Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome

The day after my positive pregnancy test, I woke up to my sweet daughter whispering in my ear. "Mom, the baby is really growing big in there." She pointed to my stomach. I looked down, shocked to see what looked like a five month pregnant belly. I got out of bed and got on the scale. I had gained another 4 pounds in just the last day. The collection of fluid in my abdomen is known as ascites. One of the complications that can arise after having IVF. I felt very nauseous my stomach hurt like crazy. I called Dr. R and let him know that my weight gain was continuing at a rapid rate. He told me to come in to see him.

When I arrived at the office, I checked in at the front desk. I let them know that I didn't have an appointment, but was told I could just come in. Almost immediately, Dr. R's nurse, Beverly, called my name. As I walked past her through the door, she looked at my stomach quite shocked. I told her that I'd gained about 12 pounds in the last three days. She took me into a room and checked my vitals and Dr. R came shortly after. I told him my symptoms and he made sure I was continuing the daily low dose aspirin and my nightly progesterone shots. He told me that the severity of my Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome was not in the mild range anymore and if my condition continued to worsen, I may need to be admitted to the hospital. Then he gave me some good news. He said he would do an ultrasound to see how many babies were growing inside me. They had transferred two embryos, and because of the way my OHSS was progressing, I think we were all betting on twins. But when he did the ultrasound, it revealed that just one had survived. I had lost one of my little embryos, but I still had one that was hanging on.

As the day continued, I began having problems eating. The fluid that was collecting in my abdominal cavity didn't leave much room for anything else. I also started having trouble breathing, which left me somewhat panicked. By that evening, I paged Dr. R. He called me back just minutes later and I told him my new symptoms. He told me I could go into the hospital and they could give me IV fluids. All the fluid in my body was going into my abdomen, which can result in dehydration and other complications. I packed an overnight bag and we headed to the hospital.

When we arrived, the hospital staff all assumed that I was there to deliver a baby due to the size of my stomach. They hooked me up to the IV, and all the nurses asked me my due date. "I'm only 4 weeks pregnant," I would answer.
Dr. R called me the next morning to see how I was feeling. I felt terrible. I knew I had gained at least 3 more pounds. He told me they might do a procedure on me called a paracentesis, where they insert a large needle into the abdominal cavity and drain the fluid. It sounded wonderful. Anything that would relieve me from what I was going through. He told me that they would be weighing me and checking my vitals and keeping him updated.

The next morning, they weighed me. I was still gaining weight. Dr. R had told me that at some point my weight would plateau and that my body would get rid of the fluid on its own. It was all just a matter of when. He said the paracentesis was still an option, but he wanted it to be a last resort. When Dr. R came to see me that day, I told him I was miserable. I don't know that I can describe what it feels like to have that much fluid sitting inside your stomach. It's not at all like being pregnant, even if that's how it looked. He told me he still wanted to wait, because it's always best to avoid a medical procedure unless it's completely necessary. I was still hoping to have it done, anything to alleviate the discomfort.

The phone rang, and I prayed it was Dr. R calling to tell me that he would have the fluid drained. It was him calling, but he wanted to wait until the morning to make the decision. I tried to choke back the tears that I could feel coming on. My nurse came in right as I was hanging up the phone. She asked if he had decided to do the procedure. But when I opened my mouth to answer her, I just started bawling. I got so worked up, she had to check my oxygen because I started having trouble breathing. After that, she left the room for a minute. Then my phone rang. I suspect that she called Dr. R, but I'm not really sure. All I know is that he had changed his mind and decided to send me in for the paracentesis.

They wheeled me down to radiology. It started with an ultrasound, to see the fluid and guide the needle. The needle was connected to a tube that was attached to a large glass bottle. This bottle is where the fluid would end up. The technician entered the large needle into the side of my stomach. That part didn't hurt much, but when it punctured my abdominal wall I almost immediately threw up. Another technician ran and grabbed a plastic bag and I held it to my face. I tried to take deep breaths as I watched the glass bottle fill up with fluid. When it was full, she quickly switched it out with another. And then another. When all was said and done, a total of 3.5 liters of fluid had been removed. I felt wonderful! My nausea had completely subsided and I could breath again. When I got back to my room, my mom was there and she had brought me a sandwich. I remember eating it and thinking it was the most delicious sandwich I'd ever had in my life. Dr. R came not long after. He couldn't believe how much fluid had been taken out. He told me that unfortunately, it may all come back. It was all up to my body. I decided I would enjoy the relief, even if it was only temporary.

Later that night, I could tell much of the fluid had returned. I was disappointed, but I was still able to get comfortable enough to sleep. I was discharged the next day, after being weighed and talking with Dr. R. He was confident that soon my weight would plateau and my body would get rid of this remaining fluid on it's own.

Over the next week I was very uncomfortable. I did a lot of reading about OHSS. Most everything I read told me that by the end of the first trimester, symptoms of OHSS would be gone. I decided I would take it one day at a time. I would have to deal with the nausea, shortness of breath, extreme discomfort, abdominal pain and progesterone shots for just a short while longer. Then it would be all just a memory. Little did I know, the worst was yet to come.