Our Journey to Baby #2 (Part Four): We can't catch a break!
It has been about 4 weeks since my HSG showed that my septum resection was unsuccessful, and despite leaving three messages during that time, I still hadn’t received a phone call from Dr S. So this week, my patience had worn thin. I called her office and after being told that I’d once again need to leave a message, I asked to speak to a nurse. I was put through to the most empathetic lady and my anxieties about being ‘that’ customer were swept aside. The nurse apologised (even though she didn’t need to) and agreed that I had every right to be upset. I will never forget the kindness of this stranger for making me feel like my concerns were justified. The nurse explained that Dr S was on annual leave for two weeks, but she booked me in to see her colleague at the clinic just a few days later.
When I met Dr L, he turned to my little sidekick and said ‘oh hello, you must be James’. I immediately felt at home. Dr L had done his research and read our notes, so I didn’t have to repeat our story. He knew that we’d had a rough time and he understood that I felt ignored. We discussed the surgery and Dr L was honest…my septum was thick, and it was challenging. One of the first things he asked me is ‘how far are you willing to go?’, but I had no idea that he meant literally. When he suggested travelling to Melbourne for surgery, I honestly thought he was joking. I arrived at this appointment thinking we’d just arrange a time for them to go in and have another crack, so you can imagine little naïve ol’ me sitting there with a ‘wtf’ expression on my face. I think I asked Dr L five times if he was sure he didn’t want to just give it a go. His responses each time were compassionate and caring, but I think he really just wanted to say “no Amy, you’re septum is f*$&ed and I don’t want to be responsible for that shit.”
So minutes later Dr L was telling me all about one of the best gynae surgeons in Australia and the steps we would need to take from here. I still wasn’t on board with this idea. Firstly, we wanted the surgery done ASAP so we could start trying for baby #2. A trip to Melbourne in the next few weeks just didn’t seem achievable considering we were also moving house and going to NZ. Which brings me to my next point – money. We would need to pay another excess for the surgery, as well as consults with what I’m assuming is a very pricey surgeon, and then flights +/- accommodation on top of that. It just seemed extreme to me and I couldn’t bring myself to jump on board (literally!) Dr L told me to go away and discuss it with Scott and to call if we had any questions.
Scott was just as shocked as me, but he couldn’t argue with the best. Especially when the best was telling us that if it were his wife, he’d be suggesting the same plan. So now here we are, another step closer but ultimately feeling further away from our dreams of a little brother or sister for James. We have a skype consult on Monday with the best of the best (and yes, I was right, pricey!) Once again, this all seems so unfair to me and I sometimes feel as though it’s just not meant to be (and I find myself questioning how many ladders I’ve walked under in my lifetime), but we will make it work. Everything happens for a reason, right? I just can’t wait to have that reason in my arms.
