ERA: Baseline

This morning's appointment could have gone better.

Usually when you check in at a baseline appointment they like to verify that you've been financially cleared to start. For some reason, the FET code was put on my file: maybe there is no ERA code? Maybe to ensure that it's an identical protocol? I don't know. Maybe that ensures that bloodwork, ultrasounds, etc. are all following that protocol. If that's how they want to do it, fine. But the cost for a FET is much higher than that for an ERA biopsy and apparently no one mentioned the ERA to the front desk. So the front desk staff kept saying that since I'm there for an FET baseline I owe the entire amount for an FET. I was trying to explain to them that I'm not doing an actual transfer and that a transfer may not even happen for a few months.

They got the financial counselor involved and she was saying that she had emailed me the cost and the date it was due. First of all, no she didn't. All she emailed was the cost for each procedure without a due date, but since this isn't my first rodeo, I know the cost is due at baseline. Second of all, I'm not doing an FET! It was sorted out eventually but it was annoying to deal with, especially since the counselor didn't take me back to an office to discuss it, we were discussing it right up at the front desk. Luckily there weren't many patients at the time and the waiting room was empty, but still. I don't like this counselor. This isn't the first time she's messed with my account (I had an incident with her in February).

Once I was cleared to start, they took me back for blood and the tech couldn't get a draw. One stick - nothing. She went to the other arm, nothing. Second stick back on the first arm - nothing. I had water before coming in that morning but nothing else. She said I should go to the ultrasound first and then come back. I was getting worried because by now it was getting late and I had a 9AM meeting that I didn't want to be late for. I grabbed another cup of water on the way to the ultrasound hoping it might help things with bloodwork.

I went for the ultrasound and the doc came in pretty quickly, but she's like, "Ok so I see you're getting ready for a transfer!" And I had to correct her also - nope, just a biopsy. In the back of my mind I'm trying not to get nervous that not everyone is on the same page because I know they're not going to thaw any embryos by accident.... right? I hope not.

After that I went back to the lab for bloodwork and a different tech was able to get it with one stick. I was out about 5 minutes after that and due to light traffic made it to my meeting with time to spare, leaving enough time to text my husband the ridiculousness of the morning's adventures.

I got the results later this afternoon and we're good to start. I hope the rest of the cycle goes smoothly and is nothing like this morning's appointment.