Next Egg Donor on deck!

We just got word that the next egg donor we hope to receive eggs from will likely start her stimulation medications this Friday, with an anticipated retrieval by the week of 3/1/10!

As for the status of the fertilized embryos, we wound up with two "Grade A" blastocysts to cryopreserve.  According to the Clinic, the vitirification process used in the cryopreservation provides for an average thaw rate of approximately 99%.

Yay!

Lets just hope that this doesn't become an Abbott and Costello skit!  Hey - who's on Third?  I don't know?!?  First Base!  nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!

Embryo Update...

According to Dr. H, the Clinic was able to cryopreserve two "Grade A (the best grade) blastocysts" today.

Tomorrow, perhaps some of the others will also make it to the blastocyst stage and they will be able to freeze them also, but at least today "we have two beautiful ones."

Woo-Hoo!

:)

Embryo Update...

As of Saturday...

Potato #1: (3) 8-cell embryos "(ideal)"
Potato #2: (1) 8-cell, (1) 4-cell , (1) 2-cell embryos

On Monday, any embryos that make it to the blastocyst stage get cryopreserved.  The most likely ones to do that are the ones currently at the 8-cell stage, but the others may get there too by then...

Current thought is to get 5 or six high grade blastocysts in storage before the next transfer...

:)

Quick Update!

As of this morning, four of the six "very nice looking mature eggs" retrieved yesterday have fertilized and we should have more info on how they are doing on Monday...

Our sperm was also broken out into three batches (with each batch containing each of some sperm from each of us), for future fertilization.

Meanwhile, we are reviewing another potential donor...

Yay!

Moving forward...

Hola everyone!

To paraphrase Mark Twain (and the Lowell Shallot), "rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated" and we are [albeit] slowly moving forward towards Transfer #3! 

Following several strategy discussions, here is our general plan of action:

1. We will be using eggs from several donors.
2. Both of us potatoes will provide our sperm, which will be frozen and thawed as needed for fertilization.
3. Donor eggs will be fertilized, and any resulting "good day-5 blastocysts" will be cryopreserved.
4. Once we each have a good number of frozen embryos, they will get thawed and transfered to Jane.
5. Assuming that several embryos attach, anything over two will be selectively reduced.

Today, 2/10/10:

• Both of us went to the Clinic and provided our sperm.
• Several "very nice looking mature eggs" were retrieved from an egg donor.
• The first batch of eggs were fertilized.  We should gain a better sense of how many fertilized tomorrow, and how many resulted in blastocysts on Monday.

Woo-Hoo!!     :)