Deer crosses the road

7/25/06

I got up at the crack of dawn (545AM) to get ready to meet a friend of mine to take a morning hike. We had a great walk even though I had to force myself out of bed to get there. I’m glad I did it and I’m actually thinking about getting up early a few times a week to walk. I usually like to exercise after work before dinner, but it has been so hot lately morning is better at the moment. I’m trying to get back into a good work out routine. I like exercising, I know, crazy. It’s true though. It feels weird to do lower abdominal work still though. It feels like I’m pulling on the incision or something. Hopefully in a few weeks that will start to feel more normal again.

Dom and I went to a lake cabin over the weekend. It was beautiful and there was a fantastic view of Mt. Hood. Dom caught eight small fish. He would like to go back and fish in early fall. I wouldn’t mind. We stayed in a rustic cabin. It was a bit warm at night inside, but we enjoyed being there. I think if we go in the fall it will cool down and we’ll actually have to use the wood stove. It was a relaxing weekend.

It looks like we are already hitting kinks in the road for our family planning. The testing that we need to have done is still considered experimental and is about $2800. Not to mention the need for invitro fertilization (IVF) because of the method of testing and that will cost approx $13,000 for each cycle. I hope to have plenty of healthy eggs to implant so we can have better chances for pregnancy. Otherwise we’ll be spending that amount again for the next try. I’m trying to see if there is any help the insurance can offer me. I’ve already had offers from a few doctors to write letters for me. If we have to get a loan we will. It is worth it to me for a healthy child. I don’t want to make another baby of mine pass away because of SMA. I’ve already had nightmares of having a baby and the baby does not cry when it comes out.

7/31/06

My insurance is looking into the situation for me and deciding whether or not they will cover IVF due to our circumstances. I hope they at least cover one round of IVF…if not more. I would be thankful for whatever they can offer me. I’m just glad they aren’t giving me a flat out no.

We drove to Portland for our consultation with the IVF doctor. We aren’t sure when we are going to get the IVF done, but hope to start before the end of the year or early next year. I’m just going to see what insurance says and then go from there.

Coincidentally we received a phone call from the geneticist in town and informed that the doctor in Portland that gave us the diagnosis for our son just assumed we were both carriers for the disorder. He does not have the lab work to back that up. This can cause a problem with the PGD testing. Dom and I would both have to be carriers for this. If only one of us were a carrier it is a good thing because that means our chances of this happening again are very low.

On Saturday morning I was driving home from the library and noticed the car in front of me slow down. I scanned the road and saw a deer trotting across the four lane busy street. I stopped my car and we all waited for the deer to cross. I was reminded of the area I live in. Back in Santa Barbara or Glendora one would not see a deer try to cross a busy street. I love where I live.

Also on Saturday Dom and I went guitar shopping for his birthday. He found an Ibanez 7 string guitar he had to have, so we purchased it and a teeny amp to go with it. He is thrilled to have a nice guitar though and was already playing up a storm in our spare room all weekend. He says he can’t wait for his calluses to come back on his fingers.