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| Me in the recovery room. I was still a little out of it. |
Besides the staff, Nic and I were the only ones in the office. I was the first retrieval scheduled for the day, so I was guaranteed to be pulled back on time-score! At 6:50am Mo, the anesthesiologist, came out and had Nic and I kiss and say our (short) good-byes. Then she pulled me back to get everything started, but not until she gave me a hug and asked how I was doing :) So sweet. I really do love the staff at ICRM, they do their best to be so warm and welcoming and just make you feel special.
I was taken back to the operating room and got prepped and ready. Mo and I were chitchatting about a few things and then last thing I remember is my knees going in the stirrups (so much more comfortable) and Dr. Slater coming into the room asking me if I was ready to get started. The anesthesia they gave me was a gentle anesthesia where I was able to breathe on my own and not feel or remember anything. I did wake up near the end of the procedure and felt some extreme discomfort as they were finishing up, but besides that everything went fairly well. There was just one minor hiccup.
During the procedure it was discovered that my left ovary had somehow moved up and UNDER my uterus-clearly where it's NOT supposed to be. This made retrieval on this side a little more difficult and a bummer (for me). As you recall, I had 20 follicles that were ready for retrieval and the really good ones were on my left side. Well, with my left ovary being under my uterus, Dr. Slater had to do what she could to make retrieval easier on that side; which meant that she had to push down on my ovary to move it. In doing so, I lost at least 4 eggs, they were basically squished out and Dr. Slater saw them fall. Since we know we had 20, she said the other four could have fallen out during the process (of moving my ovary) and she just didn't see them. Ideally, Dr. Slater would have liked to retrieve at least 17 but she assured us that 12 is still a good number. However, with only 12 being retrieved I'm not sure how many she is hoping will fertilize. Since she was only able to retrieve 12 eggs, I am extremely grateful that I originally had 20 for retrieval. If I would have had a lower number of eggs, and my ovary was still under my uterus, I could have possibly even had a lower total egg count, which would have decreased the chances for maturation. Again, this isn't "scientifically" speaking, this is "Elaine" speaking to give myself piece of mind :)
Since she had to push down on my ovaries a little more than usual, Dr. Slater said I will be tender and have more pain for a bit longer and she is right. I wouldn't necessarily call it pain, but I am in extreme discomfort. I have been confined to my bed (a day of bed rest that we had not anticipated) propped up with pillows and over-sized cushions, with instructions not to lay down until I go to bed tonight. It is extremely hard to move and adjust my position. Getting out of bed to use the restroom is extremely difficult and using the restroom is even more uncomfortable. It is also difficult for me to take nice, long, deep breaths because my body is so tender. But I discovered if I get up and walk around a little bit (though it is a little difficult to get going), it helps with the discomfort. I also do some small, gentle squats. I don't know if I should, but it helps.
Now we wait. This afternoon they injected Nic's sperm into my eggs. And tomorrow we should get a call from the lab letting us know how the embryos are looking. Dr. Slater mentioned a five day transfer (another $450-yikes!!), but we could still possibly do a three day transfer. Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed for a three day transfer. We still don't know how many embryos will mature, but we are hoping for a high number. Let the waiting and after retrieval to-do's begin.
In you are interested in more details about the retrieval, CLICK HERE for a description from the Pacific Fertility Center in California.
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