jury is still out on whether it works or not, I'm going to keep doing that.

Right now I feel pretty normal.  I had been sick with a stomach bug the days before the FET but I feel back to normal now.  I can't tell what things are preggo related (cramping, sudden mild pain) or just related to the massive hormones I'm talking.  Time will tell.