Winter storm part 3

Winter Storm part 2

Winter Storm 2010

The stash

Side effects

Now I remember why I went off birth control pills! Last night's migraine had me just about ready to throw in the towel on this whole thing, what with the likelihood that the Lupr0n and Pr0gesterone will cause more headaches and our plan to attend an adoption info session next month. But since the drugs arrived despite yesterday's ice storm, I shall soldier on. It just doesn't bode well that I'm having just about every single side effect that the bcp info sheet warns about.

Approved!

Insurance company approved 1 cycle. So if doesn't work, we'll have to go through this process again. But for now, I'm just going to celebrate -- approved! Drugs are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Stay tuned for a picture of the stash.

Seriously? -- UPDATED

After 10 days of antibiotics and birth control pills, shouldn't my skin be gorgeous and clear? Not so much. Hrrmph.

It's been two days ... time to harass the poor business manager at the clinic again, I think.

**Updated: According to the insurance website, the IVF pre-approval request is now in the system, pending medical review. Keep your fingers crossed!

Getting closer

I finally got ahold of the business manager at the fertility center, and they've finally accepted that I do have insurance. Yay! Unfortunately, they're out-of-network for IVF (even though the doctor is in-network as an OB/GYN -- weird), so I'll have to meet my deductible and pay 20%. But I'll take it! The business manager sounds totally on top of things and is getting all the paperwork taken care of, and they'll call before our next appointment on Feb. 17 to tell us how much money we'll need to bring. The business manager was super-friendly and super-helpful; I was really relieved to talk to her.

And the drugs have all been ordered with no problem, completely covered -- $3000 worth of drugs for a mere $150 or some such.

We're getting there.

An up-and-down update

We had a doctor's appointment this morning, and everything went well. From the doctor's perspective, everything looks good to start the IVF cycle. We have all our appointments set up for the next six weeks and are looking at egg retrieval between March 1 and 3.

Unfortunately, I got a call from the front office woman this afternoon saying that they didn't think my insurance covers IVF. I called back, and she was more annoyed than helpful. She kept saying that my chart says "diagnostic tests only," but wouldn't tell me where she got that information -- because, of course, my insurance documents don't say that! But she couldn't seem to get me off the phone fast enough. I efaxed the documents (which they already have) to her late this afternoon, and she said she was going to check with my insurance company. I'll give her a few days before following up. I know most people out here don't have infertility coverage, but I can't for the life of me figure out why she was being so difficult about it.

In the meantime, I've started to worry that some slightly abnormal (nothing to worry about!) results from a regular doctor's appointment may lead either the insurance company or the doctor to want to postpone this cycle, which would be really disappointing.

Fortunately, we are only in the suppression stage, so this stress will only serve to further suppress me rather than interfere with the stimulation phase! And hopefully in 30 days, when stimulation is supposed to start, it'll all be worked out. Keep your fingers crossed.

At the starting gate

Our first IVF cycle will be underway tonight when we start birth control pills (me) and antibiotics (both of us)!

It's a happy day on the interwebs...

Go meet Sprogblogger. She's going to be a mama.

Blue Christmas

I love the Christmas season; or more, precisely, I love Advent: the candles, the dark stillness, the anticipation, the carols on the radio, the lights on houses. But starting about 5 or 6 years ago, Christmas Day started losing some of its sparkle. With friends married and having babies, I felt "too old" for Christmas, which is, as Kenny Rogers sings, for kids. That feeling seemed even worse this year, whether because we're closing on in the two-year mark of infertility or because the pregnancy/baby announcements seem to be coming fast and furious. I couldn't even drag myself to church on Christmas Eve. Though the midnight service is not designed for children, there are always infants dressed in Santa outfits or other furry wear. I couldn't face it. Fortunately, Christmas morning brought a flight to Kauai, where I was able to escape from it all. But the blues have lingered. I had thought I might spend part of this vacation working on a "Dear Birth Mother" letter, but I seem frozen and unable to start it. I did spend a few hours on rainbowkids.com and found the cutest little Korean girl with a hearing impairment. I'd bring her home tomorrow if I could!

First dinner party

As part of the law school's annual fundraiser for the Women's Resource Center, B and I donated a wine dinner for four. A group of my students bought the dinner, giving us the opportunity for our first dinner party in Norman! Our dining room was cozy and sparkled with winter cheer.