Surrogacy-What an Adventure!

I have been a nervous disaster this week.   Seems silly, when I stop and think about it, but I just can not help it.   I just really want to find out if the transfer was a success and that all is going well.    I would really struggle, if I had bad news for D & K.   However, it is out of my control and things will be as they are meant to be.   

Monday, I had labs ran to test my progesterone and estrogen levels.   The hormones need to be at a certain level to be sure and hold a pregancy and not risk loosing it.   I waited all day to get results, but I did not hear anything for hours.   I just wanted to make sure I did not need to adjust meds.   Finally, I got word that my levels were great.    But Dr. Heard probably thinks I am psycho!  I called him, I sent him text messeges…

I talked with K, and then we determined that her and I were trading places.  Now that we have made it through transfer, she is calm and positive, but now I am nevous and uneasy.   Ha, guess it is a good thing we level each other out during this great adventure! 

Tuesday, I started peeing on sticks     I got negative in the morning but in the afternoon and evening I got positives.   However, the lines are way too faint to be seen in photo, so I can not post them on here.   Let me just say, I was in complete shock.   It was only 4 days after transfer, I did not expect to get a positive.   I thought to myself they might be false tests.    Or look out we could have a litter in there!!   Such and early positive, could indicate a multiple pregnancy.   I was happy but did not want to share until I had more legitamate proof.

Wednesday, I tested again… but this time I get negatives.   I was really discouraged, it was a very difficult day for me, I was paranoid and sad.   Andrew and my surrogate pals, encouraged me and reminded me it was still early.    To make me more confused….I started feeling a little queezy, as if I needed to have snackes every few hours to keep my stomach from feeling upset, plus I was having pregnancy related cramping and pulling.  So, while I was frustrated with the test sticks, I was excited with my symptoms.   I do not remember feeling those symptoms so early with other pregancies, so that made me feel think…hmm, there must be two growing!

Oh and to add to my bad day….we had the district track meet this week.  The field events were on Wednesday.    I was really pumped up and excited.  I have a really good long and triple jumper.  She went to regionals last year in triple.  So I was expecting her to go again this year.  Turns out she had a bad day.   She ended up 4th and only the top 3 go on to regionals, although she is the alternate if anyone gets injured. 

So on to Thursday….I woke and took a test, of course, I have now become an addict     To my surprise there was the faintest of faint lines.   Seriously!   I am not sure everyone would be able to see the line but it is there.  Oh this raised my spirits!   And I decided I need to lay off the testing and relax.   I had to got to the running part of the district track meet and I would just wait til I got home to test again.  Plus, today I had labs again to test progesterone and estrogen…but in addition, K ordered an extremely early hcg or pregnancy test!    I was fired up, I just had to know what that level was.  

As I got to the track meet, K called me.   Turns out my Hcg was 11.   That is a positive number, but a tad bit lower then I expected.   I was thinking it would be about 20-50.  So althought it was a positive, I was still unsure and uneasy.   But K was so excited and jumping up and down and said she could not stop smiling.  That made me feel so good, that is all I want!!   I was reserved on the phone and I felt bad because I did not want K to think I was not happy.   And I did not want to worry her, although I was worried.  I think the fact that I got positive tests one day then negatives the next, completely threw me.   I also remember my very first transfer.  I did get a positive Hcg report but then the next test was bad and the numbers dropped and the pregnancy was ending.   That is called a chemical pregnancy.   The embryo and cells just stop develping.   This happens all the time but women never know about it because they just go and have a regular period.    Once again my sweetheart reminded me it was early and the number is suppose to be low and to enjoy the fact that it is positive.  

So, I did take tests when I got home from the track meet, check it out…

Oh yeah!!!  That is two positive tests and you can see the lines!! 

In addition, we have several girls going to regionals on our track team.   We are going to compete in shot put, 100 meter hurdles, 4X100 meter relay, 4X200 meter relay, and 200 meter run. 

Friday:   We  had storms roll in just as I was leaving work.   I got soaked as I took the very long walk to my car after school.   I was on my way to a doc appointment.   I have had this rash on my scalp that is driving me crazy.    So after my 45 min drive to the doc office, I had to sit in a really cold waiting room for another hour.   I was just freezing, with the soaked clothes and shoes.   When I left the appointment I had to get some crickets to feed our water dragon.   Again I got soaked walking in and out of store and in addition, when I got my care I noticed that my left back tire was flat!!    There was not way I could drive with it like that, so I had to get to a tire store.   And once again I sat there for an hour frozen and exhausted.  I was just so ready to get home.   I was so mentally drained from the week of highs and lows.   The kids in class were so obnoxious this week and I had just had enough and being wet and cold was making me miserable.   Luckily, there was only a screw in my tire and it was repaired for free! 

Finally, I arrived home and ran straight to the restroom and yes…..I tested again…ha!!   Here is what I got, the first test is the first very faint line I got on Thursday and it does not show up in pic, the second test is a little darker adn you might be able to see it, that is from Thursday night and then the third is the Friday night test and you can certainly see the line!!!

Saturday: I wake up and rush to the lab for a second Hcg test.   If a pregnancy is good then the hcg numbers should double every 48-72 hours, so I am thinking we will see a 25-40, since on Thursday we had an 11.   I leave the lab to go meet my family at Madison’s gymnastics class.  Well, on the way there I get stopped by a police officer.    Yes, I have the worst luck ever!   I stopped at a red light and needed to make a right hand turn.   I waited and looked, the right hand lane was very clear.  So I turned right and staying in the right hand lane.   The next thing I know a cop has his lights on and has switched lanes to get behind me.   I was very puzzled and I cold not think of what I did wrong.   I was in no hurry, so I am sure I came to a complete stop.   Turns out the officer felt that I did not wait for an appropriate clearance to make that right hand turn.    I guess I am suppose to make sure all lanes are clear not just the right hand lane.   That is new to me and my husband did not know it either and you know I bet half of America makes those turns all the time!!  So I was extremely frustrated and upset.  

The lord is amazing!  Here I am upset about the ticket and then I get a text from K.     Hcg is 74 !!!   Everything stopped and life was put in prospective and so wonderful….we are certainly preggo and with a might strong number a 74 is huge    Now I can breath and relax…ok I will do my best to relax, but we do have 9 months to go and the first 12 weeks will be the most important.   I am thinking there are twinkies in there, but we will have to wait until the first scan.    Yes….more waiting!!!   Another 2 weeks!!

Congrat D & K, you are growing a baby or babies!!   Our journey is moving along and oh so wonderful!

Ok you know when it rains and begins to clear, you look up and rainbows fill the sky.  Well they have come across our surrogacy journey.   This has been a week of uncertainty to say the least.  The last up day was a transfer on Sunday the 12th, and we were all set and prepared.  And it does take preperation.   D has to get his schedule worked out with his patients and he has had to scramble several times already.  I have to request time off from work and K has to keep it all organized    Oh and I have to coordinate a sitter for my kids.  

Dr. Heard likes for his patients to get a stitch put in on their cervix the day before transfer.  This was new to me, I had not done that with my other transfers.  He feels that it moves the uterus in a great position allowing for easy transfer.   So, I was suppose to make an appointment for Saturday morning for it to be put in.  I completely forgot.  I got a call from the nurse on Wednesday.  She asked me “what time I could come in on Thursday for the stitch” and I was so confused.   I told her “I was suppose to go in on Sat”.  Then she said “no I am sorry you need to come on Friday” and I said “are you sure I think it is Saturday”, so we made the appointment then.   Soon the nurse calls back and tells me that we need to change the appointment for Thurs.   I did not want to take off from work, so I asked her if I can just come in on Friday, she said yes.   Then I get a call from K, and she fills me in on what info I am missing.   She let me know that 8 eggs have been fertilized and that Dr. Heard prefers to do 3 day transfers, so he would like to go ahead and transfer on Friday.   K was puzzled and asked him why?  She thought he wanted to do a 5 day and that was the plan this whole time, he has never even talked about a 3 day.  And I think D & K liked the idea of 5 day because you could see which embryos were strong and they have a sticky coat on them for implantation.   But Dr. Heard likes to get the embryos in their natural environment sooner on day 3.  There is much debate in the IVF world about what day is better, so really, who knows…LOL.   It is either going to work or not in then end.  As K tells me this, I am confussed too.  She asked me my thoughts and I myself do think 5 day is a good thing, but I have also never done a 3 day, and I am no expert.   It was just funny that he had never mentioned that before.    Since there were 8 embryos which is a great number, D & K were also concerned about them surviving to day 5.  They really want to freeze embryos and if we lost some going to day 5 they would not have as many or possibly none to freeze.   After much debate we all agreed to do day 3 transfer.   However, I was still debating the stitch because I did not want to miss work and because I have never had it done before so I did not see it as a nessecity.   That was really not my call and I did feel bad about asking if we could by pass it.  He said I needed it.  I do want him to feel comfortable and he must have good reason for his protocal.    So I decided I would just miss the first half of school on Thursday.  There was one more hurdle in the Friday transfer….making sure that we could arrange a time that would fit D’s schedule.   I made a joke with K, that I was willing to go at 5 am if needed    Luckily it worked out and Dr. Heard was able to arrange a 7am transfer!!   Andrew and I are off for Good Friday, so it was not issue for us.    After assessing my schedule, I realized that I could just go get the stitch Thursday after school instead of taking time from work.  That would just mean that  I would miss a Varsity practice track meet and really I felt that would be fine.   So in the end, all works out and is bright!

Oh and to also add to the chaos of Wednesday and working it all out.   My Junior Varsity had their district track meet that night and got 2nd place overall!!  It was awesome.     Varsity has distict this coming Wednesday and Friday.  I am so excited!!!

Ok on to today…Finally really THE TRANSFER!!   Andrew and I arrived at 6:30 and the office was not unlocked yet, shortly after D & K arrive.  We just sat outside and chatted.   K came carrying a huge box with a cute bow and flower in it.  Then I looked closer, a camera was dangling there.    Oh my goodness, she is crazy, the  gift was for me and I was just shocked.   How thoughtful and also I was thinking it was too much and she did not need to do that.   She remembered that I did not have my camera one day when we met up.  So she secretly e-mailed Andrew and asked him if I needed one….clever little devil    Not to mention Andrew had to keep that secret for weeks..LOL.   She also handed me a bag full of pregnancy sticks!  I then felt bad because I had planned to make a really cool basket full of neat stuff for D & K , but with the new transfer being on Friday with one  day notice I was not able to go shopping.   However, Thursday night I was freting about it and did come up with an idea.   I was in charge of deserts for a get together we had planned for Saturday and K told me she likes oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, so I baked them for her early and packed them along with a candle.  

Finally, it was time get rolling and implant the embryos.   Dr. Heard came in to give the embryo report and all 8 look amazing.   On day three they would like to see 8 celled embryos but 7 is very good also.   Then they rate those embryos with a 1, 2 or 3 or even A,B or C.    Turns out they had (2) 8 celled graded 1, and one or (2) 8 celled graded 2 and then some 7 celled graded 1 or 2…so all were just right     It was decided to ransfer the top 2 and freeze the rest.   The transfer went smooth, except I forgot to take my valume.   So doc taking the stitch out before the transfer, did not feel that great, not too painful but uncomfortable.  

When the transfer was complete, I took my valume.   That way I would stay relaxed and rest up when I got home.   It is funny because I do not remember having any effects form valume with my last transfers but wow, this time I was a little wabbly when I got up to get dressed and I actually came home and had a brief nap.   I think I am still a tad bit light headed…hehehe

So, as I lay there I hear the door bell ring, very odd it never rings.   Andrew walks into the room with an enormous floral basket.   I was stunned.   I sayed who is that from….D & K !!    Oh my goodness, they are just crazy…and the floral arrangement is beautiful. 

 Hmmm, they better stop with these gifts I am not sure I can handle it….or maybe I will just be spoiled…LOL   Oh how I hope I can out do their sweet gifts and bring them the gift of a lifetime!    Yes, the worry has set in.  It is not a bad worry but it is there..the mind will not stop, just wondering and hoping these embryos will stick.   I know it is out of my hands but I am not sure a surro could ever not feel pressure and responsibility.    It can be difficult mentally but also such a special feeling inside.   

So now the wait!!!   I am not sure when I will breakout one of the pee sticks that K got me…hmmm…surprises to  come!

It has been too long since I had the chance to update.  But I do have a few things to announce.  

First, we did not transfer on the 6th.  After monitoring the donor, Dr. Heard decided that the donor would not be ready so the plan was for the 9th.   So I was gearing up and preparing for this new change.   I went in for an appointment this past Friday.  Luckily K came to and we spoke with Dr. Heard.  He did not have good news, the donor was still not ready for an egg retrival he needed her to wait until today, Tues the 7th.   That meant that again the date of tranfer would change and is now definitely going to be on Sunday!   Even though I have been a little frustrated and impatient I am so glad we finally have a set date.   Also, and Easter transfer sound just beautiful    

So today was egg retrieval day.   I got a text from K this morning to inform me that they were able to retrieve 21 eggs!!! That is so awesome, I am excited and I just can not wait to hear the fertilization report tomorrow and even more excited about the transfer on Sunday…yipee!!   I started  my progesterone shots today, yes the booty shots.    So my right but cheek is sore, but nothing I can’t handle and all for D&K…LOL

I have a busy weekend.  Friday we are going to Easter service at church along with an egg hunt for the kids.   Then on Saturday D&K are having a little get together at their place.  It is going to be fun and I get to meet some of their family.     And I will finish my weekend on Sunday with a very special huge event…the embryo transfer!!!  

Grow embryos, Grow!!!