...which is ANOTHER Judy Blume book title reference, which makes two solid Judy Blume title references in one as-of-now very short blog.
So, in case you haven't guessed, I have decided not to pursue fertility treatment with my current (and now technically former) OB/GYN. After talking to more ladies who've been on Clomid themselves and posting a question on a PCOS community forum (and receiving many response), I've discovered that my doctor was being entirely too "by the book" with me, basically meaning that most other ladies' doctors prescribe them Clomid without any expensive tests and without labeling them as "infertile." This also means that these women do not have to pay expensive out-of-pocket costs. See, if you have a "period problem" and your doctor gives you Clomid to induce ovulation/maintain regular cycles, insurance covers the cost, but as soon as you slap "infertility" on that bad boy, get ready to shell out the dough. More specifically, both my doctor and her nurse had warned me that I would be spending $500-$1,000 just to START Clomid treatments. Apparently lots of other women can get away with a free doctor's visit and a trip to Walmart for a $9 Clomid prescription. Maybe my doctor is being thorough, one might argue, but I would argue that I stand by my statement that my doctor isn't looking at me as an individual and just wants to give me the most popular drug and call it a day.
Yesterday I called the nurse at my doctor's office and said I wanted to cancel my appointment. When she said, "You mean you want to reschedule for another time?" I said, "No, I mean cancel. I am not ready to be labeled infertile when I am ovulating on my own." She reminded me that she would be happy to schedule me for another appointment as soon as I'm ready. I held my tongue, and I guess I can't say never, but it will take something significant for me to return to my now-former doctor. I have a recommendation from a good friend for a doctor who works down the street from my house, so should I decide to schedule an appointment down the road, this new doctor would be even closer by than my former doctor.
On a totally different note....
I've been thinking about parenting a lot lately. After being on a plane ride heading some place tropical with three toddlers -- who were screaming the entire three-hour flight -- all owned by one mother in the row in front of me, and then coming back some place tropical listening to another toddler actually screaming bloody murder for a solid 30 minutes (honestly, I assumed someone must be killing this child) I've thought a lot about licenses for parenting. If I had my way, people would all be infertile until they were granted a license to reproduce, and only once they received their reproductive license would their natural reproductive abilities commence (this would also benefit society by preventing unplanned/unwanted pregnancies...see, I'm looking out for everyone! No one would have to worry about birth control!). This wouldn't be an elitist system -- you can have any IQ, any job, any income and be a good parent. You cannot, though, lack common sense and be a good parent. Unfortunately, anecdotal evidence of the most fertile people I know in the world would indicate that people with the least common sense are the ones who can look at their husbands and miraculously conceive.
Realizing that reproductive licenses aren't in our nation's future, I would like to make my pledge that I promise not to be an obnoxious parent should I ever be lucky enough to procreate. Here are my rules, in no particular order:
1) I promise not to make status updates, blog posts, tweets, texts, email messages, etc. about my child's bodily functions. I already know no one cares, and it's kind of gross. This will not change if I suddenly have a child.
2) I promise to make time for childless friends. I will remember that there is so much more to life than my baby. I will also remember that my friends care about me, not just my baby (though I'm sure he/she will be great if he/she ever gets a chance at life).
3) I promise to remember that people have been raising children for thousands of years and children have been developing for thousands of years; therefore, every time my child eats, talks, moves, etc. it is not something everyone I know really cares about. We've all been there, literally.
Those are the items that I've found most annoying lately. I'm sure I'll make more discoveries the longer I stay "infertile" and the longer I can judge the moms and dads of the world. If this all comes back to bite me in the ass one day...well, I would absolutely love it.
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