# Hi newish, questions about Lap and Dye and D&C



## Meg27 (Aug 4, 2008)

Hi there, 

I have made a few posts before, but have not been on much. 

I've just got back from our first hospital appointment, we've been TTC 20months and I've been trying to get investigations for the past 8 months but were refused because Hubby has kids, until i kicked up and almighty fuss with my MP and PCT who finally agreed to give me investigations on NHS. 

Anyway, we have just got back from the appointment, it was really good and I have been booked in for a Lap and Dye with a D&C at the same time. I really wanted to read about other peoples experiences of this, but I have found it hard to find my way around FF, not even sure if i have posted this in the right place!! But anyway I would really like to know about anyone elses experiences of these procedures so I have an idea of what to expect?

Thank you!
Meg
xx


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## julie1973 (Sep 18, 2008)

Hi Meg,

"Welcome" I have not been posting long myself either, and we have our first appt on Monday.

You say you have been booked in for a Lap and Dye with a D&C, I hope you dont mind me asking when your appt is for that, as I said we have our first appt on Monday and I am expecting to be booked in for a Lap & Dye too and just wondered what the wait time was in between the first appt and the Lap & dye.

Are you going private or NHS ? 

Good luck with your tx

Thankyou

Julie x


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## Caz (Jul 21, 2002)

Meg27, welcome to Fertility Friends. 

You've done great on getting that referral sorted out! I was just reading back through the couple of posts you have done and thought good on you! You're absolutely right to push because, although you may not qualify for funded IVF / IUI (I didn't for the same reasons as you) that doesn't mean to say you actually _need_ them and the NHS still ought to at least carry out the necessary testing and, if appropriate, course of treatment that _is_ within their scope to offer you before pushing you out the door.

I have had a laparoscopy and a separate HSG (the dye part) at a later date. From what I have been told and what I experienced of the HSG, it seems far better to combine them in one and less intrusive for you in the long run. My recovery was quite long but that was because I had lots of endo to take care of, including a patch pushing into my bladder meaning they needed to cut into it to remove (10 days with a catherter in... joy!). I felt sore for ages afterwards but my understanding is that's not necessarily normal and some women can be back to normal inside a week afterwards. On top of that, beforehand you may have to take some medicine to clear out your bowel (in case they nick it during the op but, again, that might not be the case for you). As you can imagine, this isn't the most pleasent experience and, if you have to take this, I would advise booking the day before the op off work too as you certainlu won't want to be at work with that going on! 
I waited about 4 months from booking to the actual operation, however at the time I had the laparoscopy for investigation, diagnosis and treament of endometriosis and not directly related to fertility issues. That was quite a while ago now, before the patient's charter so I am guessing you can reasonably expect to have your op sometime in the next 4 to 6 months, if not a lot sooner depending on how fast your PCT works. You might be able to get some advice about that, and also some clarification about what exactly you would be funded for in the *locations* are of the boards, where you can meet people who might even be under the same consultant as you and who may have been through the process themseleves - it is always a good idea to push for your treatment if you can because what one consultant / GP will tell you regarding funding may not necessqarily be accurate or up to date and you can always go straight to the top to find out exactly what you will get. However, I will say the NHS funding of fertility tx is a complete lottery and very unfair so it may well be that, depsite all the promises we have been made about eligibility for treatment under the NICE guidelines, you simply won't get anywhere with it; you can always fight if you want to though!

If I might ask, how old are you? You mention your DH is 37 and say he's getting on a bit (not so much compared to my DH who was 37 when I first met him!  ) but not your age. I am only wondering because, if it did come down to you needing IVF and if funding became an issue, there is always the option of egg sharing to help with the cost of your own treatment. You have to be under 35 to do this in most places and there are a whole bunch of other medical criteria you must meet but most of that is fairly straightforward stuff and it's worth thinking about if it becomes an issue.

With a bit of luck, your Lap and Dye will show now tubal issues and, you might find all you need is a boost like clomid of something that will help increase your chances and get you pregnant so,  the whole issue of funding tretament will be moot.  You also find quite often that just the lap and dye sometimes helps as it can sort of clear minor issues out for you.

Can I also ask, have you had any blood test yourself? For instance have you had a progesterone test (usually about day 21 of your cycle) to see if you ovulate? And have you had blood tests for FSH etc. on days 1 to 5 of your cycle? You will need to get these done, and a scan of your ovaries / uterus (may not be neceesary if the have a look during lap and dye) to get a complete picture of any obvious issues with you. 
If you are ever unsure about results you are being told then come here to FF and query them as I know most of the ladies (and men) here have experience and can tell you what they actually mean. 

Here are some links you might find helpful at the moment. Please do have a look around and explore and start posting around the boards and making friends. FF is a wonderfully supportive community and you can only get the best out of it if you start posting and joining in so, please do so.

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

*FERTILITY INFO GUIDES ~ *CLICK HERE

*Starting out & Diagnosis ~ *CLICK HERE

You can have a bit of fun or just gossip while you are on FF too so check out the general chit chat / jokes / hobbies area:

*Girl & Boy talk - Community & Fun Board ~ *CLICK HERE

You can also chat live in our excellent chat room. We have a newbie night in the chat room every week (*Wednesday at 8pm*), where you can 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 

Please keep us updated on your progress!

Wishing you lots of luck! 

C~x


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## jes4 (Aug 18, 2007)

Hi Meg, 

as has already been said - good on you for kicking up a  fuss and managing to get a result from the PCT!

I had a lap, dye and ovarian drilling done in April. I was quite nervous about it, but needn't have worried! I was signed off work for 7 days, and by the time i was due to go back was feeling back to my normal self. The first few days after the op i was v uncomfortable, with shoulder pain and around the incisions/stitches  (one in belly button and one below). Also felt very bloated with a swollen tummy and lived in my PJ's for a couple of day as they were the most comfy clothes i could fit in! They gave me some v strong painkillers which i took for the few couple of days after, then i relied on paracetemal for the next couple of days and then was fine without. I had some endo treated during the lap, and i know that if they do treatment during it, it can sometimes make a difference to recovery times, but think i was quite lucky.  I had to stay overnight after the op as i wasn't admitted till 4pm and then had a funny turn when they tried to discharge me at 10pm afterwards, but as far as i'm aware, its mostly a day case and they send you home as soon as you have eaten and been to the loo without any probs! 

Good luck with it   - do you have a date yet?  

(Julie - where i live, the wait from referral to getting the op was about 5-6 months, but no doubt it will vary from place to place)

all the best, 

jesXXX


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## IVF Twin Mummy (Nov 26, 2008)

Hi and welcome to FF. Wishing you all the luck in the world on your journey  .
Love
Lou
xxx


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## SallyD (Dec 9, 2008)

Hi Meg,
I've just had a lap and dye with ovarian drilling.  I've had 2 dye tests, one while I was awake and another one which was done under a general anasthetic.  I was only in for the day, admitted at 12:30 on Friday and kicked out by 5.  I was really woozy from the anasthetic afterwards but found it really difficult to sleep because of the stiches.  I found sitting up and walking hard work on Saturday and Sunday but was fine by Monday and i've just gone back to work.  My advice would be, don't rush back to work and give yourself some time to get over it.

Hope it goes ok
Sally


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