Perfect Soul, Imperfect Baby: Protectzia

Part IV: Monday, August 12.

Protectzia

Instead of waking up at 6:00am and leaving the house within a half hour (sneaking out before the kids wake up) to head to Haifa, we play life as usual and pretend everything is normal. I put my eighteen month old on the back of my electric bike (teddy bear helmet, motzetz, and all) and take her to her Gan, her sucking on her pacifier the whole way, a smile on her face in the wind. Today, instead of accompanying me to my procedure that I should have been undergoing, my husband stays at home with two happy boys, waiting for a call from Maccabi, waiting for the peace of mind we've been seeking for days. 

For whatever reason, even though Ariel was the one on the phone with Maccabi all day, he didn't get the call that morning. Even though he was the one who spoke to nine different Maccabi representatives who each gave different information as to how long the process would take, when we'd receive the document, even how the process worked, he didn't get the call. Even though they promised to call him the moment it was approved and sent through, he didn't get the call.

He didn't get the call, but I did. I receive it by the time I'm on the train to work, late, at 9:00am, long after the "procedure" was scheduled at Rambam in Haifa. I immediately let my husband know he should call the hospital for an appointment the following day (Tuesday), thinking it was no big deal. He calls them, then calls me back. "Are you ready to be upset?," he asks. I hesitate, but nothing will surprise me at this point.

Apparently, they will no longer perform a D&E for me. No reason given. Perhaps it was because we were a "no-show" that morning, perhaps they didn't want to deal with Maccabi (I can't really blame them) - who knows. Either way, though they were more than willing to squeeze us in the last few days, it doesn't help us now.

Over the next several hours, we have no choice but to call different hospitals to see who, if any, will still perform a D&E at 14-15 weeks. My husband calls our amazing specialist (remember Dr. Drugan?) for a recommendation, then calls four different local hospitals. Some (Ichilov) don't bother answering, make him wait for forty-five minutes on hold before deigning to pick up the phone, and promise a call-back (which doesn't happen until after 5:00pm - and, by the by, they then inform us that they require their own, new, Committee hearing and finding). 

Another, Asaf HaRofe, accepts our situation, Committee finding, and Tofes (apparently they perform D&Es until twenty-something weeks), but they have a two-week waiting list. Ariel tries to call Assuta next, but can't find the right number to the proper department. My husband then calls Tel HaShomer, who was actually great. They answered the phone within seven minutes, listened to our situation kindly and carefully, and promised a call-back (and DID SO within an impressive thirty minutes - though luckily, by that time, we had already solved our issue).

While my husband is busy with the phone glued to his ear, I'm spewing my heart out about this emotional and tiring situation with my office-mate, now friend. She mentions, casually but quite seriously, that her father works at Assuta in Tel Aviv and asks if I want her to call him on my behalf... Yes. Absolutely, I say.

See, I'm no dummy. Elbows and patience aside, I know how this country works ("protectzia") and I never ever say no to these offers (if you're smart, you won't either). She calls him for me, he gives her a specific name and phone number at Assuta, and I pass the information on to my husband. He calls them back.

Within twenty minutes and just before high noon, I have a D&E scheduled at the beautiful (private) Assuta in Northern Tel Aviv for two days from now at 7:00am.

My heart stops. I am thrilled, but extremely cautious.

My husband is too. He confirms with Assuta that they will accept my Committee finding as well as the long-awaited Maccabi Tofes 17 that I've finally received for the other hospital. 

Not a problem, they said, practically waving their Israeli hand over the phone, they are partnered with Maccabi and, for them, I never needed a Tofes in the first place. All I need is my little plastic Maccabi ID card and paperwork. That's all. We never needed one for them and not one of the nine Maccabi representatives ever mentioned that option.

And that's all. Just like that, it's scheduled.

I thank my office-mate profusely. She shrugs it off, no biggie. It was just a phone call, she says (so Israeli).

I argue (so Israeli). Just a phone call for you, I insist (and note in my head that I will forever bring her strawberry flavored taffy).

But just a little paranoid, my husband calls Maccabi again to verify that the Tofes 17 will be accepted. Again, it is confirmed that it will be, but seriously, Assuta doesn't need it. We're good to go.

So... Wednesday, August 14^th will be the big day. Deep breath.

The end of a beginning.