OHSS

So, a couple of days ago my bloating got worse.  I gained some weight, my tummy looks pregnant.  I'm uncomfortable, still feeling like my stomach might explode.  So I called the RE yesterday, and since I was going in for my beta this morning, they added some additional blood work and an ultrasound to check for hyperstimulation.

So I went in for a 7:00 appointment, and didn't get out until 11:00.  It was fun times.  First, the good news!  My beta came back at 488.  Ladies I am PREGNANT!  The at home tests apparently weren't enough to prove it, I needed to hear the doctor tell me that I'm pregnant.  It was amazing.  The sweetest words.

So, the rest of the morning.  When the phlebotomist came to take my blood she looked at me sympathetically and asked how I felt.  I let her know that I was pretty uncomfortable.  So while she was taking my blood she asked if I took an at home test, and I told her I did, and that it was positive.  She congratulated me.  Then I got an ultrasound.  The ultrasound tech said 'yep, you have a moderate case of hyperstimulation.  See all this fluid here, here and here?  And see how big your ovaries are?'  Yep, that was nice.  Then I talked to the nurse.  Then I talked to the first RE (not mine specifically) and he felt my stomach, where he could feel the fluid.  He told me that he wanted to wait to let me go home until they have my complete blood count back, to make sure that I didn't need an IV.  So they let me chill out in a room, where I laid back and relaxed.  The nurse brought me water and snacks, and checked on me often.  Then my RE stopped in and talked to me about hyperstim and also checked out my stomach.  It was really nice, they were all so concerned, it was cute.  So a while later my RE came back in, said everything looked pretty good (mainly I wasn't overly dehydrated, sounds kinda backwards, doesn't it?) and I could go home, with orders to take it easy and drink lots of fluids, including gatorade.

I wasn't 10 minutes out the door when the RE called me.  He said he looked at my labs again, and my Albumin (I think?) was low, and if I could come back he really wanted to give me an IV with some Albumin, he thought it may help my discomfort, and help my body release the fluids.  So I turned around and went back.  I ended up talking to the first RE I had talked to that morning, the RE that did my transfer, and my RE.  They all kept stopping in to check on me while I was getting my IV.  Even the nurse mentioned that I was a popular patient that morning.  They all talked about my positive pregnancy test, and how hyperstimulation tends to get worse when you get pregnant.  They were all so darn awesome.  Right before I left was when they got my beta numbers back, and I talked to my RE about them.  He's really happy with where they are.  I go in for my second beta next Thursday to make sure all is doubling OK, then my first ultrasound a week and 1/2 after that, at which time we'll hear the heartbeat and be released to my OB/Gyn.

Um, Wow.  I'm really pregnant.  I'm carrying K's baby.  It's still so surreal, I'm not sure it's fully sank in yet.

So, in case you didn't believe me, enjoy this picture of what OHSS looks like:

And to top it off, one of my employees asked if I was pregnant today.  Yikes.  I just told her I had high hormone levels and was therefore retaining fluid, and we were trying to take care of it.  Guess I'm not gonna be able to hide it for very long, am I?!

And because I haven't posted recent pictures, say Hi to the soon to be big sister!

I feel like I have so much more to say, but I can't seem to get my thoughts together.  I'm exhausted.  I think that's a mix of early pregnancy, progesterone and hyperstimulation.  Fun times.

(OHSS aka Hyperstimulation - This happens when estrogen levels get high and your body has a difficult time releasing fluids, so they accumulate in the open spaces.  If one becomes pregnant, the HCG released in pregnancy causes the effects of OHSS to intensify and sometimes get worse before it gets better.  In mild and moderate cases, this ends up being mainly in your stomach.  They can drain it if it gets bad enough.  In severe cases it can accumulate around your heart and in your lungs, and can cause hospitalization and even be fatal.  The walls in your body can become permeable.  I don't know all the scientific mumbo jumbo, but that's the gist of it in plain english.  I have moderate OHSS, so it's really uncomfortable but not life threatening.)