i SURVIVED!

This week has been so crazy and I am so happy to say that I SURVIVED! On Thursday, I literally thought my life was over - turns out I was just super dramatic and when you are sick, you normally get better! :)

What an adventure Tyson and I have got ourselves into. Our alarm clocks went off at 4:45am on Wednesday morning. I hadn't slept that well the night before, so I popped out of bed a lot quicker than normal. I was so excited to get these eggs out of me! I felt huge and extremely uncomfortable. I had been looking forward to this day for three years! We were FINALLY going to have the opportunity to make a baby! It was dark outside when we got into the car and our nerves were out of control. We arrived at the Fertility Center at 5:30am on the dot. We were even there a few minutes before the nurse was there to unlock the doors! We checked in and they put a really cute bracelet on my wrist that had my name on it. They took me away and told Tyson just to sit tight and they would let him know what he needed to do.

I was introduced to the sweetest nurse, who took such good care of me that day. I put on one of those REALLY cute and flattering hospital gowns, put on little blue footsie covers, wrapped my hair up in a bun (of course) and put on a cap to cover my head. She wrapped me up in a hospital blanket and layed me in a recliner for a few minutes. They did a few tests and I soon got an IV on the top of my right arm. It was just fluids and nausea medication for after the procedure. I sat there for about 10 minutes, when they said, "are you ready?!" I was BEYOND ready, so of course I said yes! They put me on a bed and wheeled me into the "Procedure Room." The last thing I remember was the anesthesiologist saying, "okay! this is going to make you feel really good!" and I was OUT!

I woke up about an hour later in TEARS. The nurse was laughing because she said I was just crying and crying, but had the biggest smile on my face! I kept saying "I don't know why I am crying!" as the tears just strolled down my cheeks. I remember being uncomfortable, but nothing to really cry over. I am sure it was just the way my body was reacting to the anesthesia. This girl in the recovery room, who was also just waking up from a procedure kept saying, "I need Dr. Shapiro. Go get Dr. Shapiro! This girl is crying! You need to help her!" and I kept saying, "I don't know why I am crying! I am okay!" and we just went back and forth for a few minutes as the nurses were trying to calm her down and let her know that I was okay, and trying to calm me down from crying so much!

They also said I kept begging for Tyson. I kept saying, "I need my husband! Please go get my husband!" They eventually went and got him, and when he saw me shaking and with my face full of tears, he almost passed out! Poor guy!! They had to sit him down and give him some water and nuts to help him. We were seriously a mess. The nurses told me Good Luck when I am in labor! Tyson can't stand seeing me in pain I guess - which is the sweetest thing ever. Love him so much.

I finally got control over myself and Dr. Shapiro came and held my hand. He is the cutest thing in my life and has THE best bedside manners in the world. He squeezed my hand with both of his and looked me in my teary eyes and said "You did GREAT! I was able to retrieve 36 eggs!" His excitement made me so happy and I felt so blessed. 36 eggs! I know so many people who would have LOVED just to have 1 egg and here I had 36! I could not have been happier.

I went home that day and to say my recovery was easy, would not be the truth. I expected pain and bloating, but I did not expect the nausea and vomiting. I could not keep anything down for over 36 hours. Thursday was by far the longest day of my life. I woke up on Friday, DETERMINED to go to work. I got ready and kissed Tyson goodbye. I got into my car and just started crying! I was pushing myself too far. I knew I shouldn't be going to work, but I felt like I needed to as I had already missed Tuesday-Thursday. I had to stop by the doctor's office for blood work on my way to work and that is when they could tell something wasn't right. I was in a lot of pain and I was STILL not keeping anything down. They did an emergency ultrasound and blood work and came to the conclusion that I was dehydrated. They put me back into the room that I was in just 2 days earlier and hooked me up to an IV again. They pumped in the fluids once again and gave me anti-nausea medication as well. They seriously treated me like a PRINCESS. They took such good care of me and even the doctor came in and checked on me about every 20 minutes. The nurse who was taking care of me was incredible and she knew exactly what I needed. They didn't release me until I felt 0% nauseated and felt better.

Probably my favorite part about this whole week was the moment I realized I had become Violet from Charlie and Chocolate Factory. If you remember, she literally blows up into a huge ball after chewing gum from Willie Wonka - and that is now me! They told me that I would be bloated, but I did not know I would look 8 months pregnant. Doctor said I should start "deflating" this next week. I CANT WAIT!

Seriously, I am SO grateful for modern medicine! Not only so this whole procedure could be taking place, but also so they could make me feel better within 3 hours, by a simple IV. I am so grateful for my sister Katrina and brother Kyle and their families who brought Tyson and I dinner this week. I am so grateful for Mitch and Jesse who came over and gave me a blessing with Tyson. What an incredible blessing it is to have the Priesthood in our home! I am SO grateful for that special power. I am grateful for the phone calls and text messages from all of our friends and family members. I am grateful for my mom and dad who called numerous times a day to check in on me, as well as my in-laws who have cared so much. I especially am grateful for TYSON! Oh my goodness, this whole thing wouldn't have been possible without him. He took SUCH good care of me over the past week. I walk like I am 98 years old and he helps me get up off the couch, walked me to the restroom, got me a drink whenever needed, layed by me when I just needed to feel loved, and truly was at my beckon call. I love him and I am so grateful to have a husband like him. He spoils me to pieces.

We are so excited for the next few months! We have had a few extra hiccups come our way the past week, which has post-poned out implantation. Most IVF patients have their embryos formed and they do something called a fresh transfer, and the embryos are transferred only 5 days after fertilization. Because of a few things that have come up with my body (of course!) we have froze our 30 healthy embryos!! YES - 30! We are SO excited about it!! Out of 36 eggs, only 6 of them were not fertilized! ANOTHER blessing that we have seen! Here we have been trying to make ONE healthy baby for three years and the doctor was able to make THIRTY in one day! :) We could not be happier! Over the next few months, we will continue working with Dr. Shapiro in making me as healthy as possible so we can implant these babies as soon as possible!

"We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack, rather than our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, 'He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.'

- Thomas S. Monson