OHSS

So my surgery went well.  They got 34 follicles retrieved.  Then we got home...

I started out doing well, but when I woke up the next morning...I was having a hard time breathing, standing up straight, I was feeling nauseas.  I feel like the list can go on.  After my blessing from Zach and Joe, I knew I was going to get through this, but I wasn't sure how long it would last.  I sort of hoped it was just a day thing.

It wasn't.  So what ended up happening after retrieving the follicles is the space that is left can start to fill up with fluid; called ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome.  It doesn't happen every time someone goes in for IVF treatments, but because my body had responded so quickly to all the injections, it ended up happening to me.  Sometimes the fluid travels to more than the ovaries, and I was lucky enough to start getting fluid up in my upper right quadrant of my chest involving my kidney and liver; which was making it hard to breath.  I coudn't eat a bite of food without feeling like I had just run a marathon.  I could only sleep or lay on my back, which is hard for me being a side/belly sleeper.  It hurt so much if I turned onto my side, almost like my rib was stabbing into my lungs.

I also couldn't keep any food down.  Almost to the point I just became afraid to eat, in fear of throwing it up.  It was easier just to prevent that by not eating.  Even without eating I felt bloated, which I guess makes sense if your ovaries are full of fluid.  My tummy was very tender and everytime Rockie felt the need to climb on my lap, it was on my belly!! He got yelled at quite a few times.

By Day 5, which was Sunday, I was just so miserable that I just told Zach I could handle this if bedtime came quicker and I could sleep it off.  But each morning, when I was feeling worse than I expected, it was really hard!  I sat on the bed panting, trying to catch my breath, not being able to move, and just praying i could get through the day.  But Sunday, after throwing up quite a few times, even the water I had been drinking, Zach told me we needed to go to the ER.  We contemplated it.  But because of his blessing, I knew it was just a hard thing I needed to endure, but I would make it through.

Finally Sunday night I was starting to feel much better!  To the point that I told Zach if I could just wake up Monday morning, atleast feeling that good, I could handle it all.  Luckily, Monday I woke up feeling so much better!  Not nauseas, and I could stand up straight! I had another ultrasound and blood work done.  The ultrasound showed there is still fluid and my blood work showed that my hormone levels had not gone down over the weekend.  They gave me another rx for more injections to get them down, and I go back tomorrow.

I am feeling so much better!  I can't get off the couch without feeling like i just ran a marathon and panting like crazy, but compared to how I felt, this is nothing!  But I can honestly say, I will never do a fresh cycle of IVF again.  Whatever frozen embryos we have and take, I will be grateful for.  If, for whatever reason they don't take, I won't try to do this again.  I will come to terms with not having my own babies, and I will adopt and be happy with it.  I am usually strong, with a high pain tolerance, but this hyper stimulation really made me turn weak

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This has been a trial that has been amazing for me and Zach.  I will never take this time and experience forgranted.  It's actually been really nice to cuddle all day and watch lots of tv!