Thursday, May 24, 2012

From Infertile to Egg Donor?


When I was 21 years old, I graduated from college and went straight to grad school.  My parents were generous and helped me financially with college, but they were done – no help for grad school.  I figured it would be fine – that’s why they invented school loans!  In retrospect, it may have been wise to wait a few years, save some money, and then go to grad school, but I highly doubt I would have made the plunge once I had the taste of real life income.  So I went straight to grad school, took out a bunch of loans, got a couple part-time jobs, and tried to figure out how to survive while paying out-of-state tuition.  I remember driving home one day after class and hearing an ad on the radio about being paid to become an egg donor.  I had no idea what was involved, but I figured, why not?

As soon as I got home (no cell phones in those days…) I called the egg donation place to ask for more information.  I asked a bunch of questions, they asked me some more, and then told me I wouldn’t make a good candidate because I was adopted and I didn’t know my medical history.  I was disappointed because I wanted the money, so I hung up and proceeded to the local blood plasma donation place ($15 each donation, and I could do it twice a week!  Good money!).  I told my new friend about it, and she commiserated with me about how nice it would have been to make money doing something simple like egg donation – ah, how naïve we were.

Fast forward 16 years, and that friend that I met in grad school is still my friend, in fact my closest friend, my BFF as I like to call her.  She recently has been told that at age 42 and going through multiple IVF's and finally PGD, her eggs are no longer good, and she needs to consider egg donation.  She had talked with her husband about it, and they’re not sure what they’re going to do.  Well I just threw a wrench in their plans…  Last night I told her that if they want, that I would be an egg donor for her.  Or if we get pregnant at our next FET using two of our embryos, then she and her husband can have our remaining three embryos. 

I did not make this offer lightly.  It was only after hours of discussion with my husband, and after thinking about it a few weeks, that I made the offer.  I wanted to make sure that I was truly comfortable with this decision, and that I wouldn’t want to revoke the offer after giving it.  And that my husband feels the same way.  During this infertility process, I’ve thought a lot about my 21-year-old self, and how flippant I was about considering egg donation.  I didn’t really think about it as giving up a potential child, or at least half of a child.  I didn’t think about wondering what happened to my eggs and future babies, I only thought about the money I lost because I didn’t know my medical history!  Later when I started struggling with infertility, I thought a lot about how naïve I was, and how important those eggs are.  I also thought that there was no way I would donate my eggs, because I had such an emotional attachment to creating a child that was genetically mine.  I was working so very hard to have a baby, and I had such a drive to be genetically linked to that child, that I couldn’t imagine giving up those genetics to someone else through egg donation.  I also thought a lot about embryo donation.  I knew that if we were so lucky to not need all the embryos we would make through the IVF process that we would need to make a decision as to what to do with those embryos.  We even signed consent forms that if something were to happen to us, that the embryos would be discarded.  I couldn’t imagine giving our embryos to someone else, having someone else raise our babies.  I feel attached to those embryos, and it's hard to imagine someone else using those embryos.  I really wasn’t sure what we would do if we had any embryos left after completing our family.

Until my BFF…  She is now at the point where she and her husband needs to decide what to do, but it won’t involve her eggs.  They can do egg donation to a point, but they will run out of sperm in the future as well (he had testicular cancer, and he has successfully gone through treatment, but their doc doesn’t want to use his sperm for at least three years).  I know I used to think that I couldn’t give up my eggs or embryos, but now that I’m a mother to baby Alex, everything has changed.  I look at her, and I can’t imagine my life without her.  I want this for my friend.  I know she wants to be a mother, and has gone through great lengths to be one, to no avail.  I want to do everything I can to help her do this.  It’s so weird, how easy this decision was for me, how quickly I became comfortable with the idea of giving my friend my DNA, and how it is now an even easier decision now that I am a mom.  It was the same with my hubs – we talked about it at length, how bizarre it could be, and whether we would be comfortable, watching our friends raise a baby that started as our child, who is genetically our child, and our child’s sibling.  It’s so strange what is possible now with science, but it feels so comfortable to make this decision. 

I have no idea if my BFF and her husband want this, or if their doctor will advise it.  Because let’s face it – I’m not an ideal egg donor.  I’m almost 37, and I’ve had fertility problems.  But we know I respond well to the drugs, and I have a perfect daughter that proves that some of my eggs work!  I’m very interested to see what happens, and what she decides.  She didn’t say anything last night, as I think she was very stunned and needed time to process this.  I think it could be very complicated, donating eggs or embryos to a friend, but I’m confident that no matter what she decides, we’ll be able to muddle through this new element to our friendship.  Stay tuned…

17 comments:

  1. What an amazing friend you are to offer such a gift to your BFF!! I think it's great that you and your husband are both on board and you might just end up giving her the best gift ever.

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  2. That is a very generous and amazing gift that you are offering her. Only a true BFF would make that offer. Can't wait to see what your friend decides.

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  3. How very giving and kind of you and your DH! We have 4 frosties and will be doing single embryo FET's this summer...so we may have to make a decision on what to do with the rest as well. A friend I met on IV through our IF struggles has no chance to have a 2nd and I've thought about if I would be strong enough to donate them to her if I have a chance. I guess we'll all wait and see =)

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  4. What a wonderful offer to make. When my sister stepped forward as our egg donor I often wondered if I would have been so quick to do the same. It is an amazing process that is sure to bring you even closer to your BFF. Even if she decides not to take you up on the offer it is amazing just the same!

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  5. Wow, what an amazing gift! I'm so impressed!!

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  6. You are a good friend! What an amazing offer to her.

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  7. Amazing offer! I hope it works out for your friend in whatever way is best!

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  8. I really really love that you have offered to do this for her. I am the recipient of my best friends eggs for baby number one, and am in the process of receiving embryos from another couple for baby number two. I can whole heartedly say that once you get past the initial OMG this is weird moment - egg/embryo donation is the most beautiful connection. <3

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  9. I love this! I'm so sorry about your friend, but what an amazing thing to do! I know I would do it if I could. You are such a good friend! I hope you can help them!!

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  10. This is an amazing offer. You are an amazing person and I'm not one bit surprised about your generosity. I'm sure your friend's heart melted away, no matter what she will decide in the end. Much love, Fran

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  11. I often laugh at how naive I was when I was younger too. It is funny to think about how you said you would never do things or that you would never feel a certain way, only to eat your words later. After I had BB, a fellow blog friend had been told her eggs were no good after two attempts at IVF. For months I considered doing egg donation for her. I asked my husband what he thought, and even my family. It wasn't until I was just about to offer that I realized I was not a good donor candidate because I was infertile, had endo and PCOS. But once you have finally overcome infertility and become a mother, you realize how much you want to help others share the same joy.

    I know it was a difficult decision for you, and whether your friend can and will accept probably means the world to her. Offering is a huge sacrifice. You are a very loving woman.

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  12. What an amazing gift ot offer your friend! I would love to be able to donate again, but I think it is highly unlikely given my past donation experience and now my history of IF.

    I will definitely be staying tuned!

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  13. Whoa!! Such a big offer and so sweet of you. Cheering for you BFF, they really have been through a lot!

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  14. What a selfless and beautiful offer. I often laugh (if a little bitterly) about all the years I took birth control when, obviously, it was completely unnecessary. We think we know so much when we're young, don't we...

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  15. WOW! You are such an amazing and kind person!

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  16. Your friend will be very grateful

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