Procedures for everyone

This morning I drove into the city and picked D up from work to get to the clinic by 10.30am. D had taken his painkillers and had had nothing to eat all morning. Before our procedures, we met with one of the finance administrators at the clinic to talk about a funding scheme that would give us $1,000 off the cost of our IVF cycle. We're eligible because we've already done two privately funded cycles and I fit the age criteria. If we're accepted, it will make things a lot easier!

My procedure was first. While D was signing the consent forms for the sperm storage with Nurse K, I met with Dr Mc and Nurse D for my endometrial scratch. It was just like a smear test with a speculum and a catheter but it was really quite sore for a minute or so! It felt exactly like what it was: a bit of tissue being pulled off to leave an area that would heal - just like newly mown grass growing back thicker and healthier, according to Dr Mc! But the pain didn't last long, although there was quite a bit of blood on the table when I got up and I was given some pads to deal with this.

Once I was all tidied up and dressed, I went with D for his sperm collection. I'd never seen this happen before because in the past it's been done while I've been in the recovery room after egg retrieval. It looked very painful! Dr Mc injected D's testicles with plenty of local anaesthetic and then he took this rather long needle, plunged it straight in and then wiggled it around a bit. The nurse assisting him pulled at something very tiny that I couldn't see with a pair of tweezers and then it was taken into the next room for checking. They did the procedure twice and were happy with what they collected. Poor D was rather sore but they gave him some more local anaesthetic and it was better. He will have to spend the rest of the day sitting down with tight undies on. I don't envy him.

This afternoon after I got home, Nurse C rang from the clinic to say that everything had gone well and that they had six straws of sperm. I don't know whether this is good or not, but we only need one! The next stage is to wait for the end of the week when I can pick up my Heparin and then we'll start the injections probably late next week.