Gravida 0

The good news is that my medical records from the old clinic arrived yesterday - just in the nick of time for my Monday morning appointment at the new clinic. I’ve been reading them over, and have learned some things about myself.

1. I’ve gained weight since I started fertility treatments. Not a huge shocker, I know, but nice to see it clarified right there, so I can blame the fertility treatments for my needing to go buy new pants today. (They’re fairly cute, too - black and baggy, which is pretty much what all of my clothes are like.)

2. My old clinic uses a transcription service for all notes - my file is clear and legible, but lacks any sense of a human being actually having anything to do with the details of my body.

3. In my initial patient history, they got correct that my grandfather died “of suicide”, but got my mother’s age wrong. This is somehow very disturbing to me.

4. Each of my parents is entitled to one medical problem - no more, no less. “Father is a 75 year old living with high cholesterol.” Not, “Father is retired and an artist.” I guess medicine has to reduce us to our bodies.

5. J is “healthy, but he has never fathered children previously.”

6. Aparently, lab results weren’t included in my file. This is mostly fine - the new clinic is going to repeat all the labs anyway, and the u/s results are in the notes (I certainly didn’t expect to see the pictures). But, I’m wondering what I would have had to do, besides check all of the boxes on the form (which I did) to actually get my lab results. Do I have to request them directly from the lab? What’s weird is that the only lab report included is one from the clinic before this last one - perhaps because it shows a prenatal screening panel (Rh factor, antibodies, etc.).

7. And finally, all of the notes once we started trying to get pregnant, begin with “She is a __ year-old gravida 0.” Gravida 0 sounds so serious. I’m gravely zero. What fun. I think now I need to get the T-shirt (props to Akeeyu) to wear to my next appointment. Just put it right out there for them.

Whatever. At least I have the records to show that I have done previous Clomid cycles, and that I didn’t respond to anything lower than 150 mg. And that even on that dosage, they really needed to give me a trigger, because I once I produce a decent follicle, my ovary is in awe of itself and just can’t seem to let go on time.

Meanwhile, my acupuncturist is a bit irked, I think, that I’m going back to traditional medicine. I am too. I was really hoping that she’d at least get my period to show up, but so far no luck. She did a different set of needles this week in addition to the usual suspects, so maybe that will help.

So, new clinic on Monday. Working on flattery strategies to get me in good with the nurses and other staff. It’s never too early to start!