big week!

I had intended to update Monday ... but that didn't happen, so today will have to do :)

Monday was my "mock transfer" -- essentially, a trial run for the day of the transfer to make sure everything goes smoothly. Well, I'm hoping the real thing is nothing like the dry run because it was certainly not smooth sailing. This is an "in the stirrups" procedure that should take just a few minutes ... never fun to be so exposed but it's all for a good cause, right? I'll keep it short, my doctor had to use two different speculums and two catheters to find "the right fit" ... apparently I have a sharp angle to my cervix, making it difficult to navigate. Fantastic. Can't help but wonder if that has been a factor in our inability to get pregnant all these years, but that doesn't really matter now...

So, my doctor puts all this information in the computer so (fingers crossed) on the day of the actual transfer it will be smooth sailing and our embryo(s?) can find it's new home safely :)

Today was IVF injection class. A class to learn all about how much you and your partner REALLY want to do this. I mean, it was us and three other infertile couples in a little room with a bunch of needles and fake body parts for sticking purposes ... DH and I were definitely the giggliest of the bunch, but others were pretty good spirited as well. The nurse went a little fast through everything but I think we'll be fine ... plus, the good ol' Internet has plenty of how-to videos to help us out.

Now, just for kicks, I'd like to rant about some medication/money drama. It just seems that nothing has gone smoothly ... I know I'm not the only patient my doctor's office deals with, my insurance is complicated, and I have a small medical loan ... but it still frustrates me to no end when I feel as though I am the one coordinating my care and that the communication amongst all parties is not that great. To make a long story short, my medication was never supposed to be called in through my insurance, or rather, filled through my insurance, but it was. A loan was supposed to cover it. Because my insurance has a lifetime max of $10,000 to use for infertility, the meds, whatever the actual cost of them were (which of course I don't know yet but I paid about $300) will be deducted from that maximum. So I'm a bit pissed because that means that the IVF procedure itself might end up costing us more in the long run.

However, my loan company has been really great about it and will waive all the fees and everything for me to apply what would have been my medication loan to another treatment loan. So I have that on my side.

My meds. After injection class, DH and I went through all the meds, and realized we only were sent 1/3 of the menopur, and a different version of gonal-f than what we used in class. Luckily, the gonal-f pen is much easier than mixing the meds ourselves and the pharmacy acknowledged the oversight and will be sending the right meds tomorrow. Finally, my luprolide trigger shot was on backorder from my original pharmacy, my insurance wouldn't cover it from the second one but I just received an automated call from Walgreens specialty pharmacy that I will be receiving it tomorrow. YAY! None of the needles look bad except for the trigger ... so glad it's just ONE!

Also, and I should have realized this, but my RE will likely not be doing my retrieval or my transfer ... our office is a satellite of the main office in Rockville, MD. DH was concerned that the information from the mock wouldn't translate (sweet of him) but I told him not to worry, even if my doctor was doing it, he probably will have a lot of patient's cervixes to look at between now and then and wouldn't remember mine anyway, hence the notes!

So I did get some good tips today:

• Mix up the refrigerated meds up 10-15 minutes ahead of time so they are ready to go on the hour (we're going to aim for 8 p.m. every night)
• Ice the injection site for 3-4 minutes beforehand
  
• Either lie down or sit on the toilet (for our trigger last time I just stood ... so, not sure what is best!)
• The trigger is in the butt (ouch!), the rest in the tummy ... recommended lying flat on a bed/couch or standing at an angle over a chair ... not sure about that one either ... but if I stand, toes should point together so the muscles relax, haha

I called my RE office when I got home and left a message about the med discrepancy. I got a call back saying it was fine, the pen was actually easier. I also asked about my dose, and they said what I had been given at the class was not correct, that they base the doseage on the physician's dictation, that I was on 75IU of menopur and 150IU of gonal-f, not 150 for both. Sigh ... that's fine, I just don't like all of these little things that keep happening ...

I don't really believe in signs, and I certainly am not trying to make all of this little stuff bigger than it is, but I just really, really, really, want Friday's ultrasound to go well. That would mean stims could start as early as Sunday!

If you got through this post, congrats! I'm trying hard to get excited, and I am. I think.