March 25th, The Retrieval...

Yesterday, Tuesday, was my retrieval. My doctors office actually paid to put me up in a hotel Monday night so I wouldn't have to drive all the way from home. So, my mom and I stayed in a hotel that was only about five minutes from the doctors office. It was in Rochester Hills, a different office than my usual one in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti. Anyway, it was very cool that they did that for me.

The retrieval is actually a procedure that involves anesthesia. So I arrived there, changed into a gown, and they started with the questions and poking and testing. When they were ready, I actually walked to the operating room and got situated on the half bed thing with stirrups that go under my knees.

The anesthesiologist puts a mask on my face and tells me it's oxygen. That's the last I remembered.

When i woke up, I felt more groggy than I have in the past. My throat hurt and it was hard to breath in. The nurse said my oxygen numbers were low so she needed me to take deep breaths. I tried but I kept coughing. Apparently, during the procedure, the anesthesiologist had to intubate (I think that's right. Where they put a breathing tube down your throat) me. He said I was acting like I was going to throw up the whole time. Weird.

The doctor came in, he told me I did really good, and said they got 12 eggs! I was a little disappointed because I expected 20 but I get what I get.

My calendar now shows the drugs I am to take after the retrieval. They include:

-Amoxicillin for 5 days, which I've already started,
-Estrace, something to do with estrogen
-Vivelle Dot patches, also something to do with estrogen
-progesterone in oil injections every morning to keep my uterine lining thick. This will help to support a pregnancy.

My transfer will be 5 days later, on Sunday the 30th.

They called today with my fertilization results...
-13 eggs were retrieved yesterday,
-all 13 were mature,
-and 12 fertilized!!

So exciting!! 12 is such a great number. Now they grow for the next 4 days. Until Sunday when we decide which ones to put back in.

While we were waiting I had a fun night with my mom hanging out in a hotel room, we officially signed up for health insurance through Manda's new job, and I laid around for a couple lazy days to allow my body to heal.