Glenn and I went in on Thursday for my ultrasound and lab work. On Tuesday, my largest follicle was at 13mm. By Thursday, I had one at 19 and several at 18mm. I had asked earlier in the week and she told me they were aiming for egg retrieval over the weekend or early next week. Welp.. she calls me back Thursday, RIGHT as we are lining up for lunch (Thank goodness for my wonderful student teacher who jumped right in and took charge!). She told us we were scheduled for egg retrieval on Saturday morning and we needed to do our trigger shot that night. At that point, I had 11 mature follicles and then 8 right behind it.
I never made it this far before.. so I was beyond excited! But a little nervous about the trigger shot (makes you ovulate). The shot has to be given in a muscle so the needle is a bit longer than the others I've done. Yikes! But I closed my eyes and told Glenn I didn't want to see it. It didn't hurt near as bad as I thought, but it still wasn't very pleasant.
Friday we had Arts Day so that kept my mind off things! I was exhausted by the end of the day though and my sides were sore. I went to go visit my grandparents that night and I told them I wouldn't be able to come visit on Saturday. Mom tried to explain to Grandpa that we were having surgery to help us have a baby (she has explained to both Grandpa and Nana what we're doing in simple terms). He wished us luck and Mom said, "I want to be a Grandma" and we all lost it. :)
Saturday morning I was awake by 4am. We didn't have to be at the hospital till about 6:30, but I wanted to be early.
We were the only ones in the preop waiting area for awhile... I met all the nurses, and had to change into such a snazzy looking gown. The nurse that did my IV was actually an IVF baby! I thought that was a good sign. The doctor came to talk to us right before they wheeled me back. He is not my usual doctor, but I've met him before.. he is VERY nice and just walked us through the procedure. The last thing I remember is them wheeling me into the surgery room and looking at this light on the ceiling. I also remember telling them to make sure I was asleep before they started...
When I woke up, I could hear the doctor and the nurses talking. The nurse asked how many they had gotten and I heard "over 30." I was somewhat awake by the time Glenn got there. They said they had gotten between 46-49, but were still counting. The doctor told Glenn he's only had one other patient with that many eggs retrieved. Crazy! I actually got to meet the embryologist (the egg keeper). The nurse said he never comes to talk to the patients, but they told me I was one of the "lucky ones" who has the option to freeze eggs for next time. I had to fill out some paperwork and talked to him one last time before I got to come home!
I slept on and off throughout the day. Overall, I'm not in pain, just really sore. It's difficult to get up and down. And I can't get around very quickly. I've been guzzling water, Vitamin Waters, and Powerades because I really do NOT want to get OHSS. With as many eggs as they were able to get, I'm at a higher risk of getting overhyperstimulation syndrome. Basically the ovaries become enlarged and swollen. It can cause upset stomach and major bloating. I was told some bloating is normal, but I've got to keep an eye on it. I'm trying to stay as hydrated as possible!! I had already cut out as much sodium as I could a few days before Thursday (my nurse told me that helps too).
I go back on Tuesday for my transfer. The doctor called this morning and told us 16 were fertilized and I've got 14 eggs that will be frozen for future use (without fertilization). He said we are looking at a strong possibility of freezing some embryos too. Out of the 16, they will probably put 2 strong embryos back in. So please, please, please help us by praying that we'll get 2 good lookin' ones! :)
THANK YOU all for your sweet messages, texts, and phone calls. Glenn and I are excited that this could be the beginning to our family! I've just been thanking God every night for what he has blessed us with so far. Besides taking my medicines (no more shots!!), it's pretty much out of my hands now. :)
So exciting to hear good news. I like that you give details of each step so it is easier to understand everything. We will pray for even more good news!
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