Shots McGee

Who doesn't like shots?  They're the best.

However, if you happen to be one of the few who does not like shots, then look no further.  This is soon to be full of them.

I receive my first shot this Thursday.  It is a shot in my abdominal area of GnRH Agonist.  This medicine has various uses none the least for IVF procedures.

So It Begins...

IVF here we come!

J and I decided to begin IVF last week.  We went to our doctor (Maria Infertility) in Daejeon last Friday and had some tests done.

J gave a sample to make sure things are still the same as before (they are) and I got to have a blood test to check for all kinds of nasty things:  do I have any diseases, am I already pregnant, do I have low red blood cell count, or a hight white blood cell count and some other things as well, I'm sure.

This week, Thursday, I will go again for the doctor to examine my girly parts and see how things look in there in terms of my wanna be hatch-lings.  Are they the right size, etc.

Maria Fertility Hospital

Maria Fertility Hospital is pretty great so far.

Their number is 042-522-6555 if you need help or any information.

First, when you become a patient you recieve a patient card that looks like a debit card with your name, doctor name and patient number.
Anytime you go for an appointment or call for information, you should need this card.

I asked our boss to help me in finding out some informaiton we had about the IVF procedure at this facility.  I wrote down the questions and then she called and had a conversation in Korean.

Below are the questions and answers.

Small Helpings

Being here in Korea with a limited supply of other foreigners to speak with about babies is sometimes hard.

Out of all the people we know personally only 1 has had a baby and no one we know in Korea, foreigner or Korean, has had fertility problems.   Super.

That is the entire reason for this blog.  Someone at some point may need it and not living in Seoul, it would be a good idea for other people to know where to start.

I had a conversation with 2 ladies about our process so far and thought that perhaps this conversation may be needed by more than just them, so I am posting my side of the conversation in the hopes that it may help others.

Hmmm. Just throw a screwdriver in there.

Well we were told that IVF is our only option. 

We will have a second opinion exam for both of us and go from there.  The doctor said to wait one month then test again--which will be next weekend. 

If IVF is our only choice then we have decided to do it. 

We discussed all avenues and reasons for and against and we have decided to give it a go at least twice.  In Korea the procedue is about $3,000USD per treatment from start to finish so it is a lot more affordable here than in America. 
If we were living in America we would not be able to afford this even if we wanted to.  It seems it is fortunate we are here.

The hospital we are going to currently is a private hospital and they are very good from what reviews and other information we can find about them. 

We will begin IVF in either August or September 2013 so we will see what we see when it comes nearer.

Donations and the waiting game

Our baby doctor is about 2 blocks from our house so it is very easy getting here.

Saturday's are the only days we are available to see the doctor due to our work schedule.

Today we arrived for our appointment at 11am for J's exam and now we having been here since then awaiting the results.  It is now 12:48 and we were told it should be one more hour.

Not complaining though because in Korea this is the ONLY time we have waited longer than a few minutes for the doctor.

Since this is a Saturday it is very, very busy.  We did not even have a seat in the waiting room for about 40 minutes and had to stand.

When I am finally pregnant it will be easier scheduling appointments during the week because I will not be working. Or I will have less hours allowing visits to the doctor during the week. I shall insist upon it.

Until then, alas, here we are. Waiting.

On a more personal side, J's exam went swimmingly. He had a room, a Lazy Boy and  T.V. with only one channel. For some reason I find myself giggling over this and have no idea why.

Improvements?

Well, we have found a fertility doctor which is open on Saturday's.  Yippee!

We went this past Saturday and actually had to wait a little over an hour to see the doctor.  This is unusual in Korea as the normal wait time is about 5-10 minutes.  Saturday however, is a very busy day for this hospital so it is fine with us.

It is important to note that we did not make an appointment before going.  It is not really needed or wanted in Korea but it depends upon where you are going.

I had another check up and the doctor wants me to have a HSG test coming up.  My better half will have an examination next Saturday and we will go from there.

It is called Maria Infiritility Hospital.  There are locations throughout South Korea and a few other locations in Asia and even one in New York City.  If you are interested the link is below.

http://mariababy.com/neweng/about/about_01.asp

Our doctor did not speak perfect English but it wasn't hard to understand what was going on.  He asked us many questions.  Communication was fine, we had no trouble.  

The nurses and doctor were very kind and nice and the hospital is very clean and spacious.  All medical equipment was top notch (so far) and I did not feel strange being there.

Our bill was a tiny bit higher here versus the same things done at the other baby doctor but not so much that it is a problem. 
Maria's bill: 23,000W and the other place was 15,000W.

Not bad for our first trip to a new hospital.  Let's see how it goes...

Round 2!