Egg Retrieval!

I went in this morning at 8:30 to East Memphis Surgery Center for my egg retrieval. When I arrived I signed a lot of paper work and paid our last payment. They called me back and asked me a lot of preliminary questions, had me change into the hospital gown, and got me started on my IV. Dr. Ke came and talked to me about the procedure (I was so glad my doctor was the one to retrieve the eggs!), the anesthesiologist came and talked to me, and then I was transferred to the IVF procedure room. They had me lay down on the table which my thighs in stirrups. I was very comfortable. It was cold, but they gave me the awesome warm blankets! After that I don't remember once they started my "knock out" medicine through my IV! The procedure started around 9:40 and I woke up in recovery around 10:35. I stayed there for 30 minutes never really fully waking up! Dr. Ke came and talked to me and he was able to retrieve 12 eggs! 11 from my right and 1 from my left. He was pleased and they will call me tomorrow to tell me how many fertilized. They will also let me know tomorrow if they did ICSI depending on what Robbie's sample looked like. ICSI is where they actually inject the egg with the sperm forcing them to fertilize. I also got to drink a Dr. Pepper while in recovery! My favorite! They had me get dressed and wheeled me out to the car where Robbie had my discharge instructions of all the medicine I have to take for the next 2 weeks. My wonderful mom drove me home and has been watching Ryder all day until Robbie gets off work! I am so thankful! I ate some lunch and then took a 3 hour nap! It was fabulous! I have not taken anything for pain, but I am pretty uncomfortable. My right side especially since that side had a lot more poking! During the retrieval they stick a needle through your cervix, through your ovary, and finally through each individual follicle to retrieve the egg. They use an ultrasound to guide their way. I have had a c-section before and that is the closest feeling I can use to describle what I am feeling. Very uncomfortable. I never took pain meds with my c-section and I have not with this egg retrieval, but it is uncomfortable to laugh. They told me everything down there will be contracting (just like the uterus after a birth) and since my ovaries are enlarged and tender from the stim meds and since they were poked all over it feels like I have been cut, which is hurting from everything contracting. Hopefully I will be back to my normal self tomorrow! Can't wait to find out all about my babies tomorrow! I have gotten a lot of e-mails, texts, and calls the past 24 hours and they are greatly appreciated. I can feel God's hand in this whole journey and I know it is because of the power of prayer from everyone. We would still appreciate your prayers because the next few days and week we are still continuing our journey. I ask you to pray for my sweet babies and Lord Willing we will be able to make it to a 5 day transfer with one or two embryos! I will keep you all updated. I will leave you all with a verse from Psalms, "The Lord has done great things for us and our hearts are filled with JOY!" This has been one of my favorite verses throughout this entire experience! I can't wait to Lord Willing share some really great news with you all over the next few days and weeks! Thank you so much again for your thoughts and prayers!

In 13 hours

In 13 hours I will be at the hospital waiting for my egg retrieval. I am so excited and feel so much peace about everything! But I am very nervous! Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow as well as the upcoming weeks. Thank you so much.

Ultrasound #4

I am done with Gonal-F and Lupron! My eggs are mature and my right ovary especially is looking great! The follicles are measuring between 17 and 20mm. My lining is at 9.7. My E2 level was 1513. I take the Ovidrel shot tonight at 10:30 for my egg retrieval which is scheduled for Wednesday!!! Yay! I am so excited and cannot believe how fast this has gone so far! I cannot give God enough praise for allowing this IVF cycle to be going as good as can be this far! I have to be at the surgery center Wednesday morning at 8:30 with my husband. Today I start estrogen patches and I will continue this until I am around 10 weeks pregnant. I will wear 2 patches at one time and change them out every 72 hours. I have to do the patches because my E2 level is lower than 2000. Please continue to pray for us! Especially over the next several weeks. I will have either a 3 or 5 day embryo transfer. I am hoping I can make it to 5 days so my embryos will be at the blastocyte stage. So embryo transfer will be either Saturday or Monday! I am so excited that Wednesday is the day my doctor gets to do the egg retrieval! His clinic dates are Wednesday and Thursday's and I am so thankful I get to have him do it! Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers! I will keep you updated!

Ultrasound #3

I went in this morning for my ultrasound. My lining was at 10. I have 3 to 4 follicles on the left ovary and 10 to 12 on the right ovary that will more than likely be retrieved. So about 15 total. 20 at the most. They are pretty good size. Measuring between 13 and 19mm. Most are 16 or 17mm, so the nurse said I have an 80% chance of more than likely having my egg retrieval Wednesday. My E2 level jumped way up to 1008! I am a little discouraged that my follicle numbers dropped from 40 to 15ish.. but I have to remember that it only takes 1! I am continuing my Lupron at 5units and my Gonal-F at 225units tonight and I go back tomorrow at 8am for bloodwork and ultrasound! Lord Willing tonight will be my last night of stim drugs ever! Please continue to pray for us!

Constantly Working

Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Romans 8:34

Sometimes I feel like falling apart. Nothing is better than falling into the arms of God. I have learned through infertility that God's arms are strong enough to hold me and they will catch me everything single time. When my strength is gone, His strength becomes perfect in my weakness. I know God can do everything, but sometimes I am so afraid He won't. Whenever I need proof that God is working in my life, all I need to do is simply turn my hand palm up and look at the inside of my wrist.

On the insides of my wrists you can see my blood vessels as clearly as though I had no skin. Nurses love me! They never have to search long for a place to stick me! To me, these bluish tubes buried just below the surface appear stagnant. No movement. No action. To my eyes, they appear as nothing more than streaks of color on my arms. I don’t feel anything. No throbbing. No pressure. They have no sound. If I didn’t see them, I wouldn’t know they are even there.

But what is the reality? Life-giving blood is coursing through those veins! Every moment of my life from just weeks after my conception to even this very second, blood is and has been moving, flowing, providing life-giving nourishment to every cell that joins together to create me and it has never stopped! With every single beat of my heart, blood finds its way through the intricate highway of vessels and arteries and completes the job it was meant to do. I don’t feel it. I don’t have to. Just because I don’t see the blood moving or feel it surging on its journey through my body, doesn’t mean that it’s not carrying out its job to perfection! Even if I absolutely did not believe for a second that the blood was there, my heart would still pump, my cells would still receive nourishment and my body would continue to function. The mere fact that I am alive is proof that blood is flowing. Life is in the blood!

Romans 8:34 tells us that Christ, seated at the right hand of God, is interceding on our behalf. That Christ is seated at the right hand of God is significant, as being seated at the right hand of God designates a position of power. That means that right now, this instant, Christ, is busy working in power for my good. Just as I am blissfully unaware of the blood in my body flowing, working, moving through my veins, God through Christ is flowing, working and moving through the story of my life!

I may not see Him. I may not hear Him. I don’t have to! That doesn’t squash His ability! He’s been working on my life since long before my birth, and He’s working for me even now. As I am typing these words, He’s working. As tears stream down my face, He’s working. As my hopes rise and fall, He’s working. As I sleep at night or as I toss and turn, He’s working. As I find those few precious moments when I forget I have a problem, He’s working. He never stops working on my behalf. And He never will.

His Good and Perfect Will

Over the past several weeks during my quiet time I have found myself really studying and praying for God's Will. It is amazing to me what God uses through His word to touch my life and give me peace, hope, and strength. I have studied things lately that I have read before but going through this particular journey in my life right now His word has really touched me differently. I tend to focus my prayer life and quiet time on things that I am dealing with at that particular moment... so that I might gain wisdom and understanding... God has given me comfort throughout this entire process. Sometimes I cannot fathom His love and His mercy but it sure is comforting! Here are two verses that have really encouraged me lately and will continue to give me peace whatever the outcome may be of IVF.

1 Thess. 5:16-18: "Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's Will for you who belongs to Christ Jesus."

1 John 5:14-15: "And we can be confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for."

Ultrasound #2

I went this morning for my second ultrasound. My follicles are growing like they should on both ovaries! The majority are between 12 and 16mm. Some are still at 10mm, but that is completely normal. I am so excited! My lining was 12, which she said was perfect! She said that if she were to guess my egg retrieval will more than likely be Tuesday or Wednesday or next week! It is getting close!

My E2 level was at 379, so it doubled which is great, but they want it at 2000 at least by egg retrieval. If it is not there by Tuesday or Wednesday when I retrieve then I will have to start wearing estrogen patches. She said I would wear these while pregnant too.

I go back in Sunday morning around 8 to get another ultrasound and more bloodwork! I will post an update sometime that afternoon when I get back from church.