Egg Retrieval & Fert Report

Sorry I am a few days late on updates. Been a busy week and haven’t had much time to sit and get things down on paper … well screen. 

Remember when I listed the stages of an IVF?  Well Thursday we hit Stage #3 – Egg Retrieval. 

Signing into the SHER INSTITUTE - Las Vegas for my ER

The egg retrieval went very well – minus my mom being a Nervous Nelly, you would have thought she was going in for open heart surgery.  I will never understand why people don’t like anesthesia , because I love it.  This was my 11^th surgery and I totally get why M.J. wanted a private doctor for his Propofol … if I could do it, I would too.  I love the fun cocktail of drugs, it’s like a legal high, and of course, the best nap one could ask for!

       

Talking to Jim while waiting for the Dr & Anesthesiologist

 Thursday, early morning, we checked out of the AFB lodge and headed to the clinic.  Surgery was at 10am but we needed to arrive around 915 to fill out paperwork, and get through all the pre-op stuff.   

Around 930, they walked me back, had me change, took my vials and started my IV.  Nothing of much excitement, then we just sat and waited for the anesthesiologist and Dr. to get in – they were quite a bit late.  But when you’re the first one on the table you want to make sure they had their coffee for the morning, so I will blame their lack of promptness on the Starbucks line.

They finally arrived around 1030 and I was instructed to use the restroom one last time before walking to the OR.  I hopped up on the table and got situated in the spread eagle position.  They were knocking me out as Dr. Sher was walking in, and next I knew I was waking up in recovery.

Most all of my ER's have been pretty low when it comes to pain level.  My very first one was unbearable and I would easily give it a 10 on the pain scale if you had to ask me, and my by death grip on the gurney rails and lack of ability to talk, let alone breath, was a clear sign they didn't even need to ask if I was in pain and drugged me up pretty immediately.  The rest of the retrievals were fairly easy, minor pain but nothing Oxi couldnt take care of after I got home.

This time around as not as bad as the first, but damn close in line.  All I remember was waking up and eventually rolling on my stomach with my bear ass hanging out of the blankets curled up in the fetal position moaning.  At this point in time I was *highly* regretting my joking to the nurses, in regards to my love of anesthesia/drugs, because I needed my pain meds and didnt want them thinking I was some crazy med seeker ... but thankfully after 2 doses of IV pain meds they gladly gave me, I was able to un-curl out of the fetal position.

Typically ER take about 30-45 minutes.  The doctor uses a transvaginal ultrasound to guide a needle through the back wall of your vagina, up to your ovaries.  Each follicle is a small fluid filled space in the ovary that contains one egg.  They use the needle to aspirate the follicle, gently suck the fluid and egg from the follicle to the needle and collecting it into a test tube.   These eggs are then promptly transferred to the embryology lab for fertilization.

On an average ER day, while the women is in surgery, they set up the guy in a room to leave his sample.  They prefer a fresh semen sample, unless they man is dealing with MFI (male factor infertility) then they may have the man leave a sample a few days prior, as well as a sample on the day of – just to make sure they have enough healthy sperm to use. 

In our case, since we knew Jim wouldn’t be here, we made sure to leave his sample before he deployed. 

After the eggs are transferred to the lab, they are then fertilized with ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection).  Once-a-upon-time this used to be used only for men with low sperm count or motility, however it is now typically for RE's to use this process over the conventional fertilization because pregnancy rates are much higher with ICSI than those of conventional fertilization.  And after spending thousands of dollars to make it this far into the cycle , it only makes since to give yourself the best possible opportunity for fertilization, rather then risking low fertilization rates.   ICSI involves the embryologist selecting a single healthy sperm, and injecting it directly into each egg under direct microscopic vision.

Stage #4 – Fertilization. 
Just because ICSI is used, and a sperm is directly inserted into an egg, doesn’t meant you will get an embryo / fertilized egg.  After ICSI is performed it takes, approximately, 24 hours to see if fertilization has occurred.
The morning after an IVF ER they eggs are checked for fertilization.  If fertilization has occurred there will be 2 pronuclei (male & female genetic material) in the center of the eggs.  And then the l.o.n.g. dreaded wait to see what happens with those embryos between fert day and Day 5 (typical transfer day) begins.  Its the waiting to see which embryos will arrest along the way, and which one, if any, will make it to Day 5.

So with all that being said, I am sure you are just wondering my news.
ER : 25 eggs retrieved, 2 immature, 19 mature and 4 they were watching to see if they would mature up in the lab.

Day 1, Fertilization report: 18 embryos, and 3 of the 4 eggs they were waiting and watching, showing signs of fertilization.  18 for sure embryos, with a possibility of upto 21!

Next update will be on Day 3.