# Angry! 7 months wait for my follow up appointment



## ecs2011 (Jul 25, 2011)

I am so angry! 2nd failed cycle (BFN on Sunday) and just got a letter today saying that my follow up appointment is in March 2012! I am so angry and disgusted. It is a good job that they did not answer the phone just now, I want to know if this is for real. What annoys me more is that although I have PCOS, I am not sure if this is the main reason for our infetility and no one ever answered me when we asked at the hospital on numerous occasion - if we have to wait for 7 months, could any future treatment be affected by such a long wait?

Has anyone else had such a long wait for a follow up appointment? Should we contact a private clinic now anyway??

Help and advice please!

Thanks  xx


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## Han72 (Feb 15, 2007)

Hi hon and    

I'm so sorry to hear of the BFN and then to add insult to injury, such a rubbish response re your follow-up! March 2012!!!  Are they having a laugh or what?! I'm not at all surprised that you're angry and I have to say that, if you have the financial resources to do so, don't wait for the NHS to pull their finger out of their collective ****, find a good private clinic and go for it!

Whereabouts are you hon? If you're in London and money's no object, I'd heartily recommend the ARGC and the Lister. The ARGC is better (in my opinion) for someone with PCOS as they monitor you really closely during stims to make sure you don't end up with OHSS. I also feel that their immune testing is better, should you need to go down that route. You can chat to others thinking of going to the ARGC here:
http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=269038.0

The Lister is less persnickety with the monitoring but they're also extremely good. The atmosphere there is much more "clinical" compared to the ARGC with it's squashy sofas and surgery in the basement (or the dungeon as ARGC-ers usually call it  ) The doc I hear the nicest things about there is Jaya Parikh, do try to get her if you go there, I've met her and she really is lovely 

I'm not so familiar with clinics outside London but I've heard good things about Care in Nottingham... But wherever you live, you can find other FFers near you and ask about their clinics over here on the location boards:

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=218.0

I really hope this helps hon and I hope you find the right clinic for you   

xxx


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## ecs2011 (Jul 25, 2011)

Thanks Han72

We are based in the north of england - we had to travel 2 hrs each way to manchester for treatment! Big drain emotionally all that travelling before any of the treatment!

My 1st cycle i had what was described as 'mild ohss' - god help those who have anything more!! We were told on 5 occasions that they were stopping the cycle but they still went ahead. By ET day I could hardly walk and laying on that bed was so painful - all they said was 'oh your ovaries are quite big, no wonder you are in pain!!' I did not want to go ahead with ET but the Dr insisted as they embryo was a poor one and 'not to waste the cycle'!!!

I think we will investigate private but it would be so much easier to make decisions if we had the proper information about the last 2 cycles.

I will got to the location board - thanks for your help!!

xx


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## Han72 (Feb 15, 2007)

Hi again

you can ask your current clinic to send you a copy of your records. I think they can take anything up to 90 days to send them out, but that's still better than waiting for the follow-up they offered you! Seriously, I wouldn't waste time hanging around waiting for that shower to pull their finger out, there is absolutely no reason why you can't start at a private clinic, even without detailed previous notes. If you can remember your drugs/dosages/how many eggs you got/fertilisation rates then that's a good start.  Chances are they'll do their own thing anyway, regardless of what your previous clinic did. But definitely mention the OHSS thing!

Good luck hon 

xxx


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## L_ouise (Sep 23, 2010)

I flipped out when i was told 3 months until my review and the secretary took pity on me and got me one within 2 month but i had to offer to see any consultant and not necessarily the same one i had seen previously but i didn't care.

Just because you are on the Nhs doesn't mean that your hands are tied - you can get an Nhs referral to any Nhs clinic. Lots of private clinics take Nhs patients too especially up north. I don't know which clinic you are at in Manchester but there will be others in Manchester and Liverpool etc that you will be able to get referred to and i can't imagine a referral taking that long when you have already been given funding.

Please don't phone them up to shout at them though. You only get your own way in these kind of situation by playing up to their compassion, not screaming at them


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## ecs2011 (Jul 25, 2011)

Hi L_ouise
You are doing better than me - I haven't yet seen a consultant throughout my whole 2 cycles (well I have seen consultant anaesthatists and a consultant spoke to me for approx 2 mins before EC). When I questionned this I was told this was normal and not to worry but when you read about other peoples cycles I feel so let down.

I think I have been shafted completley. My GP is writing to complain about waiting 7 months and I have complained to the PALS. We don't get any more NHS treatment which is why I am desperate to go through my file to see if I can argue another NHS treatment with my PCT. I didn't shout at the Appointments Clerk, she really sympathtic as she understand and agreed with me.

Thanks for the support.
xxx


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## ecs2011 (Jul 25, 2011)

Just thought I would let you all know it is worth going to the hospital/clinics PALS service and/or your GP - my 7 month wait for a follow up appointment has been reduced to 3 months following a strongly worded but polite email to the hospitals PALS.

So with a friends wedding in September with 2 hen dos before hand, and a fortnight of sun in October - it now won't seem to far away. And at least whilst myself and DP are on holiday we can chat without distractions about what we want to do in the future and the questions we want to ask the hospital.
xx


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