The First Phone Call

Egg retrieval was yesterday. Things went well. I got the same super anesthesiologist as I had for my cyst aspiration. Man, that guy is good. No "hangover" or grogginess afterwards, and the pain management (for whatever could be expected) has been perfect.

Hubs did his important part of the deal at home right before we left. "Oh man, I hope I got enough out," was his comment upon handing the cup over to me to keep warm. I want to shout out to the guys in our lives - they have their own pressures within all this. Props to the studs who have to do this on command at 5:30 in the morning while we "wait" on them to go have a surgical procedure. Seriously. All jokes aside, it takes a good amount of mind control and focus. I can tell you that that's the LAST thing I would want to do at that moment.

Anyway, my RE got 10 eggies out, and his comment to us a little later after I woke up a bit more in recovery was that they were excellent quality eggs. He said at that time that we were aiming at a 5-day transfer if everything continues to go well. Interesting. I didn't know they could examine the eggs alone and right away know they look good. But I'll take that. No complaints here.

Yesterday I napped and generally took it easy. My lower abdomen felt a little sore but not too bad, especially if I was lying down and taking the pressure off. Those ovaries went through a lot yesterday. Did you know that the way they aspirate the follicles on the far side of the ovary (the side furthest away from the vaginal canal where the ultasound-guided needle is) is by going RIGHT THROUGH THE OVARY? Dang. Sorry I asked.

Now it's about 25 hours since oocite retrieval. About an hour ago we got a phone call - the first of many we'll receive in the next couple days. It looks like 6 have fertilized for sure and there are 3 more that still look like they may fertilize. It's still pretty early in this part of the process. They say 60 to 80 percent of those eggs that show the first signs of fertilization will actually go on to be viable. So hopefully 1 or 2 of those questionable 3 will pull on through. If not, 6 is good.

Tomorrow we'll get another call, telling us whether we're likely to replace on Sunday (day 3) or Tuesday (day 5). In the meantime, I am so grateful that some eggs fertilized. This is a big stop along this road trip. This means that our "stuff" works together. This means that my eggs are not fried (at least as we can tell thus far). That Hubs' sperm can get in there and make things happen. This means that if this cycle does not wield a pregnancy (or a pregnancy that works) that we can try again. That surrogacy is a possibility. That IVF can potentially eventually work for us.

I will never consider this first IVF a "failed" cycle, even if we don't get pregnant. We've gained so much out of it already. This is important to those of us who are Unexplained. It gives us some answers - or I should say - eliminates some of the worst case scenarios.

Now, back in the metaphorical car (a hybrid, of course ;) ... and onward.