retrieval day.

It was just as I predicted.

One egg.

I'm still cool with that.

It's been this weirdly peaceful and healing day. I got up before the alarm and started going into retrieval mode. I switched my meds bin over to the things I'll need when I start PIO (the day after retrieval) and Lovenox (either the day of or after transfer). I boxed up all of the needles I will never use again because I am done - seriously done - with stim cycles. I boxed up the Menopur for J, and before I left, I packed my one remaining box of Follistim (from my Feb/Mar 2014 cycles) in a cooler bag with ice packs.

I cleaned house, is what I'm saying.

In my purse I tossed the Medrol pack and my last two doxycycline pills, since I know they tell you to take these as soon as you go home. I also tossed my morning (non-fertility) meds, supplements, and prenatal vitamin, since I'd take those afterward, too.

I wrote out a thank you note to the IVF monitoring team, since they've been so wonderfully supportive over this past year.

All this before Mr. Hope even rolled out of bed.

I took a shower. While Mr. Hope took his turn in the shower, I slipped on my wide-leg cotton pants (kind of like yoga pants but even more flowy), a t-shirt, and my college sweatshirt. I grabbed my book. I added some snacks to the cooler bag for Mr. Hope, since his part of this would end much more quickly than my own.

We headed out.

When we got to Posh Clinic, J and her husband were waiting for us. She rushed out of the car and told me that she was sick so she didn't want to hug me. She handed me a card, though, and her husband DID hug me. They thanked us again for saving them thousands of dollars. J got teary. I got teary. Even Mr. Hope got teary. It was this lovely moment.

We promised to keep each other posted on our cycles.

Inside, we opened the card to find a lovely note...and a $100 gift card. I texted J that she didn't have to do that. She said she did and wished me luck.

There was a bit of a wait before they took me back to get changed into my clinic-issued gown and gear. Then it was full steam ahead.

I got to meet Dr. Colleague for a few minutes. She was nice. I got to chat with the anesthesiologist, too. Also nice. I got to talk to the embryologist for a minute. I told her we were really hoping for a girl, and she said she'd think Team Pink. Super nice.

All women. All awesome.

The prep nurse tried to run an IV in my right hand. It felt like she took a hammer to it. I usually have a decent tolerance for pain but it was bad. I said, "Well, you're going to knock me out in a few minutes. I guess I can deal." She said no, that it was better if she moved it.

She tried Big Poppa, the vein in my left arm that I always get blood draws from because it's the Best Vein Ever. Seriously, nurses and blood techs comment on it all of the time. The sound like hungry vampires when they do.

When the prep nurse couldn't run the IV correctly in Big Poppa, I had a feeling that the pain in my hand had more to do with her abilities than that vein itself. The anesthesiologist came over and ran the line in the much smaller vein in my right arm, the one nurses and blood techs always complain about. She was in like two seconds with zero pain.

We love the anesthesiologist.

In the procedure room, they arranged my legs in the holster things and knocked me out. When I started to wake, they told me they got the one egg. I snoozed for a few minutes more before letting myself get more conscious. Then it was water and crackers time. I let myself have two sips of ginger ale, a pack of saltines (two crackers) and two packs of graham crackers. These were big "cheats" for me, but I checked the carb count and it wasn't too disastrous.

And that was it. Afterward, Mr. Hope and I went to get breakfast at a little bistro known for its crepes. I ordered one, even though I knew there was a little flour in the batter. It was a savory crepe, though - smoked salmon and ricotta cheese and poached eggs with red onion and capers and a yummy sauce. All EZ Diet-approved, except for the crepe.

I know that technically the EZ Diet allows you to have things from the "Bad List" a couple of times a week, and from the "So-So List" a few more times than that, but I've tried not to indulge too much. I do let myself have grains with a couple of dinners - like some quinoa in a chicken chili, or a little bit of rice with Thai food. And I still am not sure if beans are on the "Good List" for this diet or the "So-So List," but we have those as ingredients in a couple of meals, too.

Whatever the case, I'm down 12+ lbs. And I feel good because I feel like I'm controlling potential inflammation by eating this way.

I guess we'll see soon enough!