IUI

At 5:30am, Jing Mei's alarm clock went off. Though she'd only had three or so hours of sleep, her day had to begin. With her new hope in place, she got up and showered, combed her hair, brushed her teeth and got dressed. She'd let her hair drip dry until she got to work where she'd pull it back into a pony tail. Makeup, forget it. Au natural was the look of choice.

She went downstairs and helped her father with his morning routine. She walked him to the bathroom. Closing the privacy door behind him allowed him to relieve himself with dignity. She retrieved his hairbrush, soap and wash cloth, toothpaste and toothbrush, setting them all neatly on the counter with care. She pulled a small chair in front of the sink. When her father was done on the other side of the door, she helped him into the chair.

While her father took care of his grooming, she went to the kitchen and made him breakfast. She started a pot of coffee. She heated up a bowl congee, portioned out from the large pot she made on Sunday. She cut up some fresh fruit and set up a breakfast tray for her dad and another for herself.

With her dad back in his hospital bed, she put his breakfast tray in front of him and dispensed his morning meds. She set her own tray next to the chair by his bed. Her father was having a good morning so far and they had a pleasant breakfast together. She was able to eat a bit and have a conversation with him. She was glad she was able to enjoy her father that morning. His health wouldn't permit this much longer. The morning nurse came and Jing Mei was off to work.

Though she had only three hours of sleep, her hair was simply pulled back in a pony tail and she wore no makeup, Luka, Jerry and Abby all commented on her looking particularly well today. What a difference attitude makes when you're sleep deprived she thought. She stole away some time to sneak in a call to the fertility clinic. They'd take her this afternoon at 4pm.

At 3:55 she took her lunch break, walking over to the fertility clinic. It was in the same building as the urology center John used to make his donations, just two floors up. The receptionist handed her a clipboard with a large number of forms to fill out and she sat down and got to work on them.

Twenty minutes later she was in Dr. Watson's office. "So you're interested in intrauterine insemination with a designated, non-partner donor?" Jing Mei nodded. It sounded so matter of fact, like the medicine she practiced, not like an act of love that creates a life. "With frozen sperm, IUI has a 10% chance of success per cycle. We can bring up those odds by using fresh sperm".

"Let's start with where we are, with the frozen sperm." Ten percent chance was actually comfortable odds given the enormous load she carried between caring for her father and her job as a doctor in a busy, urban hospital.

"Okay" Dr. Watson said "if we're not achieving the results we want in a few months, we can always change to fresh sperm or go to IVF".

Jing Mei nodded. "So what happens now?"

"First, I'll examine you, make sure everything is in good working order. We'll start you on Clomid, and on your way home, you're going to stop at the drug store and pick up an ovulation kit. Test for an LH surge each morning. When you get a positive result, call here and we'll get you in for the IUI the next day. The procedure takes just a few minutes and you can be back at work in the span of a coffee break."

It was not exactly the way she would have preferred, but it was a doable way to have the family she wanted. She had a 10% chance of having a baby under construction in just a few short weeks. Thinking about the new life that could soon be within her, she felt hopeful. She felt happy. This was good. This was something positive she could hang on to in the world that was disintegrating around her. "I'm ready, bring it on" she told Dr. Watson.

Thus two more things were added to her morning routine: taking the Clomid and peeing on the stick.