Chapter 1. Green Light!
After COVID-19 temporarily put our plans on hold, we are so excited to now have the opportunity to try and conceive a child! For the next several weeks we will be offering a play-by-play of IVF amidst COVID-19. The good, the bad, and the embarrassing. Hopefully for some of you it will be a salve to know you’re not alone (if you’re out there, we’d love to hear from you!), and for others, we just thank you for your support both personally and on behalf of The Beltane Guild.
A brief intro which is kind of sad:
When I first realized that we would likely have to use In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in order to have a family, I felt physically broken and frustrated. Twelve years ago I was an egg donor and helped a family to conceive two healthy twin children (which, by the way, was a secret I had kept mostly to myself until now). How could I have gone from being capable of conceiving to requiring IVF? It was that question that led me to wonder what effects, if any, my job as a firefighter had on my reproductive health. While there are several studies that have already been published linking firefighting to infertility, it would be irresponsible to claim that it is outright the cause of my own state…but what if it did affect my reproductive health? It’s not as if it’s a topic anyone wants to talk about around the fire station. How many other firefighters out there are going through this, or have already used fertility treatment to start their families?
I then started researching my health benefits to see what, if any fertility treatment, was covered. Despite the fire service’s huge emphasis to family, most fire departments currently do not offer coverage of fertility treatment (shoutout to Seattle FD and South King Fire & Rescue who do!) . As I l compared my employer to the countless other companies here locally that do offer these benefits to their employees, I realized there was an opportunity to propose a change. The current state of our progress is that conversations are happening, awareness is growing, and most importantly, proposals are being submitted. As we continue these conversations with our Local, my employer, and the state, I’d like to share my own journey so that anyone who is curious can hear a first-hand account of what it’s like to experience infertility in the fire service.
Before I go any further, I want to be clear that any donations made to The Beltane Guild have not, and will never be used for fertility treatment for my fiancé and I. The Board manages all financial transactions and approves any expenditures. That being said, The Beltane Guild currently has two $500 grants available for firefighters requiring fertility treatment so please reach out to us if you’re in need.
Chapter 2. Talking About Infertility at Work.
The first time I told my officer I would eventually be needing fertility treatment, I got hot, teary-eyed and beyond embarrassed. I am equally embarrassed just retelling the story here. I was ashamed (why?!), it was uncomfortable, and despite his best efforts to reassure me of his support, I hated how not-brave and not-strong I was in that moment.
Things continued in a similar fashion for a while. As the only female Paramedic, and one of only seven female firefighters in a department of over one hundred and fifty, I felt like I was going through this big life event but didn’t want to make people uncomfortable by sharing about it. Which, if you know me, is a big deal because I usually share EVERYTHING. Case and point: Here I am sharing to you. Probably more than most want to know. But because I’m a big share-er, eventually I just couldn’t hold it inside anymore and I shared about my problems with fertility with my co-workers, and guess what? They shared back! Many of them shared their own experiences with infertility and IVF, and showed me pictures of their beautiful kids - conceived with IVF. It’s been amazing and encouraging, and yet ever-so-slightly sad that there are so many of us and many who never shared their secret with anyone. So many that never had that support from their community.
So now I’m open at work about IVF and it feels great. My fiancé and I are so excited to get started, and it’s all happening NOW.
Chapter 3: Week 1 of IVF
1) To kick things off, I had a slightly funny and definitely awkward (on my part) conversation with my boss to request modified duty while undergoing IVF. It was approved with full support from the department and is effective Monday, May 4th, 2020 through mid-June when the pregnancy test comes back - or +
2) Started birth control so Seattle Reproductive Medicine can “take the reigns” of my cycle
3) Started treating my body like a temple. No alcohol, lots of sleep, vitamins, minimal stress, healthy diet, and my favorite, exercise. And I told my fiancé he has to stop riding his bike for a few weeks
4) Ordered fertility medications. There are several: Menopur, Gonal-F, Cetrotide, Pregnyl, and Endometrin. These vary based on your specific needs and health profile. The fiancé just has to take a Z-pack. Hardly seems fair but I’ll accept it as long as he bakes me more of those died-and-went-to-heaven oatmeal raisin cookies he made tonight. The total cost for fertility medications was $3,800. My health insurance did not cover any of them.
5) Paid for one cycle of egg retrieval and IVF. Price tag: $12,300. Which brings the grand total for treatment to $16,100. Had to sweat out the stress with a Shaun T Insanity Workout after paying that bill.
For the next week, it’s just status quo with birth control. On May 8th I’ll have what’s called a Suppression Check Ultrasound, and assuming all looks good, on May 14th I get to start injecting myself in the abdomen with hormones! Oh the joys of becoming a parent. But we’re grateful, and hoping for the best!
Stay tuned for more, and thanks for joining us on this crazy journey!
Maia & Peter
