# What to expect????



## JK32 (May 16, 2008)

Hi everyone,

I'm new to all this. We were told last month that if we wanted children our most likely way to conceive would be through ivf.. very scary news!!! I have had my tubes checked, bloods checked and everything looks OK. . My DH however has low motility and poor sperm morphology so we contacted the RVH in relation to both NHS and private appointment. At the minute we are attending the Ulster Clinic under the care of Prof. McClure for private treatmet at RVH (has anyone else been to him??) we are due to go back on Monday to sign forms etc and talk about the next steps.. don't know what to expect... also have a consultation for NHS at the RVH on the 14th June.

Has anyone else had good experiences with the RVH or would you recommend trying Origin? Its hard to know what to do.. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## Mrs AB (Nov 3, 2007)

Hi Josie - welcome to Fertility Friends  .  This is obviously a very shocking and upsetting time for you but as you come to terms with your news and hopefully receive reassurance from some of the girls on this site, you will feel a little more positive about the future!  

I'm afraid I can't give you too much useful info re: RVH as I opted for Origins - I''ve just experienced my first (and hopefully only!) IVF treatment and next week I'll find out if it's worked!    

You are entitled to 1 go of IVF on the NHS and can be placed on the waiting list and pay for private treatment at the same time.   Each Health Board in the Region actually funds NHS IVF treatment and there are different waiting times depending on the Health Board you are associated with - do you know which Health Board you are under?  You can also receive private treatment at RFC - although I've heard there are waiting lists!  Apparently the admin at RFC is not so good!  Files going missing etc. but other than that I don't think there is any difference between RFC and Origins.

The main bonus with Origins is that there are no waiting lists at all and there isn't a Maternity Ward next door!  Origins staff are excellent and very attentive.  An initial consultation is £335.00.  My husband also suffers from low mobility and high number of abnormal sperm - we were recommended ICSI - this is a more advanced level of IVF, where they inject those wee lazy critters into each of the womans' eggs.  

Don't want to bombard you with too much info!

Hope this helps!

Anita


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## Mrs AB (Nov 3, 2007)

By the way - you will meet all the other nutters on the section entitled 'NI Girls Part 2'!!!!!!!


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## JK32 (May 16, 2008)

ahhh thanks for that, its so good to now that there are other people who know what we are going through   At the minute everyone around me seems to be pregnant and asking am i not thinking of trying!! I feel like screaming at them and telling them to mind their own business grrr.... But i s'ppose it's something you just have to get used too  

I think we are with the Southern health board - Craigavon??.. don't know what way that will leave us. I keep hoping that it will happen naturally but i know thats just wishful thinking..   

Origin clinic def sounds good, especially as you say there is no maternity wing next door!! It was awful having to go to Craigavon initially!! especially as we hadn't told anyone and then ran into a neighbour.. so as this neighbour is not known for their discretion we had to tell immediate family!! but it's so upsetting to see other women especially all these young girls sitting beside you pregnant!! 

I think we may have to go for ICSI too, i hope you get good results next week  , its great to have people who have gone though all this.. at first when i told me my mum she didn't want me going for it as she had heard of someone who had severe OHSS, but as i told her, theres risks in natural pregnancy...hmmm... (try to convince myself ha!!)

anyway thanks for getting back to me so quickly, I'm sure i will be back on to you after Monday asking more questions.. xx


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## Lesley08 (May 4, 2008)

Hi Josie,
Im relatively new to this as well and although my specific fertility problem is not the same as yours I remember vividly the awful night a few months ago when we discovered there was actually something wrong and that we would need treatment if we were to have a baby. So hang in there it will get easier and it definitely helps to feel less alone. I think this site and the NI part 2 thread in particular is a real help largely because it is so lively and in spite of the serious nature of the matter at hand all the women here bring a good balance and a healthy dose of humour and the mundane to the proceedings - in a strange way this really does prevent you from going totally insane!

i did attend the RFC and found it to be pretty inadequate. Twice I was refused a test my consultant insisted I have (due to administrators ) and the wait between appointments was woeful. I have no experience of Origins as they would not be able to treat my problem but if there is no waiting list and you can afford it I would recommend going there.

Lesley


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## galaxy girl (Feb 12, 2008)

Hi Josie welcome to the board. I an with the Southern Trust too. Lucky us - we get the longest waiting times for IVF on the NHS.  Can't help you re Prof McClure - I'm with Dr.McFAul at the Royal. Cause of the waiting times for both private and NHS lists with the Royal we went for Origin for a private cycle. Bonus is avoiding the car park that is the M1! However it is a good bit more expensive than the Royal. 

I second Anita - come and join us on the NI girls Board! 

GG


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## JK32 (May 16, 2008)

Thanks GG and Leslie,

I cant believe i didnt know about this site until tonight!! i had been logging onto ivf world, but hadn't actually subscribed for full membership as wanted to wait until i had a date to start ivf/icsi.. but thankfully while i was soaking in the bath after a hard days work my DH found this site for me yeah!!!

I have read a few bad reports about the RVH so am wondering at the minute what to do hmmm... i will go ahead for this consultation on Monday night with prof McClure and go from there.. I had got the information booklet from Origin and thought it was a bit pricey but i s'ppose in the grand scheme of things it might be worth it! I've heard the staff are much friendlier there and waiting lists are almost non-exsistent, so may be worth a go..

Flip did you ever imagine you would be in this position, having to pay all this money to do what seems the most natural thing in the world!! But i s'ppose it makes you grateful for what you have!! Though when we were first told my family members whom i told were saying things like 'it could be worse!!' i know things could be worse but at the time it didnt fell like  e it.. 

anyhow, now i know bout this site and the NI girls board I'm sure i will be addicted   

Thanks for all the advice girls  

oh GG i am also with Dr Mcfaul for my NHS consultation.. is he nice??


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## Cate1976 (Oct 29, 2007)

Welcome to FF Josie.

Sorry to hear that you'll need IVF to have your own Lo. I remember the day DH and I found out we'll need IVF to conceive. We're on the waiting list and hope to be starting tx September this year. We're going NHS at RFC. We were with Altnagelvin but when DH's SA came back low count and only half moving, they had 4/5 month wait for it to be done again so consultant referred us to RFC hoping they'd be able to do it quicker which they couldn't. That was back in November 2006.

I can relate to you finding it hard seeing pg women. DH and I started ttc when we got married in April 04 and since Feb 05, there's been 14 babies born to friends at church. That has been very diffucult at times but we are blessed that our church family have been really supportive. I've now managed to accept the situation and am looking forward to tx.

I'd suggest you introduce yourself on the NI girls part 2 thread. We have some serious craic as well as supporting each other through bad days/weeks.

I wrote a poem/prayer last November, a year to the day that DH and I found out we'll need IVF to conceive. http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=124295.0

I've come a long way since then. Another church member has had a baby and it hasn't upset me at all seeing them. I've been smiling while holding the baby.


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## JK32 (May 16, 2008)

Hi Cate,

just read your poem/prayer it was lovely!! exactly how i feel and I'm sure all the other girls, you start to question why!!?? but I'm sure there will be light at the end of the tunnel  

me and my DH have been married now for 3 years, the first out of our group of friends to tie the knot. Now everyone else has married and everyone else seems to be pregnant or have just had a baby. I also have a friend living beside me who is due in July and told me she had been tyring for ages before she fell pregnant - 3 months!!    i couldn't believe it when she told me this as i had been trying 2 years! but she didn't know this.. some people just don't think.. but as i said before its something you just have to get used to i s'ppose.

i will def be logging onto the NI girls thread for a bit of craic and support, think i will need it. 

thanks for all the replies  

Josie


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## galaxy girl (Feb 12, 2008)

Yeah Dr. McFaul was good. Very knowledgeable and answered all my (written down in a long list) questions!


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## Trishy (Jan 25, 2008)

Hi Josie  

I am so sorry to hear you have had to face the bad news we have all experienced but you are definitely in the right place for support!  

Regarding the RVH, I live in Banbridge and I am currently going private with Professor McClure through the RVH (just had embryo transfer and waiting to take the test for the first time) and without sounding negative, I must warn you about the long wait.  I joined the private waiting list in January last year (2007) and only started my treatment on 13th December 2007.  We debated whether to cancel this treatment and go private through Origin instead but it was £1000 more expensive and we simply didn't have the money.  Also every time I phoned the RFC to ask where we were on the private waiting list we were told it was only another 2/3 months so we thought we would stay put but this waiting never seemed to get any less and finally it got up to 11 months of waiting.  As you can imagine I got extremely frustrated and if I could have aforded it, I would have gone to Origin.  When I checked with Origin from the time of initial referral from the doctor to starting your treatment (by which time all tests are carried out) they said it was a total of 12 weeks (only 3 months!) and that is the truth from what I hear!

Also, just to bring even better news - regarding the NHS list through the RFC, I am just about to be called in about 2/3 months (if they are not lying again!) for my free try and i have been waiting since August 2005 so 3 years really.  Sorry i feel really bad telling you all this but I want you to know the truth so you can make an informed decision  

Please do come and join the mad people on the NI thread  

It's good to see new people here and I hope you feel you find the support you need


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## JK32 (May 16, 2008)

hi Trishy,

thanks for your reply   . I am also from Banbridge (well i say b'bridge but actually just outside it). Your advice is great! We have an appointment with Prof McClure on Monday night to talk about getting started and whats involved and sign forms etc.. but i think my DH and i will seriously consider going to origin. We will need to look at our finances.. i s'ppose your talking about £5k with origin?? does anyone know?? I def don't want to be wasting a year waiting on the royal!! You would think with the amount of money this all costs the RVH would be more efficient!! I'm a bit worried about saying to Prof McClure that we are thinking of going to Origin, do you think he will be mad  

I see your waiting to do a test ( i think thats what that wee thing a the bottom means saying '3 day until test day' i hope it all goes well for you and you get a positive result! As I'm new to all this i don't know all the terms and phrases so i must read up 

Thanks again for all the advice and hope you njoy the rest of your weekend  

Josie x


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## galaxy girl (Feb 12, 2008)

Josie our ICSI cycle at Origin was about 4 and a half grand with all the tests and everything.


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## weeza82 (Dec 14, 2007)

Hey Josie, 

Just seeing this now!!!!  Your story is a mirror image of my own!!

DH and I are married 3 years this September, the first of the bunch. Now everyone is married and there are a few unplanned pgs. We went to Craigavon in Dec for our inital appt and couldn't believe it either, Thankfully we didn't see anyone we know though! DH has came back with quite bad morphology (although Pycnogenol is helping that ) and Antisperm anitbodies. My tests came back clear. 

Well, currently we are waiting on our review this Friday (   and  ) but I am expecting to hear ICSI for us. 

Life sucks with IF sometimes, there is no 2 ways about it. DH and I had talked about kids since we were 19, we knew we would be together and this was what we wanted even then and for something so natural to be so difficult. As someone said to me last week (unrelated to this) "it's an ill-divided world" 

I hope you have a positive appt tonight   

Weeza


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## pink tulip (Dec 5, 2007)

Hi Josie,

Why don't you come over and join the mental crew on "NI Girls Part 2"......I guarantee you'll be hooked within a day!
Pink Tulip x


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## JK32 (May 16, 2008)

Hi Weeza,

We really o have similar circumstances.. I also put my DH on Pycnogenol, Multi vits, folic acid, zinc and Selenium.. oh and Brazil nuts which he's eating by the bag full - Bless!!  

Don't know if they are doing any good cos we had his analysis before he started taking all these vits.. but sure it can do no harm!

Think we are going to tell Prof McClure tonight that we want to go to Origin, from the stories i have heard so far regarding the rvh we could be waiting a while!  

Like you, we never thought it was going to be a problem getting pregnant, but not everything in life is so simple as we are all finding out   

will let you know how i get on tonight an hope your review goes well on Friday   

Oh and Pink Tulip i have already been having a wee nosey on the "NI Girls Part 2" def looks like good craic.. I had read that you were going to the 'Mill' on Saturday night, how did you get on?? my DH and i were in 'sax on the Street' on sat morning for our brekkie - yum yum!! they are both lovely places to eat..

anyway chat soon 

Josie


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## bron11 (Jul 16, 2008)

Hi
most of the comments cover treatment at Royal and Origin.  Waiting lists at Royal are really long, From inital app in Feb 07, we only got second app in Oct 07 and were then put on private and nhs waiting list.  Only offered pirvate treatment in May 08, not the 3 month waiting list as they said!!!!

Not impressed by Royal, I was under Prof McClure, never seen him once for treatment, different doc each time.  They dont give you time for asking questions, discssing things etc.  Only went with them for private at Origin refused to do treatment, (told over phone by nurse not consultant after paying consultant fee and private funding fee) that my FSH was 16 and 18 so i was excluded from treatment at their clinic.  Nice personal touch from them!

Worried to hear that nhs waiting list so long, I will be 40 in May 09 does this mean if i do not reach top of list i will not be able to get free cycle of treatment?

Getting stressed now thinking about this all?

Has anyone any knowledge of getting funding swithched to other clinic, poss england?

Has anyone managed to get their drugs funded by gp?

Any help app thanks bron

Hope all goes well for you all.


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## kate z (Feb 17, 2007)

Hi ya 

i was told three months too - was gutted to find out it was more like 7 -8. Lufgirl went to Leeds and had a really good experience and she only had to fly over 3 times. I am looking into it it will either be that or Origin -Good luck!! 


Kate


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