The Time Has Come!

Finally! I got the word today from my doctor that my egg retrieval will be Tuesday morning! I have had appointments every morning for the last 3 days to do US and blood work to watch my follicle size and estrogen level very closely. My follicles have been growing a couple of millimeters every day so I had a feeling today would be the day for my trigger shot!

For those who aren't familiar with the IVF process, first we medicate to stimulate the ovaries to produce several follicles. Next is the trigger shot (Hcg) that tells the ovaries to finish maturing the follicles to prepare for ovulation. It has to be exactly timed 35 hours before the egg retrieval. During the egg retrieval they will sedate me and remove the follicles that are large enough:

Doesn't that look fun???

After the egg retrieval they take the eggs into the lab will manual insert the sperm into each one (ICSI = intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection). They will watch the ones that fertilize in the lab and 3-5 days later they will transfer the 2 best back into my uterus. Then we wait!

I just hope I'm not in as much pain after this retrieval as I was with my first one. I am taking off work on Tuesday and Wednesday, and my embryo transfer will either be on Friday or Sunday. My mother will be watching Brad the day and night of my retrieval so that I can pop my pain pills and chill on the couch for awhile until I feel like getting up and around.

Check back Tuesday evening and I will post the update of how many eggs they got!! Here is my post from last time that goes over how the fertilization went of the eggs they retrieved. Say a prayer for me and my eggs!!!