CD12 - Getting ready for tomorrow's RE appointment

We spent NYE at home on the couch, being a sicky sniffly couple together. Awwww. :P We did manage to stay up until midnight for the requisite first kiss of the new year, but quickly lumbered up to bed afterward and went right to sleep. Not much in the way of a party this year, thanks to this bug that's going around.
Anyway, we then celebrated our two-year anniversary yesterday. Since the traditional gift for two years is garnet, I got Kaitlin a pair of silver hoop earrings set with little round garnets, and she gave me a silver and garnet bead bracelet. *love* We had a pretty low-key day yesterday, and wandered around the mall before having dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and going to see the new Disney movie FROZEN (which is super, super cute.) I really wish I could have taken today off of work too, as I’m sitting here in sneezy stuffy gassy discomfort… but there’s work to be done and I'm trying to save up as much of my leave time as possible to accommodate a future maternity leave (fingers crossed!) Our first RE appointment is tomorrow. It feels like I’ve been waiting for ages, even though I think it’s only been about two weeks… I’m so impatient, LOL. The TWWs are going to be torture!! I believe I ovulated last night, according to my temps, cervical position/CM and the positive OPK that I got late Tuesday night. Yesterday I was actually feeling a little sad, because I knew I was ovulating but had no swimmers to make an attempt with. Still, I know it’s better to save the money for a doctor-assisted cycle. However, if our doctor says we can’t try with her until February, I may ask Kaitlin to do an at-home attempt with one of our vials. Today I’m making a list of questions for the RE, to try and be sure that we cover everything important. I asked around on the Cryobank message boards and also did some google searches for suggested questions. So far, the list goes something like this: 1. What are your office hours? Do you close on weekends or holidays? Can your hours accommodate our work schedules? What happens if it appears I need an IUI on a weekend or holiday?
2. How will we communicate with you outside of the office? Will I be speaking directly with you or with a nurse? Who can I call if I have a problem after office hours?
3. What kinds of tests can we expect? How long will they take? How much will they cost? I expect to ovulate next toward the end of this month – will we be able to make an IUI attempt then?
4. What are our medication options, and do you recommend meds? If so, which ones, and what are the costs?
5. Will your office do ultrasounds to monitor ovulation? If so, on what schedule, and what is the cost?
6. Shall I continue using OPK tests? Are the smiley tests recommended, or should I use a different kind?
7. Should I have the swimmers shipped to our home or to your office?
8. Once I am ovulating, what is the procedure to get an IUI appointment? How soon after a positive OPK will you perform the IUI? Is timing individualized, or do you follow set protocols for everyone?
9. How many IUI procedures are performed per cycle? How many vials are used in each procedure?
10. Will the swimmers be tested for motility, etc. after thawing and before insemination? Can I get the results of the tests in writing?
11. Is the IUI performed by a doctor or a nurse?
12. What involvement can my partner have in the IUI procedure? Can she insert the catheter? Is the doctor willing to show her how to perform the IUI at home?
13. What are your pregnancy success rates with IUI from frozen sperm?
14. Can I do all the necessary testing and procedures in your office, or will I have to go to separate laboratories or hospitals?
15. What is the total cost of one cycle of treatment, including labs, ultrasounds, office visits, meds, and the procedure? Are there extra costs for phone calls? That’s all I’ve got so far, but I’m sure it’s plenty for discussion. I’m actually feeling crampy and uncomfortable today, but I think it’s gas… The discomfort woke me up very early this morning and it’s been pretty much ongoing ever since. On top of that I’m still feeling sick and tired… This cold I have has turned into a coughing/sneezing/stuffy head thing that is not fun at all. I called Aetna’s fertility hotline this morning to get registered in their program, but the guy who answered said someone had to call me back. I’m going to try again in another hour or so to see if I can get through. I’m not very hopeful that Aetna’s going to help… I don’t think my plan covers infertility. I’m going to do everything I can to try, though, because this is going to be an expensive process overall. Tomorrow’s visit should cost somewhere around $200, and then there may be costs for initial testing, costs for meds, costs for ultrasounds and office visits, the cost of shipping the swimmers, and the cost of the iui procedure – then I have to buy pregnancy tests. (That part I’m actually looking forward to.)I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much, because I don’t want to be too disappointed if we don’t get pregnant on the first try. But a naughty part of me can’t help that little niggling “what if it worked right away?” daydream. ^~ Tomorrow can’t come fast enough.