HSG Test

S got an HSG test done this morning.  The test basically is where they put a catheter through your cervix and fill everything up with contrast dye and then look at and where it goes through an X-ray.  Our doctor recommended it just to be sure that S didn't have any scaring due to her csection and gallbladder surgery.  S was really nervous about the test because we had been told by our doctor that it was a 5 on a 1-10 pain scale.  I'm happy to say that S didn't find it to be anything more than uncomfortable.  Also they didn't find any blockages, though when they were doing the test one side took longer than the other to spill out of the Fallopian tube.  Whole thing took about thirty minutes.  They wouldn't let me come back and be with her/watch but they did let me see a picture they took at the end, which is really cool of them.  You can see the little squiggles In the middle of the picture that is the dye coming out of the tubes.

On the insurance side we are trying to appeal their decision to deny our claim but it doesn't sound like it will work out.  Their policy about 12 failed cycles is pretty clear, we just didn't know about it because we trusted the doctors office to figure it out.  We will see what happens.  The doctor was able to code the HSG test as being related to a painful period so it would be covered.  We ended up paying under $200 for it so that's not bad.  And I think we have decided we are going to go ahead and do the next cycle with the full fertility drugs.  It makes the most sence to us.  So fingers crossed between the increased fertility from the HSG test and the drugs that May is our lucky month.  It was with Jude. :)

-Liz 

Insurance Sucks

So, going to see the Doc wasn't much fun today.  First off he was an hour and fifteen minutes late.  That is just crazy, who has time to wait that long??  Then once they finally got us back they let us know that our insurance, Aetna, is denying our fertility coverage.  What?  On our very first visit the office called the insurance and told us that we had $3,500 worth of coverage and didn't need to do anything to qualify.  Now they are denying because S doesn't have any infertility issues, she just doesn't have a man, and so she will need to have 12 unsuccessful IUIs before we can get any coverage.  And sure enough that is what I found on their website is the policy for single women and gay couples and that heterosexual couples need to have tried on their own for a year.  So I'm guessing what happened is that the fertility doctor called our insurance, didn't mention we were a same sex couple, and were told we had coverage when if they had been more specific they would have realized that we do not have coverage.  On the one hand this is annoying because we might have done things differently if we knew we had no coverage.  On the other hand I think that our doctor will only end up billing us for the amount they are owed by our insurance which is considerably less than what we would have paid out of pocket.  Annoying as hell to hear either way.  We are going to call and try to fight it but after reading the policy on their website I'm not hopeful.  But we went into this thinking it would be 100% out of pocket so it's not the end of the world.

On to other things, we discussed fertility treatment moving forward.  Due to the insurance issues our doctor is wanting us to get the HSG blockage test done this month and skip this cycle.  I think that is what we are going to do as an April insem would end up being a Christmas baby and we don't want that and we might as well try to fight the insurance company.  What we will do for S's May cycle remaines to be decided.  One option is one last natural IUI.  The other option is doing Femara and injectables, which is what our doctor wants to do.  They have a package they do for $2,000 for out of pocket patients that covers the drugs and monitoring and IUIs if we went for the fertility drug path.  Luckily we have a month to decide.  S's mom was here watching Jude for us so I talked it over with her and she basically thinks that we should do at least one more natural IUI and that we have the money to do it and basically I'm pushing S to do the drugs when they aren't necessary.  I don't know, it's a gamble either way.  We have the money to do another natural cycle and then if that doesn't work to move onto a medicated cycle but money isn't unlimited.  I know lots of people, like you guys have said, do several IUIs un medicated and that two isn't really that many.  It's not that many, but at the same time S is 33, soon to be 34, and we have already spent over $3,000 on sperm alone.  And we just don't have the time and money to be doing more than 3 more cycles without tapping into the end of our savings.  I'm leaning towards one more natural IUI in May, but just one.  Then without a doubt moving onto meds.  But an hour ago I was ready to go full steam ahead with the drugs.  So I guess we will sleep on it and ultimately is it S's body and her decision. 

-Liz 

A Helpful Solution

If you have followed this blog for very long you probably know that my mother in law has some halariously bad suggestions.  Like when she suggested with Jude that we pick a donor who is tall because, and I quote, "people look up to tall people".  Or not to pick someone with a PHD because they have a poor work ethic and our child would be too smart and out whit us.  Thanks.  So today we were hanging out and i was telling her that our main objection to fertility drugs is the chance of multiples.  And she told me that if we did end up with twins she knows a really nice couple that really want a baby.  She said she bet they would do an open adoption so we could still see the baby.  Oh wow, no.  So much no.  At the time all I could say was no, if that happened we'd keep both babies.  Telling S about it we were cracking up about what a good deterrent to bad behavior it would be, like Jenny if you don't come here this instance I'll send you to live with the Nelsons like your twin brother!  And how would you pick which one to get rid of??  She cracks me up with her ideas sometimes.

-Liz 

BFN

S got her period last night, so it's a BFN.  Bummer, we really thought that this month was the one.  We have an appointment with our doctor on Thursday to see where we should go from here.  I'm guessing he will want to do the test where they make sure there arnt any blockages in the floapian tubes at the very least.  We want to discus if we should change donors or do anything else differently.  I think we are open to discussing fertility meds but not sure we are totally ready to do them.  We really don't want multiples.  It's hard to know what to do when everything seems to be totally fine.  Good sperm count, good lining, good egg, good timing, good everything.  So keep trying as is with the third times the charm mentality or move to more medical interventions?  Such a hard call.  Hopefully doc will have some insight because I'm really on the fence.  

S and I were talking last night about the BFN and how to add injury to insult, you not only find our you arn't pregnant but you also get your stupid period.  It would be so much better if someone came by with fresh cookies and a sorry not this month sign instead.  Ha!

-Liz 

Breathing is harder than it seems

S and I are both miserable with allergies this weekend.  Not sure if it is spring, or all the rain, or something else, but we are both coughing and snotty and draining and yuck.  I've taken just about everything possible and still feel bad and poor S because she is possibly pregnant has to be really careful what she can take and thus feels even worse than I do.  Ugh.  And it has been raining the last few days but today was totally beautiful.  Of course we didn't get to enjoy it at all as we were inside suffering.

On the TTC note, S has thrown up twice now I believe and felt sick a bit of yesterday.  Today all sickness was allergy related.  She started taking pregnancy tests on Saturday, but nothing positive yet. Looking back on old blogs looks like we were wrong about when we got the BFP with Jude and it was actually day 13 of the TWW so that puts it at Tuesday if things stay the same.  Fingers crossed still!  We have our blood test scheduled for Thursday morning, so we will see.

-Liz 

A Good Sign

After our last IUI we went on vacation and just got back yesterday.  It was super nice and relaxing, just hanging out with family.  Over all S hasn't had any symptoms, just a little cramping.  But this morons she threw up.  And she hasn't been taking the DHA, so it isn't from that.  Fingers crossed that this is a sign that she is pregnant!

-Liz 

Another Awesome IUI

We went in and did our second IUI this morning.  Once agin we got the nurse we liked instead of the too rough and too Debbie downer doctor.  Don't get me wrong, we love our doctor, he is great.  But he has a pretty typical doctor attitude/poor bedside manner, which isn't pleasent when you are trying to be positive and relaxed.  Also, I think the nurse really likes us and thus does lots of ultrasounds for us.  So here is once again the egg before insemination, or at least were the egg was because S ovulated some time yesterday.  So what you are seeing is more the ovulation fluid and such.  So prefect timing there.

If you look back to yesterday's picture you can see how this one is slightly different.  And of course we have the pic from after placement, the sperm is again the little white spot next to the green plus sign.

Motile sperm count was good again today, about 13 million.  So now we start the dreaded two week wait.  I really really think that this is the lucky time, fingers crossed knock on wood.  Yesterday a coworker of S's who doesn't know at all that we are trying to get pregnant came up to her and said that she had a dream last night that S was pregnant with a little girl.  And this woman has never mentioned before having a dream about S.  Could it be a sign?  Also on the way to the gym this morning I heard the songs Crying by Aerosmith (babies cry), All the she wants is another baby by Ace of Base, and Don't worry Baby by the Beach Boys.  Also a sign possibly?

Please stick baby, please!

-Liz 

World's Best IUI

The deed is done!  We went in this morning for our first IUI for this cycle.  Our favorite nurse Becky did the actual insemination.  We love her because she has just the most positive sweet personality and she is so much gentler than the doctor.  Also, she is always on time and ready to go!  So we requested that she do tomorrow's IUI as well, which insures us two painfree, peaceful IUIs.  Beforehand we did an ultrasound to make sure there was a good looking, mature follicle.  Here she is in all of her glory, the chosen folicial, which is the black circle in the middle of the little green plus signs, which they use to measure it.

Everything looked perfect, great folicial, nice lush uterine lining, good sperm count (12.2 million motile sperm to be exact).  Becky even said that if this IUI doesn't work it will be one of those head scratchers as to why not.  And here is the after ultrasound of the sperm placement, which are the three little white dots in the middle and not just one big white spot like last time because they were already on the move before we got the ultrasound.  

I know it probably seems silly to take pictures of this stuff, but I just think it is so cool that we have pictures of both the egg and sperm that were used to concieve this baby.  How many people can really say that?

Sticky, sticky baby thoughts!

-Liz 

Today is THE Day!

S got a positive OPKS yesterday afternoon, so this morning will be IUIS #1 for this cycle. I feel like we are going into this round a little bit less stressed and with less hippie preparations- no moxa, no acupuncture, no fertility rocks, just us.  Which I don't think will be bad thing, but it wasn't a conscious thing, I totally didn't even think about it the moxa till yesterday.  Also S isn't going to be taking the DHA anymore.  We figured out in the last two weeks that it is what was making her so sick.  Hopefully that means that she won't be as sick this pregnancy as last, as she was taking that stupid stuff the whole time with Jude!  So send us happy, sticky baby vibes these next two days please!

On a related note, yesterday at the gym I was talking to my mother in law, who lives here, about the IUIs because she likes to know what's going on and because she is going to watch Jude for me during them.  Anyway, after we discuss the details she tells me that if at all possible S and I should "make love" after each one as having an orgasm helps you to get pregnant and helps you to relax.  Ew, so much ew.  When I got home I told S about her moms comments to which she replied that makes me never want to have sex again.  Totally.  Oh mother in laws.  Haha.

-Liz