I had my initial consultation with Clinic Beta today. I had some initial concern that my experience with this new clinic would mimic that of Clinic Alpha. I was pleasantly surprised.
I sat down with the doctor and we went over my initial paperwork, as well as my past test results. I briefly explained why I switched clinics. However, e mostly concentrated on the fact that I should be a relatively easy case. So far, my test results look good — really good considering my age.
Goals
Ideally, I should be able to get away with only using artificial insemination (IUI). This is a relief, since that is the only treatment my insurance will cover. There will still be out-of-pocket costs, but not as many as before. I do not have to pay hundreds of dollars to see my doctor. I do not have to sign up and pay for a $2000+ package deal before getting any testing done. So far, it seems that all I will have to pay for out-of-pocket are co-pays, some lab work (maybe), and sperm.
Don’t get me wrong. I am lucky enough to be able to afford to pay for these things. In the back of my mind, I remember something I read a while back: if you cannot afford to pay to conceive a baby, you cannot afford a baby. I (mostly) agree with this. I mean, kids are expensive! However, that does not mean that I should stop trying to be economical about it.
Next steps
Surprisingly, there are few things I still need to do:
- Blood work
- HSG — an x-ray that checks to see if my tubes are open
- Social worker — not a test, but someone I can use as a resource
- Find sperm
I should be able to complete these steps over the course of the next month. Which means….
March
I can theoretically start trying to conceive in March. That is both exciting and terrifying.
Tagged: conception