# New to Fertility Friends - Looking for support



## gcrolls (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi All,

I am hoping i will be able to get some support through this website.
I live in Worcestershire and have just found out we have male factor infertility (On all three counts) and i have PCOS and will need to go through ICSI to be able to conceive.
I however have a long wait on the NHS as i am going to Oxford hospital and they will not treat me until i am 30 (currently 29 and 3 months) so 9 months to go.
In those 9 months i know i will have a million questions and i am hoping that i will be able to get help and support and stop feeling so alone in the situation. Does anyone know of support groups in the Worcester/Gloucestershire area.

Thanks
Gemma


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## Wraakgodin (Jun 17, 2006)

to FF, Gemma!!! Have a good look round the site, post in whatever section you want and make yourself at home. There are so many sections here with a huge amount of information, so whatever you are going through there will be someone here to help you.

First, I have amended your post to take the name of your village out. Just thought with that, plus your name, age, etc, it would be possible for people to find you. Just to be on the safe side.

Here are a couple of links that I think might help you.

Regional boards - CLICK HERE I think Worcestershire is under West Midlands & Welsh Borders and Gloucestershire is under South West. Oxford is under Central England.

Male factors ~ CLICK HERE

PCOS ~ CLICK HERE

ICSI chat ~ CLICK HERE

Cycle Buddies (undergoing treatment at the same time, for when you do start) - CLICK HERE

What Every New Member Needs To Know (includes a list of common abbreviations) ~   CLICK HERE

Our live chat room has a new member chat at 8pm on Wednesday. Here is our Chat Zone section which will give you info on other chats: CLICK HERE

Please feel free to ask more questions here, or on any other part of the site, there will be wonderful helpful people there to give you lots of support, information and cyber hugs if you need it.

Good luck! I hope that 9 months goes really quickly and you will soon be having treatment!        

Sue


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## maisewo2 (Feb 14, 2012)

Hi Gemma,

Welcome to FF..

I have only been a member for a few days but the support has been amazing, I dont know of any support groups in your area ( im in Lancashire ) but there are lots of threads on here for couples waiting to start treatment..

If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them..

My Journey so far...its a long one..

I had 4 attempts at IUI before my consultant referred me for a laposcrapy to check my fallopian tubes,
They were a mess completely blocked..they showed me pictures and it looked a bit like spaghetti junction
Booked me in for another op to remove them but asked of they could try to remove the blockages before removing the tubes..
Good news they managed to save my fallopian tubes and we could go for IVF..
1st attempt was cancelled because at St Marys Manchester as I over stimulated on the meds..they started me off on a really high dose??
They said they would not count this as a try  
2nd attempt at Care in Manchester when St Marys was being renovated..
2 embryos put back in but they didnt take  
3rd and final attempt on NHS....all was going well until I started to over stimulate again..the nurses and consultants discussed wether or not to cancel my treatment....i had 74 follicles 
The consultants decided that because it was my last attempt they would carry on..... 
Had my egg retrieval..got 19 good quality eggs and 10 fertilized because there was so many they would not do a fresh ET and would freeze them all to let my body recover...
ended up with OHSS and was in hospital for 2 week  
I started treatment for my FET in January and again all was going well...went for my blood tests they were fine...went for my scan 5 days before my FET and they have discovered fluid in my fallopian tubes...they have cancelled this cycle and have booked me in for my tubes to be clipped on the 9th May 2012..

I wish you lots of luck for your treatment..keep me posted on how you get on xx


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## marleymoo (Nov 22, 2011)

Hi Gemma, I am new here too. In fact I've been on a matter of minutes and incredibly, reading through people's posts is already giving me the feeling that I am "not alone" which after 3 days of hell, it reassuring and comforting. I hope the 9 months pass quickly for you, I'm sure time will fly. Try and fill it with things that you enjoy doing and doing things you have never done before. I know this sounds silly but I've been trying to do new things over the past 10 months (when my fertility journey began) and this has helped distract me from going round the bend.
Contact me anytime, I am a good listener. 
My situation is still raw, as of Friday I found out that my tubes are underdeveloped and I only have one ovary. Quite a shock as I am 33 and have never even considered that my infertility could be down to genes and not developing as I should have. So IVF is my only option, I am scared, shocked but trying very very hard to keep it together. 
Big hugs,
Marls xx


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## Jardin (Jan 18, 2012)

Hi gcrolls,
I am based in Gloucestershire and have treatment at the Oxford Fertility Unit - is that what you mean by Oxford Hospital? I don't attend a support group but there is a lot of support here on FF! I am starting my 4th ICSI on Tuesday and do have a blog (under members treatment diaries, ICSI) if you are interested. You may find some useful info amongst all the rambling and ranting! 9 months is a long wait - my advice would be to keep yourself busy doing other things and to try to get as fit as you can (i find this a real drag but i think is worth it.) Good luck!


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## gcrolls (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi all,

Thank you so much for your messages and i am starting to find out a lot on here now.
i went out and got lots of supplements at the weekend and have started to feel a little like i am back involved in the process by doing so. I also have building work booked to start on the house in May, and hope that will keep me very busy picking out new things and decorating etc. 
Wraakgodin, thank you for all your links they are so very helpfull and i have used them a lot over the weekend (although still not understanding all the acronyms but sure i will get my head around it all.)

Maisewo2 you really have been through it, you must be very brave as you have been through so much, i have all my fingers and toes crossed for you.
Marleymoo i am very sorry to hear your news, you must be very much in shock. Thank you for the advice and i will definitely try and intergrate some new experiences to pass the time away a little 

Jardin, 
yes i mean Oxford Fertility Unit, its a hard choice i live in Worcestershire so technically could change PCT and go to Birmingham. I could have 2 cycles of IVF/ICSI compared to one at Oxford and could start straight away as they start treatments at 23+. However the success rates are so much lower and actually holding out for oxford gives me more of a chance. Just hope i am not putting all my eggs in one basket. Good look with your next cycle i really hope that you get the result you are looking for  

Please keep in touch all,

its so good to talk it through


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## maisewo2 (Feb 14, 2012)

HI gcrolls..

Thank you for your support  
I not sure that i am brave, its just that everything that could possibly go wrong has, just got to get on with it I suppose  
Fingers crossed when my tubes are sorted it will be plain sailing from there...well thats the plan xx

Good Luck with your ICSI cycle Jardin on Tuesday I have everything crossed for you hunni xxx

Hey Marlymoo..I know Im talking to you on another thread, but I just wanted to say on this one that I am soo sorry to hear your news, it must be so hard for you, IVF/ICSI is a long journey and I wish you lots of luck, my advice would be not to bottle anything up, keeping talking to your FF friends, it helps xxx


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## Hoppity (Mar 19, 2012)

Hi Gemma, fellow newbie here!  

I've been on FF just a few days and the support is just so unbelievably heartwarming.

Lots and lots of love and luck to you.

Jules x


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## Jardin (Jan 18, 2012)

Hello ladies,

Thanks for your good wishes, Masiewoo  

gcrolls, sorry if I'm interfering with a carefully made decision, but if I were you, I think I'd consider taking up the two free offers at Birmingham. You can always switch to OFU later if you aren't successful. You could potentially be saving yourself £5,000. And so much of tx is about waiting - if you can cut 9 months off your wait time, it might be worth it...

Just a thought!


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## Jardin (Jan 18, 2012)

Sorry! Maisewo2.


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## marleymoo (Nov 22, 2011)

Thank you maisewo - I really appreciate your kind words  xx


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## gcrolls (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi jardin, 

Thank you, I might pop onto the birmingham chat and see what people are saying about it. I am unsure how success rates can be so different if the process is the same. Our consultant was not very complimentary about birmingham and definatily recommended waiting for oxford. DH was not overly impressed with our consultant so wouldn't mind moving doctors. Would we have to go through all the tests from 
scratch though? 

Thanks
Gem


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## maisewo2 (Feb 14, 2012)

Hi Jardin..

Hope all went well with your appointment on Tuesday xx

Hope all of you are ok xx


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