I like the people at the office of my Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE). I am happy with the office overall, really – it appears to run like a well-oiled machine. I have no major complaints, obviously, or I would take my awesome insurance money elsewhere.
BUT. And there’s always a BUT with me, right?
They are very busy. I go to a large clinic that is part of a giant hospital system. This hospital system is known for excellent healthcare – I feel fortunate to live close by, and to have insurance coverage for their doctors. Their SART Reports? Are awesome. If I didn’t have any insurance coverage for IVF, I would probably choose the same place.
Yes, this is a total disclaimer, born of my paranoia that someone at the office will read this and figure out who I am – that weirdo who obsesses over her underwear and the temperature of the ultrasound room as it relates to the frigidity of the stirrups.
The thing is, I am sort of just one cow in the entire herd of IVF cattle. They tell me when to be there, and I show up. They ask me a question, and I reply with a hearty MOO. And feeling like a cow? Not that much of a stretch. Especially when your belly is distended due to the fact that your ovaries are TEN TIMES their normal size. I think MOO every time I sit down these days.
People usually refer to this as “being just a number.” Maybe you want the people at the RE office to know you by seeing you, and to know your situation from a quick peek at your file. Maybe you want them to remember your conversations, and make meaningful chatter with you while they examine your nether regions. You want to be treated like a person, not just a number.
(Sometimes you wanna go, where everybody knows your naaaa-aaa-aaame...and they’re always glad you caaa-aaa-aaame. You know...Cheers?)
I am not one of those people. Small talk makes me uncomfortable, and I just like to get in and out and go about my day. I don’t mind being just a number – as long as my number ends up being included in the live birth statistics reported to SART.
What are your experiences with your clinic? Do you go to a large place, where they are good at what they do but don’t know you when you come for a visit? Do you go to a smaller, more personal place, where the people know you by name? Are you going to your clinic by choice or because it’s the only one close by?
Posted by Jen
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