Baby steps

I just got back from my first appointment with my social worker, which was pretty interesting. The whole meeting felt a little bit like a job interview, so I was somewhat nervous. I definitely understand why Shady Grove takes the extra effort to make sure they accept only the most responsible donors, and makes them aware of the magnitude of their decision to donate. I never thought this experience would be so complicated! But almost 3 months into the egg donation process, I am truly glad that I have taken the time to understand what I'm getting myself into.

The social worker spoke with me for almost an hour about things I may experience during and after the egg donation. She basically brought up a few hypothetical scenarios, and asked me how I would feel or react. For example, she asked how I would feel if the recipient couple wanted to meet me, and how I would react if they needed some kind of medical help in the future (like if their child needs a biological relative to donate bone marrow in the case of leukemia). I've thought a lot in the past few months about these type of scenarios, so it was easy to open up and tell her how I was feeling. The last step I have to take is to meet with her once again - with my boyfriend. I hope he's ready!

This whole process is feeling a little more real this morning. It's not out of the realm of possibility that someone could choose me as a donor within the next few months! This idea really sunk today, and I'm thinking about the adjustments in my life I'll have to make. Abstinence, injections, cutting back on physical activities, daily trips to the clinic... it's a lot to deal with. I'm an avid runner, and have a few team races scheduled in the upcoming months that I would hate to back out of, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. The risk of ovarian torsion rises with physical activity and contact sports, so I'll have to hang out on the sidelines for a while. For now, it's back to waiting...