Retrieval

The important information first - they retrieved 17 eggs! Tomorrow morning they will call with the fertilization results, so in the meantime we are keeping our toes and fingers crossed. Based on the quality and how many good ones I have will determine whether we do a 3-day or a 5-day transfer. If we have a lot of good ones, they will let them go all the way to the 5-day blastocyst stage. If they're not as good of quality, they can transfer as early as day 2, but mostly likely day 3 (which will be Monday). So we shall see.

For the record, I am legally drunk right now thanks to all of the excellent meds they gave me. Also for the record, I love drugs.

The Retrieval experience was a piece of cake. I love Emory: the doctors, the nurses, the facilities, they kindness and attention I received. I was the only person getting the retrieval that morning, so I was a superstar and got lots of attention. At New Hope, I was in an assembly line of about 10 other women. My experience was different in every way possible.

They used twilight anesthesia, which apparently allows them to give me directions and for me to respond and so I'm not completely under. Having said that, the little I do remember is extremely fuzzy and feels like it was in a dream, and most of it I do not remember at all.

It's a good thing I don't drink, because apparently I'm a very inquisite drunk. When I got back into the room, I kept asking questions. However, because I couldn't remember that I had asked the questions nor remember the answers to them, I kept asking the same thing over and over again. Greg took a video of me asking the questions, and boy, am I chatty! Greg says I asked a series of questions, would wait about 5 seconds, and then ask the same series of questions again. He said it wasn't until the 8th or 9th time of asking, and most importantly after a 20-minute nap, that I was lucid enough to know what I was saying and hearing. Eight or nine times! Boy, do I have a patient husband. All of my twilight anesthetia experiences have been like this, and it is so freaky to me that I can't remember anything.

My progesterone (thick as peanut butter) shots start tomorrow in the PM, and I also start wearing estrogen patches on my stomach. Both of these things will continue until I'm 8 weeks pregnant, or 6 weeks from now. The progesterone shots are every day, and the estrogen patches are switched out every other day.

I am so tired, I am heading back to bed. Thanks for all of your prayers and support! So far, everything is looking good!