More fun talking to people who don't care about my infertileness

It's been quite a Labor Day weekend.  We canned salsa Friday, then spent all of Saturday and the first part of Sunday canning 62 quarts of peaches that his parents brought us.  Saturday, we went out to eat with his family to celebrate Chris', our niece, and my SIL's birthdays.  (They were all born within three days of each other).  Sunday, we had our parents and some of his siblings over for homemade lasagna.  See, every year on his birthday, his mom would make her famous homemade lasagna with garlic bread and glazed angel food cake.  So for his 30th birthday last year, I attempted the Beastly Lasagna myself... and it turned out fabulous.  This year, I did it again, and it was a huge hit!

I have no pictures of this occasion, because 1) I am a tool with a sucky camera, and 2) I'm sick.  Like, Allergies of Death meets the Cold Of Doom.  Not attractive.  I stayed home from work today because my ears are plugged and I can't speak properly.  Which doesn't bode well when your job is 95% phone work.

So happy birthday to my other half!  I'm all set to make him can tomatoes and clean up the kitchen when he gets home tonight!  You're welcome!

Chris and I have been in the process of finalizing our contract with Attain.  We received the contract, but they were still including monitoring fees, which we have covered under our insurance, so we had to speak with our IVF coordinator to get that taken off.  I was a bit confused about some of the things in the contract, so I called up our contact from Attain, but instead of getting Rose (her real name), I got Thorn (not her real name).

Me: Hi, um I just had some questions about our contract, um, first of all, we have monitoring covered so we will need a new contract with that cost taken out.

Thorn: (still chipper): Ok, well we will be in touch with the financial coordinator at your clinic.

Me: (giving a friendly reminder to follow up with that, since I Don't Trust Anyone when it comes to handling IVF Monies.): Ok... well yes, we will just need a new contract issued for that.

Thorn, not so chipper: Yep, we will just need to confirm that.  We can't just take your word.

Me, sneezing unintelligibly, probably swearing.

Thorn: I'm sorry?

Me: Um, ok so I was also wondering why it only seems to cover a transfer up to three days.  I mean, how does that work if our clinic wants to do a 5-day?

Thorn: Does it say "blastocyst culture" in your contract?

Me: I'm not sure. I know it says "embryo transfer (up to three days)" but I am not sure about blastocyst.

Thorn: Well "blastocyst" means 5-day transfer.

Me: I know what it means.

Thorn, sighing heavily: Well let me look in your contract.

Long pause, with awkward tapping of keys in the background.

Thorn: No, it isn't there.  You would be responsible for paying your clinic if you wanted a blastocyst transfer.

Me: Even though a 5-day transfer is better than a 3-day?

Thorn: Yes, that's correct.

Me: ... Ok, and I guess I have one other question.  I was reading about the termination policy and it says in there that if I have a cancelled cycle, say, due to poor response from medications, that the contract is terminated and we are out of the program. Is that true? ( I was hoping for some clarification to this.)

Thorn: That's correct.

Me: So, if I have a poor response from the protocol my doctor decides on, that doesn't lead to any eggs to retrieve, we're out?  Just like that?

Thorn: That's correct.

Me: Even on the first cycle?

Thorn: Yes, that's correct.

Me: And we can never reapply, it's just over.

Thorn, gleeful: Correct.

Me, pausing.

Thorn:

Me:

Thorn:

Me: Well thank you, you are been so very helpful.

Thorn, cheerful: Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

I hate my life.


So that was last Thursday.  Chris was able to get a hold of our IVF coordinator who says she will contact Attain to take out monitoring costs.  She also said that 5-day transfers are covered, and that she will have Attain change this in the contract as well.  Chris told me that the transfers must be clinic-specific because Thorn didn't outright say Attain doesn't cover 5-day tranfers.  She just asked what was in our contract.  But you know, it sure would have been helpful if Thorn would have told me that.  Also, what if I didn't catch that? What if we signed the contract and it was only specifying 3-day transfers?

Is there anything else we're missing because no one wants to explain them to us/ because my inexperience didn't catch something?

Geez Louise.

So Chris just spoke with Rose at Attain and she will be issuing another contract with the 5-day and monitoring coverage included.

Though I am trying not to focus on it, we were going to have a cancelled cycle this last time around.  Our doctor wanted to convert our IVF to an IUI due to poor response.  We went ahead with it because of the insurance, but what if?

What if it happens again? I know we are doing a different protocol, but what if?  What if there are no eggs? Apparently, it isn't like just saying "Oh well, on to the next cycle!" It's just done.  There is always a catch, isn't there?  I sit there, telling myself, Oh they are taking a gamble on us! They are betting they keep the money because they think I will get pregnant!

Unless, I don't respond well.  And the cycle is cancelled.  Then it's over.  Yes, we get our money back, but no further chances with Attain.  And then we are on our own.  I think, what if my first cycle a few months ago was with Attain? And because it was a trial and error protocol, and I didn't respond well, it was going to be cancelled.  It would have been over, and there was no take-home baby.

Scary to think about.

One of the nurses at the clinic called me Thursday and dated me for my next IVF.  My period should start in about a week and I will be starting injections around the first week in October (happy birthday to me) and retrieval around October 22nd.  Pray there are more eggs this time around.

There are two more guest blogs I am posting.  I'm glad it was such a hit.  Thanks to you who sent me posts!

Coming soon: My first evah Giveaway!!

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