the RE... mixed feelings

Had my appointment with the RE this morning. It was similar to my first appointment with her, back in July, except that I am a lot less clueless now. Oddly, she didn't ask anything about my cycle, when the current one began or what day today happens to be. I was very surprised to learn that they require blood work from my spouse, even though we're using donor sperm, AND that C's blood work will not be covered under my insurance. We could be looking at $1600 or more unless his PCP is sympathetic and codes everything in a way to mask our fertility focus. There's a chance that some of the tests have already been done, and recently, because C just had surgery a month ago.

The other surprising requirement is a visit with a social worker. I'm not sure what that's supposed to accomplish, although I do recognize that there may be a few women or couples who go into donor insemination without really thinking about it. I think I should be allowed to submit a 10-page essay explaining my responses to questions of ethics and transparency. I believe I'd get more out of writing my thoughts down than from having a directed conversation with some stranger. I just hope we can fit in the blood work and meeting with a social worker before ovulation happens in my next cycle. Good thing today wasn't CD5!

The RE also requires, as I expected, that I do the clomid challenge and undergo an HSG. Since we wouldn't be able to start an IVF cycle until getting the results, we'll do one more IUI next cycle and see what happens. Why waste a clomid-enhanced cycle if insurance will spring for the donor sperm and inseminations? I'm planning to barrel through my deductible pretty quickly anyhow, and then everything is CIF (covered in full)- I just love those words! And who knows- maybe the HSG will clean out my insides so the next IUI will be all we need. I could live with that, even though I'd be kicking myself for not starting with an HSG as the RE recommended back in July.