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 just been to IKEA at Greenwich & made me think of you!! Bought some lovely glass mugs & the other random crap you have to buy in IKEA!! Well done on the weight loss!!
Keep pushing forward with it all, feels awful now but you'll get there I promise you!

@notyetamumbuttrying that has got to be from bloating from the meds has it? No way can you have put on that in a week! How are the meds going for you?

@Etonmess20 the gains been over 2 weeks, plus I always gain when I'm on and I'm cd4 today. Meds are fine, taking less buserelin tomorrow and then starting menopur once I get the call to say it's fine. Waiting on a result of a blood test first. Something to do with my corpus lutem and a cyst, was all a bit vague tbh.
I can see that IKEA from my flat! Glad you got some nice bits 😃

@thislittlebird I completely understand the dark place and fertility quicksand. Feel like I’ve been there for such a long time before. I actually signed up for life coaching from a fertility expert from Jan this year and it’s completely changed my life. Helps to deal with the shitstorm that is this journey! The girl that runs it is called Spenser Brassard, she has a podcast called fertile ground I’d definitely recommend it!

So just took my trigger shot and have my egg collection booked in for 10am Wednesday. Feel good at the moment but not sure I’ll get much sleep tomorrow night 😬😬

@notyetamumbuttrying ah that makes sense, I'm always the same with putting weight on when I'm on. Glad you're on track with everything & all is going well. Do you find your moods have been affected by all the meds?
Ahhhhhh I thought I remembered someone had said that (but it was a while ago so couldn't decide if I'd made it up!) had a lovely time in IKEA, have had a stressful couple of weeks at work so was nice just to go & have a wander round! I haven't actually been to that one before as we usually go to lakeside but I much prefer that one! Also nipped in b&m on the way too - the fun never stops does it? 😂

@GJW2018 how exciting!! Hope you continue to feel good and you hold your nerve tonight. Anticipation and anxiety are killers for disrupting sleep aren't they. I've struggled for months now, each time I have an appointment or something new to do, my anxiety takes over and I'm waking up in the middle of the night!
@Etonmess20 moods haven't been too bad. More the headaches and the odd night sweats! We've gone down to our lower tog duvet now 😂
I'm glad IKEA cheered you up, it is a wonderful place so I'm not surprised! 😁 B&M too, you really were living the dream!! I'm jealous, I love B&M and home bargains, both of them were my second home when buying bits for our wedding 😆

So the nurse called and said they don't have the blood result yet so I'm expected to hear today between 2-6 🙄 I'll stick take the reduced dose of buserelin this morning and then it's tonight for the menopur.

Hello. We had our daughter via the ACU at Guys. 1st cycle of ivf so we got lucky and managed to freeze 3 embryos too. I’m having a FET next month with Guys again. Once you get through, the service is excellent. You do have to chase them but I would recommend. Good luck to you all, it’s a horrid journey but one worth making x

@WNorwoodJess lovely to hear a positive outcome and best of luck with your FET! My transfer will likely be next month so we might be similar timings x

@notyetamumbuttrying Thank you. I love the support we give each other and you are all inspirational to me.

@notyetamumbuttrying glad to hear the moods aren't too wild though there is nothing worse than waking up sweating in the middle of the night 🥵 lower tog duvet is a good shout!
I'm glad it's not just me 😂 it's like an Aladdin's cave in places like that, never know what you'll find in there!
Annoying about no blood test results yet, hope you get them ASAP 🙏🏼

@WNorwoodJess thank you SO much for sharing your positive story, really nice to hear about people who have been through what we are all going through! Best of luck with your FET, got my fingers crossed for you!

@Etonmess20 what a lovely message. I’m pretty scared but it’s a natural cycle/transfer this time so no drugs. The medication was challenging before but came through the other side!

@WNorwoodJess was it the side effects of the meds you found challenging previously or the physical injecting etc?
How long ago was it you had your initial treatment? & do you mind me asking if yourself or DP had any diagnosed fertility issues or if you were unexplained infertility at the time?

@Etonmess20 Hello. I just hated the needles. I had the treatment in Feb/March 2019, my little one (called Autumn) was born the following November. It was my partner’s sperm issue that meant ivf. I was considered ok. I realise I had it easier then some but ivf is draining whatever the reason.

@WNorwoodJess ah fair enough, that's understandable! I'm still confused at the thought of having to inject myself!
Awww what a lovely name! When we left our last appointment I saw they have a little wall with thank you cards & pics of babies & it made me well up a little bit 🥺 happy tears obviously, it's nice to have hope!
It was just out of interest whether you had any identified issues before starting IVF as on this group (as you'd expect) we seem to be such a cross section with different issues/ no issues etc. I don't imagine it's easy for anyone, regardless of what the reason you have IVF.
Thanks for coming to share your positive experience x

@WNorwoodJess it's a wonderful group isn't it! You're an inspiration to us! It's so nice to hear from someone with success in this horrible ttc/infertility world!
@Etonmess20 it's def not just you 😆 thanks matey, me too! She'll prob keep me waiting until 6 won't she 🙄
Ah those cards made me well up too! So hope we get to do that 🙏🏾

@WNorwoodJess it’s so great to hear success stories and I love your daughters name! Hopefully we’ll all be joining you in having success at Guys! I’m having an FET next month also. So useful to have this group to check in as it can feel like a lonely journey at times xxx

@Gjw2018 that is sooo exciting!!! Good luck. We will be thinking of you.

@RiverRiot don't beat yourself up about a wine. I doubt it makes a huge difference in any way to have a couple here and there x

@notyetamumbuttrying that's bad news about the night sweats as I already have them bad lately and I don't know why! Probably anxiety. Good luck with your blood results!

@WNorwoodJess congratulations. Great Great hear a positive story.

@Etonmess20 made me tear up too. Did you get your letter from the hospital today with the cycle recommendation etc? I just got it. Bit annoyed at it actually as it says a freeze-all (due to OHSS risk) and ICSI (due to low morphology) is recommended and we don't feel like that is what was discussed at all. Ah well.

@notyetamumbuttrying it's 100% going to be 5.59pm when she calls with your results 😂
We will, we definitely definitely will!!!! 🥰

@Vparisi NOOOOO I haven't had a letter ☹️ did it come in the post or via email?
Is it almost a confirmation of what they're going to do? If so, I'd definitely raise it ASAP if that wasn't what was discussed!

@Etonmess20 in the post, and yep seemed like it as it went on to say you'll be having a short protocol with Menopur followed by day 9 scan. So definitely going to call them to discuss it! Hoping it at least means treatment isn't far away.

@Vparisi oh no I definitely haven't had anything & postie has already been for the day 😭 maybe I'll see if he brings anything tomorrow. I did want to email the hospital to ask for the results of the SA that DP did the day after our appointment (it was only so they had a more upto date one but would be nice to know) - maybe I could ask for next steps after our appointment perhaps?
Really hope it means it's close 🙏🏼 how has it only been two weeks since our appointment?!

@Vparisi defo increased by anxiety I think. How do you stay anxious free through this tho, no bloody idea 😆
They just called whilst I was typing bk. bloods all ok so can start stimming tonight! 🎉
Oh so they didn't say it would be freeze all then? You've just found out now? That's off isn't it!
@Etonmess20 she called before 2, can you believe it?! All is good 👍🏾 hope you get your letter soon! X

@notyetamumbuttrying yipeeeeee I'm glad she called nice & early & you've got the go ahead for stims!

I was all ready for emailing about the lack of a letter but DP has pulled me down from the ceiling & suggested we wait until at least tomorrow 😂 usually you wouldn't be in contact with other people having the same treatment at the same time so wouldn't know you'd missed a letter!

@WNorwoodJess Thanks so much for sharing your story. The stats can be quite sobering sometimes so it’s really lovely to know that it does work. And I also love your daughters name too. Hopefully the FET will be a bit less stressful without the drugs though no less nerve wracking I’m sure. Wishing you all the very best with it and do keep us posted.

@thislittlebird Yeah I do think you’re right to complain, for sure. And I know it’s easier said than done but try to put it out of your mind for now, worrying about it won’t change anything except make you feel worse.
Have you thought about an outlet of some kind? There’s loads of support on Instagram with accounts like The Fertility Circle and This is Alice Rose, among others, who have all been through this shit show and offer various types of coaching/information/support.
Hoping the urologist gets things moving for you too.

@Vparisi Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better. I haven’t had a letter either and I’m a little over a month in now. Do you think it could be because they’ve changed the protocol? What was discussed at your appointment if you don’t mind me asking, I’m guessing you were expecting fresh and trad IVF?
@notyetamumbuttrying @GJW2018 did you guys get a letter before starting? If so, hopefully that means you’ll be starting soon @Vparisi. 🤞🏼

@notyetamumbuttrying Yay to stims! 🥳 How exciting, fingers crossed to no more headaches too!

@Etonmess20 thank you 😊
Your partner is right tbf 😂 hopefully it'll be soon hun!
@RiverRiot I just got a summary letter of my chat with the consultant. My story is a bit different in that I had a lap before starting and my follow up after the lap was to call the unit on cd1 so I did and then they had to check I could start on day 21 (17 in my case) and I could!
Thank you 😊 hope you get sorted soon too!

@etonmess20 feels like way longer than 2 weeks! Maybe wait 2 days to email just in case it is a post thing.

@RiverRiot not sure but could be, I mean I am glad they sent us a letter otherwise I would have showed up having no idea! No absolutely don't mind you asking, he said because of age and reserve there would be a risk of OHSS but not such a big risk they wouldn't be doing fresh. It says on my letter AMH is 19 and follicle count of 24, so not any crazy numbers, which is why I found it strange. My partner's sperm was all great except really low morphology but the doctor said at the time to start taking this powder (Proxeed) and he wouldn't worry about it given the rest of his results were good. So I am surprised they wouldn't call us to discuss this first.

@RiverRiot we just received a letter summing up the conversation from our initial consultation where I pushed for a freeze all so was happy when I had it in writing. He had said verbally at the appointment that I would begin the cycle after next and I phoned when I was on half term to check that that was still the case. The receptionist said I was nowhere near going to be starting at that time so I pushed for them to get the doctor and he put it through. I would maybe follow up with an email saying doctor said we would begin in e.g June I just wanted to check that this was still the case as I’m having to tell my employer. Then at least you can get a bit more clarity xx