Hello everyone. Today was the 'big day' - the day of my egg retrieval.
In my post, I had been taking gonal-f for four days and was about to begin taking Cetrotide as well. A few days after beginning the Cetrotide, I returned to the clinic for another ultrasound and blood work and also began my Repronex injections. Instead of taking 3 injections every day, I was instructed to mix the gonal-f with the Repronex into one syringe and adminster it to myself as an IM injection just above my bum, alternating sites (left side one day, right side the next). Because it was such an awkward location to inject myself in, I was lucky enough that my boyfriend was willing to help out and give me the injections. So the nurse gave me my first injection, my boyfriend gave me the next, and I returned to the clinic on the third day (Friday, February 12th). During my Friday appointment, I was told that I would need to return to the clinic the next day (Saturday) where I would have an ultrasound done by a doctor and likely be given my trigger shot, meaning the retrieval would need to take place 36 hours -- the trigger shots are EXTREMELY time sensitive. When my nurse handed me the two trigger shot syringes to take home with me, I couldn't believe it. This was real, it was actually happening!
Saturday night at midnight, my boyfriend gave me a trigger shot above my bum and I gave myself one in the abdomen. I also began taking doxycycline (prophylactic antibiotic) and Dostinex to assist with symptoms of OHSS. Initially, the ultrasound had shown that my follicles weren't really maturing the way we expected them to... my Saturday ultrasound showed the complete opposite. I had TON of follicles that were ready to come out! While this was a good thing for my IPs (the more eggs I yield, the more eggs that can be fertilized and implanted to result in pregnancy), it wasn't great news for me. When you have a high number of follices, your risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is also high. That means that after my retrieval, I would be at a high risk of having my ovaries produce a bunch of fluid that would fill my abdomen and cause symptoms like extreme bloating, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing if there was enough fluid to cause it. The Dostinex is supposed to help calm things down and hopefully decrease the bloating along with a strict high sodium, high protein, low potassium diet. So that brings us to the retrieval.
Last night, my boyfriend and I took the train to Toronto so we could stay at a hotel close the clinic. I felt very bloated from the trigger injections and quite uncomfortable over all. I was definitely ready to get these eggs out of me! I began fasting at midnight and went to bed shortly after. When I woke up this morning, I felt even more bloated and pretty nervous about the procedure. We arrived at the clinic shortly before 10am and I was given a gown to change into and escorted to my own little room. My boyfriend was able to come right into the room with me and having him there definitely helped calm my nerves. While I filled out a bit of paperwork, had my vitals taken and an IV started, my lucky boyfriend got to enjoy a massage chair! About an hour after we arrived at the clinic, we were escorted into the procedure room where my boyfriend was able to sit right next to me the entire time and see the internal procedure on a screen. I was given conscious sedation as well as an antinauseant. Then, a needle was inserted into my vagina using an ultrasound to guide it, and the eggs were taken from both of my ovaries. In total, 19 eggs were retrieved. I don't remember very much of the procedure, but the parts I do remember were very painful. I recall hearing the doctor call for more anaesthesia - about four times. (They couldn't believe I needed so much medication!) I do remember crying a lot during the procedure and my eyes are still puffy and sore from that. Shortly after, I woke up in the small room that I started in. I don't remember walking there after the procedure but apparently I did. I felt very sore and uncomfortable and slept on and off. Once I was awake, I was given the green light to go back to the hotel. That's when I had my genius idea.
The clinic is located directly across from a Sobey's groery store. Initially, the plan had been for my boyfriend to take me to the hotel then go back to the grocery store on his own to get me something to eat - soft foods, lots of high sodium beverage and protein-heavy foods. However, in my drug-induced fog, I was convinced that I could handle the trip. Besides, what was the point in him coming all the way back when we were already here? So we started shopping. I felt alright for most of the trip... until my boyfriend went to grab me some high protein Ensure drinks and I almost passed out. I was standing near the bakery and grabbed one of those little paper bags meant for bread products because I was certain I was going to vomit. When he came back, I was sitting on the floor, hot, pale and ready to pass out. A few sips of Gatorade and a couple concerned Sobey's employees later, we were back to the hotel. I was starving so I had some soup from Tim Horton's and went to lay down in bed. My boyfriend had literally just left to go grab some lunch for himself when I vomited up all of my soup. After that, I took 2 Gravol and slept until 6:30pm.
I've been awake for almost an hour now. While I don't feel well by any means, I am definitely better than I was before my nap. I've been able to keep down an Ensure and a tiny can of V8 and now I have yet another cup of Tim horton's soup staring me in the face. I'm hungry but also very nervous about being sick again, so I think I'll take it really slow this time. I'm still very sleepy so I'll probably go back to bed after I eat. Tomorrow morning, I will go back to the clinic around 9am for another ultrasound to see how much fluid has been released by my ovaries and then I will be on the train back home.
I'm not going to lie. This has been an extremely tough process. My body is tender, sore and exhausted. But on the bright side, I was able to give a couple 19 of my eggs that will be fertilized to help give them a baby - on Family Day to boot! As difficult as this been, I don't regret it at all. I've been able to help people in a way I never thought I could and I'm very grateful for that opportunity, However, I am ready to start feeling better and sleep in my own bed. :)
As always, feel free to comment below or message me on Facebook if you have any questions. I'm very open to talking about this and look forward to hearing if a pregnancy has resulted from this. Happy Family Day everyone!