I am very lucky that my clinic is only an 8-minute drive from my house and within walking distance from where I work. But not everyone has a clinic that close. Many people end up traveling long distances for their appointments and treatments. I recently asked my followers on Facebook and Twitter for some tips on how to make traveling for infertility treatments easier. Here is some of their advice:
- Try to do as many things as you can (tests, procedures, consultations, etc.) during each visit in order to minimize travel.
- If possible, stay overnight if you’re having a transfer or retrieval. This will help reduce stress and will give you time to sleep off any anesthesia or pain medication.
If you’re driving…
- Listen to a good audiobook, podcast, or calming music on the drive.
- Reward yourself with a drink or snack from your favorite coffee shop to make the ride more enjoyable.
- Bring a pillow and lots of water.
- Make sure you have someone who can drive you home if you’ll be receiving anesthesia, valium, or some other medication that will restrict you from driving.
- Leave 30 minutes earlier than you think you need to. You never know when you’ll encounter traffic, an accident, or construction. Make a note of nice cafes or coffee shops near the clinic where you can stop if you arrive too early.
- Plan for traffic and scope out parking alternatives, especially on weekends when some lots are closed.
- If you’ll be carrying medication that requires refrigeration, make sure you have a cooler, ice packs and ice
If you’re flying…
- Check with your doctor to see if he has any guidelines on whether or not you should fly
- Check with the TSA (or your country’s own airport security agency, if you’re outside of the U.S.) for requirements about bringing medication and syringes on board. You might want to ask your doctor for a letter stating what the medications are and why you are carrying them. Some websites recommend carrying the medications in clear plastic bags, with their original packaging
- Make sure you have enough medications and supplies to get you through a flight delay. Don’t forget your sharps container!
Here’s a list of questions to ask the clinic if you’re traveling…
- Do they have early morning appointments or evening appointments in case you can’t make it during normal business hours?
- How many doctors are on staff and will they cover for each other if one gets sick or has a personal emergency? (During one of my blood tests, my doctor had a medical emergency himself and had to be taken to the hospital. He’s the only doctor and obviously, he couldn’t draw my blood so I had to go to the hospital to do it. It wasn’t a problem for me since the hospital was close, but if you are traveling it could be an issue).
- Are you required to go to the clinic for monitoring (blood work/ ultrasounds) or will they let you be monitored at a local clinic and just have the major procedures at their clinic? (One of my friends travel about 90 minutes to her clinic, but during the period when she needed daily monitoring, they let her get her ultrasounds done at a gynecologist closer to her. Not all clinics will do this, and you need to make sure the gynecologist has experience doing IVF monitoring).
Want more tips on surviving IVF? Check out my new Kindle eBook, “Preparing for IVF: Approach Your IVF With Confidence and Courage.”
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
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