Have Ice Pack, Will Travel

This cycle I think that my meds have put more mileage than any set of uncorrected essays.   My first IVF really got me used to sticky myself with needles safely in my own kitchen; this cycle taught me the "fun" of doing it on the go.  In the week of taking injections, four out of the seven nights I had to take them somewhere else than my own home.  Thankfully I have great little thermal lunch bag and kept the ice packs the drugs came in.  The most regular of the places was at my parents' house.  This was also a great opportunity to show my mother what I went through every night and to creep out my father a bit.  Second to this was taking my injections in a friend's bathroom during my book club meeting.   I even had a great supporter (her dog) sitting outside the door and cheering (or whining) me on.

What was the best place you ask?  That would have to be the faculty bathroom at my school during Curriculum night.   Do you know how difficult it is to focus making sure you are mixing the injection correctly when you can hear parents laughing and talking as they are walking by outside.   I really think I checked the lock fifteen times in the ten minutes I was in there.  All I needed was to have a parent walk in while I had my dress hiked up and I was sticking myself with a needle.  Can you imagine the stories that would fly through the town?   Even though none of the parents knew what was going on, I did get quite a few strange looks as I walked through the hall and into the bathroom with my lunch bag.   Priceless!

Thankfully all of this trouble paid off.  As of yesterday, I had 20 measureable follicles, 10 on each side.   The smallest are around 11 and the largest is around 21.  Even though I didn't take any more stimmulating injections, they will continue to grow until I ovulate some time tomorrow morning.   That is right!  Tomorrow is the egg retrieval.  I had to take my trigger shot last night at 11 pm.   Tomorrow we have to be in Waltham for 10 am.   I am excited to be able to sleep in, but I wish it was earlier.  Sean will have to leave not long after "doing his part" and will probably not be able to see me out of surgery.   Thankfully my wonderful mother has agreed to take me home and stay with me since I can't be alone for 24 hours due to the anesthesia.  

Last time we got 12 eggs, so I am hoping all 20 follicles I now have produce mature eggs.   If we have at least 6 embryos as of day two (Wednesday) we are going to try for a 5 day transfer instead of the 3 we did last time. There is contradicting research, but many doctors believe that allowing the embryos to grow to blastocysts (5 days) prior to transfer inproves chances of implantation.  I am hoping this, along with the slower growing time and my exercising a couple days a week, is all that we need to have a successful cycle.