Medical Records Update…

Hallelujah, my medical records showed up in my fax inbox today! As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve heard that getting out of state medical records can be an absolute nightmare! This proved to be somewhat true. While mine only ended up taking about ten business days, it took three faxes and seven phone calls back and forth.

Did you know that nearly all medical record keeping is done online now? I didn’t! This seems good in theory. Records are easier to look up and transfer, they can be accessed outside of the office and they are more legible. All great things, right? Sure! Unless you’re one of the many, MANY patients who had a baby BEFORE the switch to electronic record keeping.

Accessing my records from eight years ago meant someone had to go to a different building and dig around to find what I needed. The readability (is that a real word?) of the records is sketchy at best. A piece of advice to anyone who thinks she may ever want to be a surrogate: Get your records now! Trust me on this one. If you’re pregnant, go ahead and make a copy of your records and put them in a safe place “just in case”.

My former doctor’s office lost the first medical records release fax I sent to them and said they didn’t receive the second fax. When I spoke to someone a week later she assured me they had been mailed and I should have them any day. After two days I called back and pleaded my case with someone else. She said the woman in charge of records would be out until the first week of June.

I about had a come apart at that news. Didn’t they understand I was trying to make babies over here? The sweet woman took pity on me when I explained why it was absolutely imperative they go find my full chart and send it to me right away. She said she didn’t know how to work their fax machine but would have another receptionist do it the following morning. Lo and behold, she was true to her word and I got them today.

I emailed my records straight over to K at my agency and can cross that off my to-do list! Now I just have to wait until my doctor’s appointment on June 9th to get my pap and medical clearance!!! I’m not a very patient person; it’s a flaw I freely admit. I do believe this journey will either teach me patience or leave me crazy… maybe both. 🙂

 

The Phone Call and Catching Up…

Less than twenty-four hours after I submitted my surrogacy application my phone started to ring. Checking the caller ID I saw that it was an Illinois number. I held my breath and said in my best ‘I’d make a great mother’ type voice, “Hello?”

It was someone from the agency calling! Kristina told me they’d gotten my application and everything looked to be okay so far and asked if we could schedule a time to talk. I made the appointment for the following afternoon, hung up the phone and sat in my desk chair staring at my computer screen. I’d read that some agencies can take longer getting back to you. I couldn’t believe I’d been called in less that 24 hours!

I immediately went back to my previously made lists and started double checking to make sure I had all of the questions I wanted to ask written down. I ended up adding a bunch more. That day seemed to drag on and on.

The next day I waited for the phone call, tried to focus on work and watched the numbers on my clock tick closer and closer to 11:00 am. By 11:05 I had started sweating. Finally, the phone rang and it was K. We talked for about an hour about my application, more details about myself, partner, and daughter, the process and everything involved, etc. Every so often she would stop and let me ask questions. It felt like a very natural conversation and less like the intense interview I had anticipated.

K was amazing. She was warm and friendly and very knowledgeable. I felt a great connection with her. She had delivered twins four weeks earlier as a GC (her second surrogacy), so I felt even better knowing she had first hand experience. At the end of the conversation she told me that I was approved and to expect a welcome email shortly. She went over what would be in it, requesting medical records, scheduling pap smear, and all those fun details.

After my conversation with her I felt even more certain of my decision. Then came the beginning of phone calls! I called and made an appointment (June 9) with an OB/GYN a friend recommended to get my annual exam and pregnancy clearance. I went online to request my prenatal and delivery records from my previous pregnancy with my daughter. I’ve read it can be a timely and frustrating process trying to get them. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly.

That brings us to where I am in my journey thus far. While I wait for my doctor’s appointment and records, I am researching hospitals in my area and reading LOTS of blogs. What blogs do you love? Leave me a comment and let me know!. 🙂