Got a bill today from the IVF clinic wanting a large sum for the medical screening we did back in May. Of course our IF paid for the services right there at the clinic, so there shouldn't have been a bill. I called to find out what was going on, and long story short, as my IF so aptly put it, the right hand wasn't communicating clearly with the left. Just to make sure he was kept abreast of the situation though, I emailed him about it.
He responded quickly and let me know that not only had he paid for the services, he had a receipt he could show them if they needed it. He also informed me that our egg donor goes in for her screening TOMORROW! And we should have her results back, hopefully, in about 2 weeks. After that, the head nurse from the IVF clinic will call me to let me know when our egg donor and I will start cycling and how.
Huzzah! This is real and is actually happening!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Scares and Reassurance
Two weeks ago today I got a phone call from the GC coordinator at the clinic. She said she got the results of my lab work back. So of course, I was all excited to hear that I had passed the exams. What she said, however, was nothing like what I had expected. She told me I had Chlamydia. I. Freaked. Out. I have never once in my life had an STI, and since the hubs has never been with anyone but me, there was no chance I had gotten it from him. Well, the coordinator told me that they've been getting a lot of false-positives on that particular test lately, and they were having their lab equipment checked, but said she needed me and the hubs to get checked locally, just to be sure.
Needless to say within an hour of that phone call, he and I were in our local clinic waiting to go give samples. The provider was very sweet and did her best to reassure me that it was not unlikely, given my clean history, that a false-positive was what we had, but that she would let us know for sure once she got the test results back.
Last Friday, she called us to tell us that our results had come in and that neither the hubs nor I had Chlamydia. She faxed the lab printout to the clinic, and I got word from our Intended Father this week that we have all passed our medical and psychological exams, and that we just need to wait for our egg donor to be screened.
PHEW!
Needless to say within an hour of that phone call, he and I were in our local clinic waiting to go give samples. The provider was very sweet and did her best to reassure me that it was not unlikely, given my clean history, that a false-positive was what we had, but that she would let us know for sure once she got the test results back.
Last Friday, she called us to tell us that our results had come in and that neither the hubs nor I had Chlamydia. She faxed the lab printout to the clinic, and I got word from our Intended Father this week that we have all passed our medical and psychological exams, and that we just need to wait for our egg donor to be screened.
PHEW!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Testing Complete
The hubs and I went down to the clinic Wednesday morning for psychological testing. Well, I was tested. He got to sit around in the waiting room and play with his computer and read books. They actually had me do (no joke) a Rorschach test. I thought those things were outmoded years ago! Then, they had me do the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). I'm sorry, but unless you're completely oblivious, there's no way you can't see what the test is trying to do. It would have been easier to just ask me, "Are you a kleptomaniac? Are you a nymphomaniac? Are you a pyromaniac? Are you an alcoholic? Are you a pathological liar? Are you manic depressive? Are you suicidal? And last but not least, are you a hypochondriac?" Umm... No, no, no, no, no, no, no and no.
In the afternoon, me, the hubs and our IF drove to one of the clinic's satellite locations. Of course, my Google directions (GOOGLE! I have lost my faith in you!) were faulty and because of that, we got lost. We stopped at a gas station to ask directions (because here, you can ask pretty much any convenience store clerk how to get somewhere nearby and they can tell you), but the girl behind the counter was clueless. Fortunately, Verizon offers 24 hours of GPS service on their phones for a one-time charge of $2.99. Hooray for that! On the up side, we got to spend some quality time with our IF and I think the experience helped build trust and rapport.
Anyway, at the satellite location, they did an SIS (saline infused sonohystogram). This involved the doctor inserting a small catheter through my cervix and filling my uterus with saline solution. Once my uterus was full, the doctor used an ultrasound wand to do an internal ultrasound. The purpose of this was to determine whether my uterus had any scar tissue, cysts or polyps that might prevent proper implantation of an embryo. The doctor declared that my womb is in great shape, and gave me, the hubs and our IF an overview of the implantation process.
We spent the night in an inexpensive but clean and comfortable hotel; watched Law & Order SVU and Man vs. Food and had a nice quiet dinner together. Thursday (yesterday) morning, we had blood drawn and gave samples for urinalysis, then met with the clinic's social worker to go over our family and psychological histories. The meetings with her went very well (according to our IF, who is very open and honest and reported everything he was told about us LOL) and we found that we are in agreement on every major issue and concern that might arise.
We had lunch at a lovely local restaurant and enjoyed a nice long chat with our IF. He really is a fantastic person, and is totally committed to us and to this process. I think we really may find ourselves blessed with a wonderful, lifelong friend.
In the afternoon, we met with the head nurse at the clinic and were given an overview of the preparation process; the drugs I'll need to take, how to administer them; the time line for it all, etc. She really knows her stuff and seems to be very well organized. Fortunately, since the kiddo's father as well as a long-time friend of mine are diabetic and have to give regular injections, I've been given the chance to learn to administer injections ahead of time and don't have issues with needles. Anyway, by the sounds of it, the egg donor's and my cycles are already being synced up via our birth control pills. Once we've all cleared the screening process, I'll be taking Leuprolide Acetate (Lupron) as a subcutaneous injection in the evenings, as well as Estrogen in the form of pills and patches. The same night that our egg donor goes through the egg retrieval process, I'll stop taking the Leuprolide Acetate and begin administering Progesterone gel. I'll have an ultrasound very shortly after I start taking the Progesterone to check the thickness of my uterine lining and make sure that it's sufficient to accept an embryo. If it isn't, I'll be given an extra dose of Estrogen for a day or two, and then I'll be called in to have the fertilized eggs implanted. They'll only be implanting two, as more than that raises the chance of a triplet pregnancy, which is not desirable to anyone. About two weeks after the implantation, I'll take a home pregnancy test and report the results to the clinic. If the results are positive, I'll make an appointment to go in and have an ultrasound and blood tests done to confirm pregnancy. I'll continue to take the Progesterone gel and the Estrogen pills and patches through most of the first trimester (about 10 weeks) to ensure that my body doesn't reject the embryos.
There. I think that covers it and I hope I got all the information right. I'll correct it later if I find out I'm wrong.
In the afternoon, me, the hubs and our IF drove to one of the clinic's satellite locations. Of course, my Google directions (GOOGLE! I have lost my faith in you!) were faulty and because of that, we got lost. We stopped at a gas station to ask directions (because here, you can ask pretty much any convenience store clerk how to get somewhere nearby and they can tell you), but the girl behind the counter was clueless. Fortunately, Verizon offers 24 hours of GPS service on their phones for a one-time charge of $2.99. Hooray for that! On the up side, we got to spend some quality time with our IF and I think the experience helped build trust and rapport.
Anyway, at the satellite location, they did an SIS (saline infused sonohystogram). This involved the doctor inserting a small catheter through my cervix and filling my uterus with saline solution. Once my uterus was full, the doctor used an ultrasound wand to do an internal ultrasound. The purpose of this was to determine whether my uterus had any scar tissue, cysts or polyps that might prevent proper implantation of an embryo. The doctor declared that my womb is in great shape, and gave me, the hubs and our IF an overview of the implantation process.
We spent the night in an inexpensive but clean and comfortable hotel; watched Law & Order SVU and Man vs. Food and had a nice quiet dinner together. Thursday (yesterday) morning, we had blood drawn and gave samples for urinalysis, then met with the clinic's social worker to go over our family and psychological histories. The meetings with her went very well (according to our IF, who is very open and honest and reported everything he was told about us LOL) and we found that we are in agreement on every major issue and concern that might arise.
We had lunch at a lovely local restaurant and enjoyed a nice long chat with our IF. He really is a fantastic person, and is totally committed to us and to this process. I think we really may find ourselves blessed with a wonderful, lifelong friend.
In the afternoon, we met with the head nurse at the clinic and were given an overview of the preparation process; the drugs I'll need to take, how to administer them; the time line for it all, etc. She really knows her stuff and seems to be very well organized. Fortunately, since the kiddo's father as well as a long-time friend of mine are diabetic and have to give regular injections, I've been given the chance to learn to administer injections ahead of time and don't have issues with needles. Anyway, by the sounds of it, the egg donor's and my cycles are already being synced up via our birth control pills. Once we've all cleared the screening process, I'll be taking Leuprolide Acetate (Lupron) as a subcutaneous injection in the evenings, as well as Estrogen in the form of pills and patches. The same night that our egg donor goes through the egg retrieval process, I'll stop taking the Leuprolide Acetate and begin administering Progesterone gel. I'll have an ultrasound very shortly after I start taking the Progesterone to check the thickness of my uterine lining and make sure that it's sufficient to accept an embryo. If it isn't, I'll be given an extra dose of Estrogen for a day or two, and then I'll be called in to have the fertilized eggs implanted. They'll only be implanting two, as more than that raises the chance of a triplet pregnancy, which is not desirable to anyone. About two weeks after the implantation, I'll take a home pregnancy test and report the results to the clinic. If the results are positive, I'll make an appointment to go in and have an ultrasound and blood tests done to confirm pregnancy. I'll continue to take the Progesterone gel and the Estrogen pills and patches through most of the first trimester (about 10 weeks) to ensure that my body doesn't reject the embryos.
There. I think that covers it and I hope I got all the information right. I'll correct it later if I find out I'm wrong.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Medical Screening & Contracts
After all kinds of waffling and back-and-forth, we finally have a date for medical screenings at the IVF clinic. We will be going down probably the morning of the 12th; being tested that day and spending the night; being tested some more on the 13th and then coming home.
UPDATE:
I just got the schedule from the clinic. I have redacted all identifying information that isn't mine.
MAY 12 – (FIRST LOCATION) OFFICE
9:00 – 12:00 – (IF) to meet with social work counselor
9:00 – 10:00 – Erica to meet with clinical psychologist
10:00 – 11:30 – Erica to do MMPI test– ask for (coordinator)
11:30-2:30 – Drive to (SECOND LOCATION) OFFICE and eat lunch on the way
2:30 – 2:45 – Erica and Husband to meet with (Doctor) – Erica to have SIS (uterine ultrasound) and H&P (physical exam)
2:45 – 3:15 – (IF) to meet with (Doctor)
3:15 – 3:30 – group meeting with (Doctor)
MAY 13 – (FIRST LOCATION) OFFICE ONLY
8:30 – 9:00 – Erica and Husband to have blood drawn/ urine tested
2:45 – 3:15 – (IF) to meet with (Doctor)
3:15 – 3:30 – group meeting with (Doctor)
MAY 13 – (FIRST LOCATION) OFFICE ONLY
8:30 – 9:00 – Erica and Husband to have blood drawn/ urine tested
9:00 – 11:30 – Erica and Husband to meet with social work counselor
11:30 – 1:00 – everyone to meet with social work counselor
1:00 – 2:30 – Lunch break
2:30 – 3:30 – everyone to meet with (nurse) – witness consents, FDA questionnaire (IF), medication instructions for Erica, cycle review
11:30 – 1:00 – everyone to meet with social work counselor
1:00 – 2:30 – Lunch break
2:30 – 3:30 – everyone to meet with (nurse) – witness consents, FDA questionnaire (IF), medication instructions for Erica, cycle review
==================================================================================
Also, I finally found the time to scan our pay stubs and send them down to the agency so they can finish writing up the contract. (Both the hubs and I will be reimbursed for any lost wages having to do with the pregnancy or implantation process.)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Moving Forward
I got a phone call from the gestational carrier coordinator at the clinic yesterday, asking about a couple of dates the hubs and I will be available to do our medical screenings. It's going to take two consecutive days to do it, so it looks like we'll be staying overnight. The dates proposed by our IF were May 3-4 and May 13-14. We can't do May 3-4 because we'll just be getting back from visiting the in-laws, but I told the coordinator that May 13-14 will work. Heh; maybe they'll change it to May 24-25 and we can relax a bit in honor of our first anniversary.
I'm also being started on a birth control pill to regulate my cycle tonight. This pill is called Aviane. I'm picking it up tonight. We'll see how that goes.
I'm also being started on a birth control pill to regulate my cycle tonight. This pill is called Aviane. I'm picking it up tonight. We'll see how that goes.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Hoops
I got an email from the carrier coordinator today, and it turns out that my IF is fine with the hoops my employer has chosen to ask us to jump through. Now to wait for the agency to send me their written response.
I also got an email this weekend from my IF saying that my medical pre-screening (i.e. review of my records) went very well, and that we should be meeting with the clinic for our full screenings in a month or two. Yeah, they screen the hubs as well. I guess it's two consecutive days of screening, but I'm assuming that the costs are covered by the agency or our IF. Either way, we'll make it happen.
I somehow need to figure out a way to approach the Commissioner about this whole thing too, since it technically counts as a second job. Not quite sure how I'll word that, but I suppose if I wrack my brain hard enough, I'll come up with something eloquent and diplomatic. Meh.
I also got an email this weekend from my IF saying that my medical pre-screening (i.e. review of my records) went very well, and that we should be meeting with the clinic for our full screenings in a month or two. Yeah, they screen the hubs as well. I guess it's two consecutive days of screening, but I'm assuming that the costs are covered by the agency or our IF. Either way, we'll make it happen.
I somehow need to figure out a way to approach the Commissioner about this whole thing too, since it technically counts as a second job. Not quite sure how I'll word that, but I suppose if I wrack my brain hard enough, I'll come up with something eloquent and diplomatic. Meh.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Still Waiting...
I got an email from the agency's carrier coordinator today saying that she hopes to have the response for my employers to me today or tomorrow. Obviously today is over with, so perhaps tomorrow I'll have it. She was kind enough to reassure me that everything looked fine, and that the proverbial hoops set forth by my bosses should pose no problems. Which means that I should also be hearing from the coordinator soon regarding certain parts of the contract that need to be discussed, which in turn means that the hubs and I should be heading to Massachusetts soon for medical and psychological screenings.
On top of all that, I've gotten back into riding my bike to and from work, which means about 8 miles round trip and somewhere around an hour's worth of exercise every day. I had noticed that my waist had thickened again, which is discouraging as all get out, and I need to do something about it. On top of exercising, therefore, I'm going back to re-learning to eat. Instead of gorging, I'm limiting myself to FDA recommended serving sizes, with healthier foods and more than just 3 a day. My hope is that this will boost my metabolism and help me keep weight off; not to mention get me into good habits. I'm not a diet kind of girl, but I don't like being this big, and I don't want to do it anymore. So I'm gonna do it the right way, dammit!
On top of all that, I've gotten back into riding my bike to and from work, which means about 8 miles round trip and somewhere around an hour's worth of exercise every day. I had noticed that my waist had thickened again, which is discouraging as all get out, and I need to do something about it. On top of exercising, therefore, I'm going back to re-learning to eat. Instead of gorging, I'm limiting myself to FDA recommended serving sizes, with healthier foods and more than just 3 a day. My hope is that this will boost my metabolism and help me keep weight off; not to mention get me into good habits. I'm not a diet kind of girl, but I don't like being this big, and I don't want to do it anymore. So I'm gonna do it the right way, dammit!
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