How Tristan came to be...
Part 2:
After spending approximately $3,000 on two unsuccessful inseminations, my wife and I regrouped and decided to call a nearby fertility center. And thank the good Lord we did because this place was fantastic!
(If you want the contact information for the Fertility center feel free to contact me and I will gladly pass it along.)
At our first appointment, we met with a wonderful doctor whom I will call
"Dr. M." She was lovely! She explained the entire science-y-ness of "getting us pregnant" and took all the mystery out of the process. In this initial appointment, she showed us a plastic models of the entire female reproductive system. Now let me explain that my wife and are learned folk...between us we have two BA's and three master's degrees and a half of a doctorate. And when Dr. M showed us the entire female reproductive system and then started to explain all that has to "happen" to make a female pregnant we were surprised, shocked and quite frankly intimidated by the entire process.
Dr. M must have sensed our panic and dread because she immediately began to reassure us that all will be OK. She said "you ladies aren't the first lesbians I got pregnant so chill out because I only make cute babies!" My wife and I locked eyes, smiled at each other and we instantly knew we were in the right place.
Towards the end of the initial interview, after we discussed my test results, Dr. M asked us how we wanted to get pregnant. She asked us if we wanted to use fertility drugs during my ovulation period ( to enhance the quality of my eggs) or to proceed with an insemination au natural by only monitoring my cycle.
Sheeeeeeeeet! We ain't got time for au natural! We wanted a baby and sperm isn't exactly cheap ($600 per vial not including shipping) Besides fertility drugs are safe right?...right???
My wife and I decided to shoot me up with those good ole fertility drugs. We could only afford three vials of sperm ($2,300 including shipping) and we wanted to maximise our chances for a positive pregnancy test.
After visiting the sperm specialist, and placing our order for the sperm specimen we previously agreed upon, we walked back down the hall to Dr. M's office and she gave me a brown paper bag that contained needles, syringes and several vials of fertility drugs.
(This particular fertility center has a whole staff that helps you coordinate sperm orders from the US based sperm banks. They also have an in-house cryobank so the sperm will be on site when the woman is ready to ovulate.)
Dr. M explained / demonstrated how to inject me with fertility drugs. You should have seen my wife's face. She actually turned green. I have only seen her turn that shade of green the morning after her boi bachelor party. I'm not needle phobic so I was fine. Thank goodness because little did I know I would be injecting myself with fertility drugs and then blood thinners for the next 15 months. (Keep reading to hear that story in part 3!)
The basic instructions were to attach one of the thin needles to a saline filled syringe. Then slowly add the saline that was inside the syringe to the powdered fertility drug vial. Dr. M said to make sure we shook the vial vigorously to make sure all the fertility medicine was dissolved. After we threw away the used syringe, we were instructed to open a new, empty syringe and draw the medicine inside it. After the medicine is in the syringe, Dr. M showed us how to tap the syringe to rid it of air bubbles. To be perfectly honest, this was the only part of this process that freaked me out. I felt as if I was one of those heroin junkies about the shoot up. It felt crazy but I knew this wasn't that kind of drug. We felt this was necessary so we could get pregnant.
EYES ON THE PRIZE!
The pregnancy prize!
Ha!
Now onto the moment moment of truth!
Dr. M checked the syringe for air bubbles (and to make sure we did it right) then she told me to grab a hunk of fat on the front of my thigh and to jab the needle straight in. The needle didn't hurt because it was really thin but as the medicine was going into my thigh muscle it stung. A lot. I remember saying "oooooooooooooo" as I pushed the syringe's plunger down and took a couple of deep breaths and it was over.
Dr. M told us to repeat this process and give myself one shot a day for the next 5 days and on the sixth day I was to report back to her office so she check the size of my eggs. What an exciting first appointment! It exhilarating to walk out of Dr. M's office with a definite plan! We felt so good and accomplished. I remember my wife and I stopping on the way home and picking up our favourite Mexican take out to celebrate being on the definite path towards baby making!
Woo!
After five days of injecting fertility medicine, we went back to Dr. M's office for the follow up appointment. I laid on the exam table with my legs spread apart in the stirrups and Dr.M put lube on a vagina probe and proceeded to check the size of my eggs. The doctor said my eggs were responding well to the fertility drugs and she was hopeful that I would be pregnant soon. We were so happy.
Dr.M told us to come back in 2 days to get our first insemination. Yeeeessssss!
Two days later we returned to Dr.M's office and she told us that my blood test revealed that I was ready to ovulate and it was time for the insemination.
Cue the dramatic music...
Dun dun dun...
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