I've been on estradiol (generic estrace) for a few weeks now and BC pills before that. Had a great talk with the doctor who called me, twice as she did not reach me the first time. Still can't get over that as it would never happen here. Also, at the other clinic the doctor charges for calls. Background, I am going to Cancun Mexico for donor egg ivf. I chose Mexico both for cost and because I have family there (though not in Cancun) and I know the area fairly well. I am blonde, blue/green eyes (I was born with hazel eyes, go figure) and everyone says I look Irish. What most people in the US do NOT realize is that a güerra (light-skinned person) in a family with a prieta (darker person) as siblings is pretty common in Mexico. My little sister looks nothing like me in coloring but a good deal similar in facial characteristics, but of course, no one sees beyond color, sigh.
Anyway, all seem to assume that DE in Mexico means a dark-skinned donor. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Some of the donor options (I had 33 from whom to choose) were a bit dark but only one would I see as truly dark (I wanted her due to curly blond hair but wrong blood type). There was one at the other clinic who looked exactly like me (curly hair, green eyes, shortish, thin, white skin) but I chose to go with Irega rather than Fertility Center Cancun (FCC). Those are the two clinics in Cancun, there are others well known in Guadalajara. Basically, Mexico has really good care for those with the money to pay for it. My treatment, with a 'free' (cost of travel and my meds) return if it does not work for a frozen transfer is $8350. Of course, I'll need to pay for hotel and flights after that and my own meds. So far, I have spent $20 in estradiol, but I was supposed to get a Lupron shot but it could not get here from Canada in time at the $200 price and in the US it is $1500 and then Irega said skip the shot--whoopeee!!!!--and just take estradiol three times a day from the second day of my period.
First day there they will check my lining. I was going to go to FCC. I had been emailing a woman named Sheri (all the clinics use patient facilitators, likely to get around the gazillion email questions we all have and also to help with the English communication that, in the US, would be easier for a nurse or receptionist to do). Sheri was great about getting back to me but not so great about clear answers. The price she quoted was off by half (from $6000 to $9000) and the doctor charges $200 to talk to you (Dr. Gaytan whose English is supposedly excellent). I checked with Irega and found a cheaper price, better 'guarantee' (not really a guarantee just a frozen transfer with no donor or egg costs) and a female doctor, which is really important to me. Also, Dra. Mayra called me and answered all my questions and did not charge for the call.
Tori Brown, my facilitator, sent 33 donor profiles with photos for most and adult and baby photos for most with photos. About one third have blood type listed but she can find out for the others. Blood type is important to me as I don't want to be dealing with nosy people. There is a Desperate Housewives episode in which Gabby is asked when she adopted her daughter. She is stumped as she did not adopt. They ask as the daughter is A blood type and Gabby and Carlos (her husband) are both O and, as the nurse says, two Os can't make an A. The nurse then assumes Gabby was having an affair. Instead it turns out the child was switched at birth. Regardless, blood type that matches mine was important to me.
We chose a light-skinned donor with dark curly hair (I've always hated my light hair anyway) who is a bit taller than me and thin. We have information on her education, interests, that she is a proven donor (has successfully donated in the past leading to a live birth) and that she was available (unlike the donor from FCC who they offered and then suddenly said, nope not available, how about behind door 2). I felt far better with the 33 donor spread sheet and the option to look them over at my leisure. It is still anonymous but you get way more information than you would from, say a clinic in Eastern Europe. They also list all the genetic and other screening they do, most required by Mexican law. Some of it has been a pain on my side, with me needing my doctor to write a note explaining my high Hep B test results are because I had the Hep B vaccine (duh). But finally it is all done.
The only piece left is my husband's sperm analysis. He did the STD screen but I swear any of his testing is like pulling teeth, and he needed FAR less than me. I needed prolactin, proof my fallopian tubes are open and my uterus is ok, chlomid challenge, AMH, STD screen, and TSH (I swear you would think all fertility doctors trained in the army given all the alphabet soup). Some things I wish I had known going in so I'd have had all ready, but they need tests done within the last six months so too much pre-planning can backfire.
I also wish I had known that pharmacies will not take a Mexican doctor's prescription as my RE here flat refused to help. Thank all the higher powers for my awesome primary care as she stepped right up and provided all the support she could, ordered all the tests and did her best to get as much covered by insurance as possible. I am saving every receipt as health care costs over 10% of income are tax deductible. Not a ton but something. Especially as if I were having this done in the states the cost even without flight and hotel would be about triple. So now I am worried about getting everything done before we leave (including packing and dropping off the dog, keys to neighbor for cats--neighbors try NOT to watch my cats as they are evil, I love them but with an 'only a mother could love this attitude hissing spitting animal' approach), and getting on the plane. THEN I will worry about the thickness of my lining, that I've not been working out and will look flabby on the beach, that at some point my husband will need to give me shots (ready to contract with a nurse there), and whether he will get sick from the water/food.
I can drink from the faucet and eat everything, but I've been there since childhood; he has not. I did not get sick in India and he thinks the reverse will be true, that he won't get sick, but I am not so sure. I am on the Inspire site and the ivf.ca site (ivf.ca is the BEST for information on Mexico for IVF or DE) and now Global IVF. I am the over research and check all out kinds of option sort of person, not that it is helping but it gives me something to do as I am obsessing over everything. Generally I am feeling way better about this trip than about talking with my fertility specialist (RE) here and I am hopeful, but who knows.
The big question for me now is whether to transfer two or three eggs. Basically, three nearly guarantees pregnancy, but also the risk of triplets and thus high complications, premature birth, etc. With two the odds of twins is 40% (so still MORE likely a singleton). So much to think about but once there I'm hoping to talk to Dra. Mayra about it all. Right now, hair and legs are a focus. All the people who do my beauty know a bit about my trip (ivf if not DE) which is more than I'm telling family at this point. Of course, my family would die if I have another m/c (had two with natural in the past, sigh). Ok, need to schedule lots and will write soon.
Here is a photo of the Mayan women who see fruit near the beach in the center of Playa del Carmen, day trip from Cancun. People say pineapple is important during transfer and for about $1.50, I could get a big thing of cut pineapple (I got mine with lots of chile sauce and lime juice, yum!):
No comments:
Post a Comment