Post-Op Egg Removal Surgery #2

Alive and more than well.

The surgery went brilliantly.  Dr. Lee is a goddess of medicine. 

The surgery went super well.  Joseph and I arrived at Rachel about 9:40am or so and I was taken back and asked to change and then led to a bed.  The nurse put an IV saline drip in my arm and then pricked the same arm to check for an allergic reaction. 
About ten minutes later she came to check on my arm prick area and then gave me an antibiotic and also a pain killer through the IV.  At 10:20am I was walked across the room to the operating room (there are 2 operating rooms) used for my kind of surgery.  I made sure I looked at the clock because I wanted to see how long it took me to wake up and how long the surgery lasted. 

I am walked in the operating room and Dr. Lee is there ready to go.  She asks how I am and if I am nervous.  I tell her that truthfully, I am not nervous because she is there and she is an amazing doctor.  Also, I wasn't nervous because I knew what to expect. 

I am helped onto the table (there are 2 steps up) and then helped to put me where they want me.  I tell the anesthesiologist that I love her (I'm being put to sleep and it's awesome) and then I'm told everything is ready.  Since I took the set of 3 shots at 10:30pm 36 hours prior, it is very important to begin this surgery at the correct time of 10:30am.  It is truly remarkable how science works.

My legs and arms are secured but it's okay.  I told myself to count backwards from ten to see how long it took me to fall asleep (last time it was less than 5). I started at ten and when I got to 5 I wondered why I wasn't asleep yet and it is at that moment that I got all tingly and conked out.  When the nurse put the sleep medicine in my IV my arm got very cold and then my body began to get tingly.  It felt amazing.

I remember nothing until I wake up with the mask of oxygen on my face and I don't like that mask.  It makes my throat sore.  The nurse is there suddenly (quicker than last time) and takes it and the blood pressure finger thing off of my finger.  She asks how I am and if I have pain.  Not a lot of pain, but I am sore.  Very, very sore. 

She comes back in about ten minutes or so and takes the IV out of my arm and asks me to sit up and then asks if I'm dizzy.  I shake my head around and then tell her I am not dizzy.  She instructs me to hold the cotton ball on my hole in my arm where the IV was and that in a few minutes I can get up and go to the bathroom and then change and go.  So happy!  I waited maybe 30 seconds then tried to get off of the bed.  It is really high for some reason.  She had to help me then I went to the bathroom and then changed. 
Oh.  I looked at the clock before I went to the bathroom and it was 11:30am.  Just about an hour. 

I found Joseph outside the operating/resting suite and we went upstairs to see the "counselors" about my medicine, our marriage certificate (only married couples allowed) and then went to the injection room to get all of the hormones, a lesson in how to use them properly (all in Korean) and then we went to pay then back downstairs to the pharmacy to get more hormones. 

Then, we were done.  Whew!  By this time it is about 12:30p or so and we went to get a snack in the basement (it is a huge building and in most of these type of buildings there is a food court type thing in the basements (B1, B2...) in addition to supermarkets. 

Went to the train station after and waited until 3pm for our train.  Slept on the way back then sat on the couch with Joseph until I fell asleep again...then it was bed time for me.

Woke up today still feeling very sore and tired, but walking has not been a problem.  Just walking very slowly.  Last time I couldn't walk at all hardly so this is an improvement.

Began taking the huge amount of hormones today.  This will last 17 days or more depending if I am pregnant after the 17 days. 

Our total visit yesterday was quite expensive. We actually didn't have enough cash yesterday to pay for everything but they love us and were okay with us paying the remainder this coming Monday.

The total price was $1,676.79 for the surgery and some hormones, and $32.40 for the rest of the hormones from the pharmacy. 

This is more expensive than last time by only a few hundred dollars.  When we think what the average price for IVF is in America, this is nothing.  We are happy to be here and will gladly pay this price. We would NEVER be able to afford this in America.