First Fertility Clinic Appointment Tomorrow

Welcome @Tillybabs

My husband has done his samples in the clinic each time, in the special room with the waiting area outside 😐.

Ok I sent an email to PALS detailing our experience with the gynaecologist and now I have an email saying I have logged a “formal complaint” and a case manager will be in touch. 😭

I feel stressed just thinking about this, I’m so worried I’m going to get interrogated about my last appointment and still not receive any help/a new appointment.

Also, the lister clinic haven’t replied to my appointment enquiries after multiple email exchanges, there’s still no answer to the “can I have an appointment?” question. I’m very exhausted. I just want to quit all of this right now.

@Kay00@PurpleUnicorn01

Ok thanks both that’s all good to know.

Yes to be honest it’s much easier and convenient to be online so I don’t mind.

@kay00 sounds like it’s all moving fairly quickly. I hope it all goes well

@Tillybabs and @Kay00

Ive had all my appointments online its actually much easier. They will send your OH a letter with where he needs to go to do his SA, it's usually at your fertility clinic. You only go in if you need a scan or something. Apart from that it's all on the phone.

@Tillybabs My OH is going to call to arrange his first SA appointment today, so I should have a little more advice on how it works. I assume my OH will be asked to produce a sample at home and get it to the fertility clinic (or some other address?) within an hour and a half? I'll find out more and reports back

I'm going to give bloods at my GP surgery tomorrow (for Clamidia and Prolactin) and at the hospital to test for my ovarian reserve.

After that I am just waiting on OH's SA results and then we can book in my HyCoSy (ultrasound test scan and tubal test), which I think will be in August.

@CausingChaos2 we have been TTC since October last year. Because I turned 40 in Jan my GP did a referral after 6 months.

So this morning I got a text to advise it will now be done online which js what I originally expected going by others recent experience of their first appointment.

Ok that no problem, I just wondered where he would be expected to give a sample. I guess we will know more on Friday.

Hello Tilly when my OH had to do a sample it was done away from the hospital. If they ask him to do one on site I think it would seem a bit odd if you asked to accompany him.

Understand you feeling nervous about the appointment but hope reading our experiences has helped a little. How long have you been TTC?

Hi ladies. I’m just joining this thread.

I have my first fertility appointment on Friday with the OH and it’s face to face.

I’m nervous and anxious about it.

One question my OH has been asking is, when is comes to him giving an SA sample, we are aware he will probably have to do it at the clinic. Can I ‘help’ hun with it or does he have to do it alone?

I don’t feel like we’ll fall naturally either. We’re ttc again this month but I don’t feel like we’re going to conceive this way.

@Myfavouritefudgecake three years is ridiculous. I have no idea how they can even say the over 35 group should have to wait 3 years. It’s crazy. Fair enough if you’re 25 maybe but a blanket policy is nuts.

Hopefully you can get to the bottom of your lining issue. I complained to PALS again today and asked for a second opinion. Am pushing ahead with private anyway, but I’m not happy at being classed as unexplained.

@thislittlebird emotional and tired is exactly it isn’t it. It’s exhausting. And as wonderful as I’m sure our partners are they simply can’t understand the toll of this happening to our bodies so it can also feel very lonely. 3 years sounds just awfully long, not only to wait but to go through the month on month rollercoaster. Glad you’re challenging it with the new GP.

I’ve had all the tests under the sun and they’re all fine apart my endometrial lining, which is thin. But not thin enough to get me any sort of help But from everything I read online from clinics it’s very very unlikely that I’d ever fall pregnant naturally. So I just feeling like I’m trying in vain (which does wonders for your sex life )

Hi @Myfavouritefudgecake. It's been a nightmare and I'm just very emotional and tired. Makes you feel so hopeless, as I'm sure you know. The lack of help is so damaging.

I don't know much about oestrogen, I have a lot of it I think and a lack of progesterone. No idea why and no one seems to care.

Maybe you could get your AMH tested privately in the meantime? You may have done that, I'm not sure.

It is a long time, I get it. We'll be two years in October and we're not allowed IVF for our "unexplained" until 3 years. I'm going to challenge this when I get set up with the new GP but either way, it's a long time, especially when you're older.

@dogmam yeah, it's slow progress and I'll feel better when I have a private consult booked in. I'm so so so angry with my GP and the NHS over the way they've failed me. It's just so unfair, and I'm exhausted and today I've started to stomach problems which is clearly stress. Would be interested to listen to the podcast if you have the link though.

I'm going to sign up to a new surgery tomorrow, the stupid current surgery sent me a text this evening to say the doctor was on leave??? Well this morning you had no appointments left, so which is it? Told me to call on Monday for an appointment with another doctor which is ridiculous because the whole point of this was me trying to speak to the same doctor who referred me.

Is that facebook group private? Maybe I should look for one.

@juno231 I’ll be at 2 years in January. I know it’s not long in the scheme of things but feels like an awful long time to almost definitely not get pregnant, and if I do be at high risk of miscarriage. I’ve been researching supplements and think vitamin E might be worth a try. Do you know if that lady has had any success in managing her lining?

@Myfavouritefudgecake no idea why they couldn't help you with estrogen at this stage but I know one of the ladies doing ivf on another thread I'm on also tends to struggle with thin lining, and she does her very best to boost it through diet. So that might be worth a shot in the meantime? Lots of antioxidants, supplements etc out there for it I think. Obv not ideal but might as well give it a shot whilst you wait. How long until you hit the 2 year mark?

Hi everyone. I posted on this thread a while ago and haven’t posted for a bit as the process has been quite overwhelming. I’ve kept up with all your stories though and seems like there’s been some frustrating things happening (or not happening as the case may be). Also good to see things progressing for some.

@thislittlebird my god. What a time you’ve had. I’m so glad you’re getting a fresh start with a new GP surgery!

After a lot of waiting around I got an appointment from the doctor at my clinic today with the results of initial investigations. Apparently everything “normal” apart from my endometrium (lining of uterus?) which is thin (5mm) and explains why I have scanty periods and also explains why I can’t get an implantation. Apparently although 5mm is thin it’s not considered too thin so we are technically all within the healthy ranges and have to wait until 2 years trying for IVF. I feel devastated. I did some reading online (I know..) and it seems that thin lining can be treated by estrogen supplements but I did ask the doctor on the phone and she said that there’s nothing they can prescribe me to help until I get IVF. Anyone know why? I only read up on this after the consultation so haven’t been able to press the doctor further. I just feel lost and frustrated.

@Kay00 the urology secretary was good at being upfront with the price, which I liked. At least I know he'll be having a comprehensive set of tests for his motility issue and we might know what we're dealing with ahead of IVF.

I think my husband was given some number to call for an SA, it was all very random.

@Juno231 I'll ask for that then when I can finally speak to someone. I can't deal with this GP surgery anymore, they're causing me so much stress.

I think a fresh start with a new GP surgery sounds like exactly what you need @thislittlebird

I would be really interested in booking an appointment with a Urologist too if anything less than ideal came back on OH's sperm analysis.

My 1st appointment was a week ago today, and I was expecting some literature in the post from them (at the very least to explain how OH books his SA), so I might chase them up today.

@thislittlebird if it helps - they usually do a dye test whilst in there for the lap so that would negate a need for a hycosy I think!

I'm sorry the docs are messing you about - I'm glad you are able to proceed privately for now!

@Kay00 I can’t even get to talk to my GP despite being told I could talk to them today, I’m very over it all. Might get a call back IF she feels like it! Going to change surgeries and hope that helps.

Got our private urologist appointment on May 26th and I’m waiting for the Lister clinic to call me back with a consultation appointment. So £900 on tests and urology appointment, £220 for lister consultation and probably £300 to redo my AFC and AMH.

Would really like to put my money into the ivf fund but here we are.

I was told no need for a hycosy by the stupid woman I saw, have no idea why she said that. Just a lap. I’m happy to have a lap but I didn’t get put on the list because I was so upset at what she was saying and I left.

So it will be a minimum of:

£180 - Inital consultation (paid)
£105 - SA
£350 - HyCoSy

So far...!

But my next consultation (further £110) will be months away, so the costs are spread.

@thislittlebird my GP will be doing the clamidia test and prolactin test. But I need to go to the hospital for the test for ovarian reserves... not sure if that's nhs or private? I'm getting a HyCoSy once I get all my results back which I'll be paying for. Oh, and I'll be paying for OH's SA too.

@Kay00 was just reading your post again. Your private doc requested these tests, is she telling the GP to do them? Part of my fear of private is the tests adding up.

@Juno231 It’s honestly exhausting. When I broke down in her office I just kept crying about “why won’t they help me” because that’s how it feels. Everyone seems to get help when they have something and we get nothing. Just told to do a day 3 test or maybe have a lap. A hycosy isn’t worthwhile she said, which was ?????? No idea what that was about but I can join a lap waiting list with no explanation as to why I need one because I’m “fine”. The lack of acknowledgment of my progesterone levels has floored me.

@Kay00 yeah sounds like mine when I was trying to get a derm referral. I didn’t even think they might have targets and I bet you’re right, it’s a mess right now. My cycles were weird for about six months although have been better lately, but they didn’t care. I’m going to join a couple of private webinars maybe, but in my head I want to book a consultation with the Lister. I had one with Care in February and it was fine, but I had an encounter with the admin people which I didn’t enjoy so will need to decide if I’m still considering them or not. The costs of the private tests piling up does worry me, what have you had so far?

I will follow up with my GP again. I’m not happy with how we’ve been treated either way.