We did our first IUI two weeks ago today. Everything looked great...1 good sized egg *just* about to release, good lining, and a fantastic washed sample from J.
This morning, before I could go in for my beta, AF showed. Making plans now for IUI #2 in July.
I can still add the beta to the blood tests that I am having done tomorrow, but for now I've decided not to go in as scheduled. I called my RE and he said it was fine since we'll continue with at least one more unmedicated cycle before trying meds. My parents are arriving from California this afternoon for a visit so it's actually nice to have something to cross of my list for today.
While I've been through every possible emotion the last few weeks, I am not devastated by the news. I never expected this to work the first or even second month...I'm thinking long term. And honestly, it feels good to be out of limbo.
Bring on the margaritas!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
I Hereby Ban Handy Manny
Me: What are you doing?
Him: Measuring your tushie. It's ten inches thousand.
Him: Measuring your tushie. It's ten inches thousand.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Oh for Fucks Sake**
A MEDICAL INSURANCE BULLSHIT VENT
This week we got a bill and an insurance statement for IF related blood tests that the useless OB wannabe RE sent me for January 2nd. Insurance was billed May 14th.
Insurance is paying nothing. We are being told to pay $95.02 (full charge $253) after insurance discount, which will be applied to our deductible.
Deductible? For blood tests? (We have copays and coinsurance, neither of which is what they are asking for.)
Here's the gist:
The blood tests were ordered as part of a routine medical exam by an in-network doctor. (Routine = nonemergent, I asked.) Blood tests in this case, these exact tests, are covered 100%, no deductible, no copay, no coinsurance if you go (in-network) to an "independent lab" not located inside the doctor's office. The lab I was sent to was "independent" and "in-network" located in an adjacent building in the same medical complex and is privately owned. We will call them ABC Labs. They also have additional locations all over town.*
But the won't cover it. They say we have a $100 deductible, and once that has been met, they will cover 80%.
Insurance agrees that the tests would have been covered 100% if we had been to an "independent" lab. They agree that ABC Lab is "independent" and "in-network" but a different kind of "independent" yet still in-network. The difference? They can't explain other than to say it would have been covered if I'd been to any other independent lab, which includes *other ABC Labs around town.
J went to an ABC Lab, different location, for his SA because it was closer to work. It was covered at 100%.
"Are ABC Labs a franchise? Is that the problem?"
"What's a franchise?"
"Okay, so I will be having more blood work done this week as part of an IF workup. I want to make sure I go to the place that will cost me the least out-of-pocket in the long run."
"Of course! Will it be part of a routine medical exam?"
"I'm seeing an RE. These tests are being done for IF reasons. It's nonemergent. You tell me."
"I'm afraid I can't answer that."
"May I speak to a supervisor?"
"I am a supervisor."
"Can I speak to your supervisor?"
"I don't have one."
It's not the money, it's the ridiculousness.
But really, why should I be surprised? Last week I was on the phone with our insurance company numerous times trying to find out who is a "preferred vendor" for IF meds down the road. Because while they agree they will cover IF meds if we use the correct vendor until we reach (a very piddly might cover an IUI or two unmedicated) lifetime IF max, they can't tell us who. And just so we're clear, by "preferred vendor" we're talking about a mail order drug supplier, so it doesn't have to be a local pharmacy because local pharmacies don't carry IF meds.
And so I say again, oh for fucks sake.
**After posting this I came across another IF blogger who had used this same title last week. Crap. It wasn't intentional, but probably in my head. Sadly, it's not the first time I've gone to write something and found that some one else in a small circle of bloggers had already covered it. So much for my having original thoughts...
This week we got a bill and an insurance statement for IF related blood tests that the useless OB wannabe RE sent me for January 2nd. Insurance was billed May 14th.
Insurance is paying nothing. We are being told to pay $95.02 (full charge $253) after insurance discount, which will be applied to our deductible.
Deductible? For blood tests? (We have copays and coinsurance, neither of which is what they are asking for.)
Here's the gist:
The blood tests were ordered as part of a routine medical exam by an in-network doctor. (Routine = nonemergent, I asked.) Blood tests in this case, these exact tests, are covered 100%, no deductible, no copay, no coinsurance if you go (in-network) to an "independent lab" not located inside the doctor's office. The lab I was sent to was "independent" and "in-network" located in an adjacent building in the same medical complex and is privately owned. We will call them ABC Labs. They also have additional locations all over town.*
But the won't cover it. They say we have a $100 deductible, and once that has been met, they will cover 80%.
Insurance agrees that the tests would have been covered 100% if we had been to an "independent" lab. They agree that ABC Lab is "independent" and "in-network" but a different kind of "independent" yet still in-network. The difference? They can't explain other than to say it would have been covered if I'd been to any other independent lab, which includes *other ABC Labs around town.
J went to an ABC Lab, different location, for his SA because it was closer to work. It was covered at 100%.
"Are ABC Labs a franchise? Is that the problem?"
"What's a franchise?"
"Okay, so I will be having more blood work done this week as part of an IF workup. I want to make sure I go to the place that will cost me the least out-of-pocket in the long run."
"Of course! Will it be part of a routine medical exam?"
"I'm seeing an RE. These tests are being done for IF reasons. It's nonemergent. You tell me."
"I'm afraid I can't answer that."
"May I speak to a supervisor?"
"I am a supervisor."
"Can I speak to your supervisor?"
"I don't have one."
It's not the money, it's the ridiculousness.
But really, why should I be surprised? Last week I was on the phone with our insurance company numerous times trying to find out who is a "preferred vendor" for IF meds down the road. Because while they agree they will cover IF meds if we use the correct vendor until we reach (a very piddly might cover an IUI or two unmedicated) lifetime IF max, they can't tell us who. And just so we're clear, by "preferred vendor" we're talking about a mail order drug supplier, so it doesn't have to be a local pharmacy because local pharmacies don't carry IF meds.
And so I say again, oh for fucks sake.
**After posting this I came across another IF blogger who had used this same title last week. Crap. It wasn't intentional, but probably in my head. Sadly, it's not the first time I've gone to write something and found that some one else in a small circle of bloggers had already covered it. So much for my having original thoughts...
3 Doors Down
Over the weekend I was visiting with my friend C at her house just down the street and having a grand old time. After a few hours I finally got up the courage to ask if her 13 year old son might be available to watch the Cracker during our IUI even though we won't be able to give him much notice. Her hubby is a Paramedic and she does medical billing from home, which some how made it seem easier.
"I'll do it! I'll watch him!"
Turns out they are waiting to see the same RE. Imagine that.
We were both so thrilled to have someone to talk to that we spent the next few hours discussing everything. Her husband, P, was sitting with us and listening, but only came into the conversation a couple of times to ask things like "so have you ever made J do it while you still had the thermometer in your mouth?"
"Want to see something funny?"
"Always."
She looks P in the eyes and slowly says "cer-vi-cal mu-cus."
He instantly paled. "Oh God! You have to stop doing that! Ugh...yuck!"
"That's a neat trick!"
"You two are like the women on Sex and the City, except you talk about ovulating and gardening."
"I'll do it! I'll watch him!"
Turns out they are waiting to see the same RE. Imagine that.
We were both so thrilled to have someone to talk to that we spent the next few hours discussing everything. Her husband, P, was sitting with us and listening, but only came into the conversation a couple of times to ask things like "so have you ever made J do it while you still had the thermometer in your mouth?"
"Want to see something funny?"
"Always."
She looks P in the eyes and slowly says "cer-vi-cal mu-cus."
He instantly paled. "Oh God! You have to stop doing that! Ugh...yuck!"
"That's a neat trick!"
"You two are like the women on Sex and the City, except you talk about ovulating and gardening."
Friday, June 01, 2007
Captain Underpants
The other day I noticed that the Cracker had changed his underpants. There were two obvious signs:
1. They were on backwards, which happens a good 50% of the time these days, and
2. Instead of white with little airplanes he was now sporting solid red.
"Why did you change your underpants?"
"Ummm...ummm...ummm...they had water on them?"
"Uh huh. Where are they?"
"I hid them."
"Where?"
"In my woom."
"Where in your room?"
"Under the wocking chair. You know, the blue one?"
"Can you get them for me?"
"Sure!"
I follow him as he scampers off happy as can be. He lays down on the floor in front of the chair, takes a quick peek, and then gropes blindly. Voilà one pair of dinosaur underpants.
"Uh, these aren't the ones I was talking about. This morning you had on airplane underpants."
"Huh."
"Where are the ones with airplanes?"
"Lemme just think for a moment, okay? Hmmm...hmmm... I know! I hid them too!"
Behind his bed.
When the Cracker finishes peeing he always drips. First drips come approximately 10-15 seconds after the stop of flow, second set a good 30 seconds later, and then finally the third and final set no less than another 30 seconds later. J has tried to teach him to "shake it off" and the Ped says it's probably from being uncircumcised. Whatever the case, the Cracker is suddenly far too excited to get back to what he was doing before his potty break to wait for that third final set of drips.
Over the weekend he changed his drippy pee underwear 17 times. He's so good about taking care of business on his own now that we don't even think about the fact that he's slipped away until we hear a flush, at which point it's too late.
After everything we went through with PTing, DPU doesn't send me into a frenzy like it would have 2 years ago, and I'm *thrilled* that he finally prefers clean drawers when not all that long ago he was perfectly happy to sit in poop all day long.
As my Dad points out, at least he's not ashamed to tell me where they are. That is good. I'll point out that I'm glad while he's smart enough to hide them, he's not smart enough to realize how ratting himself out negates the whole point of hiding them in the first place.
Lots of positives here.
1. They were on backwards, which happens a good 50% of the time these days, and
2. Instead of white with little airplanes he was now sporting solid red.
"Why did you change your underpants?"
"Ummm...ummm...ummm...they had water on them?"
"Uh huh. Where are they?"
"I hid them."
"Where?"
"In my woom."
"Where in your room?"
"Under the wocking chair. You know, the blue one?"
"Can you get them for me?"
"Sure!"
I follow him as he scampers off happy as can be. He lays down on the floor in front of the chair, takes a quick peek, and then gropes blindly. Voilà one pair of dinosaur underpants.
"Uh, these aren't the ones I was talking about. This morning you had on airplane underpants."
"Huh."
"Where are the ones with airplanes?"
"Lemme just think for a moment, okay? Hmmm...hmmm... I know! I hid them too!"
Behind his bed.
When the Cracker finishes peeing he always drips. First drips come approximately 10-15 seconds after the stop of flow, second set a good 30 seconds later, and then finally the third and final set no less than another 30 seconds later. J has tried to teach him to "shake it off" and the Ped says it's probably from being uncircumcised. Whatever the case, the Cracker is suddenly far too excited to get back to what he was doing before his potty break to wait for that third final set of drips.
Over the weekend he changed his drippy pee underwear 17 times. He's so good about taking care of business on his own now that we don't even think about the fact that he's slipped away until we hear a flush, at which point it's too late.
After everything we went through with PTing, DPU doesn't send me into a frenzy like it would have 2 years ago, and I'm *thrilled* that he finally prefers clean drawers when not all that long ago he was perfectly happy to sit in poop all day long.
As my Dad points out, at least he's not ashamed to tell me where they are. That is good. I'll point out that I'm glad while he's smart enough to hide them, he's not smart enough to realize how ratting himself out negates the whole point of hiding them in the first place.
Lots of positives here.
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