Big Day: Part I

Today is the big day! ERA is happening at 10:45 AM. I'm excited and happy: for the first time in weeks I feel like I'm doing something to progress toward our goal. I'll continue updating as the day goes on.

I left a little early this morning because I was jittery. I knew that I would find something to do or some errand to run and preferred to be early rather than late. It's a good thing I did leave early because there was heavy traffic and a trip that should have taken 10 minutes took 20. Beside that, the elevators at the clinic were being cleaned so only one elevator was working which also took a few extra minutes. I got there at 10:40 AM for my 10:45 AM appointment. Score one for me.

I can tell that the clinic doesn't do these very often because there were a few hiccups.

First, when I checked in the receptionist asked if I'm there for bloodwork and ultrasound. No, I'm here for a biopsy. She had to go check and see what paperwork I need. She found something and had me sign it.

Second, she asked me to report to the lab to give a urine sample so they can run a pregnancy test. I wasn't told to prepare for that and I had emptied my bladder right before. I chugged some water and squeezed something out.

Then they took me back to the room and there were three nurses helping because there were questions: about the paperwork, about which instruments are needed, about payment. Why are any of these things a question - shouldn't you guys know all this by now?

I had to fill out paperwork that goes with the sample itself and as I was filling it out, a nurse comes back and says that the doc is ready so I should get undressed and we'll figure out the paperwork after. This was 11:00 AM and I get that they wanted to keep him on schedule. Everything seemed very rushed. The doc seemed to know what he's doing so that was reassuring.

The ERA itself took less than 3 minutes. I chatted with the doc for a minute about his choice of a pink shirt for the day and then he requested a specific instrument from a nurse. Once settled he put in a speculum, which was uncomfortable but nothing I've not had before. Then cleaned out the cervix; again uncomfortable but familiar. A few seconds later I felt the scratching on the inside of my uterus and even though I was expecting it, it caught me off guard and made me tear up. It was only a few seconds worth of scratching, if that, but the cramps continued for another minute afterward even after I sat up. Hours later I'm still feeling period-like cramps. I was still tearing up when the doc was leaving the room and he said, "Oh I made you cry, I'm so sorry." I responded with, "It's not the first time..." trying to be funny but failing miserably because it sounded more like I was trying to get back at him for hurting me.

The nurses gave me a few tissues and the rest of the paperwork to fill out and said I can take all the time I need to clear the room. When they left and closed the door I took a minute to sob -- not because I was in pain but because I was sad that I had to go through this, and I was embarrassed that I cried in front of everyone, and because I knew that if I didn't then I'd be on the verge of tears the rest of the day -- and then filled out the rest of the paperwork and got dressed. I asked for a copy of the paperwork and went to check out.

Further evidence that they don't do this often was that at checkout I was asked if I know how much I owe. I said that I was told the procedure cost was $875 and I had paid it in full when I came in for the lining check last week. She was telling me that the cost to the lab was ALSO $875 and that I had to give my credit card info to submit with the paperwork in order for the sample to get processed. I already had a foot out the door and wanted to get out of there, so I gave her a credit card number and said I'll contact the financial advisor directly, who told me the exact fee (and which we based our decision off of). There's no way that the advisor quoted me $875 when the fee is actually $1,750.... right???

Turns out the financial advisor has screwed up once again. Here's the first time she messed up. It actually does look like the $875 is only on one side of the biopsy. The lab charges the same amount as well on their end. So we are being charged twice what we expected and only find out about it after the biopsy is already done which is too late to do anything about it. I'm so upset and I can't stop crying. I know "it's just money" but I'm so annoyed that this keeps happening! How can they be so callous about information to patients?! It's not only hundreds of dollars that I wasn't expecting to pay, but now that we've decided to go down this route if we need to repeat the test based on the results it's going to cost another $1,750!!! What are they thinking not giving patients the full information?

So, being pissed as all hell and hormonal to boot, I sent a scathing email to the financial counselor, her supervisor, and her supervisor's supervisor. I don't care - I'll escalate it to the President if I have to. This is an outrageous injustice and I won't have it. Her email basically insinuated that we should have known to call the lab to find out that there was an additional fee on their end. I don't even have words to describe the nerve of that statement.  We should have known? That's your freaking job!!!! YOU should have known to verify that before quoting us a price!!

No matter what the outcome of this is, I am requesting a different financial counselor moving forward. I gave her a second chance and she blew it. This process is hard enough without having these preventable issues come up due to incompetence.

So anyway... light cramping, minimal spotting, super hormonal, very upset. That was my morning. 

Crown appointment is up next in T minus 50 minutes.