On the joys of socialized medicine

Unfortunately, this cycle isn't exactly panning out to be all we had hoped. When I left off last time, I had a monitoring ultrasound on CD 11 which showed no dominant follicle. On CD 15 I had my next monitoring ultrasound and this time I had a follicle on my right ovary, which measured 9mm. At my next ultrasound on CD 17 it was a measly 10mm and the ultrasound technician told me I have uterine fibroids. I usually O between CD 15-17 so I'd say things aren't looking too promising for this cycle. We thought for sure we would be ready for the IUI last week.

I am feeling frustrated and confused about my lack of follicle growth. I believe that I have ovulated on all of my previous charted cycles based on my temp shift but something strange seems to be going on with my follicle growth. Last cycle I ovulated on CD 17, but my follicle stopped growing around CD 12 and never seemed to reach over 17mm. This cycle I don't know what to think about my lack of follicle growth.

Meanwhile, the doctor I am seeing this cycle is a complete moron. I've asked him several times whether I should be concerned about my strange follicle growth patterns (normal follicle growth is ~2mm/day). His answer to everything is that I am doing great, my follicles will grow 2mm/day starting now (even though 'now' has obviously changed as time has passed), and I should be ready for our IUI on Sunday (before it Wednesday, as in this past Wednesday). He also didn't know what a uterine fibroid is, or rather he didn't understand the word in English, so he couldn't answer my question as to whether I should be concerned about it. Remember that ob/gyn in the movie Nine Months who had just immigrated from Eastern Europe and said he was previously a large animal vet? Well I am pretty sure that him and my doctor are the same person.

So you might be asking yourself how a real-life person such as myself could possibly be subjected to the same level of medical care as a fictional character in a Robin Williams comedy. In Israel, we have socialized medicine. I am actually hugely in favor of socialized medicine and I think the U.S. would be better off with a system like it, but it definitely has its major faults. As I wrote about in my last post, fertility treatment is covered under the national healthcare program (including IVF for up to two live births), which is really wonderful. However, you have little control over who your doctor is in the public system. At the fertility clinic at the hospital where I go, I have been seeing whichever resident is doing a rotation in the fertility service. This isn't inherently a terrible thing, other than lack of continuity in care since the person changes every few months. However, there is also great variability between residents. The one I dealt with a couple months ago was great, this one is horrible.

I have pretty much given up hope on this cycle. Of course we will make the best of it and continue to BD away. On August 22 we have a consultation with Prof. L, a senior RE who is supposed to be really terrific. We will likely be seeing him as a private patient from then on out. I think we are both really looking forward to speaking with someone who has the experience and knowledge to answer all of our questions and consider the data carefully. I think it will be a good solution for us -- we can see him privately for consultations and procedures, but any tests and drugs will still be covered by the socialized system. Unfortunately, as is often the case with socialized medicine, if you want to choose your doctor and you want a little hand-holding, you have to suck it up and pay a lot for it. Here's to a happy and sunny weekend!