Round 9
Its 9am on Wednesday 31 August and here I am again at the airport waiting to fly for another quick trip to the uk to hopefully collect a couple more eggs.
After seeing Dr Greg yesterday and having two follicles ready for collection, one on my right ovary (21mm in size) and one on my left ovary (17mm in size) he advised that we trigger me yesterday evening and that collection happens on Thursday morning.
Having juggled various logistical challenges around last minute flights to the uk (extortionately priced with limited availability), work commitments (missing one of the most important meetings of my career, thank god I have an amazingly understanding boss!) and a trail of back and forth emails to the uk clinic (what medication to take, exactly when to take it etc), I am finally at the airport and waiting to board my flight to the uk!
This time last year I was three rounds in, zero eggs frozen and had virtually given up any hope of becoming a biological mother. I realize I am still a long way off from that reality, but I am for sure one step closer to this possibility and that fills me with enormous hope and happiness.
lessons learnt
I remember the strangest things That my parents told me as a child. No tattoos, don’t ride a motorbike, don’t tell your brothers or sister I gave you that extra cookie and the list goes on.
My father, one of the people I admire most in this world, taught me two valuable things that have stuck in my head and ring in my ears day in, day out and have especially done so through my egg freezing journey. “Life is not fair” and “Never ever give up”.
I know as a child these words were nothing more than words, It is only as I have grown older and weathered this world they have had real meaning, meaning like they had for my dad when he was a young child. Let me explain.
As a child my father had a potentially fatal illness. An illness that he contracted from a nurse while he was in hospital having his tonsils out. The doctors didn’t think he was going to make it, Infact they said if he did he would definitely be wheel chair bound. At aged 5 my father found the strength to survive this illness, he learned to walk again and managed to live a normal healthy life playing sport to a high level and doing almost all the things that anyone his age would do, even with a slight limp. He ackomplished anything he put his mind to and didnt wallow in self pity or dwell on how contracting this rare disease a freakish way was so unfair. He made the best of the situation he had been dealt.
My father is a great man, he exemplifies honor and integrity. He is exactly the kind of man I hope one day I am lucky to end up with. I firmly believe that overcoming this illness at such a young age gave him the strength and character he has today. I am so thankful he never gave up fighting as a child and that he taught me and my siblings the valuable lessons he learnt at such a young age. I know without a doubt they are lessons that have helped me become who I am today and they have helped me navigate this journey, which at times has been soul destroying. Thank you dad for helping me be strong. I love you.