Day 86: Post-Retrieval

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I. Prior to surgery

I took my trigger shot at 1:00 AM Sunday night (technically Monday) along with an extra dose of Lupron (0.5 units). Physically, I keep complaining lately that I’m fat. I went to the mall to try on clothes and didn’t end up buying anything as I couldn’t find anything flattering with my current figure. It’s only a few extra pounds but it’s around my midsection so my regular semi-hour glass shape is almost nonexistent.  My nipples are also reallly sensitive and sore to the touch. The pressure in my mid-section comes and goes. I find that a bit disconcerting. When I don’t feel it, I worry I unwittingly caused bodily strain and something bad has happened to my eggs. It is unfounded though. But all in all, my condition is very tolerable – not as bad as I expected at all.

As per nurse instructions, I arrived at the clinic early (I was supposed to be there at 11am). I take one of the available rooms sectioned off with a curtain. Behind these compact make-shift rooms, there is one luxury massage chair with a pillow and blanket, another chair for a companion, a garbage bin, some magazines, natural light coming through the window, and my IV drip set up. Not much else. Oh, but I did have a plate of snacks already set out (some salty pretzel sticks, crackers, a few buttery-sugar cookies, and an apple juice box). I also have a stack of consent papers to look over and sign. Once I’m changed (two hospital gowns, booties, and cap) and the forms are submitted, a nurse comes by to insert the IV. I start to feel it spread through my system a few minutes later. The nurses warns me it will feel cold, and it does so I throw on the blanket provided and make myself comfortable.

My punctuality doesn’t count for much because the doctor doesn’t arrive to do the procedure until approximately 1:00 PM. During the wait, I have the massage chair set to have my footrest up, my seat reclined, and the headset on listening to an instrumental version of My Heart Will Go On to drone out the chattering of the nurses. I take a nap until the nurse wakes me to tell me it’s time. I am asked to empty my bladder twice (once on arrival, and once before the procedure), then I’m escorted to the room. There are a lot of nurses milling around to prepare things, and when my meds are administered via the IV, I start to feel the room sway. I recall the lights went down and I was watching the ultrasound screen. I vaguely recall watching the needle move about in there, and the doctor’s instructions to tell me when it hurts. I remember groaning “oww” on three occasions. I don’t remember hearing any conversation going on around me. Perhaps I was just really out of it. The last thing I remember as I became semi-conscious while still in the room was the doctor saying I did an excellent job.

Next thing I know, I’m back in my Japanese brand massage chair napping. Oh man, that massage chair was awesome. I really have to get one of those one day. Behind my curtained room, I wake up more then once thinking a lot of time has elapsed but my cell phone tells me its only been 45-60 minutes. By 2:30 PM, I’m fully conscious snacking on my crackers and cookies, and sipping my apple juice. When the nurse comes by to check on me she is surprised to see I’m up already. I feel well enough to leave at that point so I call my friend (who is close by on campus) to pick me up and half an hour later she’s there with a big grin and a helping hand to get me out.

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