Friday, May 10, 2013 we had our first official appointment with a new RE. My friend Kayla had an initial appointment with them about 3 weeks before me. She was so impressed that she contacted me. After only a short conversation with her I knew I had to make an appointment also.
I had contacted them about 2 years ago when we needed a procedure done. At the time they did not accept my insurance so they have always been pushed out of my mind. Now, that is different I pushed forward. It is not a secret that I did not agree with my last appointment at Emory. My biggest complaint was I did not want to have BOTH tubes removed. I understood the damaged one had to be removed, but not both. Exactly why I needed to hear a second opinion.
In preparation for this appointment I had prayed extensively! I wrapped myself in prayers, went out of my comfort zone and even had others pray for us. We prayed for peace, we prayed for guidance, and we also prayed that if IVF is the course we need to take, for God to fund it, and make it possible. Even before we walked into the appointment Mike and I prayed in the car. We prayed for understanding of what we had been through. I wanted to understand why I had an ectopic pregnancy. I also wanted more clarification of what we need to do to achieve our miracle. My prayer was if there is a road I should walk, Lord, help me find it. Make it all possible.
OK- so getting to the appointment, I was majorly impressed that not a nurse or practitioner or anyone else came out to get us. It was the Doctor herself. Not in a lab coat or Doctor apparel but in regular clothes. We discussed what we wanted to get out of the appointment and the future and she understood. Dr. C asked us questions directly, we went over the chart in detail, all of the surgeries, procedures, tests, labs, and medicines I have gone through. She asked me to explain everything last October. She acknowledged how painful it must have felt, she saw me get emotional when I had to tell her the dates, she acknowledged that the memory of those dates will always be hard. I never had to think, or try and jog my memory. I knew the day I found out, the day it was confirmed non-viable, and the day it was removed. My first question to her was why it happened. I have done extensive research on Ectopic Pregnancies, and I had none of the factors that made you at risk. In 2008 I had a mild case of appendicitis. When your appendix is infected, or even removed there is such a high risk of adhesions on your tubes or infecting the lining. They are so close together, it is almost impossible to avoid. THIS IS WHY IT HAPPENED! Prayer 1 was answered. There is nothing I could have done, I couldn't have prevented it or changed it even if I wanted to. The rest of the appointment when much like this. I had a list of questions ready in my lap and she hit every single one without me asking. Dr C was so personable asking US questions, and explaining every step in detail. She broke it down to my level and did not use Doctor lingo, but more of terms I would understand and comprehend.
This is where God started to show HE IS IN CONTROL! We began talking about PCOS, and she asked how many months I had been ovulating without medicine. The answer was every month since July of last year. She is convinced that PCOS has diminished enough I do not need to be considered a PCOS patient any longer. I will always have the painful cramps and the mood swings, but as long as the abnormal hair growth stays under control, and I am ovulating on my own, there is no need to aggressively pursue unless something changes. PRAISE!!! Loosing 22 lbs has paid off! While talking about PCOS we began to discuss Clomid which is a medicine to make you ovulate. In the beginning when I took this medicine, I didn't understand what it's purpose was. After I explained that for 10 months that I took it MY HUSBAND WAS DEPLOYED. She was frustrated that I was not properly explained the purpose. I think her exact words were "So you took an ovulation medicine for 10 months with no access to sperm". This is the only time in the whole visit that I mentioned Mike being in the Army. I mentioned this in the confines of her office, and with the door closed. The only way someone could have heard me was if they were walking by the door at the EXACT time I said this. We talked further and she still believes that IVF is the best possible solution for us. We have such a high success rate of it succeeding. In the percentage that it will also be 54% that it will be twins. While I do know people who are my age, and unfortunately haven't had success I am choosing to remain positive that it will work for me. After such a positive appointment I thought I had maxed out on my miracles for the day. Boy was I ever wrong.
Our next step was to meet our personal nurse who will handle all lab follow ups, answer any questions we may have, and go with us through the process of it all. While we were going over things with her our patient coordinator walked in. She will handle all appointments and referrals. She introduced us, and she just happened to mention that she overheard us talking to Dr. C about my husband being in the military. She had to have been walking by AT THE EXACT MOMENT! She told us to make sure we ask about military pricing when we meet the financial coordinator.
When we met with him, he explained so many things about my insurance and coverage, and he gave me the paper for their IVF costs. The price had dropped about $6,500 from our other place. Then I remembered to ask about the military pricing. He then took away that paper, and had to pull the file from his computer, because the pricing was different, and they do not advertise the discount unless you ask about it. I would have never known to ask had it not been for that nurse. He showed me the price and I broke down. The price dropped 50%!!!! The total for our IVF before medicines will be $5,500! All of the medicines will be about $2,000-$3,000, but I can handle that! IVF instantly became obtainable! Yes, this is where I cried! Also when we went to go pay our fee for the day, the clerk was so knowledgable that she looked and asked me why my insurance was based out of Illinois. Illinois is a government mandated fertility coverage state. So by those standards I should have coverage! I looked this up, and it covers one round of IVF and if that is a success it covers 3 rounds after that!
I finally had my answers, and I had my clarification of where I could go from there. We left the appointment 2 very excited people who had a plan!!
AND!!
Want to know what song played as soon as we started the car?
THIS ONE!
I've been the one to shake with fear
And wonder if You're even here
I've been the one to doubt Your love
I've told myself You're not enough
I've been the one to try and say
I'll overcome by my own strength
I've been the one to fall apart
And to start to question who You are
You're the one who conquers giants
You're the one who calls out kings
You shut the mouths of lions
You tell the dead to breathe
You're the one who walks through fire
You take the orphan's hand
You are the one Messiah
You are I am
You are I am
I've been the one held down in chains
Beneath the weight of all my shame
I've been the one to believe
That where I am You cannot reach
You're the one who conquers giants
You're the one who calls out kings
You shut the mouths of lions
You tell the dead to breathe
You're the one who walks through fire
You take the orphan's hand
You are the one Messiah
You are I am
You are I am
The veil is torn
And now I live with the Spirit inside
The same one, the very same one
who brought the Son back to life
Hallelujah, He lives in me
Hallelujah, He lives in me
Hallelujah, He lives in me
Hallelujah, He lives in me
You're the one who conquers giants
You're the one who calls out kings
You shut the mouths of lions
You tell the dead to breathe
You're the one who walks through fire
You take the orphan's hand
You are the one Messiah
You are I am
You are I am
We are now neck deep in finding grants, and battling insurance. We will be trying to put together donations, from friends and family. We truly believe that this is Jesus' leading. So now our prayer is to fund it. We are not above asking for help. ;)
God truly showed out in that appointment. He answered every prayer, he calmed my spirit, and he delivered the road I need to travel. I KNOW I serve a savior that is capable of miracles, and he gave my broken little heart a little mending on Friday. If he is the God that could bring the dead to life, make the blind see, walk on water, and save a nation, why did I ever doubt that he wouldn't show up to an infertility clinic and prove he hears me! YAY for Jesus!
