Dr. Shomento called me the day after transfer with good news...
Three of our embryos became blastocytes over night Tuesday and Wednesday morning they were frozen! Ready to be transferred to the storage place in Florida!
This is a miracle. I thought there would be maybe 1 that would make it...but three?
Tuesday night, finally home, I had a dream that there were 3...
But even as I woke up thinking about the dream, I still thought 1 maybe 2.
I didn't have to wonder for long...she called me around 10:30 that morning.
Wow, the wonders of the miracle of life are continuing to wow us.
Friday, March 30, 2012
The operating room...
As we waited to be taken down to the transfer room, which was the same operating room I was in for retrieval day, both Julia and Dr. Shomento were near by.
They laughed with us as I wrote the wrong date on a consent form...they chatted, they made us feel at peace. They shared their hopefulness with us. Lots of smiles where shared.
We were waiting for the go ahead, and as we waited they brought Joel his transfer room get-up!
They let me take a picture of them all "geared up"!
It was finally time for the walk...Julia took us this time, and I was so happy Joel was allowed to come!!
I was still considered a "fall risk", hence the rubber soled socks.
The room was not as intimidating this time, there were less people. Just Julia, Joel and I to begin with! I laid on the same bed. But this time I was able to stay awake for the entire thing.
Soon entered Dr. Shomento and Dr. Monteville, the other fertility specialist with the Billings Clinic, he serves patients in Billings and to the east and south...
He brought his ipod! They asked for music requests...it was pretty cool!
We all decided on "easy listening". We heard some Amos Lee, and maybe some others.
A person from the lab came in to have me identify myself and our lab dishes with the embryos...
Dr. Monteville who was also very kind, had the job of keeping the ultra sound wand pointed at my bladder, to assure a smooth transfer!
We watched on the screen as Dr. Shomento gathered the 2 embryos into the catheter that would transfer them into me...
"Your embryos are beautiful," Dr. Monteville said as he watched the screen with us.
I mean, to say we were in awe is an understatement...
We were watching a miracle in the works.
On another screen Julia and Dr. Monteville described the scene as Dr. Shomento did the transfer...we would not have known what we were looking at without their help!
Within minutes it was over...I had to slide over to the recovery bed then Julia and Joel rolled me down the hall...
30 minutes of resting.
Dr. Shomento visited us in recovery with a picture of the 2 embryos they transferred and the other ones, including the ones that just might make it through the night and be able to be frozen for, hopefully future siblings of the ones transferred into me!
What a day!
They laughed with us as I wrote the wrong date on a consent form...they chatted, they made us feel at peace. They shared their hopefulness with us. Lots of smiles where shared.
We were waiting for the go ahead, and as we waited they brought Joel his transfer room get-up!
They let me take a picture of them all "geared up"!
It was finally time for the walk...Julia took us this time, and I was so happy Joel was allowed to come!!
I was still considered a "fall risk", hence the rubber soled socks.
The room was not as intimidating this time, there were less people. Just Julia, Joel and I to begin with! I laid on the same bed. But this time I was able to stay awake for the entire thing.
Soon entered Dr. Shomento and Dr. Monteville, the other fertility specialist with the Billings Clinic, he serves patients in Billings and to the east and south...
He brought his ipod! They asked for music requests...it was pretty cool!
We all decided on "easy listening". We heard some Amos Lee, and maybe some others.
A person from the lab came in to have me identify myself and our lab dishes with the embryos...
Dr. Monteville who was also very kind, had the job of keeping the ultra sound wand pointed at my bladder, to assure a smooth transfer!
We watched on the screen as Dr. Shomento gathered the 2 embryos into the catheter that would transfer them into me...
"Your embryos are beautiful," Dr. Monteville said as he watched the screen with us.
I mean, to say we were in awe is an understatement...
We were watching a miracle in the works.
On another screen Julia and Dr. Monteville described the scene as Dr. Shomento did the transfer...we would not have known what we were looking at without their help!
Within minutes it was over...I had to slide over to the recovery bed then Julia and Joel rolled me down the hall...
30 minutes of resting.
Dr. Shomento visited us in recovery with a picture of the 2 embryos they transferred and the other ones, including the ones that just might make it through the night and be able to be frozen for, hopefully future siblings of the ones transferred into me!
What a day!
 |
| Our Nurse Julia, Dr. Shomento and Joel! |
 |
| Me during my 30 minutes of rest, post transfer |
The big day...
It was a day I will never forget...I am still reveling in it. It was beautiful. The sun was shining, miracles were happening...
I woke early to sip a little bit of coffee and blog. Then we met Jim and Helen downstairs for breakfast, and finished packing our cars. The goal: leave by 8am to arrive by 8:30, we were 10 minutes away!
At check out when they asked me how our stay was and I answered, "alright" they asked what they could have done differently...I told them about the noise. Helen came in and told them about the noise. They took a night off of both our bills!
We arrived at the surgery center right on time. Me drinking water like never before, seriously. I was sort of anxious that I wouldn't get my bladder full enough.
Joel and I checked in and had a seat. Jim and Helen waited in the waiting room with us, for us.
We were called back and the nurse asked if I wanted a vallium...they wanted me relaxed...um...I was hesitant, but she said the doctor approved it.
"I'm feeling pretty nervous and anxious," I said, "so yes, I guess."
Back into the purple gown I went with gray rubber bottomed no slip socks covering my still painted toes, I now have 2 pairs of these no slip socks! Hospital band around my wrist, heart rate and blood pressure checked...
Dr. Shomento came in then...she had looked at my heart rate and said, "you're excited to be here today, which is why we give you the vallium!"
Then a huge moment...
She put before us a picture of our embryos, complete with a report...
1 leader.
2 strong ones close behind it.
And 7 others, developing, but not as quickly or strongly.
A decision. The decision of our lives. How many to implant...
All along we both thought 2...the question was either 1 or 2. She was slightly worried about us having twins in Big Sandy but then she assured me there are specialist she can refer us to in Great Falls.
We looked at each other. We sputtered out words, we asked questions...
What to do?
What to do?
Dr. Shomento left us to discuss it with a, "I'm fine either way."
The decision of our lives...
Back and forth we wondered. Then, we decided 2...
We told the Dr. and she went to tell the embryologist to get 2 of them ready...
In that moment I remember thinking, wow, Kelly, the embryologist in the lab down the hall, is selecting what will hopefully be our future children...I wondered which 2 she would select, I knew the leader and one of the other strong 2, but I wondered what they would be like, and what their sex would be.
Not wanting to make this much longer, please join me in my next post as we venture to the operating room...
I woke early to sip a little bit of coffee and blog. Then we met Jim and Helen downstairs for breakfast, and finished packing our cars. The goal: leave by 8am to arrive by 8:30, we were 10 minutes away!
At check out when they asked me how our stay was and I answered, "alright" they asked what they could have done differently...I told them about the noise. Helen came in and told them about the noise. They took a night off of both our bills!
We arrived at the surgery center right on time. Me drinking water like never before, seriously. I was sort of anxious that I wouldn't get my bladder full enough.
Joel and I checked in and had a seat. Jim and Helen waited in the waiting room with us, for us.
We were called back and the nurse asked if I wanted a vallium...they wanted me relaxed...um...I was hesitant, but she said the doctor approved it.
"I'm feeling pretty nervous and anxious," I said, "so yes, I guess."
Back into the purple gown I went with gray rubber bottomed no slip socks covering my still painted toes, I now have 2 pairs of these no slip socks! Hospital band around my wrist, heart rate and blood pressure checked...
Dr. Shomento came in then...she had looked at my heart rate and said, "you're excited to be here today, which is why we give you the vallium!"
Then a huge moment...
She put before us a picture of our embryos, complete with a report...
1 leader.
2 strong ones close behind it.
And 7 others, developing, but not as quickly or strongly.
A decision. The decision of our lives. How many to implant...
All along we both thought 2...the question was either 1 or 2. She was slightly worried about us having twins in Big Sandy but then she assured me there are specialist she can refer us to in Great Falls.
We looked at each other. We sputtered out words, we asked questions...
What to do?
What to do?
Dr. Shomento left us to discuss it with a, "I'm fine either way."
The decision of our lives...
Back and forth we wondered. Then, we decided 2...
We told the Dr. and she went to tell the embryologist to get 2 of them ready...
In that moment I remember thinking, wow, Kelly, the embryologist in the lab down the hall, is selecting what will hopefully be our future children...I wondered which 2 she would select, I knew the leader and one of the other strong 2, but I wondered what they would be like, and what their sex would be.
Not wanting to make this much longer, please join me in my next post as we venture to the operating room...
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Rise and Shine...
It's transfer day!
I feel as if we are swimming in a reservoir of grace...
Of joy...
Of hope...
Of excitement...
Of nervousness...
Of fear...
Of peace...
We are surrounded by it, we are wrapped in it...by The One who loves us most.
Tears are falling. The Holy Spirit is present. We are journeying on the moment of our lives...
It's as if words cannot describe the moment...In an hour and 15 minutes we will leave for the surgery center, way too early, but just in case...we will take a ride that could, we pray, forever change our lives.
The embryo report, the transfer, instructions from our doctor, me with a FULL BLADDER to help the transfer go the best it can, all await us.
Tears are falling. Grace surrounds us.
I feel as if we are swimming in a reservoir of grace...
Of joy...
Of hope...
Of excitement...
Of nervousness...
Of fear...
Of peace...
We are surrounded by it, we are wrapped in it...by The One who loves us most.
Tears are falling. The Holy Spirit is present. We are journeying on the moment of our lives...
It's as if words cannot describe the moment...In an hour and 15 minutes we will leave for the surgery center, way too early, but just in case...we will take a ride that could, we pray, forever change our lives.
The embryo report, the transfer, instructions from our doctor, me with a FULL BLADDER to help the transfer go the best it can, all await us.
Tears are falling. Grace surrounds us.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Medication mishap
Up until today I have not called Dr. Shomento on her cell phone. I have called Julia's direct line at work, but never the doctor.
Until about 5 minutes ago. Part of this journey involves a pill that I started on Saturday and take until Tuesday, just 4 days. I have to take it with food which is sort of a pain because I have 2 other pills I have to take with food...all 3 of them I take in the morning and the evening.
Well, I was getting ready to take my pill tonight and I realized there were a lot left in the bottle, way more than should be. I read the label closer...gasp...I think I am supposed to be taking 2 each time, so 4 total.
Speed dial Dr. Shomento!
She confirmed what I feared...4 a day. Ugh! Of course my heart is racing at this point, what have I done?
But then she told me to start taking 2 each time for the rest of the days it says to on my calendar, then do not take the rest of them that I missed. "Some programs do not use this medicine," she said, "do not lose even a minute of sleep over this."
Whew!
She went on to say that things with our embryos are looking great, she is really excited. Tomorrow will be day 4 for the embryos...it's a big day for them, a giant transition can happen, so they do not open the incubator or look at them at all...
Translation...lets pray, a lot! Day 4 is a big day for them! It's a huge day in this process. I'm now doubly glad I called her, one so she could straighten me out about the medicine, and two so I would know tomorrow is such a big moment and can pray, pray, pray...not that we haven't been already!
Tuesday morning she will open the incubator and we will talk about the embryos, which ones to implant, and how they all fared the past few days in lab land!
Until about 5 minutes ago. Part of this journey involves a pill that I started on Saturday and take until Tuesday, just 4 days. I have to take it with food which is sort of a pain because I have 2 other pills I have to take with food...all 3 of them I take in the morning and the evening.
Well, I was getting ready to take my pill tonight and I realized there were a lot left in the bottle, way more than should be. I read the label closer...gasp...I think I am supposed to be taking 2 each time, so 4 total.
Speed dial Dr. Shomento!
She confirmed what I feared...4 a day. Ugh! Of course my heart is racing at this point, what have I done?
But then she told me to start taking 2 each time for the rest of the days it says to on my calendar, then do not take the rest of them that I missed. "Some programs do not use this medicine," she said, "do not lose even a minute of sleep over this."
Whew!
She went on to say that things with our embryos are looking great, she is really excited. Tomorrow will be day 4 for the embryos...it's a big day for them, a giant transition can happen, so they do not open the incubator or look at them at all...
Translation...lets pray, a lot! Day 4 is a big day for them! It's a huge day in this process. I'm now doubly glad I called her, one so she could straighten me out about the medicine, and two so I would know tomorrow is such a big moment and can pray, pray, pray...not that we haven't been already!
Tuesday morning she will open the incubator and we will talk about the embryos, which ones to implant, and how they all fared the past few days in lab land!
Hotels
I am starting to get tired of hotel rooms. I really liked the room in Bozeman. Then the first room we stayed in once arriving in Billings was pretty nice, I slept well there...but the room we are in now in Billings I do not like.
It looks nice, but it smells like organic wasabi peas, or something like that.
I don't want it to smell like anything. I barely slept last night. People were in the pool below our room until 12am, being very noisy. Then the noise continued. I was not happy.
I want to sleep. I want to be ready for transfer day by being rested. And I don't really like the breakfast here, they don't really cater to lactose intolerant/not able to eat eggs people.
I was ready to move this morning. I was pretty upset. I do not want this hotel affecting our journey...
But then when I looked up to see if the hotel we had to move from (I couldn't find any in Billings we could stay in the entire time, there is a lot going on here this weekend) had rooms, they didn't.
Sigh.
We'll stay here and I'll, well, I don't know, but I will find a way to rest.
I'm ready to go home.
It looks nice, but it smells like organic wasabi peas, or something like that.
I don't want it to smell like anything. I barely slept last night. People were in the pool below our room until 12am, being very noisy. Then the noise continued. I was not happy.
I want to sleep. I want to be ready for transfer day by being rested. And I don't really like the breakfast here, they don't really cater to lactose intolerant/not able to eat eggs people.
I was ready to move this morning. I was pretty upset. I do not want this hotel affecting our journey...
But then when I looked up to see if the hotel we had to move from (I couldn't find any in Billings we could stay in the entire time, there is a lot going on here this weekend) had rooms, they didn't.
Sigh.
We'll stay here and I'll, well, I don't know, but I will find a way to rest.
I'm ready to go home.
Transfer Day
Yesterday Dr. Shomento called, twice actually. She had been in the lab to peek at our embryos and said we are definitely a day 5 transfer!
This in itself is a miracle...
I can't always explain why really, but it is...it gives the embryos an extra two days in the lab to grow and be even more ready to be implanted!
She said, "I'm pleased as punch with how things are going." That's a nice thing to hear your doctor say!
When she asked how I was feeling I told her bloated, uncomfortable, and a little pain...
Her response was, "remember it is sweat pant city for the next several weeks..."
I'm kind of still trying to get used to this. I mean, I love wearing sweatpants, ultra comfty living! But I am still trying to wrap my mind around it being ok to dress like this.
I was supposed to weigh myself every day after retrieval and I had been forgetting to do that...she assured me she wasn't worried about my health or my ovaries being over stimluated...
When she called later in the day to confirm transfer times she told me that my ovaries are giant and bruised because she poked them with a needle to get the eggs! So, uncomfortableness is the name of the game...
I've said it a million, trillion, billion times...but it's all worth it, of course.
This morning I received a text from Dr. Shomento that said: Embryos look great this a.m..
Miracles are happening in the lab, we pray they keep on happening!
Tuesday at 9am Montana time is the big event. Dr. Shomento is hopeful, we're hopeful.
This in itself is a miracle...
I can't always explain why really, but it is...it gives the embryos an extra two days in the lab to grow and be even more ready to be implanted!
She said, "I'm pleased as punch with how things are going." That's a nice thing to hear your doctor say!
When she asked how I was feeling I told her bloated, uncomfortable, and a little pain...
Her response was, "remember it is sweat pant city for the next several weeks..."
I'm kind of still trying to get used to this. I mean, I love wearing sweatpants, ultra comfty living! But I am still trying to wrap my mind around it being ok to dress like this.
I was supposed to weigh myself every day after retrieval and I had been forgetting to do that...she assured me she wasn't worried about my health or my ovaries being over stimluated...
When she called later in the day to confirm transfer times she told me that my ovaries are giant and bruised because she poked them with a needle to get the eggs! So, uncomfortableness is the name of the game...
I've said it a million, trillion, billion times...but it's all worth it, of course.
This morning I received a text from Dr. Shomento that said: Embryos look great this a.m..
Miracles are happening in the lab, we pray they keep on happening!
Tuesday at 9am Montana time is the big event. Dr. Shomento is hopeful, we're hopeful.
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