Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
The receptionist barged in then.
“She doesn’t have an appointment,” the girl stated importantly. “I said I’d put her on the calendar for three weeks out.”
Chase’s expression remained smooth.
“Three weeks is too late for a new patient to wait. Why don’t you come into my office and we can have a quick chitchat?”
I nodded, refusing to meet the receptionist’s eye as we glided down the hall to his office. And once the door was shut, I took a deep breath.
“Hi Dr. Roman,” I murmured.
One black brow rose.
“Hello Connie,” came that low growl. “How are you?”
I flushed.
“Well, um, I’m okay,” was my stammer. “I dropped by because …”
Oh god, what could I say? That I wanted to see him again? That I wanted to feel those big fingers stroking my pussy once more, making me cream and moan with ecstasy? That would never do. So instead, a tumble of words rushed from my mouth.
“I wanted to talk with you about fertility treatments,” came my too-loud voice. “That’s your expertise, right? I have concerns about my ability to bear children, and I wanted to explore my options at Sunset Medical.”
By now, Chase was behind his big mahogany desk looking at me with amusement in his eyes. The corner of his lips quirked into a smile, but otherwise, he was completely calm.
“Of course,” he said, nodding his head seriously. “What were you thinking?”
“Well, um, you mentioned IVF during the information session yesterday. Can you tell me how it’s done and how much it costs?”
His eyebrow quirked once more.
“Of course. IVF stands for in vitro fertilization, and it’s a process by which we stimulate your ovaries to produce eggs. Then we extract the eggs and fertilize them with sperm of your choice in a petri dish. Once there are embryos, we implant one or two into your uterus. Hopefully, the embryos stick and gestation occurs normally from that point on.”
I nod. I’d known some of this from high school biology, so the summary was fairly clear.
“How much does it cost?” I ventured. “Is it cheap or expensive?”
Chase smiled again.
“It depends on your point of view, I guess. Here in the United States, one round of IVF costs about twelve thousand dollars. But we can’t guarantee implantation on the first try. For most patients, it takes a few rounds of IVF before there’s a viable pregnancy, so I’d budget at least thirty-six thousand for three rounds.”
My mouth dropped open, eyes bugging out.
“You must be joking,” I said hoarsely. “That’s almost like going to college all over again.”
His lips quirked in an amused smile.
“It’s not an inexpensive process for sure,” Chase rumbled. “There are so many stages that require a doctor’s supervision, as well as lab techs, anesthesiologists, and an assortment of personnel. Plus the drugs, sweetheart. You take ovarian stimulation drugs into order to coax your ovaries to produce eggs so that we can harvest a dozen at once.”
“I see,” was my limp whisper. This wasn’t working out the way I intended. The prices were astronomical, and suddenly, it was crystal clear that I didn’t belong at Sunset Medical.
But a girl can try right? So I plowed ahead.
“How about other solutions?” I asked quickly. “Are there medications I can take to improve my fertility? IVF can’t be the only option.”
Dr. Roman nodded.
“Of course. There are certainly drugs on the market that women hoping to conceive take. For example, we can stimulate your ovaries to produce more eggs. But there’s more to it than that. If we stimulate your eggs, we still need sperm to fertilize the eggs, and that takes a male partner with whom you’d have regular intercourse. Based on your conversation last night, you’re currently single, right?”
Oh god. My mouth snapped shut as I nodded dumbly.
“That’s right,” came my whisper. “I’m single. So it sounds like IVF is my only option then?”
“For a woman who’s currently single, yes,” said Dr. Roman smoothly. “Plus, don’t forget. The thirty-six thousand dollar estimate only includes our services. You’d have to go to a sperm bank and pay for donor semen there. That’s a separate charge.”
Again, I was dumbfounded. It seemed that my wallet would bleed no matter how I did it. I shook my head, unable to believe my ears.
“So all in all, it could cost something like fifty thousand total?” was my awkward whisper.
Dr. Roman nodded.
“That’s right. Plus, we don’t guarantee success. Some couples do five or six rounds of IVF and costs soar into the six figures. But they say it’s worth it. After all, people will pay almost anything to have a baby.”
The energy drained from my bones because these figures were way out of my league. I still had a hundred thousand outstanding in student loans, and was scrimping by on my secretary’s salary from the accounting firm. How in the world would I be able to afford IVF at Sunset Medical?