# Hi Everyone I am a Newbie!



## CharlieCats (Jul 19, 2010)

Afternoon All

Well where I do start and what do I say...........

My hubbie and I are starting out with our fertility investigations after a full on year of trying to conceive naturally and to no avail.
We finally decided after feeling like it was never going to happen to go to the doctors and ask them to run some tests to see if
everything was ok!  The results came back and Houston we have a problem, my hubbie has very low count and of those only 30% havee
mobility so we are being referred.  Because of the strict and down right stupid NHS regulations in my area we have decided to 
go privately because I am only 30 and I also am fed up of waiting for it to happen!

After what feels like 101 papers and blood tests we have finally pulled together all the infrormation that we have been asked to
get for our first consultant with Dr Riddle at Nuffield - funnily enough its on my birthday and is next month!   

I know its early days but i am so happy because finally it feels like something may actually start happening and maybe one day
I will be a mummy   

So I guess I am just wondering if anyone can provide me with insight into what i can expect at this appointment, 
what happens after that appointment and how long are these attempts................ sorry for the silly questions!


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## Angs (Jul 4, 2010)

Hello!
I know what you mean about NHS appointments! I didn't go privately, but it took about 6 months to get an appointment and then another 6 months for the next one!! I'm not sure if it'll be different for you because you've gone private, but during my first appointment the gynaecologist gave me an internal examination. She also asked me to get hepatitis and HIV tests... It wasn't until my second appointment that I was prescribed Clomid for 6 months and put on a waiting list for a laparoscopy, IUI and IVF. Following my laparoscopy they discovered that one tube was very damaged due to a possible previous ectopic pregnancy. I'm now starting IUI. I hope this has been of some help! Good luck with your treatments!!!
Angs x


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## fairywings (Feb 19, 2009)

and welcome to Fertility Friends CharlieCats 

It's a great feeling to finally know you are getting started  . I will leave you some board links to help you in the right direction. Huge good luck to you! Please have a good look around the boards, feel free to post in any area, and make yourself at home. Fertility Friends is such a huge support. There are many who are on their TTC journey, and others who have been fortunate to have little ones with assistance. You will soon discover that our members are very encouraging of one another and offering advice or just simple hugs. There's a vast amount of information here for everyone, so start reading, posting and getting to know others. You will make some great friends too (add them to your buddy list in your profile!), lots of members often have meet ups locally too, for chats, coffee, shopping or even nights out! You can share conversations with one another freely, simply because we all understand each other. It's hard when family and friends don't fully comprehend what this journey entails and the emotions that go with it. That's where we come in!

Here are some links which you should find really useful at the moment&#8230;&#8230;

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

*Starting out & Diagnosis ~ *CLICK HERE

*Male factors ~ *CLICK HERE

*Questions for your first cycle consultation ~ (use the ones that apply) *CLICK HERE

*A Rough Guide To IVF ~*   CLICK HERE

*IVF General ~ *CLICK HERE

*Peer Support (for asking fertility and treatment related questions of your fellow FFers) ~ * CLICK HERE

You can also chat live in our excellent chat room. We have a newbie day in the chat room every Wednesday where you can meet one of our mods for support, meet other new members and get technical support with navigating the site and using all the functions available here.  CLICK HERE FOR INFO ON NEWBIE CHAT 

You can also "meet" and chat with people in your local area through the *Location boards*. This is especially useful to find people who may be using the same clinic and or in the same PCT area. It's a small world!

Wishing you lots of luck    and 

Keep in touch
fairywings xx


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## baby chat (Jul 18, 2010)

i'n new to this site!! help!!!!!!! my husband had a vascetomy reversal last Tuesday(13th July). 10 years ago he had vasetomy. he is 39 with 2 children and I'm 35 with one child.  I would love to chat with people in a similar if not the same situation as us


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## CharlieCats (Jul 19, 2010)

That's great thanks so much I'm so excited about our first appointment on the 25th of next month it can't come a enough  x


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## gem_88 (Apr 2, 2010)

Hello, my name is Gem, iam 22, we are starting the process of IVF soon, but fed up waiting for nhs we have gone privatly, they have been amazing, our first appointment he took some more bloods and did an internal scan,told me what he could see,i had a cyst so he booked an appointment for a lap and dye, he did have all the test results of my husband sperm, my blood results being my AMH which were low-  just 2 weeks after our consaultion! 14th july) i had my opperation, all went well   they removed the cyt, unblocked my tubes, and now have an appointment to go back and see him on the 28th to talk about the next steps i suppose IVF? he has been fantastic, hope this helps a little, iam glad were going privatly, the NHS drag it out too long! wish you luck in your appointment, gem x


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## CharlieCats (Jul 19, 2010)

Ahhh thanks Gem glad everything is going well for you its so exciting and also a little scary!!

Fingers and toes crossed xx


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## hopeful1120 (Jul 11, 2010)

Hi Charlie

Hope all is well with you.

I've been a lurker on this site for a while now but after reading your post, I just had to write. We have quite similar stories. I'm also 30, live in Woking and my husband and I got married last year and started ttc not long after. After a couple of negative home sperm kits (not long after stating ttc - I prefer to know the facts before starting out   ) and many tests later we have confirmed male factor, sperm antibodies. Fingers crossed this is the only factor we will have! Anyway, we have our first NHS funded (process started in Jan 2010) appointment with  Dr. Riddle at Nuffield in September - getting exciting now, even though time seems to be going sooo slowly. You never know we could end up in the waiting room at the same time!

Not sure what tests you have had but for my first fertility appt. at Royal Surrey, with the people that work with Dr. Curtis of Nuffield, I had to have many blood tests - day 21 progesterone, FSH, HIV, Hepatiis (DH had to have these too) that are needed before IVF/ICSI can start; if you dont have these I'm assuming they'll want them asap from your first appt.? I know in all the Nuffield forms I've got I now have to have an AMH test during days 1-3 for their check list. Plus an additional sperm analysis (the prefer test from their own labs), to be performed 1 week before our first appointment.

Hope to speak to you again and If I dont speak to you closer to the date, hope all goes well for your first appointment.

hopeful


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## CharlieCats (Jul 19, 2010)

omg how similar are our stories and great speaking to you and hearing about yours   

We had our pack from Nuffield and have had all the blood tests that are required so HIV, day 1-3 you name it (I feel like a pin 
cushion but I guess that I should get use to that), Hubby has his Dr Riddle special sperm test (ok that sounds wrong!) 2 weeks
before our first consultation and he will be bring all our blood test results with him to that!  So I guess we are in good shape 
come our appointment on the 25th of next month!

I think the only thing Nuffield need to do is an internal scan on me - hmmm nice, can't say im looking forward to that!!

Stay in touch and good luck to you also xxxx


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## hopeful1120 (Jul 11, 2010)

Hi Charlie,

hope your first appointment went well, do you have a date for when everything starts now?

Hopeful xx


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## hopeful1120 (Jul 11, 2010)

Forgot to say: Happy Birthday!!!


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