Two days ago was Retrieval Day -- when I'm put under light sedation and the doctor on duty attempts to retrieve eggs from the multiple follicles that grew because of the daily hormone injections. In Round 1, they were only able to retrieve 3 eggs because I metabolized the "trigger" injection too quickly and ovulated too early. This time, my medicine was changed up a bit to prevent the breakthrough ovulation, but the doctor was only able to retrieve two eggs from my right ovary, and none from my left ovary because that stupid fibroid* I keep hearing about got in the way and those follicles couldn't be reached. The retrieval doctor said that the follicles in the left ovary looked too small to produce mature eggs anyway, so he didn't think I "lost" any, but it's still incredibly frustrating and disappointing to learn that 14 days of injections (9 days with one shot in the morning plus three at night and 5 days with only three at night), bruises on my stomach from those injections, and multiple vials of blood drawn (5 to be exact, plus an IV, and now I have scar tissue in one of the only good veins I have in my arms) results in only two eggs.
On the plus side, the Day 2 update this morning was good news: both eggs are fertilized and rated as a Grade 2 embryo (on a scale of 1 being the best to 5 being no good). Now I have to wait another five days to receive the next update: I'll learn if either makes it to the blastocyst stage and can be biopsied and sent out for genetic testing. The nurse reminded me that these are different eggs from Round 1, and that just because the numbers are the same (both embryos sent out for genetic testing last round were also Grade 2) doesn't mean the testing results will be the same. Yes, I know it only takes one, but the odds are stacked against me because of my age, and starting out with so few embryos again just makes the waiting between steps more anxiety inducing. Now to attempt to wait patiently and calmly until the next update on Saturday.
*My main doctor has been clear that he doesn't want to remove the fibroid unless there is a viable embryo that can be transferred, but if this round is also a bust, I will be questioning that methodology again.