Friday, February 29, 2008

The 1st Appointment

After deciding on what RE to see, making the appointment, and waiting ever so patiently to get in, it was finally my appointment day.

I drove the 55 miles to the office alone, DH had to work. I checked in and proceeded up to the 2nd floor where the IF office is. As I sit down I realise that they have the IF patients waiting right next to the Ob/Gyn patients.......that's tacky!

While I am waiting and getting more nervous by the second, I turn around and there is a pregnant woman sitting behind me with her 3 year old son..... he is strapped into his stroller trying to get her attention while she reads her magazine..... he KNEW that she wasn't watching and began sticking this toy in his mouth. YUCK!! I almost gaged at the thought of what was on that toy.....eesh....

So they call my name and force me to get on my oldest foe; the scale. Hop on off, have a seat and take the BP (WAY high!!!)..... It had to deal with me being nervous and having to pee because I just drove about an hour and a half to get there. I went to the bathroom and took it again... better.

The nurse had me sitting there while she waited for the room to open up..... there were like 16 exam rooms, and they were using only ONE?! So I say "alright" and continue to wait. Out of the exam room walks the PG woman pushing her kid. The nurse goes into the room and comes back out after 30 seconds. She calls me in.

I am sitting there, naked from the waist down with the worlds smallest piece of cloth to cover myself and using one of those diaper pads to keep my bare ass off the exam table that you KNOW that kid was all over. I try to get that feeling out of my head and I look around, there on the table is the bottle of lube......um GROSS!!!..... I know that they use them for everyone, but you couldn't have put it away while the GERM-MONSTER was there?

So after what felt like an ETERNITY (10 minutes) of sitting there by myself, in total silence..... I start to think "Where IS this lady? Did she get lost looking in the OTHER 15 exam rooms?" The midwife comes in and we started talking about the testing protocol and procedures. She seemed a little miffed that I already knew most of what she was going to tell me. Well the truth was that they sent a packet of information about a month ago and I *GASP* actually read it!

We did the family history, personal history and all that jazz..... she told me that DH has to be smoke-free (good luck with that one) and that she will put the orders into the system. As I am sitting down with the nurse again, she is gathering testing information for me and the midwife comes back, "what is your DH's ID#? His name?" I told her all the info except the #, I had to call DH

"Honey, what's your ID#?"

"1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8"

Me- "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8?"

Him- "Yes"

Me-"OK, thanks honey, love you"

The nurse and midwife begin running his number..... so such luck.... they tried it again..... NOPE..

The nurses finally gets the #..... and it was NOTHING like what DH said on the phone.....whatever.... now the midwife is trying to put the orders in the computer and he is not in there.....so they can't put the orders in..... they are yelling back and forth to each-other trying to figure out why it's not working.....

The CNM looked at me like it was MY fault and that I had to fix it..... I said that I would and left.....feeling a little run over and exhausted. While I knew all the things that she was going to tell me..... I guess the experience wasn't all I was hoping for.

Where?

Ok..... so after what feels like FOREVER and was in reality 8 months of TTC, I went to see the RE or Fertility Dr......

I am one of the lucky ones who's health insurance will cover IF testing and even 6 IUIs!!! So as a whole the experience is easier financially. As far as location..... not so lucky....

I have two locations to choose from when it comes to REs in the area. One I have heard bad reviews for and is in a less than desirable area (and STILL 50 miles away)..... not to mention that my in-laws live about 2 minutes from there and they don't know that we are TTC (some of the few people who don't know at this point.....as time went on, I kept spilling more beans)

The second RE's office has been given glowing reviews (the Dr and to resort to IVF to conceive her children, so she knows the ropes) and is in a nicer area.....granted it is still 55 miles away.... and I have to take 4 freeways to get there....

I chose door #2 when it came to my reproductive health, I wanted to work with a Dr that understood what I was going through. I'm sure that the area and reviews had something to do with it as well..... While it was such an easy decision..... I feel that it may be my last in that regard.

Monday, February 25, 2008

I would die for that...

Kellie Coffey has an amaing song that many of us TTTC lisiten to from time to time....

Some of my favorite parts of the video are where their is hope...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqfGqOx2iDQ

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The TTC equation!

On the bords... we often feel squished into a "box" or "category" because everyone's TTC situation is different...

I have been thinking and I have tried to come up with a way to quantify the TTC process so others can better understand where we are among others.

Give yourself the appropriate points for each that apply

Age
Number of Cycles
Add one point for each DX(PCOS, Blocked Tube, SA, ENDO )
Add one point if you are having/have had fertility testing
Add one point for each (CBEFM/OPKs/Ovuwatch/Ferning)
Add one point for each (Temping/CM/CP/CF)
Add two points for each(Misscarriage/Chemical Pregnancy)
Add one pint for each (Grapefruit Juice/Pineapple Core/EPO/Green Tea/Mucinex)
Add one point for each (Fetility drug)
Add one point for each (Fertility treatment)


Total= (I got a 44)



While there is no REAL way to give a number and classify someone's TTC..... I was just thinking that it was a fun option.

Monday, February 4, 2008

The hormones rage on

Yesterday was Super Bowl and of course, there was a huge get to gether with all the friends. One of them announced that she will be having her second child in Aug. That makes her kids 2 years apart (wishing her good luck, because I hope that it isn't as hard as everyone says... because in an ideal world that is what I would like)

The hormones of my impending period and the announcement of yet another pregnancy overwhelmed me, and I caved. I told them about our TTC and that there might be a problem....

Here it comes, get ready for it......"Just relax!"..... since I don't hit pregnant women I let it slide (J/K!). I explained that stress doesn't cause infertility, but infertility (or the threat of it) can. She responded quite well to the new information and we had a good talk.

The others..... that's another story.

Another $52

I picked up my arsenal for next month at the vitamin store;
Evening Primorose Oil
Green Tea Extract
PNVs
Folic Acid

$52 later..... we are ready!