All Systems Go

It's a wonder that humans can reproduce at all. Honestly, there are so many things that need to happen exactly right for it to occur.

Although IVF differs in significant respects from the natural process, there are also lots of things that need to go right in order for it to have even a chance of working:

• The ovaries need to respond to the drugs and grow some follicles



• The follicles need to mature



• There must be some eggs in those follicles



• The eggs need to be of decent quality



• There's got to be sufficient sperm to fertilize them



• The eggs need to fertilize



• The fertilized eggs need to divide and grow for a few days in vitro without falling apart



• The embryos must attach to the uterus



• And stay attached

And that's just to get pregnant. Staying that way for the requisite amount of time is a whole nother adventure.

We've cleared the first couple of hurdles. Today, Dr. Glass Half Full pronounced me "ready." Woo-hoo!

Now it's show time for Atomic. No, not that show time -- that's Monday morning. Tonight, my dear Atomic must stick a rather large needle in my ass and inject me with HcG, which will tell my ovaries to release the eggs. Fortunately, Nurse Friendly drew circles on the appropriate spots and told me I had "good targets."

Tomorrow is a drug-free day. No injections, no baby aspirin, no mixing or poking or bleeding or bruising. And no eating after midnight . . .

. . . because they need my stomach to be empty Monday morning so they can administer the knockout drops.

Aaaaaaaah. Cleared for takeoff. So far, so good.