A long overdue update (Part 1)

Well, it's been 18 months since I've updated my blog ... and figured I should probably bring it up to date!  I'll try to keep it as brief as possible.

2008 didn't turn out to be a much better year than 2007, but it sure did end well. :)  

January 2008 we went back for our first FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer), which was unsuccessful.  It took us a little while to be ready for the next FET, as it was our last frostie, and failure would mean we would have to go through the whole egg collection process again.  

We ended up scheduling the transfer for May 17th.  The night before the transfer, I got one of those phone calls that everyone dreads.  Matthew had had a motorbike accident.  Although he told the nurses to tell me "He's fine" and "Just wait at home and I'll call you later" ... I was down at the emergency room quicker than you could blink.  Turns out he was not "fine" ... and had broken his leg (compound fracture ~ bone through the skin).  The short version ~ two stints in hospital of about three weeks all up, four surgeries, a big rod from knee to ankle and four months off work.  It was just awful, I hated seeing him so helpless & in pain.  He had his last appointment with the surgeon in January this year, and doesn't have to go back for another 2 years.  Yay!

I still went through with the FET the day after the accident (which was difficult, as it meant I couldn't be with Matthew and he couldn't be with me) ~ accompanied by my beautiful friend Mellymoo.  I will always be eternally grateful for her offer to come with me ~ I couldn't have done it alone.  Unfortunately that was also unsuccessful, so we geared ourselves up for another IVF stim cycle.

I was halfway through the drug protocol for the cycle when Matthew was re-admitted to hospital for the second round of surgeries (very unexpected, he went in for a check-up and had to be admitted that afternoon for two weeks).  That meant we had to have the cycle cancelled, as he would have been in hospital for the EPU (egg pick-up operation) ... and that's one part he needed to be there for as he needed to do his "bit" (if you know what I mean!).

So, we cycled again in September, EPU was a couple of days before our wedding anniversary & ET a couple of days after.  We had a nice haul of eggs this time (12), however only ended up with 2 embryos.  Our first transfer from this batch was not successful.

So we did our last FET in November, with our last remaining frozen embie.  I was definitely at the point where I wasn't sure how much more I could go through.  I think another stim cycle & associated FETs would have been my limit. 

My blood test was scheduled for the 1st of December.  For the first time, I really had no idea what result to expect.  All of the others, and all of the other months in the 4 years we had been trying I had known, every single time.  And then, at about 1:30pm on Monday the 1st of December 2008, I got that phone call that every IVFer dreams of.  "Your blood test on the 1st of December 2008 was positive.  Jody, you're pregnant."  And even better, my hormone levels were fantastic ~ everything was looking perfect.  I was stunned for quite a while, and just kept saying "Oh, wow." on the phone to my nurse, Catherine.  After taking down all of the details for the follow up blood tests & early scan, I went into one of the meeting rooms at work & called Matthew with the news.  I couldn't wait to tell him in person that night, I thought I was going to explode.  I have no idea how he held it in for 4 hours the first time.

This time around, it just felt right.  I had high hormone levels, and I can't really explain, it just felt different.  I felt certain that this was our time.  That we would have our baby.  And now, sitting here 33 weeks & 5 days pregnant ~ it looks like I was right.

Well ... that's me updated to the end of 2008.  Hopefully won't take me 18 months to update again!