Birmingham Infertility Team

[Tor81]

Hi girls, I'm hoping someone here can help me.

I've just received a letter from Birmingham Women's to see the Infertility team on 21 Oct & I haven't a clue what to expect... will it be a 10 minute chat & then make another appointment, or will it be a marathon testing & examination session?

Hope someone replies... xx

 

[Mozz]

Hi Tor,

No too sure if this is of any help but on our first appointment with the FS it was just a chat and background history about me and OH, on the 2nd appointment thats when they start suggesting tests etc.

Hope this helps a little and good luck with your appointment.

 

[pinkflamingo]

Hi
Me and hubby were there last thursday! I wasn't sure what to expect but I can certainly tell you our experience. A nurse took my weight and height before we saw the Dr. We had to wait about an hour beyond our appointment time to actually see the Dr but when we finally got in we were there about 20 mins. He read through the info which had been forwarded from my Dr, asked a bit of history e.g. whether DH had any other children from previous relationships, asked whether he was on any meds, whether I had had any pregnancies etc. He then said that DH needed to book an appointment at the reception desk for a semen analysis, and that I needed to come back on day 3 of my next period for a blood test. You don't need to book this, you just turn up to the ward on the day between 9am and 5pm. He also has requested a dye test for me, to check for blockages in my tubes. He told us to book the next available appointment to come back and see him, but in the meantime he would prescribe me metformin (as I have PCOS).
We went back to reception and the next available appointment to see him is mid January!! I was gutted.
I need to await a letter in the post for my dye test, DH has his SA appointment booked for 04/10 and AF came for me the next day, so I will be back there tomorrow for my day 3 bloods.
Hope that helps hun. I am not sure whether you have any knowledge of why you have had probs ttc, as I say mine is PCOS, and this is how it went for us.
If I can be of any further help hun then please let me know.
Good luck xx

 

[Tor81]

Thanks both for your replies, it really helps to have an idea of what to expect.

Although I'm gutted to hear that it'll take so long for the follow up appointment. pinkflamingo - if you've got to wait til mid-Jan, I'll be waiting until end of Feb or maybe even March - how rubbish is that?!

I have no knowledge at all of what the problem might be, DH had his SA last Monday so I guess we'll have to wait til our Oct appointment to hear the results of that unless our GP gets in touch. I've got a very long cycle, about 36 days so that might be related, I don't know.

Hope you both keep in touch with your progress. xx

 

[pinkflamingo]

My cycles are around 35 days and thats because of the PCOS. They only found out about it when I had a scan to check for fibroids (cos periods were getting heavier) and saw that I had lots of cysts. Then my longer cycle and some other things made sense. I don't suffer badly like some people so only have mild symptoms but this could be the cause of some of our problems.
Def be good to keep in touch hun and have someone to moan to about it all!!!

xx

 

[Tor81]

Hi pinkflamingo, I went to see an accupuncturist a couple of weeks ago and she suggested the possibility of PCOS, I have no idea what implications that has though. I don't want to start self diagnosing on the internet though! Sounds like we might have a lot in common. I'd love to have shorter cycles, would give us a lot more opportunities to TTC.

Just found out that the day of our appointment is going to really awkward to get out of work... but there's no way I want to delay the appointment anymore. Why is nothing easy?!!

xx

 

[pinkflamingo]

Life is never easy is it?! Hope you get something sorted at work. I was gutted to hear about the wait to our next appointment but then I guess everyone is in the same boat and we all want to be seen by the Dr tomorrow! I know what you mean about the self diagnosis stuff! I am really bad at looking up symptoms etc on the net! Like I say it was only through getting referred for the scan for something else that they noticed my cysts. Chances are I would still be none the wiser now if that hadn't happened.

Lots of luck to us all though!!

xx

Where abouts are you in Brum hun? We lived in Hall Green until a year ago.

 

[Tor81]

Thanks Hun, I'm going to try calling the hospital tomorrow to find out what other appointments are available. But however hard it is at work, this is SO much more important so I wouldn't be prepared to put it back more than a few days, in fact I'm trying to think optimistically that they may have a cancellation and I can go even sooner!

I'm living in the City Centre, have been here over 3 years now. Was in Hall Green last weekend at the greyhound stadium!

How's things with you? Whereabouts on your cycle are you?

xx

 

[pinkflamingo]

Fingers crossed on the appointment.

AF started for me the day after we had been to the FS appointment, so I went back to the hosp on Monday and had my day 3 bloods taken as requested by the Dr. I am thinking that we need to try and relax about it all and I need to try not to obsess about it all (yeah right!). I do feel better that the FS route has started and that we are in the system with all of that, just hope we get some answers. How long have you been ttc hun? We are coming up to the 12 month mark now. Everyone in the world is having babies except me! I even found out today that a girl I used to work with (who last I heard was a lesbian!!) is now with a chap and 5 months pregnant!! feels like the Gods are against me sometimes!!

Anyhow we must try and stay positive about it all and just enjoy the time we have with our men to ourselves before all the babies come along!!

It's silly but during the 18 months we lived in Hall Green we never once went to the greyhound stadium! Always the way - when something is on your doorstep you never go, but will make the effort to travel further away to go and visit somewhere else! Doh!!

xxx

 

[Tor81]

Hiya, I've got my appointment today!!! Managed to get a cancellation. Will come back later to update you... x

 

[Tor81]

Sorry that I didn't get back online on Wednesday, it's been a manic week.

Went to my appointment & the doctor quickly came to the diagnosis of PCOS, which to be honest wasn't a huge surprise. Although I hadn't really done any research on it so it was quite overwhelming trying to take everything in, and to hear that after TTC for so long I probably haven't been ovulating all along.

The good news though is that DH has good swimmers, so thats one less thing to worry about. And the doc has prescribed me Clomid, told me to go in for CD3 & CD21 bloods, and to check immunity against rubella, has referred me to have dye pumped into me & then x-rayed (can't remember the name..!) to check my tubes, and we have an appointment to go back and see him in Feb (the next time he's available!) to decide what next, which I'm hoping we won't need.

Feeling quite positive about taking the Clomid, I think this is going to be a 2WW when I'm actually looking forward to AF so that I can start an optimistic cycle. Just gotta hope the side effects aren't too bad as its likely to coincide with a very busy week at work.

Pinkflamingo - how was it getting your bloods done, did they see you straight away?

Right... I'm determined to stay positive now, have been a bit emotional all week which wasn't helped by the diagnosis & also my Dad is in hospital having a hip replacement so I'm up & down the motorway to Cheltenham hospital every night, but hopefully he's going home tomorrow.

I might stop watching TV though as it seems everything I watch is either about someone who can't have children, or someone having children who doesn't want (or doesn't deserve) them!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. x

 

[urchin]

Hi Tor
We're being treated by the Women's in Brum too. Our first appointment was just a 15 - 20 minute chat with them taking our history and deciding what tests they were going to send us for.

let us know how you get on chikkie xxx

 

[pinkflamingo]

Hi Tor,

Glad they have given you a reason as to why the ttc path has been a long one. Welcome to my club!!

As for the bloods, the Dr told me to go to ward 2 on day 3 of my cycle (or the nearest weekday if that falls on the weekend). You don't make an appointment, you just walk in between 9 and 5 and go to a small waiting room (you don't even need to tell anyone that you are there, they just see you and come to you when they have a spare second). I was there about 10 mins in total. The nurse took my blood and sent me on my way!

I have had my letter through today about the HSG (which is the dye test and x-ray which you mentioned). I need to phone them to make an appointment when I get my November period. It says that it needs to be done within the first 21 days of my cycle.

Good luck honey and I hope it all goes well for us both. Keep in touch xx

P.S. sorry to hear about your dad having to have a hip replacement. I hope he is home now and doing well x