After over a week of feeling like crap all the time and having the most massive stomach on the Earth, i am finally coming good. After getting up to 76kg at the height of my discomfort i am now back to 74.6kg, i don't feel nauseous really and my stomach discomfort has subsided substantially and my breasts aren't as sore.
Now, i know all of that sounds good. But now i'm worried that because what if all these symptoms subsiding are because the baby has stopped developing? At least with all these symptoms in full flight you really know something is happening inside. Now, i don't know whether to be happy or just plain scared....
This waiting game is agonizing, much worse than the waiting for the pregnancy test bit that everyone says is hard.
I got a pamphlet in the mail yesterday from the IVF clinic, it was call 'A Positive Pregnancy Test. What now.' It tells you all of the things that could be found at the 6 week scan - only one of the options was a 'viable clinical pregnancy' and the rest were things that pretty much equated to no more baby. According to the statistics on the IVF clinic website if we can get to the six week scan and see a foetal heart rate then we have a 91.6% chance of going on to have a live birth. These odds are much better that what we currently are looking at.
Just to summarise the stats on their site:
- 47% of patients will have a positive pregnancy test (check)
- 26.7% of these patients will have a miscarriage
- once a foetal heart rate is seen at the 6 week scan, only 8.4% of these patients will go on to miscarry.
Though, the way i see it, everyone's chances are not necessarily equal as the patient population they are dealing with often have fertility problems, so i should have a pretty good chance, as besides some mild endometriosis, i am pretty much healthy (fertility wise!) as far as we know.
And of course, the little embryo we implanted was apparently a 'cracker' as i've said!
It's still a week until the scan......
Showing posts with label OHSS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OHSS. Show all posts
20 July 2007
14 July 2007
Hello Walex!!
I am sick, i am nauseous, i am fat, i am uncomfortable, i am in pain
and
i am pregnant!!!
Hoorah!
Went and had the blood test on Thursday morning and they rang me at 11.34am! That was pretty quick. She said 'Congratulations, you are pregnant.'
'Holy cow.' i said.
HCG level was 348, which she seemed please with. I booked in a '6 week' scan for 27/7 and that was that. No more drugs to take or injections or vaginal gels! Thank goodness.
I was not well on Thursday and so poor Kylie's birthday night was a bit of a fizzer! I could only manage to lay on the couch and so she went to get take out noodles and, well, that was kind of it!
Friday the nausea kicked in good and proper and so as well as being fat and in pain i felt like i was going to chuck....all bloody day.....
I hate nausea. I hate it worse than pain i think. I had discovered though that despite feeling like you want to spew, the best thing seems to be to keep eating, all day long, which is hard with an already MASSIVE stomach!
Today has been somewhat better. I actually slept most of the night and although teetering on the verge of nausea-ville i have managed to constantly shovel food into myself and keep the hard core nausea at bay!! I also bought some dry biscuit type things to knaw on, some of those sea-sickness / morning sickness acupressure bands that you wear on your wrists, along with some natural morning sickness remedy (vit b6 and ginger) - i'm trying to cover all bases!
I told my boss yesterday.....i know it's frightfully early and i would have preferred not to have to tell him for sometime yet - but, i knew i just couldn't go to Sydney on Monday and i have been sick all week and with the prospect of sickness continuing and us having a meeting next Tuesday to talk about company strategy and my role going forward and with the fact that i already look like a whale, i figured that - hell, why not just come out and say it. He was really good actually and is keen for me to be able to continue on, both before and after the baby comes (!!) in whatever capacity and time committment we can organize. That is good. He was even talking about doing, say, two days per week in the office and one at home or something. We are going to look at replacing me with another PM (fantastic) and i can do Analysis and Design type work - which is what i would prefer anyway!
Kylie and I also told my mum. That was really cool and she was so happy.
So here i am, with a baby growing inside!!! It is freaky. I am nervous and just hope it keeps on growing and everything is ok. I can't wait to get to the 10 week mark or something. Somewhere safe. I guess it's never safe, but at least safer than here, the 4 week mark....i am worried that every little twinge in my stomach (and there are lots of them with this fat, bloated stomach with pains and cramps and stuff) there may be something wrong. Just gotta wait it out.
and
i am pregnant!!!
Hoorah!
Went and had the blood test on Thursday morning and they rang me at 11.34am! That was pretty quick. She said 'Congratulations, you are pregnant.'
'Holy cow.' i said.
HCG level was 348, which she seemed please with. I booked in a '6 week' scan for 27/7 and that was that. No more drugs to take or injections or vaginal gels! Thank goodness.
I was not well on Thursday and so poor Kylie's birthday night was a bit of a fizzer! I could only manage to lay on the couch and so she went to get take out noodles and, well, that was kind of it!
Friday the nausea kicked in good and proper and so as well as being fat and in pain i felt like i was going to chuck....all bloody day.....
I hate nausea. I hate it worse than pain i think. I had discovered though that despite feeling like you want to spew, the best thing seems to be to keep eating, all day long, which is hard with an already MASSIVE stomach!
Today has been somewhat better. I actually slept most of the night and although teetering on the verge of nausea-ville i have managed to constantly shovel food into myself and keep the hard core nausea at bay!! I also bought some dry biscuit type things to knaw on, some of those sea-sickness / morning sickness acupressure bands that you wear on your wrists, along with some natural morning sickness remedy (vit b6 and ginger) - i'm trying to cover all bases!
I told my boss yesterday.....i know it's frightfully early and i would have preferred not to have to tell him for sometime yet - but, i knew i just couldn't go to Sydney on Monday and i have been sick all week and with the prospect of sickness continuing and us having a meeting next Tuesday to talk about company strategy and my role going forward and with the fact that i already look like a whale, i figured that - hell, why not just come out and say it. He was really good actually and is keen for me to be able to continue on, both before and after the baby comes (!!) in whatever capacity and time committment we can organize. That is good. He was even talking about doing, say, two days per week in the office and one at home or something. We are going to look at replacing me with another PM (fantastic) and i can do Analysis and Design type work - which is what i would prefer anyway!
Kylie and I also told my mum. That was really cool and she was so happy.
So here i am, with a baby growing inside!!! It is freaky. I am nervous and just hope it keeps on growing and everything is ok. I can't wait to get to the 10 week mark or something. Somewhere safe. I guess it's never safe, but at least safer than here, the 4 week mark....i am worried that every little twinge in my stomach (and there are lots of them with this fat, bloated stomach with pains and cramps and stuff) there may be something wrong. Just gotta wait it out.
11 July 2007
The Amazing Expanding Woman
Yup, getting bigger.....things have been pretty uncomfortable now since about Saturday. It's getting to the point where i have to say something to some people to explain why i am walking like a hunchback, why i suddenly look like such a porker, why i need to go home from work early each day as i can no longer be upright, why i can't sail on the weekend....
I've been trying to come up with some good explanations...but i think i'm just going to go with something along the lines of.....'been having some medical treatment, which is having some side effects...having some abdominal pain and now having trouble getting around'
i hope that will suffice
i am supposed to go to Sydney on Monday for work but if i am still like this, i don't think i can do it. by about 2pm i'm not doing so well these days.
it's Kylie's 30th birthday tomorrow. had some stuff planned but also don't like my chances of doing that either...that's a shame. least her present is organized, so don't have to worry about that one!
tomorrow is also the big PT day (pregnancy test), that'll tell us if this fat bloated stomach is actually occuring for a good reason!
I've been trying to come up with some good explanations...but i think i'm just going to go with something along the lines of.....'been having some medical treatment, which is having some side effects...having some abdominal pain and now having trouble getting around'
i hope that will suffice
i am supposed to go to Sydney on Monday for work but if i am still like this, i don't think i can do it. by about 2pm i'm not doing so well these days.
it's Kylie's 30th birthday tomorrow. had some stuff planned but also don't like my chances of doing that either...that's a shame. least her present is organized, so don't have to worry about that one!
tomorrow is also the big PT day (pregnancy test), that'll tell us if this fat bloated stomach is actually occuring for a good reason!
08 July 2007
Beach Ball
I am a beach ball.
I have been a beach ball all weekend and i have been feeling decidedly ordinary. My stomach hurts, I've been feeling a bit sick on and off and having lots of stomach cramps. I think it is the Crinone cream. I read the packet for the potential side effects and it sounds as though i am text book. Then again, it could be Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome or Pregnancy or a nice combination of all three.
Not having that much fun i must admit.
I am hanging out for Thursday, although not that Thursday will see an end to me feeling crap, but at least it will be another step along the way to....well...somewhere!
I have been a beach ball all weekend and i have been feeling decidedly ordinary. My stomach hurts, I've been feeling a bit sick on and off and having lots of stomach cramps. I think it is the Crinone cream. I read the packet for the potential side effects and it sounds as though i am text book. Then again, it could be Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome or Pregnancy or a nice combination of all three.
Not having that much fun i must admit.
I am hanging out for Thursday, although not that Thursday will see an end to me feeling crap, but at least it will be another step along the way to....well...somewhere!
04 July 2007
The Waiting Game
The potential little Walex is one week and one day old today. If the potential little Walex is in fact a potential little Walex at all.
Lots of people try to tell you this is the most agonizing time of the whole process, waiting to see if it worked or whether you have to go back to the drawing board.
I haven't found it too bad. The waiting bit that is.
The first few days post the Embryo Transfer though my stomach was like a beach ball, really bloated and sore and i was pretty uncomfortable. It has been going down though over the past three days or so, which is great and my poor little (??little) stomach doesn't hurt as much anymore.
I have been thinking alot about the baby and wondering if it is growing in there or not. You can't help but think about it because it starts to impact on decisions that you are making. For example, you have to watch what you eat and can't eat certain foods because of the threat of Listeria infection. The daily Glucosamine tablet i was taking, i've just found out - by looking it up on the internet that it isn't recommended during pregnancy. Obviously alcohol is out. My boss is trying to put together business organisational strategies at present and is talking to me about my role in the next year and moving forward when in my mind, i'm hoping i will only be a part time consultant to them. The boat is making plans for the big races coming up, such as the Melbourne Hobart in December when i'm hoping to be pregnant.
So try as you might, not to think about or put too much weight into it, it can't help but pervade your everyday thinking and decision making.
I am excited and really hoping it's a go-er! After all, the embryo was a little cracker! Go Walex Go!
Somewhere inside though, i know it may not work as well and know that i may need to deal with that disappointment. But so be it. For now though, i'm a bit excited and looking forward to the pregnancy test day.
Lots of people try to tell you this is the most agonizing time of the whole process, waiting to see if it worked or whether you have to go back to the drawing board.
I haven't found it too bad. The waiting bit that is.
The first few days post the Embryo Transfer though my stomach was like a beach ball, really bloated and sore and i was pretty uncomfortable. It has been going down though over the past three days or so, which is great and my poor little (??little) stomach doesn't hurt as much anymore.
I have been thinking alot about the baby and wondering if it is growing in there or not. You can't help but think about it because it starts to impact on decisions that you are making. For example, you have to watch what you eat and can't eat certain foods because of the threat of Listeria infection. The daily Glucosamine tablet i was taking, i've just found out - by looking it up on the internet that it isn't recommended during pregnancy. Obviously alcohol is out. My boss is trying to put together business organisational strategies at present and is talking to me about my role in the next year and moving forward when in my mind, i'm hoping i will only be a part time consultant to them. The boat is making plans for the big races coming up, such as the Melbourne Hobart in December when i'm hoping to be pregnant.
So try as you might, not to think about or put too much weight into it, it can't help but pervade your everyday thinking and decision making.
I am excited and really hoping it's a go-er! After all, the embryo was a little cracker! Go Walex Go!
Somewhere inside though, i know it may not work as well and know that i may need to deal with that disappointment. But so be it. For now though, i'm a bit excited and looking forward to the pregnancy test day.
28 June 2007
Potential Walex
I had the embryo transfer!
It was all very quick and easy. I went into the little room and put on the gown and sat on the chair with my legs spread (as usual for this type of appointment!!). There was a screen that was mounted on the roof and the Dr said "In a moment you will see your name on the screen and then an embryo". Sure enough, the screen came on and the camera honed in on a patient label with my name on it. I had to confirm that it was me and then the camera showed me the embryo. It was quite cool, little dividing cells in a circular casing.
So then you could see the little potential walex being sucked up into a tube and a lab type person came into the room and handed a syringe with a very long straw tube type thingy on the end to the Dr. He then squirted it in and voila! Finished. He said it was a 'cracker' of an embryo, as good as they get! Which means apparently I have about a 30% chance of becoming pregnant with this one. This is the same as normal fertility in my age group.
The Dr believed that my bloating and uncomfortable feeling was pretty normal as a result of having 23 follicles and so wasn't concerned at all about doing the transfer. I have actually felt alot better today. I have been placed on an OHSS observation regime, just in case.
It was funny after the transfer, i kind of felt that i should stay laying down or something. I didn't want to move too much in case it...i don't know...fell out or something!! I didn't even want to pee - yes, i know it doesn't come from the same place, but still! I held on as long as i could, but my full bladder pressing on my sore stomach got the better of me an hour or so later!
So that's it! Now, i am potentially pregnant!!! Holy crap! No going back now!
The next steps are to squirt some Progesterone gel into my vagina every night for fourteen days and then front up for a pregnancy test on July 12th - Kylie's 30th birthday!! We will find out the same day whether it is positive or not. So for now it's a waiting game.....
It was all very quick and easy. I went into the little room and put on the gown and sat on the chair with my legs spread (as usual for this type of appointment!!). There was a screen that was mounted on the roof and the Dr said "In a moment you will see your name on the screen and then an embryo". Sure enough, the screen came on and the camera honed in on a patient label with my name on it. I had to confirm that it was me and then the camera showed me the embryo. It was quite cool, little dividing cells in a circular casing.
So then you could see the little potential walex being sucked up into a tube and a lab type person came into the room and handed a syringe with a very long straw tube type thingy on the end to the Dr. He then squirted it in and voila! Finished. He said it was a 'cracker' of an embryo, as good as they get! Which means apparently I have about a 30% chance of becoming pregnant with this one. This is the same as normal fertility in my age group.
The Dr believed that my bloating and uncomfortable feeling was pretty normal as a result of having 23 follicles and so wasn't concerned at all about doing the transfer. I have actually felt alot better today. I have been placed on an OHSS observation regime, just in case.
It was funny after the transfer, i kind of felt that i should stay laying down or something. I didn't want to move too much in case it...i don't know...fell out or something!! I didn't even want to pee - yes, i know it doesn't come from the same place, but still! I held on as long as i could, but my full bladder pressing on my sore stomach got the better of me an hour or so later!
So that's it! Now, i am potentially pregnant!!! Holy crap! No going back now!
The next steps are to squirt some Progesterone gel into my vagina every night for fourteen days and then front up for a pregnancy test on July 12th - Kylie's 30th birthday!! We will find out the same day whether it is positive or not. So for now it's a waiting game.....
Embryo Transfer Day
It's now the morning of my embryo transfer. I am feeling a lot better this morning - but then again I was feeling ok yesterday morning too...so not sure what all that means. Yesterday and last night were very uncomfortable, i weighed myself last night and was 75.6 kg!!! This was nearly 4kg heavier than the same time last week. But this morning, i was 73.1kg. Where does the weight go??!!
The way i am feeling right now, i will be happy if we go ahead with the transfer this morning. The way i felt last night though, i didn't want to go ahead if it meant feeling so bloated and sore in the stomach.....
I guess all i can do is discuss it with the Dr and take his recommendation, after all, he's done all this before once or twice!
The way i am feeling right now, i will be happy if we go ahead with the transfer this morning. The way i felt last night though, i didn't want to go ahead if it meant feeling so bloated and sore in the stomach.....
I guess all i can do is discuss it with the Dr and take his recommendation, after all, he's done all this before once or twice!
27 June 2007
OHSS
I've been searching around on the net to read up on OHSS. Gosh, there are some real horror stories out there of women who have had to have 3 litres of fluid drained from their abdomen each week for up to 19 weeks!! Surely, that's a rarity.
It seems that it's good to drink lots, take some basic oral analgesics and eat lots of protein. No real cure for it, it is self limiting, usually going away when you get your period, or if you are pregnant, hangs around for anywhere up to about 12 weeks or so....bummer. Not really wanting to feel like this for very long....
My embryo transfer is scheduled for 10am tomorrow morning, so i gather we are going ahead, unless of course the Dr changes his mind when we speak tomorrow. I am in two minds about it. I want to move forward, but if i have to feel lousy for 3 months, well, not so sure.....
Guess i'll see what he says tomorrow.
It seems that it's good to drink lots, take some basic oral analgesics and eat lots of protein. No real cure for it, it is self limiting, usually going away when you get your period, or if you are pregnant, hangs around for anywhere up to about 12 weeks or so....bummer. Not really wanting to feel like this for very long....
My embryo transfer is scheduled for 10am tomorrow morning, so i gather we are going ahead, unless of course the Dr changes his mind when we speak tomorrow. I am in two minds about it. I want to move forward, but if i have to feel lousy for 3 months, well, not so sure.....
Guess i'll see what he says tomorrow.
OPU
Had the OPU (Ovum Pickup) yesterday, which went ok. I drove myself there and Tappster came to pick me up.
I wasn't really nervous or anything, which is good, because it was all ok and not traumatic at all.
They give you a good deal of sedation so that you are asleep during the procedure, so i just woke up in recovery about 30min later. Felt a bit uncomfortable following and have been feeling uncomfortable today too. I am not sure if this is due to the procedure or due to the OHSS, which they said may get worse following the OPU. I am hoping that it is just normal as i really want to proceed with the embryo transfer tomorrow. On the other hand, if i was to get pregnant with the OHSS going on that is supposedly not a good thing. At the moment i am feeling really bloated. I have put on 2 kilo in the last week and feeling really fat and uncomfortable. I hope it gets better as i certainly don't want to feel like this (or worse) for a long time.
Work is shitting me and the stupid landlord keeps wanting to come around whilst i am off work sick to do stuff to the house and it is all getting to me. I just want to throw my job in right now as i can't be bothered dealing with stuff that is just so unimportant in the overall scheme of things....stupid people hounding me for quotations and project plans and writing me emails that are nasty because we don't deliver. I know we don't deliver and it shits me too.
Feeling pretty crap at the moment.
I wasn't really nervous or anything, which is good, because it was all ok and not traumatic at all.
They give you a good deal of sedation so that you are asleep during the procedure, so i just woke up in recovery about 30min later. Felt a bit uncomfortable following and have been feeling uncomfortable today too. I am not sure if this is due to the procedure or due to the OHSS, which they said may get worse following the OPU. I am hoping that it is just normal as i really want to proceed with the embryo transfer tomorrow. On the other hand, if i was to get pregnant with the OHSS going on that is supposedly not a good thing. At the moment i am feeling really bloated. I have put on 2 kilo in the last week and feeling really fat and uncomfortable. I hope it gets better as i certainly don't want to feel like this (or worse) for a long time.
Work is shitting me and the stupid landlord keeps wanting to come around whilst i am off work sick to do stuff to the house and it is all getting to me. I just want to throw my job in right now as i can't be bothered dealing with stuff that is just so unimportant in the overall scheme of things....stupid people hounding me for quotations and project plans and writing me emails that are nasty because we don't deliver. I know we don't deliver and it shits me too.
Feeling pretty crap at the moment.
24 June 2007
Ready for Pickup
The IVF clinic has been calling me every second day to check on my hyper-stimulated ovaries. I'm feeling ok, just a bit uncomfortable in the ovary region, but not too bad. Apparently, if they think that the Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrom (OHSS) is significant enough then they will collect and freeze all of the eggs and i will have to get a period - which eliminates all the symptoms of the OHSS and then we do a thaw cycle next month. Although i understand why they need to do this, i'm just hoping that my ovaries behave and that we can do the embryo transfer this time around.
I have been feeling pretty good emotionally since my last little 'emotional hickup', so that's a good thing. We went to see my friend Jo today. We told her about our IVF treatment. It was really good to talk to someone about it, as we haven't really told anyone (other than Tappster). Jo has a baby so it was great to talk to someone who has been pregnant before, although she didn't paint the nicest of pictures!! Turns out she is currently six weeks pregnant at the moment! That was a nice surprise. She's just taking it cautiously at the moment, waiting to see how things progress in this early stage.
The clinic called today with my trigger injection time. It's 8.30pm tonight. So i've taken my last Gonad injection last night and my last snort of Synarel this morning. We'll do the trigger tonight and then that's it till Tuesday morning, 8.20am when i am to go to the Royal Women's Hospital for the Ovum Pickup (OPU). Better ring Tappster and make sure she's still a go-er.
I have been feeling pretty good emotionally since my last little 'emotional hickup', so that's a good thing. We went to see my friend Jo today. We told her about our IVF treatment. It was really good to talk to someone about it, as we haven't really told anyone (other than Tappster). Jo has a baby so it was great to talk to someone who has been pregnant before, although she didn't paint the nicest of pictures!! Turns out she is currently six weeks pregnant at the moment! That was a nice surprise. She's just taking it cautiously at the moment, waiting to see how things progress in this early stage.
The clinic called today with my trigger injection time. It's 8.30pm tonight. So i've taken my last Gonad injection last night and my last snort of Synarel this morning. We'll do the trigger tonight and then that's it till Tuesday morning, 8.20am when i am to go to the Royal Women's Hospital for the Ovum Pickup (OPU). Better ring Tappster and make sure she's still a go-er.
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