Estrogen Heaven

I started taking 2mg of estrogen TID (three times daily) today. So far I don't feel any different, so that's awesome, but I'm just trying not to be stressed about the results of the ultra sound next week. 

LA

I drove 600 miles (17 hours, thanks to two accidents) to LA yesterday to meet the new IVF doctor and get started on meds. I really enjoyed meeting Dr. D. She was friendly, kind, and full of smiles. She asked questions, offered up personal stories, and made me feel very comfortable. However, the office has misplaced my medical records from Dr. K's office. So, they had no record of my blood work, the surgery, or the clearance appointment.

She did an ultrasound, and unfortunately she saw three small white spots. She identified then as calcifications probably resulting from the hysteroscopy. Without having my medical records and surgery notes, she's decided to put me on a one week trial run of estrogen and then I'll have another US to measure my uterine lining. 

I've read online that a healthy uterine lining is 8mm, so I guess that's my goal... In general, I have very heavy/long periods, which seems to indicate a full and fluffy uterine lining. Plus, I've had no problems with my pregnancies, so I'm praying that this next US will show a healthy fat uterine lining and we will be able to move forward with the surrogacy. 

I really want to do this, and we have invested so much time and effort into the process, that I don't want it to end because of a blip on an US the size of a grain of rice. 

So, after an 8 hour drive home, I calmed down and decided that it will be what it will be. If they don't want to use me as a surrogate, then they won't. My IP won't sign the finalized contracts until we have a positive measurement on the US, which is completely understandable, but it breaks my heart just a little bit that this might not work out. I really like my IP and genuinely want to help her (especially after our wonderful lunch). My emotions are all over the place about this, but all I can do is ride it out. I'll have an answer next week. 1/22 is the ultra sound for the measurement. Either it will be good and we'll move forward or it won't and it's over. Either way, there's nothing I can do except take my meds and hope. 

Moving forward!!

I received the contract from my attorney last night. There are a few changes that have to be made. 

1.) They are requiring my OB to be in CA, but my regular OB is located in AZ. Slightly problematic. 

2.) The contract states I must give birth in Needles, CA. I'm giving birth in San Luis, CA and Needles is an emergency back up location to ensure I do not give birth in AZ. 

I also have some questions about the wording on the childcare and hose keeping reimbursements. Otherwise, everything looks like it should. I'm excited to speak with the attorney today and get these papers signed!!

They say...

No news is good news. I surely hope so. Nothing from the attorney about the contracts yet. Nothing from the agency or broker about insurance. I'm just in a holding pattern right now. Deep breath. 

A day late and a dollar short

I realized tonight that if I was going to accurate chronicle the WHOLE surrogacy experience that I should have started this months ago when I first started the process. Bags. 

Right now, I have been cleared.  This consists of seeing the fertility doctor, learning about the surrogacy process, having my uterus examined via ultrasound, and had blood work done (my husband also had to have his blood work done). 

We hit a snag, it turns out I had some scar tissue from the D and C that was performed after my son was born in 2011 and I didn't stop bleeding. My body, ever on the lookout to be an overachiever, had made two placentas for my one little baby. Oops. Once that extra placenta was removed I was good to go!  I was nearly in tears when the good doctor told me I couldn't be a surrogate unless they could remove that scar tissue. After a load of calls, insurance approvals, and other nonsense, I had the surgery. Four weeks later my uterus was scar free and I was ready for surrogacy. 

I had an interview lunch with a IP (Intended Parent), a mother who was looking for someone to carry a baby for her and her husband. She was lovely, well spoken, and genuinely a nice woman. I had a wonderful time and left crossing my fingers that I had made a good enough impression that she would pick me to help her make her baby. 

I got the call before I'd even made it back to my car. She liked me too and we were going to move forward. WOOT!!

The IPs sat down with their lawyer and drafted a contract for the surrogacy. They have sent the contract to my attorney, who will go over it with me when she returns from vacation. Once the contracts are signed, the IPs have 10 days to put the money into an escrow account. Once that's done, I'll get reimbursed for the trips to LA (CA) for the screening and clearance visits and my husband's blood work which had to be done here in my home town. 

I have a visit scheduled for this month to do a meet and greet with the new fertility doctor (the IP is going with a different doctor than the one I saw previously so I have to do the initial appointment a second time). Then, I should be put on birth control meds to regulate my cycle and get me on the same page as my IP (who is, I believe, still planning on a live transfer). They are guesstimating a transfer in February. 

Ok. You're caught up without any boring and tedious jibber jabber about my feelings during those few months when I was freaked out about the state of my uterus and terrified that I wouldn't get picked. 

Right now I'm waiting on the signed contracts and health insurance. I have full coverage through my husband's employer, but it specifically rules surrogacy as an "out of pocket" expense. Gah. So, I'll have to buy another policy just for the surrogacy. I'll get reimbursed once the contracts are signed, but it's a lot of money. 

So. Be back in a bit. As soon as I have info!