Egg Retrieval Jan 22, Special day!!! 53 EGGS!!! SHOCKING!!!

So in my last post I mentioned I expected around 25 follicles. WELL we doubled it just for fun. We got 53 EGGS!!! We were SO shocked! And DELIGHTED. Im hoping I wont ever have to go through an entire cycle again but there are still a lot of factors. Not all of those eggs are likely mature. The statistic is around 60-70 percent will be mature eggs. They must be mature to do ICSI(Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection). Out of those mature eggs they will perform ICSI on all of them(if you are doing ICSI which we are, not everyone has to do this) and then one day later look at them under a microscope to see how many fertilize. About 60% of the mature eggs will fertilize. THEN they let them grow til day 3 and look at them again. More will not make it to this point. About 40% of fertilized eggs in women under 35 will turn into blastocysts(Day 5 embryos). The two best looking embryos will be transferred to my uterus and hopefully will implant. Statistics are that I have about a 60 % chance of IVF working for me(meaning implant into my uterus and result in a BFP-Big Fat Positive) and I roughly have a 30% chance of having twins :D (crossing my fingers)

53 EGGS at first sounds wonderful BUT because normally your body produces ONE egg every month and the average amount of eggs for IVF patients to have retrieved at egg retrieval is 8-15, I do have a higher possibility of getting OHSS(Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome). I think the main drug that causes it is the trigger shot of HCG 36 hours before egg retrieval. Which happens to be your most important shot of the many you have to give yourself through IVF. OHSS is categorized into Mild, Moderate, and Severe. Right now I feel that I am experiencing mild symptoms which is what most women will likely experience if they get hyperstimulated. However other women are less fortunate and have to be hospitalized when symptoms turn severe. Currently I am very very bloated. Clear up to my ribs. It is very uncomfortable. My doctor has me taking 30 grams of whey protein everyday which should help supress the symptoms of OHSS. Also I am drinking gatorade and propel exclusively to replenish my electrolytes(also ordered by doc). In addition I am suppose to be taking fiber daily due to the high levels of estrogen in my system which can lead to constipation. (sorry TMI). Overall though I am doing great. Taking tylenol every six hours to help with the mild cramping. Today I started taking my doxycyline and medrol. Tomorrow I will begin taking endometrin 3 times a day to get my uterus ready for my babies!!! It should help with implantaion. I did have a four and a half hour drive home after egg retrieval. It wasn't bad, I was uncomfortable from being so bloated but that wouldn't have changed no matter where I was. I bought some heating patches for my belly and we also stopped at my dads in Meadow and Gavin took a two hour nap for the rest of the drive. I fell asleep too and had really weird dreams, I remember waking up and positive there was a fire and meadow was evacuated haha. Anyways when we got home I got situated on the couch with a heating pad and Gavins mom brought us cafe rio salads for dinner. YUM!!!

We will head back up north friday night or saturday morning and egg transfer will take place on Monday morning as long as everything goes as planned. We are very excited and hopeful. Hoping 2014 will be our year to start our family :)

I came across a website that explains OHSS in better words and detail than I can so I will copy and paste it here if you are interested in reading more about it:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007294.htm

Normally, a woman produces one egg per month. Some women who have trouble getting pregnant may be given medicines to help them make more eggs.

If these medicines stimulate the ovaries too much, the ovaries can become very swollen. Fluid can leak into the belly and chest area. This is called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS occurs only after the eggs are released from the ovary (ovulation).

You may be more likely to get OHSS if:

• Your doctor gives you a shot of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
• You get more than one dose of hCG after ovulation
• You become pregnant during this cycle

OHSS rarely occurs in women who only take fertility drugs by mouth.

OHSS affects up to 1 in 10 women who go through in vitro fertilization.

Other risk factors for OHSS include:

• Age younger than 35
• Very high estrogen level during fertility treatments
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome

The symptoms of OHSS can range from mild to severe. Most women with the condition have mild symptoms such as:

• Abdominal bloating
• Mild pain in the abdomen
• Weight gain

In rare cases, women can have more serious symptoms, including:

• Significant weight gain (more than 10 pounds in 3 - 5 days)
• Severe pain or swelling in the belly area
• Decreased urination
• Shortness of breath