My husband and I have been trying for a family for a long time and had had enough of seeing the negative lines on numerous pregnancy tests. We therefore decided to to look for a reputable fertility clinic in the hope of completing our family.
That is when we found Harley Street Fertility Clinic, run by a certain Dr Venkat. The clinic had very flexible hours and we decided that this was always a good thing as my husband works long hours. At the clinic, we were greeted by a very friendly and caring team and a Dr who gave me a hug after the first consultation. Little did I dream of the nightmare that was to come out this relationship.
Dr Geetha Venkat, the director of the clinic, asked us to proceed to IVF directly, before even trying IUI or any other method. This appeared a little strange to us at the time but we told ourselves that we weren't doctors and that doctors obviously knew better.
We had been saving up for a mortgage, and it was with a heavy heart that we paid the required 4000 pounds.
A few weeks later, we were already on stims. Everything was going smoothly but I was a little suspicious at the lack of blood tests that were being conducted at the clinic.No blood tests were conducted during my whole ivf cycle and the Dr kept upping my menopur dose despite detecting multiple follicles on both my ovaries.
When the time for egg collection drew nearer, I was in acute pain though I was reassured that this was perfectly normal. I was really looking forward to getting the collecting over with and having at least two embryos to transfer.
I hit rock bottom soon after my egg retrieval. I was very sick from the anaesthetic but was forced to go home without even being given the opportunity to lie down for a few minutes, as there were numerous other patients on the production line, waiting to be dealt with.
20 odd eggs were retrieved, but most of them immature, due to the wrong timing of the HCG shot, so we had no embies to transfer or freeze.
At home my situation worsened. I became very ill and was admitted to hospital with water in my lungs.
So ends my IVF journey and here I sit on my hospital bed with a drip attached to my wrist wondering, if by singing a disclaimer, we forfeit the legal requirements of a doctor's duty of care to his/her patients? The doctors on my NHS ward were appalled at the dosage that was administered to me at the clinic and my after care, or rather the lack of it. My doctor hasn't so much as called me, despite having being informed that I am in hospital.
I feel that if more women talked about their experiences with IVF and clinics, other women could make a more informed decision about what fertility clinics they choose, and won't actually be giving away their hard earned money to doctors who are only interested in how much money they earn and not about the welfare of their patients.
I don't doubt that there are some success stories from this/these clinics, but my story certainly wasn't one of them.
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