Egg retrieval day
We had to be in West Hollywood for egg retrieval at 6 am, which means the alarm went off at 3:30 am. A quick shower and we were out the door. Upon our arrival, we had to complete paperwork and get wrist bands. I was a ball full of energy. I was nervous, excited, and anxious. I just wanted to get it over with and find out how many eggs we have.
The nurse called my name, and I went back to change. The nurse was a chatty Cathy, which kept my mind off of the procedure ahead. They hooked up my IV and walked me back to the surgery room. I laid down on the table, put my legs in the holders, and said hello to the doctor. The anesthesiologist said, "Okay, getting sleepy." I got dizzy for a second and then I was out like a light. It happened so quick!
Next thing I know I was waking up to everyone saying my name. Apparently I got into a wheelchair so they could wheel me into the recovery area, but I don't remember that. I basically had the best nap of my life. The nurse said I did great, and that they retrieved 20 eggs. TWENTY EGGS! If you've followed our journey, the most we've ever had was 6. That doesn't mean they will all fertilize. We know that the number drops with each step, but that is a fantastic number to start with.
We planned on doing a fresh transfer, but because I had 20 eggs the doctor was concerned about ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS can be very serious, so he recommended we freeze the embryos for a later transfer date, and not risk it. Although I was a little sad, I completely understand the decision. On the plus, studies have shown that frozen embryo transfers have higher success rates. Always a silver lining!
Tomorrow I will find out how many of the 20 eggs fertilized. Stay tuned and stay praying with us.