A Canadian cycling in the US

May 2009 - Posts

• First cycle in July ?

  During my phone chat with Cynthia (NP at HRC) about 1.5 weeks ago, we were discussing my current menstrual cycle and she mentioned offhand that I might be able to have my first IVF cycle at HRC in July.  That was very exciting! However, since then, I've done more research on how IVF actually works (the med protocols) and now believe July would be very unlikely.  Because I can't do at least some (all?) of the pre-cycle testing required until my next menstrual cycle starts (mid-June), so I don't see how that would possibly leave enough time to start an IVF cycle for ER/ET in July.  Sigh. Anyways, will discuss further with Dr. Potter at our upcoming preliminary phone consult. Posted May 31 2009, 05:30 PM by GreenZelda with no comments

• Planning work (aka: the fun and games!... not)

  From what I know so far, here is what I need to plan: - Make a final decision on which US IVF clinic to use - Find a local fertility clinic for the pre-cycle testing and external monitoring - Figure out the tax implications (to help us calculate true costs) - Figure out if our employment health insurance covers anything (looking like not) So far, I have had some emails and a phone chat with Cynthia, who answered some of my initial ART questions.  I built a big multi-tab questions spreadsheet, which I will also use during the phone consult with Dr. Potter to ensure I ask everything I am still wondering about! I have also discovered there are several fertility clinics in my city.  So far, 2 do external monitoring (yay!).  But the one that is closest to us will be closed soon for almost a month for holidays!!  (Boo!) Here's a thread where some of us IG ladies have been discussing the tax and insurance questions: http://www.in-gender.com/cs/forums/t/94689.aspx Here is a nice collection of links about IVF and tax implications (in most provinces): http://www.ivf.ca/medicalexpenses.htm Here is info from the CRA themselves (super brief): http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/ddctns/lns300-350/330/llwxpns-eng.html#invitro It appears Quebec also has its own additional provincial tax credits for ART: http://www.mcgillivf.com/e/mcgillIVF.asp?page=193.273 http://www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca/eng/publications/in/in-130-v.asp Posted May 31 2009, 05:10 PM by GreenZelda with no comments

• I've got my blog!

  Thanks for setting me up, Maureen! Wow, this is my first blog ever!  Anyways, I am just starting my foray into high-tech.  I guess technically we have still not officially decided we are doing IVF *for sure*.  But it looks very promising. Our story is that we have one child, a son, who is nearly 4.  I had bad GD during and after that pregnancy, and I also really want to experience raising a daughter.  So - if we want to have the best shot at making that happen, we need to suck it up and go high-tech already!  lol My husband is on board for the plan, and we would share the costs, even though this is more my dream than his.  He just wants me happy.  Sweet man! Anyways, as most of you probably know, GS for family balancing is not allowed in Canada, so our only options on that front are: - Find a Canadian IVF clinic that collaborates with Microsort (my reserach indicates there are currently none) - Find a Canadian IVF clinic that we like and try to *get* them to setup a collaborating relationship with Microsort - Cycle at a clinic in the US who can offer MIcrosort and/or PGD for family balancing Based on all the positive feedback on IG, we are currently looking at HRC.  I have a phone consult with Dr. Potter very soon. As with many high-techers, there is some anxiety around spending all that money on something that may not even work in the end.  But it's all about chansing the dream, right?   Posted May 31 2009, 04:56 PM by GreenZelda with no comments