Home safe!

Short story: 5 good looking eggies!!! YIPEEEEEE! Thank you, God!!!

Long story: (I'll let you go refill your glass of water and get a snack first....)

..Sooooooooo..

Last Friday (when I thought the ER would be Monday), the office manager from the anaesthesiologist's office called me to ask me about payment (I just gave the check to the receptionist at the RE's office) and to tell me "Nothing to eat or drink except clear liquids after midnight the night before the procedure".

Got that? That quote is important.

So I get up this morning, made coffee for Mr. A, and filled up my Na.lgene bottle with water. Mr. A (who is also the most opposite you can get from a morning person) (also a very important piece of the day's story) comes downstairs in his shirt and tie. Um. Did he forget about our ER??!?! So I ask, maybe sounding more shocked than I was, what was he doing wearing his work clothes?!

And being that he rolled out of bed 15 minutes prior, my question was apparently as if I'd asked him to run over his Har.ley with a dumptruck this very second. He was not impressed with my question (or any of my subsequent explanations or attempts to backtrack myself), his tone was absolutely, oh, what would you say, pissed off, and I'm pretty sure this is what happened when whoever coined the term "speak only when spoken to". HA! (Just kidding!!) (Turns out he just wanted to avoid changing after the ER...)

So, in all the "discussions" and getting out the door on time, I left my rings and my favorite cross necklace in my bathroom. Cue the waterworks (again), once I realized it.

Not the super greatest way to start off the morning. But I was determined to not get too down about it- have to make sure my follicles produced happy eggs!! And I don't have to wear my cross for God to know I'm counting on Him for a miracle here.

Luckily after coffee and some time with his eyes open, Mr. A poked me (we had about a 45 minute drive), and said "What is up!?!!?!?"

Well, great, now you're happy?! Ha! Oh well, better late than never!!!!

Anyway, we got to the lab in plenty of time, got checked in right away, and the very-chatty (but cute) nurse came in and started getting me ready. Put the IV in my hand because my veins are just not drinking straws like my dad's. I've never had an IV before, and I thought it would hurt more than it did. Bonus! I saw my RE, who looks remarkably athlectic in his scrubs and running shoes versus his office gear. The anaestheologist was the last one to the party. Here's part of the conversation that we had when he got there:

Anaesth: So, have you had anything to drink or eat this morning?
Me: Just water.
Anaesth: (looking alarmed)
Me: (Why is he alarmed?)
Anaesth: How much water have you drank?
Me: Well, about half that bottle (half a liter?)

Then he goes through the door and talks softly with my RE. They both come back together. I'm thinking, oh my heavens what is going on....

Anaesth: Well this is a really big problem.
Me: (Picking my jaw off the floor)
Anaesth: You weren't supposed to have anything to eat or drink in the last two hours. No one told you that?
Me: (This is where you should remember what the office manager told me on Friday!) No, gosh, your office lady just said nothing to eat or drink except clear liquids after midnight!! She didn't say anything about nothing for 2 hours!! Oh geez. Would it help if I pee?
Anaesth: (Laughing warmly) No, that won't help. The problem with having something in your stomach, even water, is that while you're sedated, your esophagus muscles relax and stuff from your stomach could come up and get in your lungs. And stomach acid in your lungs is not a good situation.
(Mr. A almost passes out in the corner.)
Anaesth: So we only have a couple options. Either we wait a few more hours...
(Now I about pass out.)
My RE: Well, we can't wait any amount of time because she already did the trigger for this to happen now.
Anaesth: Or we just use a different kind of medication on you, one that doesn't put you to sleep. You'll feel more pain...
Me: I don't care about pain!! I'll do whatever, just so that I'm not in danger and that this can still happen!!
My RE: We used to do egg retrievals without such complete sedation all the time. People used to bring in their favorite music to listen to!
Anaesth: Okay, well we'll just use a different medication on you, but be sure to tell me if it is too much and you want us to stop the procedure.
(I'm thinking, yah right, not in a million years!!!)

So, there I go, breaking another mold this cycle. The anaestheologist gave me less medicine than he normally gives people in preparation (relaxation) for their actual sedation. He and I talked the whole time about all kinds of random stuff, and he only had to give me a tad bit more medicine once. He kept saying how he couldn't believe that I went through that with such little medicine. I hope he doesn't try this on the next gal who might not have such a high pain tolerance!!!

Funny story, when they first started the procedure, my bladder was so full they had to drain it with a catheter to see my ovaries! Ha! Water, indeed!!!

All in all, they got 5 eggs!! And I'm under the impression (possibly incorrectly) that that is the number of mature ones because I had at least one more follicle than that and it took them a while after the syringe was passed through the window for them to say the egg count. I could be wrong. I'm praying they are all mature, though!! Overall, it wasn't too painful, although I felt the needle/aspiration, etc., just in a muted way, I guess. It's hard to explain. Afterwards, I felt like I was having period cramps. Luckily they had 2 tyl.enol and a heating pad waiting in my original room!! I was just so thankful that we got 5, even if they're not all mature!!

It didn't take me long at all to "recover", since I'd barely had any sedation medicine. Why didn't they have egg sandwiches on the menu? I settled for graham crackers ;-)

We planned to pick up some lort.ab on the way home. My nurse had called it into WalM.art ( which I hate), so I called when we were exiting to see if it was ready. They said they needed my info before even filling it! GRR. So I gave them everything, and they said it would be 25 minutes, so we went to the bagel shop to get lunch. Then we went back to get the prescription. I get up to pay, and they say that the birthdate year that I gave them is off of the one my nurse gave them.

REALLY PEOPLE? You think there is another me, with the same name, address, birthdate month, and birthdate DAY that you have to verify that I'm the same person as the one my nurse was talking about?? So we had to stand there another 10 minutes while they called my nurse and then (finally) filled it. UGHHH. Damn WalMar.t!!!

But, thankfully, we arrived home safely and Banana has kept me company all afternoon long! I have taken a nap and now writing this hugely-long post! I think another nap is in order after I'm finished!! And, we're ordering Chine.se for dinner- YAH!

So they're calling us with the fertilization report tomorrow. Please pray we have happy healthy babies growing!! Thank you so much for all your good thoughts and wishes and prayers! I think today is just an amazing example of one of my favorite Bible verses from Job:

I know that You can do all things, that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted (Job 42:1-2)

We're praying that it's God's purpose of bringing a little one to us this time, and that He used all the things that went "wrong" to show me that I really can trust Him to come through!! I've felt like that this whole cycle, and today was no different!! God is so good!!

So thank you, again, for all your prayers and thoughts! I will keep you posted!!