It's been almost a month since we learned that our first embryo transfer was not successful. After some time spent in mourning and a much needed break from medication, I called to schedule the obligatory "What happened?" appointment. We went to that appointment this afternoon and sat down with Dr. Magarelli to discuss the last cycle.
Unfortunately, as I had suspected, there were no good answers. It was just one of those things. I hate that. I wish we could simply pin point what went wrong and fix it before moving on. Sadly, these things are not that easy.
The good news is that we have mapped out a plan for moving forward. We are changing a couple of things from last time. First of all, after the estrogen debacle that almost cancelled the transfer last time, we are switching from estrogen patches to injections. Bleh. But, I clearly didn't respond well to the patches last time, so I totally understand and agree with the change. Also, at my request, they are going to follow my natural menstrual cycle instead of manipulating it with birth control. Last time, I ended up having an 11 day cycle before the transfer and I feel like that really threw off my clock. I've always had a pretty regular 28 day cycle and felt really out of whack when it changed so significantly.
As far as a schedule, we are planning to do the embryo transfer in mid-December. That gives me about six weeks for acupuncture and detoxing all of the caffeine and alcohol I introduced into my system last month. Here we go again.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
The Results
This morning I went in to have my blood drawn in order to find out whether or not the past three months and several thousands of dollars had yielded us the results we had been praying for. After an excruciating 6 1/2 hours, I finally received the call. It was Dr. Magarelli himself and he began the conversation with a deep sigh. At that moment, I knew what he was going to say.
"Well, it didn't work out this time. You're not pregnant." At first, I felt my whole body go numb. Then a lump began to grow in the back of my throat as I attempted to end the conversation without letting my voice quaver too much. I immediately called Ryan, and as I told him the news I couldn't contain the tears any longer. I only had a couple of minutes before I had to see my next patient, so I wrapped it up quickly and headed back to my office to see if my patient had arrived.
Unfortunately, he was already seated for a two hour procedure that I wasn't even sure if I was capable of doing. I ran to the restroom, wiped off the smeared mascara, wet my face and headed back to the treatment room to finish my day. Before I walked in, I put on my mask and glasses to cover the red skin and puffy eyes. The whole two hours, I struggled to choke down the rock in the back of my throat and keep the tears away.
At the end of the day, I changed clothes and made my way to my car. I kept my eyes down and took the long way so I wouldn't have to salute anyone. As soon as the car door closed, I broke. I spent the next five minutes doubled over in the driver's seat with my face buried in my hands. When I finally regained my composure, I drove home in silence with tears streaming down my face. It was hours before I could even call my parents and let them know the news. So, please, do not take offense if you are close to me and I didn't call you today to let you know. I just wasn't able.
So where do we go from here? Quite frankly, I'm not sure. I definitely am not up for another transfer yet. I need a break. I need to gain a little bit of normalcy before I jump in again. We have four more embryos waiting for us. Maybe one of those was meant to be our little one. I suppose we'll see. In the mean time, I plan to spend a lot more time on myself and my marriage. I need to remember the family that I do have instead of dwelling over the one piece that's missing. I'm fortunate enough to have parents that care, a brother that cares, in-laws that care, and nieces and nephews to adore. I have amazing friends who support and love me no matter what happens. I really am a very lucky girl.
"Well, it didn't work out this time. You're not pregnant." At first, I felt my whole body go numb. Then a lump began to grow in the back of my throat as I attempted to end the conversation without letting my voice quaver too much. I immediately called Ryan, and as I told him the news I couldn't contain the tears any longer. I only had a couple of minutes before I had to see my next patient, so I wrapped it up quickly and headed back to my office to see if my patient had arrived.
Unfortunately, he was already seated for a two hour procedure that I wasn't even sure if I was capable of doing. I ran to the restroom, wiped off the smeared mascara, wet my face and headed back to the treatment room to finish my day. Before I walked in, I put on my mask and glasses to cover the red skin and puffy eyes. The whole two hours, I struggled to choke down the rock in the back of my throat and keep the tears away.
At the end of the day, I changed clothes and made my way to my car. I kept my eyes down and took the long way so I wouldn't have to salute anyone. As soon as the car door closed, I broke. I spent the next five minutes doubled over in the driver's seat with my face buried in my hands. When I finally regained my composure, I drove home in silence with tears streaming down my face. It was hours before I could even call my parents and let them know the news. So, please, do not take offense if you are close to me and I didn't call you today to let you know. I just wasn't able.
So where do we go from here? Quite frankly, I'm not sure. I definitely am not up for another transfer yet. I need a break. I need to gain a little bit of normalcy before I jump in again. We have four more embryos waiting for us. Maybe one of those was meant to be our little one. I suppose we'll see. In the mean time, I plan to spend a lot more time on myself and my marriage. I need to remember the family that I do have instead of dwelling over the one piece that's missing. I'm fortunate enough to have parents that care, a brother that cares, in-laws that care, and nieces and nephews to adore. I have amazing friends who support and love me no matter what happens. I really am a very lucky girl.
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