Day 11: Finally, a retrieval date!

I finally got my retrieval date today!  This morning's appointment revealed 6 follicles that should be ready to go on Monday morning.  I say should because the doctor will do the best s/he can to retrieve as many as possible.  In my first IVF cycle, they were not able to retrieve them all so that is a possibility.

My hCG trigger shot (the shot that will complete the maturation of the follicles and get them ready to ovulate) is at 12:30 am tonight.  Yep, 12:30 am!  Never before have I had to trigger this late but because they need to time my arrival and retrieval at the clinic to be a specific time, that is when they need me to do this particular shot.  This is also the point where I am done injecting myself.  Since intramuscular shots need to go into my backside and I'm just not flexible enough (despite a couple years of yoga) to bend that way, it's my husband's turn to help me out.

Tomorrow is then my most favorite day of this process -- no meds at all!  I have nothing to do at all; no shots, no oral meds, nothing!  A short, but much deserved, break in the process.

On Monday, I report to the clinic at 11:30 am to begin prep for the retrieval at 12:30 pm.  Egg retrieval is a surgery appointment, complete with anesthesia, hospital gown, and recovery time.  It is my least favorite thing about this process because I'm really not a fan of surgery (really who is?) and anesthesia and I just don't get along well.  It also means that I'm not allowed to eat or drink past midnight on Sunday night.  Monday morning and early afternoon will be very long!

Not only that but I am placing myself in an extremely vulnerable position.  See, in order to retrieve these follicles, they need to go up through my vagina and into my uterus.  They will go through the wall of my uterus with a needle and into each follicle to retrieve the mature egg.  Plus there's no guarantee that my doctor will be the one doing it  (they rotate weeks).  So I am constantly reminding myself that these people are professionals and will be professional in their work.  During this period, my husband will head to another part of the clinic and do his part in the process.

I will then go to recovery for a short period and then head home where I plan to spend the majority of the rest of the day in bed.  The clinic will call to check on me and the next day, they will call with how many they were able to fertilize.  I'll get a couple more updates with the status of the embryos and when they plan to transfer them.

Less than 2 days to go!