Tests, tests and more tests

At last count, I’ve given 16 vials of my sweet red blood to CCRM’s exclusive program. I’ve been tested for everything from Vitamin D to AMH to the entire Thrombophilia Panel.  On top of that I’ve signed fifty pages of consents, many of which were opting out of even more blood tests screening for the most elusive chromosomal abnormalities. And this doesn’t include the tens of other tests I don’t need to have because they have already been done. Or the ridiculous amount of my past history that must be received before moving forward.

Every time, I think I have finally gotten them everything, my lovely nurse, Rhonda calls to remind me of what she has yet to receive. And it appears that CCRM, as competent as they are with fertility, cant seem to keep track of paperwork. It started from the initial phone consult back in February when I got a call the day before saying my records had never been sent. Infuriated, I took it out on the poor records lady at UCSF who swore she had faxed all 68 pages and probably in fear of my wrath, did it again (and again when CCRM couldn’t find it). This time I was at CCRM when the faxed was received and even confirmed it the sender. Two weeks later after Rhonda sent me orders for a 20 vial blood test which I swore I had had and asked yet again if she had seen the results and she brushed me off saying it was a different test,  lo and behold, it arrived on her desk and she called to tell me to hold off. And just in time, I was packed in the car and ready to lose a couple pints. Rhonda did say she was sorry and that I would need some more tests run – only 8 vials.

Its enough to drive you crazy! Add in the roller coaster of home buying  - I wont get into our loan process or the hoops I’ve had to jump through to get approved. And I will skip the details of selling the house in a declining market in which our agent now predicts our home will sell for $125k less than she estimated six months ago. Come on, this is San Francisco and there are very few homes on the market! I will also leave out Miles’ latest toddler antics in which Thomas and friends are constant sources of bribery.  So what if he only eats when he is planted in front of a Thomas video. At least he gets his veggies.

All of this led my very astute husband to suggest that maybe we are rushing into CCRM. Perhaps we could wait a month or two or three. Try the old-fashioned way, take the stress off and relax a little. If only it were that easy. The fact that I turn 40 in a month holds little sway. Somehow he missed that we, well I, have limited time before the window closes and each month counts. I try to figure out alternatives – an IUI here, another IVF – but in the end, each failure gets me back to CCRM but with older eggs. It wont be convenient, it wont be easy and from what I can tell, no one there is going to hold my hand through it but it really is our best shot.