Early this morning we had our second egg retrieval, and so far it went well. First and foremost, we got 9 eggs this time which is 2 more than last time! I was so relieved to hear this, but now we have to wait and see how many are mature and fertilize. Last time we got 7 eggs, but only 6 were mature and 5 fertilized. So that was a really good percentage of fertilized eggs for the number of eggs we started with. I pray we are equally successful this time!

All in all the procedure was about the same as last time. We arrived at the clinic OR at 6:15 this morning as directed by the nurse for the hour prep time needed prior to our 7:15 retrieval time. Since I was the first patient of the day, things moved along pretty quick. We filled out the same consent forms as last time, and then I was taken into the pre-op area. I got undressed and put on the lovely retrieval ensemble consisting of hospital gown, booties and surgical cap. Then, the nurse took my vitals and prepared my IV. This part went much smoother this time. Last time the nurse had a terrible time finding a good vein. She poked me in both arms, then attempted my left hand, and after digging around for what felt like 5 minutes in the vein in my left hand, she gave up and went on to the right hand, where she finally got the IV in. This time it was a different nurse with obviously more experience and she got the IV in my left arm on the first try. Phew! What a relief. I’m not overly squeamish about needles, especially after 2 rounds of injectable hormones, but that first time was rough!

After that, the anesthesiologist came in and gave me some medication to make me drowsy. No problem there, I was already exhausted after a restless night and no sleep. Then, I was taken to the procedure room. I barely remember what happened after that. Dr. J came in the room and talked to me for a few minutes while the nurse prepped me, and then the Anesthesiologist must have added the sedation to my IV because I don’t remember anything else after that. I woke up back in the pre-op area 20 minutes later, sore and groggy. They kept me for an hour afterward for observation and to make sure my vitals were good. And that was it! I’m now back home, laying on the couch with a heating pad and feeling okay. The cramps are still pretty bad, but hopefully I’ll feel better after a nap.

Now the waiting begins. Dr. J will call tomorrow to let us know how many eggs fertilize. If we have a good number, we’ll thaw the 5 fertilized eggs from the first round and start growing the embryos. Praying for a good number tomorrow and that enough survive to 5-day blastocyst for PGD, and that we have at least 1 healthy embryo. Please, please let us have a healthy embryo to transfer!

As I was leaving the clinic this morning I had to take the above photo. It’s the Koi pond my clinic has in their atrium. I live in Southern California now, but I’m actually Canadian and grew up in Alberta, Canada. I moved down here 6 years ago to be with my hubby, and I’m still amazed by the fact that an outdoor Koi pond can exist in December. Koi Fish symbolize good fortune or luck and are associated with perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose. The pond is just another reason amongst many why I love my clinic so much. It makes me feel positive and hopeful.

Tomorrow is a big day for many of us waiting on information. Sending out a special prayer for success and happy news all around!