RETRIEVAL DAY

Yesterday I got to wake up on my 30th birthday and not have coffee and not get to use any concealer for the large bags under my eyes. It was retrieval day. The culmination of all the shots and medications and the day that would set the tone for the remainder of our IVF cycle. 

We got there early and so we had to sit in the pre-op room for longer than usual, but we talked to our sweet nurse to pass the time. One thing I am thankful for in this process is the friendly staff at our clinic. They really are top-notch. 

The only 'glitch' -and it was minor- was that I mentioned that I think I am allergic to the sesame oil in the progesterone medication I was to be starting. I described my reaction to it last time, hives, itching, redness and lots of swelling, and they had to rush around to try to find an alternative for me. I feel bead because I have had my medications since December and I could have mentioned it before. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal though. I thought I would use it again this time and see how I reacted. I only mentioned it really because I wanted to give them a heads-up in case I needed another option. They were concerned about me having a more serious reaction to it and going into anaphylaxis. Oops. As much as I had prepared for all of this, an allergic reaction was not something I had thought about. As I had no other choice, they told me to go ahead and use what I had on hand until Monday when the new medication, in olive oil, could be delivered. I was just told to take some Benadryl with it just in case.  I did this right before bed, and between that and the pain pill, I slept like a rock. 

Retrieval went well. I handled the anesthesia without much nausea, and besides a little grogginess and dizziness that lasted a few hours, there were no issues. It is now Saturday morning, and I have only taken three pain pills, so I really think that the pain is manageable and not that bad. My tummy is bloated and sore, but I can live with that. 

They retrieved 5 eggs, which is not a lot but we are praying it is enough to make a baby (or two.) when we had IVF with H, they retrieved 11. These numbers make me a little nervous, but I'm just praying my heart out that a good number fertilize and are able to grow strong and make it until transfer day.

In between having my retrieval and napping I had so many texts, calls and messages wishing me a happy day and good luck and prayers with our procedure I didn't have time to think about being 30. (I really have dreaded turning 30 for a while now.)

My family took me out to a nice dinner and then we went to my aunt's house for a surprise party. I was truly honored that some of my very favorite people spent their Friday evening celebrating with me. 

My evening to got to end with me taking seven pills and having my first big 'crunchy' (progesterone) intramuscular shot. It wasn't too bad. The dread and anticipation of it was far worse than the shot proper. I iced the area for about 30 minutes before and I think that helped. Last time, they gave me lidocaine and some patches to numb the area before the shot. They didn't give that to me this time, so I'm having to find other ways to make that giant needle not hurt so much.