Day-Long Event Features Stephanie Goldman-Levich from Family Creations, LLC (http://www.familycreations.net) at Roundtable Discussion and Panels Hosted by U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Capitol Hill and The White House to Promote Young Entrepreneurship.

Family Creations, LLC based in Woodland Hills, CA an International Egg Donor and Surrogate Program (http://www.familycreations.net), joins OUR TIME, a national, non-profit membership organization founded to stand up for Americans under 30, to announce the launch of their new initiative, Buy Young. The goal of OUR TIME’s Buy Young initiative (http://www.ourtime.org/buy-young/) is to encourage Americans to support companies and organizations founded by entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and offer exclusive discounts on products and services to OUR TIME’s fast-growing subscriber base of more than 300,000.

Family Creations, LLC joins over 100 other young entrepreneurs in the Buy Young initiative to reinforce the fact that young Americans are major contributors to the success of the U.S. economy and key drivers of job creation. The entrepreneurs attending the conference alone have created over 7,000 jobs altogether.

Stephanie Goldman-Levich, Co-Founder of Family Creations, LLC states “It is an honor to have the opportunity to meet with other young entrepreneurs in our great nation’s capital.”

More details are available on OUR TIME’s website at http://www.ourtime.org.

BUY YOUNG LAUNCH & PRESS CONFERENCE

WHAT: Press conference hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, launching OUR TIME’s Buy Young initiative and CEO roundtable discussion

WHO: OUR TIME

Over 100 top young CEOs, including Stephanie Goldman-Levich Co-Founder of Family Creations, LLC.

WHEN: Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

8:30 am (ET) – Press Check-in Opens (must RSVP for credentials)

9:30 – 10:30 am (ET) – Press Conference

10:45 – 11:45 am (ET) – Roundtable Discussion

WHERE: U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Hall of Flags Room

(1615 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C.)

SPEAKERS:    Welcome Remarks by Margaret Spellings, Director of National Chamber Foundation and former Secretary of Education; Matthew Segal, co-founder & President of OUR TIME; Ed Rensi, OUR TIME Board of Directors & former CEO of McDonalds

BIPARTISAN LUNCHEON ON CAPITOL HILL

WHAT: Bipartisan Lunch Honoring OUR TIME’s Buy Young Entrepreneurs

WHO: Hosted by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

Matthew Segal, co-founder and President, OUR TIME

Barry Diller, Chairman, IAC

Senator John McCain, (R-AZ)

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, (D-NY)

Over 100 Buy Young Entrepreneurs and CEOs

Top Business Leaders – names to be announced shortly

WHEN: Wednesday, July 13th, 2011, 1:00 pm

WHERE: Russell Senate Office Building – Caucus Room

(Constitution Ave and 1st Street NE, Washington, DC)

** RSVP, press requests and other media-related inquiries should be directed to Annie Burton, OUR TIME, at ab@ourtime.org or 818-633-3263. (Media interested in attending must be credentialed press corp. RSVP to be considered; RSVP does not guarantee admittance to event).

OUR TIME is a national organization founded and run by young Americans, leveraging pop culture, business partnerships, and online organizing to drive civic engagement through economic empowerment.

To follow OUR TIME on Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/OurTimeOrg.

Or to follow OurTime on Twitter, go to: http://www.Twitter.com/OurTimeOrg.

CONTACTS:

Annie Burton, OUR TIME

ab@ourtime.org or 818-633-3263 (cell)

Amy Steele, Luna Media Group

amy@lunamediagroup.com or 208-301-0846 (cell)

Stephanie Goldman-Levich, Family Creations, LLC

sgoldman@familycreations.net

Read Article Here: http://news.yahoo.com/family-creations-llc-international-egg-donor-surrogate-program-080208132.html

OK – Donors…this is a VERY good question and one that we are asked often.

So, you make the decision to become a donor, great!  You apply with Family Creations, submit all your paperwork, and have your interview with our office.  Then you receive word that you are officially approved as a donor!  Yahooo!!!!

Well…then what?

Family Creations has thousands of registered clients that are actively searching for an egg donor every day.  Once you become an approved donor with us, your profile is added to our password protected database where future parents can log in and review you profile and photos.

Future parents look for a variety of different things in their search for a donor.  Similar ethnic background, similar appearance to the intended mother (height, hair color, eye color, etc.) similar academic achievements, athletic achievements, interests, etc.  Some clients look for a donor with “proven fertility” meaning the donor has had a child of her own or has been a previous egg donor.  For each client it is different and for many, they are really just looking for a donor that they feel some kind of connection with.

With that said, the amount of time it takes to get matched can vary.  Some of our donors are matched within a few days of becoming an approved donor with us.  For others, it can take a bit longer.  We have had several donors wait a year to get matched for their first donation, and then go on to get matched for 5 other donation cycles immediately after!  It really depends…

But as a donor, there are certainly things YOU can do to help the process along!

1. When completing your profile, you want to be as detailed as possible.  You really want to give intended parents a good idea of who you are!  Also, let us know when you have updates!  Did you earn that Bachelor’s Degree, get accepted into Graduate School?  Did your GPA increase?  These are all relevant pieces of information that should be updated on your profile.
2. Submit as many photos as possible.  The more pictures, the better!   Think clear photos, and photos that showcase you and your personality best.  If you go on a trip and take new pictures that you would like to add to your profile, send them our way!
3. Stay in contact with us!  If we leave you a message or send you an email with questions, it means that we likely have a possible match for you!  Many clients will have additional questions for a potential donor or want to see additional photos.  The sooner you can get back to us with any information, the better!
4. Just be patient, and know that Family Creations is always working hard to find a match for you.  Even if you haven’t heard from us for a few weeks, we are still doing what we can to make sure intended parents can have access to your profile for consideration.
5. If for whatever reason you are no longer available to donate at any time, please make sure to notify us immediately.  It is incredibly difficult for recipient parents who sometimes look for months and months to find their “perfect donor” to finally find her and then learn that the donor in no longer available.  This heartache can easily be avoided by staying in constant communication with our office.

So again, it is hard to say exactly how long it will take for each donor to get matched.  But by staying in communication with Family Creations, completing you profile thoroughly, and sending lots of great photos, it can certainly help speed things along.

We look forward to hopefully calling you with some great news very soon! 

~~~~~

“My experience with egg donation couldn’t have been better.  If anything the process seemed too easy!  Family Creations and their extremely competent staff seamlessly took care of all my travel needs and expenses, answered my 101 questions, and were readily available whenever I needed ANYTHING.  I’ve learned not only about how my body works but also of the results of my genetic tests, which I can keep in mind later on when I want to have a family of my own.  Retrieval was lightning fast and the week leading up to it was essentially a free vacation for my boyfriend and I in a new city!  Best of all, this all went to helping a someone make their dream of parenthood come true.  I had such a wonderful experience that I even suggested it to all my other college friends and will definitely be back for another cycle!
-Donor “L”

“L”, thank YOU for being such a pleasure to work with.  It takes a truly special young woman to be an egg donor and your recipients are forever grateful for the incredible gift you have given to them.  It is an honor to have a donor like you are our program and we can’t wait to work with you again through your next donation!

Lisa Friedman, author of “Pregnant Pause: My Journey Through Obnoxious Questions, Baby Lust, Meddling Relatives, and Pre-Partum Depression” shares her words of wisdom for those who want to help a friend or relative struggling with infertility.

- – - – - – - – - – — – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - –

According to Resolve, the National Infertility Assn., one in eight U.S. couples of child-bearing age is diagnosed with infertility. Two long years ago, my husband and I unfortunately found ourselves in this category. It’s been a heartbreaking journey ever since.

We still don’t have any children to show for our efforts, but we remain hopeful that we’ll eventually have the family we’ve always wanted. I don’t talk about it much, because to retell it is to relive it, and this is hard enough to go through once. Also, over the years, I’ve heard my share of well-meaning but cringe-worthy statements that just made me feel worse.

I feel for my friends and family, because they have the best of intentions and want to say something comforting and helpful. But there’s almost nothing they can say.

Most people probably know at least one couple enduring infertility. If those couples are anything like me, here are five things they don’t want to hear:

• Unless you are a board certified fertility doctor, please refrain from diagnoses. Anyone going through this has gotten second, third and fourth opinions: we don’t need any more.

• Please don’t tell us to “just” do anything. Examples: “I don’t understand why you don’t just get a surrogate” or “You should just adopt!” Often these are said with the nonchalance of suggesting we order a pizza. Both paths are unbelievably complicated and expensive (in every sense of the word), and we’ve probably already considered or are still considering them.

• Please don’t tell us to relax or stop trying or “go on vacation and just have sex — surely it’ll happen then.” This dawned on us. It didn’t work. And yet we still try every month, hoping for one of these incredibly wonderful (but unlikely) miracles that people love to mention.

• Don’t tell us about your friends for whom it all worked out. We realize you’re just trying to give us hope, and that’s very nice of you, but unfortunately, it reinforces the feeling that it’s happening for everyone but us.

• And finally, while we sincerely appreciate your interest and concern, please don’t ask us if we’re pregnant. As someone who’s had miscarriages during the precarious first trimester, I’m very superstitious. You’ll know when we’re ready to share.

So, what can you say or do?

First, listen. Or, if you know it will make you uncomfortable to hear about it, let us know that. We’ll be A-OK talking about something — anything — else.

Second, say you’re sorry for our struggle. Several months ago, a friend of mine wrote me the loveliest, simplest paragraph I didn’t even know I so badly needed to hear:

“I am so very sorry. I’m most sorry that there’s nothing I can say that will make this better for you. But please know you’re in my thoughts and prayers and I am wishing you peace and good news. I’m always here to talk if you want to.”

Friedman, who lives in Los Angeles, is the author of the book “Pregnant Pause: My Journey Through Obnoxious Questions, Baby Lust, Meddling Relatives, and Pre-Partum Depression.” She has been published in several anthologies and publications, including Newsweek and the Sun. Her website is http://www.carriefriedmania.com.

MEETING MY INTENDED PARENTS

Being a case manager with Family Creations, I sometimes facilitate donor and recipient meetings.  Whether it is a meeting to determine if the donor is the right “fit” for the recipients or whether the cycle is coming to a close and the recipient wants to meet their donor to thank her in person, the meetings are always really nice.  I’ve never had a recipient say that they wished they hadn’t met their donor.  Likewise, donors are always pleased with the meeting and enjoy having the chance to actually see and meet with the family that they are helping.

Being a case manager and also a donor myself, I’ve always been fascinated with the donation process and seeing both sides of the cycle.  I speak with recipients and donors all day and see similarities in personalities and mannerisms.  It’s really amazing.  I’ve always been an advocate for both parties meeting, speaking on the phone, and really just open donations in general.  There always seems to be a sense of closure for everyone once these meetings take place.

I have personally been a donor twice before. During my first donation, I was read a letter that was written to me by my recipients.  The letter told the story of how they both met and how a tragic accident brought them both together again after being separated for several years.  I look just like my recipient’s sister and my recipient’s favorite song is titled “Emily.”  It seemed like a perfect match.  The letter brought tears to my eyes and I kept my recipients in mind throughout the cycle.  They even sent me a thank you card while I was on the medication.  I was really touched.  They remained in my thoughts throughout the cycle and I still think about them to this day.

My second donation was anonymous.  However, seeing my recipients first names drafted into the contract really meant a lot to me.  They weren’t just “my recipients,” they were Jack and Jill.  (Names changed to maintain anonymity.) Even this little bit of information I held onto dearly, and when I heard that they were pregnant with twins, I was ecstatic.  This process is so miraculous and I’m thrilled that I was able to be a part of it.

Since this past donation cycle, the clinic called me to see if I would be interested in meeting potential parents-to-be for another cycle.  They were working with a gay male couple who was looking for the perfect donor and the couple was extremely interested in meeting me after reviewing my profile. So we met! As soon as they walked into the room, I could see a spark in their eyes and I knew it was a perfect match.  They were both dressed very smart and had the sweetest disposition.  They told me the story of how they met, fell in love and moved to California.  The only thing missing in their life was a family, something they have wanted for a long time. That’s where I come in! They kept saying over and over that my profile was so different than all the rest and I finally asked what set me apart.  They said that they sensed a certain humanity about me.  They listed other things such as my athletic ability, beauty, etc (all very flattering) but they said over and over how the humanity I had working in this field and having the desire to help so many people really touched them.  I too was touched by their kind words.  During the meeting they explained that they had also thought about using a family member as their egg donor.  While I really fell in love with these men, I wanted what’s best for them and I knew that if they decided not to work with me it would be okay.  They are an amazing couple and I wanted them to be happy, whatever path they decided to go down.

I couldn’t get them out of my mind for the rest of the day and was anxiously waiting for a phone call from the clinic the next morning.  As luck would have it, they thought just as highly of me as I did them and we’re matched for an upcoming cycle!   Whoohoo! Now, they are pursuing their search for a surrogate! Hopefully they will find a candidate very soon and we will be ready to get started! I still think of them every day.

Having the opportunity to meet my intended parents was really a chance of a lifetime.  Throughout my first donation cycle I always wondered what my recipients looked like, where they lived, what kind of lifestyle they led but having the information provided in the letter at least gave me a sense of who they were and that really motivated me throughout all of the appointments, injections and going through the retrieval.

The letter and the recent meeting are nice reminders that there are real people on the other side of this process whose lives I’m touching forever.

While personally and professionally I have had great experiences with these types of meetings, they are not for everyone. I am happy to work for an agency that gives our recipient clients and our egg donors choices. We offer specialized packages, tailored to fit the needs and desires of everyone. We offer completely anonymous egg donor cycles, semi-open donation cycles, and completely open egg donation cycles. Through our online database of egg donors, recipient parents can easily identify which donors are open to what, ensuring that they are only focusing on the appropriate egg donor candidates. We will tailor any package to better fit client’s needs.

You can learn more about our specialized packages here: https://www.familycreations.net/packages.php

I am excited for my next donation and will keep my intended parents in my thoughts throughout the coming months. Happy Friday everyone!

~Emily Penn

Egg Donor, and Family Creations Case Manager

WHY I DONATE

About 6 days after my retrieval I felt 100% back to normal and fit in my skinny jeans again.  The 3-4 pounds that I gained since starting the medications melted away as the bloating went away.  It’s just fluid retention and coconut water really helps. Twelve days later I started my period, just as the clinic mentioned.  The clinic told me that I could start birth control pills with my period and I did so.  I’m feeling wonderful.

Since the retrieval, I’ve thought about my recipients often.  I’ve been anxiously awaiting the pregnancy results as I’m sure they have been as well.  Yesterday I found out that they had a positive pregnancy result and I felt an overwhelming sense of calm and joy.  It’s such a miracle that all of the people involved (doctor, nurses, attorneys, me, etc.) coupled with modern science can create such a little miracle and change someone’s life.  I can only imagine how my recipients have felt all this time.  With all of their time, emotion and finances invested in IVF cycles, only to have failed.  How they must have felt when they first were told that they needed to start looking at other means of conception.  How defeated and powerless they must have felt when they couldn’t do it alone.  Then their search for a donor ensued.  There must have been so many choices and at long last, they found their perfect donor: me.  They were then investing all of their time, emotion and finances in me; I would do anything that was asked of me to make this process as seamless as possible.  The time, commitment, medication, appointments, retrieval and side effects were all worth it to hear that they had a successful pregnancy result.

This process has been so rewarding for me.  Sure, there were a few days where I wanted to lay in bed all day and watch movies because I felt very uncomfortable (after the retrieval) but my temporary discomfort has lead to a life changing for someone else.  Even though I will probably never meet my recipients, I know that I’ve touched their lives forever.

Our case Manager who has diligently been sharing her donation experience with us has officially completed her cycle!   Whoohoo!!!

Read more about her egg retrieval below…

CYCLE COMPLETED!!!

Thursday 2/10/11 was the big day!

Thursday morning I woke up, threw on some comfortable pajamas and had my brother drive me to the retrieval.  When I showed up, they brought me back to the surgical suite where they had me change into my gown and they set me up with an IV right away.  As soon as the anesthesiologist set me up with the IV, she gave me some sort of relaxant that made me very loopy.  I asked a lot of the same questions and rambled until they were finally ready to put me to sleep.  The next thing I know, I’m waking up and a nurse is in the room with me.  I asked, “are we already done?”  She said “Yup, all done!” The nurse gave me a bottle of Gatorade to drink and Ritz crackers (which were absolutely delicious!)  She took the IV out and gave me the after-care instructions.  When I was ready, I sat up and changed back into my pajamas and they wheeled me out to my car so my brother could drive me home.

The post egg retrieval instructions included the following:

• Activity – It mentioned that I would probably want to eat then take a nap once I left the office and that was spot on!  While I didn’t need to stay in bed all day, it’s a good idea to get plenty of rest.  Strenuous activities should be limited for the first two weeks post-retrieval and include no heavy lifting, high impact activity, abdominal crunches or intercourse.
• Pain – Menstrual type cramping and bloating is expected.  I was prescribed Vicodin.  They mentioned that if my pain was not subdued by the pain reliever then to call them.
• Nausea – I was warned that I may experience some minor nausea for the first two days following retrieval.  I was also told to avoid fatty, oily, spicy or heavily seasoned foods if I became nauseous.  I am to maintain a balanced diet high in fiber and electrolytes.
• Vaginal Bleeding or Discharge – I was told that I might experience slight discharge or spotting following the retrieval and that if I had heavy or persistent bleeding to contact the doctor.  It was advised that I wear a panty liner for 48 hours following retrieval.  This was very accurate as well.  I had very, very light spotting for 1-2 days following retrieval.
• Bathing – Showering and shampooing is fine following retrieval but avoid baths for one week following retrieval.
• Intercourse – I was told to refrain from intercourse until after my next period, in about 12 days.
• Work – Most women are able to return to work the day following retrieval, of course refraining from strenuous activity, heavy lifting, etc.

The morning following retrieval, I woke up feeling nauseous and had two more quick episodes of nausea later that day.  It seemed to be out of the realm of “slight nausea” so I called the doctor just to let them know.  They called in a prescription for an anti-nausea pill for me which helped immensely.  I also became extremely bloated and very uncomfortable.  The doctor saw me for a follow up appointment on Saturday so make sure that I was doing okay and said that I had some slight fluid build up but nothing that wouldn’t go away on it’s own.  While I have felt like I’ve just eaten Thanksgiving dinner for the past few days, it would subside soon.  He also mentioned that the nausea could have been from the Vicodin or my high estrogen levels so he switched me to Tylenol with Codine. The doctor told me to get out and do something, not to lay in bed all day, so I went shopping on Saturday.  When I got home I took a nap but it was nice to get out and do something.

Today, Monday, I’m still uncomfortable and bloated but am back to work.   The nurse called me this morning to see how I’m feeling and said that if I’m not feeling better by the end of the day, that she would bring me back in tomorrow morning for another follow-up appointment.  She’s asked me to monitor my weight and to let her know if I gain more than 2 pounds per day.  So far, I think that I’ve only gained 3 pounds since the retrieval.  This is not weight from fat, but rather weight from fluid/water retention.

All side effects should lessen day by day but should completely diminish after my next period.

The surgical suite had a little window on the back wall where the doctor could hand the eggs that he retrieved straight to the embryologist.  The eggs would be fertilized immediately.  Usually about half of the eggs retrieved become embryos.  The clinic grows these embryos in a petri dish for 3-5 days and transfer (typically) 1 or 2 of the best quality embryos to the recipient mother on the 3^rd or 5^th day.  The rest are generally frozen for another transfer if the first is unsuccessful, or for siblings in the future!

Tomorrow is day 5 so tomorrow should be the transfer day for my recipients.  They’ll be in my thoughts! About 10 days after the embryo transfer, the recipients will go back to the doctor for a pregnancy test.  My fingers will be crossed until then!

The last few weeks have been full of hormones, medications, appointments, doctors, nurses, side effects, etc. but I wouldn’t take it back for anything!!! I just hope more than anything that the little pink plus sign makes an appearance soon!

**Please note that all cycles are different and instructions will be given to each donor by the facilitating physician.

Our very own case manager shares another update from her current donation cycle.  Her egg retrieval was actually yesterday – and we will post her final update soon!

SOOO VERY CLOSE!!!

From 2/9/11 Yesterday afternoon, the nurse called me with further instructions.  She let me know that she wanted me to take one more injection of one of the stimulation medications at 5pm.  I was still to take the trigger shots at night at 9:15pm.  I also had to call the clinic and leave a message with the answering service to tell them what time, exactly, I took the two injections (trigger shots).  Since I know that my cell phone time is off by about 5 minutes or so, I went on Google.com and searched “current time in California” to get the accurate time.  I took the injections at 9:16 and 9:18pm.  While my stimulation medications were supposed to be administered between 6:00 and 8:00pm, the trigger shot needs to be much more accurate, down to minutes of the ordered injection time.  When I finished my injections I realized that I was now done with the injections and I would be going in for the retrieval tomorrow.  Knowing that I’m going to be going in for a medical procedure and put under anesthesia tomorrow is a little nerve-racking but the doctor has been treating me with the utmost care so I’m sure everything will going smoothly!  He also assured me that I should have little to no side effects after the retrieval because of the type of trigger shot that he had me take last night.  He assured me that I would be able to return to work on Friday but I’ve decided to take the day off to relax a bit.

No shots tonight and I have STRICT instructions no to eat or drink anything after midnight tonight.  I was also told not to wear any jewelry tomorrow and that perfumes, scented lotions, etc can harm the eggs so I’ll need to remember not to put on deodorant after my shower too.  I was told to wear something comfortable tomorrow so I’ll be showing up in my PJ’s – that way I’ll be ready to go straight to sleep when I get home tomorrow (most donors sleep a lot the day of their retrieval). I was told to arrive 30 minutes prior to my retrieval, the process would take 45 minutes (typically 30 minutes but I have so many eggs that it will take longer), they’ll keep me in recovery for an hour, then I should be ready to go home.  That’s it!

As a case manager with Family Creations, I obviously cannot donate for our own clients. I wish I could, because I know how well we take care of our donors! But, instead I am completing my cycles through a clinic that has their own small in-house pool of donors for their patients to select. No conflict of interest! So anyhow, the clinic has asked me a few times if I would consider donating again with them and assuming that tomorrow will go smoothly, I said yes.  They already have someone in mind for me as well.  With my high number of follicles, they think that they’ll be able to match me quickly.  I sent them more recent photos of myself and gave them the black out dates that I know of so far.  They let me know that I would need at least one month for my ovaries to rest before starting another cycle.  If I donate again with them, the cycle will go much quicker because I’ve already had all of the preliminary testing that they require (genetic testing, etc). They will need to repeat the FDA labs as these are to be done within 30 days of retrieval and they will likely need to retest me on the 3^rd day of my period but things should move along quickly.

When donors are matched for another cycle, cycles tend to be quicker. However, if donors are matched with a different clinic, the new clinic may require additional testing to be done.  For example, during my first donation cycle, I was only tested for Cystic Fibrosis.  However, during this cycle, I was tested for Cystic Fibrosis, Fragile X and Karyotype.  (The type of genetic testing depends on your family health history, ethnic background and clinic requirements.)

Tomorrow’s the big day!  I’ll have another update soon.

**Please note that all cycles are different and instructions will be given to each donor by the facilitating physician.

More Appointments!

After my last appointment on Wednesday, the nurse called in the evening with instructions to lower my dose of one of the medications and to come back on Friday.

Friday I went in for another appointment had my blood drawn and another ultrasound.  The follicles are growing a little slower than they like so they had me come back in on Sunday for another appointment.  They decreased my medication again.

Sunday I had another appointment for a blood draw and ultrasound.  A female doctor (instead of a nurse) was in the room for the ultrasound with me and the doctor.  This was the first time she had seen one of my ultrasounds and she said, “Wow! You’re what we call an egg-making machine!”  I have approximately 35-40 follicles growing which is a large amount so I’m very bloated.  When I was done, I met with the nurse who scheduled my next appointment.  She also recommended that I drink coconut water instead of Gatorade because it has more electrolytes.  She mentioned that it would help with the bloating now and after the retrieval because the electrolytes will help my cells from releasing excess water into my body, which makes me bloated.  On my way home from my appointment, I picked up a few containers (similar to a juice box) of coconut water and I feel that it did help more than Gatorade and Vitamin Water.  They are manufactured by a few different companies and can be found in the juice isle in most grocery stores and sometimes come in different flavors (with Pineapple and Mango).  They run about $2 each but it’s definitely worth it to me.  The doctor recommended 1-2 a day.

When the doctor thinks that I’m ready for retrieval, he’ll have me take the “trigger shot” and I’ll have the retrieval two days later.  He let me know that he’ll trigger me with Lupron, instead of the typical hCG shot as it is suppose to almost eliminate the chances of my hyperstimulating.  This is great to hear because with my high follicle count, my chances of hyperstimulating increase.  I truly believe that my doctor is doing everything that he can to make this process as easy and comfortable for me as possible, while still achieving great cycle results.  I couldn’t ask for a better doctor.

Before leaving the office on Sunday, I weighed myself to see if I have actually gained weight because my stomach feels huge.  I know that weight gain is a concern for a lot of potential donors so I’m happy to report that I may have gained only 1 pound but I truly believe that it’s due to my lack of exercise and my incredible sweet tooth.  This bloated feeling should disappear a few days after retrieval.

The doctor called me last night with my instructions for Sunday and Monday evening’s medication dosage.  She decreased one of the stimulation medications and told me to begin the third medication, the one to prevent me from ovulating.  This medication comes already prepared in a syringe so all I have to do is inject it.  It’s really easy.

My next appointment is tomorrow and the doctor thinks that I should be ready for a Thursday retrieval and they’ll give me instructions for the trigger shot then!

Again, I have to say that I was struck by all of the people in the waiting room at the clinic on Sunday (since I was in on a weekend, it was really busy).  One couple that struck me particularly was a young, beautiful couple that seemed to be in their late twenties.  Now, bear in mind that the fertility clinics deal with men and women trying to conceive.  Men may have low sperm count or their sperm may have limited mobility (don’t swim very well) and women may not be able to ovulate, maybe began trying to have a family later in life and therefore their eggs aren’t viable any longer or they have had several miscarriages.  The list goes on and on.  Infertility affects men and women of different ages, even those who are relatively young.  Perhaps someone was injured in an accident and their reproductive organs were compromised or they underwent chemotherapy and their eggs/sperm are no longer viable.  Most of us know someone who has had difficulty conceiving in one way or another.  Every time I see couples in the waiting room, I think of my recipients and how much hope I am giving them.  Sure, I’ve had to go to about 10 appointments total, inject myself with medication every night, etc. but I believe in social service and helping others.  This is just one way that I hope to give back.  Sure, I’m being compensated for my time, taking hormone medications, undergoing a medical procedure (the retrieval) but knowing that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life is the reason why I chose this field to work in and why I chose to donate again myself.

More to come!

Our very own case manger has started medication for her current egg donation cycle!  Follow here entire donation experience here.

Like Riding a Bike!

Saturday I started my injections and all went well!  I had very clear written instructions to follow step-by-step – it was a piece of cake!  I did the injections again last night and it was even easier – like riding a bike.  While I was preparing myself for the injections on Saturday, I kept thinking about how real this situation is; that I’m starting hormone injections and in about two weeks, I’ll be going in for retrieval.  There’s no turning back now.  With the weeks and months of waiting, it all seems so easy but everything picks up in speed the last few weeks.  I’m absolutely ready for what’s to come and while I don’t have any control over how my body reacts to the medications, I will certainly do all that I can to ensure the best cycle possible.

I had another appointment this morning and had just one vial of blood drawn and had a vaginal ultrasound.  When the doctor did the ultrasound, he said that the follicles were still resting and the medication that I’m taking, the stimulation medication, is supposed to help the follicles grow.  I scheduled my next appointment for Thursday.  The nurse let me know that the most important thing is that my estrogen levels are increasing and depending on the blood results from today, she may change my medication dosage. I’ll receive a phone call later today with my instructions for tonight with my instructions for tonight’s medication dosage.

During this process, communication is crucial.  I will receive the phone call after about 4pm and I take my medication at about 6pm.  It’s so important that I answer my phone or listen to the message immediately so that I can ensure that I’m taking the correct dosage tonight.  At this stage in the process, I need to answer or return calls immediately so that I can get the information that I need regarding the medication.  It’s really important to return calls and emails so prompt, even from the day that a donor is matched with a recipient because, as you can see, this process is quite lengthy and any delay in getting testing done or even returning calls can delay the process.  For example, if a donor were to miss testing on the third day of her next period, the cycle would be delayed one whole month.

Awaiting further instruction…