# TLC and Advice needed



## liswaiting (Nov 2, 2011)

I had my HSG scan scan this morning which I thought would be my last step before IUI and didn't get the result I expected    After two burst balloons, 3 attempts by the doctor and considerable pain I found out that there is no sign of my fallopian tubes.  They could be completely blocked or I might not even have any!

I'm completely confused now and not sure what my next step should be.  I've made an appointment to speak to my private consultant in 3 weeks time but don't know if I should be considering IVF or further investigations.  The radiologist seemed pretty certain that with the amount of pressure my tubes were under they would've opened if they were going to.The NHS doctor who performed the procedure said he would be happy to do a laproscopy if the private consultant recommended it but I got the impression that if I was "officially" his patient he would jump straight to IVF.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  I never realised my insides were so complicated I wish I had a camera so I could look inside for myself.

On the plus side my womb is absolutely fine so there is a lovely warm space for a baby to curl up if I ever even get to start trying for a baby


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## Grace10704 (Aug 7, 2008)

Liswaiting - I can't offer any advice but wanted to offer lots of        .  Really hope you find a way through this soon


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## Elle72 (Mar 13, 2012)

Hi Lis, I had many surgeries and procedures and after so many years the only thing I can say is unless it is absolutely necessary don't have one. It creates adhesions which are not needed for pregnancy and IVF. If I where you I would start considering IVF, check your ovaries if they are fine and your uterus is fine, I think it could be a great option. I know IUI is much less complication but it could also be worse so just start to get used to the IVF idea and ask how many questions you want! There are plenty of girls here who know almost more than doctors 

Good luck xxx


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## some1 (May 13, 2006)

Lis -    that must have been a big shock.  Hope your consultant can come up with a plan of action that you feel comfortable with.  Glad to hear that all is good with your womb, and glad you found out about your tubes before starting IUIs.  Sending you lots of      for your next steps   

Some1

xx


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## indekiwi (Dec 23, 2008)

Lis,      Must have been a helluva shock.    However, keep your eye on the main goal - the route you take is not nearly as important as reaching your destination.  It may not seem like it now, but IVF is not such a big deal once you get your head around it, and if you find you need to leapfrog IUIs, take heart that for a woman of your age the success rates for IVF will be much higher.  


A-Mx


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## liswaiting (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your positive thoughts.  I've pretty much spent all evening researching IVF so I think that's the way I want to go. I'm the sort of person who likes answers but I realise I probably will never know why my tubes are blocked and getting it investigated is not going to get me nearer my goal of being a mummy.  

My anxiety now is the cost of IVF, if I scrape together all my money I have enough for probably one shot of IVF.  I've been looking at the LWC as although it's a long way from where I live it seems to have the best prices.  The clinic I'm with at the moment is charging £5000 per IVf cycle before I even buy sperm etc.

Trying to keep focused on the goal


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## suitcase of dreams (Oct 7, 2007)

lisa - depending on how you feel about anon vs ID sperm donors, you could consider travelling abroad for IVF to reduce costs
Serum Athens is one option - pretty sure you can import ID release sperm from sperm bank over to Greece too - although this would increase costs over using their own anon donors

it's tough when finances dictate our options but it's something worth considering?

the other option if you are eligible is to consider egg share - ie you give half your eggs to another lady and then you do not pay for your IVF. of course there are huge implications to consider here and it's not something anyone does lightly...but it is an option you may want to think about

good luck with it all 
Suitcase
x


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## Sima (Aug 10, 2008)

Hi Lisa

Here are some hugs for you my dear     .  You have been so much already and I can understand that it can be a lot to take in.  Take heart though having these investigations and finding out what you are dealing with now has saved you a lot of heartache.  I remember when I first started out and was told I had to go straight for IVF due to blocked tubes.  It took me quite a while to get my head around it but then I didn't have FF to help me deal with the news (I only found this lovely site 2 years later).

You have already been given plenty of good advice here.  A number of us on these boards have gone abroad for tx so you will get plenty of advice here if you need it.  You can save quite a bit of money using this option and you might find that you can have two lots of tx compared to just one in the UK.  I am at Serum in Greece and they treat a number of single women.  Suity has also mentioned the option of egg share.  Many UK clinics offer this option if you choose to go down this route.  Clinics legally need to offer you a counselling service so this is something you can explore with a counsellor should you wish.

Another option for you to explore could be min stim IVF.  I mention this because much of the cost related to IVF is to do with the drugs and you can cut down the costs if you go for natural IVF or min stim whereby the aim is to produce 2 to 3 eggs.  I believe Create in London offers this option and Serum in Greece also regularly do natural IVF. 

Do keep us posted of your journey.  I wish you all the best.

Love

Sima x


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## natclare (May 27, 2011)

Hi Lisa

Sorry to read about your difficulties but I can see you have already received good advice. One positive of IVF is that you stand a great chance of it working, better than IUI. Just to chime in you may want to consider being an egg sharer. At 30 you are certainly within the right bracket. Whilst of course this is something to think very seriously about and carries a certain ethical and or personal decision, you will also be helping somebody else and you receive up to 3 cycles for free so in essence you will just pay for sperm. This also enables you to cycle with a UK clinic which is easier and I personally found the Lister fantastic and quite luxurious for EC. I am currently doing my 2nd cycle at the Lister in London but am freezing my eggs. They hold egg share open evenings which I can recommend. If you want further info please do not hesitate to PM me. Good luck xx


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## liswaiting (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your advice.  I think the shock is wearing off today although I've still got a healthy amount of denial going on (11% of woman going for HSG will be told their tubes are blocked, of these 80% will definitely have blocked tubes the other 20% will have one tube opened, or be falsely diagnosed!!!).  I need to educate myself more about IVF and investigate more clinics as I chose mine on the basis of IUI.  I've read a lot about Athens and clinics overseas but as I live in a fairly remote part of Scotland it's not very easy to go abroad at short notice, sadly it's coordinating the internal travel within the UK that has me thinking it would be too great a challenge. Also at the moment I know I want open ID sperm, preferably from a UK donor so any future child would have the opportunity to meet the donor if they wanted to.  

I'm not adverse to egg sharing but I think I'd want to know the woman who I was sharing my eggs with, my biggest concern with egg sharing is that any child would be able to contact me as an adult and I'd worry that they weren't happy or worse that another woman might conceive with my eggs and I wouldn't.  Definitely not a decision to be made without a lot of thought and discussion.  

Anyway I have an appointment with my consultant on the 5th of July and I think that will help my thinking.

Thank you for your kind thoughts

L


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## JustJude78 (Nov 19, 2011)

Hi Lisa,

My HSG didn't go to plan either, they couldn't even get into my womb because they thought I had fibroids! After a scary ultrasound (they thought I had three kidneys and couldn't see my left ovary) I had a laparoscopy and thankfully everything is fine, no fibroids, no third kidney and two ovaries working normally. If I was you I would have the laparoscopy first and at least then you will know exactly what is going on inside of you. It certainly put my mind at rest. 

I panicked, thought I was never going to be able to fulfil my dream of being a mom and researched IVF, I am now on the waiting list for my first IUI.

I hope this helps a little to ease your mind.

Good luck


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## liswaiting (Nov 2, 2011)

Wow that must have been terrifying - I'm glad they found everything was okay in the end.  They tried to do my HSG 3 times but the balloon kept bursting from the pressure of them trying to force the liquid through my tubes - the nurse put a stop to it in the end because I was about writhing off the bed in pain!

How long does it take to recover from a laproscopy before you can have IUI or IVF?  

I think part of my problem is frustration at the time the whole process is taking I made the decision to do this in October 2011 and I'm still having the initial tests - I just want to be a mum


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## JustJude78 (Nov 19, 2011)

That sounds awful, sorry you had to go through that. 

The waiting list for the laparoscopy shouldn't be too long, I got offered an appointment a week later and that was on the NHS, it did get cancelled but I had it three weeks later.  It took about five days for me to feel human again not long really. One week after my op they put me on the waiting list for donor sperm. 

The only problem with any treatment, I think, is how long it all takes, I thought I would literally need one appointment, counselling and then the treatment, unfortunately it's not like that. I had my initial doctor's appointment in January and still feel like I haven't got very far. I still have to wait another 3-4 months for donor sperm. 

I am now at the stage where I have to have a blood test (again), wait a week for the result and then call them with some more info regarding the donor sperm. After this there will be a counselling appointment, another appointment to discuss the treatment again (in more detail) and then hopefully   treatment will start.

Hopefully once you have had a laparoscopy you should be a lot closer to being a mum . Discuss it as an option at your next consultation and let us all know how you get on.

It all feels like too much sometimes, all I want is to be a mum but I just keep thinking it will be worth it in the end.


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## liswaiting (Nov 2, 2011)

Hope you get started soon      That's a frustrating wait for sperm is there a reason it is taking so long?  I think I'm probably a couple of months behind you in the process.  Noone's mentioned the counselling appointment or selecting sperm donors to me yet  The man from the NHS said he would give me a laparoscopy if my consultant recommended it and he seemed really nice so I wouldn't mind him doing it.  The thought of having a general anaesthetic is putting me off a lot, the last time I had one I was convinced I was going to die even after I'd had the operation and woken up!  The nurses kept telling me I was going to be fine but it took until 24 hours after the operation for me to believe them.  They were busy looking after all the elderly people on the ward and probably couldn't understand why this reasonably fit and healthy 27 year old was making such a fuss    

   Positive thoughts for you and I look forward to hearing how you are getting on


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## JustJude78 (Nov 19, 2011)

Recovering from the laparoscopy was a lot easier than I thought, I wasn't in much pain, the worst part is the anaesthetic, it took me longer to recover from that than I thought but I had a bad reaction to it. I have had a general before and been fine, I guess it just depends what happens on the day. You will be fine honestly.

I think the wait for sperm is long because the supply is short, I am with an NHS hospital (paying privately for treatment) so that could be another reason  

Let me know what they say when you go to your next appointment, I love hearing how everyone gets on.


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