Cycle 2: Follie check #2

We're holding steady here. The nurse counted eight follicles yesterday morning, with five ranging in size from 7-10mm. I'm bummed that it's looking like we're going to get roughly the same number of eggs as last cycle, even with the new protocol. But maybe they'll be healthier? They're growing at a good pace, so they haven't increased my meds at all. Here's hoping! We go back tomorrow.

Cycle 2: Follie check #1

Dr. R. was able to see and measure seven follicles this morning. I was definitely hoping for more on this new protocol, since seven is what we ended up with last time. But it's still early. The biggest one was 8mm, and some clinics don't even start counting them until they reach 10mm. So we have a long way to go until they reach 18mm for retrieval, which means that there may still be more to come.

Check mate!

Everything looked great this morning -- lots of tiny resting follicles but nothing active. So I started the microdose of the diluted lupron after the appointment. The idea is that in the first two-three days the lupron will kick-start stimulation. I add the regular stimulation drugs later this week, with an appointment on Sunday morning to check follicular growth.

We have crossed the first hurdle on which we stumbled last time.

Checking in

It's been a while, as the suppression phase is quiet. I took my last birth control pill last night. I had only one migraine (brought on almost certainly by dehydration rather than the BCPs), so it was definitely easier than last time. We go in to see the doctor on Tuesday, with fingers crossed that the suppression has worked. If so, we'll start the shots that day.

There's no news about the insurance. They're reviewing the contracts with the doctor to figure out whether I really need to pay the balance. It's slow, but the woman I've been talking to at the insurance company has been very responsive and has promised to keep track of this next cycle too.

Thanks to our 10 days on vacation, I'm feeling pretty relaxed. As of yesterday, I'm restricting my coffee intake. And I've stopped drinking wine as of this weekend, rather than waiting until transfer.

Approved!

That is all.

Revving up -- or rather, revving down

We're underway! Prescriptions have been ordered; the doctor's office will get the pre-approval from the insurance company; and my first appointment (suppression check and payment) is July 13. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes more smoothly this time around. I'll start the birth control pills for suppression this Thursday. And if I'm properly suppressed (no follicles, no cysts), we're looking at the last week of July for retrieval and transfer.

I've finally made contact with the insurance company. No results yet, and probably not for another couple of weeks. But I have a human being with a name who answers the phone, so that's progress. And the doctor's office is being reasonably patient.

The waiting game

The official letter of complaint went in the mail to the insurance company yesterday, in the hope that they might agree to pay some of the outstanding charges. I've been fortunate; this is the first big medical situation I've had to deal with. I guess this is just the way they do business; right? They deny, deny, deny, then only pay after you put up a fight. The gamble is that most of us won't fight. Silly me, I thought the business model was about pooling risk so that we got the coverage we paid for. Some people pay in and need little care, taking out less than they've put in. And some of us, pay in and take out more than our share. But I left out the profit-making piece.

I know, I know that I should be grateful that the insurance covers any of it. The meds alone were a huge chunk that we didn't pay for. But the frustration stems from the fact that I am paying the entire premium out of pocket. That $9000 would nearly have covered a complete IVF cycle without any of this hassle. So now it feels like I am double-paying.

I'm also waiting for my cycle to rev up again. More than once over the last month I've thought we were just about ready. But I've been temping and using OPKs in vain ... no sign of ovulation, much less my period. If nothing's happened by the end of next week, I'll put a call in to the doc, and see if they'll do an ultrasound and bloodwork to figure out what's happening in there.

In the meantime, the pool is open, and I am going swimming this morning!