So far everything is right on track. Hubby got his all clear, cootie free phone call on Monday. I have my very first appointment with an acupuncturist on Friday. Both excited and nervous about that. (Would love to hear feedback from people that did acupuncture and IVF!!!) Next Wednesday is the all holy IVF class, which is supposed to answer every question I have and have been put off and told to wait until class time from my fertility clinic.
Hubby and I are starting to dig deep on how we are going to pay for this IVF. We have about 7k in the bank. We could easily give all that to the clinic and then just charge the meds on a credit card. I am a little nervous about clearing out our account and having no emergency fund if something (probably not fertility related) comes up. So hubby is supposed to be going to the bank in the next couple of days to see if we might be able to swing a signature loan or something similar. We would like to leave 2k-3k in the bank just in case the roof caves in, the wheels fall off the car, or either one of us loses our jobs.
Chalk something else ugly that infertility has brought into our lives. . .debt. Yes we have a house mortgage. But we have never been a victim of debt. Never bought a car on credit. Didn't do student loans for neither my undergrad or master's nor hubby's VERY EXPENSIVE undergrad and job training. Our credit cards have zero balances. I grew up with parents who have very old fashion ideas about finances and a lot of that rubbed off on me. So chalk some "compromising on principles" up to infertility as well.
During the discussion of "how we were going to pay for IVF?" I told/begged hubby that I would be willing to do anything that he wanted in order to pay for it (credit cards, home equity line, signature loan, ect) as long as he didn't say "lets wait." I know in my gut that waiting until we have the cash would be the smart thing to do. But I am feeling too desperate to be very smart.
My credit card has so generously (said the spider to the fly) offered to send us a check (or direct deposit) for 9k. No interest, no required payments until June 2010. Only a 3% fee would apply. If worst comes to worst, we will do this and pay off the balance before June 2010 (or else they would hit us for some MONSTER finance charges.) This option is not tops on our list, but did I mention that I feel desperate???
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A journey through infertility.
"My story is important not because it is mine, God knows, but because if I tell it anything like right, the chances are you will recognize that in many ways it is also yours. Maybe nothing is more important than that we keep track, you and I, of these stories of who we are and where we have come from and the people that we have met along the way because it is precisely through these stories, in all their particularity, as I have long believed and often said, that God makes himself known to each of us most powerfully and personally."
-Frederick Buechner
-Frederick Buechner
Our History:
June 01: Hubby and I got married.
June 04: Had emergency surgery to remove hole in small intestine. Diagnosed with Crohn's disease.
Sept 07: We stopped BCP and started TTC.
Sept 07-Jul 08: Off and on TTC.
Aug 08: Met with GP and had the "I think there is something wrong discussion." Referred to RE.
Sept 08: First visit with RE (Dr. Cupcake). Ultrasound showed that I was naturally producing an egg from each ovary. So much hope.
Sept 08: Hubby has SA. He is superman!
Oct 08: I have 1st HSG. Done at an outside diagnostic center. Uncomfortable and unclear. 1 tube blocked, the other "marginally functional" ????
Oct 08-Jan 09: Timed intercourse with monitering, Ferma and trigger shot. (I think 5 cycles.)
Jan 09: Met with RE (Dr. Cupcake) and IVF was recommended.
Feb 09: Went for 2nd opinion with different RE (Dr. Niceguy). Question was raised of removing the tubes before IVF.
Mar 09: Went back to 1st RE (Dr. Cupcake) and requested redo of HSG to answer question on whether tubes should be removed before IVF.
Mar 09: HSG redone by RE (Dr. Cupcake). Much more expensively but also much more clearly. The final answer, both tubes are blocked and neither needs to be removed before IVF.
May 09: Started and completed prerequisites for IVF.
May 23, 2009: First acupuncture appointment.
June 1, 2009: Cycle day 1 of IVF.
June 3, 2009: IVF cycle day 3, started birth control.
June 8, 2009: IVF cycle day 8, hubby and I, both started antiboditics.
June 12, 2009: IVF cycle day 12, last day of antiboitics for hubby and myself.
June 17, 2009: IVF cycle day 17, first Lupron injection.
June 23, 2009: IVF cycle day 23, last day of birth control.
June 25, 2009: IVF cycle day 25, suppression check. E2 level 14. Lining 5.1.
June 26, 2009: IVF cycle day 26, started a very light period.
June 27, 2009: IVF cycle day 27, begin FSH, Bravelle, injections and decreased Lupron doseage.
June 29, 2009: IVF cycle day 29, ended a very light period.
July 1, 2009: IVF cycle day 31, (day 5 of stimulation) follicle check. 16 Follicles. E2 level 364.
July 3, 2009: IVF cycle day 33, (day 7 of stimulation) follicle check. 16 Follicles. E2 level 1361.
July 6, 2009: IVF cycle day 36, (day 10 of stimulation) follicle check. 19 Follicles. E2 level 4826.
July 7, 2009: IVF cycle day 37, E2 level 6698, mild, grade 1 Ovarian Hyperstimulation.
July 8, 2009: IVF cycle day 38, retrieved 16 eggs. Started Medrol and Tetracycline. First progesterone in oil injection.
July 9, 2009: IVF cycle day 39, 15 eggs matured. 10 matured.
July 11, 2009: IVF cycle day 41, last day of Medrol.
July 12, 2009: IVF cycle day 42, last day of Tetracycline.
July 13, 2009: IVF cycle day 43, learned that 11 actually fertilized, but only 10 survived. Transfered 2.
July 14, 2009: IVF cycle day 44, 3 embryos frozen.
July 15, 2009: IVF cycle day 45, progesterone level check 52.8.
June 04: Had emergency surgery to remove hole in small intestine. Diagnosed with Crohn's disease.
Sept 07: We stopped BCP and started TTC.
Sept 07-Jul 08: Off and on TTC.
Aug 08: Met with GP and had the "I think there is something wrong discussion." Referred to RE.
Sept 08: First visit with RE (Dr. Cupcake). Ultrasound showed that I was naturally producing an egg from each ovary. So much hope.
Sept 08: Hubby has SA. He is superman!
Oct 08: I have 1st HSG. Done at an outside diagnostic center. Uncomfortable and unclear. 1 tube blocked, the other "marginally functional" ????
Oct 08-Jan 09: Timed intercourse with monitering, Ferma and trigger shot. (I think 5 cycles.)
Jan 09: Met with RE (Dr. Cupcake) and IVF was recommended.
Feb 09: Went for 2nd opinion with different RE (Dr. Niceguy). Question was raised of removing the tubes before IVF.
Mar 09: Went back to 1st RE (Dr. Cupcake) and requested redo of HSG to answer question on whether tubes should be removed before IVF.
Mar 09: HSG redone by RE (Dr. Cupcake). Much more expensively but also much more clearly. The final answer, both tubes are blocked and neither needs to be removed before IVF.
May 09: Started and completed prerequisites for IVF.
May 23, 2009: First acupuncture appointment.
June 1, 2009: Cycle day 1 of IVF.
June 3, 2009: IVF cycle day 3, started birth control.
June 8, 2009: IVF cycle day 8, hubby and I, both started antiboditics.
June 12, 2009: IVF cycle day 12, last day of antiboitics for hubby and myself.
June 17, 2009: IVF cycle day 17, first Lupron injection.
June 23, 2009: IVF cycle day 23, last day of birth control.
June 25, 2009: IVF cycle day 25, suppression check. E2 level 14. Lining 5.1.
June 26, 2009: IVF cycle day 26, started a very light period.
June 27, 2009: IVF cycle day 27, begin FSH, Bravelle, injections and decreased Lupron doseage.
June 29, 2009: IVF cycle day 29, ended a very light period.
July 1, 2009: IVF cycle day 31, (day 5 of stimulation) follicle check. 16 Follicles. E2 level 364.
July 3, 2009: IVF cycle day 33, (day 7 of stimulation) follicle check. 16 Follicles. E2 level 1361.
July 6, 2009: IVF cycle day 36, (day 10 of stimulation) follicle check. 19 Follicles. E2 level 4826.
July 7, 2009: IVF cycle day 37, E2 level 6698, mild, grade 1 Ovarian Hyperstimulation.
July 8, 2009: IVF cycle day 38, retrieved 16 eggs. Started Medrol and Tetracycline. First progesterone in oil injection.
July 9, 2009: IVF cycle day 39, 15 eggs matured. 10 matured.
July 11, 2009: IVF cycle day 41, last day of Medrol.
July 12, 2009: IVF cycle day 42, last day of Tetracycline.
July 13, 2009: IVF cycle day 43, learned that 11 actually fertilized, but only 10 survived. Transfered 2.
July 14, 2009: IVF cycle day 44, 3 embryos frozen.
July 15, 2009: IVF cycle day 45, progesterone level check 52.8.
3 comments:
Hey- my first acu appointment is Friday too. We are planning on doing IVF this summer. I am interested to hear how your experience goes.
here from iclw! and i have to say - you are right, you should leave yourself some money in savings. i'm with you - not having anything in the bank gives me hives.
i recommend you take the credit card deal - because you can keep all your savings. then you can pay it back, even using some of your savings to make a big hit in it. but, unless you have a weird credit cared, you will not be hit with monstrous finance charges at the end of the promotional offer. you will only start to accrue interest at that point (not back interest). now, i could be wrong, but after working for several banks in the credit card division...you usually don't pay back interest on a major credit card (on furniture store cards, electronics stores, etc., yes).
either way, debt, for only a chance of getting pregnant, is probably the hardest part of ivf! its a mental hurdle that is pretty painful to jump.
good luck to you!
xoxo
~jd
I hear ya on the financial concerns. We have been trying hard to pay off our (ok, my) student loan debt but now are diverting some of our extra payment on that to saving up for IF treatments.
Another thought, do you get any rewards on your credit card? We also carry no balance month to month but we use our CC to rack up the bonus points and cash them in for lots of fun stuff. Maybe you can get something you both want (besides a baby) for using that special CC deal.
ICLW
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