Energized from my appointment with my gynecologist, I placed my first call to my new clinic. The receptionist was sweet as was the patient coordinator I spoke to.  After asking the initial intake questions, “How did you hear about us? How long have you been trying to conceive?” etc., she asked me if there was a specific doctor at their practice that I would like to see.  This was the most important question and I needed to give the right answer.

I took a deep breath and said, “Why don’t I tell you what I am looking for in a doctor and you can tell me which doctor would be just that.”  I was going to take control of this experience this time around and welcomed the name of my potential new doctor…Dr. C.

My husband and I geared up for our first appointment, (yes, they asked to meet him too!) and I was nervous.   What if they wouldn’t be able to help me? I barely slept the night before our appointment, but little did I know that fear was about to come to an end.

You know that feeling when you meet someone and you just click? Like you were destined to be friends, colleagues, teammates? Well, that is exactly what happened when we met with Dr. C. She was warm, caring and calm.  She had a tissue box ready for me when the tears began to fall and welcomed every story and anecdote I had to share.  She stressed how important it was for her to get to know us and what we had been through in order to help.

I recited my mantra about looking for a doctor who would be on “Team Pamela.” She reviewed my previous test results, walked me through the options again, IUI and then IVF.  She believed she could help us.  I took a sigh of relief and told her we did not want to wait and try less likely options and wanted to move right to IVF. She smiled and made us feel at ease.

We moved on to the exam portion of the appointment and I didn’t feel scared this time, I didn’t feel like patient #1234.  She talked to me.  She wanted to get to know me.  She wanted to help ME.  She hugged me and told me she felt a connection to me and wanted to be our partner on this journey.  I wiped a tear, hugged her back and said: “Welcome to team Pamela.”

I left her office, which did I mention is just a ‘HOP, SKIP and a JUMP’ from where we live? Yup. I have been driving past it every single day for more than 10 years.  But, that is beside the point. I left her office with a plan, a timeline and the only tears I cried were the ones that acknowledged I was ready to tackle the next journey.  It was time to make me a Mommy.