Diminishing returns

We arrived at the Oregon Reproductive Medicine Clinic late. They showed us to the auditorium where we waiting with what seemed like 100 other people for our turn. The clock was ticking and I knew that if the eggs weren't extracted by a certain time, I could ovulate on my own. Tom was asked to "make his donation" and came back with what looked like a urine sample. I could not believe my luck to make it to this point and not have any workable sperm to go with my eggs! We pressed on thinking this could still work. They finally called my row in the auditorium and we marched onto the stage. Others there were coming out of the back of the stage proclaiming failure. No eggs retrieved despite having good hormone levels and lots of follicles on ultrasound. It was then that I realized that although we had been herded into the auditorium, we were supposed to be in the clinic. We ran over to the clinic an hour after arriving we where we were supposed to be. Apologies for being in the wrong place. They showed us back to a conference room where there were refreshments set up. I was so hungry that I started eating a chicken nugget. Realizing that I was supposed to be NPO (Nothing per oral - no food or drinks), I quickly spit them out in the trash can. We waited a brief time while a group of very pregnant women set up for their prenatal yoga class. Finally they were getting ready to show me back to the procedure room when, I woke up!!!

And this is how my day started. I call them stress dreams, I used to get them before the start of the school year. Encapsulated within each one are all of the possible worst case scenarios.

Fortunately maybe because my brain is so prepared to handle them, these situations never arise.

We arrived exactly on time to the clinic. Tom's "donation" went well. They led us immediately back to the procedure room recovery and pre-op area where I changed into a gown. The only difficulty was the IV placement (I hadn't made it that far in the dream I guess). Since I couldn't drink any water and I already have bad veins, the anesthesiologist was the one to place it and he did a great job. A little versed. Dreaming in 1 minute.

Recovery area I felt like I had to pee very badly. The nurse mentioned that they were giving me antibiotics because the needle may have nicked my bladder because it was pretty full.

They had retrieved 14 eggs. I waited for another hour while they took vitals and let the saline run into me.

Then home to the couch where for the rest of the day I was not allowed to even do so much as get up to get a drink of water lest Tom shoo me right back to sit and get it himself.

There was some discomfort - constant fullness like having a really full bladder and gas at the same time. Heating pad helped immensely and no pain meds were required.

Last night another round of stress dreams. The embryologist would be calling with the number of fertilized eggs today. So there were all sorts of dreamy calls from 0 to over 50 - somehow the eggs had defied science in one of the dreams and they said what looked to be 14 eggs were actually 14 clumps of eggs all 2-3 each!

This morning the real embryologist called to given the update on the status of the eggs.

14 eggs retrieved
10 eggs were mature
7 eggs had been fertilized.

This is only as far as we will know until Saturday when they will transfer the embryos at the blastocyst stage into the uterus (only two will be transferred if there are two to transfer).

They estimate that about 1/2 of the currently fertilized eggs will make it that far.
After the transfer on Saturday, I will be on strict bed rest for two days. I also have Monday off work just in case as we weren't sure if this extraction would happen today or yesterday and needed to think ahead.

I will be able to take a blood pregnancy test on the 9th and if it is positive again on the 11th to make sure the numbers are doubling as they should.

First ultrasound won't be until the 23rd of June!

This will be a very long pregnancy at this rate....

Today I am feeling well. No fullness. I may even go to the DMV to get my license renewed.
Hopefully there will be no updates until Saturday. I hope those magic seven stay strong!