Infertility investigations/IVF in Scotland

[justbeingelle]

Just thought I'd start a thread for those who are undergoing infertility investigations/IVF in Scotland because it seems as though it can vary from the rest of the UK.

DH and I have been TTC since June 2018. Started investigations around July 2019. I have a large ovarian cyst which will be removed, hopefully after Christmas. Getting a laparoscopy and dye to check tubes too. I have very regular periods and I am ovulating. DH has a low sperm count, but the ones he has are good quality. Still awaiting results from ultrasounds, genetic tests etc so still feel like we're at the beginning of our journey. This is our first time TTC and we've not had a hint of a BFP.

Anyone else?

So July 2020 should have been our treatment starting point. My partner works overseas so we had to wait to get an appointment that worked in. We had an appointment booked last year but my partner had open heart surgery after suffering a a heart attack from an undiagnosed heart murmur he’s had probably since childhood basically he was a walking time bomb. So we had to wait for him to recover, believe it or not we put his sample in on the Thursday and he collapsed on the Friday, that was June 2019 then in Sep 2019 I fell and broke my coccyx and ripped all my sacrum which surrounds it. So that was us 🤣🤣🤣

January this year was all our test etc and then as I say treatment plan and dates should have been July 🤦🏼‍♀️

Of course I totally understand that it’s not an easy process at all and nothing is ever straightforward with it. And it plays with your mental health.

Oh my gosh I'm so sorry you have gone through all that. That's incredibly intense and then with all this in on it too!

Aww bless you thanks so sweet 😁 It was hard watching him go through it but it made us stronger and to be honest made us look at life differently. I just get on with things now and try to see the positives where I can. As we released last year and of course through COVID also that life is just way too short ❤️

Not long finished my appointment, it really eased my mind actually.
I'm the same and have to call with January period. My dates are looking like around 26th Feb will be EC.
So about a month for me before I start any tablets/the process.

She did tell me my protocol also but I wasn't quite sure the name, think it's short protocol anyway! I did record it so I can go back through and listen!

@willithappen so sorry meant to wish you luck this morning 🤦🏼‍♀️

That’s good news you sound happy with the outcome and February really isn’t that long 😄

@LabradorMum that's okay lovely!

Yeah, well I reckon from now til new year things will go by quite fast and then can go into January ready to tackle this head on.

I also got a lot of my fears for EC reassured. We don't get out to sleep so I was terrified of that but apparently HyCoSy is worse, you are on plenty drugs (she said it would be like a really good night out haha) and it's over within ten mins. She said it takes longer for them to open up the packet to get it done than it does to actually do the procedure.

It’s not long at all 😁

Oh wow that’s great to hear too I did wonder about being out to sleep as I heard different clinics use differing procedures, you’ve put my kind at rest for that too 😄

A good night out 🤣🤣

Sorry ladies, just catching up now and missed saying good luck to you @willithappen. Took myself away from things a bit.

@LabradorMum Wow, what a few years you've had! Really admire you having such a positive outlook despite/because of everything.

Glad your appointment has eased your mind willithappen. Glad to hear it's like a good night out, been a while since I had one of those 🤣 Imagine being tipsy on drugs and shouting out usernames 🤣

@pixelflower no worries, I figured you had taken a bit just to recompose. It kinda sucks feeling so close then getting dates and realising it's not so I get you there. I'll only be a week ahead of you so we're still in this together! We can get each other through this wait time until end of Jan haha

Yeah the egg collection was what I was really nervous for. She just said to me 'look this is gonna be nothing compared to child birth' haha. I also had the call over the phone as she wasn't in the clinic. Some of them are shielding.
She told me someone got Covid and their EC got cancelled :( gonna have to be extra careful those couple weeks beforehand!

What are you going to do for Xmas and new year now you know you can relax a little bit?

I don't know if I will have a drink or not. I haven't really had a drink since this whole Covid thing started and I just don't fancy it much but might be nice to have a couple and just relax a bit and enjoy it all before going into next year and going through all this.

@willithappen oh no! She mentioned that a patient had tested positive but not that they'd had their EC cancelled. What a shame getting to that point and having it cancelled.
I'm working part of Christmas so in a way it's nice that can just enjoy some good food there without worrying about putting on a few pounds. I've had one drink here and there since March but that's it, more of a social drinker Might have a couple over the festive period.

Morning Ladies, hope everyone is well.

Just has my consent form signing appointment, lovely doctor we got this time (wasn’t keen on the last one he was a little abrupt). So looking like I will be on short protocol and starting in January on my period but waiting for the nurses appointment to come through. Have to phone for bloods at the hub next week, thought you could have went to your own surgery but she said it has to be the hub 🤷🏼‍♀️

That's good news, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

@Scirocco thank you lovely so nice of you! How are you feeling, did you look into counselling?

Morning!

That's great you got that news. You got a bit more info out the consent signing than we did haha.
When's your January period due?

@willithappen she was lovely doctor hope I get her all the way through treatment. She just said please ask anything you want at the end I didn’t have many questions as she had covered a lot.

My January period is the 8th, she said it looks like it will be January but that all depends on the bloods and nurse etc, I am leaning more towards February I think.

The short protocol is quick lol hence the name little nervous to think it would be that quick though she would be staying March.

@LabradorMum the nurse appointment comes through really quick so I think you'll be good to go for Jan! I'm the 12th Jan currently looking like I'm due so sounds like you'll get in a couple days before me

If you have to call when you get your January period you will deffo be along the same lines as me and @pixelflower

I remember you saying that but thought it would be winding down for Christmas I’ll just have to wait to see when I get an appointment 😁

They have to have their dept catch up etc. So might here soon just have to bide my time lol!

Three of us tougher that would be some journey eh!

I know seems so strange as I struggled to find anyone from AFC and now I have found three of you! Haha. One. Month ahead of us and the other two on the same schedule.
I feel very greatful to be able to chat to you all during this time.

@willithappen me too will be interesting too see how we all get on with the meds and moods they may cause 🤣

@LabradorMum gosh I know haha

Also I would double check you can't get your bloods at GP. I got mine down at my GP and just came home for lunch and had a letter from fertility clinic to my doc just letting them know the plan and also that they have asked for the bloods etc so they went to my doc for those. I was early and already got them done though!

It's asked for TSH and the BBV. I know I got BBV but I'm worried I didn't get the TSH now. I guess I have to stop worrying though as I know nurse saw it on the screen and I also called the clinic that morning to confirm the ones I needed haha

@willithappen some women seem to have no side affects from what I have managed to find on google here’s hoping we are all like that too!

I did ask her and she said it had to be the hub but might just ask the nurse I had my thyroid in sep so don’t need that done again. Would be easier at the docs we are only 10 minutes from Aberdeen but you have to arrange round work etc so your looking at a good hour for the whole appointment whereas the local surgery isn’t even 5 minutes away

@LabradorMum yeah so my closest hub was Inverurie but they couldn't fit me in until late Dec and I panicked and wanted them quicker. It was also easier just to nip from work and get them down then go back rather than having to take more holidays or time off.

I'm already a sleepy person all the time so I bet they make me sleepy, orrr I will just use it as an excuse for feeling sleepy haha

I'm trying to cut the fizzy drinks/chocolate now so I can be in good shape for EC

Mike would be Aberdeen just not sure where though will def ask if I can just go to my own surgery instead though.

Lol any excuse for a cozy blanket nap for me it’s the best 😊

Mine is crisps I love crisps I drink at least 3 litres of water a day so I am good there never got into fizzy drinks, chocolate at certain time of the month but I’m not a fiend with it. Mine is more portion control too my other half is a bigger eater and I always make to much.

If I remember right I think the hub told me to try my GP actually.

I'm not too bad with other stuff, it's literally just chocolate and fizzy juice but I eat so much of them. I need to pull it together though!