3 weeks and 2 days

Ladies and Gents, we have a date!

I talked with the IVF coordinator today and we set up an appt with the doc to go over consent and pay next Tuesday and then she said that they have a cycle that is starting the end March. After we sign over our lives to the doc, she will sit down with the other docs at the facility and determine which protocol they will put me on. An IVF protocol will determine which meds I'll be on, how much and how often.

My RE office cycles all their IVF patients at the same time so it makes scheduling easier on the office. I will receive my protocol some time in the next couple weeks, order the meds and then wait around until go time.

So on March 28th, Mike and I will be embarking on our first (and hopefully only) IVF adventure. I feel like I've been preparing for this since we learned about all of my issues. Even before the letters I, V and F were even spoken to me, I somehow knew my journey would lead me here and I've spent the better part of the past couple years reading and learning any and everything I can. I've got a few weeks to get some things in order...books I want to read while I'm on bedrest, drinks and food to help combat OHSS, netflix shows to help pass along my stimming days but mostly to combat the long 2ww. Looks like I'm going to be nice and busy the next few weeks.

I'm going to get a bit sentimental here and say that I am absolutely in awe over the amount of support I am receiving from sharing my story and journey. I wanted to write out and share my story first so that I wouldn't forget any part of this and to remember not to take certain things for granted, but I also wanted to make sure to let people know that they're not alone in this struggle. I've had people who I haven't talked to in years messaging me, or stopping Mike or me when we are out just to let us know they are cheering for us. I have a women who I've never met in person before who are some of my biggest cheerleaders I can ask for. I have a husband who has and will deal with some of the worst hormonal swings anyone can imagine and he deals with it with love and compassion. I have friends and family who constantly inquire how I am doing and I can answer them in total honesty...even if its not the most upbeat answer. So what I'm trying to say is thank you and I appreciate all your love.

Cleared for IVF

March 1
March 1
March 1

You don't know how many times over the past few weeks I counted down to this date. Not because March is an awesome month bc it has spring and my bday in it, but bc our new benefits were to start on this day.

Of course, March 1 was on a Saturday so I knew it was unlikely that I would be able to pull up our policy online but that didn't mean I didn't try at least once an hour all day Saturday.

Sunday morning I woke up, signed onto Cigna and BAM, hello there new insurance policy. I quickly navigated the site to try and find the phone number I had to call to talk to the infertility nurse to get cleared for treatment. I finally found it only to see that they only had hours for Monday-Saturday. Pewp.

Today rolls around and I am creepily staring at the clock. 9am....9am. I'm a freak aren't I? lol. You'd think that I waited this long for good insurance to complete treatment that I wouldn't be such a nutso about calling and getting the clearance. But you're wrong. I was antsy as all hell. So when 9:15 rolled around I dialed the number. See, that restraint? I waited an extra 15 minutes. I talked to a wonderfully cheery woman, who clearly wasn't stuck inside due to a "snow storm". She set me up an "appointment" for 11am for the infertility nurse to call me.

So a little after 11am Mary, my infertility nurse calls me and to make a long story short she basically realized I have been in treatment for 1.5 years and I'm no "spring chicken" (her words) when it comes to infertility stuff. She went over the list of things she had to talk about and we discussed how shocked she was at my diagnoses given my age. Yea yea.

She went over our coverage which we already knew about. $20,000 in infertility treatment...except...except....
if you get treatment at a place they (Cigna) deem a COE, "Center of Excellence" then you get an extra $10,000 in coverage.

Guess what? RAD is a COE!!! So we will get $30,000 in infertility coverage.

30 freakin thousand dollars in infertility treatment! Somebody hold me.

So, tomorrow I'll call the doc office and try to get a hold of the ivf coordinator to get this ball rollin.

Let's all begin ivf dance party!