Today’s blog is written by Allison Morgan, a Case Manager at AsiaWest. Allison helps donors manage their travel arrangements during their match and thus has lots of experience in what […]
Today’s blog is written by Allison Morgan, a Case Manager at AsiaWest. Allison helps donors manage their travel arrangements during their match and thus has lots of experience in what to do to make your donor travel experience the best one possible!
If you have to travel for your egg donation- not to worry! Though you will have to spend some time away from home (typically between 5 and 10 days), you will be taken care of. The intended parents (coordinated through your AsiaWest case manager) will cover donor flights and hotels, rides to and from appointments, and a per diem during your stay.
We recommend bringing comfortable clothes (like sweatpants!), a water bottle, and a heating pad or hot water bottle if you have one so you are prepared to rest and take care of yourself after your retrieval. Donors can work remotely or go to their online college classes while traveling for their retrieval, so be sure to bring your laptop and anything else you may need. You will also have instructions from the clinic about what medications you will need to take with you.
When you arrive, you will have appointments almost everyday at the clinic leading up to retrieval, but these are in the morning and do not take up a full day.
That leaves time for work, school, or exploring the city. Donors have great experiences seeing the sights in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland. Keep in mind that while your hotel and rides from the hotel to the clinic are covered, any side trips will be of your own expense. Feel free to ask your coordinator or case manager for ideas, or if you aren’t sure about what might be covered!
Donors can go home (or to the hotel, in this case!) within two hours of the retrieval with their support person. A support person is important since you cannot drive a car after sedation/anesthesia. Your support person can be with you for your whole trip, or just be there for the day of the retrieval.
Some donors may experience some tenderness and/or cramping after the retrieval. Spotting is normal but should be less than you’d see with a typical period. Resting for the remainder of the day is the best thing that you can do! Try using a heating pad (or something warm on your lower stomach), drink lots of water (electrolytes help!) and avoid heavy exercise. You can talk to your physician about pain medication, they will usually have a particular drug to recommend. Donors travel home the day after the retrieval and start to feel back to normal shortly after.
For more information on what to expect out of the donation experiences, check out our other blog posts, particularly our Donor Stories to hear firsthand from other donors!