# IVF Price's



## Dolphin01 (Jun 13, 2006)

*Good Afternoon everyone, 

I am the DH of Dolphin and i hope you don't mind but i require some feedback as to your costs involved in your treatments.

Here is the story so far:

As you are all aware Ruth(my wife) has started treatment already at the CRM(Coventry) we are having IVF and also Ruth is sharing her eggs. Over the past couple of weeks i have been researching costs as a couple of you have informed Ruth that their treatments were considerably less costly than what we were being charged. I found that around the Midlands area it averaged about £500  for the treatment with drugs included. This would equate to double the cost we have been quoted. This could be the difference between two treatments or just one for us.* 

*So, today i have telephoned the finance department at Walsgrave Hospital to enquire as to exactly why they are charging on average what seems like double the cost of other clinics in the area. 
I got a surprising answer from the lady whom i spoke with, apparently* *most or maybe all the other clinics who were quoting £500 for treatment did not tell you that you had to pay for each individual appointment/scan/test on top of that fee, this, she said was the result of their investigation into many other price enquiries they had received about the same subject. 

I would just like to know if any of you ladies would mind adding to this discussion with a breakdown of your costs and possibly the clinic you are attending. I need to find out if the finance lady actually knows what she is talking about. The best way for me to do this is to get an idea of costings from everywhere.

This has been a trying time for Ruth as it is, this is not helping matters at all. she is now in a dilemma  that is affecting her terribly and i would like to resolve it sooner rather than later. Its a shame that its not safe to give out phone numbers, because I'm sure I'm not alone when i say that sometimes it would be nice for you to be able to actually talk with people who understand their fears, joys and worries. Thanks to all you ladies who have helped her through some bad times.

Best Regards & Good Luck To all. x x x

Lee

*​


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## fluffyhelen9999 (May 13, 2005)

Hiya Lee, my dh shares your name as well...  yes seems a shame why there are so many differences in the prices...  

I am at the Lister is London, I have ES'd twice, most recently in June of this year... here is what I got;
IVF and drugs are free, no charge for intitial consultation or scans etc... how ever this is what you do have to pay for;

Husbands bloods tests  £96 (approx) - If you can get your Dr to do these for you, this is free.
Hfea fee                  £103
ICSI fee (if needed)  £1080
Freezing (if needed)  £695
Blastocyst fee          £500

So, the total for my cycle was £2474...  crazey when I think of it that it would have been cheaper for me to go abroad and use all my eggs!!  obriously if you are lucky enough not to need ICSI and not have enough embies to freeze or to go to blastocyst, this would be a lot cheaper!!  but you never really know this until you cycle, so people who think all they're paying for is the hfea fee might find some surprises when they come to actual treatment.
Having said that, I am still happy with my clinic - just wish they wasn't quite so expensive on their additions...  I did discuss this once with a Dr there and apparently despite the egg recipients paying a fortune for their treatment, the ES scheme actually runs at a loss  this is why if you have enough eggs they try and share your eggs 3 ways to make up some of the difference.
H xx


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## Mrs_H (Jan 29, 2006)

Hi Lee & Ruth,

Oh Ruth this is horrible i too have to admit i was shocked when i saw that some people were paying £200 some £2000+

I'm not sure where you are but at my clinic which is SEFC in tunbridge wells Kent its part of the nuffield group

intitial consultation £150 
HIV, Hep B&C for me & Dh £260 ( didnt know your GP could do this  ) 
SA £45.00 
all eggshare bloods & test £700 
Heaf fee £103.00 
Freezing & storage fee per year for embryos £300

SO total cost for us is £ 1558 ish, 
For that i get IVF & standard drugs & all scans free, if i had to pay for that it would have cost £2400 for IVF & scan and £450 for drugs,

Ps my clinic say the eggshare cost £600 but it's clear from the above thats not the case, i may ask then about this,

http://www.sefc.co.uk/schedule.htm 
Really hope this helps 
Take care ruth we are all here for you 
Sara xxxx


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

Hi Lee and Ruth, (Leigh is also my Dh's name lol  )

I'm at Cromwell Darlington

The price breakdown for egg share is what I've paid so far.

HIV, Hep B, Hep C for me and DH £0 (GP done these for me)

Rubella/FSH/LH (me) £0 (GP)

Chromosome/Karyotype/Cystic Fibrosis/ Cytomegalovirus/FBC £245 (done at clinic)

Initial Consultation £150

SA £40

HFEA Fee £103

ICSI (if required) £0

Scans and Drugs are free for donors

£150 + £40 + £245 + £103 = £538.00

I will PM you my phone number if you want a chat!

Vicki x


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

ruth and lee - my dh called lee too!  
firstly what a wonderful husband you must be to try to find this out....

i have often wondered the same thing...

i am at London women's clinic - in cardiff. The EC and ET are done at the cromwell(swansea or london). ironically the prices are different depending on whether you go to swansea or london!

i have been quoted:
Initial consultation – 225  (I had my consultation at my follow up from FET and therefore did not need this) 
Follow up consultation – 95 
Male screening tests – 85 (not needed as done last time less than 1 yr ago)
Female Screening tests 373  (done through GP/hospital consultant so no charge)
If required - ICSI surcharge 700.00
If required - Assisted Hatching - 450.00
If required - Blastocyst Transfer - 450.00
HFEA fees - 130.00
Drugs 450 – in Swansea. FREE in London (makes sense I know!) 
if freezing of embryos is required you also have to pay - but they haven't quoted me for that  

in total i expect to pay 450 (drugs) 130 (hfea fee) 95 (follow up consultation) = 675 and hopefully freezing if enough embryos

i hope you get the info you need.....

nichola.x


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2006)

hi lee, im hoping to start egg sharing soon at nottingham care, (success rate 34%)

it is £500 per cycle which includes tests, scans, drugs and all appointments (basically everything)
there is only added cost if you require icsi, different types of drugs (eg nasal spray instead of injections) or a GA instead of sedation for collection of eggs.

as i want to upgrade my stim injections i will be paying about £100 more so my treatment will total £600.

i also got a quote from the leicester royal infirmary and their all inc package was £2383 (success rate only 16%)

hope this helps, take care, maz xxxxxxxx

(btw, i got the success rates from the **** website)


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## endometriosislass (Apr 10, 2006)

Heres a break down of my treatment costs and iam at cromwell/darlington

All blood tests were done at gp`s except 2:-

Chromosone-cystic fibrosis-£160
Hfea-£103

Total cost £263!!!!
Above costs cover  ICSI,and everything else such as drugs and scan etc etc!

Reason i didnt pay for inital consultation and semen analysis is because they hold an opening evening every 6weeks and if u attend u get free consultation and free semen analysis! 

love kelly


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## Nicky1 ☺ ☺ (Jul 9, 2004)

Hiya Ruth and Lee (No my Hubbys not called Lee too   )

I'm at the cromwell in Darlington same as Vicki and Kelly At our first consultation we paid £445 (give or take a couple of pounds) For The initial consultation fee, DH's SA, DH's HIV, HEP B, HEP C, and my Karyotype and cystic fibrosis tests, The rest of the tests I had done at my GP's, DH could of had his HIV and Hep tests done at the GP's aswel but it was easier to pay to have them done at the clinic and saved him taking another day off work.

When we start our TX we will pay £103 HFEA fee and have heard from the other girls at the clinic that they no longer charge for the ICSI part of it so fingers crossed alltogether our will of come to around £ 548 Even if ICSI does get added on top it will be £1148 as egg donors don't pay for scans and drugs etc.

Nicky x x x


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## aweeze (Nov 8, 2005)

Hi Lee

I have spent alot of time chatting with Ruth about this and other egg sharing issues and I know how much this particular problem has been upsetting her.

I'm with Midland Fertility, Aldridge. I think you may have already contacted them as I gave Ruth their details.

Their initial consulation and Investigations (if paid togetherat first visit) are £230.00. Once done, they stay in place for a year as I understand it. I have never been charged for any follow up visits. They may be prepared to accept test results from your clinic as they are pretty reasonable but I also know that they like to do their own IF tests as well.

There is a charge on their price list for egg sharing/egg donor screening which is also £230 but I wasn't charged for any of the additional tests that I had to have to be an egg sharer.

The Egg sharing with IVF is £500 and obviously the HFEA levy of £103 applies.

Therefore for the egg share cycle (because my tests were already in place from previous tx) I have paid £603.00 This includes drugs, scans, appointments, counselling etc. If you wanted drugs over and above the standard, i.e. nasal spay instead of jabs, you would pay for them and there is an additional fee for icsi if it's needed.

If you have embryos to freeze, it is included. You would pay for any subsequent frozen embryo transfers and if they are still in storage 12 months after tx, you pay a storage fee.

I have included a link to their egg share leaflet which you may find useful: http://www.midlandfertility.com/CMS/files/1498648709.pdf

I hope I've covered everything, if not just let me know. I'll PM my number in case Ruth wants to text or chat and I'm not far from you so could meet up if she wants to.

Good luck with your clinic - that finance woman doesn't sound like she's done her job properly to me!

Lou
X


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## Dolphin01 (Jun 13, 2006)

Good Evening Ladies​
DH Here again..... 

Firstly, may i take this oppurtunity to say a big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to reply to my post. It is very much appreciated by Ruth and I.

fluffyhelen9999---> Thank you for that, I was pleased to hear that you were happy with your clinic although the cost was high. I am hoping not to have any financial surprises when we eventualy get to paying for our TX, they will have a shock when i open my wallet and try paying the extra with chocolate buttons!!  Thanks again for your post.

Mrs_H---> Thank you for your reply Mrs_H, it dont seem fair to have such a difference in costings. I believe the whole IVF pricing structure needs to be reviewed and regulated to ensure people can get a fair and comparable service. Even better would be free TX for people who have issues that will hinder conception, but whats the chance of this? None. All the best to you.

MrsRedcap---> No matter how you spell it its such a strong name dont ya think  
Unbelievable price you have got your TX for , Well Done You!!. Does it not amaze you the difference in costings posted on here, i am finding it incredibly difficult to take in. Its a hard enough road for any woman to travel without the added worry that were throwing away the possibilty of another cycle. Its such a terrible place to be at the moment, do we carry on and spend the money that we have sacrificed so much to get, what if it dont work, thats it, all over.  But if we changed clinics we could have enough money for possibly two TX. Best of luck to you.

ritzisowner---> See how popular we are, Lee's are everywhere.  
But i'm not too sure Ruth would completely agree about the " firstly what a wonderful husband you must be to try to find this out...." sentance, but i appreciate the comment.
Again, what a great price. Believe it or not i was secretly hoping that you ladies would come back with prices around the same as what we have been quoted, now some of you have but the majority of prices i have researched and those on here are much lower than what we have to pay. The reason i was hoping for the same prices was to take the pressure of Ruth a little, this really aint helping, along with our clinics seemingly endless brick wall where Ruth's fears of sedation are concerned its not looking very good... 
Thank you so much for the post.

maz1980--->Well done you!! Fantastic price again.
You never mentioned the HFEA fee, is that included in the cost? Get back to me if you could. Thank you and the very best of luck to you.

endometriosislass---> WOW  I think you win the prize for the lowest costs!!, well so far anyway  . 
Amazing, thank you for posting Kelly, i very much appreciate your input. Best of luck with your scan on Monday.

Nicky1 Was that a hint of sadness that he was not named Lee?? 
This is another great price, this is so far been the average cost for this TX. Apart form ours  Its fantastic to be able to get prices and opinions straight from the horses mouths(not calling you ladies horses or anything)without prejadice. Thank you Nicky, and i wish you the very best of luck.

aweeze Before i start going on and on, i would like to say a special thank you to you for the support and kindness showed to Ruth, you like many others have been a rock for Ruth. Thank you.
Thank you for your post, another great price, Ruth is leaning towards your clinic as the days pass by but if I'm honest she really does not know what to do about the situation.
My congratulations on your good fortune..xx

Well, thats it so far. All of these posts are so helpfull and informative, again we thank you all for posting.


*Update​The head honcho of finance at walsgrave telephoned me late today, she had apparently been given my number by a member of staff who expressed a concern that we might be having second thoughts. Anyway, she told me that the majority of places that may of been cheaper charged the recipient extra for the pleasure. To be honest she was a little apologetic about our situation, but her hands were tied as regards prices. She said it would not be "fair" not to charge egg sharer's the cost of TX, then charge women who did not wish to egg share. I could not understand that comment really, as i explained to her the egg sharing program is very short of donor's and i would of expected clinic's to be as flexible with donor's as possible to enable more donor's to come forward.
Thanks to everyone who has sent personal message's to Ruth, I hope to persuade her to actually telephone you all at some stage(Very Shy...  ) I have the upmost respect for all you ladies who are/have/will be going through any form of IVF, its a hard journey but well worth the effort.
Best Regards to you all

Lee*​


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## fluffyhelen9999 (May 13, 2005)

just thinking, if you really are unhappy with your clinic, could you not find another one and ask them if they are willing to take you on at the DR stage  I'd immagine all her bloods etc will be up to date so all they would have to do is match you up  DR's are quite good as you can stay on DR's for quite a long time, I know I had to stay on DR's for ages last time as I had a couple of recipients that dropped out and then when they did find someone else it took ages for her to get her period.  DR's will just keep your body in the menopause...  think you'ld have to act quick though to find a clinic willing to take you on at this short notice, but it's certainly something worth asking.
best of luck with your decision...  also just being curious, how much are you meant to be paying for your egg share cycle
Helen  x


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## Dolphin01 (Jun 13, 2006)

fluffyhelen9999---> Morning to you Helen... 

I have made some subtle enquiries about being accepted into a program at an alternative clinic, they have told me it will be more likely to be around december time before TX could restart, even though they would accept SOME of the results that we will have on file from my clinic. I will have to enquire further to see why the delay.

Egg Share with IVF----> £506
HFEA Fee--------> Included
Drugs-------->£600(apx)
Total TX cost--------------> £1106.00

I will keep posting on here and let you know how i get on ..

xx

lee


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2006)

hi lee, sorry i didn't mention the **** price is included. basically if your dw doesn't mind having the intermuscular injections for stimms then your total price would be £500. 
if you are thinking of changing clinics then notts care isn't too far away from you and as your wife has had scans n tests etc.. already done they might even charge less than the £500.

i havent started treatment yet but one of the lovely ladies that has at notts is kelly dallard
im sure she wont mind you asking her a bunch of questions, shes helped me out quite alot.

take care, love maz xxxxxxx


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## Dolphin01 (Jun 13, 2006)

maz1980---> Good Morning Maz, DH here... 

Thanks for the update about the HFEA fee, thats a great price you have got for yourTX. Well Done.
From the feedback from other clinics i have realised that not all the tests we have been through will be accepted at other clinics as they all have different guidelines/procedures. Most of the tests will be accepted, however my SA and a couple of Ruth's Blood's will need to be repeated. The earliest time i have been quoted to start TX again by any clinic is 8--12 weeks, most anticipate December.  Thanks for the reply. Best regards.

Lee

*Thanks to everyone for their continued support and guidance*​


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## Mrs_H (Jan 29, 2006)

Hi Both Ruth & Lee, 

this is just my opinion my 2 pennys worth but i feel ruth as you have started and are down regging i would stick with the clinic you are at i know they are more expensive but moving looks like it could add up then the waiting again, that's why i stayed however if i was to have to eggshare again i would only have to pay the £103. fee , god forbid your 1st go wasnt successful it might be cheeper to move afterwards  

Sorry to add to the mix, i feel cheated in a way but feel what's done is done ~ this is just my opinion but i would keep going,  

Thinking of you 
Sara xxxx


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## *kateag* (Jun 20, 2006)

Hi Ruth and Lee, 

I second that opinion, as on the chat night on monday, I saw how much other people were paying for the tx, and I nearly fell off my chair. 
We are at lister as well, and we have the £1080 to pay for icsi and the £103 hfea fee. I did a bit of reseach looking for someone a bit cheaper as we havent officially started yet, and all I came up with was cheaper icsi, but there were fees for blood tests and checks, which all added up. Also, the ones that are a brilliant price are miles away from us, so we would end up paying out in petrol or train fares.

I know how hard it is to deal with all this, as well as the money on top, and at the moment you are both feeling really angry and upset, but I think this will pass (from what I felt) 

As you have already started you are so close to getting towards the finishing end, and it would be such a shame to stop now. 

If god forbid it didnt work, you could try another clinic with the lower prices, but try to concentrate on how far you have already got, and not let this get to you, you need to be as positive as possible. I know its hard.

Im sorry if this doesnt help at all, but I wanted you to know I know exactly how you feel.

Take good care of each other, you are both so lovely.

xxxx


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## wishing4miracle (Sep 7, 2006)

is where I'm trying also expensive?lister?
hfea 103
icsi 1080
HIV hepb,c for dh 95(docs 42)
drugs,consol,my bloods,scans,extras free
freezing at extra cost.
this is the only one we've looked at.


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## fluffyhelen9999 (May 13, 2005)

wishing4miracle - yes the Lister is expensive if you need the extra things as well like ICSI as some clinics don't charge the extra for it.  As I said earlier, my last cycle was £2400 ish as I had to pay for hfea fee, ICSI fee, Blastocyst fee, and freezing fee.  If however you are lucky enough to not need ICSI and don't have enough for blasts of for freezer then it is pretty cheap...  your never really know until you cycle though what you will need.
You coudl save on the the cost of your dh's blood tests by getting your GP to do them, or getting your GUM clinic to do them...
The Lister has improved though as when I first egg shared in 2003 we had to pay an additional £500 for drugs as well as for everything else..
Helen x


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## tweetie (Feb 5, 2005)

hello everyone.i just noticed this and thought i would tell you about my charges at the peninsula clinic in exeter for eggshare.
bloods-most were done free at docs but had to pay for 3 of mine(the big ones)at clinic which was just over 300.00
bloods-dh's were about 90.00 at clinic
hfea-100.00
initial consultation-110.00

these tests last for a year but with every time you eggshare they do certain bloods at d/r stage no charge to you.
we then paide a 600.00 deposit of which as long as you collect 6 or more eggs you get back.so as you can see from this the first time was the most exspensive but everytime after that we ended up paying 100.00 as we got our deposit back.ofcourse if you want freezing etc that is all extra.it makes a great difference to wether you can afford ivf or not and this was the only way we could ever of done ivf.thankgod for exeter clinic is all i can say.goodluck to everyone.xxx    .lisa.


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

Before I embarked on egg share I was pricing clinics all over the country I didn't care how far I had to travel. I got info from Bourn Hall, Cromwell darlington, CRM London, and CARE manchester.

I was umming and ahhing over Bourn Hall to start with as their prices are good. But looking at Cromwell there wasn't much of a difference between them cost wise.

Travelling is a pain I know, but sometimes you have to make certain sacrifices to get what you want I was prepared to travel 600 miles to London from the far north of scotland to get treatment if the price was right. Some people have said 'oh by the time you've put petrol in' if you have a fuel economic car and you drive economically fuel should't be an issue.

If this cycle is negative it's only going to cost me pennies to try again, as with anything the initial outlay is always the most expensive. I'm aiming to try and get 2 cycles in before I'm 35 next year depending on how well I respond to the stimulation.

Love

Vicki x


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## *kateag* (Jun 20, 2006)

Vicky, sometimes putting in petrol to travel further, along with the problems it causes at home isnt worth it.

London is far enough to travel for us, as we live in the middle on kenley which has no direct train line anywhere except london.

I think its different for each person, I certianly wouldnt want to travel 600 miles everytime I needed to get to my clinic. And a fuel efficient car would make no difference. Our car is 3 years old, so there is nothing wrong with it but it would still cost over £60 to get there and back every time. [br]: 8/09/06, 12:35When I say isnt worth it, I mean in changing clinics, not in persuing your dream of a baby. 
Just needed to point that out!


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

just to say.....
i agree with the travel thing - we could get our drugs FREE if we were prepared to travel to london for EC and ET (we could stay in hotel for 3 days or do 2 journeys). however we will probably go to swansea as it is closer to cardiff and pay the £450 for drugs. i guess london would cost around the same price if we used a hotel and therefore we would not make a saving anyway  

the issue for us is that we are paying £450 for peace of mind - i would be so stressed if there was an accident on the motorway on the way to london and i missed EC - can you imagine the horror if your eggs released before you got there! for me the stress of doing a further journey (possibly twice) is not worth saving £450 

i'm a born worrier i know   but it does happen - i sat on the motorway for an hour today in southampton and eventually had to divert adding 2 hours to my journey 

it's not fair though i know - the cromwell darlington pretty much costs next to nothing and the cromwell swansea charges over a grand! CONSISITENCY please!

nichola.x


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## Dolphin01 (Jun 13, 2006)

*Good Evening Ladies, Ruth's hubby hogging the thread again I'm afraid ​
Mrs_H---> Hello again Sara, DH here.
Thank you for your post, your quite right hun of course. Its just very emotionally upsetting for Ruth at the moment. She had another breakdown about it all again this evening. But I'm hopefull she is now coming round to the inevitable conclusion that she has come so far and she now has less to travel than what has already passed. Thank you for your kind words and support. Best of luck to you..xx

kateag---> Hi hun...
Its amazing isn't it, the price difference up and down the country. I have heard a lot of good things about the Lister hun so I'm sure your gonna be OK. if there is one we have learnt from this pricing fiasco it is go with what you are comfortable with and take your time to find that special place. Ask lots of questions and see how flexible and accommodating the staff and clinic is. Good luck to you hun, and thanks for the post. xx

tweetie---> Hello Lisa, thank you for the post.
As you have said, the first will be the most expensive. But what a good deal it would be afterwards. But I'm sure you wont need to go back for another try . Best of luck hunny. xx

MrsRedcap--->Hiya Vicki. 
kateag--->Hi again... lol
ritzisowner--->Evening Nichola..
I have found many people with different opinions on distance TX, some like you are quite willing to travel that extra mile to get a clinic they want, which i do admire. Others however seem to want to stay as close to home as possible, this i believe is a safety net feeling, by that i mean they feel more secure not being miles away from home, again this is understandable especially with first timers or secondary infertility. Maybe after a failed attempt they loose that feeling and just go for it. Either way its a very personal choice and one which can not be taken lightly. thanks for that Vicki, best of luck for the scan. xx Thanks kateag. Take care. xx. thanks Nichola. xx

UPDATE​
I received a call from one of the nurses at our clinic today, she explained that she had spoken to the consultant regarding Ruth's fears about EC and her request to either-

Have me present during sedation

 The possibility of not being put to sleep

She told me the consultant advised Ruth NOT to have a local or mild sedation as this sometimes proved more traumatic than Sedation itself. He said that it was not his decision to allow me into the room during EC it was the decision of the anesthesiologist. He could not see a problem with him allowing me in until Ruth had been sedated but then i would have to leave. To be honest, i felt rather demoralized because she explained it like this " to be honest if you are allowed in there it would only be for 2 minutes anyway, thats it, just 2 minutes". I dunno maybe I'm being too judgmental but i just do not feel Ruth has got the support and care she deserves or requires from this clinic. It has seemed like they never call her we always have to call them.
But anyway, the decision has been made ladies. We are staying put... The pro's outweighed the con's. I am positive that this TX will work and we will have a lovely baby boy or girl(or Both) for Kerecsen to grow up with. However, should we need more TX i will be looking elsewhere, first on the list will be the Northampton Care, i can not praise the staff enough, everytime i have called them they have either told me what i needed to hear or someone has called me back promptly. In my opinion the name of the clinic reflects the service beautifully.

Well ladies, thanks to everyone who has replied, i think i will try and make a chart with all the prices that i can find(including these) and when its complete it will be a great tool for anyone wanting a good comparable document. take care to everyone.... 

Love 
Ruth & Lee​
​*


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## MrsRedcap (Jan 6, 2006)

You're very welcome mate!!  

Thanks for the luck and I'd like to send you both masses of luck too.

Love

Vicki x


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## ♥ M J ♥ (Apr 17, 2004)

hi lee

firstly good luck to you and Ruth for your treatment

for my IVF i had EC done under light sedation however i was awake during it and found it painful and they topped it up and i was still awake but didnt feel it

i know alot of clincis that do allow the patients partner in during Ec however i know mine dont as during EC there is a minimum of 3 memebers of staff in the room and it does get a little busy!

feel free to come join us on the mens room

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=55414.0

hugs

Mez
xxx


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## aweeze (Nov 8, 2005)

Hi Lee

Glad to hear that you and Ruth have come to a decision. As you know from my chat with Ruth last night, the route you are taking is what I think I would have done in your situation.

Procedures at your clinic sound so much stricter than at mine. My clinic is very relaxed and flexible when it comes to the needs of the patients. The nurses/doctors all dress in civvies (the only people in scrubs are the lab staff), the nurses administer the drugs once they are signed off by the docs, there are no anaesthesiologists, the patients wear normal clothes and just strip from the waist down (no gowns). Yeah I know it all sounds a bit slap dash but they have just celebrated their 19th birthday, have trailblazed with various procedures, their medical director is chair of the British Fertility Society Ethics Committee who is regularly asked to speak on TV and radio and both she and the Nursing Director are external advisors to the HFEA so I guess they must be doing something right! 

Hopefully, you won't have to make the move to another clinic as you'll get your dream of a brother or sister (or both!) for Kerecsen this time  but if you do have to move I sincerely hope that you get a significantly better level of service that it sounds like you are getting from Walsgrave.

One more thing. I strongly believe that when we receive bad service, we frequently don't speak out about it and organisations continue to get away with it. There is a feedback form on the HFEA website to help them monitor clinics' performance which you might like to complete. Here is the link: http://www.hfea.gov.uk:8024/

Wishing all the luck in the world with the rest of this tx - not far to go now.   

Lou
XXX


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## MissTC (May 8, 2006)

Hi to Lee, his lovely DW Ruth, and all you ladies that responded to Lee's post.

I am an egg recipient at Cromwell IVF in Darlington and I just wanted to say the following.

I think it's a disgrace that you ladies are charged so much money. As a recipient I was under the understanding that the reason we have to pay upward of £5000 is because we pay for your treatment too! I wholeheartedly agree with this as without you ladies sharing your eggs, I would never ever get the chance of my dreams. BUT I am shocked to hear that some of you have to pay upwards of £1000 as well! This seems so wrong. We the recipients pay an absolote fortune and surely to god this should cover *all * your fees, not just some of them! How can they justify charging you extra's on top when we the recipients have already paid? To me this seems a disgrace.

Good luck with your investigations Lee, wishing you and Ruth lots of luck for your upcoming tx.
Good luck to all you lovely ladies too

Love
Tracy C
x


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## fluffyhelen9999 (May 13, 2005)

Thanks Tracey - Lovely hearing it from someone on the other side of the fence so to speak!!      I just think its crazey that some of us could go abroad somewhere, have a nice holiday at the same time, have treatment at a good clinic with better success rates then here for cheaper than we can egg share!!

Lee and Ruth - Well done on making your decisions!  I do think your clinic is pretty expensive but I guess it could be a lot worse     I think making some kind of comparable chart is a great idea!!

Helen xx


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## Mrs_H (Jan 29, 2006)

Little Miss Tracy i am thinking of you hun this cost is so cruel i feel bad moaning about £1600 when you have to pay over £5000 a go ~ just not fair is it sweets, wish there was a cheaper way for you,  

Ruth & Lee ~ i know it's hard but i am pleased you are sticking, ruth the down regging drugs i don't think help with emotions & things so please don't be harsh on yourself if your not feeling great it's all part and parcle but soon it will be all over i am positive you will see 2 lovely lines       all this will just melt away,   

Helen you are right about the cost but the up side to egg share is helping the wonderful ladies like tracy i know that's why you do it  xxx hope you are feeling ok, 

Sara xxxx


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## wishing4miracle (Sep 7, 2006)

Iveso ive now got a booklet for cromwell hospital in London. anyone going there?
prices seem cheaper-
consultation fee 175
SA 40
hfea 103
icsi 500
freezing for one year 250
so those add upto 1068    .where as lister is going to cost around 2078!!!!
theres no saying anywhere about the costs of my blood tests though,anyone know what they are.how come the icsi and freezing is so cheap


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## fluffyhelen9999 (May 13, 2005)

are you sure the cromwell London do charge for the ICSI still as I know the Darlington? care one doesn't now??  was thinking maybe it's the same seeing as it's a care one still or maybe they do charge differently??
Helen x


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## wishing4miracle (Sep 7, 2006)

well all i know that it seemsalot cheaper than lister.but i havent heard many mentioning about this hospital-crm london


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

cromwell london, swansea/cardiff LWC still charge for icsi......swansea/cardiff LWC charge £450 for drugs too but london is free.

the bloods cost £320 female and i think £120 male in cardiff - so maybe the same in london? or you could be lucky and they may be cheaper like at the darlington  

who can tell!


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## Dolphin01 (Jun 13, 2006)

Afternoon all, Lee here... ​
                             

I will post properly later but just wanted to ask you all something:​
Q. If you had a severe phobia of being put to sleep for EC and you also had the following issues floating round your head what would you do?

*YES I KNOW, YOU DONT HAVE TO SAY IT, WE ALSO THOUGHT OUR MIND WAS MADE UP!!​
For
TX has started and we are days away from baseline scan
Close to home
Some friendly Nurses & Staff
Against
Ruth's fears and discomfort seems to fall on deaf ears
She feel like they look at her as if she is a "stupid young girl"
On two occasions she has been spoken to badly and made to feel silly
I can get to cycles of TX at a different clinic for the same cost
The clinic has NEVER telephoned her, we have ALWAYS had to make the FIRST call
Do not seem to be very flexible with regards making her feel comfortable


Its getting very stressfull now for both of us, and i know we have to make a decision and stick to it as we are not the only people involved with our decision. But if you could see Ruth then i think you would understand exactly how petrified she is, were not talking about being frightened, this is a very real feeling for her. She genuinely believes if she is put to sleep she will not wake up and will never see our boy or me again. Its keeping her awake and affecting everything she does. I have said to Ruth that we MUST make a decision on Monday and stick to it as thats the right thing to do for everyone involved.

Sorry to be a pain but had to get that of my chest.....

Moderator--> Please tell me if i am breaking any rules by being here as i have no idea.. 

Thanks all

Lee(DH to a very emotional Ruth Dolphin01)​
**Note**

Have to add this, Ruth is trying very hard to be positive about things. But she is also paranoid that she annoys people if she asks too many questions or wants some support. I believe she deserves the support and questions are always good. But i am not her, but i do love her for who she is, worry and all...*


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## Martha Moo (Jan 30, 2004)

Hiya Lee

Its lovely to see a guy here asking these questions

fantastic to see how supportive you are being

MJ has left a link for u for the mens room too if u wish to speak to any of the other guys 

but ur welcome here too 

Wishing u lots of luck in your journey

Emilyxx


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## MissTC (May 8, 2006)

Lee
Just a quick response, but you must tell Ruth she is NOT ALONE in her fear of being put to sleep!  I suffer the very same thing and I totally understand.  I had my tonsils taken out, age 24.  The cocked up the anaesthetic and lets just say something awful happened when they woke me up (wont go into details in case Ruth reads this).  Since that day I can be physically sick and almost feint at the sheer thought of being put to sleep again.  Unfortunately, at age 26 I needed another operation.  I cant tell you the hell I went through.  Luckily, although an NHS hospital, the staff were fantastic.  I wont say it was pleasant but they did everything they could for me.  It was still awful and I still get nightmares about it and have vowed never ever to be put to sleep again.  

I know for a fact that Ruth doesnt have to go through being put to sleep for egg collection.  On my first IVF my cousin was a known donor.  She too didnt want to be put to sleep and the staff were great.  She was sedated for the EC and it was perfectly fine!  She didnt suffer any anxiety and felt only mild discomfort during the egg collection.  This was at Leeds GI.

So, as a fellow sufferer, I think that your decision on where to go for treatment should be based on somewhere that will LISTEN to Ruth's fears and take her seriously and offer just mild sedation for the Egg Collection.  After all, Ruth needs to be a relaxed as possible for the tx and for her upcoming 2 week wait, and does not need the added stress.

Love
Tracy C
x


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

lee

i too have this fear of GA - after lots of surgery - never had a problem though so don't know why 

for my EC i had intravenous sedation - you're awake but very dopey and afterwards cannot remember anything. it is done with a drug called medazalan which is a sedative which also affects memory - the doctors can instruct you to move your body and ask questions during the procedure and you can talk back - but the beauty is (most people) don't remember any of it. I loved it! dh was allowed in the room till they put the drug in then he was led out - but i can't remember him leaving 

the other option is a very light sedative and then a local anaesthetic injection into the cervix. a small % of people have this done as it can be uncomfortable - however it is a good option if the GA is too much.

could you ask for either of these - or have they said it must be a GA? If there is no medical reason for a GA then perhaps you could insist to speak with the doctor ASAP and demand another way of EC.

Good luck with it. Please also let ruth know that asking questions is no problem etc...IVF is scary. i wish i had found FF on my first go 

nichola.x


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## dianne (Apr 5, 2005)

*Lee Dh to Ruth*

For one i think it's lovely that you have posted i should add i am not an egg share patient but a recipient so from the other side someone who needs people like you and Ruth to have a chance of success

I have had several EC with both GA and sedation and i would chose GA every time i am at the Lister and i have great faith in the anesthetic team they are not going to put their job at risk by me not waking up !
( i know this is one of Ruth's Fears )
i can honestly say i was asleep within 10 sec of the GA drugs being given in the pre room and the next thing i knew i was in recovery all over 
I would suggest that the staff at your clinic get their  **** act together with delivering a bit of empathy and understanding to you both Ruth is suffering and so are you too 
I would also suggest that they allow you to come down with her as far as the anaesthetic room and can she have some oral sedation before hand to help her to relax and some of the relaxation Cd are very good

However if Ruth feels she would prefer sedation for her EC most decent clinics can provide this but i think they may feel she would be better asleep with GA and not distressed by the procedure. Hard one 

My Clinic is a very busy clinic and not always time for the TLC approach but i am able to always request my own consultant to do EC and ET which for me is very important and helps my anxiety for these procedures 
Clinics make alot of money from Egg share patients as most recipient are charged 4-5 thousand pounds per cycle plus drugs and bloods 
So i do not think it is too much to ask for a little bit of understanding from your clinic staff, that costs nothing

I hope you are able to make the decision that feels right for both of you 
 
Dianne x


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## Dolphin01 (Jun 13, 2006)

Dolphin01 said:


> Afternoon all, Lee here... ​
> 
> 
> I will post properly later but just wanted to ask you all something:​
> ...


*

Just on the way out for a nice sunday roast to cheer her up hopefully...  but just to make it clear with you all:

Our clinic has said its sedation(heavy) which will make her go to sleep.
Other clinics have said they also use sedation but she will be awake and i can be with her no problem..*


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## dianne (Apr 5, 2005)

Hi Ruth's DH 
When i had the sedation for three EC i was not fully awake but very very drowsy but i was able to hear what they were saying and conscious of discomfort 
Hope this helps 
I suppose you could say she would like mild sedation that is possible they just have to adjust the level of drugs given 

Good luck 
Dianne x


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## aweeze (Nov 8, 2005)

Hi again Lee

I think that you have to be careful not to read too much into what clinics mean when they say certain things. They do what they do every day of the week and I think that they do get complacent and flippant about what they say not realising that we hang on every single one of their words. 

My clinic didn't tell me anything other than I would be sedated because everyone reacts differently to the drugs even though they obviously take into account body size, factors like blood pressure and adrenalin can make differences from person to person. 

I was fairly heavily sedated for both of my egg collections as I too have a phobia although mine is with speculums (since a rough handed doctor did a smear and left me barely able to walk about ten years ago - not sure if should have told a bloke that   ). My clinic were fully aware of my phobia and did all they could to minimize the stress to me. 

My clinic sedate and then inject local anaesthetic into the walls of the vagina where the needle will go through to flush out the follicles. 

With both of my sedations, I talked throughout. I also fell asleep at the end of both. I was also aware of things happening but I was sedated sufficiently not to care. Ask me what I talked about and I could only tell you what my nurse told me - I have no recollection. Did I feel any discomfort? If I did, I can't remember. To be honest if I hadn't been told that I had talked all the way through, I would have told you that I slept through it! 

I had problems with my clinic initially (not to do with the treatment itself but over donor sperm). I was very honest with my nurse who respected my feelings and issues and fought my corner for me. I also got the Nursing Director involved. Since then, I have had no problems and am treated with absolute respect. I don't know who you have discussed your issues with at your clinic but maybe it's time to talk to one of the organ grinders rather than the monkeys. This is important to you and Ruth and they should not be treating Ruth's very real fears with respect. 

I know Ruth is shy, I am too but I have taught myself to overcome my shyness when necessary. I know I have said this before, but as someone who has been through this twice now, I would be happy to meet her and be a sounding board for her fears and hopefully encourage her to find the strength that I know is within her (after all she has come this far). Let me know if you feel this could help (I won't be offended if not!). Am happy to help in any way possible.

Lou
X


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## Dolphin_s_DH (Sep 11, 2006)

_*Good afternoon ladies..... As you can see i have decided to register myself and get some Independence 

We have telephoned the clinic today and informed them that we are ceasing the TX, we are to go over this afternoon and sign consent forms to release our files. they have said this will take two weeks 
I just could not see Ruth forcing herself to be comfortable anymore, it was starting to get to her so much. She wanted to stay there but could no longer pretend that the way she was treated was OK. So it over for us at this clinic. But no sad faces here, I am happy she has made this decision, maybe now she can relax and start to think of the positive end result.
Thank you to all of you ladies that have given advice and support to Ruth, i very much appreciate it all..
Love and Best wishes

Lee (Dolphins DH)
xx​*_


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

lee and ruth
that is sad and frustrating for you after getting this far - but in the long run it may be best....

i hope you can use this time to look around other clinics etc....i would advise you to write a list of questions of things that have bothered you and ask them over the telephone when looking for a clinic and again at initial consultation before starting the tx - eg what sedation do you use? can ruth have light sedative with cervical injection? what is the complete cost of egg-share?

Lots of clinics won't put ruth to sleep, and will let you stay with her for EC, and lots of clinics won't charge huge amounts to egg share - it's worth shopping round if you can 

you should also be able to use your current blood results and won't need to wait to redo all of them - ask your current clinic to give you the blood results they have in writing.

Most of all lots of clinics treat people with respect and dignity and as a person not a number - you just have to find the right clinic for you....

good luck with it all, nichola.x


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## Dolphin_s_DH (Sep 11, 2006)

*ritzisowner--->* Hi Nichola,

Yes, it is disappointing that we have changed clinics so far down the road to the finish line, but on the other hand i could no longer see Ruth tearing herself to pieces trying to make herself feel comfortable and secure. It was not fair. The problem is when you are spoken to in a degrading and sarcastic manner it sticks with you for a long time, and although Ruth only had memories of two incidents of this, they are the words that stick with her. Partner that with the cost we were about to pay and our decision was made. Ruth is feeling guilty about the recipient and if i am honest so do i, yet it does not come close to what i feel for Ruth, so unfortunately for the recipient my wife must come first at all times.

When we first looked into this IVF we were young and never had our little boy, it was too expensive for us at that time so we decided to wait. Life took us over and eventually we forgot(as best you can) about the IVF and relaxed when having "Our time" together. Ten years later my wife phoned me while i was at work one evening, i was a delivery driver back then and was on the road. Ruth said to me, " i have something to tell you" and i said what is it, she said " I'm pregnant"..........  I had to pull over and ask her to say it again. With tears streaming down my face i walked back into my workplace and told everyone i was going to be a daddy.. I had always loved Ruth and our strength came from making mistakes, learning about each other and forgiveness. But the love i now felt for her was incredible, she was to fulfill my dream of being a dad. So to cut a long story short, i would do anything for her, take away her pain, protect her, stand by her and never let her feel alone. I am so proud of her.
As for my son, well what can i say about him. he is my world, and he is a daddy's boy.. lol .

I hope i have not bored you senseless hun(sorry if i have) but once i start talking about Ruth and Kerecsen i can't stop.

Good luck in your journey.

Lee
XxXxX​


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

awww lee

that is so nice...i so hope you find the place where you are comfortable and your dreams can unfold

good luck in your journey, nichola.x


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