To be honest I didn't find the increase in drugs too bad, although the 150iu ones did leave bruises and the last 50iu was very painful (which was a shock as I don't normally even feel them!!) I didn't think I'd over stimulated again because I wasn't feeling too bloated or anything which I was pleased about.
Off we trotted to the FC on Friday for a scan to check the size of the follicles. The nurse scanned me then said that I had 2 14mm follicles and 2 11mm follicles, and because they weren't big enough she wasn't willing to book me in for IUI on Monday without another scan. I told her that I always OV around CD12 (which would be Sunday) but she still wouldn't budge on it.
So, Friday night I started getting OV pains. By Saturday night I'd had quite a few pains and had sore (.)(.)'s so I knew I'd OV'd and that it would be yet another wasted cycle. On Monday I went back knowing full well that it would be abandoned, and sure enough one of the 14mm follicles had popped, although the other one was still there and was now 19mm. I did think they would still be able to go ahead with the IUI because I still had a follicle ready and waiting, but apparently not. I also asked if they could give me something next time so that I didn't OV over a weekend (I'd been told there was something you could be given on a forum I use) but surprise surprise our useless clinic don't do that either.
Having spoken to my friend L who goes to the same clinic and is also having IUI, it seems as though our clinic doesn't do a fraction of the things that other clinics do - our only uses one type of stim drug and one type of trigger when others use several, ours do not offer the option to aspirate follicles if you have more than three to save abandoning cycles all the time because of over stimulating, and now to add to that list they won't give you anything to stop OV if it's over a weekend. That's another peeve of mine over our clinic - they're closed weekends and close for almost two weeks over Christmas!!!! Regulating a cycle and having fertility treatment sadly does not work to a time scale, so dictating that you're only allowed to OV Monday to Friday does seem a bit stupid doesn't it?!?!?!
Today also brought bad news for my friend L as AF arrived for her today meaning that her third IUI (she started in May and has only had three successful attempts at IUI) has failed. She was so sure that it had worked this time that's she's heartbroken. She's always been convinced that IUI would work for them, whereas I've never thought it would work for us, so each time it fails she takes it really hard. The good thing is she's been ref'd onto the same IVF clinic as we have so she will be due to start IVF in November next year.
So, at the moment we're in limbo land again and basically just waiting on AF showing up again to go back for a scan to check the remaining follicles are gone before we start on this wonderful cycle again. Apparently next month I'm being put onto daily injections to try and have the follicles ready before I OV naturally again. I'm sure that'll be a delight to stick needles in my tummy every day rather than just every other day!!!
Oh well, hope everyone has a Happy Christmas and a brighter New Year, and that the holidays aren't too hard for my fellow LTTTCers.
S x
Tuesday 20 December 2011
Sunday 11 December 2011
Starting again and the hidden costs of Infertility/Fertility treatment
After being MIA for 5 days AF finally arrived on Wednesday which meant a phone call to the FC to start another cycle. As it'd been over a month since our last scan, they wanted me over again for another one before I could start which I was happy about as I'd been told just to call up then go over and collect the drugs. Anyway, off we trotted on Thursday for another date with the dildo-cam, and thankfully everything looked fine and we were given the green light to start another IUI cycle.
We were at the supermarket the other day and as there was a 3 for 2 on vitamins I stocked up as we were both running out. Even on the special offer, for my prenatal vitamins for a month and hubby's for two months it still cost us £20 for them!!! It got me thinking, although we all know that fertility treatment is expensive and are always relieved if we qualify for NHS funding, there are still a hell of a lot of hidden/un-thought about costs involved with having fertility treatments. Every month you're shelling out for vitamins for you both (£20 at least depending on what you take), fuel to and from the many (many) hospital appointments, time off work (as I know a lot of us take holidays in order not to have to tell bosses what we're doing so in effect it's costing you a day's wage) not to mention the copious amounts of wine and chocolate required every month when it's yet another BFN!! We've been TTC for 28 months, so in that time it's cost us roughly £560 for vitamins alone!!! At the moment each month is costing us about £60 a month plus four days off work to have treatment - that adds up to quite a lot when you're having treatment month after month. It just goes to show, even when you are lucky enough to have NHS funding, the financial cost of treatment is actually pretty substantial.
So, I've just given myself my first injection of this cycle - 150iu Gonal F - and have another 150iu to take on Tuesday then 75iu on Thursday before going back for a scan on Friday. Fingers crossed I don't over stim on the higher does and that I manage not to OV before next Monday when we "should" be having IUI done again.
S x
We were at the supermarket the other day and as there was a 3 for 2 on vitamins I stocked up as we were both running out. Even on the special offer, for my prenatal vitamins for a month and hubby's for two months it still cost us £20 for them!!! It got me thinking, although we all know that fertility treatment is expensive and are always relieved if we qualify for NHS funding, there are still a hell of a lot of hidden/un-thought about costs involved with having fertility treatments. Every month you're shelling out for vitamins for you both (£20 at least depending on what you take), fuel to and from the many (many) hospital appointments, time off work (as I know a lot of us take holidays in order not to have to tell bosses what we're doing so in effect it's costing you a day's wage) not to mention the copious amounts of wine and chocolate required every month when it's yet another BFN!! We've been TTC for 28 months, so in that time it's cost us roughly £560 for vitamins alone!!! At the moment each month is costing us about £60 a month plus four days off work to have treatment - that adds up to quite a lot when you're having treatment month after month. It just goes to show, even when you are lucky enough to have NHS funding, the financial cost of treatment is actually pretty substantial.
So, I've just given myself my first injection of this cycle - 150iu Gonal F - and have another 150iu to take on Tuesday then 75iu on Thursday before going back for a scan on Friday. Fingers crossed I don't over stim on the higher does and that I manage not to OV before next Monday when we "should" be having IUI done again.
S x
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