Day 21: Three People Who Have Visited My Wife's Vagina

It's difficult to tell the turnover that takes place at Fertility Treatment Center. People move in and out; it's difficult to tell who has been promoted and who's left for good.

Jody is an older, kindly woman who works as a nurse. We haven't seen her for a while. She always smiles and tries to put the patients at ease. Her demeanor makes me think that she specializes in working with new patients and that's why we haven't seen her in a while. She's almost as small as Leah and was the only person who reflected our disappointment when the artificial insemination cycles failed.

Lynn is our IVF Coordinator. She's brisk but nice, like a particularly busy bank teller. She's dark and when I've gotten to see her office she has pictures of her husband in fatigues on the wall behind her desk. She returns my calls quickly, and always is patient with my questions and concerns. She's quick to remind us that things are normal and that things are going well, but she's cautious with information, as well.

We've worked with three doctors so far. Our main physician, who is in charge of all of our diagnoses and treatments, is Dr. Rychlik. He's almost too young, but he's quick to smile and he's chatty with me. He usually wears slacks or jeans and a blazer over a dress shirt open three buttons. He's clean-shaven and has messy dark hair. He's always busy and running late, but he has an air of confidence that borders on condescension. When he gives Leah her ultrasound, he's rough and sudden and she feels uncomfortable until he's done. He'll sometimes forget to warm the ultrasound gel.

Dr. Craig we've only seen once or twice. He's tall and lean and balding. The awards FTC has affixed to the entry hallway mostly have his name on it, as well as the bronzed patent for a new way to freeze tissue. He wears a bow tie and is nice and polite. Leah says that he is gentle with the wand of the ultrasound. His mein gives cofidence, and he is patient with our sometimes supid questions. He gives us more information than we want, in a way that is easy to process.

When the male doctors administer the ultrasound, there's always a female nurse present. She stands in the corner with her back against the door. She turns off the lights so the doctor can read the screen. She holds the folder holding our test results and the many pictures of Leah's uterus against her chest and listens. For a long time I thought the nurse was there to take notes and observe the procedure. I realized that the nurse comes in to make the patient feel more comfortable. She's there so that there's another woman in the room while the doctor is working.

The third doctor is Reeka. She's the nurse practicioner. She has gone through what we're doing, having successfully conceived using artifical insemination on the third cycle. She's gentle with Leah and patient with the both of us. She is a calming influence in the room. When we ask her questions, her answers are elliptical and unsatisfying, but somehow put us at some ease. Leah says that she is gentle with the wand, and when Leah gets jostled, Reeka apologizes and is more careful.