April 25, 2008

Perfect Peppers

Well we got the call this morning.

Me: Hello...

Embryologist: Hi this is______ from Embryology, do you have a minute to talk?

Me: Sure.

* I had only been sitting there cradling the phone in my hands all morning waiting for you to call...but yeah, I think I can spare a few minutes to hear about our EMBRYOS.*

Anyway - here's the good news:

We are still on for a Sunday, 5-day transfer.

We have 7 pepper seeds (embryos) in the "perfect range" of 6-10 cells.

There are 4 others lagging behind: 1 at 5 cells, 2 at 4 cells, and 1 at 2 cells.

3 arrested and did not grow after fertilization.

So, 7 perfect little pepper seeds, great news right????

Except, I am always one to root for the underdog (seriously, if you know of any sports teams who have never won a game, let me know and I will get their name tattooed on my ass), so I find myself sad for the 3 who didn't make it and rooting for the others to catch up. It's hard for me to get into the mindset of of judging them on their performance, rooting for the winners.

Really, I stopped playing chess in my early 20s because I felt bad for the pawns. I saw them as the young troops being sent to the front lines with no regard for their safety. I hated deciding which parts of my "army" were expendable and which deserved protection. This isn't quite like that, the decision is not in our hands - but still.

A friend today helpfully reminded me that the process that is happening now is the same natural selection process that happens inside women's bodies all the time. Not every fertilization results in an embryo, not every embryo implants, etc.... And actually there are studies now that show (analyzing a chemical released during fertilization) that in cases where an egg becomes fertilized "naturally" within the body, as many as 43-80% of the times it does not result in implantation or pregnancy. So, there is a selection process that happens in nature as well. Ours is just happening out in the open where we can see it and comment on it.

And - really, when I think about it - all of these little peppers are underdogs. It took extraordinary measures just to get them here, and they are fighting against pretty big obstacles and odds to make it to the finish line: transfer, implantation, gestation, and birth. They are all survivors and I am proud of myself for my part in them, and proud of them for growing so well in such, well, unnatural conditions.

And I am also reminded that there is, as always, something much larger at work here. A mystery that brings this life, that helps it to grow, that shows up and works its magic. And I am grateful to that Mystery, to that magic, for how far we have come together.

For seven perfect little pepper seeds.

And for seven not-so perfect pepper seeds.

The magic is in them all.



7 comments:

Lori Lavender Luz said...

The chess paragraph cracks me up.

Because it is so me.

Yay on all the li'l peppas!

s.e. said...

Wahoo! I am very happy for you. It is definitely magical.

s.e. said...

Wahoo! I am very happy for you. It is definitely magical.

Denise said...

Congrats on 7 perfect little pepper seeds! And on the 7 not-so-perfect ones. You are right, they all are fighting the good fight against the odds of nature.

nancy said...

Woohoo!!! That's wonderful. So exciting!!

OH man, and here I am - totally overwraught with jealousy too. I just want to get there. Just a chance. That's all. I'm not saying "I WANT A BFP". I mean, I do, but I want to try. I want to complete a cycle without having to give some crazy ass story as to why I'm cancelled. Again.

Sorry, that was tangentfull. Your number is wonderful. Congrats again!

Anonymous said...

Great news. Hope the remaining pepper seed reach to the blast! Best wish for this weekend day 5 transfer.

annacyclopedia said...

I'l be thinking of you this weekend and keeping you in my heart especially tomorrow morning. And cheering on all your little pepper seeds, the slow and the fast, hoping the magic helps each of them transform into little sprouts, little seedlings, little fruitful pepper plants.

And may you be held in the Mystery and feel a part of it all - preparing for, during, and after the transfer.