Learning Day

We went to Nashville today to attend a required IVF Class. This was the last of our prerequisites. We were with 3 other couples and it took about 3 hours. Oddly I wasn’t as overwhelmed today as I was on our first visit; possibly because I was able to read up on the process before we got there. All I usually need is time to process the information and let it sink in…it doesn’t happen instantly for me. Brandon was…..well, Brandon! I think it’s no secret that the love of my life is basically a 6’2” 12 year old. When we walked into the conference room, laid out in front of each couple’s seat was an array of medical equipment like syringes, needles, epipens, vials and even a fake belly. Guess we were going to learn how to give injections….YAY! You can imagine that I was not thrilled because I was eventually going to be the recipient of those injections (and for more days than I ever expected). But Brandon was like a kid in a candy store. He had disassembled the epipen and opened a syringe before I even had my jacket off…I had to contain my want to scold him like the 12 year old he is! I didn’t even really pay that much attention to how to administer the shots because Brandon is adamant that that’s what he going to do FOR me. Works for me because then I can complain and blame him when he hurts me! Sounds like normal girl logic, don’t you think? If I was doing them myself, then who am I going to blame?

They really took time to go over the entire IVF cycle in detail and let us know what to expect and why things were done certain ways. We got to meet our IVF nurse and it was comforting knowing that we have only one person to deal with throughout the entire process. Also discussed was the optional process of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). This is a process that we are very interested in. While it’s possible that the majority of my miscarriage problem was because of them being ectopic, it’s also very possible that the eggs have had some type of abnormality as well. Embryos with abnormal chromosomes have very high miscarriage rates. So we are not going to pursue the genetic testing for the purposes of being genetically selective. But rather to ensure that we have a live birth…we are willing to take whatever issues a child might have (even if it’s something like Downs). We just want to make sure that all the eggs that are transferred have the best shot possible.

Then they moved on to the cost. Not really much I can say about this other than……OMG WTF! Enough said.

So……what’s next? We just now have to sit back and wait until my next cycle. Well, actually we are waiting for my CURRENT cycle to begin (hopefully any day now) and then once the next one starts…it’s on. Looks like mid- to late February is when we will start the IVF cycle.

I’m going to go outside my comfort zone and protective shell for the first time by saying that, after today, I’m really starting to feel more excited about this process. It feels like the right step to take and that it just might work (that one was for you, Susie). Learning the details was in an odd way comforting for me. I’m not a “big picture” person and I definitely can’t see the forest for the trees. Details give me a focus but the “big picture” makes me retreat to my happy place……that’s right, I’m pretty much Rainman. Ten minutes to Wapner.

More later.