Retrieval Day

So yesterday was my retrieval day and it went really well.  They were able to get 13 eggs from me!!!  We got to the office at 7, with me packing Tom's contribution inside my coat - gotta keep it warm.  The whole thing is such a surreal experience - Thomas coming into existence didn't involve nearly as many people.  We barely had to wait at all before I was brought into the suite where the retrieval was being done.  They asked me the usual pre-surgery questions and I finally got to meet head of the Lab - a very nice man - who walked me through the process again and we firmed up exactly how many eggs we would try and fertilize, 3.  Then the anesthesiologist came in.  Now we were trying to be as grown up as possible, but as soon as he left I mouthed to Tom, "Hans Moleman."  We both almost completely lost it.  I guess Tom and I were among the more talkative people that go through this process.  The nurse kept going on about how nuts we are, and all we were doing was talking about names.  Of course Tom's favorites are names like, Donovan, Brian, Quintin Michael, Joselio, picking up a theme?  Then it was one more bathroom trip for me, I got to kiss Tom goodbye, and off to the room with the fancy stir-ups.  This was my 6th surgery where I needed to be put out and every time they do it they make you count down or up or something, I got nothing.  All of a sudden I saw this opaque white stuff go into my IV, and moments later I utter, "I guess I'm going out now, huh?"  Next thing I knew I was waking up and it was all over.  The nurse was surprise by how well I was doing after I woke up, but honestly after they told me they got 13 eggs I could have jogged home.

Later in the afternoon they called to tell me, of the three eggs they didn't try to fertilize, how many were mature and they were going to freeze.  Turns out 5 of them were mature and are being frozen.  This number actually made me a little nervous since we were told that none of the little ones might be good which is why we did three to try and fertilize - but all we could do now was wait and see.  I don't think I slept at all last night.  I had the most vivid dreams of all the possible outcomes of the ones they were trying to fertilize.  We knew it took about 14 hours for fertilization to take place and they would call us before 8am this morning to tell us how many of the three fertilized.  7:45 this morning the phone rang and I think I gave myself whiplash getting up to answer it.  Two of our eggs fertilized!!!!  

Now there are only a couple of more things to pray for - one, that the two eggs that fertilized continue to divide and grow properly and that at least one of them implants after tomorrow mornings transfer.  Then the waiting game really starts.  I'm pumped up with so many pregnancy hormones at the moment, I can't take my pregnancy test until 2 weeks after the transfer.  I feel a very clean house and a lot of sewing being done over the next two weeks to make time fly.

I keep reminding myself, God never gives a cross to bear larger than we can carry.