Day Six: The Classroom

Today was an overwhelming day. On the schedule was the two-hour class on IVF from the Bennett Fertility Institute. Prior to that, Kristina had to have an ultrasound to measure the size of her uterus, and the doctor counted the number of potential eggs to be harvested. Eighteen, which is a bit above average; so we are optimistic on that count.
 

But the class, while very informative, created a new level of uneasiness. The realistic statistics, the science of it all, what happens in the “petri dish” – it all became very staggering to take in. After the class, a thunderstorm rolled through, trapping us at the hospital for an extra fifteen minutes. Although neither of us is superstitious, it felt like some movie scene omen of foreboding.
 

We shook that nonsense of quickly, but the emotional effect of the past few hours had started to take its toll on us. We discussed certain details without common agreement, even on things we were confident of prior to this day. All ended well, but there was a tenseness to the evening even in the decision of what to eat for our very overdue dinner. We compromised pm Taco Bueno; so it is evident we were not thinking clearly.
 

On the upside of things, we now have a very specific schedule of when to start each major step. There is approximating two weeks left of oral pills, then begins the Lupron shots to suppress the Kristina’s pituitary signals and prevent her from ovulating any of those good eighteen eggs. It is subcutaneous shot, similar to insulin, and we are told it is a simple shot to give oneself. This phase, though sounding scary, isn’t where the anxiety resides.
 

Right after the Labor Day weekend, the ovarian stimulation begins. This is where FSH, HMG and HCG are used to chemically induce the body to be in optimal hormonal readiness to become pregnant. This is when the biological clock really starts ticking. There is a little play in the days based on Kristina’s body’s response to these hormones, but the schedule is pretty tight.
 

This means around the middle of September, we both “go under the knife” just a few hours apart. This is a great source of anxiety for us, as this makes it difficult for us to be able to comfort each other through these procedures. But – we will endure, and will have help from family, I’m sure.
 

After this point, it’s up to the incubators, luck and God. There is a daily report on the embryos, their grade, their viability, etc. Then sometime between three and five days, one or two of the top picks will be transferred back.
 

This leaves us waiting until the early October appointment to run the pregnancy test.