Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Yellow Brick Road

I know I said I would try and post on Monday once I was off of couch-rest but I had such a good time relaxing with my husband that I couldn't make time to get away to the computer.  Saturday Handsome had identified a leak under our pavestone patio.  When we had the patio put in we had asked the installers to place our drip lines in a PVC pipe under the patio to both protect the lines and so that we would be able to pull out and replace and broken lines.  They did this but the PVC pipe wasn't long enough to actually stick out of both sides of the patio (didn't find that out until this weekend).  First he dug along the side of the patio and found the water was coming from underneath, then he identified the wettest part of the patio and pulled up some of the blocks - only the edges are cemented in.  Then he dug until he found the edge of the PVC pipe - VICTORY!!!  Look how wet it is - he had to use the shop vac to suck it out so he could work.

Using a straight line we traced where the PVC emerged on the other side of the patio and dug along the edge, luckily this side of the pipe was outside the patio. 

We have two drip system lines - line 1 and line 2.  Before removing anything we traced the water lines back a bit further and found that line one was split and running to both raised gardens, doing 90% of the work, and line two was only watering a few plants; this is why some of our plants don't get watered well - no pressure at the far end of line 1.  At this point we had to call it a day as we were meeting friends at Ruth's Chris for dinner but at least we had the issues identified and Handsome knew how he planned to fix it. The next day we had our transfer in the morning (more about this after the repair story) and then after getting me situated on the couch Handsome went back out to finish the repair.  Handsome capped where line 1 split off to go under the patio for the second raised garden (we call it the stage- see below) and hooked it to line 2 instead.  The only other plants line two went to were some established trees and bushes so we are not worried about those not getting water. 

My wonderfully talented husband then extended the PVC pipe so that in the future we can get to both ends without pulling up the patio.  He pulled out the old lines which still had old emitters attached which were leaking, and then reran the new line through the PVC.  He refilled the holes, put in some sand for leveling and then replaced all the bricks.  You can't even tell where the repair was made except that it no longer is growing mold, moss and other wet stuff :)







Now on to the transfer!  When I got up in the morning I had to take my Estradiol and a Prometrium vaginally an hour before the procedure.  Then I had to make sure to drink water so my bladder would be full.  They want a full bladder because they use ultrasound to direct the transfer needle and they get a better image through liquid - hence the full bladder.  I also took a Valium with me which I was to take 30 minutes before the procedure.  Unfortunately they were running late at ARMS and I was full to bursting.  The nurse asked if I could pee half way and then stop... Now maybe some of you guys have excellent bladder control but for me its all or nothing.  She said that if it got too bad I could pee and then start drinking again.  I waited as long as I could then just HAD to go.  I started drinking more water and about 30 minutes later had to go again.  I kept waiting thinking "as soon as I pee they're going to be ready".  Well I couldn't take it any longer and went; and sure enough as I'm in the bathroom the nurse comes in because they are almost ready and asks Handsome if I had to go again!  So the doctor came in and let me know how things were going to go and give me some time to drink more water.  She had the lab tech come in and the lab tech told us that we had one blastocyst ready for transfer and 5 that had been cryopreserved individually so we can use them one at a time in the future.  Six!  Six blastocysts!  I was really happy with that number and it definitely means we can try for a younger sibling for the one I am growing now :)

I went into the procedure room (kind sleepy and relaxed since I had taken the Valium).  When the doctor got the ultrasound in place pressing on my full bladder she said I was REALLY full and she mentioned going halfway - I told her it was a no go and to just go ahead with the transfer.  She got everything ready and then yelled to the lab tech when she was ready - it was funny because she yelled "wet noodle" and I looked at my husband and said, "did she just say wet noodle?!" he said yes and she repeated it one more time as the tech came in with the blastocyst.  She got it placed and everything looks great - we even got a picture.


See the circled white spot?  That is the blastocyst - well actually the blastocyst is too small to see but that is the fluid around it!  Then they transferred me to a bed and wheeled me to lay on my back for the next 60 minutes. 

It was at this point I got to experience the wonders of a bed pan.  As I mentioned earlier my bladder was VERY full and I wasn't allowed to get up to go to the bathroom for an hour but the nurse said I could ask for a bed pan.  So I did, it was a weird experience but the relief was immeasurable.  It was difficult to relax enough because it felt like wetting the bed or something - my body was like "HEY this isn't the toilet what are we doing here?!".  I had to ask my husband to leave the room so I could relax enough to do it and then it was hard to tell when I was done because you don't hear the tinkling and I had needed to go so bad that my sensitivity was down.  Finally when I was sure I was done the nurse took the pan and I cleaned up.  Handsome and I had downloaded some comedy shows to my Kindle Fire because I had heard that in a study that women undergoing IVF had greater pregnancy rates when they laughed during recovery (they had a clown - I had Daniel Tosh and Kevin Hart).  I did have to use the bad pan one more time before my hour was up and then it was home to be on the couch.  Now it is the waiting game until I take the serum pregnancy test next Tuesday.  Keep your fingers crossed for me! ttyl


Follow The Yellow Brick Road
"Follow the Yellow Brick Road. Follow the Yellow Brick Road.
Follow, follow, follow, follow,
Follow the Yellow Brick Road.
Follow the Yellow Brick, Follow the Yellow Brick,
Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

We're off to see the Wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
You'll find he is a whiz of a Wiz! If ever a Wiz! there was.
If ever oh ever a Wiz! there was The Wizard of Oz is one because,
Because, because, because, because, because.
Because of the wonderful things he does.
We're off to see the Wizard. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"

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