The past week has been a series of ups and downs in regards to this IVF cycle and I am ready to stop being thrown around. First was the unexpected bleeding and severe headaches that occurred last week and what I went it for on Monday to have checked. I was nervous for my ultrasound because they weren’t sure why I was bleeding but my ultrasound showed everything was fine and that we were on track to do a harvest on Thursday. As part of the routine check, they did some blood work to evaluate my estrogen and sent me on my way. I had no reason to believe everything wasn’t ok but then that afternoon I received a call from my nurse and she told me my estrogen count was through the roof but that my follicles were not yet mature enough to trigger so my Dr. wanted me to quit taking my Repronex and come in on Tuesday for an ultrasound and more blood work. I went in yesterday and had another ultrasound and all of the follicles had grown considerably. My Dr. told me that in a normal case, I would be ready for harvest but due to my estrogen levels being so high the day prior, I needed to have more blood work done in order to rule out Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome is a complication that can arise from taking fertility medications and is due to blood vessels and follicles leaking fluid into the ovaries and causing them to become enlarged. The symptoms of it include bloating, abdominal pain, weight gain and nausea and it can lead to blood clots, kidney failure, loss of fertility and hospitalization. Usually if OHSS is suspected, medical professionals will stop your IVF cycle before harvest or before implantation because OHSS doesn’t actually occur until after ovulation and gets worse if you become pregnant. If you are able to get through Harvest but have to stop before implantation, they will usually freeze any embryos that have grown so they can be used in another cycle.
I knew hyperstimulation was a risk but I was attempting to be optimistic and wasn’t worried that it would happen to me but I have quickly learned that anything that can go wrong in this process, will. After having more blood work done on Tuesday, I anxiously waited for my test results and the fate of this cycle. My estrogen level had been 3,500 on Monday and my Dr. told me that if my estrogen was above 5,000 on Tuesday, we would have to stop my cycle to avoid OHSS. After a few meltdowns during the wait for the nurse’s phone call, I finally got the news that my estrogen count was a 4,730 and even though it was a lot higher than normal, I was tolerating the side effects better than most and they would be ok proceeding with this cycle of IVF. I was instructed to take my HCG shot last night and scheduled my harvest for Thursday morning.
While I am relieved we can continue with this cycle, I have learned that everything can change in a blink of an eye and I am living one day at a time. If I make it through the harvest without complications, I will be happy. but then there is the worry that the eggs won’t fertilize, that the embryos will die before transfer day, that there won’t be any viable eggs, that implantation won’t occur or that due to OHSS, they won’t be able to do an implantation and I will have to freeze them. I know I should be more positive and I am extremely hopeful this will work but until I started this process, I didn’t know how involved it was and how much really could go wrong. I am hoping that I have good news following the harvest and that we are still on our way to an implantation and hopefully baby Ricci, but as of right now, I am just focusing on my Harvest tomorrow and not much else. I will make sure to post my progress, as well as our embryos and what we decide to do in regards to transferring one or two. Since I will be on bedrest for 2-3 days following the transfer, I will have plenty of time to write. Wish me luck that nothing else goes wrong and that Baby Ricci will FINALLY be on their way because I need all the positivity and good vibes I can get!
I knew hyperstimulation was a risk but I was attempting to be optimistic and wasn’t worried that it would happen to me but I have quickly learned that anything that can go wrong in this process, will. After having more blood work done on Tuesday, I anxiously waited for my test results and the fate of this cycle. My estrogen level had been 3,500 on Monday and my Dr. told me that if my estrogen was above 5,000 on Tuesday, we would have to stop my cycle to avoid OHSS. After a few meltdowns during the wait for the nurse’s phone call, I finally got the news that my estrogen count was a 4,730 and even though it was a lot higher than normal, I was tolerating the side effects better than most and they would be ok proceeding with this cycle of IVF. I was instructed to take my HCG shot last night and scheduled my harvest for Thursday morning.
While I am relieved we can continue with this cycle, I have learned that everything can change in a blink of an eye and I am living one day at a time. If I make it through the harvest without complications, I will be happy. but then there is the worry that the eggs won’t fertilize, that the embryos will die before transfer day, that there won’t be any viable eggs, that implantation won’t occur or that due to OHSS, they won’t be able to do an implantation and I will have to freeze them. I know I should be more positive and I am extremely hopeful this will work but until I started this process, I didn’t know how involved it was and how much really could go wrong. I am hoping that I have good news following the harvest and that we are still on our way to an implantation and hopefully baby Ricci, but as of right now, I am just focusing on my Harvest tomorrow and not much else. I will make sure to post my progress, as well as our embryos and what we decide to do in regards to transferring one or two. Since I will be on bedrest for 2-3 days following the transfer, I will have plenty of time to write. Wish me luck that nothing else goes wrong and that Baby Ricci will FINALLY be on their way because I need all the positivity and good vibes I can get!
1 comment:
It is so hard to stay positive through this time i know but try its going to happen! I wanted to give up to... I some days think if i want to go through it all again... but then i think holding my baby and being able to teach and love my child it is worth it all... we are going to do it again. I know it will work! I cant wait to hear! Good luck! :)
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