A coworker of mine donated eggs maybe ten years ago and really hated it–she was later offered $30k by a friend of a friend who wanted her to donate, and she refused. She said you “run out of eggs” faster and reach menopause faster. She also said that she was given an “amnesiac” rather than a real anesthetic when they were taking out the eggs. She didn’t remember a thing, but a nurse told her she was screaming in pain during the procedure. I’m sure someone here must have donated eggs and had a different experience–better or worse. Just curious. Tell me about it!
There’s a ton of info online if you google “egg donation.” I did a lot of research on it a couple years ago and was going to do it, but I was turned down by the clinic I applied with. From everything I researched, it’s a much better process now. I think the “reaching menopause faster” thing is a myth, but I’d recommend doing the research if you’re interested. And talk to your doctor. My was squarely against it so see how yours feels.
I worked in a fertility clinic for 5 years. It’s been 8 years since I left there so things have certainly changed.
I’ve been present for plenty of egg retrievals and I would have to say your friend’s experience is not the norm.
We never gave ‘amnesiacs’ (versed?) for egg retrieval. The women did not undergo general anesthetic for this procedure- only ‘light sedation’". The doctor always kept up an intermittant conversation with the woman during the egg retrieval procedure.
Certainly one could phrase it as ‘running out of eggs faster’, I guess, but you have a large yet limited number of eggs anyway. We’ve retrieved 22 as our highest number, but usually way less than that- perhaps 6-10 on average. I have never heard of accelerated menopause as a side effect of treatment. There was some talk of medication related, potential increased cancer risks.
Again, I’m out of the field now so things have changed- it’s a fast paced field.
I’ve been through three egg retrievals and never heard that I’ve ‘screamed in pain’. The last time I went through it I did ask the doctor if he’d ever spent a lot of time in a cheese shop and tried to run out of the recovery room. I seriously don’t remember ONE minute of it, they call it ‘twilight sleep’
There is some slight cramping after wards that my doctor prescribed vicodin for and I just went home and slept for the rest of the day.
but depending on what doctor you have and what sort of body you have the most irritating parts would probably be the injections beforehand. I had to do a combo of lupron, follistim and ovidrel.
Of course, I was retrieving eggs for my own use, so I would put up with pretty much anything.
Hmmm - tiltypig I work for a company that supports a national network of fertility doctors’ practices and have NEVER heard of the situation that your friend described. CA3977’s sounds more like it.
You are welcome to click on my user profile and email me - if you share your general geographic location, I would be happy to put you in touch with a nurse or fertility counselor at a practice who could no doubt explain everything to you.
It sounded fishy, but I was just shocked when she told me about turning down the $30k offer! I’m sure she could have used the money, so I feel like it must really have been a harrowing experience for her.
WordMan, CA3799, in your experience, why does it seem like most women do it? Is it a money thing in the majority of cases, or altruism (like donating blood/marrow), or a vanity thing (my eggs are great! I must share them with the world!) or what?
My friend has done it twice. The first time wasn’t so bad but after the second time she was in agony for many days.
In Australia, donors are not allowed to accept payment for their eggs, they can only receive financial compensation for the expenses they incur. My friend was adament that she found motherhood so fulfilling that she wanted to help others experience the same joy and sought out a suitable couple to donate to through a website.
WordMan, CA3799, in your experience, why does it seem like most women do it? Is it a money thing in the majority of cases, or altruism (like donating blood/marrow), or a vanity thing (my eggs are great! I must share them with the world!) or what?
All of the above. Fertility patients have been the most diverse group of patients I’ve ever worked with.
From my experience, the amount of discomfort afterwards is directly proportional to how many eggs you have to harvest. One time I had 15 and didn’t have much pain after, last time I had 33, and was in a lot of pain (like internal bruising, having been punched in the stomach pain) for at least three days.
The longer the doctor has to go in and out of the ovaries to fetch things, the more your inner workings get irritated.
Asking as a male, who has only seen the ads on the subways and has had questions cross my mind, how invasive is this surgery? I mean, is it like removing a kidney, with scars resulting, possible organ failure, etc.? Or is it a more every-day thing? It seems like a lot of money they offer for it but I suppose that would depend on what exactly they have to do to you…
Obviously, if it’s just a twilight sedation it can’t e that invasive. But what they do is prop your legs up, pop in a speculum, go into each ovary and aspirate each mature follicle and extract the egg that’s inside. There’s no cutting or stitches or anything.
I was in the recovery room for about 25 minutes I think. Then they gave me a ginger ale (ON THE HOUSE!) and made sure I could pee, and then hubby drove me home, I dosed up on the vicodin and slept until about 8:00pm