Surgery it is

 *image from goivf.com

It took a few phone calls and a couple of days, but I've made a decision to have the surgery.  Checking another thing off the list.

After pressing for more information, Dr. Schoolie says that it is only a three day recovery and that without it he would reduce our chance of a normal embryo implanting by 50%, to only 25%.

While I'm not looking forward to having the surgery (who would?), I feel good that I got the information I needed to make the decision with confidence.

Dr. Schoolie says that it is a pretty basic surgery and he would be comfortable with me having another surgeon do it.  So, I am going to try to have the surgery in Canada to avoid the cost by traveling to Colorado and to avoid paying for this procedure (I suppose I guess I do pay via my tax dollars, but I digress).  I would also like to recover in the comfort of my own home.  I'll be traveling only 2 hours away and under the care of Dr. Dandruffbeard.

By some fluke of the Canadian medical system, on Friday afternoon I was able to get a Monday morning appointment for the surgery consult!   I appreciate socialized medicine for many things, but wait times for specialists is not one of them.  I'm considering this a mini-miracle.   The receptionist said that if the doctor agrees to preform the surgery that I could be looking at a January surgery date.  Perfect!

Dr. Dandruffbeard did request a letter from Dr. Schoolie, and the CCRM nurses amazingly emailed me one within an hour of my phone request.  The letter said:

"...During her testing she had an HSG that revealed delayed spillage and questionable hydrosalpinx in her left tube.  It is our recommendation that she needs to have a laparoscopy to evaluate her tube and if there is a hydrosalpinx noted, she needs to have her left tube ligated."

The letter makes things sound simple.  Getting to this point of understanding about this procedure has not been that simple.  I'm realizing that CCRM isn't perfect either.  I am however still very appreciative of their care.

I'm trying not to think (several times a day) about the possibility of this not working.  My mind just goes there, so it's difficult.  I'm also second guessing our decision to do OE IVF vs. donor, but not enough to change my mind I think.

JS

PS)  The exercising has been gratifying but... ouch! Muscles that were happily withering away are now mad at me in droves.   And I'm happy that today I discovered a warm, sweet drink that I can have sans-caffeine.  It's warmed milk with a little (or a lot) of my favourite french vanilla creamer.   I'm semi-lactose intolerant, so I'll have to do this in small doses.