Back to Istanbul it is...

We had our final Beta HCG this morning and unfortunately it went down again.  We are of course disappointed but very thankful that we have frozen embryos so we can try again.  We plan on having a wonderful and relaxing summer with the boys.  Well as relaxing as you can when there is baseball three times a week and basketball two to three times a week.  John is a coach and is always on the move somewhere with the boys.  It is exhausting at times but I am thankful that he is so involved.  

  I am sure all of you that have been trying to conceive know how it can consume your life.  I did a post a while ago about all of the calculating, counting, and calendar watching that can end up driving you crazy and almost take the love out of something that should be overflowing with it.  It has been important to remember to take time and enjoy one another.  We often forget why we are trying to conceive in the first place as the emotional toll of failing to do so month after month can often reek havoc on our bodies and minds.  It isn't just us women that can become saddened and depressed by the infertility, our husbands often carry the load on their shoulders as well.  

  

  So for all of you trying to conceive, enjoy and love your spouse or partner more than ever.  Have fun, laugh, giggle, smile, hold hands, hug and forget about the pain of infertility for awhile.  If you choose to go to Istanbul or other destination remember to relax and have a wonderful time on your vacation.  Relaxing and enjoying one another will make the whole experience better and will also help keep your body healthier.  To tell you the truth I was expecting to be cranky and super emotional because of all the medications.  I am still surprised (frankly so is John- lol) that I never got upset or emotional and I truly hope that all of you have as fantastic a time as we did.  

  I will keep you updated as we decide on the next step.  In my research on frozen embryo transfers I haven't found a lot of information on the protocols or traveling abroad, so I will definitely blog about that experience as well to hopefully help answer your questions about FET. 

 Thank you all for your support, it means so much to us both.  

Kelly and John

The 2nd Beta HCG...

  I had a second HCG level on Sunday which I didn't find out the results of until yesterday.  While anxiously waiting to take that test I had a mentally rough day Friday afternoon and Saturday.  I started to spot and had some cramps on Friday, which were both very mild.  The nurse at my OB said that unless it was very heavy I might still be fine.  On Saturday the spotting got a little worse but by the night time it started to decrease.  Sunday I was fine and had no more spotting.  It was an emotional roller coaster and was very hard to stay positive.  Again after combing the internet I came up with answers telling me it could have been my period to it was normal.  I know enough to take everything with a grain of salt but that still doesn't make the wait easier.  

  My test results from Sunday's HCG weren't good and went down to a 1.  I was told I was no longer pregnant.  After talking to my OB doctor the nurse said he still wants to do another test Wednesday am because they have seen some weird things when it comes to IVF.  I am trying to have faith but it would be a miracle if it went back up.  

   I truly believe that writing this blog has allowed me to deal with the whole situation better than I would have a year ago.  Talking about what we are going through has definitely helped us.  Our friends, family, and co-workers have been incredibly supportive and we appreciate that so much.   It has also been great talking to others and answering their questions about our trip and hopefully helping them along their own journey.  

  We have already talked about going back to Istanbul for a Frozen Embryo Transfer sometime in the Fall.   John is already on top of plane ticket prices and has been in touch with the hospital to find out what the protocol is.  This time he won't need to go, so I will either go alone, take my mom, or my best friend. 

  In the meantime we are still praying for a miracle to happen tomorrow when we take another blood test.  I will try to post more regarding our next test tomorrow.  

If you have any questions about our trip feel free to email us at kellyjohn2007@gmail.com or leave a comment below.  

Kelly 

The Test...

  I was going to title this post "The Wait is Over", but in reality it isn't even close.  I realized yesterday that this blog is helping others that are considering IVF here or abroad and that I needed to continue it no matter the outcome.  We keep getting emails and comments and I love answering everyone's questions and being able to provide more insight to other couples.  Sharing our experience was really important to both of us, but I hadn't quite figured out if I could emotionally go on after the trip.  Last night I realized that blogging and sharing has been a little like therapy especially during this long waiting period so here we go.  

  I took my first Beta HCG test this morning.  It was supposed to be tomorrow but I knew I could not wait until Monday when I had to go back to work so Burcu said it was OK to do today with a repeat in a couple days.  The nurses at my OB/GYN kindly wrote the prescription for the test and put RUN STAT on it because they knew we wanted it done as soon as possible.  They told us it would take approximately 30 minutes so by the time we got home my husband was calling the doctor's office.  I am so glad that he took charge because even though I have been anxious I might have been too chicken.  

  So, get to the point and tell us what they said already!  OK, OK, the test was positive!  Woo hoo, yippee, hooray!   In order for the test to be positive the HCG level needs to be above 5.  My level is at 10 mIU/ml today but we are not out of the woods yet.  I have to have another test done on Sunday(of all days!) to make sure that my level is doubling.  From what I have read 10 is a pretty low number so we are cautiously optimistic.  Nevertheless, at this point I am relieved, excited, and nervous all at once.  Throw in a few hundred other emotions and I am not sure I really know what the heck I am thinking at this point.  There are so many more hurdles to jump and we just have to take it a day at a time.  Well, I will keep posting no matter what so stay tuned. 

Kelly  

Please feel free to email us at kellyjohn2007@gmail.com if you have questions about our time before, during or after our trip to Istanbul for IVF.  You may also leave a comment below. 

The Wait....

  I must say the whole experience for me In Istanbul was blissful.  Yes, blissful.  It was so relaxing despite the shots and doctor's visits.  We went sightseeing, took walks, had uninterrupted talks, and just enjoyed each other. We had our five year anniversary while we were there and got to come back to a place we visited on our honeymoon, which we think is pretty cool.  We really connected in a way we hadn't been able to since trying to conceive several years ago.   I loved it, and so did John.  Now that I am home and having to wait until I can take a pregnancy test, it is awful!  This waiting is killing me.  By far it is the worst thing about the whole experience.  I know that it is inevitable, but be prepared for some seriously long days.   You will want to analyze every little thing and it will drive you crazy.  I don't remember it being this bad after my IUIs. 

  I have felt pretty good the whole time since my transfer with the exception of the on and off radiating heat from the inside of my body.  I also get tired in the afternoon and today I do feel slightly crampy on and off.  After my 7000th Google search I learned all of these symptoms can be from the medications, pregnancy, or unfortunately an impending period.    Just remember you will start IVF and they will load you with drugs, then you will have to be on progesterone as well.  Some of you might even be on Estrogen or other hormones depending on the situation.  All of these can cause pregnancy and menstrual type symptoms.  Some women I understand don't get any symptoms.  Every woman is different and it really comes down to the blood test that seems like it is light years away.  So, don't stress, over analyze or Google too much.  You WILL drive yourself up the wall. 

  I recommend trying to relax, stay occupied, and be positive.  My husband and I have reminded ourselves that it often takes two to three times for a woman to get pregnant from IVF.  No matter what happens we also know we are lucky enough to have six frozen embryos but nevertheless we are still hoping and praying for a BFP (that's Big Fat Positive in the IVF world).


  Good luck to all that are trying to conceive and for those interested in traveling abroad to have IVF, if you have any questions you may contact us at kellyjohn2007@gmail.com.  We also welcome any thoughts and experiences from others as well.  If you would like to comment please click below to share.  




Kelly

I apologize for this being behind but I was supposed to stay quiet after the transfer for a couple days and then we had to pack to come home. 

Monday May 7, 2012

  

     Monday we had our embryo transfer in the morning.  We were taken back to the same procedure area and set up in our own curtained room.  You are allowed to eat before the transfer and are required to drink 3-5 glasses of water.  I drank half of a gigantic bottle figuring that would do.  The nurses asked me if I had a full bladder and told me that since it would be another forty minutes I could try and go a little to make it less uncomfortable as long as I didn't completely empty it.  Well, I was feeling fine until I "went a little" which made me cross my legs and dance more.   

  The doctor finally came in to let us know  about our embryos and put us at ease.  He informed us that eight of the embryos survived the weekend and that he recommended transferring two 5AA  blastocysts, which are top quality.  There is a grading system and I found a good website from an IVF clinic in Chicago that explains and shows good pictures.   Here is some of the information that I found. 

Expansion grade	Blastocyst development and stage status
1	Blastocoel cavity less than half the volume of the embryo
2	Blastocoel cavity more than half the volume of the embryo
3	Full blastocyst, cavity completely filling the embryo
4	Expanded blastocyst, cavity larger than the embryo, with thinning of the shell
5	Hatching out of the shell
6	Hatched out of the shell

ICM grade	Inner cell mass quality
A	Many cells, tightly packed
B	Several cells, loosely grouped
C	Very few cells

TE grade	Trophectoderm quality
A	Many cells, forming a cohesive layer
B	Few cells, forming a loose epithelium
C	Very few large cells

http://www.advancedfertility.com/blastocystimages.htm

   Here is a photo from the website of what a blastocyst of the same quality looks like. 

 

5AA Blastocyst hatching out of shell = 5
Inner cell mass = A
Trophectoderm = A

    The doctor also mentioned that the rest of the embryos were still of good quality and that if we chose to freeze them the embryologist would do it in groups of three.  We of course agreed but hope that we won't need them unless we would like to eventually have another baby.  At that point the process if shortened tremendously because I would not need to be on weeks of injections.  

  OK, back to the transfer.  After the doctor left, the nurses had me change into the too short for a 5'11" woman hospital gown and we walked down to the same room that the egg retrieval was done in.  When I got in there the ultrasound was set up and three different nurses came in and kindly pressed on my extremely full bladder.  Next the doctor comes in and explains that this is similar to a yearly pap smear.  He starts his part and the nurse positions the ultrasound, pressing firmly, then you wait for the embryologist to bring in the embryos.  It was the longest two minutes of my life.  When the embryos or more correctly blastocysts are brought in it only takes a minute to do the transfer.  He watched the ultrasound and announced that he found a perfect spot in my uterus away from my polyp.  

  After the transfer I had to lay on my back for one hour so they took me back to my room where John was waiting.   That was fun considering I just had my bladder pressed on multiple times after consuming a liter of water.   They recommended to stay quiet and not talk a lot.  

  

  John had a few questions about our other blastocysts so the embryologist came in to talk to us.  He said the ones that we were going to freeze were still of good quality and should we need them they could continue to improve after the thawing.  He also said that from his perspective we have a 30% chance of multiples..oh boy!  

  The rest of the day I laid around and John waited on me.  I milked that as much as I could.  Well, actually I am still milking it.  Just a little!  We have to wait a couple weeks before we know anything and I haven't really decided if I will blog about the results either way for a while.  You have to be on progesterone starting from the egg retrieval and I was told until at least the first ultrasound, if there is a positive pregnancy test.  Dr. Arici wants to know the results of the blood test as well as the first ultrasound.    I was told at that point if I am pregnant he will let us know how much longer to be on the progesterone.  It is nice to know that he will still be working with my OB/GYN and supporting us even from afar. 

If you are thinking of going abroad for IVF and are interested in knowing more about our trip or have questions please leave a comment below or email us at kellyjohn2007@gmaill.com.  You can also get more information at www.IVFvacationcenter,com.

  Thank you for following our journey...

Kelly and John

Sunday May 6, 2012

  I thought I would jot a few things down that I recommend or that helped us while we were here. 

1.  Burcu will give you her business card...keep it handy and use it to call her if you need anything.  We called her a couple times so she could talk to the cab drivers and let them know where we wanted to go. The hospital address and name is on there as well which also helps.  

2.  Get a business card from a taxi driver as well.  We would use it at the train station to call a cab from our cell phone but just ask anyone and they will usually help you out.

3.  Cook in the hotel room to save money.  The hotel doesn't supply anything at all to cook with so we bought a couple pans, plastic plates, and a few cooking utensils and forks.  We also bought napkins, dish soap and a sponge.  We are going to try and leave a box with things that we purchased and items that Kim and Jeff left here so that future couples don't have to buy as much.  Just ask at the desk when you arrive.

4.  Take the public transport when you can.  If we were here longer we would learn how to ride the blue and yellow shared buses but the train is very easy and cheap too.  The ferry to get to the islands or the European side is also cheap.  

5.  Buy a transportation card at the kiosks in the train stations or around the ferries.  I believe it was 6 or 7 TL.  You load the card with Turkish Liras at the same kiosks or there are machines before you get on the trains and ferries.  The card will get you on all trains and ferries.  There are discounted prices if you swipe the card again within an hour I believe, but it usually costs 1.75 TL for the trains and ferries to the European side and 3 TL to the Princes' Islands.  I think without the card it is more expensive.  

6.   Don't always rely on a wake-up call from the front desk at the hotel.  They forgot to call a couple times and luckily we didn't miss any appointments.  Set your cell phone alarm or bring a small clock because there is not one in the room. 

7.  The mini bar is stocked when you get here and from what I read on other blogs it adds up quickly and is expensive, so we stayed away.

8.  I brought a few 1 load packs of laundry detergent with me to wash cloths.  I was pretty sure there wouldn't be any facilities as I asked Burcu and I didn't want to spend a lot of money having the hotel launder things.  Being here for three weeks I had to hand wash things a few times and hang them p to dry, it actually worked out great.

9.  We bought an English to Turkish pocket dictionary here but you might want to get one before you come.  They have a few different letters and it is helpful to learn the pronunciation of them.  

10.  You can bargain at the bazaars and street markets very easily.  Regular shops the prices are usually set but we bargained for fruits, veggies, souvenirs, nuts, etc at the Spice Bazaar and the Saturday market in Pendik.  

11.  Most of all, enjoy your time here.  It was a very relaxing experience for us and we are both glad we did it no matter what happens in the near future.  We know we would do it again but we are praying we won't need to.  

If I think of more I will add to the post....

Tomorrow is the day for our transfer so we will find out how our embryos did over the weekend. 

More on our journey tomorrow...

 

Saturday May 5, 2012

Cinco de Mayo 

  Cinco de Mayo?  Wait a sec aren't they in Turkey?  Yes, but my husband is craving Mexican food and has already made plans to help boost the restaurant business when we get back home.  He did however try a Mexican style Turkish Efes brand beer in honor of the holiday.  According to him it wasn't spectacular and was no where near Dos Equis or any other beer South of our US border.  The regular Efes Pilsner is pretty good, although I only had a sip.  The Turks are very proud of their Efes beer and that is almost all you can find in the stores, except the expensive American import....Miller Genuine Draft.  Yes folks, MGD is the pricey import here in Turkey.  Go figure.

  So on this beautiful Saturday morning our standing wake up call never happened and we scrambled out of bed with twenty minutes to get downstairs and make the shuttle that drops us off at the farmer's market and bazaar in Pendik.  It has become a favorite spot of ours every Saturday since we got here.  We missed breakfast so we snacked on Simit bread and fresh string cheese when we go there.  We were on a mission and only went in for three things.  Just like going to the store at home we came out with a lot more.  

  We decided to walk into the town of Pendik, eventually hoping to find a local restaurant off the beaten path.  When you walk from the bazaar you go through parks and basically follow the locals into town.  We were a far cry from the first day we went three Saturdays ago when we had no idea where to go.  This time we stopped in a pretty park and fed the birds sesame seeds and watched them splash in the fountain made of tall Tulips.  Then we lazily walked around town until lunch time.  John picked a really nice restaurant to eat at and we ordered "The Special" which they said was for two.  

The special basically consisted of two of almost every kind of traditional street food in Turkey.  We had mini Lahmacun(pronounced La Ma June - the C is soft like the French J) which is flat and pizza like with meat and vegetables.  There was also Peymacun  which is the cheese version.  There was also lamb meat, chicken, traditional breads, spicy Durum meat, onions, roasted tomatoes, the list goes on.  It was delicious but more meat than I have consumed since I have been here.  

The "Special" for 2 in Pendik.  Sorry Blackberry photo - forgot camera

  On the way home we received a call from Burcu that we still had nine embryos growing and dividing and that our transfer would be Monday at 9:30am.  You have to have a full bladder but there are no other restrictions as with the egg retrieval.  There is no anesthesia and it is supposed to only take a few minutes.  Hopefully they will do well throughout the rest of the weekend.  

More on our journey to come...

Friday May 4, 2012

  I forgot to mention on yesterday's post that we heard from Burcu about our embryos.  On Wednesday's post we mentioned that we had 15 eggs retrieved.  11 of those eggs were mature and Burcu told us that 9 had fertilized.   

  We waited patiently all day today but never received a call about how they were doing.  We knew that our transfer day had to be either Saturday or Monday since they don't work Sundays. We like to take walks around the grounds and through the hospital after breakfast and dinner and today we ran into Burcu while on our morning walk through the hospital.  She said that she had not heard anything so we took that as a good sign so far. 

   Instead of waiting for a call we went to Kipa today and got a few groceries and then had lunch in a cafe in the mall.  Food is so inexpensive at most places here and our meal was really good.  I had a veggie and cheese sandwich with fries and a salad for 7 TL.  That is roughly $ 3.70.  The sandwich was on really good bread, almost like ciabatta, and it was pretty big.  John had a steak sandwich with fries and a salad and his was only $14 TL or $7.70.  This cafe is one of several in the mall that serve traditional Turkish food  as well as beautiful pastries and desserts.  There are pans of Baklava, cheesecakes, tarts, and candies.

  We didn't want to be at the mall long so we took the second shuttle back at 1:30 (the times are posted in the hotel lobby).  We came home and chilled out for the rest of the afternoon and never did hear from Burcu or the hospital.  I guess that means the transfer will be Monday.  John picked up some food from the hospital cafeteria for dinner tonight and it was pretty good.  If I haven't mentioned it before, (for those of you coming to do IVF here) there are a couple of options if you don't want to eat in your hotel room some nights.  The hotel restaurant has a pretty big menu but it is expensive.  The cafeteria is decent at times and relatively cheap.  There is also the Columbus Cafe which has sandwiches, desserts, coffee etc.  It is good but can get a little pricey for dinner.

  More to come on our journey tomorrow....
 

Thursday May 3, 2012

 Today we  decided to head back to the Princes' Islands to stroll around and have a lazy day since I had my egg retrieval yesterday.  The train is closed from Fatih to Pendik right now so we had to take a cab to the train station in Pendik and ride it to Bostanci.   We decided to try some different street food and since we had an hour before the ferry was to leave we walked down the boardwalk in search of something new.  There were shops selling fresh fish and small seaside restaurants making traditional Turkish food.  One of the popular street foods is Durum.  Skewers of different meats, cheese, or a combination are cooked over hot coals and then wrapped in an unlevened Turkish flat bread called Yufka.  John chose a sausage and cheese durum that was pretty good. 

Here you can see the refrigerator case with the choices of Durum

Sorry for the glare on the photo..here is the gentleman grilling over hot coals

They wrap the meat and cheese up in Yufka and then grill that too

Finished Sausage and Cheese Durum

 
   From Bostanci we again rode the ferry over to the islands.  This time we sat outside in the cool air and were joined by a nice your couple that asked us to take their picture.  I believe they were Turkish but you never really now as this is a melting pot of many from all over Europe , especially the Baltic areas.  He had with him a beautiful string instrument, called a Baglama, that is used to play traditional folk music. 

Baglama traditional Turkish string instrument for folk music

On the way to the Princes' Island. called Buyukada

                                                  playing music

                                               signing and playing music
   

  Once we arrived in Buyukada I decided I wanted to try some of these donut holes I had seen last time we came to island.  They have a little vendor cooking the donuts, which are called Lokma, right as you walk up the hill into the town square.  When you go up to them the gentleman asks if you want them hot...um yes please...so we had to wait a few minutes.  Once cooked and drained they drop them in a vat of hot honey syrup and then sprinkle them with cinnamon.  Holy cow they were awesome!  Very sweet, but hot and crispy and light as air.  

Lokma

We spent the afternoon walking the streets, eating lunch at the same restaurant we ate at last time and finally finishing the afternoon with John eating hazelnut gelato and me grabbing some more Lokma.  I could not resist and since we split a chicken wrap for lunch I didn't feel too guilty.  

 I was really tired on the ferry ride home and just wanted to sleep but John was hopped up on gelato or something and pestered me the whole ride home.  He wouldn't stop singing an Adele song, (in a key that doesn't exist and that he doesn't know the words to)taking photos of me, or bugging me to pay attention to him. Kinda of reminded me of a Labrador puppy wanting to play ball.  Good thing I love him...  

Ferry ride from Buyukada, Princes' Islands

More on our journey to come...

Wednesday May 2, 2012

  The egg retrieval is done under conscious sedation also called twilight sedation so I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight Tuesday. I had to be there at 8:30am and just so you know some come out a little uncomfortable so bring yoga or sweatpants.  

  

  I went in and changed into a gown, which was not meant for a 5'11" individual by the way, it was like wearing a mini skirt.  Anesthesia came in and asked questions and Dr. Arici also stopped by for encouragement.  A nurse will also place a catheter in your arm so they can administer sedation and an IV drip.  Once they are ready I walked down the hall, holding my mini skirt for fear of showing my bits to anyone around, and go into a procedure room.  They got me all situated and the anesthesiologist gave me a cocktail which caused me to drift off.  I remember very little but the whole procedure only took about 20 minutes.  Next thing I know I am being wheeled back to my bay where John is waiting.  He left for his part shortly after(by the way...no break this time in between...18 million sperm...manhood still in tack).  

  They make you eat a sandwich, which was delicious, and give you Aryan, a common yogurt drink, before you can go.  I also had to pick up more meds before I left.  Burcu is there to help with that and takes you to the pharmacy in case a translator is needed.  They put you on four days of antibiotic, which I was expecting because it is common after retrieval.  They also put me on four days of a corticosteroid and progesterone which helps to support a pregnancy. The progesterone has to be taken until your first ultrasound after a positive pregnancy test so I will have to get more from my OB at home if I become pregnant.  They will also prescribed an aspirin and anti-inflammatory but I can't take them so they said Tylenol is fine if there is any pain or discomfort.  I  felt pretty good all day, just a little discomfort after a few hours of being back at the hotel and napping but not too bad.

 Now, it is a waiting game.  15 eggs were retrieved, but we don't know the status of them as far as viability and maturity.  They thawed John's sample from Monday and plan on using the best sperm from that and today's sample.  They are doing ICSI which means they inject one good quality sperm right into each of the viable and mature eggs.  In the states this always costs more, here it is standard.  We should get a call tomorrow telling us how many eggs fertilized and survived.  From there it is day by day.  They can call us at any time in the next 2-5 days and tell us that they want to do the transfer the following day.  We are praying that the eggs become fertilized and that healthy embryos result.  We will just have to wait and see.  If you have any questions please let us know below where it says comments.  

More on our journey to come...we hope

Sunday April 29 to Tuesday May 1, 2012

  I apologize for not being on in the last few days.  In some ways it was boring and uneventful in others it was exciting.  Sunday was the first day I started to feel the effects of all the injections.  Not really bad at all I just was tired and wanted to hang around the hotel.  John and Jeff decided to venture to the European side on their own so Kim and I hung out all morning and part of the afternoon talking and getting to know one another.   I was a little worried about them going over there because any of you that know John know his sense of direction leaves something to be desired.  Apparently Jeff's isn't stellar either but they made it there and back in one piece even though the train was down at our usual stop and they had to figure out how to get around that.  They did a great job though seeing as this is a really big city and it isn't a straight shot over to the other side. 

   Monday we had a doctor's appointment in the morning.  We knew that this would be the tell tale appointment that would determine the rest of our treatment.  Dr. Arici told us that I had 15 eggs, 11 of which were mature.  The other four they said could possibly get larger in the next couple days they would just have to wait and see.  Basically what that meant that we were ready for oocyte (egg) retrieval.  That would be the exciting part!

   On our first visit we were given am injection called Ovitrelle(Ovidrel in USA) which we had in our fridge and were instructed to take at precisely 10:30pm that night. (Monday)  The medication is what drops the eggs in exactly 36 hours so that they can collect them.  I had to take this same med when I did IUI in the states last summer. I was at that point finished with all other medications and my retrieval was scheduled for Wednesday am.

  If you have read our story you know that part of our issue with conceiving is that John had a vasectomy reversal and for whatever reason his sperm count never reached higher than 13 or 14 million.  Because of that the doctor requested a sample on this day to see what they were dealing with.  He mentioned that John might have to have a procedure where they pull out the sperm with a needle.  That did not sit well with John, although I did have to have two injections per day for 12 days so... 

  

  The procedure would have been an extra 1000 TL or roughly $600-700 after exchange rates and bank fees.  Be prepared for things such as this, every couple and situation is different so there are things they understandably can't tell you beforehand.  

  So poor John is informed they need the sample on Monday so they can get an idea for Wednesday's retrieval.  OK, no problem right?  Well then he is also told he needs to give two samples, and that he only has ten minutes in between each!  Apparently, sometimes the second sample is better. (No details about that escapade, you will have to pry them from him!)  Well, let me tell you, John's head was pretty swollen after hearing the results of the count.  Opps, no pun intended.  His count was 23 million which was really good news since everything looked good enough to where the extra procedure with the needle will now not be needed.  Manhood restored!   Maybe that Turkish Viagra is working! (See previous post)

  

  After his reversal we had several counts done because the numbers can get bigger up to a year.  They wanted 20 million at the year mark, but like I said that last count was somewhere at 3-4 million.  We always wondered about his counts done in the states.  First, they have never asked for 2 samples back to back and we always questioned how long it took the lab to get the count done.  It is supposed to be done immediately from what we understand.  Anyway, I guess we will never know if they didn't do a good job or if it has just gotten better.

 

  I really have been feeling pretty good which I am thankful for.  I really thought that I would be more uncomfortable and moody after 10 days of hormone injections.  I think it has a lot to do with how relaxing of an experience this has been.  After our appointment Monday we went to the grocery store and picked up a few things.  It is an easy trip and the hotel shuttle takes you their and picks you back up for free.  

  We said goodbye to our new friends Monday evening as they had to leave in the early am for their flight home.  We hope that they arrived home safely.  We also wish them the best of luck and are praying for them.   

  Tuesday was pretty uneventful as we just went to the mall and grocery store again.  John has tried Efes beer which is Turkish and wanted to get some to bring home.  I had a tiny sip and even though I am not a beer lover it was pretty good.  I  also found some eye glasses while I was here and was able to pick them up.  Sounds strange but they were a good price and the first I have tried on that I liked.  I must have tried on 100 pairs in the last couple months at home and lo and behold I walk into a Turkish optical and the first pair I pick I end up loving.  Luckily I had my prescription with me and since I work in Ophthalmology I knew enough to get what I wanted and needed. 

More on out Journey and tomorrow's procedure next...