Congrats! You’re medically cleared… almost!
Julie S’ Surrogacy Journey – Vol. 2
Just 4 short business days after my medical evaluation, I received a phone call from the Reproductive Clinic informing me that all my lab test results were in and everything looked good! I know that sometimes the lab tests show that the surrogates are low in Vitamin D, and I had been taking Vitamin D supplements along with my prenatal vitamins during my last pregnancy, so I was hopeful that would be clear. Also, I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism and was anxious to hear if my thyroid levels were still okay! I asked the nurse if I was now medically cleared and she said as soon as my husband’s blood work results arrived, I should be cleared!
About 2 hours after that, I got another phone call saying that my husband’s lab results were normal and we were medically cleared! I was shocked! Usually, medical clearance takes 10 business days. Have you ever heard the saying, “if it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not true”? This is one of those situations! Another hour or so later, I got another phone call from the clinic. I was showered with apologies and told that they had forgotten to request a new blood test that is becoming a standard with IVF now. The test I was to take was an Antibody Screen. The coordinator from the clinic looked up the closest LabCorp location for me and asked if I would be able to drive there the next morning for the last of my blood work.
Since I had to have my blood drawn quite a bit last journey, I knew exactly where to go in my area. I got clearance to go to that lab from the nurse at the RE’s office, and they sent a lab order to them, so the next morning I headed to the lab at 8:00 am. The coordinator from the clinic requested that I ask the lab how many days before we could expect the results. The woman drawing my blood looked up at the clock and to my surprise, said, “Ummm, we’ll send over the results within an hour or so!”
Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. The hours went by and I never heard anything from the clinic. Checking my e-mail every 30 minutes became almost an obsessive compulsion. Alas, I did not get an e-mail before I went to bed… but I did wake up to an e-mail bright and early that said I had been FINALLY issued medical clearance! What an exciting day! The next step for me on this journey is the legal process! The IP’s attorney will be drafting the agreement and then sending it over to my attorney for review. More about that next time;)!
Please send good vibes to me and the Intended Parents and as we make our way along this journey.
