Treatment Summary Report

So what is in a treatment summary report?

First of all, it is great to be home - my dad picked me up and to my surprise my son was in the van waiting for me too. He told me that he missed me - I am so lucky to have such a sweet boy.

Secondly, I was getting a bit nervous as I did not receive a fertilization status update like my Aussie friends did - our embryo transfers were scheduled for the same day. But after a good sleep, I woke up to find my treatment summary report. So if you don't get a status update, no worries as it will be provided in the treatment summary. In summary, I had 24 follicles, 19 eggs collected, and 18 eggs fertilized. 4 high-quality Grade 1, 8-cell embryos were transferred. Of the remaining 14 embryos, 13 were frozen ranging from 6-8 cells and Grade 1-2. This is summarized - no specific details per embryo frozen is provided. I'm very happy with the results!

It's pretty exciting to see the report. I cannot wait to find out the results in two weeks as well as for the two Aussie couples I met in Delhi. I'm crossing my fingers for all of us - it would be wonderful to return to Delhi around the same time next year! After saying that, for myself, I believe what's meant to be will be so we shall see what happens in two weeks' time. Woohoo!

REPORT CONTENTS

Here's what you get in the report - keep in mind that some of the information is summarized and not detailed as it is provided in earlier updates such as sperm analysis. It's not a major deal for me as long as everything is AOK.

Basic Information

This section provides name of patient (me in my case), date of birth, cycle type (ICSI in my case), and cycle number.

Oocyte Collection Data

This section provides collection information on the number of hours post HCG, date of operation, duration, and the names of the surgeon, anesthetist, and embryologist. You also get information (for each side) on the size of leading follicle, number of follicles punctured, number of eggs retrieved, and number of ovarian stabs. Finally, information is provided on sperm - they list a few items but just provide general comments such as "frozen thaw, good survival" (I only did two donations given my schedule) - as well as any operative notes and complications.

Embryology

For each of the four embryos transferred, they provide the cell-stage and grade including date of transfer. They use numbers here for grading versus letters back home. They summarize the total eggs, number fertilized (2PN stage), number frozen (cell stage and grade), and any abnormalities.

Embryo Transfer Details

This section provides information on position, vaginal discharge, cervix, and transfer type. It also provides information on ease of transfer, type of catheter, mucus on catheter, blood oppn catheter, and re-insertion of catheter. They write the date of pregnancy testing on the form as well - two weeks from transfer.

Thank you for letting me share this part of my world with you!

Inside Delhi Airport

Once I reached the entrance of the Delhi Airport, I was greeted by an armed guard/security officer. He asked me for my name and boarding pass - in my case, I showed him my cell phone with the e-boarding pass. If you do the same, just ensure your cell phone is fully charged. He then asked specifically for my flight number, which he conveyed to the other guard who brought me a list of passengers for my flight. I looked through the list and showed it to the first guard. He checked it against my passport and I was in.

Because I wanted hard copies of my boarding passes, I then went to Cathay Pacific to check in one bag and got my boarding passes for both legs of my flight. After that, I went towards the security check for international flights - ensure you fill out the "Departure card for passengers" before you line up. The card is similar to the entry card you filled out when you arrived in the country. Also, remember to put on a baggage tage for anything you bring on board - this is something that I am not required to do on my domestic flights back home and don't recall with my international flights so I didn't do it nor did they say anything when I went through security. The result was I couldn't board the plane. I will talk more about this later. Anyway, I got through customs quickly as well as security - take out all electronics and metals. It appeared that all women (including airline staff) must be escorted by a female security staff member into a private curtained room to be padded down I assume. This could have been required during arrival but I don't recall.

After that, I hung out in the waiting area. I was very tired given the time of the night but was able to stay up. When it came time to board the plane, I was asked to step aside because my carry-on bag did not have a security-stamped baggage tag - it's just one of those regular address tags, which they stamp when you go through security. As mentioned, I didn't know this nor was I informed when they checked my bag at the security check. So they had a security officer go through my bag, passed me an unused tag, and stamped it. It didn't really take that long or wasn't a big deal but it was something that was unnecessary. So make sure you have a tag on any carry-on items.

Anyway, battery is dying and I checked in my charger. In summary, the flights have been quite uneventful and going by quickly. Next post will be when I'm finally HOME! I also am anxious to hear back regarding the number of eggs that fertilized and their individual grading.

Thank you for letting me share this part of my world with you!

Hotel to Delhi Airport

Just arrived in Hong Kong so I have a few hours before my flight. Given this, I am spending the time in the Traveller's Lounge (West Hall) to have a nap, shower, and a bite to eat. The last time I was here was when I took my son to Perth, Australia when he was just three months old. The lounge is not for everyone but it's a nice break before I take on the final 12-hour leg of my flight back home to Vancouver. Their prices are pretty good for what you get.

So to continue from my last post, checking out of the Svelte Hotel was pretty simple - it took a little longer than expected but that's because they caught an error on my hotel statement. I was charged for internet but as an I Prefer member, I get internet complimentary. No harm in signing up if you have not already done so - it's free and if you're staying at the Svelte, it's one less cost.

Before getting into the car, I left a tip for the cleaning staff and handed a tip to the bellman who was the same guy who took my bag up to my room and explained everything to me on my first day at the Svelte. The driver was punctual as usual - I asked him to pick me up at 11pm for my 2:30am flight. The drive to the airport was a quick one and it was nice catching up with him again - he is the owner but also a driver himself. Except for the phone calls to schedule rides, we only saw him during pick-up from the airport. I complimented him on his drivers and continued to chat about this and that. He asked about our experiences at the Taj Mahal specifically about the driver - I spoke very highly of our driver. However, since he wanted more feedback, I also mentioned our experience with our tour guide. He apologized for Jack's behaviour as he saw it as a bad reflection on him and said he would discuss it with him. My intention was not to get Jack in trouble but to share feedback and better the interaction and relationship between Jack and future clients going to the Taj Mahal.

Also, being the "knowledge whore" that I am, I asked my driver something my fivesome was talking about earlier in the day. I had an idea of the answer because my ex-boyfriend was of East Indian decent but I asked to confirm. Why do boys and men hold hands in India? He confirmed that it's something normal and a sign of friendship and not a gay relationship as is the case in Western culture. I also asked about the police and found out that if you have money, you can bribe them with very little worry. I also learned that they must pass a physical and knowledge test, and given the physical component, many police officers are from the army because they are fit. However, he adds that they become "fatties" once they become police officers, which made me chuckle.

Once at the airport, I paid my bill for the rides I accumulated during my stay in Delhi, and gave the driver a healthy tip. After saying good-bye, I headed towards Entrances 5 and 6 - these are for international flights. I will write about what happens next in my next post - you often here about the complicated process of getting back into the airport for check-in.

Thank you for letting me share this part of my world with you!