Build me an Ark, An Update, and 17 is our Lucky Number

I’m lying on the couch; breathing is a little labored right now, like someone is sitting on my chest. I hope that I really don’t end up needing an ark for rescue! As it turns out, my ovaries have hyper stimulated and are continuing to produce fluid even after the egg retrieval. So my abdomen is swollen and sore, the fluid is putting pressure on my lungs, and I just feel sick. But let’s talk about some good news….!


24 eggs retrieved

22 eggs mature

17 eggs fertilized

As of this morning (day 3): still 17 embryos growing strong!

The egg retrieval was Wednesday, it was a little scarier than I expected. The IV did not hurt though. I was already really bloated and painfully uncomfortable and swollen with eggs that morning. After lounging on a bed getting some lactated ringers (plain ol’ fluid) run into me, they led me into the OR. I sat down, scared, and they helped me put my legs up into “stirrups” (but really these go under your knees) and had me lay back. The nurses told me their names, complemented me on my penguin socks, and that’s all I remember. I woke up with John talking to me back in the bed in the little cubby we started out it. They told me they got 24 eggs! 24 EGGS!!!

After that, John kept talking to me and I kept telling him how much I loved him and how glad I was that he was there. I was very groggy, and before I know it, they’re telling me to get out of bed to walk. So I did… and then they removed the IV and sent me home with a prescript for vicodin. It was all very fast. I got very nauseous in the pharmacy and had to sit down, but I kept it together. Stopped at Wendy’s on the way home, and I started to feel much better after getting some food in my tummy. I felt sick, bloated, and woozy all afternoon and basically slept and rested on the couch. I got up Thursday and went to work….

…that’s where I went wrong. Thursday morning I felt pretty good. However as the day wore on I felt worse and worse, more bloated and just sick. I left as early as I could (4:45, ha!). Friday morning I woke up feeling bad and decided it would be smarter to take care of myself and stay home. Good thing, ‘cause I didn’t keep breakfast down, and I got sicker and sicker at the day wore on and started having trouble breathing. I finally broke down and called the on-call nurse at 5:30 or so. She said they want to see me Saturday morning (this morning) in Rockville and they may want to drain the fluid. I spent last night sleeping sitting up on the chaise lounge in our bedroom… well with the help of vidodin until 4am. Then this morning I felt a lot better, but we still went for a checkup.

The doc confirmed with ultrasound that I have “a touch” of OHSS. A touch?!? I would hate to know what a more severe case feels like!  Thankfully, he didn’t offer to drain the fluid off (I’m not thrilled with the idea of going under again). But there is the very real chance that the transfer for Monday will be cancelled. You see, pregnancy makes the OHSS worse in many cases. His advice has been to stay off my feet completely for the next two days and rest and drink Gatorade. On the way home from the doctor, we stopped at the grocery store to get some chow. Just being up and walking around for that hour or so has made me so miserable again. So I’m going to take the “stay off my feet” advice seriously. BTW, my wonderful sweet loving husband is taking very good care of me and making sure I stay put on the couch. I don’t know what I would do without him. He really is the greatest guy!!! <3

They’ll check me again on Monday to see if I’m healthy enough for placing one of our babies in my uterus. Oh I do not want to cancel this…!!! I do not want to be sick either!!! If my body isn’t ready for it then they will freeze the strongest embryos. We had planned to do that anyway, but I really have my heart set on a fresh transfer. This whole process is so sci-fi to begin with and it’s even harder to wrap my brain around freezing and thawing a live organism.

Oh…to bring it home, I thought of the ark reference because I feel like I’m being overtaken by fluid. Bad joke… sorry, but you know my sense of humor!!