IVF/ICSI waiting lists at RFC, Belfast

[Steph63]

Hello ladies, sorry it has taken me so long to reply, have been working loads of overtime, plus trying to plan a surprise party for my sis-in-law, plus preparing for visitors this weekend - at least it has helped the 2ww go quite quickly and I am now 1 day late!! Have POAS yet though, am not prepared for a and don't want to spend the weekend in tears when we have people staying! AAAHHH!

Love the idea of us NI girlies sticking together, we definitely have an extra hurdle in that we have only 1 NHS hospital here offering fertility services & it sucks!

Mrs R, the sexy doc is Dr Agabje and yes he is usually looking at my ho-ha too, so it is quite Are you having your scan at the RFU? I didn't realise they did scans on a Sunday.....

The side-effects of Clomid were horrendous, I really sympathise, there are not quite so bad on the tamoxifen, still hot sweats, sickness & mood-swings, but I really don't think they are as severe. Hope the scan goes well, got my FX for you.

Maz, how's the cold? Hope you are feeling better

Not long to go now before you start stimming, how are you feeling about it all?

Steph x

 

[Mrs R]

Hey steph,

Haven't actually heard of that doc- will be keeping my ears open for his name to get a good perv though!!

Yeah my scan is Sunday in the RFC. I just asked them on the off chance if they did weekend scans as I'm starting my new job on the Monday and that would be very bad timing. Don't think telling my new boss that I would be late on my first day coz I was having a fertility scan would go down the best

So Sunday it is. Bit weird but hopefully there'll be fewer people about. Suppose women's cycles don't stop just coz its the weekend

I see IVF cycle is well under way Maz, u must be getting exciting / pooping ur pants with nerves lol

 

[Steph63]

I did ask before about weekend scans, but they told me no, so it must be a new thing....Glad it went well, have everything crossed that this is your month. I'm back on the 26th for my scan, now on my third month of Tamoxifen and really starting to lose my PMA.....

How did your first day at work go? I'm off today, thankfully, was at the Lionel Richie concert last night and can hardly talk from all the singing & sqealing

Steph x

 

[Mrs R]

Hi Steph

Don't start new job til 2moro now due to Paddy's Day Bank Holiday Day. Didn't make sense to go in for a day, then have a day off.

So as u know my scan went really well. The Royal was empty, nobody in the waiting room, was taken straight away and seen my own consultant. No complaints this time!

It gets hard to keep up with the PMA after so long. I think if clomid doesn't work for me this month, I will have very little PMA next month. It comes and goes alot with me

 

[darcys]

Hi there I couldnt wait to tell you all from N.I my experience.
I am new to this forum and this is my first post, Anyhow I have been TTC for 22 months now, I went to have my regular smear test done in August last year and told my dr I was having trouble conceiving.
She told me she would refer me- etc ,
Anyway, that was was August, I then receive letter from a Place called The Belfast Clinic, my date was end of jan, went and had small scan etc, done. On first consultation also had bloods all taken, husband had sa done the NEXT day!!. All extremely quick I thought.

Results from my day 21 were taken at own dr, and I was asked to attend next appointment on 22 March at Belfast Cl.

I hear you all say that was quick etc, etc. Whats the prob.
However there is more, i then received call on 18th feb they wanted to see me sooner, I arranged the date the following week and on the wed evening i went up and met the dr.
He said all results were fine , i had no prob ovulation and husband was in great shape!!
This is were i think you will find it strange, He asked me to come in the following DAY for a laproscopy.
I nearly fainted, I couldnt understand how this could be done so quick on the NHS. He even had the nerve to say to me that he would discuss with me after the laproscopy IVF . Just like that. No other options were discussed!!
Well Me being me thought this was how it was all done, However as I drove hom that night I just knew this all was too quick,

I know some of you will wish this was as quick for you.
But i was not happy with this, i really thought I was just being used as a pay packet for these doctors,
I know that this private clinic is taking NHS patients due to their increase work load, but i thought i was just being used as a guinea pig. More patients more money, more operations.

Well I rang the next morning after a sleepless night and said I had changed my mind about the laproscopy, i felt it was too soon,

Then the Surgeron rang the following morning, Can you believe this, Has anyone ever heard of a surgeon ringing you
He said to me if I wanted to come in on the following day!!!

Why, when I had rang previously to say that i didnt want to have the laproscopy done, did he decide to ring me.

There are of course other issues i know regarding this surgeron (cant spell this word) , but dont want to mention on this forum if you know what I mean.

So now i am back at square one again ,
Anyway, that is my experience of fertility clinics in n.i:

Love Darcy


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[maz]

Hi Darcy

I've never heard of The Belfast Clinic - whereabouts is that?

 

[darcys]

Hi Maz,
The Belfast Clinic is the big building at the end of the lisburn road, (811 lisburn road), at the crossroads,with stockmans lane.
They are seeing 30/40 gyne cases a week, so he told me I had no information about the place before i went.

I told them i was going to leave it all for a while, so I went back to my own surgery and seen another dr, who has put me on clomid and refered me to Antrim Hospital now. No doubt I will have a long wait!

Darcy

 

[maz]

Thanks for that darcy

I work at the other end of the Lisburn Road, so I'll have a nosey for it today. It might be an avenue I can pursue if my current IVF cycle doesn't have the desired result ...

Can I just ask why your GP put you on clomid if you are ovulating on your own? Also I live in East Antrim, and found that being referred to Dundonald hospital had much quicker waiting times - although there's only so much Dundonald or Antrim can do, and if you've had your initial tests done, they would probably refer you to the RFC at the Royal.

Good luck - hope you get your appointment very soon.

xx

 

[darcys]

Hi Maz,

When I went to my doctor she just said to me that she would try me on clomid as I waited to hear from Antrim Hos.for an appointment. She did also say that when they found out that she had prescribed me clomid they would "probably thrash me".
I know im ovulating every month, and my result for progestrone came back at 45, which i think is good. But I have done loads of research and sometimes clomid can be prescribed for unexplained fertility, which is what I have.

I know that i will eventually have to have a HSG or lap done,to see what is the problem down there but i did not want it preformed at this particular place.
I am also happy to try IVF if need be.

I start my first clomid cycle next week.

Have you been on clomid, any tips for me?

Darcy

 

[maz]

Hi Darcy

I have unexplained subfertility too, and initially was put on clomid. When I then got to see the FS at the RFC, he told me to stop it straight away, as it would do me no good whatsoever, as I was already ovulating regularly. The way he put it was why put chemicals into your body when you don't need to... It's a personal choice I suppose. If you do decide to take clomid then I'd probably take them at night so that you sleep through the worst of the side effects... oh and only wear white or black tops - avoid coloured ones as you might sweat quite a bit.

Is your GP going to monitor the results of clomid? The consultant I saw at the Royal said that monitoring has to be done with clomid to ensure that it's not overstimulating your ovaries.

Good luck - I hope you don't have too long to wait to get your appointment, or even your

 

[Steph63]

Hi Darcy,

Just wanted to back up what Maz said about the monitoring for Clomid. Like you, my GP prescribed my clomid while I am awaiting my follow-up apt at the RFC, but only because I wasn't ovulating on my own and she checked with the RFC first, who arranged for me to go for CD10 scans each month. I had 3 follies the first month and 5 the second, so monitoring is important. It also picked up other problems I had, if I was you I would definitely check this with my GP.....

As for side effects, I suffered hot flushes, sickness, headaches and moodswings, but as Maz said, taking the tablets at night did lessen the effects.

Good luck!

Steph

 

[darcys]

Hi Maz and Steph,

Thank you both for all your help and info,
I dont know what to do about taking this clomid tablet,now! My Dr isnt exactly monitoring me, all she said was I might as well try it while i wait to hear from Antrim Hosp, she told me to just take 50mg a day, and if i start to have bad abdominal pains, come and see her, If not, She told me to see her in 3 months times anyway, if I have heard nothing from hosp, and not to be increasing the dosage that I am on, without her permission,

I thought I had all the hormonal blood tests done at Belfast Clinic, day 21 LH fSH etc, But never got day 2 bloods done, so she is wanting me to have them done, not sure what this will show, do either of you know what day 2 bloods are used for?

Love darcy

 

[maz]

Day 2 bloods (or sometimes done on Day 3) are used to measure your estrogen, estradiol, LH, and FSH levels at the start of your cycle. These results are used at the RFC for determining your drug protocol for IVF/ICSI. There may be other things measured with these blood results as well, but I can't remember from when I had mine done. If you go to Origin they will use AMH results instead as it apparently gives a more accurate account of ovarian reserve. The other thing you could ask your GP to do, if not done already, is check your Rubella Immunity. If you aren't Rubella immune you can't have IVF/ICSI until you've had the injection, and then you'll need to wait 3 months after your injection before you can start treatment...

Hope that makes sense. How long is the waiting time for Antrim? If it's too long, and you feel comfortable doing it, get your GP to refer you to Dundonald for tests ...

 

[jojoD]

Hi Girls,
Another newbie from NI. Recently found out my DH and I will need to go down the road of ICSI. Have seen Dr. Traub privately up until now. All tests done, blood and SA, forms all complete and just waiting to reach top of NHS or private waiting list. Does anyone know realistically how long I will have to wait?

Was told I should be seen within a year? Am tempted to try Origin as am sure you all know the wait is hard to cope with

 

[maz]

I have been on the NHS and self funded waiting lists at the RFC since June last year. The NHS waiting time is approx 12-14 months to letter of offer. Once you get your letter it'll be another couple of months before you actually start your cycle. I'm position #14 on the self funded list and was told on Monday that they are currently seeing approx 3 patients a month. You could check what position number you are on the private list if you wanted. But if you want my advice, go to Origin. It works out at approx £800 more per cycle inclusive of medications. I've been theere twice and they are lovely. I would definitely go back. Although obviously I'd rather not have to...

 

[jojoD]

Thanks so much for your reply!

Have no idea what to do, since we have only known since April. Was so gald to find this site and you gals last night as you can feel very alone in the situation. Which is obviously not the case. Felt at least we were getting somewhere with appointments but waiting lists have made me feel back at square one

Really hope everything works out for you soon X

 

[jojoD]

Just wondering about price? You had said bout £800 per cycle. I had seen a web price at £3600? Sorry to be a pain

 

[maz]

Sorry jojo, I don't think I made that very clear.

The difference in price between RFC and Origin is around £800.

Origin for IVF is £3100 plus drugs of approx £700. ICSI is about £500 more.

RFC for IVF is £2400 plus drugs of approx £550. ICSI is about £300 more.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[jojoD]

If only it was £800 in total!! Thanks again, have been going over it in head all night. Have faith in consultant and that worries me about going elsewhere and wondered should I be prepared to wait. Then got a text to say another one of my friends is pregnant and altough I am happy for her it makes waiting seem even harder..

That probably makes me sound like a really bad friend

 

[maz]

No, you don't sound like a bad friend ... you just want to have a baby. I know that feeling only too well unfortunately.

The nicest consultant I have had is in Origin. Dr Sami Farrag. He used to work in RFC, and is really really nice. I just wish I could bring him along to the Royal for my NHS cycle as I don't have as much faith in the consultant I saw last at the Royal. But who knows - maybe it will work...