Did you know that on April 1, Colorado’s Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 20-1158 effectively guaranteeing insurance coverage for infertility treatment beginning in 2022. Chances are you had no idea. While the world is spinning on its axis due to COVID-19 this powerful bill impacting 1 in 8 Coloradoan’s was silently put into motion. And no one is talking about it.
As of today we’ve spent nearly 4 years and over $15,000 working towards conceiving a child. Four years of doctors visits, injections, testing, and invasive procedures that have left us empty handed. Our 6th, and final, IUI was in February and like most couples in the middle of infertility treatment our next steps are in a perpetual state of limbo until the world returns to normal.
During March we were supposed to go back to the doctor and get recommendations on what to do next, most likely left with IVF and a projected $20,000+ bill as our only option for conceiving a biological child. Upon learning that our final IUI failed I called my health insurance provider, with which I have an amazing policy by any standard, and asked if there would be any future coverage for IVF treatment.
The insurance company shared that if I were able to get an exception from my employer, coverage for IVF treatment could be a possibility. After meeting with my HR representative, I found that the exception option is simply not possible. This left a hard decision on the table about the immediate future of how we want to proceed with further treatments.
When I stumbled across the fact that HB20-1158 had been signed into action nearly two weeks ago I was relieved, enraged and stressed beyond belief. I thought we had a final decision on the horizon. I thought we’d decide to continue with infertility treatment or go another path, in the next few months.
I was furious that I couldn’t find a single updated piece of media coverage explaining what the bill meant. I couldn’t find what the next steps would be towards getting required insurance coverage for the treatment I need because my body simply doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to. I was upset with the ongoing delayed timeline. This was putting the likelihood of continuing treatment out another 18 months, with likely several months of pre-treatment testing required to start the process back up again.
I am eternally grateful to Governor Polis, Senators Faith Winter and Steve Fenberg, and Representatives Leslie Herod and Kerry Tipper. The Colorado Building Families Act is a huge step forward in healthcare, ensuring that fertility health in Colorado is no longer treated as a luxury.
Infertility is a heartbreaking and stressful process I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It hurts to see the jokes about quarantine babies and hurts more to see families who get to spend extra time at home with their little ones. It’s stressful and it’s numbing and there’s no escape.
I am looking forward to a time where future couples won’t have to experience this stress. Months of doctors visits and rigorous testing will no longer conclude with an insult to injury bill in the mail.
I appreciate that Governor Polis recognized the time sensitivity of infertility and signed the bill into law despite the chaos unfurling around him. For us, and the thousands of other couples experiencing infertility, Colorado’s Building Families Act is a beacon of hope during a season of darkness.
When Drew and I got married five years ago it was never a question of if we would have kids, more it was a question of when would be the right time. Despite all of the well-meaning questions, we still don’t know when that will happen.
This wasn’t a post I ever wanted to write or one that I even thought would be a part of my life. We spent the better part of the last year, beyond selling a house and moving, learning the extreme specifics of why after two years we had not successfully gotten pregnant on our own. Several months of regular doctors appointments and a handful of very friendly procedures and the answer is no one knows. The official diagnosis is ‘unexplained infertility’.
That mean’s we’ve tested everything we can test and we still don’t know why. When we started down this journey I was hopeful that we’d come out the other side with a logical, medical answer. Unfortunately, several months and a few thousand dollars later there is literally not one single logical answer. Medically speaking nothing is ‘wrong’ with either of us. This is almost more frustrating than just not knowing in the first place.
And it’s not just us. It’s 10% of all couples.
For those who have advice…. allow me to explain all the things that we have done:
Fast forward to present and this month we’re starting what is our 5th treatment cycle.
I’m sharing this now because I can’t stand fertility forums and the more people I talk with, the more I realize how insanely common this experience is.
Shockingly after spending years trying to not get pregnant, it seems that more likely then not, an unwanted pregnancy wasn’t in the cards for me. “Take that” judgmental Walmart cashier who called for a price check the first time my period came a day late in my early 20’s.
So I don’t have an answer. If you are in that group of women I’m happy to talk through every test before you have to get it. I can event point you to the cheapest place to buy a years supply of ovulation test strips [its amazon and you will completely screw up your husbands prime recommendations]. Hell I’ll tell the next person who questions the glass of wine you are having or not having that it’s none of their business.
Back to the IUI thing. IUI means Intrauterine Insemination and is the “least invasive” treatment. Typically this is where most people with unexplained infertility start. With an IUI you go into the doctor throughout your cycle, take medication to ensure ovulation, and then go in for the actual procedure on the date of your ovulation. Rather than going about things the old fashioned way they use a syringe help the process along. Romantic right.
We did our first cycle approximately a year ago and when I went in for my final check-up before the procedure they discovered that I had 5 eggs ready. Since we aren’t planning for a TLC show that round was skipped entirely and then I had to wait another 3 months to get back to a good baseline.
After that, we did 3 IUIs at our original doctors’ office without any success. At that stage, the recommendation was to move onto IVF. Since we aren’t ready to decide if we do or don’t want to even consider that option I wanted to get a second opinion.
Now we’re in the early stages of what will be the 4th IUI following a completely new treatment plan – this time with the combination of both oral medication and injectables.
While I don’t think anyone assumes treatment for infertility is glamorous I missed the memo that I also now get to play pharmacist and mix my own medications. It’s literally one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done, trying to hold a bottle of saline upside down with a giant needle and not shoot saline across the room when it’s supposed to go into yet another bottle to combine. Whoever’s idea this was is a jerk.
So I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know if this cycle will go as scheduled or if we’ll have to cancel again. It’s a whole lot of unknowns.
What I do know is that I am strong enough to get through this and if you have to share this experience, so are you.
We’re just a week into April and that means its time for this month’s reading list! If you finished up 4 books last month you are already ahead of me! I keep stacking my books to read and finding other busy things to fill my time with. We’re going on vacation this month and I’m planning to get a TON of reading done on our flight to London.
My goal is to finish 50 books throughout the year and I am inviting you to join in on the challenge. Check out last month’s list or start your challenge with this month’s selections.
One of my personal challenges each year is to finish reading 50 books from a variety of genres. I love young adult fiction and could read a book a night but to balance needing to sleep and pushing myself to learn I try to mix things up. I’ve found that reading 4 books a month is manageable and realistic plan to complete the 50 book goal. Each month I’ll be sharing my reading list and would love to hear what you’d like to see added to the list for the next month.
For March I have a couple of YA books and a few non-fiction pieces. What books are you reading right now?
