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!

@thislittlebird ooh ikea, what a treat, a wander round there will really complete your day out!
I didn't actually know I'd be referred from the original hospital where I had all my tests (Darent Valley) to Guys so wondered whether you'd be the same but I'm unsure how it all works 🤷🏼‍♀️ would probably be better from a continuous care perspective if it was all under one roof with their own ACU, no referrals delaying the process!

@Etonmess20 oh weird so you were at Darent? Hmmm. Further from Guys than QM so maybe I will get sent over to Guys yet. How confusing.

Can’t wait to for my plant pot and glass Tupperware day out tbh lol

@thislittlebird which hospital have you been referred to? Sounds like you may be local to me perhaps

I am desperate for a Costco/IKEA/the range trip but need to book a weekday off work cus I am not mentally prepared to go there on a weekend 😂

@Etonmess20 I’m not too far, I’m in Abbey Wood. Been referred to Queen Mary’s Sidcup which was a surprise, but I have to wonder if it’s based on distance? Dunno. I was sent there for an op ten years ago too.

Omg, I nearly drove there in a gardening flap this weekend and then I realised it was bank holiday and decided that was a terrible idea!

@thislittlebird very strange as my GP is New Eltham (SE postcode) & I lived in Sidcup when I originally started treatment & now live in Welling (both DA postcodes) so I don't get that as I am literally a 10 minute drive away, was even closer when I lived in Sidcup.
I wouldn't have thought there would be an ACU when Darent didn't have one & is a loads bigger hospital (though strangely my first appointment for Darent was at Queen Mary's). I'm baffled 🤷🏼‍♀️

@Etonmess20 oh, that’s really weird then. They’re like all you guys need to go to at least the next nearest hospital, enjoy! Your first appointment was there? How random. This is all very odd. So you were referred to DV but had appointment at QM? Because I’ve been sent there by the Queen Elizabeth.

We’re very close then, small world!

Just went to double check I wasn’t losing the plot but no, I am not, this says there is an ACU there:
www.healthcentre.org.uk/fertility-treatment/find-clinic-queen-marys-hospital.html

Unless it’s wrong???

@thislittlebird oh god not QE 🤦🏼‍♀️ I'm sure it's a perfectly good hospital but I was an in there for a week a couple of years ago & it was the worst week of my life so hearing the name gives me shivers!
From memory it was my first appointment & it was a Doctor from Darent there for some reason & they just took my history etc then I went to Darent for all my appointments after that. It's just so odd there would be an ACU there, it's tiny! Suppose you'll find out on Thursday what the plan is!
With my referral I was surprised with Guys but not actually sure where else local offers the same services so don't know where else I thought it would be

@Etonmess20 interesting that yours gave a time, mine never did! I actually can't remember but it certainly wasn't two hours! Defo less than.
I'm gonna do it to start and see how I get on. He said he didn't mind doing it but I want to try myself first. Perhaps he can do the stimming injections when we move onto them.
@thislittlebird yeah I know! Ooh you'll be close by me if you're going to IKEA after. I can see the top of it from my flat 😂

@notyetamumbuttrying oh well hopefully you get on ok with them, we were talking about it the other day & I think I may get DP to do it for me, I feel like I may hesitate too much 😂

@notyetamumbuttrying bet it is SO real to have all those meds in your house btw 😬
Mad when something you've been waiting for for so long finally comes around!

@Etonmess20 good idea!
And yeah you're right. I don't think I'll sleep tomorrow night knowing I've got the first one to do in the morning 😬

@Etonmess20 I know the QE well 😂 but luckily have never had a bad experience with them, only been to a and e a couple of times myself, and for blood tests. My Nan was in there a lot back in the day so I spent quite a lot of time there back then.

How many appointments did you have to have?

And yes, thursday should hopefully reveal all!

@notyetamumbuttrying I understand wanting to try yourself. I’d definitely need my dh to be willing too because I’m a bit of a wuss and very hesitant and squeamish with medical stuff. I wouldn’t sleep either, would be stressed by the first attempt. How often do you have to do them/what time of day? My husband works shifts and I’m not sure if he’d be around the right time.

I’ll go to the top of ikea and wave in your general direction on Thursday!

@thislittlebird I'm trying to remember if I'm honest, I'd say initial appointment, then another appointment when I got my clomid prescription, then an appointment for monitoring scan to check clomid had worked (x3), also a HyCoSy & final appointment to tell me the clomid hadn't worked (obvs) & was being referred for IVF so I'd say a total of around 7 appointments

@thislittlebird haha can't wait for that wave 😂
Mornings daily until EC but Dh works from home so he could do it if I needed him to.

@thislittlebird I have had tons of gynaecological surgery for the past 18 years ever since I had a burst appendix when I was 10 and it has been non-stop problems...so my bowel has basically matted everywhere as a result and is covering my ovaries and my abdomen is filled with fluid. So there is a big risk of puncturing the bowel in egg collection and ABC said they weren't willing to touch it. Hopefully the NHS is much more helpful! Thank you, will give an update this afternoon.

Ooh thanks for the info @notyetamumbuttrying :) I don't think the chlamydia test will be an issue whenever it is for me as I always need to wee haha. Does DP need to do bloods today as well? He is very fragile about these sorts of things haha!

@Etonmess20 we also wrote a list of questions on the weekend :) Hopefully didn't forget anything. I haven't washed my hair so I will be the one with less clean hair haha

@Vparisi I have a horrible sicky feeling in my stomach this morning, gone from mega excited to super nervous! Just a busy morning at work to get through 🙏🏼 hopefully it's easy to find, had to factor in time to get lost as well as arriving 15 mins early 😂

@Etonmess20 hmmm so the clomid and scans would explain the extra appointments. I initially thought we’d be offered clomid but I don’t know now with my DH’s motility issues. I’m not sure I want to be unless it’s just while I wait for IVF.

@Vparisi ah I see, they don’t want to cause you more problems and get into trouble I suppose. Fingers crossed you’ll get help or advice.

@notyetamumbuttrying mine goes out very early so I’m not sure if he could do it if it has to be mornings hmmm.

Good luck for appointments today! I would feel anxious too.

@Vparisi gosh so sorry to hear about all your gynaecological problems over the years! I guess you've had laparoscopies then? Was endo found too? My bowel was stuck to my ovarian fossa whatever that means! They unstuck it tho!
Lol to constantly needing a wee. Tbf I didn't think I needed to go when he told me as I'd gone before we'd left home and then I ended up filling the pot 😂 ooh I can't remember on the blood front now, will see if Dh remembers, two secs.
@Etonmess20 it's super easy to find if you're coming off the tube at London Bridge. All sign posted, good luck!
@thislittlebird I think every place is different so your hospital might say differently if you don't end up at guys.

Good luck today @Vparisi and @Etonmess20 hope it all goes well for you both today! I can’t remember how long our post funding appointment took but it felt like at least and hour and a half. There are just so. many. forms! We then had a consult discussing protocol and answering lots of our questions, a scan and bloods for us both. We were also warned DP may have to do a semen sample too if his was more than six months old but he didn’t need to do that in the end.

And so pleased things are finally moving for you! @thislittlebird Hoping your appointment goes well this week and you finally find out what on earth has been going on!

Wow @notyetamumbuttrying that’s quite a drugs haul you’ve got there! 😂 Did they say how often they’d scan you once the stims start?

No news from me just wishing the time away waiting for ‘the call’. 😬

@RiverRiot thank you!! Got my fingers crossed "the call" hurries up for you 🙏🏼

@RiverRiot it's mega right 😂 they didn't say how often but from chatting to others on an ivf thread for May, they've been going every 2-3 days! Thank god my boss knows and is understanding.
So are you waiting for them to say they have space to start?

Hi everyone, appointment earlier went really well. Both had bloods & provided a urine sample & DP had to book in for another SA as his last one was last March & they prefer it to be within the last year (annoyingly he couldn't do it today as it was after 3pm so has to be tomorrow mor I got). Also had an internal scan to check everything was good & give an afc.
The same doctor who did the scan also went through all my medical history & then discussed treatment protocols. We're doing short protocol as OHSS is more of a risk apparently
Found the whole appointment really friendly and informative.

And now we wait.....already counting down the days!!!

@Vparisi hope your appointment went well too

Thanks @notyetamumbuttrying , actually it was 5 laparotomies which is why it's so messed up in there!

@Etonmess20 glad yours went well! I was looking out for you haha, I was saying to my boyfriend do you think that's her?? Hahah.

My appointment was good too - different doctor but really nice, he says they'll just get a senior doctor to do egg collection and be quite careful about it because of risk of puncturing bowel. We both had bloods and I had urine. We are on short protocol and he said 2-3 months wait time at the moment. So just counting down the days! Very exciting and kind of scary!