Finance Gets Personal

Obsessive list-making is a hobby of mine, so I often start the summer with a list of things I want to do over the next three months. Fun things. Summer things.

Eat bomb pops on the lawn. Visit the water park. Take my stepson and one of his friends to play mini golf. Finally take the dog to the leash-free park. Go on a photo-taking road trip. Attend a summer concert. Have friends over on the 4th of July to witness the amazing views of local fireworks displays. Take a picnic to the local Shakespeare festival.

Amazingly, 90% of these things never happen.

I can sense it happening again this summer, as the circulars begin promoting back to school sales and the local Hobby Lobby begins decorating its Christmas trees.

Where are the kids chasing fireflies and parents listening to baseball games on the radio? Where is my green chlorinated hair and dark tan?

Please, fall, it’s too early…

We’ve still got to get our basement finished before college football season starts.

Photo Credit: slip’n’slide by superboma, used under Creative Commons licensing.

Well, we tried our hardest, but there was no BFP (big fat positive) pregnancy test to be had at the end of my first cycle of charting.

I did learn some interesting things about my body through recording my basal body temperature and other fertility signs though. For instance, I ovulated on day 16 of my cycle - slightly later than the day 14 average. And, more importantly, my luteal phase between ovulation and menstruation was only 9 days, for a total cycle length of 25 days. That is bad news, girlies (and boys who haven’t already clicked the “back” button)!

The average luteal phase is between 12-16 days, and 9 days is not long enough for an embryo to implant in the utereus before the lining starts to shed. A short luteal phase can be a sign of low progesterone, the hormone that takes over once you ovulate. Low progesterone can also lead to early miscarriages in those who do achieve pregnancy.

Luckily, this problem is usually easily treated - I just need to go see my OB/GYN and have some tests run.

But wouldn’t you know it, there’s a small problem: My insurance doesn’t cover infertility treatment!!!!!!

Now, I’m not (quite) freaking out yet, because I want to see what my cycle does this month. Although your luteal phase doesn’t usually change from month to month, I want to make sure the first time wasn’t an anomaly. Meanwhile, I’m taking 50 mg of vitamin B6, which is supposed to be a natural way of lengthening your luteal phase.

But the lack of insurance coverage ticks me off, and I’m also ticked at myself for not thinking about it sooner. You see, I only use my employer’s health insurance plan because it’s about $100 less per year than being added to my husband’s insurance, which does cover infertility, and also has a slightly lower co-pay. I can switch to my husband’s insurance plan, but without a major life event (like, ahem, having a baby) I won’t be able to do so until January 1. And since we’ve already used all of our health care flex savings for the year, I’m not very flush with medical money at the moment.

So, my current plan is to take my vitamins, have well-timed sex and try not to think too much about it until that bitchy old hag makes her next visit.