Tuesday, June 9, 2009

GIVE ME A GROWN-UP ANSWER, PLEASE

Kev and I decided to find a new clinic to do our IVF. When we interviewed the clinic, we met with a certain IVF coordinator - let's call her B. She was very professional and knowledgeable. She asked all the right questions and answered ours very much to my satisfaction. Having been working with a Reproductive Endocrinologist for three years, Kev and I are pretty up on the infertility lingo of reproductive mechanisms. B did not treat us like idiots. She didn't assume (as medical professionals sometimes do) that Kev and I don't have an intimate knowledge of the workings of the female anatomy - however broken mine is - and she spoke to us in just enough medical and lay terms so as not to offend or alienate us. We left feeling confident that B would do a superb job coordinating our IVF. Honestly, B had a large influence on our deciding to use that clinic (as opposed to the other clinic who didn't even know what questions to ask me - I ran!).

I did NOT want to be bloated, slow, and moody for the hectic end-of-year rigamarole of high school English, so we decided to wait until summer to start stims and do the egg retrieval and embryo transfer. In the meantime, I got an email from some other lady - we'll call her C - saying she's new to the clinic and that she's going to be our IVF coordinator and do I have any questions. Uh, yeah. Who the hell are you? And, no you're not going to by my IVF coordinator. I met B; I trust B; B will be my IVF coordinator. It's not okay to switch on someone in a situation like this. There is just too much at stake.

Ok, so I got that straightened out. B will be my coordinator. Done.

Well, B called me last Monday to say that she would not be in the office on Thursday (the day of my first appt. for suppression scan, catheter measurement, drug order, protocol explanation, etc.) and that she wanted to tell me personally because I had specifically requested to work with B. I was okay with this since she called; plus, it was a one-time thing, and she assured me that she is going to be my coordinator. I was hesitant, but agreed.

Upon my first meeting C, she went over the protocol for our IVF. It is called the lo-dose hCG protocol because I will be injecting a small amount of hCG along with Lupron and Gonal-F every day. This being my first (and hopefully last) IVF, I was confused about the hCG. In the past, I had always taken a very large dose of hCG to induce ovulation, so I wanted to know what function the small amount of hCG has. What does it do? How does it make my body react? Simple question, right? It should be for a professional. C looked at me, baffled, and proceeded to cough out some crap about it being a "helper hormone." I wanted to reassure her that she could speak to me in medical terms and explain to me what exactly it does in my body. So I told her I was just curious about what role it plays in the stimulation. She coughed a little again and spat out the same shit about "helper hormones" and then told me that it was okay that I was just confused.

I'm confused?! No, no. I believe you're confused. I dropped it. She obviously didn't know the answer.

When Kev arrived at the appointment, I told him about the interaction. He was curious as well, and decided that after the scan, he would ask her the same question after giving her sufficient time to find the correct answer (while in my scan). I was amazed that this time she said that she was confused (not him, not me) and again that it was a "helper hormone." Are you freaking kidding me? That's it? You've had fifteen minutes to either ask someone for the answer or look it up in one of the hundreds of medical reference books and databases at your disposal, knowing that you would have to see me again, and you didn't find the answer for me?

I will just say that I am glad C will not be coordinating my IVF. She's a nice enough gal, but I need to trust that my questions can be answered professionally and to my satisfaction. Should I say anything to B this Friday when I go back for my first follie scan?

Wow. These hormone shots must be getting to me. I just realized that I've ranted about this for about an hour. I'm not usually this negative in my writing. Maybe it's a good sign that I'm cooking some strong, healthy eggs!

7 comments:

Misty Dawn said...

i would tell B about this... i mean C needs to know the right answer.. its her job for pete's sakes. HELPER HORMONE ugh i am pissed myself.

mgstone10 said...

Oh my goodness, I would tell B. And make it clear that you only want to work with B. In addition, I hope this is a one and done procedure and that the end result is good, then who really cares about C?

Anonymous said...

Helper hormone my ass. I couldn't find much about it online at all. I've never personally heard of anyone taking hCg in low dose at the same time as stims, but here is an article where they did study it's use like that:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/580824

Sorry I couldn't be more help!

~Mindy

JESSICA said...

Just wanted to leave you a note to say I have been thinking about you and your situation. My husband and I have been going through the infertility situation for about 4 years now. We are now on the road of trying for adoption. Your words from your previous posts have been very comoforting to know that I am not the only "crazy" one out there. It just made me feel better to know that there are other women that feel the same as me :) Feel free to contact me by email...I would love to chat and make a new friend with the same situation as me :)

Jessica
SJ_FARMER@yahoo.com

Hope in Virginia said...

Hi Gina and Kev...just discovered your blog. It's really great. Sounds like you have been through it all - and you're still surviving - I really hope that this new RE will be the answer for you.

I just started my own blog because later this month I am going to start my first IVF cycle (hope you'll check my blog out - http://hopeinvirginia.blogspot.com/).

I'm obviously new to all of this and am so happy to connect with others who have walked the same path. I hope you'll let me know when you start your IVF cycle and how it goes (when do you think you'll start?).

Anonymous said...

Gina, I totally agree with everyone's comment. I think C needs more education. Wow

Photogrl said...

Tell B...I can't believe C!

That would tick me off, too...hormones or no hormones.

Thinking LOTS of positive thoughts for you.

 
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