The Infertility Clinic

So we were playing the waiting game....we prayed and we waited! We started thinking is this right? Is it ok to seek infertility treatments? Is this going against God's will? What will they tell us? 
We waited for tricare to call with the results of our referral, mainly we only wanted the referral because with it tricare will pay for your appointment! So finally after checking a few times with them and no results yet they called after 2 months! They told me tricare had accepted the referral and now they would call the clinic to make me an appointment. They called me back about a week later with very good news, there was a cancellation, they had an appointment available in 2 weeks! (TWO WEEKS!) this was awesome, usually you have to wait 2 months! They asked if I would be available and I replied with "if I wasn't I will be, yes I will take the appointment," she says "good because I booked it! Come by 2 days before to pick up directions!" Cliff and I were very excited to be getting somewhere...hopefully closer to answers on how to have a family! 

July 25th, 2012: Our appointment with an Infertility Clinic in Pordenone Hospital! The Base also paid for a translator however Dr. Manno speaks good English! So the appointment went something like this: 
The Dr looks over our blood work and all our tests. He asks my age, continues looking and states my FSH is high and AMH is low for my age, then he says "inter-uterine insemination is not an option, you need to do in-vitro fertilization and we need to do it soon! I can't get you in on my Sept. treatment but I can get you in on the Nov. treatment cycle. Would you like to do that?" Cliff and I a little shocked with an answer as of what we need to do, say "yes we would love that." We ask why we are not a candidate for IUI and he says because of my AMH level, he said it would more than likely not work so there is no need to waste time and he didn't want to waste time with my hormone levels, he thought IVF is the best treatment for us. The Dr then says "I hope you didn't do the HSG test because it is not necessary for you and it is quite uncomfortable".....HA you have got to be kidding me, yes I did that and yes it was quite uncomfortable, only good thing that came from it was knowing that I am all clear and the parts look good! He discussed with us our options on where to seek treatment, the options: 
`seek treatment at the Pordenone Hospital where treatment cost 3000 Euro up front with no refund if it doesn't work plus medications (approx 1,500 Euro) and a longer wait time before actually starting treatment 
`or seeking treatment with their main Clinic in Oderzo where the treatment costs approx 4,700 Euro plus medications (approx 1,500 Euro) but they give as many samples as possible, you stop paying if you don't reach it to certain points and treatment would be starting in Nov. 
The Dr talked to us a little about the numbers and success rates, which all seemed very good! My hormone tests kind of stink but my age makes up for it and evens me out, putting me in a normal success zone! We gave the Dr our email, he said he would contact us with our next appointment and he ordered some more lab work for us to do! Cliff and I walked out of there...me mostly, thinking wow, this is not the route I wanted to go but I can't believe we have an answer with what we need to do on our first visit! I expected more tests before we would know what we needed to do! And in November, wow, so soon I also expected to have to wait longer! We felt as though God was leading us to the path he wanted us to go down! He had Dr. Vroon do all he could do on base and then refer me to the infertility specialist who was very passionate and sincere on helping us! I was at ease with where we were even though I would prefer natural conception, We had prayed for God to lead us to where he wanted us to go, we had turned it all over to him and things started happening for us, we were getting answers and Doctors who wanted to help us!

What happened after our July appointment and while we waited for a message stating we were ready to start treatment:
I worried and waited anxiously! I started exercising more because I was finding myself very anxious! The exercise worked miracles! It was kind of slow....we just lived normal life I guess! August 8, I had to go to the Oderzo clinic (the main infertility clinic where we chose to seek treatment) to have an ultrasound done for a follicle count. This is where I really realized the Italian hospitals/clinics are different than American ones! I had been in the hospitals before so I knew the looks were different but I hadn't really got to experience it first hand! I had also been told by a few people what to expect. I am glad I am not too modest because this is no place for it! While at the clinic we sat down and talked to the doctor then the Dr and I walked behind a small wall to the examination table (Cliff stayed seated at the desk), while he turned the ultrasound machine on he told me ok, to get on the table...I dropped my panties (I had a dress on) and I hopped up on that table, put my legs in the stir-ups and the doctor preformed the ultrasound! This made me laugh...what else should I do? I have to laugh in these situations (I mean I held it in until Cliff and I left and I could tell him what happened but it made me laugh on the inside while it was happening)! I also told some of my friends that if they ever had to go off base to not be modest and be prepared! It was a funny experience to me and it is not weird...this is how they (Italians) do things, they aren't modest, the Doctor was a professional, they don't cater to you like American Hospitals, they give basic care, but it's good care! Why is it necessary to have a drape cloth to cover your legs during an ultrasound? Apparently Italians don't think it is necessary and they don't offer them! So if you ever find yourself in an Italian Hospital (maybe all European Hospital/clinics are like this, I'm not sure) don't be surprised by the lack of modesty! I thought the results of the follicle count (ultrasound) were good but when I took the results back to the Pordenone Hospital so Dr. Manno could review them, he said they weren't so good. For someone my age I should have 12 follicles, I had 4! But he said again, with my age and medications I should still be in the normal range for treatment success! 

October 10, 2012: Awesome day! We received an email from Dr. Manno that stated they were recruiting couples for the Nov. treatment cycle, asking if we wanted to participate! We of course replied YES and he ordered some more lab work!
All of Cliff's were normal again! One of mine came back abnormal :( a chromosome test. Cliff and I actually had the results at home and I started reading the results, it said we suggest genetic counseling....I kind of panicked! Cliff tells me to stay calm and go talk to my base Dr (Dr. Vroon) the next day! I do so and he is confused, he missed the results being abnormal and apologized, he didn't really know what the results meant and he suggested me seek the genetic counseling and discuss this with my infertility Dr to see what he suggests doing. I speak to Dr. Manno (infertility Dr). Dr Manno says to get an echocardiogram, a thyroid test and a kidney ultrasound done asap so we can proceed with treatment! I panic again, Cliff calms me, again exercise helps the anxiety levels and a new friend tells me this is not a road block but merely a speed bump! I don't think she realized how much her words helped me! I had previously had the thyroid test and it was normal so I didn't have to do that one again but I had to have the kidney ultrasound done on base, the results were normal! Next up was the echocardiogram and that had to be preformed off base at the Italian Hospital in Pordenone (with us paying out of pocket, it was about 150 Euro)! The results, normal :) 
Echocardiogram: interesting experience! So Italians are not modest and their hospitals are a lot different than Americans! Here is my ecg test experience: I go in sit down in a waiting room and the doctor comes to call me back! We sit in his office, I explain to him I am seeking IVF and a chromosome test came back abnormal and they ordered this test, a kidney ultrasound and thyroid test (both normal) before we can proceed. He says ok lets get started, we walk behind a room divider and he says remove your shirt, I remove it and sit on the bed, he says your bra also, I get up remove it and lay back down...yes I am laying topless with nothing but my pants on (no modesty in the Italian hospitals and this is normal so I try to act like it is normal for me too), he checks my blood pressure and starts an electric reading so he sticks things on me, reads the graph prints it out, tells me to put my shirt on and follow him to the ultrasound part of the test in a room down the hall! We walk to the other room...I remove my shirt again and bra, sit topless in a chair in the middle of the room with just him and I in the room...half way through the test I look up to see this video camera mounted on the wall and all I can think is well it's probably for safety since they do stuff with just the doc and patient and don't have to have a nurse present also, just for safety but I laugh and also think well if someone does monitor the camera often I hope they are getting a good show of this young topless girl moving side to side and this older gentlemen ultra-sounding my heart haha! I got a good laugh out of it! 

After all the worry, all of the tests came back normal! The ECG had great reviews as that sweet older gentlemen who preformed my test was the Chief Director of the Cardiology Department and is particularly skilled with this test :) how awesome, not only was he a very nice, older, gray haired gentleman who made me very comfortable, explained everything he saw during the ultrasound, sat back down with me at his desk after, assured me everything was normal and there was nothing to worry about, sent me out of his office with a copy of the results...he wasn't just nice, he was the Chief of the department! I walked out of there laughing too but thinking ya know all of the doctors I have seen on the economy here in Italy have been so sincere!

My body has issues in the fertility department but I have been blessed with awesome doctors to help me!