IVF at Guy's & St. Thomas' & general process/timeline

[Lill02]

Hi all,

This is my first ever post, but I've been following for a while. :)

After having all the usual tests, including a hycosy and hysteroscopy, we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility a while ago. We have now finally waited long enough to be eligible for IVF on the NHS. We've got an appointment back at Guy's & St. Thomas' tomorrow (we had to see the GP and ask to be referred back as we've now waited the required time frame).
I'm not 100% sure what will happen tomorrow, but I'm basically hoping they will agree we've waited the required time and suggest we get the ball rolling for IVF, i.e. fill in our funding application, etc. I'm really hoping this will happen, I can't face being sent away again after we've waited so long...
What have your experiences been? Does that sound like realistic next steps? Has anyone been at Guy's & St. Thomas' and can share their timeline?

Thank you!

[quote Etonmess20]@notyetamumbuttrying that's such good news, thanks for sharing, it's nice to know what to expect

Got a call around 2pm today from ACU to ask if DP & I could attend our top of the list appointment tomorrow at 2pm (cancellation) but my DP had a really important work meeting he couldn't move (he did try). Absolutely gutted & have come upstairs to ugly cry. She's booked us in for May 4th so at least it's not too long away but still feel a bit heartbroken 😢[/quote]
Me too.. actually that was my appointment. They called me yesterday and offered it and I was thrilled as I was not expecting to hear for months. I took it then my partner also could not get out of a 2pm meeting at such short notice so I had to cancel this morning and we are also now booked in for 4th May at 2pm! How funny is that! Hope it is a lucky round for both of us.

@Vparisi how crazy is that!! We are booked in for the same time! What a small world!
I'm over my meltdown now but it's just not hearing anything for ages then them saying it could be tomorrow then it gets snatched away again for another month!
DP felt awful as well as I proper sobbed like a lunatic for about 10 minutes but due to nature of his job it's difficult & some things are unmovable, especially with less than 24 hours notice!
Do you know if on the letter sent with confirmation of our entitlements on where it says funding has to be used within 3 months does that mean treatment starting or just confirming we will be using it?

@Etonmess20 @Vparisi aw how funny that it was both of you! What shame you couldn't see them last minute but totally understandable when it comes to work commitments! Hopefully April will whizz by for both of you 😘

@notyetamumbuttrying did they tell you at your appointment what the plan was for protocols etc?
Are you now just waiting to be contacted again to say they're ready for you to get going?

@Etonmess20 yeah they did and looks like mine will be long and start on day 21, probs cos of my lowish Amh (afc is average tho). And that's exactly it, just waiting for the nurses to call to say right we're ready now etc etc. He gave the name of the drug they'll use and said I'd be shown how to do the injections.

@notyetamumbuttrying it's nice at least you have a bit more of an idea & are loads closer to getting the go ahead to start. Are you going to be ok about injecting yourself? I've been listening to the test tube baby podcast recently which I've found helpful to learn the process in simple terms
Are you planning to take time off work? Did they mention timelines to give you an indication of how much time you'd need off? My work don't know about the IVF so will need to have a chat about it (really not looking forward to it) but am just wondering what to expect!

Hi, putting my head in here for the first time. Hope it's ok to join in!

I think I could end up at Guys/ST's in the near future for IVF so interested to read your experiences. First referral appointment is in May with local hospital, we have low progesterone and male factor problems so far.

@Etonmess20 yeah it's good to feel further forward for sure! Yeah think I'll be fine with it although who knows once I'm shown. I'm quite squeamish but think I'd rather do it myself then let Dh have a go. He'll prob make me feel nervous as he can get worked up so we'd make a right pair 😂
I'm planning to take egg collection off and transfer but will prob work the tww. You? They said the whole process takes a cycle but didn't say how long I'd need off work. I'm planning to tell them as soon as the nurse calls. They're being good about my lap next week so I know they'll be good about this too. My boss is basically my mate and one of the directors so she'll have my back at least.

@thislittlebird oh hey you 👋🏾 there's a wealth of knowledge here so good idea!

@notyetamumbuttrying I think I'm going to have to get DP to do it, it's so weird thinking of injecting yourself 😂
Yeah I think that probably sounds like what I'm thinking of, I'm WFH currently anyway so can at least sit in my jamas on the settee if necessary. It's nice that you have that relationship where you'll be able to be open without worry. My workplace offers 10 days paid leave for fertility treatment so that's the only reason I'm going to tell them, otherwise I may have to take annual leave but it's just such a private thing I feel really uncomfortable talking about
@thislittlebird welcome!!

@Etonmess20 it is very weird isn't it! I just think mine will make me feel nervous cos he'll be nervous, but we'll see when the time comes. Yeah same with the wfh so I may as well just work when I can as I'm home anyway. Though they've just announced we can go in once a week from next week! Wow that's amazing of your work, wish I worked there 😂
It is massively private I agree, my workplace is quite small too so I'm only telling my boss and one work colleague who I'm close to. They're both mates of sorts anyway. Both came to our wedding reception and hang out after work pre Covid days of course 😆

@Etonmess20 it is crazy, will see you there maybe! I believe our first appointment just needs to be within the three month window according to the lady on the phone today. At least I am hoping so as I haven't had any scans or anything yet so by the time I do all that I definitely won't be within 3 months. I was surprised by the funding letter actually because I thought the policy said 6 months.

@notyetamumbuttrying well done on the sperm! (A sentence I have never said haha). That is absolutely fantastic news. Hope all goes well, very exciting to get the process started properly.

@notyetamumbuttrying we've been told not to expect any return before September so hopefully treatment will be over by then 🙏🏼 it is nice you're able to tell people. Other than me & DP only my best friend knows & she's very supportive but unless you've been through it yourself it's hard to fully get it. That's why is so nice to talk to you guys on here! There's also the pressure that worries me of people asking how it went & if it didn't go well it would be gutting to keep being asked!

@Vparisi that makes more sense, I was a bit concerned because it sounds as though it may be around 3 months to begin treatment. I've already had a fair amount of scans & whatnot so hoping I don't really need anymore but we'll see! I thought it was quite daunting to see written down on paper what treatment you were entitled to 😬

Thanks for the welcome!

@Vparisi haha I know right 😂 thank you 😊
@Etonmess20 luckily it's all choice so I'll just pick n choose if and when I want to go in. I've told a few friends now. I basically had to as I had no idea we'd still be here 19 months later still ttc 😆 never did I dream we'd need ivf! It's great having you guys though. It's so comforting chatting to ppl who get it. And yeah you're right, telling ppl it didn't work will be hard! I'm trying to keep the exact timing away from everyone expect my mum. Ppl just know "summer" at the moment.

@notyetamumbuttrying what was the process of your funding getting approved/how many appointments did you have before approval?

@thislittlebird we got funding based off Dhs 1st SA. He did this back in august. We got referred for fertility in September and also to a urologist. He had more tests in Oct and Nov with urology and then referral for fertility got accepted in dec with the first appointment being in feb. At the feb appointment he did a repeat SA and I got my amh checked. They also put the funding request in which took about 3 weeks to get approved. I had our appointment after the funding was in Tuesday this week. They did my afc scan and we signed consent forms. We now have a further 2-3 months to wait to actually start ivf.

It all adds up to such a long time @notyetamumbuttrying. I can’t work out how much longer we could be in the pre-IVF process. I think you’re in the same CCG as me.

Do you think it’s worth me asking for a urologist referral for my husband? They haven’t mentioned that. I’m not sure what our May appointment will address, but I think it’s the equivalent of your Feb appointment.

@notyetamumbuttrying god tell me about it, we're "unexplained" so have both had lods of tests so far & will have been TTC 3 years in October!
@thislittlebird Hopefully you'll be a bit quicker than us getting to guys if there is already a couple of issues they've identified. We had 6 months of clomid & numerous scans/HyCoSy with our local hospital before our referral. We eventually got referred just before Christmas & then filled in our questionnaires late January & just been told fundings approved & now have an appointment for next steps 4th May

@thislittlebird the august SA was with the GP as part of the first tests you do before getting referred to fertility. If your Dh has low levels on his SA then urology could be useful. It was only after speaking to about three different gps that we got the urologist referral. The fertility referral actually went through on my behalf rather than his as it's always done on behalf of the female. We're with the same GP though.
@Etonmess20 that's such a long time, they never take unexplained seriously do they. We're two years in September, I just pray I'm pregnant by then!

@notyetamumbuttrying awful isn't it? Think it's so much more protracted when there's "nothing wrong" although did always feel my previous hospital did all they could I think they're just more keen to try other things that would perhaps be ruled out if they'd identified issues in testing
I verrrrrrry much hope we'll all be pregnant by September tbh 😂 trying not to get my hopes up for any earlier although I do have a holiday to Vegas booked for early July so I'm hoping Sod's law works in my favour for once & that's when they'll want to do treatment 🙏🏼

@Etonmess20 have you had a laparoscopy before? I ask as someone else I chat to on another thread is unexplained as well and they've offered her a lap to see if it's silent endometriosis...could be one to ask about if not already.
Omg yeah me too! 🥳 it's the dream for us all on this thread I bet! Ooh Vegas is fab! I hope in the nicest possible way that you have to reschedule it 😜
We're booked for Santorini in late august and that's when I wanted to announce as it's 2nd wedding anniversary too. I doubt I'll even announce anything now, just be quietly pleased it bloody happened!

@notyetamumbuttrying since I've started treatment I haven't had a lap actually, although I have had one previously that was appendix related & it wasn't something that was mentioned, though maybe it wouldn't have been. It's never been something that's even been considered but you're right, it may be something to mention. Really bloody frustrating this unexplained malarkey!
If we have to postpone Vegas this year then Ill be super sad but DP & I have already decided we can transfer the deposit to a babyMoon type holiday hopefully so we'll see, we'd need to do that by mid June so hopefully will have a better idea of timelines by then
Ah Santorini is firmly on my list, how nice to be for your second anniversary too, that would be perfect timing to be able to announce something! Got my fingers crossed for you! 🤞🏻 like you say, I'll just be grateful for it to have finally happened, not had a BFP in 2 & a half years of trying - feels surreal it might actually happen as tbh i was beginning to expect it never would

@Etonmess20 I would, nothing to lose by it!
Hope you'll know timelines by June so that you can make an informed decision.
Thanks 😊 I've never had a bfp either so I'll probably faint should it ever happen!! 😅

@Etonmess20 yeah it hadn’t really occurred to me there could be a sort of up side to this, which is they may just tell us ivf is what we need. I’m keen to just get cracking now, but will have to see what they say.

Three years is a long time, it’s so frustrating. How old are you guys? I expected they’d give me six months of clomid because very low progesterone/uncertain ovulation but now I’m wondering if they won’t bother with his motility being so low. Not sure how that works.

I can’t imagine September is possible for me but I guess I could hope for year end. Don’t want to get my hopes up though 😐.

We had our original tests last July after six over months of trying (we’re over 35) and they incorrectly told us those were results were fine in august, or I would have been further through the process by now. I only realised in December they were not “fine” when I requested the tests results in writing.

@notyetamumbuttrying yours and em’s holidays sound great. We are going to Cornwall in July, but nothing further afield yet, was hesitant to book anything. We never had our honeymoon because covid, we got married last October after some delays.

I’m also in the never had a bfp club, will be two years in autumn.

@thislittlebird shocking that they told you fine when it wasn't!! I always ask for the print outs now. So sorry you had to go through that 😣 we're similar timing as it's late September/early October for our two year ttc anniversary 👏🏾🤪