Financial Aid

On Friday, I mentioned that my work is reimbursing me for mileage when I stop by the OldWorkTown center while I'm in town for my doctor's appointments.

I also mentioned that Dr E has offered to do an antral follicle count on Shrike for free (so we can see if her eggs will work, if we need to move on to IVF).

Both of those things will be very helpful, financially, and we really appreciate them, but I've not yet mentioned some even bigger help that we've recently received.

As you know, some of my family members read this blog, including my mom (Anonymama).

A couple of weeks ago, around the time of my last negative beta, I'd not talked to my family directly, but had been blogging about my conversation with Dr E and her recommendation to do two IUIs this cycle. As you may remember, I was also fretting about the additional cost.

That Saturday, while we were at the beach, I received an email from my mom, saying:

Go ahead and order 2 vials of donor sperm. Daddy and I want to treat you to one. I will put a $500 check in the mail by Monday. Did not want to tell you this on the blog, but wanted to tell you before you ordered. Have a really good time at the beach. Mama

Wow. That was totally unexpected.

The money, of course, will make a huge difference and totally eliminates any downside to doing the second IUI.

Even more important, though, is the gesture itself.

It's one thing for them to be excited about our plans, and to be anxiously awaiting an announcement from us, but to actually help financially to make it possible is really above and beyond the call of parental duty.

We are very, very lucky.