# From Doctor's referral to treatment and beyond



## melloumaw

Here's where it all starts,
we went to the doctor tonight asking for her to refer us to Jessop at Sheffield as we've both had the snip,(dont think we'll need investigating to figure that one out)
told her we wanted/needed IVF/ICSI with fresh SSR we gave her a list of bloods that we'd need to Egg share,she said fine ring the clinic get an appointment contact us to forward the referral once you have a date,we can do all the bloods for you except Karotype and Cystic Fibrosis
what can i say thank you very much nice Doctor lady
keep you posted once we have an appointment date
mel x


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## melloumaw

rung the clinic this morning,got told they cant give an appointment without a referral,i thought this would be the case but thought doctor know's best lol.
went back to the doctors with the clinics fax number,they've asked me to ring this afternoon as they're not sure if it will be on the choose and book system,i told them it wouldnt be but they have to follow protocol  
never mind fingers crossed this afternoon i'll know a bit more,
just a waiting game now for an appointment but i suppose i'll have to get used to the waiting   im not very good at that lol.


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## melloumaw

doctor has to dictate my referral,they told me to phone the clinic in a week to make sure my referral has gone through,so thats it till next week
mel x


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## Mr &amp; Mrs Bubble

Hey hun, 

Couldnt read and run !

GRRR the waitings so frustrating  , hope your referal flies in!! xxxxx


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## melloumaw

thanks for posting hun, 
it took us 8 years to actually decide on this,so i dont suppose this waiting is anything compared lol.
but i did give the surgery the fax number hoping it would be quicker than snail mail  
mel x


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## chel0890

Hi can anybody help, me and my partner have just been referred to jessops in sheffield all our tests have come back fine so not sure why we can't conceive. Really wanting some advice as to what happens next just not sure what to expect. Thank you chelsea x


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## melloumaw

not sure honey sorry maybe try the fertility investigations board
mel x


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## twinx

Mel
didnt wanna read and run either

good luck, im  not good at waiting either....it took us nearly 2 years to get through the initial consultants app etc following docs refferals. but once got to the actually clinic (Leicester fertility clinic) time zipped past and it all started quite quickly! 
all worth it in end

best of luck on your journey
xxxx


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## melloumaw

thanks for the message
mel x


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## chel0890

Thank u mel xx


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## melloumaw

rung jessops today to check whether they have received my referral
Yay they received  it on the 16th and its currently with the consultant,roll on the 1st appointment
mel x


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## Mr &amp; Mrs Bubble

Fantastic Mel ! Your letter will be here before you know it, fingers crossed you get an appointment super soon   The waitings a killer, I have turned into a mad home project slave driver lol the next 6 weeks while i wait to start is going to rammed full of lots of gardening painting e.t.c.


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## melloumaw

it'll be furniture moving and space making for me lol
mel x


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## melloumaw

bloods and swabs done today for me and DH
sexual health,hormones etc
just waiting for clinic appointment date
mel x


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## melloumaw

missed mr skulls (at jessops) phone call,need to call back in the morning for an appointment
things are moving really a lot quicker than i anticipated we only went to the doctors for referral on the 13th
will update tomoz
mel x


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## melloumaw

Spoke to Mr Skull today
We have our 1st appointment booked
Our new patient consultation is on 29.02.12
mel x


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## melloumaw

results back from doctors today
all sexual health checks are clear
not quite sure what everything else means as im on the pill to regulate periods wasnt told to stop it so may have to retest not sure
but day 22 bloods showed 
LH level 0.1 iu/l
FSH level <0.5 iu/l
prolactin level 168 miu/L
progesterone level 1 nmol/L

DH
sexual health clear
serum level 3.8 iu/L
FSH level    4.0 iu/L
Testosterone level 16.2 nmol/L

fingers crossed these are good, i go for day 2 bloods tomorrow
mel x


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## melloumaw

Day 2 bloods done today, LH,FSH, and oestrogen 
1st consultation tonight
fingers crossed
mel x


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## Mr &amp; Mrs Bubble

Will be thinking of you Hun!! xxx


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## staceyemma

good Luck Mel   xxx


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## melloumaw

Saw Mr Skull.we were late and lost lol and we'd set off 1/2 hour early too,
he told us what we knew really,
and that i will have to repeat the baseline day 2 and 22 bloods now i am off the pill,said all our history was really good just the fact i was on the pill for irregular periods may be a concern so fingers crossed years of being on it has helped and not hindered.He also said once i have a natural bleed to come back to Claremont and get my AMH done and i will also need a transvaginal scan too.Im going to keep a tally of costs out of interest it may help others see the "total" costs.
Mr Skull also explained about egg donation and the fact that potential children can find you in 18 years,DH says he really is going to have to think about it as he didnt understand the implications,but really dont think we can afford this without eggshare,so we will see happens.
mel x

Cost so far
Travel                                        £10(£20 really as we got lost)
1ST New Patient Consultation £160

                                                £170 total(£180)


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## melloumaw

oh forgot to say Mr Skull said we were right by starting on conception vitamins for us both,but when i asked him about royal jelly capsules and the benefits he said there is no scientific proof that there is any benefit from taking them    i read loads that said they were good,oh well i may as well finish them,
mel x


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## melloumaw

after much deliberation my darling husband has agreed that if we're suitable he is happy to egg share yay
mel x


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## melloumaw

AMH bloods taken at claremont,
lovely blood sucker lady took my bloods no pain at all was shocked
1 week wait for results
was told if there was a charge then i would be sent an invoice(fingers crossed for no charge)  

mel x
Total cost £170+
                £ 10 petrol
Total        £180


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## melloumaw

invoice for AMH  
total to date
Total    £180
AMH      £ 85
Total    £265


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## melloumaw

humph blood lady got it wrong Mr Skull says at least 2 weeks for results
oh well


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## melloumaw

once we get transfered to the ACU jessops i have decided to have a spell cast,i have found a much talked about Wicca called Mia-Angel on ebay, she will cast a spell for ivf pcos fertility etc so will let you know if anything comes of it.even if it doesnt the spell i have chosen includes a crystal charm and bracelet so for £15 i think it will still be worth it,we will be asking for a boy in our spell so fingers crossed
mel x


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## melloumaw

i used opk sticks from day 11 as it can take up to 6 months for the pill to clear from your system,
last day of BCP 25.02.12
1st + opk        14.03.12
1st natural AF  25.03.12(spotting)
so all those years on the pill didn't affect me negatively yay
had day 21's done 21.03.12(had to re-do on 23rd as took wrong ones+ thyroid function)
having day 2's        27.03.12
fingers crossed for good hormone levels
mel x


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## melloumaw

Day 2 blood results
LH                  1.2 iu/L
FSH                4.0 iu/L
oestradiol    <70  pmol/L
not really sure if these are good enough results
having to redo day 21's 
mel x


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## melloumaw

+OPK 11.04.12
progesterone test booked for 18.04.12


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## melloumaw

Due to collect my progesterone results tomorrow as they havent come back yet.
Follow up appointment and scan with Mr Skull 02.05.12 at 6.40
hopefully if the progesterone is ok Mr Skull will then sign us over to jessops  
mel x


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## melloumaw

progesterone results 34nmol/L yay


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## melloumaw

what can i say,the follow up didnt go as planned. my AMH came back as<1.5 
im gutted it means we're out for egg share,and we cant afford to try on our own.
DH suggested re testing in 2 months in the hope that the pill had sent my ovaries to sleep,so im starting on some more supplements and wishing as hard as i can that the next test will show improved reawakened results
mel x
Follow up  £90
Petrol        £10
Previous  £265
Total        £365


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## melloumaw

after lots of research due to my miserable AMH results(which may be wrong or I may just be in denial over)I've decided to have my retest just before ovulation

this little sentence makes me think its worth a try *"Some studies in women have also reported higher AMH levels in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle"* it is mainly a case study on cows but made for interesting reading if slightly confusing lol (and way above my brain but there is some snippets that I could read)
*In the studied cows, the highest correlations between the number of ovulations observed after an ovarian stimulation test and AMH endocrine levels during a natural estrous cycle stood at estrus and after Day 12 of the cycle. In contrast, correlations were not significant between Days 4 and 8 of the cycle, corresponding to a period of low AMH levels in all cows.*
again i know its cows but it still shows how AMH can fluctuate
maybe the test hasn't been around long enough to get a full picture and maybe it doesn't fluctuate for everyone but I'm definitely going to see if my AMH level increases it will be interesting to find out if there's any truth to the timing,and if so maybe testing at a certain cycle time can save the heartache of being told you have depleted reserves.
Here's hoping for a positive outcome role on June
Mel x


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## melloumaw

friday 8th june nurse took blood sample for home AMH test posted straight away,results were back with duo fertility on tuesday(not a bad turn around for £45)
specialist called today my level is 5.38 pmol/L
who says AMH cant change
im going to take pregnenolone now for a month and have the AMH retested to see if there is any further improvement as my levels aren't quite good enough to egg share
mel x


Total          £365 
home AMH  £45
New total  £410


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## melloumaw

so we were out for egg sharing, 
so now it meant saving up for a full cycle, as usual when your saving up everything else in the world goes wrong and finances run low.
next plan of action is put in to buy the house after christmas this year, and hopefully borrow some alongside to improve the house,anything left will go towards icsi. failing that dad will borrow us it as a last resort,but dont really want to go that route unless totally necessary. 
so for now im taking vitamins to boost my own well being
fingers crossed all goes to plan or a big lotto win
oh just sending big   to the lovely FF family i have come to know


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## melloumaw

just received my FF pin badge i will wear it with pride at any future jessops appointments


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## melloumaw

after over 10 years of pain since my sterilisation, i am finally going to see a gynaecologist today,hopefully i can have the clips taken out of my body and the pain will stop. i dont want anything to effect our only chance of a baby together.
fingers crossed,
mel x


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## melloumaw

mr m doesnt think its the clip, he believes i may have endometriosis,so just got to wait for my investigative procedure now


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## melloumaw

dewsbury hospital just rang to offer me a cancellation app, so im off in on the 27th for my procedure,in a way i hope they find something,at least it is an explanation for the pain,but i also still think they are wrong about the cause of the pain


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## Mr &amp; Mrs Bubble

Hope that the appointment brings news and the chance to move things on for you and your family hunny, think of you often and will never forget the friendship and support you've given xxxxxxxx


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## melloumaw

well i was proved right.i don't have endometriosis.my left clip had moved and embedded higher up in my body causing mass inflammation.so the clip has been removed.why did it take 12 years for this to be sorted out.all it would have taken was an xray.but no i have had every investigation except that. oh well i have a follow up in 6  to 8 weeks.where dh wants to come and find out why my theory has never been taken seriously.if we had already undergone icsi it would have failed.so once again it comes back to my belief of everything happens for a reason.so onwards and upwards
until next time
love to all Mel x


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## melloumaw

wow, i really thought i would have recovered a bit quicker than this.
i only expected to be off work a week but no i've been signed off for a further week.my stitches are healing well but im still quite swollen. finally managed to go to the toilet which i dont think was helping with the bloating.
saw brother in law and wife at weekend, bless them they thought we'd done icsi in secret and that i was pregnant, no just bloated, bless em
oh well follow up with mr macrow on 28th july, so thats quicker than i thought
mel x


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## melloumaw

still here still wishing....
unless some money miracle happens next year we may have finished before we even begun.
its looking more and more unlikely that we will get the opportunity to try.
my DH bless him though panders to my requests for creatures instead to fill the gap.
i know we are blessed beyond belief we have 6 children between us and 6 grandchildren, 5 chickens 2 cats a puppy and our latest additions salt and pepper the dwarf hamsters.................
but it doesn't stop the longing for our own biological child, im trying to accept it is now unlikely to happen, but i will still hang on to the ever so slim chance of maybe...
because without hope what's the point?
mel x


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## Mr &amp; Mrs Bubble

Oh Mel  surely it can still happen!! I wish I could bloody pay for it myself you're such an a amazing lady and have been a wonderful friend! I hope and pray that a little windfall is on its way to help you xxx


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## melloumaw

hi honey how are things progressing for you?
im trying to persuade dh for another puppy the same age as Bear but he said no, im hoping i can persuade him though lol.
i think accepting the possibility of it not happening makes it a little easier to cope. Bear also helps with his wet snuggles  
mel x


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## melloumaw

well its still no to another puppy,lol, but he may change his mind tomorrow,................
i have to have a triple check for lumps found in my armpit, breast, and neck.............
will update with my results tomorrow
mel x


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## melloumaw

its not cancer they dont think,
my implant has ruptured,
i have a lump that needs a biopsy but they cant biopsy it as its too close to the implant,so mri booked,still have to go to cancer clinic about a lump in my throat next week so fingers crossed thats good news
mel x


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## melloumaw

mri today,
i'll find out if the implant has ruptured or if the lump they found is suspicious, either way it's poo
mel x


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## melloumaw

the lump is benign,my implant has ruptured and i have a thyroid nodule. it never just rains
mel x


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## melloumaw

well it might not be a human baby,but my first chick was hatched this morning, 4 more to go, come on chicklets
mel x


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## melloumaw

luckily the lump in my throat was removed it was benign but i have to keep an eye out for more reappearing, 
after a heart to heart with DH it looks like we are out the race, he feels too much time has passed since we 1st looked into icsi, and that at his age he would be too old to start again with children.  its difficult to accept, im not sure where my head is at, my heart feels torn and my arms empty, i need something to coddle my fur babies are amazing but they're a little too large to snuggle up with on my lap. i have always had 2 selfish dreams, 1 is a baby with DH 2 is a hairless chinese crested puppy. still hoping 1 of these dreams can come true
love to all hope you have luck on your journeys wherever they may take you
mel x


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## melloumaw

just been in hospital again, with suspected bleed on the brain or meningitis, turns out it was a thunderclap headache which usually means one of the conditions, but can also just happen, so whilst i am glad it wasn't serious, im in agony still, the worst pain i have ever felt started on sunday and still hurting now,
oh and i've had carpal tunnel release on both hands,one elbow cubital release done and another to do, so all this treatment but nothing to do with ivf


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## melloumaw

so upset,
my house cat kali has disappeared on wednesday night with no sign of her, i haven't seen anything at the side of the road. and no vets have had her handed in


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## staceyemma

Hi Mel how are you?
I haven't been on here for so long...
Theo is 4 this December!
I have another baby Grayson who is 9 months old... he has A condition called septo optic dysplasia - he is blind too 
I've recently found out I'm pregnant with number 3! Totally unplanned I was on the pill and had a week break as it was really messing with my body 
Hope you're ok xx


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## melloumaw

hi stacey, im good ta, just fed up of having operations at the moment, with my wrists and elbows, 3 lumps in my throat(luckily benign)
I can't believe Theo is 4 already, our 5th grandchild was born yesterday... and i'm still hanging on to hope that maybe we get a go at ivf( although looking unlikely)
i'm sorry to hear of Grayson's diagnosis. and wow onto number 3 you will have your hands full
sending you all my love
mel x


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## melloumaw

Well more babies on the way but not mine per se. Daisy is expecting at least 6 puppies in around 2 to 3 weeks
so lots of fur babies.
Mel


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## melloumaw

Definitely not treatment related but i thought seeming as Daisy's puppies are due any day now why not get a new puppy as well so we did a beautiful little french bulldog whom we named Tallulah Belle, as this would have been our choice of name for our little girl
Mel x


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## melloumaw

8 big fat boys and 1 girl born on 27th mum and puppies doing great, i'm so proud


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## miamiamo

melloumaw - congrats, good job


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## melloumaw

lol, well it's Daisy who did the good job, puppies are getting ready to leave this weekend but we decided to keep a little boy we've called Grayson


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