Up to speed...

Now that I've layed the groundwork and provided some background on the process, I guess it's a good time for a current update. One of the first "official" medical appointments that I've had since signing the contract was a procedure called and HSG. Long story short...the doctor inserts "dye" into your cervix and it travels through your uterus and fallopian tubes as you all watch on an x-ray machine...eww. Interesting to see my own womb so up close and personal however. The procedure itself was a little uncomfortable, but no worse than a pap smear or other "womanly" exam. The point of the HSG is to make sure there are no tumors, cysts, bloackages, etc. Women in fertility treatment also undergo this procedure in hopes that they will find whatever problem is keeping them from conceiving. Gestational surrogates have it done as sort of an insurance policy. In order to be a surrogate you must have given birth to at least one child, so no one expects that there are going to be any problems...however, with such a fragile and expensive process you never can be too careful I guess. This test was done on day 12 of my last period. It's recommended days 5-10 but I like to push the limits. *wink wink* Once my fertility center got the "normal" results they shipped me the supplies for my next move... the "mock cycle"...dun dun dun.

The mock cycle is basically another insurance policy. On day 2 of my next period (which I am waiting patiently for) I will start injections of estrogen ( a hormone that naturally occurs in large quantities during pregnancy). This is all the fun stuff no one tells you about when you sign up. These injections are intramuscular and will need to be inserted into my upper buttocks. The nurse recommended having my husband administer them (I think not), and the needles are NOT small. On day 14 of the injections I will go in for an ultrasound where they will check the lining of my uterus to make sure it is responding well to the hormone. If all goes well, we will schedule dates for the actual embryo transfer where I will again not only be injecting estrogen, but progesterone (another hormone) and, a drug called lupron to stop my ovulation. Logically I can't believe I'm actually waiting for this process to start. No pain, no gain I suppose... so onward I journey into the land of the unknown and staying on the lookout for my aunt Flo to come to town!