Happy Father's Day

Being Father's Day today, what better time to post a quick update on the status of things in Panama. I also want to wish all Father's, including mine, a very Happy Father's Day. With any luck, I'll be joining the ranks in 2013.

I don't have a lot of news to report at this time. Treatment for both my Egg Donor and Surrogate is progressing as planned. My Egg Donor had her first ultrasound on Thursday, June 14th and her follicles on both her left and right ovaries are developing nicely. The follicles are the appropriate size and the estradiol level is within the normal range, so my doctors are very pleased. Egg retrieval is scheduled for this coming Friday, June 22nd, and the doctors estimate they will retrieve a minimum of 15 eggs, but they are hopeful for more (based on the results of Thursday's ultrasound)! If the process continues to move forward as planned, IVF would take place on the June 22nd and 23rd, with the embryo transfer to my Surrogate to follow on June 26th or 27th.

Since my last post on June 1st, there has been a slight change of plans pertaining to my Surrogate. After further evaluation, it was determined that my previous Surrogate's uterine lining did not meet the expectations of my doctors. I don't understand all the nuances here, but my doctors feel it is best to work with a uterus that is triple lined. The condition of the lining in the uterus may be the difference between pregnancy success or failure in patients undergoing IVF. I trust my doctor's expert opinions and feel very fortunate for their continued due diligence and thoroughness throughout this process. Fortunately, we had another Surrogate available, whose uterus has been deemed clinically perfect!

My new Surrogate is a healthy, 30 year old, single-mother of three children. Like my previous Surrogate, she is participating in the John Hopkins Surrogacy program in an effort to further her education and earn an advanced diploma to provide her with the skills and monetary assistance needed to start her own small business. Her name is Sally, and with any luck, we'll be meeting in person some 20 weeks from now!

As always, thanks for your continued love and support. The next few weeks are a very critical time, so I'll thank you in advance for your support, positive vibes, love and prayers. 

Rob