All tapped out...

My brother suggested that I start blogging our infertility journey a few weeks ago. We've been on this roller coaster for over three years, so my initial response was "why would I start now, when we're so far in to this experience?" But looking back, the me of three years ago never could have imagined what challenges we'd be in for, how long this might take, or the importance of having an outlet. There have been so many times we've thought "this will be the one" and our journey would be over. But that's because we're optimists...

This week I finished my CCRM homework. The list of tests required before you start an IVF cycle is a long at any clinic, but this clinic in the mile-high city has a list a mile long! For the past three weeks I've been poked and prodded in ways I never imagined (some of those will be described in later posts).

This week, because of the timing of my menstrual cycle, I did the last of my required blood work. On Wednesday morning (CD 3) I went in with my shipping kit, frozen test tube holder, and an order to draw, clot, and spin my blood so that just the serum could be frozen and shipped to Colorado. Two hours later my CCRM nurse called to tell me that they needed my local lab to run one more test and "had I gone in for my blood work yet?"

Ugh. Yes, I'd gone in for my blood draw. And now the 4 vials of blood had been clotted, spun, and frozen. No extra was left over for running this test. A test I've had ordered twice before, by the way, but apparently it hasn't been run correctly. Normally the lab draws blood, keeps a little in the fridge for a week, and runs your tests. That way, if your doctor decides to run additional tests, a sample already exists and you don't need to get another blood draw. That is, unless your blood has already been clotted, spun, frozen and shipped...you get the point.

So I went back in on Thursday morning. Wednesday was a right arm draw, so I held out my left arm for Nicolette, the fabby phlebotomist. The draw was quick - just 1 vial. And Nicolette reassured me that she does lots of draws for CCRM, that they're the best, and that she's praying for us.

But I have to admit that I've considered asking if they can just install a vein-tap....