Advice from my paps peeps
I need your wisdom, dear friends in the pooter. Previously, I mentioned the study that Hubby and I might qualify for, yes? Well, there's a wee wrench thrown in the works. I have to have a Pap smear before we can qualify for the study. There's nothing wrong with that, the problem is, in Canada, the medical systems moves slower than the maple syrup everyone loves so much here. Believe it or not, it takes a month for the results to come back. A month, people!So, that would push the timeline out. A lot. Assuming I could get in to the doctor (not Gynecologist. Oh, no. Family doctors do Pap smears here.) next week - which would be mid-cycle, and exactly when I should be going for a Pap smear - we're looking at mid-May before we get the results. That's best case scenario. "A month" means at least a month here, not "in 4 weeks."
Then, the results have to get from the doctor to the nurse in charge of the study. Then she has to schedule a qualifying meeting with us. Assuming all of this happens in due order, we're looking at starting a cycle mid-June at the earliest. The nurse is going on vacation in early June (I know, I know, but it's the law - they have to give her vacation time.), so if anything is off by the littlest bit, we miss the June start and are looking at mid-July.
If we don't do the study, we can start cycling mid-May. Next month.
The advantage to doing the study? Half our meds are free, giving us a savings of probably $1,000-1,500. There are no BCPs, and the protocol is specifically for older women who have previously exhibited a low-response to stimulants.
If we don't do the study? We pay for all the meds ourselves, RE puts me on a high-dose microflare (did I get that right? I don't have my notes with me, and it's been a while since I attended Google U. on all this stuff.) and I might have to argue a bit about BCPs (I don't want them. But I'll probably win that one.).
So. Start next month and pay for full meds, or start mid-June, possibly mid-July and be in the study. What would you do?
Just to add to the fun, Hubby and I are going to Israel in August. For the whole month. Do I want to be ending my 2WW in another country? Going to Israel having gotten a BFN? Or (maybe worse) going to Israel with a BFP and having to try to continue checking my numbers in a foreign country where I don't know the system? At least if we cycle in May, by the time August rolls around, I'll have had two months to adjust to a BFN, or be (G-d willing) two months into a BFP. But we won't talk about that last one yet.
Labels: infertility, isitacycle
posted by projgen @ 19:02
4 Comments:
Interesting question. Is there any chance they could use your previous pap results? It takes about a month here (in Israel) too. Maybe that's just standard. I'd check if there are any sort of preliminary results that the study people could get and then start the process without having the final results (I have absolutely no idea how the pap smears work...)
About having a BFP & being in Israel, I can see that being kind of scary. The truth is that there isn't much to do - if it's going to work out, it does and if not, not. At most they tell you when to stop the PIO, but there's no harm in continuing to take them... Hey, that should be your biggest problem :-)
I have no clue what I'd do in your position... Good luck with your decision!
Thanks, Rachel. My last test was too long ago; they won't use it. It has to be within a certain time frame, and it has to be the actual results (there aren't any preliminary type of results with a smear). Ah, well ;)
I understand your need to move forward NOW. However, you had to save up quite some time to be able to do do IVF again, the study discount must be of some help to you.
Also, if you go ahead with the study, you'll have tried something new.
Even though it's hard, I'd lean towards waiting. But I'm not in your shoes.
I love these scheduling decisions. Live for them. Oh yes. /sarcasm.
First of all, I agree with Rachel - I wouldn't worry so much about the travelling. I'm sure she can help you with practical information on how to use the system, which is generally what you're after in that position. Once you know how, the rest is having confidence in the quality of care, and Israel seems like it has good IVF facilities, so a few recommendations should hopefully sort that out.
So having decided to worry less about the travel thing... ah heck I don't know. I often go back to flipping a coin. The sense of dread or relief I get from the result usually tells me which way I'm leaning.
Good luck with deciding.
Bea
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