Sunday Retrieval

Tomorrow is retrieval day - yay! DH has an 8am date with a cup and I'll be accompanying him because I have nothing better to do than to obsess over m reproductive future. Miss DE will be there later in the day for her retrieval. We will not be crossing paths.

But I had an idea that I wanted to thank her for her time, effort and her commitment to this process, in addition to her oocytes. I want to express my thanks for the life-changing opportunity that she has given to me. In my view, $8,000 doesn't cover it. The injections, the weight gain, the mood swings, the retrieval, the donation itself. It's all simply overwhelming to me. I am awed by her decision to be a part of this process.

I feel I owe her a bit of personal gratitude. I would not feel right if I didn't somehow express myself in writing. How can I let her go in for the procedure tomorrow without knowing how grateful I am? So I ordered her a gift basket from a local bake shop and I'm enclosing a card.

Dear Ms. Wonderful,

I can't let you leave here today without expressing my deep gratitude for what you have given me. Without you, I felt I had no future.

My husband and I have been undergoing infertility treatments for 3 years in our earnest to start a family. 2 years ago, I conceived on my 3rd IVF attempt, but our precious daughter was born still at 38 weeks. Grief and sorrow have encompassed our lifes for the past 17 months as we have tried to piece together our lives while enduring 4 more IVF attempts. It has been a long, difficult road for us and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the gift you have given us.

Thank you so very much.