# I'm new to all this...



## *~Anna~* (Oct 5, 2005)

Hi Everyone,

I've finally plucked up courage to post after spending quite a bit of time reading everyones' different stories, and some really supportive messages.  I suppose it's true that none one really knows what it's like until they go through it! Well me and DH have just had it confirmed that we're probably going to have to go through IVF or ICSI.

Just returned from my GP after going to pick up DH's 2nd SA results - they were the same as the first - low count only 1.8 million/ml as well as greatly increased viscosity. Also Dr said he has a large ammount of red cells which she wants to get checked out by a urologist. I'm scared this could be something BAD.  Anyone shed any light on this / any similar results?!

DH had undecended testicle operated on at 14 years old (how late?! ) which I suppose could be something to do with it. Luckily he has private health insurance through work so sould get to see the urologist pretty quickly. Unfortunately the appointment for the fertility clinic will take about 3 to 4 months!! We're going to go to Leicester Royal Infirmary (any Leicester folk out there?!)

Sorry to go on... Hopefully you'll be hearing from me some more now I've become all BRAVE! 
anna x

*P.S.*
Full SA results:

Volume 4ml (good!)
pH 8 (not great)
Greatly increased viscosity (not good)
Density 1.8 mil/ml (not good)
Motility 8% (?)
Total motile count 0.57 (?)
Progression 2 (good!)
Abnormals 80% (no too good)
Agglutination 0
Red cells 12.8 (not good!)
white cells 0
round cells 0


----------



## Mel (Jan 1, 2002)

Hi Anna

Welcome to FF.

I cannot personaly help you with what you are asking but i know there are a few who have the same diagnosis as yourself and hubby, hopefully they will introduce themselves over time 

I hope you can find your way around the site ok, just yell if you cant 

Mel
x


----------



## Lou W (Nov 1, 2005)

Hi Anna
I'm new to all this too! 
Kind of have similar circumstances to you - but you seem even more clued up than me!
Our journey so far...
I'm 21 my dh is 25, we have been ttc for 2 & 1/2 yrs. I have had all bloods come back normal, dh 1st st came back as less than 1m count, I am waiting for a printout of full results - was too upset at the time to remember all percentages. Although they say they dont know why his count is low, he suffered a testicular tortion at age 12 and has varicose veins as a result. We got the results a week ago (4 days after our wedding - an unusaul honeymoon!) but the GP seemed unable to tell us very much, and we now have to wait for a referral to a fertility specialist which may take months. 
I have heard that sperm counts can alter test to test and have asked dh to request another test to be sure, just in case. 
Obviously I know very little so I'm sorry not to be able to shed light on the situation, but maybe we can keep in tousch through here and anything I find out as we go along I will let you know. 
We are now in Bristol so that is where any treatment wil be done, but I am from Leicestershire originally - again not of any help but just thought I'd mention it! 
Good thoughts for you and my fingers are crossed for both of us, stay strong. I have up and down days, I guess we all do, but everyone on here seems so friendly, I think f/f will help us.
best of luck with everything
Lou x


----------



## Lou W (Nov 1, 2005)

Hi Anna, Lou W again ...
I have just received a booklet produced by the HFEA that seems really helpful... if you got to www.HFEA.gov.uk you can download it or request one to be posted to you for free, it has loads of information and it may be of some use to you....
good luck 
Lou W


----------



## *~Anna~* (Oct 5, 2005)

Hi Lou,

Thx for getting touch!!  
I'm always sad to read anyone's in the same position as we find ourselves - must be especially hard to find out just after your wedding when you're supposed to be all happy and content!  

Our GP was great about giving us the printout of the results, should be dead easy, she just printed them off her PC in her consulting room. - It took me a while to digest all the results and what everything means but I did, so any help I can offer I will!  

I've had a look at the booklet found it a couple of weeks ago. I found it really helpful actually and it helps us to know what to expect and whats normal! I've also found reading the old threads on here good too.

My DH saw the urologist who wasn't at all concerned by the blood cells - what a relief!  and at the time said that he'd just recommend getting 3 more SA's done so we had something proper to compare to, and that he'd refer us for ICSI. So that along with the GP's referral seems pretty conclusive that it's ICSI we'll be looking at - at some point in the distant future no doubt! We'll hang in for treatment on the NHS for now as I 'still have time on my side' (I feel OLD at times!!!!) 

Anyhow just after the bill arrived for the private urology appt. (! ) we had another letter from the consultant asking DH to go in for an ultrasound on his testicle!! so that's the next step and also waiting for an appt with the fertility clinic. Wow. what a journey!

I think I read there's a really good clinic in Bristol isn't there? Do you know if you'll be NHS or private?

Like you said there are good and bad days - ALL my friends are having babies at the moment which is still nice but difficult at times. 
I'd really like to keep in touch it's so nice to share!   (I have a ten minute slot a day when I'm allowed to rant about it to DH! LOL!) but I'll be great to share with a girl, men can be so... insensitive (?!) at times and also don't have PMT to deal with!

Hopefully spk soon!
a x


----------



## Lou W (Nov 1, 2005)

Hi Anna 
Great to hear about the urologist news - yay!  
I'm not sure what we will be doing about getting dh to have more sa's done, as although the dr said they usually want two he wants to refer us straight away. dh said he will ask for another one if i want, but he made a good point - he said that if he had another and the results improved it might slow the process down for us, where as with where it stands at the moment they want to move us along to the next stage and will ask us to do more tests in due course, and he said that if the results do vary then the best we can do is keep having s*x! (although it's hard to feel in the mood sometimes! )I guess he's right but I'm worried that we will get our appointment and just be sent away to wait months for more sa's again. It can't be pleasant for him to keep having to do them so I don't want to push him either. 
Dh is one of those who says 'everything happens for a reason' all the time, and that I should just let it run it's course. I know he's right but I'm dammed if I can find a reason for why this is happening to us - it seems so unfair. Sorry I'm on a low and in need of a moan! 
He doesn't understand why I want to try and find out so much information, he thinks we will be told what we need to know when we need to know it, but I just feel totally bewildered and as though we've been told a bombshell with no information on what happens next. I feel as though learning more will help make me feel as though I'm being pro-actove in some way - you know?
As for private or NHS treatment... It seems that in the South West there is very little funding for NHS treatment   I'm hoping hard that it will be available to us as private just isn't an option right now. I've looked everywhere but am struggling to find out whether it would be available to us here. The booklet we were talking about shows a hospital in Westbury-On-Trym, (very near us), but they don't offer ICSI which I'm guessing is what course we will need to take. Am totally confused and very upset today, so apologies for my ranting! 
I think I might look at the cost of having more sa's privately, so that we have the results but hopefully it wont affect them helping us. I'm sure it wont be cheap though.
All our friends are pregnant too, I love being around them and seeing how happy they are, but sometimes it's hard too. 
You're right, men are difficult to talk to, and I feel bad going on about it to DH as I don't want him to feel guilty or as though it's his fault, and I think men just see things so much more simply than women! I'm like an obsessed person trying to understand everything but just getting more confused as I go along!  
Anyway, thanks for listening! still got my fingers crossed!!
   
hopefully speak again soon 
Lou xx


----------



## Angel129 (Oct 28, 2005)

Anna and Lou-

I can totally relate to everything you are saying.  

DH has private insurance and we got in to see the urologist within a week or so.  We went to the urologist after my dh's sa's came back as very low and very bad motility.  DH has had 3 sperm counts and all were similar results.  The urologist also ordered a testicular ultrasound and everything appeared normal, or at least nothing that should cause such a low count.  Before we got the results the urologist had said that he was worried because there seemed to be fluid around dh's testicles, but ultrasoundographer was not concerned.  

So we have just started at ISIS and have our first appointment with the fertility doctor next week.  We are going to be pursuing ICSI.  We are going to have to go private as I have a son from a previous marriage and urologist said we would automatically be eliminated from consideration for NHS.  My dh is very mad   He is struggling to understand why people who are unable to conceive naturally should have to pay in order to be parents.  He is also very upset that we have to have the child welfare inquiries.  His point being that people who conceive naturally aren't judged as to what type of parents they will be, why should we?  We both feel like we are being discriminated against because we can't have children naturally.

My dh is much like yours Lou, very laid back generally and is a member of the wait and see club.  I have become obsessed with finding out information about ICSI and I think it's because it makes me feel proactive, like I'm doing something to solve our problem.  I haven't read the HFEA pamphlet yet, but feel like unless I don't do research the information won't be offered up to us by the fertility hospital or our GP.  Does that make sense.    What if I don't ask the right questions and then we miss something.  I'm so tired from not getting good nights sleep I can't even tell if I'm making sense anymore.    

As sad as it seems it helps me to know that there are other people going through the same things and feeling the same way that I do. 

Hope to talk with you both soon.  Until then many   and     to you both!!

Angie


----------



## Lou W (Nov 1, 2005)

hey anna and angel129!!
me AGAIN!
have just discovered how to make you two 'buddies'....
if you do the same for me (if you want to of course) then you will get my email address and it would be cool to be able to correspond that way if you like?
Lou W xx


----------



## Lou W (Nov 1, 2005)

angel129,

obv have just posted the thing about emailing... but noticed something i thought might be of importance to you re what you said in your post.....
I dont know what area you're in and it probably differs criteria wise depending on where you are, but when our GP went thru criteria for us for NHS treatment one child from a previous marriage was still accepted, it was only if there was two or more. Maybe you should double check this as the urologist may have been wrong?

I have not been told about child welfare enquiries - is this something we will have to go through? And now I'm wondering why we have not been told to have an ultrasound of dh's testicles - although he did have one a couple of years ago so maybe that's why as it will be on his records? AHHHHHH why do they tell us nothing!!!!!

Glad to hear i'm not the only information obsessed person!! 

much l  and  
group hugs   girlies - lets all be strong together

Lou W


----------



## *~Anna~* (Oct 5, 2005)

Hi Lou and angel129!

Think you're both fab - it's so nice to know I'm not the only "impatient, information obsessed, 'work it all out for myself', stressed at laid back husband" chick out there... it helps!

I get so frustrated at all the judging we will have to go through - seems so unfair, just because you can get pregnant without help doesn't necessarily make you a good parent but no one ever questions _their _ right (?) to have a family. Yet we have to be judged AND probably pay for as much of we can ourselves!!!!  (woops ranting again - i'll get off my soap box now!)

I'm going to try to set up my buddies thing now too! 


Will spk again later - hubbies just come home for lunch!!!

a xx


----------

