1DP3DT (1 Day Past 3 Day Transfer)

I know I've been AWOL, but I've needed time.  The thing that surprises me is how tired I am.  I guess all the emotional stress has taken it's toll on me.  Honestly I feel like I could sleep for days.  You know what, maybe I will.  I can, so why not take advantage of it.

Retrieval Day:

You got part of that blog.  Having imbibed myself with gallons of liquid the day before, the nurse had no trouble finding my vain for the IV this time.  So I sit in pre-op waiting, reading a magazine, fawning over washers and dryers.  (This is how yo know you're old. lol)  The doctor who looks like she belongs on Grey's Anatomy, we'll call her Dr. O, comes over asks the usual questions, we chit chat a few seconds.  I told her I wrote about her in my blog.

Dr. O: Uh-oh

Me:     No, I said you looked like you belong on the cast of Grey's Anatomy

Dr. O:  Oh, thank you!

Disembodied Nurse Head From Behind Curtain:  I know doesn't she?!!  (head disappears)

We all laugh.

Me:  Now we just need to find Dr. McDreamy!

Dr. O:  I know!! Where's my McDreamy?!!!

Me: I don't know, but if you find McSteamy let me know!!

A few words with the very nice anaesthesiologist, then a bit later I walk into the OR.  They strap me down and put the mask on me.  If I have a choice, next time, no mask.  Give me the little nasal tubie thingie.  To claustrophobic for me.  Next thing I know, I'm out.  Now, it's only a general so there's no tube down the throat or anything and you are actually partially awake, but remember nothing. *shakes head* you'll see the humor in that later.

I wake up and they move me to a gurney and take me back to recovery.  They check me, make sure there is no excess bleeding.  There is some but they are not worried.  The expect it.  I get cleaned up and they leave me there to sort of come around.  The more I come around the more I hurt.

Nurse: You're frowning.

Me: Yeah.  I hurt.

Nurse:  Scale?

Me: About a 6

Nurse: That bad?  - she comes over pushes on my stomach

Me:  OUUUUCH!

Nurse: Well it's soft, so that's good.  Why don't I get you some pain killers.

Me:  OK.  (inside, NOW YOU'RE TALKING)

She gives me 25 whatevers of Phentenol (sp).  It takes the edge off for a little.  She comes back a while later.

Nurse:  How is it now?

Me: It was ok but now it's back.

Nurse:  Well you have had nearly a whole IV bag, your bladder is probably full, why don't we take you to empty it.

My bladder doesn't feel full but maybe the drugs are confusing me.  She walks me to the bathroom and I do my business. Which isn't a lot.  Glad I'm not that off.

Nurse:  Is there any bleeding?

Me: (happily) Nope.

We walk back to recovery.  She is hanging my IV again, and straightening the bed for me to get back in when I feel something on my leg.  I move my gown, look and I am dripping blood.  FUCK!

Me:  (FREAKING THE FUCK OUT!  But stating calmly) Um, I seem to be bleeding.

She looks over and goes into serious nurse mode gets me into bed and starts checking me out.  Goes to get Dr. O.  I hear them conferring and whispering, ad they come back.  Evidently, they also drained two endometriomas, and fluid and mucoid from my uterus.  They expected there to be bleeding.  What they are seeing is old blood so they're not that worried.  I'm so glad someone's not!  So they clean me up...again...and gave me more Phentenol and tried to make me more comfortable.  As before, it takes the edge off but that's about it.

Nurse:  I have a new plan.  I don't want to give you any more Phentenol because your respiratory signs are dropping.  I want to get you comfortable, get you in the car, and get you home where you can take vicodin.

Me: I love and support that plan.

After monitoring me for another half hour,  I get up and dressed and out.  I have vague recollections of getting home and having a conversation with my mother about sleeping on the couch.  The man fills my prescription and I spend the next couple of days drugged up.

Transfer Day:

I get up and go downstairs to make breakfast.  Take out bowl.  Get Cocoa Puffs off top of fridge.  Pour in bowl.  Get glass for orange juice.  Get milk and juice out of fridge.  Pour Cocoa Puffs into glass.  Look at glass.  Realize something is wrong, but can't quite figure it out.  Shit.  Pour Puffs into bowl.  Pick up glass, pick up juice in other hand.  Look at glass, look at juice.  Look at glass, look at juice.  Pour juice in glass.  Good.  Pour milk in cereal.  Put milk away on top of fridge...

Distracted much?

To do the transfer, you have to have a full bladder, helps push the uterus into the right position.  So I drink over a liter of water so by the time I get there, I have to pee so bad I might die and we are a half hour early.  So I cheat and pee.  Go up to the office continue to drink.  They call me in.  take an ultrasound of my bladder.

Another Nurse:  It's full.

Me:  I told you that already.

AN: I'm just gonna take a picture and show the doc.

She does and disappears forever.  Now, I am really uncomfortable and in pain.

Me:  I can't wait much longer.  I'm in pain.  I'm just gonna go empty it half way.

The Man:  Can you do that?

Me:  I don't have a choice.

We debate over this for another 5 minutes.

That's it!  I can't takes it no more!  I get up get dressed peek out the door. Coast is clear.  SNEAKY RUN down to the bathroom, pee like the wind, and empty half my bladder.  Get to the bathroom door, peek outside, coast still clear, RUUUUUUUUN back to the exam room!  TM and I laugh hysterically.

TM: You gonna tell the doc?

Me: Not if he doesn't ask.  I don't want to get in trouble.

A while later the doc comes in.

Doc:  Hello!  So your bladder is too full.

Me to my self (not anymore)

Doc: So we need you to empty it.  I want everything to go smoothly.  Did you empty it partially already.

BUSTED!  Me:  Yeah.

Doc:  That's good.  Now, go back, do a slow count to 12 and then stop.  That should leave plenty.

Me: Really?  Ok...

The doc leaves to go attend to something probably the Assisted Hatching with the embryologist.

Me:  I'm pretty sure there will be nothing left if I count to 12.

TM:  Good luck!

So I go to the bathroom.  Do my business, count to 12 and amazingly, bladder not empty!  Guess that's why they call him doc!  I go back to the room and wait.  Doc and AN come back do some ultrasounds, make sure the mucus is gone, things are cleaned up.  They are.  He goes in and does a little bit more house cleaning.

While he is doing that, I ask some questions, and he laughs.  Apparently, I was asking the same questions while I was "out".  He says, your not really unconscious, and you talk and stuff.  So it looks like I was telling Dr. O how pretty and smart she was and joking about Dr. McDreamy and then invited everyone over for a bar-b-que and cookies.  Gawd I'm such a dork.

Doc: (Laughing) No, no.  You don't tell any secrets or anything.

Ain't that a relief!

Doc:  All it says is your a very nice person.

I could die right now.

TM: That sounds like her.  Always wanting to feed people.

GAAAAWWWWDDDD!!!  I guess I am who I am...

Then, just like that, he's ready.  They bring in the embies.  With out any fan fare, transfer them into my uterus and he shows me the air bubble on the ultrasound.

Doc: There they are.  That is just an air bubble, they are too small to see but there they are.

And here they are...hopefully...my future:

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

[caption id="attachment_127" align="aligncenter" width="495" caption="The 3 Embryos"][/caption]