Update, update!

So, let me start off by saying that Bob gave me my trigger shot last night at 10:30pm and we are scheduled for egg retrieval on Friday morning at 8:30am. The retrieval is done at the doctor's office in an operating room they have in back (an "operating theater"). They have an anesthesiologist and an embryologist on staff.

Our plan is to have retrieval on Friday and get a flight home on Saturday night. Since we don't meet our surrogate and they will transfer all embryos, there is no reason to stay for transfer.

We were so happy to give the last shot last night. I hope it's our last shot ever!

Here's what we've been up the past couple of days:

On Tuesday, we got up and headed into the doctor's office for bloodwork. The doctor's office is in a wealthier neighborhood called Bandra. The first day we were here and drove to the clinic, I remember thinking, "Oh my God, where the hell are we going? What are we doing? Look at this neighborhood!" Now that our sensibilities have adjusted to India, we see past the dust and chaos, and see the area for what it is...one of the nicer tree-lined areas in Mumbai. I am kind of amused by the turn around in my own judgment.

After Dr. Kaushal, we headed over to Dr. Priya, our Lasik surgeon, for a check on our new and improved peepers. Our vision is great! She pronounced us healthy but insisted we come back for another check on Thursday. We are getting very tired of doctor's offices.

We shopped for a bit, headed back to the hotel pool for a swim and got ready for dinner with a couple we met from this blog, Rhonda and Gerry. Rhonda and Gerry are from Arizona and are also here in Mumbai for a surrogacy. They are using a different clinic and a service called SurrrogacyIndia. Their service is different then ours in some ways, the same in others. The main difference is that they have an open surrogacy. They meet their surrogate and their surrogate's family. It was interesting to share our experiences. We had a really nice dinner and were very lucky to connect with this couple...hopefully we'll meet them again in nine months!!

On Wednesday, it was up and out to Dr. Kaushal again...more bloodwork! Afterwards, we went to a street bazaar in Bandra called Linking Road. They had stalls of shoes as far as the eye could see. We had a great time...I would pick out the shoes and Bob would barter for a good price. We both got to do do something we loved! The heat was oppressive, though, and we didn't last too long. I was sweating in places I didn't even know you could sweat. As we walked through the stalls, these two blond girls came running up to us screaming "Oh, more tourists! Yay!" Bob, holding a camera and a guidebook, tried to convince them he was a local. They laughed and said they were from Switzerland and hadn't seen another tourist since the arrived the day before. We blonds don't exactly blend!

After decided we just couldn't take the heat anymore, we went to the spa. It was phenomenal! We both got facials and massages. My therapist was this little Hindi who couldn't have weighed more than 100lbs soaking wet, and didn't speak a lick of English. I thought to myself that this was going to be one of those wimpy massages, and I like a deep massage. Well, let me tell you, she beat the hell out of me. I loved it! Bob's facialist told him he had the skin of the thirty-year old; boy, was he happy! Between the teeth whitening, lasik and facial, Bob is having a man-makeover! I came to India with Bob, and am going back home with someone else! I hope they don't look to hard at his passport picture!

For dinner last night, we went to a restaurant called Barbecue Nation. It costs 500 rupees ($12.50) per person. They sit you at a table with a grille in the middle; on the grille they put kebob after kebob made of all different kinds of meats and vegetables...shrimp, lamb, chicken, fish, etc. The kebobs are 90% cooked and you are given basting sauces and brushes to finish them they way you like (they only need about two additional minutes on the grille). They kept bringing out more kebobs (it's all you can eat)! After that, you can go up to a buffet with more food and desserts. We had a great time!

If you eat in your hotel or a higher end restaurant, we are told that you are safe to eat the fruit, vegetables, ice. My personal policy has been to only do this in our hotels. I do not want to risk getting sick before my retrieval. Bob has been just fine, though, so the theory has been tested and proved true!

To and from dinner last night we took a rickshaw. These are little three-wheeled contraptions that are incredibly light, maneuverable and fun! The major drawback is that they are open-aired so the smog, exhaust and dust can be overwhelming. Bob loves to argue the price with the drivers. They are metered, but the drivers will try to convince you that it actually cost more. Bob loves to dicker over prices!

We are coming to love India!