First interview & leftover egg options

I had my phone interview with Family Creations last week. I was slightly nervous, only because I wasn't sure what all they'd be asking, but it was no problem. It was mostly just the same stuff from my profile and application and such. The woman really loved my profile and how detailed it was, and she said she wouldn't be surprised if I was selected "fairly quickly." She also gave me a full run-down of the process, which was pretty much exactly what all the paperwork said, but I guess they have to keep their bases covered on the assumption that some people might not read it. Which is ludicrous, but... y'know. Some people are like that.

I did learn some stuff about the options regarding any remaining eggs after the retrieval process. Once they are retrieved, they become the property of the recipients, who have four options:

1) They can freeze them and use them again later for a sibling for their child (or to try again if it is unsuccessful the first time around)
2) They can freeze them and later donate them to a friend or relative
3) They can donate them for stem-cell research
4) They can destroy them

Apparently I can have some input in this. I'm not sure how much, but I will be appointed a lawyer, free of charge, to explore the options when the time comes. And, again, I'm not sure if it's "This is what I demand!" so much as "These options are my preferences," and people are just matched accordingly.

I also wonder - and I didn't ask this - if it might be an option to get any back if needed someday. Like, if for some reason I needed my own eggs later, and these fine people had some of mine, would they go ahead and donate them back to me? I would assume that out of the goodness of their hearts - and out of appreciation for what I did - they would be happy to donate a few back to the person who donated to them in the first place, but they would certainly be under no legal obligation to do so. It would just have to be something worked out between people. Then again, it's also supposed to be anonymous, so I'm not sure how that would work. Perhaps we'd have to go through FC? Though if this is something I were thinking about, I'd also have to let FC know I don't want option 4.

My mom was also highly against option 3, so out of respect for her, I expressed that I'm not leaning toward that one. I probably don't know enough about stem-cell research to make a big decision on it (for me, it's kind of like... it's science; it's research; don't we need to do this in order to make medical advances and discover reasons for diseases and come up with cures? isn't that's something that's really important?), but it's not that big a deal to me to decline the option for now. And later down the road, the lawyer can fill me in fully, too.

You, too, could have a child like this!

So I sent in my photos (almost 30 of them... hah! - I might as well use that photogenic quality to my benefit, right? And they did say 'The more the better!"), and I'm sending in my paperwork this weekend.

Man, I sure was an adorable little thing. Not gonna lie. See?


Would you look at that peach fuzz? Who wouldn't want a baby that is literally half that cute? (Tehe.)

Paperwork & pictures

Today I printed all my paperwork and contracts for Family Creations and began filling everything out to send in a.s.a.p. This is the first time I felt a teensy bit nervous, reading through all the legal jargon and "Donor and donor's husband, if any, renounce all rights to child to Intended Parents..." etc. Actually, that wasn't the scary part. I don't want the kid! It's yours! Please love it and care for it and raise it right!

No, it was caused by the descriptions of all the medications - Lupron (Leurpolide Acetate), Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH or Gonadotropins), Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG or Trigger shot) - and the retrieval process itself. Two words: vaginal probe. HA! Better than the words "vaginal tearing" (one of my great, painful fears surrounding pregnancy) if you ask me.

They also need at least 15 photos for my profile's photo gallery and have very specific requirements for them:

We require at least 15 photos ranging from when you were a baby up until now. The majority of the pictures should be recent. These photos can include other people in them. There should be a wide array of pictures including at least 3 baby pictures and at least 8 recent pictures of you. Recipients love to see candid pictures of our donors, such as athletic/extracurricular activities, birthday parties, camping trips, etc. There should also be 4 recent headshots or recent pictures where there is a clear shot of your face. The more pictures you submit the better!

Good thing there are 1,000+ photos of me on Facebook and I'm so gosh darn photogenic, right? Seems like the only hitch is that whole "athletic... camping" thing. Uh... how about candids of me eating tacos? Does that work? (KIDDING.)

The application

I heard back from Family Creations today and was told to send in some paperwork and complete my profile. I momentarily panicked, thinking I would have to fill out the in-depth information AGAIN, but was pleased to see it had saved everything where I left it.

So I thought I would take this opportunity to describe a bit more about the application itself. It's a very odd thing to compose. In a way, it's like a combination of any standard social networking site profile (basic personal info, favorites), a personal ad (physical appearance, how you spend your time), and resume (education background, employment history, career goals). Just like with the last two examples, you are essentially 'selling' yourself in the same way you would to a potential date or employer - in that you want to make yourself as appealing as possible while still being honest. There's also an element of college application to it with the short essay portions, like this:

(Click for larger.)

Those are my answers - don't steal 'em! ;)

There's also a "For Fun" section that is, as I said, a lot like a Facebook profile - favorite movies, favorite music, etc. They even had the ol' standby question, "If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?" (I chose a fennec fox because they're AWESOME. Only I said it much more eloquently, of course.)

The medical history section can be a bit daunting. There is a huge list of conditions, and you have to identify who in your family has/has had them and give details, like so:

(Click for larger.)

It's a lot to get through, so be prepared! But have fun with it, too. Well, where appropriate. So, y'know, not in the medical section.

Prep

When planning to undergo something like this, research is obviously extremely important. You have to understand the process and feel safe and comfortable with it.

I read a lot of testimonials and talked to my doctor as well. After undergoing my women's yearly gynecological appointment, I asked Dr. Elliot M. Levine a few questions. Having had normal results regarding all the lady business every woman should be getting screened and tested for, I was, in his opinion, an excellent candidate.

He also seemed to speak as though one of my concerns might be that donating my eggs would somehow negatively affect my fertility later in life - and though this actually wasn't a concern of mine, it is certainly a concern for many potential donors. In this respect, he mentioned a patient of his who donated not just once but a couple of times - and later down the road, he delivered her baby.

Obviously everyone's bodies are different, and likewise so are women's fertility cycles. But having talked to my doctor and read both medical testimonials and various articles in the news, I felt comfortable going forward with my decision.

I applied to two programs: Family Creations in May 2008 and Fertility Futures in June 2008. The nearly identical online applications for each were extremely long and detailed (obviously). After completing them, I found it interesting that one of the things they note is that they will not tell you any reason why you may be rejected - nor will they even tell you if you are rejected. Interesting.

That said, I started to wonder if perhaps I was not accepted for some reason, as I hadn't heard back in many months.

This month, however, Family Creations emailed me:

Hello!
Your application to become an egg donor was approved and would love to have you as one of our Family Creations donors! It has been a few months since you've applied, and we would like to know if you are still interested in the process. Becoming an egg donor is a wonderful way to help a loving couple and at the same time ear $7000 in just 3 short months. If you have any questions regarding the donor process feel free to contact our office or send us an email. If you are no longer interested in becoming an egg donor please let us know as well.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you soon!

Oh, I am definitely still interested! I let them know this and am currently waiting to hear what steps come next. When I find out, you'll be the next to know!

Why donate?

Hello there, internet! Welcome to my blog, which will chronicle the process of becoming an egg donor. The biggest question people may have is probably the "Why?" of the entire scenario.

I've been thinking about egg donation for more than a year. It's not something to consider lightly, of course, and I've continued to think it through over the months. Some people have been supportive, while others aren't so sure of the idea, even still.

But I think I have pretty good reasons for it.

Obviously the payment donors receive is a big incentive. But it's also a very big thing they - we - are doing. It's not like sperm donors, who, let's face it, can achieve that feat rather easily.

No, egg donation is a lot more complicated, involved, and invasive. So they reward you accordingly.

I have student loans, credit cards, and a job that doesn't pay as much as I'd like for the metropolis in which I live. (Then again, wouldn't we all like a little extra cash?) Traveling is also a huge dream of mine, and it would be great to have a little extra assistance to achieve some of those goals. (Morocco, one day! Europe - Italy, Ireland, France, Greece... the list goes on.)

But the money actually isn't the biggest factor in it for me. Does it help? Absolutely.

To be frank, I am a smidge scared of the hormone shots I will have to give myself. (Like I said, complicated, involved, and invasive.) But that's where the compensation comes into play - I've already been prepping myself: "For $7,000, I can give myself some shots."

No, there are actually many other reasons.

First of all, I don't know that I want to have children of my own. Having kids is a gimme for many people; I just don't happen to be one of them. Maybe that will change someday if I meet the right person or the ol' biological clock starts ticking. But if I don't end up having children, it would be a wonderful feeling to know that part of me is out there with a loving family who REALLY wants a child.

I also simply think I am a very good genetic candidate. I'm young and healthy and smart, and I come from a very blessed family health-wise. No cancer (thus far, thank God), no serious illness or disease.

The only sort of medical issue that has come up, in fact, is one that has further motivated my desire to do this: one of my family members struggled with infertility. I watched as people I loved, who desperately wanted a child, went through many trials and heartaches before finally being blessed with a beautiful daughter. Because of this, I know firsthand what a couple goes through, and I want even more to help people like them.

I am ready, willing, healthy, and able. And I really hope to help create a family. Here's hoping I'm successful.