28 May, 2019

Birth Control

The first time I took birth control pills was a few weeks before my wedding. It turned me into a hormonal mess. I stopped taking them after a few months. It wasn't worth it. When we started IVF, I was on birth control briefly to regulate everything and make sure the timeline would be accurate.
Last night, I took a pill. After the debacle we had with scheduling the SIS, I thought that my IVF coordinator calling in birth control pills should not be a problem. I waited two days and then asked my coordinator to call in a new order. I am glad I received the order when I did because for whatever reason, yesterday was the last day I could have started to stay on schedule.
I just took my second birth control pill. I figure I have one to three months on it this go-round. I am hoping I can keep hormones in check, especially because I have more hormones to inject starting in July.

21 May, 2019

The Ballad of the Saline Infusion Sonohysterograph

After I had the phone consult with my RE, I was tasked with two assignments: Have eight blood labs completed and receive a saline infusion sonohysterograph (also known as a water ultrasound).
I turned my attention to the ultrasound. I popped into my regular OB's office to inquire if they performed the ultrasound. The receptionist gave me a blank look. After a few seconds of gears turning in her head, she informed me that she believed that type of ultrasound was completed in the hospital.
A few days later, I performed a quick google search and pulled up the name of a doctor in my area that might do the procedure, so I called them next. I had to leave a message after sitting on hold for 20 minutes. When the secretary called me back, she was less than helpful and not very cheerful.
"Do you do saline infusion sonohysterographs?"
"Yeah."
"Would you still be able to do the procedure even if the order is from another state?"
"I guess so."
"Would you be able to set up the appointment just a few days before I need it done?" (My instructions were to either have the ultrasound completed on day 6-10 of my cycle or while on birth control.)
"We usually can."
"What do I need to do to set this up?"
"Fax us the order and your entire medical file."
"I have a copy of the order I can just run in."
"We need it faxed."
"You need my entire medical file? I just need this ultrasound completed."
"Yes. We will have someone call you when we receive your file."
End of conversation.

I emailed my IVF coordinator to tell her the good news and she said she would fax over the information. I waited a full business day before I called the OB clinic back.
After waiting on hold for 15 minutes, a new, happy girl picked up the phone.
"I had an order sent in for a SIS."
"Can I put you on hold for a few minutes?"
After waiting off and on for another 20 minutes, she finally was able to help me. Apparently, someone had already scheduled the SIS, but put it into the system incorrectly. The girl started going over my information before we did the appointment information.
"Is your address 1501 Orchard Lane?"
"...No...It's __." (I've never lived on a street called Orchard Lane.)
"The number we have listed is this."
"My phone number is actually this: __."
"The emergency contact written down for you is Matt Lancer."
At this point, I was very confused. No offence to Mr. Lancer, I am sure he is an upstanding fellow, but he is definitely not my emergency contact, just like every other bit of information had been incorrect.
"He's not my emergency contact. I am a little worried that you have the wrong person."
"We can change the emergency contact, no problem! He will never find out that we took him off. If it's an ex-husband or something, he won't be notified."
"Sorry. I meant, I think you have the incorrect patient file pulled up. Every piece of information you have asked me about has been wrong and I don't want to completely change someone else's file."
"Oh. Well, we can check by your SSN."
Surprise! It was the wrong person. Thankfully the girl had not saved any of the new changes.
We made the appointment and I was giddy that I had finally nailed down the appointment after not too much trouble.
Half an hour later, the girl called me back. She had apparently called my RE clinic. After talking with my IVF coordinator, they discovered a problem. The OB in my city apparently would not be able to perform the ultrasound the way my RE clinic needed. I am really fuzzy on the details, but apparently the conversation the conversation got a little heated and the RE clinic hung up on the OB office. Whoa. Drama!
Around the same time as the phone call, my IVF coordinator emailed and informed me that the OB would not be able to provide the type of scan that was needed and I would need to find someone else.

The next day, I called an RE clinic in my area (1.5 hours away--the closest there is). I had given up on local doctors and know some friends that have been to this RE clinic. 'They're such a great clinic and I have only heard great things about them! It will be more of a drive, but they will be great!' I knew that my window of opportunity was closing. I could tell that cycle day 1 was going to be the following day and so I had around a week to get this figured out.
With the feeling of ease and anxiety, I called the clinic. The quick conversation was over in a matter of a few minutes. The receptionist transferred me to the scheduler who very firmly told me that they do not do outside orders, thank you very much. I hung up. I wiped away a few tears.
Over a week had gone by with many phone calls to several doctors' offices, being put on hold, and dashing my hopes. I was so frustrated that planning one ultrasound before I even "officially started" IVF was not working out. In the back of my brain, I was thinking worst case scenario. I would have to take a day trip back to my clinic to have the ultrasound completed. After pricing tickets and discovering it would cost close to $1000, I decided it would be extreme worst case scenario.

The husband was wonderful. He asked me if I would like him to make the next round of phone calls. I hesitated. I would do anything for another baby, right? After thinking for a second, I told him yes. Bless him.
He called our (tiny) local hospital. After a fifteen minute conversation in which the poor scheduler kept asking to verify what kind of ultrasound was needed, she asked if she could call back. She did not know for sure whether or not they could do it.
That day ended and we were hit with the weekend. When husband finally called back, he ended up on a wild goose chase calling more than a half dozen different hospitals and clinics. People would ask for the name of the ultrasound and put him on hold before they denied that they could perform the ultrasound. Thankfully, he was always given another place to call.
When he finally emerged from the room where he was making calls, he emerged successfully. He had a name. They specifically do out-of-area SIS and they told him they might be able to fit me in on Thursday. I emailed my coordinator and updated her with the (new) good news. She called me a few hours later and said she could prescribe birth control so that even if I am not able to go in on Thursday, I can have the ultrasound at any point.
I want to get the ultrasound over with, but I would rather have it done after Thursday. Husband has his last day of his first summer class this Thursday, so we would have to get a sitter to watch the my toddler so that we can both get to our individual appointments. She has yet to have a sitter since we moved in July. We will figure out the solution to that problem if we come to it.

We will have to wait a few days before the story ends. My family also gets the fun experience of seeing what I am like on birth control. I have only been on birth control for 4 months, spread out over two different occasions. The first time was not great, so hopefully I can have normal emotions for the next couple of months.