The Retrieval is in Sight

We are getting closer and closer to the retrieval date! Our date has been set for Tuesday, November 8 at 12:15 PM. We are getting so close to knowing how many eggs we will have to work with. Unfortunately with the time of the retrieval that means I will have to do the trigger shot at 12:15 AM tonight. I’ve decided to go to bed early and wake up at 11:00 to do my numbing cream and stay up for the hour to do the shots before going back to bed. I will have done a total of 33 shots by the end of this. This includes 2 Gonal-F shots (I don’t have any syringes to combine the pens) and the 2 Ovidrel shots as my trigger. Dr. Amols had really wanted us to do the intramuscular trigger shot, but that has to be done by someone else and Matthew will not be home to administer it so we don’t have much of a choice but to do the subcutaneous trigger. I have been feeling super bloated recently, which is a normal side-effect of the medications. During the ultrasound yesterday and today we also found out that we currently have 24 follicles growing, which also explains some discomfort I have been having when walking or standing up. I will grant that 24 follicles doesn’t necessarily mean 24 eggs, but in my mind the more follicles we have the better chance we have for lots of mature eggs. The blood draws have been going reasonably well. Matthew has been able to be there for most of them, but he wasn’t able to be there for today’s because of work. Instead, an amazing friend of mine went with me for the moral support and to help with the little things I need help with directly after the blood draw, like helping me open my bottle of water. I’ve only bruised a little bit so that’s good.

I also start my antibiotic tonight. It is a preemptive medication as the risk of an infection is kind of high considering how the procedure works.

Everything else has been going well. I have noticed that I’m using the day planner more than the fertility app more out of convenience than anything else. I do plan on doing a full review of the app, but that will have to wait until after the retrieval.

We would really appreciate prayers specifically for peace for me for the actual retrieval process as it includes an IV, and safety for me during the procedure as I will be under full anesthesia which can be a risk as my blood pressure runs pretty low anyway and the anesthesia can make it drop lower. We would also appreciate prayers that we get lots of good, mature eggs that will fertilize.