Ew, I touched it!

Friday night, Billy and I took Cooper and Carley to Mellow Mushroom for dinner. I had my bottle of estrace in my purse, and it fell out in Liane's car. I called her Saturday morning and asked her to see if she could find it. She of course, ordered Jason to search it out in her filthy car. He brought the bottle back in, and Liane said to him, "Thanks. That's the medicine Leslie puts in her cooter." Jason responded, "EW, I touched it!" Then, when I went by Alice's to pick up the bottle later, Alice said she left the bottle on the counter for me. Liane said again, "That's the medicine Leslie puts in her cooter," and at that point, Alice said, "EW, I touched it!"

Here's the deal people: number one, that is the one I take orally, not vaginally, so it does not go in my cooter, as Liane so eloquently put it and number two, I don't put a pill bottle in there. It's a single pill that I get out of the bottle. What's wrong with these people?

Looks like we have a schedule for things now, but life is about to get hectic for a couple of days. Liane's egg retrieval will take place on Monday morning at 8 a.m. Jason has to go back to Jacksonville today, and they would like for Cooper to go back to school this week since he's missed 2 weeks. Therefore, I will ride back with Jason today and spend the night in Jax. I will take Cooper to school tomorrow and take care of Carley. My dad will take Liane to her egg retrieval on Monday morning and then drive her back to Jax in the afternoon. At that point, we will either turn around and come right back on Monday evening or we will spend Monday night there and head back Tuesday morning. Of course, things have to be crazy for us.

As for my meds, I have some slight changes, but the most important change is that it's time to start my progesterone shots. These are intramuscular, which means that they have to be injected in my butt. Unfortunately, Jason is going to have to do these for me tonight and tomorrow. I'm so ashamed he has to see my butt. I guess it could be worse...after all, he is a doctor.

We had this whole issue with my PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosing) that came up. I wanted PGD done on all the embryos to make sure that we replace only good ones. The genetic tests let us know if they are dividing normally, have a good genetic makeup, etc. Our doctor had agreed to do this and pay for it before we began the cycle. Then, she tried to tell us it was unnecessary, since Liane already has 2 children. I call b.s. on that. I want it done. It's the only way we'll get some answers. If we put back embryos and they don't take, I won't know if it's because of the embryos themselves or because of something wrong with me, if we don't do PGD. My nurse called to say they would have embryo transfer on Day 3 following fertilization, which would be Thanksgiving. I know that PGD takes 5 days, so I asked her about it. She said they weren't doing PGD, and I said, "Oh yes you are." I told her that it was in the contract I signed with the doctor, and I was unwilling to proceed without it. She said that was fine, and she would make the changes to my protocol.

The nurse also told me that Billy needed to be there at 6:30 a.m. Monday to give his "sample." However, she had told me earlier this month that they had his sample frozen in the lab, and he wouldn't need to make a "contribution" the day of egg retrieval. I asked her about that, and she was like, "Oh yeah, I forgot." What's wrong with these people? Do I have to remember everything?

These things bring me to this whole issue of having to be your own advocate in the health care system. You have to be incredibly well-informed to deal with all of this stuff. I feel sorry for people who just always take their doctor's advice and don't understand enough to know when to fight for certain things. I have learned so much through this process.

I probably won't have a chance to update the blog until I return. I'll just leave you all wanting more....