Well, I wasn't supposed to go in for a check-up today but I did. Because I've been feeling some pain in the abdomen and lower back and quite bloated along with some kind of leg cramps/leg pains.
Got wanded by the RE himself and diagnosed with a mild case of OHSS. Nothing original, as you all know, but a little disconcerting and scary if you are a medical paranoid like me. (Man, I'm gonna be a real treat for whoever is my doc if I do ever get pregnant.) Upon ultrasound: ovaries are a bit swolen, and I have some fluid in the abdomen. Blood pressure was normal, urine normal, pulse a bit racy at 90. (But it's back down to 68 now, so maybe I was just freaking and didn't know it? The heart sometimes has to work extra hard when there is an imbalance with the body fluids.)
So far it's not too bad, though I have to say, when I got back in the car right after the vag ultrasound, I stared to feel quite sick - nauseated and my scalp was kinda tight and tingly - I was dizzy. I wonder if palpating the ovaries with the wand squished out some more fluid to make me feel ugh? But I made it home and after about half an hour on the couch felt much better.
I admit I was a little surprised in that after all my research and blah blah blah, I somehow missed the fact that OHSS often starts 4-5 days AFTER RETRIEVAL even though the last injection was ages ago. I kinda thought that if it hadn't happened already (like during stims) that I was in the clear. Dum dum!
Of course I am:
1) drinking fluids - Smart Water (which you can get at Trader Joe's for cheap!) which is water with added electrolytes
2)trying to keep moving/walking around because if we do transfer tomorrow I will be bed resting. One rare but serious complication can be blod clots if one gets too dehydrated, and it's good not to sit/lay in one position too long.
3) continuing with my 81mg baby aspirin for same reason
4) my awesome acupuncturist suggested lymphatic system massage on my legs. you massage the inside of the legs starting with the big toe all the way up to the groin, then massage back down on the outside of the leg from the hip to the little toe. will it help? I dunno, but feels pretty good!
So, the plan from here is to go in to the clinic tomorrow at 7AM and we will decide then whether or not to transfer or freeze everything. OHSS can be exacerbated by a pregnancy, of course, so that's a little scary. But freezing all the blasts is not the optimal thing to do on the TTC front. So, we'll see.
Ok girls, need your input here. Who has been through this? Anyone have similar experience of feeling bad after an exam and then better later? Any additional tips for feeling better/getting better (aside from getting Aunt Flo, thankyouverymuch)? Anyone have a mild case, then got preg and it DIDN'T get worse? Please, though, go easy on me - no scary stories. I can't take that right now. And I think I already know too much.
Thanks for your support and good wishes and stuff. You do know how much it helps, right?
11 comments:
I had mild OHSS that seemed quite miserable the day before and day of my 5-day transfer... my ovaries were actually so big from my 27 follicles that two nurses and the doctor were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over them during the ultrasound for the transfer! But actually, nothing ever got much worse after that. I actually thought toward the end of that week that there was no way I could be pregnant since my ovaries hadn't been painful. Mine have occasionally given me minor pain since then (as recently as last week!), and even at my 8 week ultrasound they were not quite normal size yet although they were finally going down.
So there is my story. There is a possibility that they could get worse before they get better, but you could also be like me and not have too much of a problem after all is said and done.
Praying for tomorrow!
I too had mild OHSS.. Drank just V8 and Propel only. No water at all. That helped beter then anything. I got P after that and didn't have any issues. I also had ovaries the size of grapefuits until about the 11th week or so.
Take it easy and slow and best of luck to you!!
I don't have any stories...I jsut say good luck!
Utrus - Sounds like you've got control of things. Hope you continue feeling better than you did x
Well, OHSS is one of these treat-as-it-comes things, on which front it sounds like things are all under control. Absolutely no further advice. Oh wait, did anyone say protein shakes yet?
Stories:
1. Girl I know from message board got hospitalised for OHSS and a BFN. Next cycle got OHSS, no hospitalisation, faster resolution and a BFP. Co-incidence? Absolutely.
2. Even that scary story I heard about the OHSS that went on for 6 weeks when the gal was pregnant? At the end of the day, she concluded it was all worthwhile.
3. But I do want to scare you a little bit, because please don't do anything dangerous and gung-ho. I've had OHSS. I don't recommend it.
Also - I found symptoms did wax and wane over the day.
Bea
Thinking of you today. Good luck!
I hope the OHSS settles down for you. So far, I haven't seen anything that indicates it changes your chances for pregnancy. Just awfully painful.
Thinking of you!
That stinks! Hope you are feeling better soon.
does anyone know how long OHSS usually lasts? mine is getting worse and didn't begin until after the transfer. in fact i've had a positive pregnancy test and the OHSS is at it's worst. i look 7 months pregnant and it's humiliating. any tips?
hey nana, if i had any advice would love to help, my wife having the same issue on ohss, she had her 5day embroyo transfer done and waithing for conformation on pregnacy result, her stomach is well bloated and hard on stomach and coming to the near chest, she looks 4mnts preg and hardly eating well, but docs says to drink 3 lt of fluids and have lots of rest. i am very concern bout her and if any 1 have advice to cure it the let us know.
I had ovum pick up on 17th July and was bloated a little the next day - was similar the next day at transfer and mentioned to Dr - he said watch for nausea.... by friday 20th I was So bloated and sore! I lookedd 6 months pregnant by the end of the weekend and felt rotten.... went to work on monday, but by tuesday I couldn't hack it, saw the nurse and got the rest of the week off work. Was so worth it, just sitting on the couch all day for a week.... it was a relief... but like others, I felt terrible and was so bloated. things settled down by the end of july, but then I noticed a couple of days before blood test I was feeling a bit more bloated than before. Yes, on the 2nd August, my blood test came out positive! HCG was a little low (only 46), but another test 4 days later doubled nicely to 194, and then by the following thursday it was 544.... so now I am coming into 6 weeks pregnant!! all last week I noticed the bloating was still there, and was coughing a bit (the nurse said this may be the OHSS putting pressure on me). It hs only been the last two days that I have noticed the symptoms have reduced, and now I am anxious that it means the HCG isn't rising quickly enough!!!
I POAS this morning to double check and PHEW, there are still two lines ;)
It's a scary process, but I am hoping that the OHSS doesn't HAVE to stick around - I am sure every case is different though.
Good luck everyone!!
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