Why the downtown clinic won't work.

Well, we started this blog as a way to keep our families informed and we hope to take turns making entries. I am E and I will be the one carrying the baby. We made this decision based on our ages and desire to actually be pregnant.

A few things have happened since our last entry. First, we received a random letter from our insurance company saying that we are approved to the fertility clinic we went to. Second, we went to our "insurance approved"/assigned doctor today. It was horrible.

We are both very fortunate to have excellent health care coverage and benefits. However, the fertility doctors are located at the worse clinic in our health care system. It is downtown, through traffic in an older building. I had never been there before, but I was trying to be very positive. I thought about how great it would be to have no insurance coverage issues, the doctor's website was very encouraging because he was kind looking and did his residency in my old hometown, and they don't have a lot of extra charges (i.e. sperm storage fees).

1. The waiting room was full of pregnant teenage girls and their boyfriends.
2. The nurse who took us back barely spoke to us.
3. The exam room was about 7x7. M had to sit with her legs practically on mine to avoid the door from cutting them off when some entered. The walls were discolored, the floor was stained, and stir-up covers were cartoons and worn out.
4. When the doctor entered he was about 20 years older than his picture on his website, didn't even look us in the eye, didn't even ask who M was, and then he asked me how many days per cycle I bleed. REALLY? Bleed? Maybe, how long is your period? How many days do you menstruate? Bleed? I was ready to get up and leave at that moment. I felt M's hand on my back just slowing rubbing back.....like...I know...I know.... we don't have to stay.
5. He was a jerk. I had two pages of questions and I didn't ask any of them.
6. He kept calling sperm, "the stuff". Example: "Then you order the stuff and we store it and when you come in we defrost the stuff and put it in."

So....we took off to the mall for xmas shopping and called on the cell phone the other, more expensive, clinic. We were trying to compare costs. I think that the other clinic will be more expensive, but I was so uncomfortable at the downtown clinic I don't think I would be able to relax and do anything there.

Therefore, we will call the 1st clinic and tell them they are it and ask what the next step is.

We are about to start a 10 day vacation and one of our things to do is to find some donor sperm...or at least make a list of the top choices.

E-