Surprises

The IF community of bloggers is huge, but small it seems at the same time. I notice this most when I'm reading comments on other blogs and I see names I'm so familiar with. And now that I've met some fellow bloggers in person, the names also have faces to match. Just a random observation.

I was reading Ultimate Journey's blog and her post reminded me of that long ago thought of surprising D with the news of pregnancy. Three years ago I got a cup that has "daddy" (if I'm remembering it correctly cuz I haven't seen it in 3 yrs) on it, and the plan was to surprise him with his morning coffee in it one day in never-never-land. The thought actually makes me giggle now. As if shit like that actually happens. Well, I guess it does for some people. Just not me. Anyone else got stuff tucked away in the closet? Waiting, waiting, waiting...

In other news, this weekend brought a new little surprise to our home. We have hummingbirds! I simply can't believe it. I had never actually seen one in person until last week. I was looking out the back sliding door and one stopped to investigate the roses that have suddenly reappeared. I got a feeder and filled it sugar water and hoped she would come back. On Saturday morning she did come back and brought her friends. Now there are 3 and they fight a lot. There is one that guards the feeder almost all day and tries to peck the hell out of the other 2 if they come anywhere near it. I've tried to get pics but me coming near the door too quickly freaks them out and they flee. So I have to sneak...and crawl...with a camera...lol

cd15

Test done

The test went fine. No pain. Little pricking feeling as the catheter was moving around. Like a needle not puncturing the skin kinda feeling. Doc said my ute looked really good. She seemed surprised. She also said the fibroid she saw was at the top of my uterus and there was nothing in my uterine cavity itself. All good news. Again though, whenever they poke my left ovary it always hurts!! I swear there has to be something to that. It's like there isn't an ovary on the right cuz I don't feel shit over there. So strange. Anyone else only "feel" something on one side?

As for the mini-IVF, I'm still learning about this so I'll definitely keep you guys updated with whatever info I get. I'm not sure why this particular office would only let people without insurance use this program. I'll definitely look more into it.

More info about Mini-IVF

So I have an appointment on August 8, with the other IVF center. I'm going to go ahead and have the sono-hys tomorrow. It's diagnostics at this point still, so why not go ahead I figure. Doing a little research today, there are not that many IVF centers/doctors that offer mini-IVF. There only seems to be 1 in this area so far. The procedure itself is not a new concept, just new it seems to the US. I really wonder why more doctors aren't offering it?? From what I've read, the chances of making it to a live birth are almost the same. Honestly, it's sounding better and better.

Little more info:

"When patients contemplate IVF, their first reaction is often the fear of daily injections of hormones for months, the incredibly high cost of the drugs, the risk of multiple pregnancy and consequent prematurity, side effects related to high levels of estrogen resulting from large numbers of eggs, hyperstimulation syndrome, and the prospect of painful daily progesterone injections for a full ten weeks even after the IVF procedure. Mini-IVF is a very unique approach developed by our colleagues in Japan to circumvent these problems and to simplify IVF for patients, reducing the cost while maintaining comparable success rates.

Mini-IVF is designed to recruit only a few (but high quality) eggs, thus avoiding the risks of hyperstimulation, reducing the cost of drugs from an average of $4,000 to closer to $400, reducing the number of injections, and completely avoiding the painful progesterone injections. This approach is not just a simple-minded reduction in hormonal stimulation. It is an ingeniously conceived and completely different approach to IVF, that saves the patient much of the complexity and cost associated with more conventional IVF protocols. Here is how it works."

MS IVF

Saturday I visited my friends 1-moth-old. After the visit, I tried telling myself I wouldn't be a good parent anyway. I mean, what's the big deal? They do seem to cry a lot and kinda just lay there waiting for you to do everything for them. And they are very demanding. Feed me. Change me. Hold me. Rock me. Walk me. Play with me. Make faces at me. Blah, blah, blah. Did I mention I lie to myself? A lot.

Friday I spoke with the financial office about my insurance coverage. $5,000 lifetime IVF coverage. That's it. All of my testing so far has been billed under the fibroids. Thankfully. Anyway, we'll be looking at $7K for IVF, $2K for ICSI, $2K for storage and $3-5K for meds. Holy shit.

The Alternative: The place where D had his last 2 semen analysis tests done, the Muasher Center, has a Minimum Stim IVF program. If we go that way, it would cost $5,500 for IVF including ICSI and $600-800 for the meds. Much more affordable. However, it's more of a risk. You produce less eggs, but some say they are better quality. Anyway, so now I'm in a bit of a dilemma. Should I cancel my test on Wednesday and start seeing this new office? I'm thinking yes. It's so sad that money has to be such a factor in all of this. But it is.

Last night I met with the lovely ladies struggling with IF in the DC metro area again. We had a great time and I met some new Bloggers :) Can't wait to do it again!

Lea Bee
Shelby
Bean
In and out of Luck
Sunny
Leah
LJ

More mix and Bumble

I made more chex mix and there haven't been any major episodes today. I went yesterday and got the blood stuff over with. Who-hoo. And I have an appointment for next Wednesday for the sono-hys. D is coming with me. I'm nervous it's gonna hurt. I hope it doesn't.

In other news, I'm visiting a friend this weekend that has a 1-month-old. Another trip to a baby store. Aren't those always fun.

Today, I'm a little worried about fellow blogger Bumble. If anyone knows anything, or Bumble if you read this--I hope you're ok.

It's not a great day so far. I accidentally dyed my brand new dish towels orange and I spilled my homemade chex mix on the carpet.

I'm going to get day-3 blood work this afternoon. I've had more blood taken in the last month than the last 5 years or more. Never a pleasant experience. I'm such a wimp.

Updates

I went back to the doc today for him to basically collect my co-pay. I already knew the info he gave me. I drove over 30 miles for a 5 minute appointment. Anyway, my RE called me yesterday from GWU. Just to check on me she said since she didn't hear back from me. Nice gesture I thought. Today is cd1. I'm going to get cycle blood works done and then I'll have a sonohysterogram. All this cycle. Last night I talked to D and told him I wanted to move on to IVF by September. We will visit with his urologist again around that time and then get going. I just don't think the Arimidex is gonna work since it hasn't after almost 4 months. Sorry, but I just know better. And not one person have I been able to find to tell me different. So if you're out there and you got pregnant cuz you DH was on Arimidex for low sperm count, please speak up.

The RE mentioned a polyp could be the cause of the spotting. Now I'm a little nervous. What if there is one or more? I really don't want to start cutting stuff outta me if I can avoid it. And to be honest I've never even heard of this. Endo, PCOS, fibroids, lining issues--all of this I'm familiar with. But polyps I know nothing about. I can't even remember reading about other people having them.

Doctors done!

Ok. So I'm in a hole. What else can I say.

My doctor appointments went well. Having 2 in 1-day was great really. Knocked 'em out. Other than the discomfort of having to be felt-up by 2-different men other than my husband in 1-day. Does anyone else worry about how their thighs look while in stirrups? Ughhh. And today I had my vag-ultrasound. The fibroids are still very tiny and still only 3 other them. I'm so surprised. and glad to know this info finally. I feel relieved. I still have an appointment to go over the results, but I'm glad the tech was able to tell me what she was seeing :) And again, there is something that gets poked on the left that is pretty painful.

There were pg women in the OBGYNs office. Tons of them. And while I was waiting for my well-woman exam, I could hear the heartbeat of another womans baby in the room next door. And I figured out how to tell who is newly pg--they are the ones with Via.cord goody bags. Yes, they give out goody bags when you get pg. I want to come up with an infertility goody bag. What would it include? Ideas?

Back into the hole...