Cycle

It's here. My cycle

Breathe.

It does not get easier with time, with experience, hell! Even with success. I always know, I cannot shake the fact that this doesn't work more often than it does. (that's a sentence, right?)

I'm at the re's office. Every time I come here, I see someone having a bad day. Last week, it was someone fighting with the cashier about billing ("if you don't pay today we can't proceed with the extraction"). Today, it was some woman being directed to take a prescription ("but I don't understand. Aren't I cycling?"). Tomorrow, it will be someone and something else. I would not love working here.

I am insanely, crazily, obsessively worried about this cycle. I think it's because so much went wrong last cycle, and I know it's the last cycle my insurance allows. No pressure, ovaries, but get pumping.

They switched up my drugs this time. I'm taking f3mara, which is new for me. My clinic is a group practice, and some doctor wrote me a prescription without noting why. When I asked the nurse she shrugged and said "couldn't hurt".

Wish me luck

My Public Service Announcement for Lurkers

Or, What the Heck's an Adzuki Bean, Anyway?

Okay, so I (like many people, I'm sure) bought and read The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies. (It's not a bad book; I recommend it). And I'm sure that many people, like me, read it and found a category they fit into. And the advice is things like "eat organ meat" or "eat dark greens" or, as I mentioned in the subtitle "eat Adzuki beans."

So here is my PSA: if you're following the Infertility Cure, go get a Macrobiotic cookbook. I recommend the "The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics" but I really recommend looking at any book before you buy it. I'm told that Ayurvedic cooking will also work, but I can't state that as a fact. I will tell you that *my* local bookstore lumped them together and they are not the same thing. (Again, I'm told).

Now, I don't know about you, but I find it hard to find the exotic fixings for macrobiotic recipes. At times, I go to my local Trader Joe's or Whole Paycheck, but for macrobiotic, try your local Japanese, Korean or Chinese market. What is healthy to me is a traditional food there, and the priced usually reflects it. (Hijiki salad? Tofu? Miso Soup? Soooo much cheaper there...) Macrobiotic cooking has its roots in traditional Japanese cooking.

You can find out more (and better) information about macrobiotic cooking elsewhere. Hope you do, and enjoy.

(PS -- added benefits of macrobiotic cooking: You will lose weight, even if you're not trying to).

End of PSA...

Ketchup

GET IT? Okay, I'm trying here.

Lessee. When last we spoke, I was thinking of trying a cycle, and trying to scrounge together drugs.

So. Drugs have been scrounged (thanks, all). I'm waiting for AF and ready to go. (eep). Some things I've learned....

Thinking of using IVFMeds.com? Good luck with that. I tried, but my clinic refused to play ball. The clinic refused to explain and IVFMeds had worked with them before, so I am clueless. I'm sure there is a legislative and or insurance-liability-type reason behind it, but DAMN it is annoying. Did you know there's a generic Men0pur?

From there, I went to my insurance carrier. After many (MANY) phone calls, I found someone who recommended the Freedom Pharmacy. While not as cheap as generics from Europe, it was a bit better than over the counter in mid-town Manhattan.

Along the way, I had oral surgery. Which is only relevant because when you have any sort of anesthesia TELL YOUR RE. My clinic FLIPPED OUT. So that's why I'm cycling this month as opposed to last month...

In the mean time, I'm doing accupuncture and taking every vitamin supplement you can think of and eating macrobiotic... Oh, and looking for a job.