New to IVF

[lovin4baby]

Hello everyone,
Love reading your messages but I'm confused about all the codes. Is there a list that identifies what the codes stand for?

I'm new to the message board and excited about hearing from you all. My husband and I have been married for 12 years and trying to conceive for 9 years now. Both of my tubes are blocked. I've had two surgeries with no success. Onwards to IVF. Scary! We are a military family living in TN. Our treatments will be at Wilford Hall, Texas. Our first initial appointment will be in August. What can I expect from this first appointment? I am so nervous I feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin. To top it off, my husband is deployed to Iraq (returning in September) so I'll be at the first appointment by myself (well my girl-friend is coming with me for support).

Should I be doing something to prepare myself (mind and body) prior to the treatments? I read in some of the messages about "ideal wieght." I'm about 30lbs over weight, is this going to be a problem? I've read so much about the IVF treatments but I still feel so confused.... I guess what I'm looking for is some reassurance from those who have been where I am now. Have any of you been to Wilford Hall?

Thank you for all your future support.
Lisa

[kdc2006]

hi lisa..... this site is great for information and support too.....on the general board you will find all the basic information that you will require....also there is a thread linking you to the 'codes' abbreviations that you asked for....

ivf can be very stressful and a slow process but also worth it.......i cant remember much of my first appointment ....ive been seeing my consultant for over 2 yrs and after reaching the 'ivf' only option stage my partner and i decided to go private......so we basically said yes to ivf in march and started the medications in april.....now this is june and im pregnant.....

before starting the meds i started taking folic acid which i will take right up until 12 weeks of pregnancy....

anyway good luck and i hope to read in the future of your success

kareenxxx

[Ghost]

lovin4baby:

Tubal blockage is no problem for IVF. You should have good chances, if no other major problem is present.

30 pounds overweight is no biggie, but it's better if you're not overweight. Fat cells contain aromatase, which converts androgens into estrogens, and can interfere with an IVF cycle. 30 pounds overweight is common, though, and not nearly the extremes where this becomes a big problem. Also, weight can correlate with insulin levels (not always), which can cause other fertility problems. But this is old hat, and I'm sure your physician knows what to do. Again, 30 pounds is no biggie. You should have a good chance of success. So forget the little details I just gave you and let the doctor do all the worrying.

[racquel]

Hi there - welcome to IVF. I didn't know what on earth I was getting myself into (haha) but it's all worth it. Find a way to relax, meditate, whatever because you'll be going through lots of ups and downs and will need some way to maintain a balance.

I found it tough to talk with my friends in the beginning because they didn't know what I was going through and I felt like a hypochondriac when I talked about mood swings, cramping, bloating, etc .... but just a few visits to this message board helped me understand that I'm not alone and not imagining the side effects - they're real but I know I will get through them.

My first couple of visits included bloodwork and sonohystogram. Based on your history those will be no big deal. Once the shots and stimulation cycle starts you'll feel like an old pro. Feel free to ask questions every step of the way and these wonderful ladies will be here for you.

Take care, Racquel

[lovin4baby]

Thank you for your comments. I've starting to workout and I've changed my eating habits. (No more coffee!) So far I've lost 5lbs. I hope to lose about 10 more before my appointment in July.

Another question...why do the insurance companies not want to cover IVF? I know Massachusetts is the only state that covers their residents... what is the big deal? Military doesn't cover IVF and I've gone around and around with reps from the TRICARE group and I never get a straight answer. Anyone have any ideas? Just curious...

Thank you for all your comments and support. It truely is a great relief to talk to others that know what I'm going through.

Lisa

[racquel]

HI - been thinking about your question re: insurance. Bottom line I think if they get pressure to cover, over time they will. But they're not going to give anything up without a fight. My DH and I have great insurance and chose a higher cost plan because they cover up to $10K lifetime. The first time I called for authorization they denied us because our diagnosis is male unspecified and I was too open (stupid) and let out that he is paralyzed ... so they said it was a pre-existing condition and they wouldn't cover it. I was so upset - people need ART for all different kinds of reasons, who cares that our case was due to an accident?? Anyway, got some coaching from DH and called back, acted like I had never talked to anyone before, just gave them the male-unspecified diagnosis and now we're covered. Have to pay most up front and get reimbursed which is a long process (haven't received any reimbursements yet) but hey, at least it's something and I feel lucky that we have the option. We're lucky with our perscriptions though - our only option for insurance to cover was Freedom Drug and they are awesome - very friendly, they follow up to make sure you got everything, it's packaged well and even overnight shipping is free! I highly recommend them.

Ok that was a long story and what was the point???? I'm not sure myself except to show that even when your insurance company says they cover, you can't count on it to be easy. They make you work for every cent! I think with time, public pressure, continued success with ART they will come around.

Take care, Racquel