Wednesday 15 May 2013

I am an IVF junkie

It turns out that having a text speak name, being very cheap and only existing on the Internet doesn't mean that you are an untrustworthy outfit run by a gang of Internet fraudsters, living off great piles of cash sent to you by desperate infertile couples. It also seems that my inability to get things done any quicker than your average snail, or get things done at all, hasn't brought our IVF cycle to a grinding halt. No idea what I'm talking about? Then see here. For the rest of you:

We have drugs and lots of them too. Look at them all. 





It is mind-boggling to think that in four weeks time, if everything goes according to plan, all those little beauties will be inside me - they shouldn't be in me all at once, some of them have better be metabolised or else I am one odd fish. Those drugs you see right there will, oh so hopefully, have made a baby or two or three or four or more. Yes, I know embryos aren't the same as babies but, please, work with me, I am writing out my dreams here. The great and good Mr T, our fertility specialist, seems to think he has got me all figured out this cycle. No need for guess work or buying our fertiltiy meds one syringe at a time. So, we've only gone and bought them all at once. Yikes! Oh Lord, I hope that doctor is worth the megabucks. In case you are wondering what the plan actually is, and it seems obvious to me that you must be, I have handily prepared a flowchart, not including scans which are randomly placed throughout:






In other news, my period kindly arrived. I apologise if you were still hanging on the edge of seat after my "could I be pregnant?" post. Hope can be a terrible thing. Maybe I should have cushioned the blow for you? Next time, although I'm hoping next time I will be screaming from the roof tops "I'm bloody pregnant!", I will gently sit you down, offer to make you a cup of tea and say "I have some bad news, you know that baby you wished I was making? I am afraid it's not going to be this month, dear". More importantly, the arrival means that I can take a trip to London tomorrow to see the magnificent Mr T in person. I get to spend some quality time with him and his magic stick (always enjoyable); then, assuming my uterus hasn't jumped ship when I wasn't paying attention, I will have the joy-inducing opportunity to hand over a ton of money.


For those who are financially minded, and so it reminds me to behave responsibly and not book a random weekend break, I will be tallying up the credit card bill as we go along. Here comes the first total:

   IVF meds: £1092
      Total: £1092



5 comments:

  1. Oh, you've no idea how helpful you are! I'm planning to cycle again later this year, and did the long down-reg protocol last time. Next time I'd be doing the shorter protocol because of my age now, and because that's just what my clinic does now, but I've not been able to find any info as straightforward as your flowchart. Excellent!

    Does the NHS pick up any of the tab at all for you? I'm not entirely sure how your health system works. Hell, I don't think I even know how mine works now since it's changed so much.

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  2. Thanks - I am glad you found the chart helpful. I am already completely lost in this cycle (I should have put dates in too). My hormone levels aren't great, normal but not great, so I have never done the long protocol. I am quite glad about that as I hear the birth control pills can be a right pain.

    The NHS doesn't pay for any of my IVF treatment. Although they did cover all my treatment up to IVF (blood tests, cycle monitoring scans, HSG, clomid cycle, etc). My primary care trust (fancy name for local authority) will only cover IVF for women between 30 and 34 who have been trying to conceive for at least three years. It is very hard to qualify. You are also ruled out if either partner has any children (we don't). Sadly, I don't qualify for treatment as I am over 34 and have only been trying for two years and 7 months. NICE (the body that sets guidelines for health treatment in the UK) recommends IVF treatment on the NHS for women under the age of 42 but very few, if any, primary care trusts implement the guidance. The free treatment you recieve really depends on where you live. I have known women older than me who have been eligible for treatment in their area. Short of moving to a more generous part of the country, I am a bit stuffed and definitely poorer.

    Good luck with your cycle this year - I will be following along.

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  3. Ana,
    Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. I hope to hear news of a bfp for you by the time you hit your 'official day'.
    Em

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  4. No problem. I hope I can share news of a bfp too.

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  5. Whoa! So impressed with your flow chart! I was never that organized! Looking forward to following your journey!

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