Hey, come pick on me!

Today has been officially designated as "pick on Sarah day". So go on, have at it. Everyone at Big Clinic has already had a good go, so now I am throwing it out to the blogosphere. Take your best shot!

I triggered last night at 11.40. Yay me! My estrogen was 1121 which is not spectacular, although I keep trying to remember that Big Clinic triggers me a day or two earlier than my old clinic, based on follicle sizes, so that I shouldn't be just dividing the number by 200 and whining that I'll "only" get 6 eggs. I will be happy with whatever I get, I promise you, but I'm still secretly hoping for 8-10.

The first snag in the works was that my fellow out of town buddy who I'd asked to sign me out of egg retrieval as my responsible adult also triggered last night. So we're going to retrieval on the same day. Which is awesome for having someone nice to chat with in the waiting room, but now means that her husband is signing us both out. And of course the nurse today didn't like that idea when I foolishly decided to check if that was OK. I mean, we are one after the other for our retrieval times, we are staying in the same hotel, one floor apart and I've done plenty of other retrievals that I have been just fine after. I do not anticipate any issues. But of course the nurse was all "don't you have any friends?" in an incredulous voice. Uh, not in New York lady, no. I'm not from around here. Well, I'm sure other of my Big Clinic buddies would be willing to sign me out if I asked, but I'm not about to. Then when she realized we were one after the other, she asked if I'd planned it that way to get adjacent retrieval times. Huh? Like I can plan which retrieval times you pick?? Eventually she relented after I stood there looking dumb and giving her my best Paddington Bear stare.

The next snag was that I had not apparently signed my donor sperm consent. Now, I've noticed with Big Clinic and consent forms that basically they use an accusatory tone of voice every time you don't hand in your consent forms on time. Like you fed them to your dog, or burned them in a ritualistic pyre or something. They can't seem to comprehend that perhaps, just maybe, they didn't actually give you the forms to sign. So eventually the nurse wandered off and found the form, and gave it to me to sign. Which I did, and handed them straight back. Like I have done with every single freakin' other consent that they've ever given me. Still not sure why I have to consent to treatment with donor sperm when that is what I asked to do, but you know, what-evah.

Then the nurse wanted me to go to Andrology to alert them that I am doing egg retrieval tomorrow so they'll have the sperm ready. Although they already know this, as I was called yesterday when they told me to make sure I signed the damn donor sperm consent form, and when they gave me a hard time about only having one vial. I know, I know that clinics prefer to have 2 vials available for IVF. But my donor is now sold out, and as this is my last cycle I am not about to waste $1000 and mental energy choosing another donor and obtaining two vials. They can damn well use up the vial left over from my last cycle. In every other cycle there has never been a problem with the thaw, and if there is this time, well, it's MY risk to take, isn't it, that the cycle could be cancelled. So, off I trotted to Andrology. And the lab tech was all "why on earth did they send you over today, the day before retrieval?" Ummm, don't know. Sorry, not psychic. And then she proceeded to give me a hard time, again, about only having one vial of sperm. The Paddington Bear stare came out again. I stood and listened to the lecture about needing to have two vials, and how I should always have two vials and it is a requirement. Blankness emanated from me. I was quite proud of myself actually. I can look remarkably vacant when needed. In the end she wore herself out and admitted that it was too late to do anything about it and they'd just have to work with what they had. Yup. That's the plan, baby. That's the plan.

So, please think hopeful thoughts that nothing will go wrong with retrieval and that my frozen sperm will be in good shape and they will not cancel me for having no sperm available. I have thought of stopping any random med student I can find on the street and asking them to be my sperm donor backup, but maybe I'll keep that in mind for tomorrow just in case.