Part One–November, 2011

September.  That was my last post.  My goodness.  So much has happened that I need to catch up on.  So much going on. 

2012.  What a year this is going to be.  IVF.  Marriage. 

But I need to start back in the past.  Back with the appointment that set the new IVF path rolling…

 

After the disaster of our previous OB appointment, which was right before we discovered that I had conceived and then consequently dealt with my miscarriage, we made steps to organise an appointment with a new OB. 

We spent a lot of time looking for the right one and eventually got a recommendation that sounded great.  We had to wait two months for the appointment and were very excited.

November rolled around and we arrived at the clinic.

An hour later, we were still waiting to go in and Dave was getting quite irritated.  He had taken time off work that he couldn’t afford in order to be there.  And was beginning to be annoyed at such a long wait.  He was happy to take time off for the appointment, but was becoming irritated at such a long wait and felt that we should have received a courtesy call to say that she was running very late.

For me, I was relaxed and really enjoying the time we were spending chatting away in the waiting room.  I was so looking forward to the appointment and didn’t mind waiting.  But I could understand his irritation.  I had the day off.  He had so much work that needed to be done.

Finally we were called in to her office.  The excitement built.  I had all my papers with past results and scans all ready to show her.  This was it.  Finally.  IVF.  Baby.

As we walked through the door, she got a call on her mobile.  “I’m sorry”  she says.  “I have to go.”  WHAT???!!!!

She had a phone call to go the hospital, I think to be with a woman having her baby.  Okay, I get it.  But we have just waited an hour – and two months.  And that’s it???!!

“I can give you 5 minutes”, she said.  I could feel Dave’s irritation building.

It turned out, she gave us about 10 minutes.  Only to tell us that she doesn’t do IVF anymore and she didn’t know why we were referred to her.  What???!!!!  This, after I spent about 30 minutes on the phone to the receptionist when I made the appointment, talking about the fact that we coming to see her for IVF.  What the hell??!!  After the appointment we found out that things had changed in the IVF clinic and she was no longer a part of it.  I suspect it happened in the two months that we waited for the appointment.

I was flabbergasted.  Why no courtesy phone call to all her upcoming fertility appointments to tell them of the change?  Why make us wait for two months, only to come in and get nothing?  They knew we were there for IVF, they whispered it to themselves when we arrived.  Why not say something even then??!!!

She may have given us 10 minutes, but she didn’t assess us at all.  She didn’t look at any of my results, she just babbled a bit about things that we already knew.  And then we were dismissed and she was off. 

We were left reeling.

And then, when we went to the desk to get some information, they said “That will be $165.”  For 10 minutes.  Of nothing.  You’ve got to be joking!

At that point, Dave had to walk out of the clinic and leave me to deal with the final details.  He was ready to snap.

I still find it hard to believe. 

It was all so disappointing and set us back 6 months in our process, 6 months that we can’t afford at my age.  However, we came out of it with one good thing…  a referral to the most fantastic, terrific OB I have ever met!

Stay tuned for Part 2!…