Re: MY TR STORY EXTREMELY LONG!!!!!!!!!!

April 23, 2003

i also loved that story. it was wonderful. and congrats and welcome back.

baby dust to you. love judy

April 23, 2003

i also loved that story. it was wonderful. and congrats and welcome back.

baby dust to you. love judy

April 23, 2003

i also loved that story. it was wonderful. and congrats and welcome back.

baby dust to you. love judy

April 23, 2003

Thanks for sharing your story. I enjoyed reading every part! Great

detail, lots of good information.

Best of luck TTC!

August

>

> My name is Tammy (38) and I live in

> Northeastern Pennsylvania. I have

> been married to my wonderful husband

> (30) for almost 7 years.

> We have one son Brad (15). For those

> doing the math adopted

> Brad after we were married. LOL. I

> have been on this journey for 2

> years. We are in the same boat most

> ladies are. I was married

> previously had my son, had my tubes

> tied (stupid) divorced, and then

> met the love of my life. My husband

> was never married and has no biological children.

> We were actually too wrapped up in the

> beginning of our marriage with buying our own home,

> drag racing, and everyday responsibilities to think of another

child.

> My brother and sil had my beautiful nephew and my life changed. I

> couldn't wait to come home from work or the weekends to spend time

> with Evan. When it would be time for him to go home I felt very

empty.

> Like something in my life was missing. I told one night after

> Evan left I wanted a baby Evan of our own. He just looked at me

like I

> was nuts and we both new that having my tubes tied that would not

be a

> possibility. I would have never thought a reversal was possible. I

> have my son, my family, my health and I should be happy with that.

So

> I tried to ignore the void I felt. It would be 2 years later that I

> was on the Internet and came across Dr Levin's web page. My

research

> took off from there. I mentioned it to a few months later. He

> was not at all receptive to say the least. He was too wrapped up in

> building a new motor and getting the racecar ready for another

season.

> So I pushed my feelings aside. I was at that time starting to have

> problems during my periods. They have always been on time and

minimal

> but the PMS, anxiety, and just feeling like crap each month was

> getting worse. So back to the support group I went. It amazed me to

> see how many other women had the same symptoms and problems. And

after

> they had a TR some of these problems went away. I really started

> pushing to have a TR. Didn't have a clue where the money was

> coming from for this but I would find it. I started to get obsessed

> with having a baby. I'm sure there were times felt like duck

> taping my mouth shut. I could never understand his resistance to

have

> a baby. He adores Evan as much as I do. Ok maybe not as much. LOL

We

> had a long talk one night and he admitted he just wasn't ready to

give

> up his toys and admitted to being more than a little selfish. I

> stopped talking about it but thought about it every day. It was

about

> this time I learned about Dr . I couldn't believe my luck. I

told

> about Dr and going to Mexico to have my reversal. Of

> course he was against it. He did not trust going to Mexico. I

started

> working 2 jobs and tried to figure out how to get my debt to income

> ratio down to where we could afford to do this. I would not

recommend

> my approach for everyone but it worked for us. I already signed up

> for money thru my flex spending account at work. It would cut down

on

> taxes from my paycheck and they would just deduct my payments thru

> payroll deduction. About 2 weeks before Xmas last year (02) I put

our

> racecar, car trailer and suburban on ebay. It sold within 10 days.

My

> husband WAS NOT happy. He also switched jobs in that time frame. He

> was an over the road truck driver and decided to come in off of the

> road to work for a company he had worked with previously. That

would

> cut his bring home pay in half. So my tactics were drastic but I

> needed to do what I did. I felt like someone had just lifted the

> weight of the world off my shoulders and I could go ahead with my

> plans to use Dr . I work for a major window blind manufacturer

> who has a Plant in Reynosa Mexico about 10mns from the hospital.

The

> gentleman who is the plant manager there used to work where I do.

So I

> called in a favor. I asked him to go out on his mfg'ing floor and

ask

> around to see if anyone knew anything about Dr o . I

> received a call back in minutes and the reviews were excellent. As

a

> matter of fact his mfg'ing manager knew dr personally and

would

> be willing to help us anyway he could. GOD is so good. We got thru

the

> holidays and decided to schedule our appointment for 2/21/03. So

the

> process began... What airline to use, where to stay, what rental

car

> company. I thought I was stressed before. I went on ebay and bought

> our tickets to fly southwest airlines. We used Dollar rental car

(not

> recommended) and left the hotel up in the air until we got there.

We

> made our airline reservations for 2/20/03. We left our home in Pa

and

> drove to Baltimore Md. on Weds. evening 2/19/03. We would spend the

> night and fly out in the morning. We set our alarm clocks for a 5am

> wake up. Took the shuttle to the airport and started our journey to

> Harlingen Texas. We arrived in Harlingen to sunshine and 78 degree

> weather. We went to Dollar rental car where our reservations were

made

> and they would not take our credit card. Just a warning. Most

rental

> car companies will not take visa debit cards. If they do please

make

> sure you have $250.00 available monies in your account. This

applies

> to a regular credit card as well. They place a hold on your card

for

> this amount until u return the car. Mexico insurance is $25.00 per

day

> and you are only allowed to go 25 miles into Mexico. Which is fine

> because hospital is less than that. So after a 40mn delay at the

> rental car company and some nasty tempers we got the car. We meet

up

> at a Wal-Mart (they are everywhere before u cross the boarder) with

> Tom and Fidel (gentleman from my work). We go into Wal-Mart to get

> supplies. I. E. bottled water, munchies, pillows, and whatever else

> you want to take. We go out to eat at Logan's Roadhouse. Would

> recommend this place to everyone. Great food. It is a steak house

> which many options on the menu. We are now ready to follow Fidel

> across the boarder. He tells us if we get a green light to keep

> following him. If it turns red we are to pull over. Of course it is

> going to go red we are in a rental car. We pull over and Fidel

keeps

> going. It must have been a slow night at the border because the

boarde

> patrol decides to play games. We are asked what we are going to

Mexico

> for. As we try to explain border patrol decides to tell us he

speaks

> no English. (yeah right)He goes to get a friend. We are all looking

> around for Fidel. My husband is asked to get out of the car and go

> over to a simulated traffic light they have on a poll. He is told

to

> push the button. If it comes up green we can go, if it comes up red

we

> have to stay. He pushes the button and SURPRISE!!! it comes up red.

By

> now we can't even imagine where Fidel is. We are trying to tell

border

> patrol we have someone who lives in Rio Bravo with us but we got

> separated when Fidel comes walking up. As soon as they see him they

> tell my husband to get into the car and we are allowed to go. We

> arrive at the hospital around 7pm or so. My surgery is scheduled

for

> 7am the following morning When Dr Levy(pronounced Lev ee) comes

out

> to greet us we are told that I will be done that evening. I was to

be

> showered and ready to go into surgery in 20mns. Not only was he

polite

> about this he is very reassuring that all will go well. It helps

that

> he is such a Cutey Patutey. I was starting to panic and was

thinking

> about backing out. So much so I wouldn't come out of the bathroom.

My

> husband comes into the bathroom and tells me to get moving. We

didn't

> come this far for me to chicken out. By the time I came out Dr Levy

> was waiting for me along with a nurse. The nurse shaved me and Dr

> Levy put my IV in. I was then wheeled towards the OR. My husband

was

> with me the whole time. I was introduced to Dr and then

wheeled

> into the OR. I was placed on the operating table and my epi was put

> in. I felt nothing. Dr Moreno had already put happy juice in my IV.

I

> saw the Cross that so many ladies mention. I asked if they had a CD

> player that I could use? They did and it was brought into the room.

> My husband went back to my suitcase and got my cd. I took along a

CD

> of gospel music and that played thru out my entire surgery. At one

> point my husband looked at me laughing and said that Simon says you

> suck and that I would not make it on American Idol. It turns out I

> was singing at the top of my lungs to my cd. LOL I was awake for

most

> of the surgery and felt what was being done. NO PAIN just pressure,

> which did not hurt. Dr Levy told me it's like the pressure u feel

> from a c-section. Dr informed my husband that whoever did my

TL

> butchered me. We new going in my tubes were short. I had a Lap done

> last year. I have 4cm on left and 2cm on right. We were also told I

> was getting ready to ovulate in the next few days from the right

> side. But NO SEX for 15 days. So much for trying right away. OK not

> that I was up to it. These ladies who have sex in less than a week

> are my heroes. The next thing I remember was waking up in my room.

My

> legs were numb but nothing I couldn't handle. With being such a

sissy

> and never having an epidural before I thought I would panic. I woke

up

> around 5:30 am and Dr Levy came in to check on me before he left

for

> school. He said if I could get a shower on my own and I ate I would

be

> discharged that evening when he came back in. I truly had to force

> food down. I had no appetite. You will get visits from the nurses

who

> will check on you to see if u need pain meds. and to give u shots

of

> antibiotics in your IV. None of them speak English. I got a visit

from

> Dr around 10am. He came in and checked everything and then

went

> out and got a nurse to take out my catheter and Epidural line. I'm

> free and can get up and go potty and walk a little bit. I get up

and

> immediately feel PAIN. Ok BURNING!! just above my incision on the

> left. Now I'm a wuss and afraid to move. I do however get up a

couple

> of more times throughout the day until Dr Levy comes back in. It

turns

> out the burning is normal and things are healing. That reassures me

> but still does not make the pain go away. I have to push myself to

> shower and get dressed so we can be discharged. We meet 2 more

couples

> coming in as we are leaving. Teri is from Oklahoma and Antoinette

is

> from Texas. I pay my bill, which was $1950.00. Get strict

> instructions, antibiotics and pain meds. from Dr Levy and leave. I

> have had to take no pain medication. I never left my hospital room

> except to be discharged. It would be in your best interest to take

> food along for spouse. I had a tv/vcr combo in my room and a

> telephone. We go to cross the border and are again stopped. We are

> asked if we are citizens and what our purpose in Mexico was. We

told

> him yes we are citizens and that we had surgeries with Dr . We

> were asked if we had anything to declare and if we had any

medications

> with us. To which we answered no to both questions. We were told to

> move on. I truly think it is because we were in a rental car that

had

> them asking so many questions. We decided to stay at the Ramada

> Limited in Harlingen Tx. about 10mns from airport. Hotel is new and

> very nice. Room rate was $63.00 per night for std room. They also

> offer continental breakfast in the morning. We got up Saturday

morning

> 2/22( 4th Birthday) and decide to go to South Padre Island. It

is

> beautiful there. We spend the day there. went and I soaked up

> the sun. It is 81 degrees. WOOHOO.. We had back to the hotel around

> 6'ish and decide to the Dog track for dinner and some betting. What

a

> mistake. The food was horrible and the service was even worse. We

> ended up dealing with the manager who complemented our entire bill

> and we left. It is now 8 or 9 pm I'm beat. Back to the hotel for a

> good nights sleep so we can be ready to fly home the next

> day. We are up bright and early Sunday morning. Get a bite to eat,

> load the car and we are off to the airport. Ladies a wheelchair is

a

> MUST for traveling thru the airport post-surgery. Not only are u

not

> walking and running to catch a plane u get VIP treatment. No lines

No

> waiting. Remember also to take a small lap pillow to hold against

> your stomach. We arrive back in Baltimore a little behind schedule.

I

> call the hotel to send the shuttle. He arrives in less than 15mns.

We

> board and it now turns into the ride from HELL!!!! Now I know how

he

> made there in such a short period of time. It is 3 miles from the

> hotel to the airport and let me tell you it was worst 3miles of my

> life. He hit every bump and dip in the rode. We were almost thrown

> from our seats on more than one occasion. No tip for this psycho

> driver. LOL We arrived home around 9pm Sunday evening (2/23) and I

> went straight to bed. It has been 6 days since my surgery and I am

> feeling really good. I am still taking my antibiotics (a must for

> 14days) and I have taken no pain medication since the epidural came

> out. I still can't believe I am whole again. We were given a 50%

> chance of conceiving even with my short tube lengths. That is

> certainly better than I had before going to Dr . I would

> recommend this to anyone. I am the biggest wuss in the world and if

I

> can do it so can you. The only thing I will say is that you should

NOT

> go alone to have this done. You need someone there to help you

carry

> luggage, get in and out of vehicles, go to the bathroom. I'm not

sure

> Dr or Dr Levy would let u go alone. There is definitely a

> language barrier if u do not speak Spanish but you could not ask

for a

> cleaner, friendlier and more accommodating group of people. What a

> wonderful experience. I know this is extremely long and I

appreciate

> you hanging on until the end.

>

> Love to all

> Tammy (38)

> DH-(30)

> DS-Brad (15)

> TL-6/95

> TR-2/20/03 Dr. and Dr. Levy

> Left-4cm

> Right-2cm

April 23, 2003