by Melissa Willets posted in Pregnancy

Over the next 6 weeks, we invite you to come along on an IVF journey, step by intense step. From making the decision to go forward with in-vitro fertilization, to the meds involved and what they?re really like, and to finding out whether this emotional and sometimes painful roller coaster ride yielded the results so dreamed of and prayed for. BabyCenter blogger Melissa Willets will be documenting every detail in a series of blog posts. 
I'm lucky.
Some women who undergo IVF don't make it to egg retrieval day. Their bodies may not have responded well to the egg stimulation meds, or complications arose. And of those who get here, many won't get good news after the physically and emotionally draining egg retrieval procedure. Their journeys are over. Today was my retrieval day. I felt elated to be done with my injections, which left me sore, bloated, and moody. But I had no idea what today would bring. And knowing I'd be put under anesthesia for the retrieval was making me nervous for several reasons.
Firstly, I had three children waiting for their mommy to come home, safe and healthy. Secondly, the last time I'd been under anesthesia was the worst day of my life. It was the day my fourth baby became an angel.
As I changed into my standard-issue hospital gown and scratchy socks behind an all-too-familiar Brady Bunch-esque curtain, I couldn't help but break down. Memories of my last horrible experience in this setting threatened...