Part 2: PCOS - Diagnosis & Testing
"And now these three remain: FAITH, HOPE, LOVE. But the greatest of these is Love."
- 1 Corinthians 12:13
If you haven't done so already, check out Part 1 of our story at PCOS - The Beginning.
And so our journey to parenthood, and my journey with PCOS, continues...
We started trying for a baby in 2016 and now it's June of 2018. Almost 2 years. Can you imagine trying to start a family for 2 years? 24 months full of emotions, disappointment, unknowns, frustration, and so much more. Now, I'm not 'complaining' per say because I know we are blessed. We are both healthy. I know there are couples who have tried for way longer than we have and I know that there are couples who will never have children - If you fall into one of those categories, know that I'm praying for you. My point is that the past 2 years have felt like an eternity. So many friends have announced pregnancies, had healthy babies, etc. Although I'm extremely happy for them, I can't help but feel frustrated that we're having to write this chapter of our book. At the end of the day, above all else, I feel blessed. I get to spend the rest of my life with the most amazing person who loves me unconditionally (even with the up and down emotions with this journey). I know that I'll always have him in my corner cheering me on through life and I'll forever be thankful for him.
Lifestyle Change
When Doctor #3 diagnosed me with PCOS and told me to seek a Fertility Specialist, I was crushed. I was numb. I didn't know what to say or think. I knew I was overweight, eating unhealthy, and was totally lacking in the exercise department. All of the articles I read about PCOS, prior to and after the diagnosis, said that losing weight could help tremendously. I made the decision to make my health a priority once and for all. I needed this for me, my husband, and {hopefully} our future family.
This (2017) is when I decided to get a subscription to Beachbody on Demand (BOD). I had gym memberships prior and was paying around $40/month, locked into a 1 year contract. That's $480...!! I used my gym memberships a handful of times, which is insane to look back on now because I'm realizing how much money I wasted. I signed up for the 1 year BOD subscription for $99. Yes, one Benjamin Franklin for a full year. If you don't know what BOD is, it's basically the Netflix for workouts - hundreds of different workouts, meal plans (can be customized), workout calendars, and more. You're basically getting a personal trainer, available 24/7/365, for $99 per YEAR. Genius. I started doing the BOD workouts in 2017 and I've never looked back. Hands down the best decision I've ever made for my fitness/health.
Financial Stress
If you know me, you know that I'm frugal. I don't like spending money if I don't have to, especially if it's a large sum. When we purchased our vehicles, I didn't sleep for a week. Legit, frugal. When Doctor #3 told me that we'd need to seek out a Fertility Specialist, my heart sank. I knew shit was about to get real... and expensive. Not that I wouldn't do anything in my power to have a family, I just don't have an unlimited bank account. We work our asses off for what we have and we don't rely on anyone to help pay bills when life throws us a curve ball. We just make it work. I started doing research online regarding fertility treatments (IUI, IVF, medications, etc) and was taken back by how expensive it would be. IVF can cost up to $15,000+ per round and it's not even guaranteed to work. WHAT?! IUI can cost around $3000-$5,000+ per round and, again, not guaranteed to work. Ugh. Insert a boat load of additional stress that I didn't need. If you remember from my last PCOS post, our insurance doesn't cover any testing or treatment. None. Nada. For those wondering, we have Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN. Yeah, they're a very well known company. Thanks for nothing, BCBS.
Fertility Specialist Search
After reading about the different pricing of everything, I decided to actually start looking for a Fertility Specialist. We found a very well known one about a half hour from our house. I was super hesitant on making the appointment for some reason. In fact, I waited several months. I don't really know why, I just did. In law enforcement, we're trained to recognize the "tiny hairs standing up on the back of your neck" meaning that something doesn't just feel right. I'd go to their website weekly and re-read everything (treatments, paperwork, testimonials, etc), but I never clicked the "make appointment" tab. Then one day, I took the plunge. I called and made the appointment. The nurse on the other end of the line told me "You and your husband both need to have a BMI of 30 or less before the doctor will even consult with you." What?! I understand why they want you at a healthy BMI, but come on. That was another huge blow to the heart. I had a BMI of 32 and my husbands was around the same. Could we lose the weight? Probably. The nurse just confirmed my suspicion of something not feeling right, so I cancelled out appointment. I started looking for other Fertility Specialists in our are and found one in St Cloud, MN through CentraCare Health.
Reproductive Medicine Program
CentraCare Health has a Reproductive Medicine Program through their St Cloud location. It's a group of doctors and nurses that are dedicated to infertility testing, treatment, monitoring, etc. The first step was to attend a free information seminar that was presented by one of the nurses. I made an appointment and was looking forward to it. The seminar was informational, we went through a powerpoint presentation and the nurse answered questions that everyone had. We were provided with a Health History packet that needed to be completed and sent in. Once they receive the packet, one of the doctors reviews it and comes up with an initial game plan for the testing phase. One stipulation was that all treatment needed to be paid in full prior to actually being done (i.e. pay for full cost of medications in advance). This was a little intimidating because I knew it wouldn't be cheap. Another piece of this program that I really liked was that they schedule you appointments with the Business Office to go over pricing breakdowns - I will share these breakdowns in my next blog post because my goal for awareness is to be as real as possible. While doing research on my own, I couldn't find any legitimate pricing estimates. We filled out the Health History packet and sent it in...
Check out Part 3 of our story at PCOS - Testing, Pricing, Health.
- 1 Corinthians 12:13
If you haven't done so already, check out Part 1 of our story at PCOS - The Beginning.
And so our journey to parenthood, and my journey with PCOS, continues...
We started trying for a baby in 2016 and now it's June of 2018. Almost 2 years. Can you imagine trying to start a family for 2 years? 24 months full of emotions, disappointment, unknowns, frustration, and so much more. Now, I'm not 'complaining' per say because I know we are blessed. We are both healthy. I know there are couples who have tried for way longer than we have and I know that there are couples who will never have children - If you fall into one of those categories, know that I'm praying for you. My point is that the past 2 years have felt like an eternity. So many friends have announced pregnancies, had healthy babies, etc. Although I'm extremely happy for them, I can't help but feel frustrated that we're having to write this chapter of our book. At the end of the day, above all else, I feel blessed. I get to spend the rest of my life with the most amazing person who loves me unconditionally (even with the up and down emotions with this journey). I know that I'll always have him in my corner cheering me on through life and I'll forever be thankful for him.
Lifestyle Change
When Doctor #3 diagnosed me with PCOS and told me to seek a Fertility Specialist, I was crushed. I was numb. I didn't know what to say or think. I knew I was overweight, eating unhealthy, and was totally lacking in the exercise department. All of the articles I read about PCOS, prior to and after the diagnosis, said that losing weight could help tremendously. I made the decision to make my health a priority once and for all. I needed this for me, my husband, and {hopefully} our future family.
This (2017) is when I decided to get a subscription to Beachbody on Demand (BOD). I had gym memberships prior and was paying around $40/month, locked into a 1 year contract. That's $480...!! I used my gym memberships a handful of times, which is insane to look back on now because I'm realizing how much money I wasted. I signed up for the 1 year BOD subscription for $99. Yes, one Benjamin Franklin for a full year. If you don't know what BOD is, it's basically the Netflix for workouts - hundreds of different workouts, meal plans (can be customized), workout calendars, and more. You're basically getting a personal trainer, available 24/7/365, for $99 per YEAR. Genius. I started doing the BOD workouts in 2017 and I've never looked back. Hands down the best decision I've ever made for my fitness/health.
 |
| One of my first ever "sweaty selfies" I took these to keep me accountable! |
Financial Stress
If you know me, you know that I'm frugal. I don't like spending money if I don't have to, especially if it's a large sum. When we purchased our vehicles, I didn't sleep for a week. Legit, frugal. When Doctor #3 told me that we'd need to seek out a Fertility Specialist, my heart sank. I knew shit was about to get real... and expensive. Not that I wouldn't do anything in my power to have a family, I just don't have an unlimited bank account. We work our asses off for what we have and we don't rely on anyone to help pay bills when life throws us a curve ball. We just make it work. I started doing research online regarding fertility treatments (IUI, IVF, medications, etc) and was taken back by how expensive it would be. IVF can cost up to $15,000+ per round and it's not even guaranteed to work. WHAT?! IUI can cost around $3000-$5,000+ per round and, again, not guaranteed to work. Ugh. Insert a boat load of additional stress that I didn't need. If you remember from my last PCOS post, our insurance doesn't cover any testing or treatment. None. Nada. For those wondering, we have Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN. Yeah, they're a very well known company. Thanks for nothing, BCBS.
Fertility Specialist Search
After reading about the different pricing of everything, I decided to actually start looking for a Fertility Specialist. We found a very well known one about a half hour from our house. I was super hesitant on making the appointment for some reason. In fact, I waited several months. I don't really know why, I just did. In law enforcement, we're trained to recognize the "tiny hairs standing up on the back of your neck" meaning that something doesn't just feel right. I'd go to their website weekly and re-read everything (treatments, paperwork, testimonials, etc), but I never clicked the "make appointment" tab. Then one day, I took the plunge. I called and made the appointment. The nurse on the other end of the line told me "You and your husband both need to have a BMI of 30 or less before the doctor will even consult with you." What?! I understand why they want you at a healthy BMI, but come on. That was another huge blow to the heart. I had a BMI of 32 and my husbands was around the same. Could we lose the weight? Probably. The nurse just confirmed my suspicion of something not feeling right, so I cancelled out appointment. I started looking for other Fertility Specialists in our are and found one in St Cloud, MN through CentraCare Health.
Reproductive Medicine Program
CentraCare Health has a Reproductive Medicine Program through their St Cloud location. It's a group of doctors and nurses that are dedicated to infertility testing, treatment, monitoring, etc. The first step was to attend a free information seminar that was presented by one of the nurses. I made an appointment and was looking forward to it. The seminar was informational, we went through a powerpoint presentation and the nurse answered questions that everyone had. We were provided with a Health History packet that needed to be completed and sent in. Once they receive the packet, one of the doctors reviews it and comes up with an initial game plan for the testing phase. One stipulation was that all treatment needed to be paid in full prior to actually being done (i.e. pay for full cost of medications in advance). This was a little intimidating because I knew it wouldn't be cheap. Another piece of this program that I really liked was that they schedule you appointments with the Business Office to go over pricing breakdowns - I will share these breakdowns in my next blog post because my goal for awareness is to be as real as possible. While doing research on my own, I couldn't find any legitimate pricing estimates. We filled out the Health History packet and sent it in...
Check out Part 3 of our story at PCOS - Testing, Pricing, Health.
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