CD 11, Cycle 42, IVF
Hi Ladies! Whew, a whirlwind of a day, sorry for the much later than usual update! So, the day started with my ultrasound...I had a bad tummy ache this morning (probably from a combo of the heavy cream sauce from lat night dinner and the estrogen). As soon as she got the probe positioned, DH goes "whoa!"...I think he saw it before either of us. Yep, that stupid cyst is still there. At first, the RE thought it looked bigger, but she measured, and it's gone down significantly - last week it was 31, this week it's 22. She's annoyed at it, but very pleased with the rate at which it's shrinking. She did give me the option again of going off the estrace completely and waiting a couple weeks then starting over, or just keeping on the estrace, coming back in another week, just like we did this week. We opted for the return visit next Friday. I still don't have hopes that it will be gone, but she said if it gets down to the 12ish range, she'd be ok starting me. So, that's where it stands.
So, I came home, made a bowl of oatmeal, changed into sweats, and settled in for a long day of school. It was supposed to rain, so I was ok with that. Then my friend Joan called. She's a keeper at the Park, and I spend a lot of time with her during the week. She's been on vacation with her mom visiting from out of town (her mom is 82 years old), and she and her mom were headed to the Park and she wanted me to come meet them so I could meet her mom. I tossed back on some jeans, and my park clothes, and headed over there. Met up with them, then walked around for a bit, then we went to see the gorillas - who were all inside because of the rain. So she brought me and her mom BEHIND THE SCENES in the gorilla exhibit while the keeper fed them LUNCH. It was completely mental. I was less than 2 feet away from the gorillas, watching them eat grapes and drink juice out of a cup! The keeper demonstrated some of their husbandry procedures (like asking them to present a foot, ear, shoulder, etc). It was out of this world cool. I loved seeing Monroe - he's 10 months old and such a ham. But the best was seeing Winston, the grayback, up close. He's ginormous. Normally, guests can only see the gorillas from the outside of the exhibit (obviously), and they are quite far away, and across a large moat. But to see them in their bedrooms, and watch them delicately ask for and eat individual grapes?!? Holy nuts. It was raining pretty good at this point, but we traversed on. We went to see the lions, who were huddled under their shelter on their heated rocks. Very cool. The lion keeper Joan knows wasn't working today, so we couldn't go back there (but HOLY COW, I almost got to go back with the lions!!!!) Then we went back up towards the front of the park, it was starting to pour, and getting really chilly. We were all soaked. (Her mom is such a trooper!) We made one last stop off at the care center, one area Joan works closely with, though not in. The care center is where they take care of ill, injured animals, but also raise babies. Yep, babies. (For those that recall, that's what I'm going to school for -- to learn how to raise neonates). So, it's all under construction, so most animals were displaced, but there were several that were not. Since it was raining, they were in their barn stalls. Right now, they mostly have gazelles, but there was one VERY young baby addax that needed to be fed, so we go to see that! Behind the scenes in the nursery!! My dream, right in front of me. I was just in awe.
We had to leave after that...it was now thundering, pouring, and the temp dropped by at least 15 degrees, and we were soaked...(and remember, Joan's mom is in her 80s, and used to Florida weather!). We're going back together next week, and hopefully do some more fun things. It's so nice to have these special privileges. I still can't get over being that close to the gorillas!
So, I just got home, I had to get out of my wet clothes quick, and now I'm here, trying to do a little school work. Tomorrow morning, I have my orientation for a volunteer program I'm starting at the Zoo/Park soon, then not sure what the afternoon holds. It will depend on the weather, I suppose. I hope this rain goes away, because it stinks!
Anyhow, sorry for the long update, but I was so excited for all my special experiences today! Now I wait for DH to get home. I will take a bath with my new bath pillow he bought me
and we'll have pizza and movie night. Can't wait, it's so gross out! But in the meantime, I'll leave you with this. I couldn't take pics of the gorillas (they are VERY sensitive), but I snapped this of the keeper feeding the baby addax. He is only about a foot tall!
Happy Weekend everyone!!
