Tag: Support

The Egg Race – Collection Day

The Egg Race – Collection Day

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I’m sitting in the garden in the sunshine.  I am loving this (atypical) British Summer.  Despite being born in the very north of Sweden, close to the Arctic Circle, on a cold (-30 Celsius) January day, I am a summer child. I’m soaking up the rays and the vitamin D spray is firmly placed in a drawer (a very risky move when it comes to British Summer).

We got nine eggs this morning and although I was gunning for a dozen (read here), I am very happy with nine little beauties.  WHOOP!! Egg collection was a smooth process – I feel a little slow and woozy from the anaesthesia but on the whole I am in no pain and I feel calm and relaxed.  In The Disaster Round when we got five eggs and my lining was dire, I woke up after egg collection crying uncontrollably.  Today, I feel good.

Although the consultant doesn’t normally work for the IVF clinic on Wednesdays, he popped down especially (from his private clinic) to do my egg collection this morning. Just before the anaesthetist gave me the “G&T” and sent me off to la-la land, the consultant appeared wearing a frog-clad bandana, which put a BIG smile on my face. By the way, is it only me or do you also find that every single anaesthetist says “and here comes the G&T….” before giving you the anaesthetic? I’ve been put to sleep 12 times over the past three years (!!) and every single one of them said the same thing, I swear. The head nurse who has been our primary contact during stimulation also popped down minutes before egg collection, just to wish me luck.  It’s those little things that make you feel supported.

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The Egg Race – Running at Different Speeds

The Egg Race – Running at Different Speeds

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I had an ultrasound scan this morning to check how the follicles are developing.  On Friday at the baseline scan, the nurse could see 15 follicles in total (six on the right and nine on the left ovary).  As with previous cycles I respond quickly to the meds.  My eggs grow quickly, but they aren’t all growing at the same speed.   We had 15 at the marathon starting line.  Out of those, it looks like we have ten that are still contenders and out of those we have a group of six front runners and a second group of four stragglers.  The group of six are running side-by-side at great speed.   The worry is that the four slower ones might not catch up, and then we would need to do egg collection “early” to avoid having over-ripe eggs*.  We don’t want exhausted runners to crash out of the race before the finish line.  So, we need the group of four to pick up the pace and the group of six to go steady.  And, we certainly don’t want any injuries along the way…. C’mon you four!!

I don’t have any comparable stats from my first three egg races because I never had a day 5 scan on the NHS.  On the NHS, they scan you for the first time on day 10.  In my second round race, I asked for a day 8 scan because I respond quickly to the stimulation drugs.  Because the biggies are running full steam ahead, I have to start my Cetrotide today, a day earlier than expected.  I forgot to bring one with me, but luckily the lovelyy nurse gave me one soI didn’t have to dash home…. Phew, and thank you.

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Getting to Grips with Asherman’s Syndrome

Getting to Grips with Asherman’s Syndrome

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A month ago, I left hospital after surgery feeling quite positive despite having a punctured uterus (the hole-in-the-wall) and a stitched-up tummy.  Morphine does wonders to your mental health – I can see the benefits of being a junkie!
I thought I simply had to take the oestrogen tablets (progynoba) that I had been prescribed for six weeks, recover from surgery and then move to IVF early June… Bam!
BUT, what I learnt since leaving hospital is that:
  1. Asherman‘s Syndrome is not a straight-forward condition (in fact, it is quite a rare one so awareness about the condition is low — even among the medical profession)
  2. most women need the same operation several times to clear all the scarring; and
  3. a pregnancy with Asherman‘s can lead to all sorts of complications – including, increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth because there isn’t enough space in the uterus for the baby to grow.  SCARY SHIT.

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