Getting Ready For My First Egg Retrieval!

According to this mornings blood draw, the HCG trigger was properly absorbed and I'm good to go for a Monday morning retrieval! I'm so excited/nervous/bloated/sore/tender that I don't know what to do with myself. Time seems to be crawling and flying by at the same time and I still can't button the jeans that were falling off my ass a week ago.

I never understood what people meant when they talked about sore ovaries and IVF bloating until now. I guess I never made enough eggs in my previous cycles for my ovaries to swell up like balloons but they're definitely there now. I'm not concerned about serious OHSS (Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome), it's definitely a mild case, but I look like I'm at least 6 months pregnant, it hurts to bend over and my lower back is tender too. I'm also peeing like crazy since I need to keep guzzling water to ward off OHSS. 

Mild OHSS usually comes with the following, per Mayo Clinic:

• Mild to moderate abdominal pain that may come and go - Check!
• Abdominal bloating or increased waist size - Check!
• Nausea - Check!
• Vomiting - No, thank goodness!
• Diarrhea - No, but I'd take it over the projected constipation O_O
• Tenderness in the area of your ovaries - Check!

Things don't get dicey until the pain and nausea/vomitting turn severe, you get dizzy and you start packing on 10lbs per day. While I probably look like I've gained 10lbs per day,  I'm definitely still in the normal-mild category. I'm ready to get these eggs out though so we can make some beautiful embryos!

Our trigger for this cycle was Novarel, which contains 10,000 units of HCG, way more than the 1,000 units in my last trigger, Ovidrel. Just think of the positive pregnancy tests I could get with this much HCG running through my system!

Stock photo since I used mine last night

I'm unclear as to why the manufacturer felt the need to include such a huge bottle of diluent. Even splitting it into multiple doses, I can't imagine any circumstance that would require 30mls of liquid. Since I was taking the whole dose, I used just 1cc of liquid with the powder and injected it into my belly at exactly 10:45pm.

Like the Menopur, this one is definitely a stinger. It burned going in and unlike my other injections, has had a lasting effect. My skin is red, hot, and tender even 18 hours later and I can't stand anything touching it.  Major ouchies.

I try to avoid posting photos of my bare flab, especially crazy bloated bare flab, in public places but I figured it was better to be honest about the reaction so other people know what to expect. The photo ended up washed out, but my reaction is red/purple, streaky, raised and hurts like a bitch. But again, it's unfortunately normal.

Since my retrieval is only hours away, I'm trying to get everything ready tonight. You're supposed to drink large quantities of sport drinks like Gatorade or Powerade, but since I'm not super into those, I'm going for PH water and other electrolyte infused waters. They're supposed to help flush the hormones out of your system so the OHSS symptoms don't get worse and go away quicker. You also have to watch out for super constipation from the anesthesia which I'm really, really hoping to avoid. That sounds like the last thing you'd want when you have tons of needle holes in your lady bits and ovaries.  I'm hoping tons of regular water, PH water, watermelon and soup are enough to ward off that unpleasant side effect.

I'm also prepping soft, stretchy clothes to wear tomorrow since my jeans feel awful and tight. I've got my lucky panties, rainbow cheetah print trimmed in hot pink lace that I've worn to all my IUIs and I'm thinking of upping the ante with new blue, puffer fish toe socks with googly eyes and pink glitter shoes. Now that's a lot of good luck :)

Since I'm still crazy hungry despite the incredible bloat, I think E and I are going to get some meaty take out for dinner. I'm craving steak like nobody's business and once midnight comes I'm cut off from food and water. 

Please send all the positive vibes, thoughts, prayers, and energy you can muster my way tomorrow morning. I've got everything crossed for these follicles to contain healthy, mature eggs that fertilize perfectly and turn into healthy, viable, Fragile X free embryos. I know that's a tall order but come on follies, I know you can do it! We need some healthy blasts!