From an anonymous egg donor

I’m not putting any of my energy into making this read eloquently. It is more a diary entry than an academic essay. I’m 28 years old, turning 29 in a few months. I have a history degree from a private university which I obtained in 2008. I’ve been working on a masters in anthropology and sociology but I’m putting that on hold for now. I’m running my own business and pretty happy with the way things are going. I enjoy reading immensely, science fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, I love it all. I am not hurting financially but the money I got for donating my eggs was a nice additon to my bank account. It’s in savings with the rest of it. Money was not my primary motivation, but people always ask about the money first. Put yourself in my position – you want to do something and you are being offered $8,000 to do it – would you turn it down? I was not exploited. I was not pressured. I have referred friends to donate that have not been pressured or exploited. I care about people. I think that can be inferred by my interest in anthropology and sociology. I thought it would be great to help someone MAKE THEIR LIFE with my donation. Another reason I donated: I am very interested in science. Watching the process was fascinating and I very much enjoyed seeing my body change from a perspective I’ve never seen before. I learned a lot. Your parents wanted you very much. They went through so much to have you. In order to produce the 20+ eggs necessary for a fair shot at making the perfect one I had to give myself shots in the stomach daily, more than once. I had to get up far earlier than I normally would to go to the doctor, at first twice a week then every single day, and I was so tired from that and the hormones. My arms were bruised from frequent blood draws. I actually cried with relief when the nurse took it from the left arm instead of the right. She was great; few nurses have ever been able to get anything from that tiny vein. I was emotional at my retrieval. The anesthesiologist was so comforting. I woke up before I knew I was asleep and recovered half an hour or so then went home. In the following days I developed the worst pain I have ever felt in my life up to now. I have been through some serious stuff, but this pain had me speechless on the floor of my apartment. I was suffering from OHSS – my ovaries were full of fluid and several times bigger than they should be. It was excruciating. Mercifully it stopped being unbearable after the first day. The whole time, even through the worst of it, I was thinking of my recipients and hoping she & her partner would get a child out of this. I’m not discounting my pain but I know the pain, emotional and physical, they went through up to this point was worth mine. That’s really all I have to say. I’m starting my second donation cycle soon. I wanted you to read a story from a real donor, not a horror story, and feel better about your origins if you were perhaps feeling conflicted. You are one of the most wanted children on the Earth. People that will never meet went through so much to give you life. Remember that any time you feel low.