Out of sight is out of mind… and never has a more true idiom crossed my path.

A few months ago I filled out the paperwork to transfer the 10 little embryos (sitting on the wall) to our specialist’s new clinic and then promptly forgot about it.  So today I get a phone call from the embryologist (fancy pants reproductive technology scientists) to discuss what else they needed to effect the transfer.  Apparently even though I signed everything all proper and legal like at the transfering clinic’s end I was supposed to do the same at the recipient clinic’s end.  Would have been nice to have been informed of this at the outset but… sigh… shit happens and often to me.

So the lovely embryologist Liz the LabRat tells me that I will have to come in and have all the bloodwork done and legal documents all signed before they can send their collection agent to pick up the embryos and take them to the new clinic.  I’m not quite sure how that is physically accomplished given they’re frozen in liquid nitrogen and I imagine need to remain so.  But honest don’t really care so long as procedures are in place to a) make sure they get to their new storage facility still frozen and intact and b) they transfer the right ones.

As for going off to have the bloodwork done with a view to having an FET in the near future?  Why the concept seems laughable.  What about all the drugs?  How can I think about doing and FET when I’m on so many drugs – considering that at the outset of any assisted reproductive treatment they advise you to stop smoking,  cease any receational drugs, reduce coffee, coke and alcohol consumption as well as avoid exposure to potentially harmful toxins and chemical such as paints, pesticides, herbicides and a tonne of other shit.  So coke and wine is a big no-no… but valium, analgesics, neuropathic pain blockers and anti-depressants are okay?  Ahuh… sounds sensible.   :S

But on the plus side usually the story of the ten little embryos (sitting on the wall) dredges up my veritable plethora of emotional baggage (complete with matching Olga Berg hatbag) related to the whole IVF she-bang in general but today… I was actually chatting with Liz the LabRat about donating them to a some other poor bastards who couldn’t even get good embryos and if that was going to happen then I wanted them in Glenn’s very capable and circumspect hands as to whom they would be donated to. 

So no emotional disquiet from the conversation about donating them…. Weird.  Does that mean maybe I’m actually in a healthy headspace to use them after all?

Was clambouring around in my closets this afternoon getting ready for the electrician dude to come install a new sensor to the security system in the morning and found a small box shoved in the top of my wardrobe that’s been sitting there for oh… about four years now? 

It was half full with the little plastic twisty top bit that comes on a Crinone Progesterone Gel package (which for those of you who are fortunate enough to have no fucking idea what that is – it’s a progesterone supplement that they give you during the luteal hormone support phase of an IVF cycle). 

I’m not sure what compelled me to keep throwing the little twist off bit into a box the whole time I was using them – but I have vague recollections of thinking I’d make some sort of artwork out of them or something… dunno.  Who knows what goes through your head when your hormonal and psychotic.  Anyway I thought I’d count them and see how many were in there…. and the answer was (drum roll please) and thanks to the Small Child for counting them….

So what?  Well yes I guess it doesn’t signify anything until I mention that they cost (at the time) $12 each and were taken one a day for 10 days after an embryo transfer.   Exactly $12.85 in fact (I just looked it up) which means that we spent how much on ultimately useless progesterone pessaries??

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