Saw the consultant today! :) Long thread!!!

[mrs_lukey]

I saw our consultant for our second appointment today. Apparently the guy we saw in September was a stand in for our consultant but he didn't even bother to tell us that so we thought it was our consultant!!

So our actual consultant today said that the guy we saw in September had given us wrong information! We had been told that my low progesterone meant I wasn't ovulating but apparently that was wrong! Yes my progesterone was slightly low but the other consultant had said a level of 30 showed ovulation when apparently 5 is sufficient!!!

Basically today we have been told to give up on the progesterone cream, soy, aspirin etc etc etc and just take folic acid! All of my other tests were fine so for now they won't help.

The only thing is that my DH's SA result has changed drastically which could indicate that he actually has a chromosone abnormality which means he functions himself normally but it may be affecting his sperm. His results are as follows :-

31 August - count 28 million, 11% rapid motility and 11% normal forms.

16 December - count 131 million (!!!), 31 rapid motility but only 5% normal forms.

What the consultant has said is that clomid won't help as I ovulate anyway and IUI won't be beneficial as it would only increase our chances by about 2% each cycle.

He has suggested that my DH has a more detailed SA carried out privately for £250 and this test will study the sperm in more detail and tell us if we need ICSI which is where they basically do the same as IVF but they inject the healthiest sperm directly into the egg. If the detailed SA is ok then we need to have IVF.

I had been told that my local NHS Trust would not give us free IVF as I already have a child from a previous relationship. BUT THE RULES HAVE CHANGED!!! Because myself and DH don't have a child together we are entitled to NHS funding for 2 cycles of IVF or ICSI with 2 eggs transferred each time!!

We can't get NHS funding until we have been TTC for 3 years which will be the start of September BUT if we need ICSI then we can have the funding immediately!

So DH is going to have the detailed SA done at the end of Jan/start of Feb; 2 weeks later we'll see our consultant and then we'll know if it is ICSI in April/May or IVF in September!!!

Oh and also now that I have had 3 consequetive MC's with my DH they will do tests to see why. We have both had those done today and we'll get those results in Feb at the next appt. It is highly likely that it could be chromosonal errors from the sperm that are causing them and if so ICSI would give us a great chance of conception!!

I understand that some women would be distraught at this outcome but to be honest I am just relieved that something is being done and that we are being given a chance!!!

 

[mrs_lukey]

Have any of you had similar experiences to this?

 

[lynne192]

its good your being positive sorry to hear of the problems and losses you are facing, my partner is the lucky one and is super fertile. so my case isn;t the same its all me thats the problem in our TTC been TTC 3years 5months now, i have sever PCOS, backwards and misshapped uterus, only one tube, blood disorder and sperm allergy, we have tried clomid and didn't really work, lost baby to suspected ectopic in feb, we're not on the long waiting list for IUI 12month waiting been on it since august, nothing yet.... been told to not have too much hope and after the IUI if it fails we will be discharged from NHS care because NHS apparently don't offer IVF to someone who already has children even it its not with current partner so i dunno.... its good maybe your area does it though would love to know more about that cause not heard of it anywhere? i really hope you get the results your hoping for and that they can help in some way xxx

best of luck x

 

[mrs_lukey]

Hi hun!! I was told yesterday that the rule in our NHS Trust used to be that if either had a child then they weren't eligible. This changed in my area last year when a couple challenged the rule and took the trust to court for discrimination. The court decided that it was unfair to tell a couple that they have no right to help having a child together and that the rule discriminated against the partner who had no children!!

I was gobsmacked as I thought we weren't eligible!! When he explained that even though I have a son we are allowed 2 cycles of ICSI or IVF with 2 embryos transferred each time. Then any remaining embryos suitable for freezing can be frozen at our cost and we then only pay a minimal amount to have more transfers done.

Go to your local MP and ask them to challenge the NHS Trust on your behalf - why should you not be allowed treatment when you pay your National Insurance!!!

 

[lynne192]

wll see what happens when we get there but even if we needed nhs ivf we're need to change hospital and then go on the mega long waiting list so just hoping IUI does the trick.

 

[sugarlove]

interesting what you were told about progesterone levels! My Doc told me that I wasn't ov on my levels 12.2 and 8.6, yet my temps show that I do and I got pg in Feb but mc.

so you were told that low levels can still mean ov?

good luckx

 

[beauty]

wll see what happens when we get there but even if we needed nhs ivf we're need to change hospital and then go on the mega long waiting list so just hoping IUI does the trick.

My PCT wouldnt fund us hun and we have no children. Bascially they had no money and anyone that was referred for treatment when we were are stuck with no funding

We did eggsharing with ICIS it worked out to be the best choice we made and as you can see we are expecting

My gyno wouldnt help us any further as ICIS was what we needed and no amount of clomid or IUI would help us with our male fertility problem.

Have you considered eggsharing?? Might be worth ringing up your local private clinic and asking for some information, I had the best treatment going private EVER and had nothing but meither, and being fobbed off by the PCT and the NHS when we were TTC.. that is why we decided on doing private, then we can across eggsharing.

The PCT might fund if you challenge them, but to be honest i tried my VERY hardest with my PCT and (if there is no money in the pot) then there isnt much they can do!! I wrote to my MP, wrote to the newspapers everything and still got no where!! We are actually still on a list now and that was 12 months ago since being reffered not including the other 12+plus of testing that it takes them that long to decide what treatment you need..

I know alot of PCT arent funding any infertility treatment anymore, i think ladies are very lucky if they can get fertility help as in IVF on the NHS in there area as I know since April of this year around 3 areas near me have cut the funding all together.


Just note you live in Glasgow not sure if Care have a clinic near u but that is who we used, best treatment ever. I think all in our treatment with ICIS with eggshare was just £1,800. IVF was around £1,000 and cause your partner doesnt have sperm issues you may not require ICIS which saves you like £800. I think if we didnt eggshare this would of been around £5,000 so massive difference.

I know different clinics charge different prices so always good to shop around if your looking on price. To be honest me and my bfriend halved the costs so £1000 each isnt that much for the price of all the long months even years on waiting around for treatment from nhs..

Most clinics will repeat all sperm tests and bloods on yourself as they like there own fresh records using there own equiptment.
Good luck on your journey hun wishing YOU all loads of luck
xx