if = full time job.

This stuff is like a full time job in and of itself.

So to back track a bit, I got our IVF approval letter in the mail over the weekend. It lists out all the procedures we've been approved for during a certain time period (ER, ET, etc). Me being me, I scoured it right away to make sure everything was correct.

Well, I noticed that ICSI wasn't listed anywhere on it. Fabulous. Another call to make to the insurance company. While ICSI isn't essential in the IVF process, I also know it's highly recommended for unexplained IFers like us.

So I called first thing Monday morning. They tell me they need a copy of B's semen analysis before they will approve it. I told her he's only ever had 1, and that was over 2 years ago. She said it didn't matter. I just happened to have all my old records with me that day, so I faxed her over a copy of the letter we had received from the RE back then.

I follow up on Tuesday (as I'm also learning that following up with everyone is essential in this process) and am told that the letter is not good enough. They need the actual SA report.

So I put in a call to our very first RE's office. Tell the receptionist what I need. Luckily, she is very helpful and says as soon as I fill out the medical release form, she can fax it right over to my insurance company. Excellent.

Once again, I follow up this morning. My insurance company never received the report. Good grief. So I call RE #1's office back again, speak to the same lady, and she faxes it again (as well as a copy directly to me so that I don't have to keep bothering her). I follow up with the insurance company an hour later and they finally have it. Except now they want to know why there is no morphology listed on the report. MOTHER F'ER.

After a few more calls from both me and my current RE's office, they finally relent. We are officially approved for split ICSI, which is what my doc recommends. Assuming we get enough eggs, they will let half of them fertilize naturally and perform ICSI on the other half.

I'm happy. Albeit wore out.