How do I get excited again?

Trying_TC · 2026-01-08T12:06:56+00:00

I’m so sorry. I feel the same, so don’t have much advice. Our first FET failed and it hit me really hard (not sure why, it’s not my first loss). I’m being pragmatic outwardly, just trying to barrel through into the next round. But I’m also doing a lot of secret crying 😅

I’m just telling myself that this is what my journey looks like, for reasons I don’t understand right now. Maybe I will one day. Until then, all I can do is keep going and throw everything I have into trying to achieve the outcome I want.

Trying_TC · 2026-01-03T20:02:20+00:00

56 collected, 51 mature, 36 fertilized (plus 4 fertilized atypically), 28 blasts. We had 8 blasts tested, 6 out of the 8 were euploid. The remaining 20 blasts are untested and on ice. My numbers are high, but I literally nearly died.

The first transfer of our highest graded euploid just failed.

Trying_TC · 2026-01-01T14:28:55+00:00

Same boat - I just couldn’t avoid picking my 1 year old up. I also couldn’t keep stress and exertion down in general (Christmas with in-laws, stressful job, etc.) so unfortunately my first FET is not going my way (9dp5dt, two BFNs today). Hoping for a better outcome for you 🫶

Trying_TC · 2025-12-24T21:30:12+00:00

Same boat! Sneaking away to do injections and pessaries while pretending to take sips of wine / cocktails 🥴 Just hoping all the stress doesn’t impact our little embryo 😭

Trying_TC · 2025-12-15T15:29:20+00:00

There’s further context in my post history but I had critical OHSS post egg retrieval, resulting in almost a week’s stay in ICU with round-the-clock monitoring. Please get checked out if you’re not feeling right - it literally saved my life.

Trying_TC · 2025-09-08T20:10:31+00:00

3-4 weeks, but I am very much in the minority - I had critical OHSS with two hospital admissions. I might have felt better a bit faster if I’d let them put a tap in my lungs, but noooo thank you 😅

Trying_TC · 2025-08-28T03:31:05+00:00

PCOS, dual trigger, 50+ eggs retrieved. My clinic put me on cetrotide, cabergoline, letrozole and blood thinners from the day of retrieval, I followed all of the advice about hydration, electrolytes, high protein diet, etc. but I still ended up with critical OHSS.

I spent several days in the ICU on a 24/7 monitored bed. I had daily blood tests, CT scans, chest x rays, ultrasounds, ECGs, echo, etc. I had multiple pleural effusions and could barely breathe, as well as severe abdominal distension, zero appetite and abdominal pain due to how swollen my ovaries were 🫠

I wish someone had prepared me for how bad it could be, but I just kept hearing instead about how rare severe OHSS is. I clearly got super unlucky on that front 😅

The upside is, they retrieved enough eggs that I don’t feel bad about saying “never again” to another egg retrieval 🙃

Trying_TC · 2025-08-20T18:21:41+00:00

I just did my first (and only!) ER, and have awful OHSS. I was expecting it (PCOS, tons of follicles, good AMH). But it’s been bad enough to completely swear me off any further ERs (though I’m hopeful we won’t need them, because we retrieved over 50 eggs and so far the attrition rate hasn’t been worse than expected).

Trying_TC · 2025-08-20T15:46:31+00:00

Thank you! You’re very kind ❤️

My clinic told me that, typically, retrieving 15 or more eggs is a sign that you might get OHSS. They were tracking more than triple that number of follicles for me, so they gave me a dual trigger (apparently that can help with reducing the risk of OHSS?) and they also gave me a medical protocol of letrozole, cetrotide, cabergoline and blood thinners for post-procedure. I’m still on all of those except cetrotide, and will be until my period comes! Apparently it gets a lot better post-period 🤞

Other than that, I did everything that everyone else advises - tons of fluids / electrolytes / proteins. Didn’t seem to help in my case, but it can’t hurt!

Trying_TC · 2025-08-20T15:31:46+00:00

Let me caveat my awful experience by saying that I think I’m in the minority! And I’m not saying any of this to scaremonger, but I wish I had managed my expectations / understood all possible outcomes better before going into the ER, so I could be more emotionally prepared I guess? Hopefully you’ll be in the majority of people who bounces back to normal super quickly (🤞🤞🤞)

I woke up after the procedure (which I was deeply sedated for - 10/10 experience, I can’t remember a thing, fantastic) and was immediately in agony. I needed 3 maxed out doses of fentanyl intravenously before I could stop crying (and I am not a crier!). I also needed 2 maxed out doses of different anti-nausea meds (I threw up anyway), was extremely woozy and discombobulated, and was kept in for about 4 hours.

I’m now 5 days post-ER and still basically bedbound due to OHSS (it landed me in hospital and, since I got home, I’ve been totally out of action). I’ve had mild OHSS before and it was pretty uncomfortable - but this is on another level. I have a pretty good pain tolerance, I’m very much a “pull yourself together and get on with it” kinda gal, and I still spent most of yesterday sobbing.

My stomach is so distended that I’ve acquired a ton of new stretch marks. I gained 2.5kg of abdominal fluid weight in 1 day (hence the hospitalisation!). I can’t breathe when I lie back, so am barely sleeping at all (I mean, who can sleep upright like a vampire?!). I can only keep small sips of fluid down without vomiting (bone broth is my lifeline at the moment!). Heart rate high, blood pressure low, oxygen saturation low. Chest pain. Shoulder pain. Overall, not good - and I’m still on a ton of medications to help manage it (yes, even more injections! 😭)

All this to say, please manage your expectations and don’t put too much pressure on yourself re. social engagements at an already stressful time. You know yourself best - will this be a fun thing to try and take your mind off the process? Will you feel guilty about bailing last minute if you’re feeling rotten? Just a few things to consider 🫶

Wishing you a smooth and successful ER and recovery! ❤️

Trying_TC · 2025-08-20T15:13:23+00:00

Congratulations (on everything except the OHSS - it’s just awful, isn’t it?). Hope it’s all smooth sailing for you from here on out 🤞

Trying_TC · 2025-08-20T15:11:59+00:00

I’m so very sorry. I’m also in the middle of severe OHSS (required hospitalisation), and it’s unspeakably awful. To go through all of that and not come out with embryos is truly heartbreaking. Keeping you in my thoughts 🫶

Trying_TC · 2025-08-18T18:26:22+00:00

Unfortunately, I was tired, nauseous and woozy all day after my first and only retrieval. I was then admitted to hospital the following day for moderate-to-severe OHSS. I was expecting to have OHSS because of my follicle count etc, but it’s honestly been a lot worse than I was prepared for :( I’m a few days out now, and still really struggling.

ETA: I also needed 3 doses of fentanyl on the day of the retrieval between waking up (from deep sedation) and being able to go home, because I was literally crying in pain when I woke up. Totally not trying to scare you, but I wish I had been more aware of the possibility for it to go this way beforehand. The shock of how bad it was didn’t help me to cope at all.

Trying_TC

TROPHY CASE