Oh Doc, Just One More Thing...

After our last WTF consult with the RE, we were a little bit in shock. The change in diagnosis and the possibility of uninsured IVF in our future were a kick in the ovaries to be sure. It actually took a few days for all of the information we'd been given to sink in, and of course once it had, we just had more questions. I called the insurance company and my HR department (several times each) and eventually managed to get confirmation of what the RE had told us:

No IVF coverage under any of the health care plans offered by my employer. Period.

Then I set about booking the second opinion with the fertility center recommended by my acupuncturist (and approved by my midwife), only to be told by my insurance company that they weren't a contracted provider so none of their services would be covered. Which after 3 days, many phone calls and much gnashing of teeth was proved untrue. So after a little more Google-mining, I put in a call to our RE with our follow up questions (answers are my paraphrase):

• If the theory is that the recent 9 day luteal phases were really early miscarriages, then do we have a concern about egg quality or chromosomal issues? Not really
• My acupuncturist and I were discussing my periods and it sounds like mine are clot-heavy, is this a concern? Not really (my last acupuncture treatment seems to have helped with this)
• Can you prescribe the PIO during my next injectible IUI cycle so I can hoard it for a possible future uninsured IVF? Yes, though the cost is minimal anyways
• Can I go ahead and get the AMH tested even though you aren't worried about it? Yes, but it may not be covered by insurance. (I am checking this out today)
• What can you tell me about state funded grants for uninsured IVFs? Funding has run out and is not currently expected to be renewed (damn).
• Is it OK to take melatonin to help me sleep (any contraindications)? Go ahead - it's fine.

There are a few other questions that I will pose if/when we reach the point of IVF. The melatonin question was actually a little sneaky. I read an article recently about a new study that reported improved egg/embryo quality in IVF patients who were given 3 mg melatonin. There was no information on timing/frequency of dosages, but I figured if it helps me sleep through the night AND has the potential to improve our chances it would be worth a shot.  After a week on it, I have slept through the night twice in a row, so that's good at least!

Ultimately, I chickened out of mentioning the second opinion. The Professor feels strongly that we should be upfront about it to minimize awkwardness. I will do it when I request the records, but I just caved in the moment and couldn't broach the subject.