We’re here in Spain and it’s done! I can’t believe it!! It’s all gone very smoothly this morning, which is more to be said for my journey to meet Mr M at the train station last night. Stay relaxed they said. So I made sure I left work in plenty of time, and strolled down to the tube. Changing at Oxford Circus, the alarms were going off, but no one seemed to be moving so I thought it was a false alarm. Then a tube pulled in and left straight away, followed by the guard on the platform shouting at everyone to evacuate, and I started to get worried. This can’t be happening! When I got above ground, there were loads of police vans, and police officers everywhere and people wondering aimlessly away from Oxford Circus. I started walking towards Piccadilly where I thought I could jump on another tube, and tried to call Mr M to say I might be a bit late. Then everyone started running! I had no idea what was going on but started running as well down Regents Street, trying to talk to Mr M whilst juggling a big holdall on my shoulder. I was then ushered into a shop by a security guard along with others where we were locked in their back room. I was so scared and couldn’t believe on the night we were due to fly out to try and conceive our baby, I was going to get caught up in a terror attack, as that’s what it felt like. This could not be happening! No one was saying anything or knew anything, so we just had to wait. And I’m sure it was only a matter of minutes before we were let out again but it felt like a lifetime. We still didn’t know what was going on but I needed to get away from the area as quickly as possible, conscious the whole time that I just needed to get on that flight to not screw things up for the transfer in the morning. Panicking, I ran down Regents street, trying again to talk to Mr M through the tears about where best to head, and also trying to hail a cab. Someone must have been looking down on me (given everyone was trying to do the same), but a black cab stopped, and I jumped straight in. As I was in a complete state, he asked me if I was ok. And it all came pouring out. I told him about the scare, and my menopause and the egg donation, and how I should be staying calm before the transfer tomorrow – he really got it with both barrels. But he was such a gent. He listened and managed to calm me down, and when we got to Victoria, only charged me a fraction of what it should have cost. I wish I’d got his details so I could thank him properly. I know black cabs in London aren’t exactly a scarcity but on a Friday night rush hour after a bomb/terrorist scare had just happened, it really felt like he was sent just for me. Mr M was waiting for me as I got out the taxi and held me up as my legs turned to jelly. He is very good in a crisis and as he took my bag, and guided me to the train assuring me we still had plenty of time, I started to calm down.

Not the best start to the journey, but luckily the rest of the trip went very smoothly, and now we’re back in our apartment, after the transfer and the waiting game begins. Our doctor emailed me 3 days ago and told me that they’d retrieved 11 eggs from our wonderful donor and that day (D), 10 had properly fertilized – a very good result. 8 had split to an optimal 4 cells on D+1 and the other 2 were good at 6 cells. I was so excited getting these emails. I emailed Mr M straight away and there were smiley faces galore going back and forth, but we knew the main hurdle was still to come. This morning (D+3), our doctor chose the 2 best embryos which had divided into 12 cells. He said the other 8 were still looking good but were more compacted so he would wait until D+5/6 to see which were good enough to freeze (EDIT: he ended up freezing 6 on D+5). The procedure was super quick, maybe 20mins max, and although the enormity of it hit me whilst I was lying legs up in the air in the silence of the procedure room, the doctors were so reassuring, I left feeling really relaxed and very happy we’d made it this far. It feels really surreal though I have to admit. All this build up….. the tests, the diagnosis and heartbreak, then the possibilities, the planning, the drugs, the waiting, the wondering…… and now it’s done and in 10days time we’ll know if I’m pregnant or not. We’ve been for a walk and some brunch so now we’re just relaxing. I have to say I feel shattered, and we’re both emotional, so a little afternoon nap might be in order.