Once we chose a donor, it took about a month longer than anticipated for our cycles to sync together. She had been a previous (proven!) donor and her meds may have caused her period to be delayed by nearly a month. By the time I was off my BCP (birth control pills = hello water weight) and able to start meds, I was anxious to get this show on the road.
You'll receive a call from the pharmacy asking for your address so they can Fed-Ex your medications. Fed-Ex?! I don't think so! This wasn't some sweater I had ordered from The Gap. Ok, this is just an example, I never order clothes on-line, I'm too tactile and I don't trust that they'll fit.
Besides, you need to sign for your fed ex. so shipping to my home wasn't an option during the work week. Although the return label doesn't say 'FROM THE SUPER-DUPER EXPENSIVE IVF DRUG COMPANY," I still didn't want any of my nosy co-workers wondering what just came in the mail.
The meds are sent by Fed-Ex to your donor, but you have the option to pick up yours if you choose. They won't be sent to your local CVS or Walgreens, they are delivered to a 'speciality pharmacy.' which may or may not be in your neighborhood. I had to drive about 40 minutes for mine. I'm glad I did.
At the fancy pharmacy, you'll be faced with a giant shopping bag (think Gap again) filled with lots of "stuff' and lots of information. I immediately felt overwhelmed with the sheer amount of pills, bottles, syringes (two kinds and gulp, so many), swabs and containers that were laid out on the counter.
There are different instructions for each drug. Some need to be put in the 'door' of your fridge (Lupron). Some do not. Some are taken with food. Some or not. While everything is labeled and spelled out, I took comfort in having an actual person explaining each part. I'm sure I could have figured it out on my own, but I needed that extra bit of comfort and peace of mind. You'll be struck with the weight of 'oh shit, this is really happening' once you see the magic drugs before you.
My insurance (thank you Motion Picture :{ )doesn't cover infertility, but they ran my card through anyways. I saved $150 by picking it up in person. I didn't have to worry that my package was at some Fed-ex station in Texas or Illinois. There's enough to worry about with IVF, this shouldn't be one of them
On my way out the door the pharmacist told me to call anytime. As I gathered up my bag of goodies, she gave me the warmest smile and wished me luck. That was worth the drive alone.
I found your blog through LFCA and wanted to wish you the best of luck! I caught up on all of your posts and really enjoyed it, especially your history. Thanks so much for the advice on getting moving with donor choices early and not always taking the "in cycle" details on the website as current data.
ReplyDeleteDE is a big step, one that is likely in my future. I came to terms with the idea during my IVF #1 cycle when I stimmed so badly and I'm almost eager to get to DE in the spring. I'm humoring my RE by doing a couple more IVFs with my own eggs since they're fully covered by insurance, but gave him a deadline (which is backwards for most people, I know) of April before I switch over. I'll look forward to following your journey, you're in my Go.ogle Reader now! ;)
Hey there, I found your blog through Noodle Girl. I enjoyed reading your post and wish you the best of luck. I will keep checking in on you. Stop by and say hi some time. :)
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