Infertility investigations/IVF in Scotland - thread 3

[itsmschanandlerbong]

A thread for those of us undergoing infertility investigations or treatment in Scotland.

Thread 1 - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/3742246-infertility-investigations-ivf-in-scotland

Thread 2 - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/4138992-Infertility-investigations-IVF-in-Scotland-thread-2

@skirocco

All fingers and toes crossed for you 😘. Hope you've been feeling a bit better.

Hi. How's everyone doing?

@Belle2210 Sorry that's not something I've ever had done but hopefully someone will be able to advise. Did they give you a plan of what's next for you?

@2mumlife Yes, GCRM do seem to have their own way of doing things, I'm not always confident if I'm honest but I try to trust them. They're supposed to be ordering my meds today but I feel like that won't be without challenges somehow. I start norethisterone on 21st so first injection should be 4th September - we may be around the same time.

@Kamiros

Thanks for getting back in touch. Plan is same as before Hycosy with being put forward for IVF so will try naturally until that time comes. Got my fingers crossed for the increased chances post Hycosy but shall see. Found it quite surprising how fast they want to go to IVF tbh. Had been told that the Hycosy was optional as we had been trying for a while and with either results it would be an IVF referall but I wanted to see if their was anything going on before that which I'm glad I did.

@Belle2210 my period after my hycosy last year was pretty awful, really heavy and a friend who had one before me had told me to expect that so I think it's to be expected.

@2mumlife that's interesting, are you saying GCRM didn't do an AFC for you? They did for me just a few months ago and when I got my report it was based on both AMH and AFC and when I spoke to the consultant prior to IVF he definitely referred to both.

@Kamiros GCRM meds ... I have recent experience of this. No issues with GCRM themselves, I actually ended up phoning stork as GCRM said I should have heard from them say by the Wednesday and hadn't, so I called them and just said I was expecting to hear from you, gave my name and they did have my prescription/order etc just hadn't got to calling me yet to arrange delivery etc

@ally99101 Yes it was stork I had the issue with last time too. I still have some norethisterone so I've got a time to get the rest in place I suppose. Hoping it's easier this time.

@ally99101

Thanks that's comforting to know!

Hello

Sorry for the radio silence - we've been away on holidays last week. Was really nice to get a change of scenery. Feel like we've barely left the house this year unless it's connected to IVF!

We're 6wk exactly today which feels like a milestone, we have our viability scan booked next week at 6+7 so hoping all is well. Nothing to suggest it isn't but it's just very scary.

@Scirocco Sorry you are having a tricky time, I hope it all starts easing and you can begin enjoying the pregnancy.

@Kamiros Good luck with the next cycle, I agree the AMH thing is very strange we got our review letter and it confirmed that I also did not respond well to meds but then over responded by producing 4 unexpected eggs so I'm a bit of anomaly.

@Kitekat81 was pleased to hear you got one wee embryo for the freezer, good start and it only takes one. I am proof!

Keep the faith ladies!

@Comiston34 I'm glad everything is good! We enjoyed our holiday too, being away, specially mentally away from IVF, really helps! I bet you're excited about the scan!

We just had our FET Planning appointment, and even though we thought we could not go ahead this cycle... we do! So at the end of the month, when AF is due, we have to call them on day 1 and then plan from day 10 onwards with bloods to check for ovulation.
Lets hope my cycle is regular, as it usually is! I tend to ovulate around day 13-16 so we're thinking the transfer will be around the beginning of September. Nerves!

Hi @Comiston34 do you mind if I ask who you are with? FET planning is next for me as we just got our review letter today so anxious to know how long we might need to wait, hoping to do in September but review letter from GCRM specifically made a point about how busy they are!

Did it take long to get the FET planning appt in the first place?

Great news you can start earlier than you expected! Are you doing a natural cycle?

@ally99101 I'm with GCRM too :) . Our egg collection was the 15th of June I think, we then had to wait for withdrawal bleed and a cycle, and during that fill the consents, pay if you have to, and then they will call you to schedule the planning appointment, where they will see if they can fit you in when your next cycle is. The planning appointment was about 15 - 20 mins on the phone.
We are doing a natural cycle :)

Oh sorry just realised I tagged Comiston and not you Gemma, sorry!

Thanks that's really useful to know! Good luck with the transfer.

@Comiston34 glad things are still progressing well for you!

@GemmTryTTC eek exciting, September will be here before you know it!

Well I started cycle 2 stims last night! When I went for my baseline scan yesterday I was really worried that they were going to say we would have to wait a month, but now we are starting again it seems really soon! But I'm happy to keep the momentum going and excited to see how it turns out this time! 🤞🤞🤞

@ally99101 haha don’t worry!
@Kitekat81 yes I’m hoping august will go fast! We have a family holiday in between as my cycle starts and waiting for day 10 to start bloods so that will help those waiting days to go faster!
Exciting times to start! What meds are you on? I’m crossing everything for you!

Thanks @GemmTryTTC! Just on Bemfola 150 at the moment, then if all looks good at day 6 scan I guess we'll add Cetrotide to suppress ovulation and Ovitrelle again for the trigger - if we get that far!

@Kitekat81 - I'm curious did you head back down to Wimslow or did you arrange remote monitoring?

@Comiston34 Glad things are going well for you.
@GemmTryTTC Oh that's exciting - you'll be glad to get going.
@Kitekat81 Fingers crossed for you.

I'm just off the phone with GCRM and start my norethisterone on 20th - I'm having to take it for a few days longer as they're so busy they can't fit me in on the day it should be - better that than waiting another month I suppose. Feels exciting having first scan booked in.

@Kamiros that's great that you are starting again soon as well!

@Comiston34 yeh I'm just getting everything done in Wilmslow, I haven't looked into remote monitoring. It's not ideal but I've sort of got into the swing of it, I've been getting the train down rather than driving, which I'm finding much less stressful and means I can work as well.

@Kamiros how exciting to get going again.

@Kitekat81 so you aren't staying for the duration just travelling up and down?

@Comiston34 yeh I'm doing everything completely differently after that doomed first cycle attempt! I'm not booking anything in advance now, only making plans scan by scan so I don't set myself up for disappointment (and money loss!) It worked pretty well last cycle just going down the night before each scan and then back in the afternoon. I managed to be at home for my trigger and then my partner and I travelled down together on the train for EC. It's a lot of time on trains but I'm happier being able to be back in my own bed a few more nights!

@Belle2210 From what I remember my period was normal after the HyCoSy. I don't think HyCoSy changes your chances of conceiving (I've hear people say the Hysteroscopy can, but thats different from a HyCoSy)

@ally99101 Interesting re: AFC. I specifically asked what mine was after this last failed cycle and the only thing they provided me with was a 'baseline report' from my 1 and only baseline scan that said I had follicules less than 9mm but not how many.

@GemmTryTTC congrats on getting to get going with your FET!

@Kitekat81 Good luck with cycle!

@Kamiros Starts of cycles are never without drama at GCRM I find. I've got the go ahead for this cycle (I'll be on nothisterone as well I beleive as got confirmed for an antag protocol). I've still not got drugs ordered as GCRM temporary 'lost' 1 of our vials of sperm yesterday (they were saying we didn't have any left, when I we should have had 1 left). They sent a message this morning say it was sorted and I'm speaking to a nurse later to see what exactly happened and sort out appointments etc for the cycle. But the latest is on my portal this morning they've said our daily FSH dose will be 150, when the consultant recommened it should be 300, so will need to speak with them about that when nurse calls as well to find out whats going on there. This is our last attempt at getting embryos, so my anxiety is through the roof after such a bad first cycle.

@Kamiros Have date to hopefully start Nothisterone on the 22nd, and they've put me down for starting Menapur on the 3rd, so will be very similar timing to you! We'll see though if they actually can induce a bleed with the Nothisterone, as when I downregulated with Prostap last time, I bled late, so we'll see.

Nurse is having to go investigate me dosage so waiting for another call back for final verdict on how much FSH they're going to pump into the system. One thing I love about GCRM is they always say I'm slim when discussing dosage (and I'm not even that slim ) so we'll see what they say.

@2mumlife I think they're just so so busy that they seem disorganised. I find the nurses lovely though so that's a bonus. Oh we'll be much the same time, that's exciting. If we get that far and I stim for the same as last time I'll be in for collection on 20th - obviously might react differently this time though.

Thats my meds ordered, coming next week. Seems to be drama free - I'm suspicious 😂

@Kitekat81 that does sound much less stressful than booking and cancellations etc. Hope you like trains!

Good luck to those starting the next cycle. GCRM are a bit scatty at times but hopefully that doesn't reflect on success rates. Our start was equally as scatty with me chasing Stork a few days before my start and then having to purchase meds throughout the cycle as they didn't believe me when I said I'll like need 12-13days rather than their predicted 6 days of stims! Lo and behold 13 days of stims as I predicted!

Alls well that ends well with a tiny buba on board we hope for the duration.

@Kamiros I've never had drama with Stork, only GCRM. But yes the nurses are always lovely, I've just found their communication gets worse every cycle! They'll be no way I stim for that long given my previous rounds - I've always been triggered after 1st monitoring appointment. Congrats on getting meds ordered! I'm hopeful GCRM will get prescription to Stork today. Ended up getting a call from consutlant yesterday to discuss dosage, as at last consultation that consulant had advised trying 300iu of FSH, but different consultant yesterday said that made him too nervous about OHSS risk (I wish given my shitty response!) because of my new AMH level, so they've settled on 225iu of FSH for this cycle, and we're going to try Ovaleap instead of Menapur this time around and see if that makes a difference.

@Comiston34 The bottom of my fridge is a walking pharmacy already from all the over-ordering so I have the opposite problem to you!

I still don't get how I can be a 'poor responder' and need very little stims. I think what I actually am is a 'fast responder' and no one gives my follicules enough time to actually grow any more than the couple of dominant ones. Hopefully that'll change this time as have an agreement with GCRM they'll let me lead follicules grow bigger this time to give the others a damn chance. It all feels like some very expensive game of trial and error...