The word now is that we take it slow. I'm waiting for Aunt Flow to start so we can get the ball rolling on our FET (frozen embryo transfer) cycle. Different meds. Different schedule. But, yes, just as many needles. I can't say that I've missed being a human pin cushion, but as I always say....We do what we must!
Sooooo....I had another visit with the RE today. We were just checking to see that the OHSS had cleared up and all was well. My ovaries are back to normal size...almost. Most of the fluid is gone and there's no need to continue the meds. My estrogen levels appear to be within normal range, so everything is on track. Thank goodness! I was so sick of popping Chlor Trimeton (which has GOT to be the oldest, most archaic allergy OTC in the world). Four times a day felt excessive. No one is really clear on why it works, but it helped my ovaries get back to pseudo-normal, so I'll take it!
The word now is that we take it slow. I'm waiting for Aunt Flow to start so we can get the ball rolling on our FET (frozen embryo transfer) cycle. Different meds. Different schedule. But, yes, just as many needles. I can't say that I've missed being a human pin cushion, but as I always say....We do what we must!
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Egg retrieval was yesterday. I woke up entirely too early, drove to the hospital an hour away, and I think I was in the operating suite for a total of 25 minutes. Yep. That's about it.
I woke up sooooo excited! I was thrilled, but not for the reason you think. Yeah, it was totally fantastic to know that we are a huge step closer to creating our little person. But my excitement was actually over the fact that I was about to have the things removed that were causing me to feel so damned uncomfortable! My abdomen felt GIANT. The ultrasound the day before showed I had 24 total follicles (which are what houses the eggs in the ovaries before ovulation). 17 were mature (over 18mm) and ready to be fertilized! That was waaaaay more than we expected. I was thrilled, but I wanted them OUT. When your body gets eggs ready, it produces extra fluid and you retain more than your share of water. I felt yucky and couldn't wait to get them out and fertilized. The lab called the next day to say we had 11 healthy embryos! I cannot tell you how excited we were! I know its never a good idea to compare yourself to anyone else, but I've read so many stories on the inter-webs about women going through this process only to retrieve 2 or 3 little eggs. I prayed and prayed that things would be different for me. Apparently, Gd listens well. He gave us such a good chance at becoming parents together, and I could not be more excited to share it with the hubs! I expected to feel better a few days after the retrieval, but then it hit me. I had more pain, more cramps, more discomfort than the nurse said I would. They did some lab work and my estrogen levels helped quickly determine that I'd developed Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome (OHSS). OHSS is basically the body's negative reaction to being stimulated in the way necessary to produce all those follicles. I began to retain a ton of water in my abdominal cavity (about 3 liters altogether) and everywhere else. My ovaries became so swollen that they matched the size of my uterus! It hurt, I couldn't move well, and I had to pee more than a war criminal who's been water boarded! I was immediately put on OTC meds (Chlor Trimeton, baby aspirin) to help reduce the fluid, and told to eat salty foods. Crawfish...here I come! You don't have to tell me twice! The OHSS lasted a few weeks, which meant we had to cancel the embryo transfer and freeze our little em-babies. I wasn't thrilled about postponing our embryo transfer, but what's worse is that we had to freeze them. It was explained that there was a chance that one or more of the embryos may not survive the freezing or thawing process. Our RE uses a particular process that is less dangerous, but the chance is still there. Once the embryos were prepared, they called us on day 6 (after fertilization on retrieval day) and said that 9 of our 11 had made it to the freezer. Two down, 9 left to flourish. May He protect and keep them until we're ready. *sigh* |
You're Doing What?!Sometimes it takes a little more than the normal "candle lit dinner and wine" route to make a baby. Feel free to follow along as we navigate the IVF journey, one shot in the bum at a time. You'll read about schedules, consultations, preparing to start IVF, and the pitfalls and FAQs that pop up along the way! Archives
June 2016
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