I think I spent 75% of my day on the phone and the other 25% in the car. Outgoing calls: Dr. Gorgeous's receptionist, Dr. Gorgeous's ultrasound tech, IVF Kitten's vet (x 2), the animal shelter where we adopted IVF Kitten (x 3), my acupuncturist, A. and M. Incoming calls: Dr. Gorgeous's andrologist, Dr. Gorgeous's ultrasound tech, the animal shelter where we adopted IVF Kitten (X 3), my acupuncturist, A. Have I mentioned I hate the phone? (Conversations with good friends excepting, of course.)
The upshot of all this phone calling and the driving that went along with it: IVF Kitten is currently hospitalized at his vet, as he really hasn't been able to eat or drink and his congestion seems to be getting worse (don't they make snot suckers [aka bulb syringes] for cats as well as human newborns?). Thankfully his lungs are still okay, so this is more annoying and stressful than it probably is life-threatening. Tomorrow, if it is determined that IVF Kitten still needs hospitalization, he will be transfered to a vet who works for the animal shelter so I will not need to pay. The very very very nice director of the animal shelter said she'd also be happy to neuter him (free of charge) when it comes time for that, to try to mitigate some of these costs. So it will be okay, and I don't need to spend another night panicked that I'm going to wake up with a dead kitten in LG's bedroom.
And now for the ovary situation: Dr. Gorgeous is still not willing to just call an IUI an IUI. On the right, the fucking cyst (which shrunk) is now up to a whopping 17, which seems to be preventing from anything else growing on that side. On the left, I have follicles at 15, 13, 12, and 10 and a few more unmeasured that she hasn't ruled out because they're showing some signs of growth. It seems that if I have anything else over 10 tomorrow IVF might be a possibility. I'm not counting on it, and I think that would warrant having a phone consult to go over my odds of conception and multiples for both scenarios. I mean, if I was 30 I wouldn't consider going to IUI with 5 follicles...but we all know my history.
And I find myself irrationally (?) pissed off that my specimen was transported from Dr. Gorgeous's office to IVF clinic without my consent. Now, it's not a problem to get the specimen back should we go the IUI route...but every other time I've had specimens moved I've needed to sign a new consent form, and I was not consulted. So, WTF? My assumption is that Dr. G herself drove the specimen out there yesterday, which I find a little perplexing, particularly since she's the one who told me to have it shipped to her office.
That is, it's been a very long, very stressful day, and if I weren't being such a purist, I'd be drinking vodka around now. Argh.
Just reading about your day has me exhausted! Good news that IVF Kitten is likely to have a full recovery (poor little thing) and that the animal shelter vet is going to help you out to make up for the cost.
ReplyDeleteAs for IUI vs IVF - I really hope those little follies have a growth spurt overnight! *fingers crossed*
This is not the kind of day that is helped by just a virgin mai tai, is it?
Long, Stressful, no good, very bad day is right. I'm really sorry that there's so much going on right at this moment and that it's taking so much time and energy from you.
ReplyDeleteMany many a woman on these blogs have gone to IVF with 4 follicles. I know you are looking at paying out of pocket, but it does take some of the uncertainty about multiples out of the equation.
I wish you luck with whatever you decide and with IVF Kitty.
Why not just use a newborn suction bulb if you think that will work? Poor kitty, poor you.
ReplyDeleteGL!!!!
Sorry about the sucky day. I hate having to make lots of phone calls too. Totally get you there.
ReplyDeleteBut it is good news about IVF kitty, and hopefully you'll get to bring him home healthy soon. Poor LG, is she doing ok with a sick kitty?
I'm biased on the follicle count. I know that more follicles = more chances, but the idea of 5 follicles for an IUI scares the bejeezies out of me. And 5 follicles for an IVF sounds down-right dreamy from my perspective...
Thanks, y'all. Here's the thing about the follicles: I know each cycle is different, but the last time I did IVF I had *7* follicles in the mature range that netted 2 fertilizable eggs (3 were "stuck" due to poor quality and 2 were immature). So, really, even though intellectually I know it only takes one, there's no way I'll consider IVF with 4, because my assumption is that only 1 or 2 of those would be fertilizable at best (funny, read my blog from last July/Aug, when I came to the exact opposite conclusion). If it comes to 5 follicles, that's when Dr. G and I have a chat, because it's fucking scary either way. My two nightmares? (1) Doing retrieval and not getting to transfer and (2) conceiving multiples; with 5, I think it's a toss up for which one is more likely to happen. But, honestly, I don't see me getting more than 3-4. I so don't stim well. Sigh.
ReplyDelete