Gifts

So this past week I received my compensation check. That will definitely be a nice help while I'm finishing up school this semester. I also got a package from the agency with several gifts inside. The agency gave me a really pretty silver Tiffany-style chain necklace with a heart pendant, and a gift certificate to Burke-Williams spa. The recipient couple gave me a very elegant gold necklace with black beads from a local jewelry designer, and a very thoughtful, heartfelt letter. I really appreciated the gifts, they were such a nice surprise! Jewelry is always nice, especially with the kind of work I'll be going into, and a massage will be awesome! The letter meant a lot to me, and it's nice to know that they don't just see me as some kind of egg-producing machine! I really hope they get pregnant, and I should hear something soon!

Feeling Normal Again!

So I went in for my follow-up yesterday, and my ultrasound & blood work looked good, and I feel a lot better now! My stomach feels normal again, it seems like my digestive system is back on track, and I am back to my normal weight! :)

I don't know if I would want to donate again, or whether another couple would even want me after the amount of hormones I had to use to stimulate properly. I would consider it, but only if I am allowed to still drink coffee, and keep taking my normal fiber supplements. I also will absolutely refuse to drive over 1200 miles for doctor visits again! So, we'll see...

For now, I'm just happy that I did it, and that they were able to retrieve 10 good eggs that all fertilized!

Retrieval Day

We got to the doc's at 6am this morning, filled out paperwork, then I got into the lovely gown and got my IV put in. I absolutely hate the sight of blood, and had to close my eyes when blood started pouring down my arm when the IV went in! At 7am, they finally started giving me some pain meds or something, and wheeled me into the operating room. They told me I would be under general anesthesia, so I was happy about that. Then they had me move over to the operating table, and then asked me some questions. The anesthesiologist asked me some questions and told me I'd feel the meds going in & would probably feel cold. The doc gave me an extra blanket to keep me warm, and I was just looking around and listening to everyone for a couple of minutes. I was sitting there thinking, "gosh, is this stuff going to kick in soon & knock me out, or what?!" I didn't have to get in the stirrups like other donors I've read about, they must have done that after I was out, which I am happy about, because I wouldn't want to remember that feeling of embarrassment! I was looking at the ceiling when I finally went out.

I woke up in the recovery room in pain! I remember the left side hurting really bad, and my throat was super dry and sore. I pulled my knees up to help alleviate the pain in my abdomen, and started to cry. The nurse gave me pain meds in the IV and went and got my DH. He came in, and I was still hurting, and I think I was still about to cry. The meds finally kicked in, and I started to relax. The bed was up at an angle, so I motioned to him that I wanted to lay flat, and he told the nurse. I also did not like the feeling of the pillow under my head, so he moved it, and let me hold it on my chest (like I normally sleep at night!) I came to pretty slowly, and finally I felt okay enough to have the bed put up again so I could drink some water. I think I went through 2 bags of fluids in my IV! I asked the nurse how many eggs they got, and she first told me 8, but then told me 10 later on. Apparently, 8 of them were from the left side, that's why it hurt so bad, and only 2 from the right.

The icing on the cake was that I found out I have a lovely bladder infection! I had to pee in a cup before the retrieval, so I guess that's how they found it. The nurse said you can get a bladder infection as a side effect of all the hormone injections, so the doc gave me a prescription for that. Awesome! (sarcasm)

After we got home, I slept for a few hours, then watched tv and relaxed on the couch for the rest of the day. I took a few of the painkillers the doc gave me throughout the day, but my abdomen still hurts. I think part of the pain is from the retrieval, but the other part is from my lovely "irregularity." The hormones took a toll on my digestive system, and no amount of fiber was helping. So I'm pretty sure my intestines are pushing against my sore ovaries, and making the pain worse than it would normally be. I hope it gets better really soon, because I have to go back to work tomorrow, and school on Wednesday!!

That's all for now!

The rest of the week before retrieval

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were more blood tests & ultrasounds. Since my body hasn't responded like the average donor's, she wanted to keep a close eye on the follicle growth and estrogen levels each day. Saturday everything was looking good, so I finally got to do the HCG trigger shot Saturday night. On Sunday, my dear husband and I drove in to the doc's again for one last blood test, then had a day of fun. We went to breakfast, thrift-store shopping, and visited the beach. After that, we checked in to our hotel, since we would have to be back at the doc's at 6am the next day. We stayed at the Hyatt, since they allow pets & I was originally planning on bringing my pups. The hotel was paid for of course, and we got a nice per diem as well to go have dinner. We lucked out, and there was a special deal for a bunch of great restaurants in the city, so that people can try out some of the best restaurants for a fraction of the normal price. Our dinner was pretty good, and it was in a really famous part of the city, so that was fun. The only bummer was that I would have really liked a glass of wine with such a fabulous dinner! Oh well, next time. After dinner, we just headed back to the hotel, and watched a little tv before turning in for the night.

:)

Yay! So my blood tests came back good yesterday - my estrogen levels went up - so the doctor decided to continue on with the cycle. I went in today for another checkup, and all of my follicles have grown. I have two that are 14mm, a couple that are 12, and 5 that are 10. So, everything is looking good now, and I took the first Ganirelex shot today (to keep me from ovulating). I go in again tomorrow, and we're looking at a possible retrieval on Sunday or Monday. I am really hoping for a Sunday retrieval, so that I'll have someone here to pick me up, and so I can go back to work on Tuesday. But, we'll just have to wait and see what my crazy body does!

:(

So... the past 3 days I've had ultrasounds and bloodwork - which meant driving 160 miles each day! Ick. What's even worse is that my follicles don't seem to be growing fast enough. The doctor increased the dosage on both medications again yesterday, but there still wasn't much growth seen on today's ultrasound. She said depending on what the blood tests show this afternoon, she might cancel the cycle. I feel so bad for my couple. I know they've been waiting for this for such a long time, and then for me to go through almost the entire cycle, only to not have it work, really sucks. I'm crossing my fingers that everything turns out okay so we can finish the cycle, but I'll just have to wait and see.

The doctor also said that my body is responding to the medications similar to a woman in her 40s (which I am not even close to!) She recommended that if I want to have children of my own, that I start trying very soon (like no more than 2-3 years). So... that's a lot to think about. I know we want kids of our own, but I know we're not ready this year for sure. Next year is questionable, and the year after that might be okay. It really worries me that I might not even be able to have children of my own if I wait much longer. This was not in my master plan!

So, until later...

Days 3-6

Not much to report these past few days. The injections have been going better, and I haven't gotten dizzy anymore! I had an ultrasound and bloodwork done yesterday, and everything looked good, but the doctor increased the dose on both medications, so I will have to pick up more meds on Sunday when I go in for my next ultrasound. I also found out that the agency will definitely let me know if my couple gets pregnant in a few weeks, so I really hope it works for them, and I'm happy that I'll get to know one way or the other.