Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Until now.
“Well, let’s go meet the doctor.”
2
NOAH
Nurse Dakota shows us into the office. Dr. Hilda Rock stands and greets us and asks Ben how’s he doing. They chat for a bit while Peyton, Elle, and I sit down. The desk in front of us is large and ornate, and I find myself looking at the carvings, knowing in the back of my mind, they aren’t what I think they are, but can’t help but wonder if I’m staring at wooden vaginas.
“Are those what I think they are?” I whisper into Peyton’s ear. She nods. “What the fuck?”
“I know. Elle said she’s a good doctor though and . . .” She stops talking when she sits down.
“Elle and Ben, we’ve already discussed the process, so I’m going to focus on Peyton and Noah,” she says. She explains in detail the process my wife is about to go through. Each time I hear the word shot, I want to pick her up and carry her out of the room. Something as natural as carrying a child shouldn’t be this painful or heartbreaking. Ever since we started this journey, it’s been so hard seeing the boxes of pregnancy tests only for them to be negative, hearing her cry at night when she thinks I’m asleep—my wife shouldn’t have to go through this. No woman should.
I’m thankful doctors like Dr. Rock exists, even though the costs are abhorrent and not covered by health insurance, which is another bone of contention with me. Medical assistance that supports a woman’s right to have a child should be covered. Right down to the last penny.
She opens a chart but doesn’t look at anything in there. “Peyton, I’ve gone over the records sent from the specialist you saw in Portland. I don’t see anything about Clomid. Did you want to try this route first?”
Peyton shakes her head. “I tried, but the side effects made me ill,” she tells her. “To the point where we couldn’t have sex when needed.”
Fun times for Noah.
I lost count of how many nights we spent sleeping in the bathroom, so she was near the toilet. I’ve come to learn if there’s a horrible side effect, Peyton will have it.
Dr. Rock sighs. “All right, well first, let me say I’m sorry you’re having difficulties conceiving. I take my job very seriously and have a high success rate. Two, I’ve looked over your chart and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the scan of your uterus shows healthy. Three, Noah’s initial sample results showed very strong and eager swimmers, ready to impregnate. I’m expecting the same results today and expect fertilization almost instantly once we get your eggs out. She closes the file and lays her hands over it.
What in the actual fuck did we just sign up for? I glance at Elle, who stares forward because she knows I’m about to wring her neck. There is no way in hell this woman is the leading specialist in infertility. She’s a quack, and that’s putting it mildly.
“Do you have any questions?”
“Yes,” I blurt out. “Where did you go to school?”
“Harvard,” she says proudly.
I make a mental note, and plan to call the school to verify.
“I suspect you don’t appreciate my humor when it comes to making a list, Mr. Westbury. I like to lighten the mood sometimes.” She pauses and looks at Peyton. “When would you like to get started?”
“The sooner the better,” Peyton says before I can whisk her out of the room. “Noah’s currently off work, and I’ve taken some vacation time.”
She opens the chart again and huffs. “I see here it says you’re a professional athlete?”
“Let me guess, you don’t watch football?”
She shakes her head. “You any good?”
Peyton squeezes my hand hard, holding me in place.
“So, scheduling,” Elle says, interjecting before I can say something sarcastic. “Ideally, soon. We’re both excited and eager to start our journey into motherhood.”
When did Elle become the voice of reason?
“Like I said, we’re on vacation and I’d really like to start the process as soon as possible,” Peyton says.
“I understand. Will you continue having treatment here?”
Peyton nodded. “We have a home here.”
“Perfect,” she says as she picks her iPad up. “We need to start by getting your blood drawn and tests run. I know you did a few in Portland, but levels change. This will tell us how many eggs are available in your body. We’ll also schedule you for an ultrasound, which will help us predict how your ovaries will respond to fertility medicines. As I understand it, you both want to come in on the same day?”
Peyton and Elle say yes.
“Okay, we’ll draw blood today and schedule the ultrasound for the end of the week,” she tells us. “Ben, we don’t need to do anything with your semen at this moment, and Noah, yours is being analyzed now.”