April 2016 - IVF #2, Day 5 Report

My RE called Friday evening to check in.  He asked how we were holding up, and I told him we were alright, but had heard that our embryo was a little slow to develop as of Thurday's Day 3 report.  I asked him what he thinks of that result.  He said that slow developing embryos come along here and there, and while it's not a great sign and could be indicative of a low-quality egg, we shouldn't count it out.  He said that the report is just a snapshot in time as of Thursday morning, and by Thursday afternoon it could have split to 6-8 cells, we just don't know and that's why they like to let them grow longer.  As long as the embryo keeps moving forward, that's a good sign, but this could mean that our Day 5 report on Saturday might be just an update, not a final report.  If it's slow now, it might just take a little longer to get from morula stage to blastocyst stage.

Saturday, Michelle called at 3:05pm. I put her on speaker phone so we could both listen, and we held our breath.  The embryo is still growing, she said, but it is still proceeding slowly and they want to give it another day to see if it will reach the final stage of becoming a blastocyst.  It's stage is currently listed as "other", she continued, which isn't very descriptive, but means it is between stages of development. She said she would call tomorrow with the outcome of the extra waiting.

Hanging up, I cried a little as the relief spread through my chest.  We are still moving forward and still have some hope.  "I'm so happy it isn't over yet," is all I could say to Michael to explain how I was feeling.  My face tingled a little, but that wasn't the phone call adrenaline.  It was the facial I got at the spa earlier today in the hopes of staving off the onslaught of pimples that I got during the last cycle around Day 5/6.

I'm not a regular spa person, but I do enjoy it when I go.  I actually haven't gotten a formal (i.e. at the nail salon, non-do-it-yourself type) pedicure since before my brother's wedding in September.  After 10 months of pharma-grade hormone meds interrupted by 9 weeks of pregnancy hormones, I can't stress enough the value of some pampering to help make a person feel somewhat normal again.  After my miscarriage, I got a rather drastic haircut (~8" off!).  In the last couple of months (including today) I have done two pore-vacuuming, dead-skin-dissolving hydrofacials that have made me feel refreshed and human again.  I should have started this routine sooner.  The fluctuations of hormone levels endured during these treatments are fairly intense.  I can honestly say that haven't felt like my real, authentic self in months.  I have been saving up some gift certificates for massages since Christmas, and I'm thinking before round #3 would be an excellent time to cash in one of those.

If you know someone going through infertility and you are looking for something you can do to help, a gift or outing together full of relaxation or refreshment may be a nice way to say you care.  This is not a hint, I'm not asking for anything...I'm very well taken care of with my facials and massage coupons.  I'm making a suggestion for others, particularly those enduring the worst part of this whole process, which may very well be the waiting part.  This round, I weighed briefly which phase is tougher:  the injections or the waiting.  With the injections, I feel like we are at least taking a daily and physical action toward a baby, even with the headaches, the tenderness and bloating...with the waiting, there is nothing we can do but sit here, think about the odds and possible outcomes, and allow my Jr. High School complexion to make a full-force comeback.  The waiting is harder, and I'm sure it will be worse when we hopefully move to transfer and are waiting to take a pregnancy test.  Some form of detox / relaxation / restorative treatment is a very nice way to pass the time.

The facial I had today, I scheduled it on a whim, and it turned out to be booked for the same time-frame that Michelle said she would call.  I actually left my phone with Michael and took my work phone with me instead, just in case she called while I was in the treatment room.  I called him just before and after to check if the call had come or not...neurotic?  Me?  Noooo!  As you might have noticed, I got home in time for us to take the call together, which was great, but wouldn't have been the end of the world if I hadn't.  Today, taking a break from it was more important than knowing right away.

Now we get to hold our breath and maintain our cautious optimism until tomorrow!