Page 132 of Playing For Keeps
“Thank you for coming with me today.” I place my hand on his thigh.
He rests his hand over mine. “I want to be with you, so there’s no need to thank me.”
We drive to my doctor's appointment, discussing meaningless topics like the weather and what we’re doing for my birthday on Saturday. I wish I could say I’m giving all my attention to Jami and our talk, but my mind is spinning.
I could be letting Jami down in the worst way possible if we don’t get the news we want. If that happens, how will he feel about me? Will he truly be okay with a surrogate if that’s the route we have to take? Will I be enough for him?
He parks the car, and we go up to the office to learn our fate. Anxiety snakes up my spine more than once as I fill out all the paperwork. Once that’s done, we wait.
I’m called in a few minutes later, and Jami comes in with me, squeezing my hand as we walk down the proverbial green mile.
We get into the room where I undress and get ready for my appointment. I push up onto the examination table as Jami sits in a chair off to the side.
He scans the room. “This office is a lot like your other doctor’s office.”
“It is. Hopefully, we won’t be crying in each other’s arms like we were the last time you came to one of these.”
He comes to my side and takes me into a hug. “I’ve got you, no matter what. If we’re crying, then we’re crying, but we’ll get through anything we’re told together.”
I sink into his embrace. The doctor comes in, so we break away and give her our full attention.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Maddox. You must be Dori.” She holds out her hand.
I shake it. “That’s me. This is my fiancé, Jamison Stone.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” She shakes Jami’s hand. “Let me pull up a chair, and we’ll go over any questions you have. Then we can proceed with an examination. Does that sound good?”
Jami and I nod. His jaw is tight, and he takes in everything she’s doing like he’s inspecting her under a microscope. We may be the most uptight couple she’s ever had to deal with.
She pulls a stool out from under a small desk and sits so she’s speaking to both of us. I appreciate that because Jami’s an equal participant. My anxiety level drops a tiny amount.
She scans a medical chart she’s holding. “I see here you have some questions about trying to conceive. Tell me more about that.”
My heart thuds against my ribs. “We want to have a family, but I’ve miscarried twice. One of those times was an ectopic pregnancy, and the other was a late-term miscarriage. I was sixteen weeks along.”
“I can see why you would be concerned with your history. Let me assure you, many women experience loss and go on to have successful pregnancies.” Her gaze slides between Jami and me.
He’s almost frozen. I’m not sure he’s breathing, and I’m right there with him.
I swallow down my reservations. “The last time I was pregnant, I was told I have endometriosis, so we wanted to come here today to find out how that affects our chances. We thought you might be able to give us more information about my personal issues.”
“I saw that in your records. Your previous doctor already sent your complete history when she transferred you to me. I’ll be doing an examination today and can give you a better answer to your questions after I see what’s going on for myself.”
She addresses Jami. “Do you have any questions?”
He straightens his back. “If you say she can try to get pregnant, I just want to know that she’s not in any danger. If she’s at risk for problems that could hurt her, I want to know. That’s my primary concern.”
“I’ll make sure she’s healthy enough to conceive.” Shelooks at me. “From what I’ve seen in your records and by your appearance, you seem healthy, but I’ll confirm that with a blood test and a pap smear.”
I nod. “Sounds good.”
She asks us if we have any other questions. When we don’t, she does a thorough exam. As she examines me, she takes her time and tells us what she’s doing and why. Her bedside manner puts me at ease.
I think it does with Jami too because his jaw relaxes, and his breathing returns to normal. When the physical part is over, I sit up and wait for the news we came here for.
She leans against the counter and gives us her attention. “Everything is as your records indicate. You have endometriosis, which could complicate conception, but that’s not always the case.”
Jami interjects. “Does that make it more difficult to carry a pregnancy to term?”
