(F Y I, I started this before my current post about my IUI so its a little out of sync)
My hubby and I are both self employed so we pay a ridiculous amount of money for our health insurance. We have Kaiser and after years of self advocating we actually love our doctors. (It took a while believe me!!) As soon as I was diagnosed with P.C.O.S. we knew we were going to need to seek out a RE(Reproductive Endocrinologist). Kaiser has a fertility clinic and since we have been happy with Kaiser lately, we went there without much question. I did a little research but everything seemed really positive so we made our appointment. Well little did we know before we even saw a doctor we had to take a class on infertility, then came the testing and finally the doctors appt. Thankfully, all our tests come back normal, including my "Dye Test" (a real fun test where they shoot dye through your Fallopian Tubes and then X-Ray at the same time to ensure there are no blocked tubes) and my Hubby's S.A. (Sperm Analysis). Our next step was the appt with the doctor. We found out at the class that even though we pay a crap-load for our health care, we had ZERO fertility coverage. I even called and asked if we could pay more a month to add fertility coverage but nope! Only if we are under a group plan (another downside of being self-employed). So we prepared for our first visit that was going to cost us at least $700.00 for a pelvic ultra-sound and a clomid visit. CRAZY! I had heard from friends and clients that their doctors just gave them clomid during a regular checkup. Why was it $700.00 for us? WHATEVER (still a bit bitter on that subject and I think the ZB is making an appearance tonight). Anyway, we tried a clomid cycle without an IUI and it was a no go. Next Clomid with IUI... NOPE! The next cycle I went in and my ovaries were covered in cysts.... DUMB! However, I guess it was a good month to skip because we ended up buying a house and we needed every last penny in our account. The next two months were a bust because of misinformation from the Kaiser Fertility Clinic. After the cyst were found I called and asked if there was anything different we needed to do the next month to start injectables. The nurse said, "no nothing at all, just call on the first day of your cycle like normal." Well, I call the next cycle and was informed we had to take a shot class first. REALLY, you couldn't tell me that when I called 3 weeks ago? So that month was a bust because of misinformation. A similar situation happened the next month and I was starting to get REAL irritated.
The time away from the Kaiser clinic gave me time to really think about this process I was going through. I was starting to become so bitter. I would explode at my Hubby for no reason and I couldn't look at a baby without crying. It was time to reach out for some help. A dear friend of mine had been telling me about a fertility group that she felt could really help me. She had been in the group for years and even though she was blessed with a beautiful baby boy (after a very long journey) she was still very involved in helping others dealing with infertility. She also mentioned I should try acupuncture. One night, after throwing a box of ovulation predictor kits against the wall and almost physically hitting my Hubby I thought, "what could it hurt, I obviously need SOMETHING!" Best decision I have made in a long time. The support I have received has been amazing and my acupuncturist is AMAZING. Both are keeping my emotions at bay, well for the most part, and I have met some incredibly strong, awesome women. I am so grateful and wish I would have reached out earlier.
After hearing from, not only a couple of friends, but from some of the girls in the support group talk so positively about Northern California Fertility Medical Center (N.C.F.M.C. or NorCal) I went ahead and checked them out. Turns out not only were they cheaper (by half) but I loved that they are such a small group of doctors. At Kaiser we felt like a number, like we had to ask all the questions and it cost us precious months and cycles. When I found out you were assigned a "Nursing Coordinator" who walked you through the process I was sold. We called and made an appointment right away. We had to wait three months for that appt. but it was worth it. The doctor was very informative and explained step by step what he was doing. It was so refreshing. After some repeat testing, that came out slightly elevated, but nothing the Doc is worried about (I hope that's true) we have made it to our present situation. I was ready to move on to injectables only but our Doctor and my Hubby thought we should give NorCal a chance to do a Clomid IUI cycle with the increased dose of the Clomid. So here we are, hoping for the best, planning for the worst.
Thanks for reading my story. It really helps to get it out and I hope it can help you in some way.
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