Star Struck

If you haven't figured it out from my prior two hundred plus posts; I'm basically a big dork. The one place I'm most likely to let my geek flag fly is at a conference of reproductive health professionals. I become a bit star-struck meeting the authors of books and articles I've read, and I feel like a groupie as I can quote much of their work. Unfortunately, as the picture reveals, if I've consumed more than one glass of wine at the cocktail reception; it can lead to having my thigh signed by the editors of Contraceptive Technology...

What happens at RH 2009...Stays at RH 2009...

Recently, I took note of a patient who was on my schedule for her yearly gyn exam. The scheduler commented that she needed to have a Pap smear prior to a procedure. Often, this is a requirement prior to an organ transplant... I started to look through her prior notes. She consulted one of my colleagues for an infertility work up in September. Her day 3 FSH was 18.1 and her AMH was 0.28. After I introduced myself, she wasted no time explaining that she needed to have a Pap smear and exam prior to starting IVF at the Colorado Center of Reproductive Medicine, as she handed me a form that needed to be faxed. Prior to my own personal experience with infertility, professionally I was oblivious to the reputation of CCRM. "It should go to the attention of Dr. Schoolcraft." she informed me. "Schoolcraft?" I repeated as I jotted down the name on her intake form. I was trying not to show that I was aware of the fact that his name is a household word among infertiles. I'm also ashamed to admit that I was a bit giddy over the thought that my notes would be sent to CCRM and would be read by the renowned and esteemed Dr Schoolcraft.

My patient didn't say much to me during her visit. Her only issues and concerns were getting this exam done so that she could proceed with her first IVF cycle. There was a part of me that wanted to share with her that I had gone though IVF recently, but the story of a miscarriage after your first transfer is not exactly the type of inspiration one wants to hear before embarking on this process. I offered her a hug, wished her well and extended positive thoughts that we'd see her back soon. I performed a spell check on my notes, and practiced my signature once before signing her paperwork and faxing it off to CCRM. A few days later, I was brought back to reality as Jessah from Dreaming of Dimples  revealed that Dr S doesn't spend much time reviewing his patients' charts.