Retrieval

The fantastic four have made a comeback.

They retrieved four mature eggs today. I am sitting on pins and needles waiting for the fertilization report tomorrow. This whole thing doesn't get any easier does it? I would love to make it to a transfer. One thing at a time though and today is done.

I was lucky I was the first retrieval of the day. They had four scheduled and a ton of transfers. They're trying to get everyone in before the holidays. Get the docs while they're fresh, that's what I say. We even ran into the embryologists in the elevator on the way up. I hope he takes good care of my eggs and can make us some embabies today. I should have slipped him a 20 to make it worth his while. :)

Everyone there was so nice. The nurses really run the show. I have been so focused on stimming and growing eggs, that I kind of took for granted the whole retrieval procedure. The nurse explained the whole thing and I learned something new. That hasn't happened in a long time. I feel like I have researched everything there is to know. She said that they go through the vaginal wall to access the ovaries instead of going up through the uterus. They take a shortcut. That made sense to me and what did I care, I was going to be knocked out during the whole thing.

Then the anesthesiologist came in and I learned something I didn't really want to hear. It was not going to be general anesthesia, but sedation instead. She told me I'd be awake the entire time but would be in a twilight state and probably wouldn't remember anything. Thanks a lot to my case manager Nurse X for getting my hopes up! ("Oh you'll be completely knocked out." Liar!).

Luckily it wasn't bad at all. I remember bits and pieces and a couple times I felt something down there, but for the most part it went fine. Time flew. I thought we were in there for four or five minutes, but DH told me it was more like 30. I remember Dr. G. announcing 4 eggs but that didn't stop me from asking the nursing staff multiple times how many they got. I guess I was pretty out of it.

I don't think my clinic makes a habit of telling people the maturity of their eggs before they leave. When I asked about it during registering, they said I might find out today, but most likely it will be tomorrow morning. If my chances were over today and none were mature, I'd have liked to know instead of holding out hope. I was so doped up I forgot to ask. DH did it for me. Right when he asked I felt a sense of dread. You want to know, but you don't. Luckily the news was good. They were mature right at retrieval. I guess that is better than having to wait for them to mature.

I pray that some will fertilize.

I don't want this to be over yet.