The night of the trigger shot was filled with anxiety. Given my high risk for OHSS (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome), the clinic opted for a different trigger shot called Buserelin, which helps reduce the risk of developing OHSS. The trigger shot has to be taken 36 hours before egg collection so we had to take it at 10:30pm. Wiith the exhaustion that comes from the stimulation injections, I was asleep by 8pm, so Dan woke me up at 10.30pm so we could do the injection together.

The anxiety didn’t end with the injection. It felt scary to do a new injection and then have to go to sleep. I barely slept, waking up every hour, worrying about potential symptoms and the fear of not knowing if something was wrong. One of the symptoms is shortness of breath so I kept waking up and checking that I was breathing ok. It felt like a really distressing night of trying to sleep.

The day after the trigger shot, I didn’t feel much different physically, but mentally, there was some relief. I spent the day resting, having puppy cuddles, doing a puzzle, and trying to relax.

Egg Retrieval

The morning of egg collection arrived with a mix of anxiety and calm, thanks to my breathing exercises. We arrived at the clinic for 9.30am and by 11am, I was in the operating room. Though they said it would take 15-20 minutes, it ended up taking 45 minutes. The area was numbed, but I was still very aware of what was happening. The left side felt manageable, but the right side was more painful, requiring extra pain relief and gas and air. The gas and air was challenging for me since I’m used to nose breathing, so mouth breathing felt strange.

Despite the discomfort, it was fascinating to watch the procedure on the screen. I could see my ovaries, the follicles, and the needle as it drained each follicle. The test tubes filled with red liquid (follicular fluid), which the embryologist team quickly analysed under a microscope. After a few minutes, they called out, “three eggs so far!” This moment was the biggest relief I’ve felt on this journey. The fear of not having any eggs had been overwhelming. By the time they finished with the left ovary, I had 12 eggs, and by the end of the procedure, a total of 19 eggs were collected. I couldn’t believe it.

Recovery Room

After the procedure, I was fine for the first hour, but suddenly, I felt incredibly hot and knew I was going to be sick. Despite trying to resist, I ended up projectile vomiting everywhere. The nurses were amazing and didn’t make me feel bad at all. They cleaned me up, gave me a new gown, and moved me to a fresh room. Surprisingly, I felt better after being sick, and they gave me anti-sickness medication through my cannula, which helped too.

Post-Retrieval Reality

I thought the medication would ease up after egg retrieval, but for me it has been quite the opposite. Due to the different trigger shot, I now have to take more medication to compensate for what was missing from the trigger shot. For anyone going through IVF, I know how important it is to know what medication is involved, so here’s what I’m currently on:

• Cyclogest 400mg: Morning and evening
• Doxycycline 100mg: With breakfast and dinner
• Elleste 2mg: Three times per day
• Corinne Gel 8%: Applied midday, followed by a 20-minute walk to mobilise
• Evorel Estradiol 100mcg Patches: Changed on Mondays and Thursdays

Physically, this week has been challenging and this is what I have been experiencing:

• Bloating: My stomach is very bloated. We’ve been measuring it daily; it hasn’t gotten any bigger, but it also hasn’t decreased.
• Pain: The left side of my stomach hurts more than the right, likely because they collected more eggs from that side. It’s painful to even sit upright and I’m experiencing stomach pains and lower back pain.
• Sleep Struggles: I can’t find a comfortable sleeping position. The best I’ve found is lying on my side with a pillow between my knees.
• Mobility: Walking hurts, and even laughing causes discomfort.

The Waiting Game

After leaving the clinic, they informed us they would call the next day to let us know how many eggs fertilised overnight. I was grateful they called early at 9:30 am, as waiting around all day would have been unbearable. We learned that 17 eggs were mature enough to be fertilised, and out of those 17, 10 successfully fertilised.

While it’s a promising start, I’m realistic that by Day 5, the number of viable embryos could be very different. Day 5 is crucial because that’s when the embryos reach the blastocyst stage, making them more likely to implant successfully during a transfer. We now have to wait two days to find out how many of the 10 make it to Day 3.

This waiting period is filled with anxiety. It feels like such a precious time, and yet, there’s nothing we can do but wait. I have noticed that the anxiety worsens the pain in my stomach so I am trying to stay as calm as possible. I have been terrified of the thought of not having any embryos make it to day 5 because I don't know if I can put myself through the whole IVF process again. Egg collection and recovery this week has been the worst part of the journey for me so far.

All we can do now is wait and hope that some embryos make it to that crucial Day 5.

Justine x