IVF/ICSI at Guys? Anyone else?

[kazzab25]

Hiya,

We are just waiting for ICSI which will be at Guys Hospital just wondering if anyone else is or has started there to give me an indea how it works or if there are any successes from Guys?

Look forward to hearing from anyone. x

 

[Serena80]

Hi kazza, we were referred to Guys about 6 months ago from The Princess Royal hospital. The first step seems to an information night which we went to. It was a lecture to 100 or so other couples where the consultants explained IVF, ICSI & IUI, and how the processes work. It was all quite interesting, but the treatment involves drugs you sniff & injections you give yourself & an operation under general anaesthetic, so doesn't sound much fun!

We have our first appt with a consultant tomorrow, where they do an internal ultrasound for the woman, a semen analysis for the man & blood tests for both. Then we have a 45 min chat with them where they give us more info & we decide the treatment we're going to try.

That's all the information I have right now, but can keep you posted on how it goes if that would help?

Good luck with your treatment, hope it works for you,

s x

 

[Serena80]

They showed us the stats for how successful Guys was & I can't remember them exactly but they were miles above the national average so that's good news!

 

[kazzab25]

OMG - im so glad to have found someone to talk too!!

I have also been reffered from Princess royal! Im from chislehurst where are you from?

Thank you so much for the heads up i really appreciate it, we have the presentation on the 30th november and first consultation on the 8 December. Im excited but scared!! Sounds like alot of trauma but it will be worth it in the end! I looked at the guys figures too they look great!!

We are probably going for ICSI as i have PCOS and OH has poor sa!! xxx

 

[kazzab25]

How did you get on hunny?

 

[Serena80]

Hi kazza, we got on so well. Our doctor was lovely & really positive which was reassuring even though obviously there are no guarantees. We were really nervous going there but all the staff were great & it wasn't too stressful. Make sure you look at the sperm/egg art!

I haven't seen any of the figures for Guys but in their presentation they said they were a lot above the national average.
I'm from Bromley- would Chislehurst come under the same borough? If so it's great news as apparently it's one of the best around for funding. We're getting funded for 2 rounds of ICSI, which the doctor explained was the equivalent of 6 attempts (you do 1 round of ICSI & then if it fails next month they insert a frozen embryo, if that fails same again for the next month...then ICSI again etc). For us Bromley is also paying for frozen storage of any embryos for 2 years, so if all 6 attempts fail then we can pay £850 for each further attempt (rather than £4000 for more ICSI). Does this make sense? The doctor explained it a whole lot better!

What else can I tell you? They took a sperm sample from my husband (which he wasn't expecting for some reason & was pretty mortified) a 3d internal scan for me & blood tests for both of us. We would have been able to start treatment on the first day of my next period (any day now) but we have to wait until next month as they are doing a deep clean of the labs. So will probably start around the end of December. You might end up doing it round the same time as me which would be great as we could compare big bloated hormonal horror stories!
I've got PCOS too & they will have to keep a closer eye on me incase the hormones make me overhyper stimulated or something like that. So more trips up to London Bridge! But the doctor doesn't think it'll have a negative impact on the success chances. My husband has low motility so that's another factor. But when we asked our chances the doctor said "great, best there is". You can imagine how crazy excited we were & he started talking about options for our 2nd child. but have since tried to not get too carried away as don't want to have an even bigger disappointment down the line.

But generally we're excited, hopeful & of course a bit nervous but I feel a million times better having been there.

I can't think of anything else to tell you! There was prob more but my mind is mush on a Friday! Hope this had helped a bit!

Hope your lecture goes well!

 

[Serena80]

Ps when I said I hadn't seen the stats, I meant compared to other hospitals in the country, just the ones they showed us at the lecture. Reading it back I realise it made no sense!

 

[kazzab25]

Omg that sounds amazing!! Yes we are under Bromley so that is amazing news! Thank you so much! How soon after the blood test, sa and scan do you get the results? I no it sounds silly but I'm worried about the bloods! I have no reason to be though!!

Would be so good to buddy up as we have so much in common!!

I wish you all the best with it and please keep me posted!!

 

[Serena80]

They tell you the results of the scan while you're having it. The bloods & sa results come back the same day & the doctors add it to your file & use it to determine the drugs they will give you. I think they only contact you about them if there's a prob. They test for HIV, hep b&c & rubella immune. I think they repeat the hormone tests too that you've prob had at princess royal.

Another good thing about bromley is they arrange the funding immediately so you can start treatment as soon as you've had your appt, whereas in the lecture they told us lots of London boroughs take a few months to send over the funding. So should be nice & quick after Dec 8th!

Exciting!

 

[kazzab25]

Oh that's great really amazing news!! I can't stop worrying about the bloods!!

 

[Serena80]

Oh no, what are you worried about? Maybe I should be worrying too? Can the bloods show up something that I haven't thought of?

Now I'm worried!

 

[key24]

Hi Serena80 & Kazzab25 - hope you don't mind me joining your thread, but i'm also under the Bromley PCT and have just been referred to Guys!

We got our funding approval letter a couple of weeks ago from Bromley and are now just waiting to hear from Guys - which i beleive takes around 6weeks - was it that same for you??

Do you know roughly how long you had to wait for the patient evening and then the gap between that and your 1to1 consultation? We know we have to have ICIS so i'm just keen to get going asap!

Best of luck with your appointments / treatments -all being well maybe i'll just be a couple of months behind you both

2012 should be a hectic but also potentially great year...

 

[Serena80]

Hi Key24,

Great, another person to compare notes with!

Yes, it took about 6 weeks between the funding letter & the first open evening. But then it was only 6 days after that we had the first consultation & you can start ICSI from day 1 of your next period after the consultation, as Bromley will have already transferred the funds. so it depends when your dates are but yes, you will probably be going through it at a similar time to us, especially if it doesn't work the first time for me or Kazza (touch wood it will though!).

s x

 

[key24]

That's quite exciting - if we can get on an open evening before Christmas we could be starting treatment in Janaury then!!

I'm sure you girls will be fine - lots of positive thinking and just think there are lots of people who are lucky enough to get pregnant the first time - so why not you

kx

 

[kazzab25]

Hi ladies! Serena you have nothing to worry about!! Everyone's telling me I'm being silly!! In a natural worrier!

Key- I called guys directly after one week just to check they received my paperwork but they hadn't so I chased them up and eventually after two weeks they booked me onto the presentation on the 30th of nov then first appt is a week later! I happen to no from phoning that the next presentation is 11th jan.

Serena when are you due back at guys? I'm so glad we are at the same hosp will make it do much easier to share this with! Xxx

 

[kazzab25]

Thanks for your words of support key!! Hope it happens for all three of us xx

 

[kazzab25]

If they do start us all off before Xmas they might need monitor our follicles over Xmas, do you think they will do that or might they suggest waiting, or will they only close for the to bank hols so won't need a scan?

 

[Serena80]

Hi Kazza & Key,

I completely agree, it is so nice having others going through the same thing and at the same hospital, it somehow makes it nicer having others to share this with. and weirdly more exciting! maybe that's just me!

Kazza - I should be back in on the first day of my December period. My cycle is usually 30-38 days long, so it should be between the 13th - 21st December. I'm not sure about when they were closing, and didn't even think to ask, sorry. My husband has to go there tomorrow to pick up a precription for me so I will get him to ask them, and then let you know. My doctor (lovely Dr Tom) didn't mention anything to me.

Dr Tom rang me yesterday, and after getting over the initial panic that he was ringing to tell me I had hepititis or HIV, he explained he was actually ringing to ask me to go on to the contraceptive pill as my cycles were slightly longer than normal. I am pretty sad about this as the last time I went on to the pill I turned into a complete nutcase, couldn't stop crying all the time at absolutely nothing & generally feeling miserable. but that was 13 years ago so maybe it's improved since last time. He said I can still start my first cycle of ICSI, just take the contraceptive pill as well as the sniffer drugs. I am half really eager to start treatment and half dreading turning into an emotional wreck and sobbing over the turkey on Christmas day because somebody didn't pass me the gravy...

I am really excited about you both going to your first appts, to see if you will be doing the same thing as me or having slightly different treatment. Not long now!

 

[kazzab25]

Hi serena sorry that panic iis caused by me!! I'm so sorry!! I think I'm over it now though!!

I'm really excited for you guys too so its not just you! How long do you have to go on bc p for? Hopefully your body will have changed if you last took it 13 years ago! They do loads of different ones maybe you could try a different type? I wonder lf we will have the same dr!!

I was laying in bed thinking about it last night because I'm not sure how many scans they will do but if they need to look at them and it falls on a bank hol what would happen? Maybe they have Skeleton staff! Was just a thought!

I'm so excited I can't stop thinking about it!!

 

[key24]

Afternoon-

I think i read somewhere - no idea where now, that they do have staff on weekend and holidays etc, so i am sure they have got some coverage over these periods.

I have been trying to be really good and not call Guys and chase up, but now i think i will give them a call tomorrow to make sure they have received my paperwork (it wouldn't be first time stuff has gone missing). That would be just over two weeks since they should of received the referral from PCT, so guessing i'll be on Janaury info night and consultation. Still fingers crossed that maybe can start treatment at end of that month.

Serena - don't they have to put you on something like the pill anyway (for down regulating) or is that different.

Kazza - let us know how you get on at the patient evening on 30th

kx