Cancelled FET due to COVID

[OhPeanuts]

Hi

Back in March my nhs cycle was cancelled due to covid. Finally had it in November (freeze all due to ohss risk). They’ve just told me they’ve cancelled me again for my frozen embryo transfer that was meant to be in January due to covid again. I’m completely devastated, I don’t know how much of this I am expected to endure. How can they keep treating us like we’re meaningless over and over again. I feel like I can’t cope with this again. Has anyone else been told their treatment is cancelled? We’re not treated fairly in general and now this again. It’s unbelievable.

Hi @OhPeanuts - I'm really sorry to hear this! So frustrating for you.

I wanted to comment and let you know that this doesn't sound fair and my experience has been different. I had IVF in March and like you, had to freeze my two embryos due to covid.

I had one transferred back in July, that did not work so had another transferred back at the end of October. Unfortunately that did not work either, but we are now having further tests and will be having more IVF in the coming months.

So it's very odd that theyve cancelled when me and many other women on here have had more than 1 transfer during this time.

Are you with the NHS or private? xx

Thank you @Dot457 it was NHS. I know I feel like other people have gotten much further so I’m just fed up at always being the one to be cancelled. I think I’ll just move the embryos and go from there privately.

@OhPeanuts I’m sorry to hear about your experience. DH and I decided to go private after 12 months of trying naturally, after I saw the delays NHS patients have, the process has enough emotional consequences without unnecessary delays. The clinic I’m with has no waiting list, and everything happened quite fast for us. If you can afford it I would say go private, I would much rather realise my dream of a family than have a lifetime of fancy holidays without being able to have children. For me it was the cost of my fence and I just though “omg I have spent thousands of pounds on this fence that brings me no joy whatsoever and I could spend my life without children.”

Hi @OhPeanuts, my (NHS) clinic has also cancelled all appointments and treatments due to Covid and I don't know how to cope with this any longer. I don't have any words of reassurance, just wanted to say you're not alone

You aren't alone - I've been told I'm looking at October 2021 before any treatment. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

One thing that really upsets me is when people say just to go private - there are a lot of people for whom that simply isn't an option.

Maybe you could take the issue up with the service manager, or with your MP even? It's so unfair for our time-sensitive health needs to be thrown under the Covid bus yet again.

The only thing getting me through is work - I'm too busy to stop and think most days.

Can you move your embryos to a private clinic and just have the FET with them? FETs come in around £1500 or so - appreciate that sounds like a lot but if it's the difference between transferring in the next few weeks as opposed to months then surely worth considering?

As to ability to pay to go private - we lived like we had a child for a year - with childcare costs being at least £1k plus per month or the cost of losing your wage to be a STAHM (most likely more than £1k a month) - within 12 months we had over £12k to go private......our family refused to help because they said if we had to afford childcare or the cost of losing a wage then IVF was affordable. Something to think about with the uncertainty surrounding IVF on the NHS and the long delays x

So sorry to hear this OP, - in pretty much the same position as you. ie cancelled in March, finally had egg collection in Nov and freeze all due to OHSS.

Where are you based OP? I have a baseline scan for an FET in Jan tomorrow and the London-based clinic confirmed at 2pm today. If you are NHS maybe you could transfer your funding?

@ivfbeenbusy the private/NHS issue isn't always money though. For example, some people have ethical/moral objections and flat-out refuse to use private medicine.

@Scirocco didn't realise that was a thing - seems a bit odd to have a moral objection to paying for private medical care? But happy to accept if for free?

@ivfbeenbusy people have different views on the acceptability of what can be seen as a two-tier healthcare system, can feel that private healthcare is a betrayal of the values underpinning the NHS or underpinning political/philosophical positions, etc. It can be a very passionately debated subject for some people.

No healthcare system is entirely free though. The NHS is free at the point of care, but we contribute to it through our tax system.

Not saying it's a view I hold, just a viewpoint that exists, among others.

We also found out yesterday that our Fet is being cancelled mid way through the cycle. I am so sad about it and it’s just so difficult not knowing when it is likely to restart. When they called me to tell me, I didn’t ask many questions as was a bit in shock so am going to call again later to see if they can give any timelines - though I’m not imagining they will be able to.
We’re private and ours was cancelled. Perhaps though because we’re paying privately at a clinic that also does nhs patients and imagine the staff are being sent to help elsewhere.

@Bec1984

It will depend - if it's an NHS clinic ie attached to a hospital that also treats paying patients then yes likely staff are being redeployed

If it's a stand alone private clinic physically distanced from a hospital then likely other factors at play if they have staff off sick or isolating or concerned how they might be able to meet HFEA rules for providing treatment safely

Thanks @ivfbeenbusy for that information.

It’s the former so suspect staff being redeployed which really makes you realise just what NHS staff are going through right now. We’re in London too where numbers are frighteningly high and it’s of course understandable that all nhs staff that can help need to be.

If someone could say, ‘well in 3 months you can start again’, then that would really help but I can’t imagine the clinic will be able to give that kind of information yet as there’ll be so many unknowns.

@Bec1984

If it's like last time - my stand alone private clinic reopened within a week of the ban being lifted towards the end of May whilst still in lockdown. I had a full egg collection and transfer within 2 weeks. My friends at NHS hospitals were all put back on waiting lists which prioritised certain situations eg age, fertility preservation for cancer treatment, ovarian reserve etc and many had to wait several months and were just told to wait for the call. With cases being higher/more people in hospital I imagine it could be longer this time before clinics can give you any timeline? Lots of people I know managed to get their NHS funding swapped to other clinics which were stand alone private ones eg Create to get treated quicker so might be worth looking into this

@Scirocco if people have a moral objection to paying privately for fertility treatment then I’d imagine they would also have a moral objection to using NHS services in the peak of the second wave of a pandemic.

It is absolutely hell in the hospitals right now and the staff working at NHS fertility services are employed by the NHS, fertility treatment will always be the first thing to go when it comes to making sure there are adequate numbers of staff in essential services. I can’t think of a situation when FET would be a time sensitive treatment Although could understand that statement when it comes to egg collections. I should think an MP or service manager will be quite confused as to why someone is complaining about this given the situation the world is in.

I am having IVF right now so understand the process and how upsetting it is when cycles are cancelled. Providing IVF on the NHS is controversial as it is, my trust still provides it but the trusts around me don’t, and I didn’t want to risk waiting 2 years only to be told funding has been pulled. I highly doubt there are many people on these forums who have shed loads of money to pay for private treatment, I certainly didn’t, but as @OhPeanuts has stated that she is considering moving her embryos privately discussing this option is appropriate and as @ivfbeenbusy states FET is not as expensive as a fresh cycle.

I really am sorry to everyone who has experienced a delay in their treatment, I hope that it can recommence as soon as possible.

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to have my second FET in jan/feb just waiting for AF to show up as it’s typically dispersed the one time I wanted it to arrive in time! My first FET in March was cancelled due to Covid, was then able to have it in September but it was unsuccessful.

Now I’m panicking my next one will be cancelled too as I’m NHS.

Those of you in London, what clinics are you at? I’m at UCLH - wandering if any of you have heard from them? So sorry to anyone who has had yet another cycle cancelled due to reasons beyond our control - I know how painfully frustrating it is :-(

xx

So sorry to hear that they're cancelling cycles again. Lots of good points but at the end of the day for me I know infertility has cause me to think and feel irrationally many a time.
We're due to start our first cycle at the start of the year and I can't handle thought of it being cancelled right now.

Hi everyone!
I'm 36, been ttc close to 4 years due to malefactor sub infertility. We are with hammersmith hospital.
Like @ohpeanuts, our first treatment was cancelled in march due to lockdown. We managed to finally have our fresh cycle in oct/nov but was unsuccessful. We were due to start our FET next week, but were told yesterday via email that all treatments with the hospital are cancelled for the time being.

It's frustrating yeh.. its painful.. its been a rollercoaster of emotions, but has brought me and my husband so much closer together, we know each other like never before. I'm just assuming this whole experience is all to make us even stronger than we are already 🤷‍♀️ that's the only way of me making sense of it all and accepting it for what it is.

I agree with you @Gardenlady543.. There are bigger things out there right now.. just wanted to say that. Those of you that had your treatments cancelled again, you are not alone... don't let this break you💪

Asked yesterdayat my scan if they would cancel cycles due to covid and was told by a nurse that they just don't know at the moment. Really hoping that they don't cancel at the last minute. If it's going to happen it would be best probably before I started on medication I suppose... Just trying to prepare myself mentally for the likelihoodthat they will. I get that there are bigger things out there right now but still just so frustrating...

Thank you all so much for the support. This is such a kind and safe space. I have taken a bit of time away from thinking about this and feel a bit steadier now – sorry about my rambling first post, I was in shock and in tears and not thinking straight.

Thank you everyone who has mentioned I am not alone, even though this sucks for us all it does help me to feel less isolated. I hope you all get to restart as soon as possible, especially if going private is not an option.

In case it helps anyone my clinic (London based) said last time round they were shut for two months. I think I then waited another 2 months for them to clear through a backlog before getting to me (at the time I was told I was near the top of the list as my appointment was cancelled one day prior in March 2020). I had my initial appointment in July 2020 so altogether it was a delay of 4 months and then with various other appointments etc. needed I finally had my EC in Nov 2020. Going by this I would guess it will be a few months delay for us again although hopefully with more vaccines approved and rolled out maybe we can hope it will be no longer than this.

Regarding NHS vs private and the ethics around this I can see both sides, we should be able to pay for any future child and therefore IVF but I do feel it is unethical to deny people the chance to have a child solely based on money, it is too heartless for me personally. It is a medical problem, not a lifestyle choice.

I don’t work in the NHS but a related field where I have contact with the amazing staff and they truly are incredible and going through so much at the moment. I know they are doing their best and will help us as soon as they can.

In general I think it is a shame we have a “just go private” attitude to infertility in the UK. Several doctors have said this to me and I have never heard a GP/consultant in any other field say about their patients “oh they should just go private”. I feel the burden (emotional, financial) is thrust on us far more than patients suffering other medical issues especially as we are not given the minimum recommended by NICE in the first place. I understand it is not life saving/essential but surely we are more humane than that…mental health shouldn’t be ignored as insignificant and the last few years have certainly impacted mine.

Anyway sorry about the essay. I am still leaning towards moving my embryos to a private clinic so I have more control over the process. The delays this will cause are heartbreaking to me and I am really struggling with it but trying to put that to one side. What’s another fall in a journey of 3.5+ years really! I know there are plenty of people who have a longer and more difficult journey than mine so just trying to keep some perspective and not break down…

Thank you all again for your support! xx

Hi everyone,
I'm currently on my 5th round of the fertility drug clomid, as I am awaiting a surgery and we are saving for ivf as due to our postcode we are not entitled to nhs funded. The tablets mean I have to have monthly scans/injections. These have now been cancelled too. I feel so low and lonely and I am so sorry for what you have all been through, fingers crossed the world starts to become more 'normal' in 2021 xx

@HavingFaith also at UCLH. My down regulation is meant to start beginning of January. Also anxious that it might be cancelled but haven’t heard anything yet so fingers crossed

So sorry to hear cycles/transfers are being cancelled.

Ours was cancelled during the first lockdown however after 2-3 months it happened. We are at a private clinic.

Take care of yourselves and just take it one day at a time xxxx

Hi all, I’m so so sorry to hear that some of the IVF clinics are stopping treatment again 😢 We had our FET cancelled at Hammersmith back in March last year at the end of downreg. Unfortunately I did get covid the week before what would have been ET date so I guess it was better to have been cancelled earlier on rather than at the last hurdle... I hope that things settle down so treatments can resume without too much delay. Am only too familiar with the frustration of the unknown with regards to when you can start again. If anyone has embryos at Hammersmith they want to move out then the embryologists there were really helpful about facilitating this last time when we were considering moving clinics X

Hi
I am due to start my ivf treatment this Month
The nurse told me this morning at st heliers that everything is running as normal unless the Trust decides to cancel

I am soo anxious as i really hope my treatment isnt going to get cancelled