39 Hours and Counting!

Well we got FABULOUS news from the doctor today! 9 out of 10 embryo's were able to be biopsied. Of the 9, 8 were a grade of B or better! Last time we had one B+ and that was the best we had! I have said since the last failed IVF, if I can get a good quality egg, I will be pregnant! I think God is answering my prayers! Now we have to wait until around 12pm Thursday to see how many of the 9 are genetically OK! NERVOUS! I am a mess, but not a stressed out mess, an anxious mess! I am getting my 1 hour massage tomorrow night so I can be very relaxed.

I am feeling better today, I am just still super bloated and sore! The nurse told me that they had to push on me a lot to get my ovaries to cooperate, and let me tell you, I can feel it! Today, I am thankful that God has blessed people, like Dr. Ilkevitch, who allow us to have this chance! Without people like him, this would not be possible. The song of the day is "Got to Give it Up" by Marvin Gaye. It makes me smile, it is a totally chill song. One of my all time faves.

I would talk longer, but my husband just came back with a banana snow cone, so you know I am happy!
~Amy

Still Batting 1.000

So we got a call from the doctor this afternoon and things are going great. Of the 10 embryos, all 10 are still growing. 8 have three to four cells and 2 have two cells. During the first cycle, we started with 15 embryos, 9 with three to four cells and 6 with two cells. The doctor feels that the embryos are growing well, and the quality is better than during the first cycle. The geneticist flies in tonight from Chicago and will perform the biopsies in the morning before heading home with the biopsies tomorrow afternoon.

I think that Amy over did it this weekend. She was so sore this morning that she could barely walk or sit up in bed. She stayed home from work for a much needed day of rest and relaxation. Hopefully, she will feel better in the morning. We are still on schedule for a Thursday afternoon implantation. The doctor will call tomorrow to give us an update on the status of the embryos and how the biopsies went. Please pray that the biopsies go good. We have one of the leading embryologist performing the biopsies this time. It is our hope that each embryo will only need one cell biopsied. Sometimes the initial biopsy does not provide the necessary genetic information to permit the Doctor to evaluate the chromosomes. When this happens, the doctor has to take another cell to biopsy. This can create significant trauma to the embryo. We continue to have a great outlook and are excited to see how things go tomorrow.

Today I am thankful for movies. When you are lying in bed, movies are about the only thing that can be entertaining enough to pass the time. Amy got to watch two movies while resting in bed today. We are going to rent some movies to get ready for Friday after implantation. The song of the day is "Under the Influence" by James Morrison. He is one of my favorite new artists. I consider it easy-listening. Take a listen when you get a chance. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Z

A Little Discouraged, but Hope is NOT Lost!

So we got a call today from our doctor. Out of the 32 eggs they got from me, 19 were mature. That was the good news. The bad news? Only 10 fertilized. We are not really sure why the other 9 did not fertilize if they were matured. That is a question we have for the doctor. So, we will wait and get daily updates to see how many are still strong, and multiplying and then we will get the big call Thursday morning to see how many we have that are viable. The next 84 hours are the MOST stressful. This is where I need pedicures, massages, yoga, whatever will work. We keep telling ourselves, it only takes one. If we can get two good eggs, I will feel REALLY good!

Today we went to the OKC Bombing Memorial. I forget how beautiful it is. Today I am thankful for Oklahomans. We really are a great state, with great people. Remembering how everyone came together during those horrible months in 1995, makes you proud to say you are an Oklahoman. Today's song is "Have a Little Faith In Me" by Joe Cocker. It is what we need to do... have faith. Faith that 1 of our 10 little children will be strong and make us proud parents. Happy Monday! ~Amy

Wonderful Day and Wonderful News!

First let me start by saying how absolutely wonderful my grandmother's service was! It was absolutely beautiful and me and my family SOOOO appreciate everyone for coming. We had SOOOO many friends there for support and I will never be able to tell you how much that meant to us. Again, I want to brag on Smith and Kernke funeral services. If anyone EVER needs a funeral home, I HIGHLY recommend them! They are 5 star, no doubt. The facility was wonderful, but the customer service was even better. It was a true blessing. Here is a picture of the flowers we had at the alter. They were gorgeous. I love Trochta's! So... I went in today to have my eggs retrieved and guess what??? 32 eggs! That is not a typo... 32 eggs! We were ecstatic! Can you imagine what it would be like if I did not have the genetic issue? My friend that went through invitro recently only had 10. I am a egg producing machine!! Have I bragged about how great my nurses and doctors are? AMAZING! We left the procedure and I was as high as a kite. At my grandmother's funeral, I almost dozed off, unintentionally, of course. I was alert enough to speak when the pastor asked if anyone had anything to say about her, and I am glad I did because I would have regretted it otherwise. I feel really good! I am still bloated as all get out, and the nurse told me today that it probably will not go down until I am pregnant because my ovaries are still enlarged. Doesn't that sound lovely? The doctor will call us tomorrow with the news of how many fertilized. We are hoping for somewhere between 16 & 20.

The song of the day is "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder. That is the song that my husband and I were belting out in the Tahoe right before we got to the medical center. We love it. Today I am thankful for my family-in-law. Not only are my inlaws amazing, but my mother-in-law's brother and family made it in today for the funeral. It was completely unexpected and probably the nicest thing I have ever had happen to me. Also, my husband's grandparents who were not able to make it sent the nicest card, along with his Aunt Kimmy. I am blessed. They are amazing people, and I am so lucky to be able to say they are my family.

We will let everyone know as soon as we know something tomorrow. Our day is going to be fun. We are taking our friends from Chicago to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial and then to lunch. It will be nice to get out and relax, I am just not sure how long I can make it in this heat!!

Stay cool tomorrow! ~Amy

Short and Sweet

Well, we have everything lined up for the funeral tomorrow. The one thing that is going to drive me nuts is that I have to wear something that is not tight on my stomach (i.e. pants or a skirt with a waist). Therefore, my mother went out and bought me a cute maxi dress today that is long and 100% knit. That will be my "invitro/funeral" attire. I really am not that concerned, considering I will have all of about 30 minutes between the procedure and funeral to get ready.

I cannot believe tomorrow is the big day. I had a small panic attack today, because I have been so neurotically busy, and thought that the shot I took last night was supposed to be taken this evening. I called the nurses, in a panic, but they reassured me I was right all along. It is funny how your mind will play tricks on you.

It is 10:45, and I am going to bed. I am thankful for my coworkers today. As I was leaving, they gave me a card with quite a bit of money in it to do something to relax me, or buy a tree to plant in my grandmother's honor. Isn't that nice? I was touched. The song of the day is "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. I love it, and also it will be the song I listen to tomorrow as they take my eggs out. What a great song to pass out too! ;)
~Amy

The Last Day of Shots!

Well... we have the memorial service planned. It will be lovely. Now that it is completed, I can rest. We have taken it really easy tonight, and intend to keep it that way. We have to wait until 10:30pm to go to bed though, because I have to take my last shot. It is the shot that will tell my ovaries to release my eggs. It has to be exactly 35 hours before the procedure. We have confirmed the retrieval date and time;9:30am on Saturday. Nanny's funeral is at 2pm, hopefully I will be awake and not too drugged up!

We are just still in shock. We cannot believe that we are here already! Time has just flown by this round. We spoke to the PGD team today and confirmed that the doctor will fly in from Chicago on Tuesday to do the biopsy and then we will know the number of good eggs Thursday morning, with implantation that afternoon! 2 weeks from Monday, we will know if we are pregnant. Crazy, huh?

Today I am thankful that we had nothing to do this evening. We needed a night of relaxation. Also, Big Brother was on, and we love that show...however... Jessie from a past season returned. Blah. He BUGS! The song today that made me happy was "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. We love that song and it is perfect for a summer day.

HAPPY Friday! ~Amy

10/5/1922-7/8/2009

For those who do not know, my grandmother died this morning. Thank you everyone for all of your kind thoughts and prayers. She is much happier now, and I know it is selfish of me to still want her here. It will be hard on us, especially on my mother, so please keep the prayers strong. Here is the humorous thing, my retrieval will be on Saturday morning, and her funeral will be at 2pm. Wow. The good news is that we went to the doctor this morning, and I had 21 eggs in one ovary. No wonder I am SOOOOO bloated!

We have another doctors appointment in the morning, so I will keep everyone updated! Today I am thankful for Smith & Kernke funeral home. They are wonderful and we had an extraordinary experience. That is refreshing, since we planned a funeral 4 hours after she died. The song of the Day has to be "For Me and My Gal" by Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. That was my grandparents song and Nanny loved it. You will be missed! ~Amy