31 eggs!

We were so blessed yesterday to have had 31 eggs retrieved from over 40 follicles. My sister-in-law told me it's like Easter :) These are the best Easter Eggs ever. Yesterday, they put a needle up through my uterus, through the wall of my uterus, through my ovaries and through almost all of the follicles one by one and sucked out the fluid and eggs inside. Then they put them in a petrie dish and introduced them to good sperm (only the ones with the nice tuxedos ;) and now they are dividing into several cells in the lab. Pretty exciting! So that's the good news.

The bad news is that I had a very painful day yesterday. I think of myself as pretty tough with pain, but I don't think the Vicodin was working for me (except the upset stomach/nauseous part). The procedure went well. I went in to a room and met the anesthesiologist, (basically handed him a $425 check for the drugs), dressed in a gown with a hairnet, went into the surgery room, got an IV stick and was given propafol (sp?), versaid (sp?) and ?-cant remember the other common one and then woke up in another room. Then I got two shots in the behind and they sent me on my way.

I watched movies all day yesterday-i felt bad doing nothing productive, but had no desire to move. I had all sorts of pain down there in different areas and going to the bathroom was a 15 minute ordeal because it was so painful rolling over and getting up and every movement after that. I had an appetite, but wanted to throw everything up after I ate it. I guess I was in a bad position watching a movie and couldn't tell because the vicodin was helping that area, but afterward I couldn't even lift myself up without terrible pain and it really hurt every time I took a breath. I had excruciating pain every 5 minutes during the first half of the day that lasted one second. I would yell "ouch!" and then it would pass. The doctor's office told me that they would get back to me on why I as having that pain. I think Everything was just manipulated so much down there and everything is messed up and my ovaries are very big and pushing on everything. I don't think this kind of pain is usual for this procedure. I talked to this girl who has done IVF twice and she said the first time she didn't have very many follicles/eggs and didn't have any pain the day of the procedure, but they doubled the drug dose the second time and he had a lot more (still about 15 less than me) and she was in a lot of pain. So you must be in more pain with the more follicles that are retrieved. Tyler gave me a comfort blessing last night and I slept pretty well. It was funny, the night before the procedure I couldn't sleep because I kept waking up worried that I wouldn't do everything I was supposed to on my list and one of them was to not drink so I would wake up with saliva in my mouth and was stressed out about swallowing my own saliva because it's fluid. Of course this was only because I was half asleep, but it's funny to think back on the situation.

Today I feel much better. Not enough to go to work though. I had to call my manager last night and tell her to reschedule the same poor patients again. They rescheduled them from monday to tuesday and now again. I feel so bad! But i know I couldn't make it. My stomache and insides hurt a little and I'm still nauseous today even without the vicodin. The big shot isn't bad at all and they said because I am littler, i can use an inch needle instead of the 1 1/2 inch. yeah!

They want to do the transfer either thursday or saturday. They are seeing if the eggs will mature more and divide more before they select the best two to place inside of me. I am planning to work from 7-7 tomorrow...hopefully i'll be up for it. Then we are going to a spring training game with friends and family.

I was just called by the coordinator at the office to tell me good news! out of the 31 eggs, 28 were mature and 22 and possibly two more are fertilized!!!! How awesome is that?! That number is huge! :) I will be able to have all of my 13 kids with that number :) j/k I am so happy after such a hard day yesterday. It is definitely all worth it! I had such a good friend bring me dinner and dessert last night. She is the best! I know I just need to pray unceasingly to my Heavenly Father for strength, courage and faith to get through this time.