# Where Have My Stored Frosties Gone?



## Imogen (Jul 18, 2003)

Hi everyone,

On mt last icsi (Nov 2006) I was lucky enough to have 10 (11?) embies, 5 or 6 of which were frozen.  I conceived and my baby girl was born last July 

My Qu is:

My clinic never confirmed in writing how many frozen embies I had / have, what grade, how they were stored - nothing.  Despite calling and then writing to them twice (last time in Nov 07) I have never had any reply.  Surely I have a right to know what potential babies of mine they have in their freezers?  I know that sounds emotive but embies have the potential to be babies, and that is how I see them.

As you can tell, I feel really upset about the way they've ignored me.  I have had probs with them before and went to the HFEA (not helpful).  I wrote direct to my Consultant.  Last time I complained they just sent me back to him.  He ignored me until I wrote to HFEA and threatened legal action     Really dont' want all that stress again but I feel I cant' just 'abandon' my frosties and never even know how many there were or if they are still there?  I am realising as I type this how upset I feel about all this as I'm in floods now.   

Can anyone tell me if the think this is wrong too, and how other clinics handle it?

Would be very grateful for your input!

Thanks. 

Imogen.x.


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## Rachel36 (Feb 18, 2007)

Hi Imogen,
really sorry to hear your news - the way that your hospital has been treating you sounds awful - they are your of course embies (and potential little babies), so you absolutely have a right to know what has happened to them.  At the clinic I am being treated at I only had any embies left to freeze at the end of my second IVF cycle but they did put in writing to me to confirm that I have two frosties and even at the end of my first cycle the hospital sent me a brief treatment summary of how many eggs had been collected, fertilized and transferred.  I am not sure though if this is just the hospital policy or a legal requirement.
Was your ICSI private or done on the NHS?  If with the NHS I would suggest you try contacting PALS (Patient Advise and Liason Service) at the hospital you were being treated at for some support in finding out what has happened to them.  Alternatively have you tried ringing the **** and pinning somebody down over the phone about what you can do?
I hope that you do find out and sorry that this must be such a stressful position for you, but don't let them ignore you and keep pushing even if you have to go to the papers or contact your MP for help (maybe even threatening this will give them a kick up the bum!).
Rachel.


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## Imogen (Jul 18, 2003)

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for your nice msg.  Hope your dreams come true for you soon.

Surely legally the clinic have to tell me what they have done with my genetic material, don't they? 

Any lawyers out there?  I really don't want to get involved in a legal dispute   (last time I said it to them just to see if it would make them listen, and it did, but it was an empty threat as I would have no idea how to go about it  
but I can't believe they are just allowed to ignore me like this?

Sorry, ranting a bit now.  

Imogen.x.


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## ♥sparklequeen♥ (Feb 6, 2007)

*Did you ever get a bill for storing your frosties? I had a summary letter confirming how many i had and how many straws they were stored in etc then a lovely bill! 
*


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## Imogen (Jul 18, 2003)

No, nothing, nothing, nothing from the clinic AT ALL.  

Maybe I should've chased harder sooner but I had a tough pg and I've been concentrating on my baby girl but I had counted on those frosties at least being there (as opposed to working, if you see what I mean!).

I.x.


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## ♥sparklequeen♥ (Feb 6, 2007)

*Hmm, sounds like you do need to take it further then. If you have had nothing at all it is strange. How do you know you have frosties if they have never confirmed it? Perhaps they fizzled out before being frozen?
I think it needs to go to the HFEA as the way you have been treated is unacceptable! *


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## Imogen (Jul 18, 2003)

Oh Lord!

Well, they told us they were freezing '5 or 6' - and that was the last we heard so I thought they had!

Have just called HFEA - apparantly 'its something I need to resolve with my clinic'! 

It is rather odd that they are neither confirming or denying their existance.

Congratulations, btw, should have said just now, how exciting for you to be pg - great news. 

love, I.x.


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

Personally I would call the clinic back as demand to know where my frosties are as the have to adhere to very stricts laws etc on freezing etc. They must give you an answer



x


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## Imogen (Jul 18, 2003)

Well, I called again earlier and 'did my fruit' (wasn't rude but let them know that I was very upset).

Apparantly - they gave me a letter at embryo transfer telling me how many embies I had (I don't remember this, and I'm sure I would).  Also say they wrote to me but turns out they still have my old address on file, from Oct 06 when I changed it - so they wrote and told strangers all about my tx  

They had no answers for why they have ignored my calls and letters except - get this - 'your consultant has been off sick'.

Apparantly I DO have 5 embies - frozen at 'prenuclear' stage so they can't tell me what grade they are, just that 'they looked fertilised and alive at the time'.  They are all frozen in 1 batch.
When I questioned why they had chosen to do it this way they wouldn't discuss it.  They also refused to put any of this in writing - said there was no need!  Apparantly they write '2 years after they do the frosties' - so I should have had my letter n ow, again it was sent to the wrong address, so they say.

Good news that I have frosties, but terrrible communications and lousy 'customer service', methinks!

Imogen.x.


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## ♥sparklequeen♥ (Feb 6, 2007)

*Gosh yes Imogen, LOUSY customer service. APPALLING more like!

So pleased you still have them though, that is a good result!

Are you going to do an FET? Are you going to change clinics? 

*


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## Emma74 aka Emmett (Dec 31, 2005)

Thats terrible   

the HFEA should be concentrating on clinics like this instead of annoying Mr T  

Why dont you get them transfered to another clinic


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## Rachel36 (Feb 18, 2007)

Imogen - terrible customer service but at least they have found them.  Like everyone else has suggested I would consider changing clinics if this is possible for you.
Good luck.
Love Rachel.


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## Imogen (Jul 18, 2003)

Hello.

Yes, I had a run in with the clinic before.

We were on our 2nd icsi tx and my Dh got a very severe virus.  It was the herpes simplex (cold sore) virus but he got it really really badly, throat covered in sores, couldn't eat etc and he was 10 days in bed and lost over 1.5 stones.  I asked the clinic if that would affect his sperm sample (as we were in for icsi, pretty crucial) and they said 'no, he'll be fine' - I wanted to stop tx as I was only just downregging but they pushed us to continue.  I had egg collection (18 eggs) then he gave his sample and it was all dead.  Second sample they found 6 sperm.  They fertilised 1 egg but the cycle failed.  I complained re they should have let us stop as it seems well accepted that a severe virus will defo affect sperm quality.  We argued and eventually, after months of letters, HFEA and threats of legal action (wouldn't have but they didn't know that   they 'gave' us another cycle.  

I didn't know you could change clinics once you had embies - how do they transfer them then?  Could I insist?

thanks for all the input.
very helpful.

love, Imogen.x.

ps Rachel - your doggie looks ADORABLE!


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## Rachel36 (Feb 18, 2007)

Hi Imogen,

fortunately I haven't been in your position and had to transfer clinics while they still have my embies but I do know that legally they are your embies and the hospital is only storing them for you so you are free to move them.  Maybe someone else on here can give you more advice about this as I think I have read of other people transferring clinics and taking their embies with them (if you moved out of area for example there may be practical reasons why you would want to do this anyway), but personally I would do a bit of research first into what other clinics there are in your area (and look at the statistics on their pg rates for an idea of how successful they are - I think the **** website will have data on this) and then approach the relevant clinics to discuss.  Personally I have picked the clinic that I go to based on their success rates as the one nearer to me does not do so well, especially for my age group, and as we are paying decided we would prefer to travel somewhere which has good results rather than go locally just for convenience sake.

Hope it works out,

love Rachel x 

PS thanks for saying my little dog looks adorable - he is and is the closest I have to a little baby at the moment!


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## Imogen (Jul 18, 2003)

Aaah, Rachel,

I had a 'dog baby' for many years.  He was much adored.
They do give a great deal of unconditional love and I know mine kept me going at low points as well as made me laugh at happy times.  Silly but I still miss him, even though I have my family now.

Keep cuddling your doggie and hold on to your baby dreams too.
You never know  
Best of luck to you, hun.x.


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## Rachel36 (Feb 18, 2007)

Thanks Imogen - it's replies like that which keep me positive!!!!


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