The day following my egg retrieval, I waited, rather impatiently as you can imagine one would, for the call from my embryologist to tell me how many eggs were fertilized in the ICSI process and how many survived to see today (Thursday, July 26th). This was a big deal to me; this would tell me if we had eggs and sperm strong enough to make embryos, and if this IVF road would be worth it.
By 3:00 pm, I still had not heard anything, and fearing that the nurse line would close soon, I called them myself. I took my cell phone to an unused conference room at work and made the call away from my desk and the ears of my coworkers. I spoke with the front desk receptionist at my fertility clinic about my question because I wasn't actually sure who I was supposed to talk to about my potential embryos; if the nurses would have that information or my RE or?? The receptionist said I should talk to embryology and she transferred my call. Thankfully, someone answered right away (that was a first!) so I didn't have to leave a message and wait again for a return phone call. I spoke directly with my embryologist.
I should note that I don't know if I have one embryologist assigned specifically to my embryos or if all the embryologists are on a rotation or how it works. But any embryologist I talk to, I refer to as my embryologist as I have never met any of them in person nor do I know any of their names. Although, it would seem that at least one of them has seen my naked lower half.
So I said something to her like 'I was told yesterday after my egg retrieval that someone would call me today to let me know how many eggs fertilized and I haven't heard from anyone yet.' She asked for my name, put me on a brief hold, then came back on the line and said very politely, 'We generally don't call the day after an egg retrieval, we make all of our calls on day two.' I offered an apology for getting my information wrong (probably due to my grogginess from the anesthesia). She said it wasn't a big deal and that 17 of 18 eggs fertilized and all 17 survived to today. She said they don't make calls the day after a retrieval because most times, there isn't much to report because they are still waiting for the eggs to fertilize but that wasn't the case with me so she could give me an update. She said I should expect the normal day two phone call update tomorrow as well. She was very nice; I thanked her and hung up.
I walked back to my desk and just about burst into tears; I was so happy! Imagine! 17 embryos! IVF is worth it! I silently thanked God, then I emailed DH right away and told him the news. He replied back something like 'Are you trying make me pass out!' I laughed and wrote him back and said '19 Kids and Counting doesn't have anything on us!' ; ) I also joked that I was like a grocery store...go into the 'grocery store' and come back with a dozen and a half eggs!
Ahh...what a good day. I thanked everyone in my heart for all of your prayers and I thanked God for the great news.
And then I prepared for the long wait for the next day's phone call.![]()
By 3:00 pm, I still had not heard anything, and fearing that the nurse line would close soon, I called them myself. I took my cell phone to an unused conference room at work and made the call away from my desk and the ears of my coworkers. I spoke with the front desk receptionist at my fertility clinic about my question because I wasn't actually sure who I was supposed to talk to about my potential embryos; if the nurses would have that information or my RE or?? The receptionist said I should talk to embryology and she transferred my call. Thankfully, someone answered right away (that was a first!) so I didn't have to leave a message and wait again for a return phone call. I spoke directly with my embryologist.
I should note that I don't know if I have one embryologist assigned specifically to my embryos or if all the embryologists are on a rotation or how it works. But any embryologist I talk to, I refer to as my embryologist as I have never met any of them in person nor do I know any of their names. Although, it would seem that at least one of them has seen my naked lower half.
So I said something to her like 'I was told yesterday after my egg retrieval that someone would call me today to let me know how many eggs fertilized and I haven't heard from anyone yet.' She asked for my name, put me on a brief hold, then came back on the line and said very politely, 'We generally don't call the day after an egg retrieval, we make all of our calls on day two.' I offered an apology for getting my information wrong (probably due to my grogginess from the anesthesia). She said it wasn't a big deal and that 17 of 18 eggs fertilized and all 17 survived to today. She said they don't make calls the day after a retrieval because most times, there isn't much to report because they are still waiting for the eggs to fertilize but that wasn't the case with me so she could give me an update. She said I should expect the normal day two phone call update tomorrow as well. She was very nice; I thanked her and hung up.
I walked back to my desk and just about burst into tears; I was so happy! Imagine! 17 embryos! IVF is worth it! I silently thanked God, then I emailed DH right away and told him the news. He replied back something like 'Are you trying make me pass out!' I laughed and wrote him back and said '19 Kids and Counting doesn't have anything on us!' ; ) I also joked that I was like a grocery store...go into the 'grocery store' and come back with a dozen and a half eggs!
Ahh...what a good day. I thanked everyone in my heart for all of your prayers and I thanked God for the great news.
And then I prepared for the long wait for the next day's phone call.
