DW has same pink credit card, and they are the ones who are playing hardball. Morons! We earn more now, have no debt, yet they offer us less money than when we had more liabilities. Unneccessary complication!
I just have to say that dont credit cards come in handy with ivf!!! Dont know what we would do without it!! We are with IVF australia and we knew what sort of money we would have to pay upfront, but when i paid it and they told me i couldnt claim it back until the whole cycle was finished i was like AHHHH!!!! Its crazy, but all worth it in the end. We have 10k on our card and is bout right i think, with all the ivf stuff that goes on it and your other bills, certainly comes in handy when things dont go quite right. Ellie, how are you feeling after yesterday?? I had horrible cramps for bout a week after and then they just stopped. Doc thought they might have had to take me back in, thankfully they didnt.
Thanks guys for thoughts about the tree/sea change. i cant wait, i know i will be heaps happier. At mom, it takes me bout an hour to get to work- crazy!! I live in city but work in the west. Cant wait to live by the beach and go for swim after work and just relax and not have to worry about being a dag if i want to be !!
Rols, my DH was away for all of the IVF cycle, and i reckon would have been great if he had been there for scans. The nurses/doc always asked where he was, so dont feel uninvited to scans, i think they think is a good thing, to be there and to be supportive of your DW.
Rols - DH has been to a lot of my scans etc. He is well aquainted with my ovaries!! But that was because we used to have an 8 hour return trip in the car, so we always tried to go together. Now it's only 20 mins so he comes if he's home, but not if he's away. He does think it's cool to see all the follies on board. All the nurses/docs are more than happy for him to be there. It's such a female focussed process that it's great for him to feel partly involved.
Shannon - can i say i'm a bit surprised that your acupuncture guy would say what he said. That would make me unhappy to hear. I have heard so many times that acupuncture helps with implantaion, so i hope that is the key for you.
Ellie - good luck with your talk. I hope you manage to find a happy medium between work and IVF.
Can you believe i got my bill today for cycle two. We only just paid for cycle one 5 weeks ago. AAArgh. But with the new medicare/ICSI thing, this bill is $323 cheaper. Yay! I can't believe we have paid over $5k in less than 2 months.
Sorry, i know it's not about money, but sometimes it's cr@p isn't it.
Mel - cramps have got worse this afternoon...a little bleeding yesterday but nothing today...FS said I'd bleed like a period for 3 to 5 days...now I'm worried coz I'm not??? Always something to worry about.
Rols - go elsewhere for a new card...we swap all the time to best interest rate deals etc.
Kotare - think pizza and burbon will be a necessity for the BIG chat...DH just wants me to quit ..I'm the one with the issues!!!!
To everyone else...hope all is going well...can't wait to be back here 'officially'...FET next for us...yippee...even if it is like 10+ weeks away!
All the anxiety I've been going through is slowly going away now... I'm sure it's from the damned letrozole! Last time it stopped after I'd ovulated, and even though this morning's temperature rise wasn't as high as I'd hoped, the calmness tells me that it happened on schedule.
Had acupuncture this evening... have a bowen therapy appointment tomorrow, and intentions to chill out as much as possible over the weekend... I might even start the reports that were due yesterday that I haven't even started yet!
Ellie, I take it you are a teacher? Me too... There was a teacher at my school last year who went through IVF, lost both pregnancies and is taking this year off work to focus on things... Sadly, it hasn't worked for her at all. I do wish you better luck if that's what you decide to do. As much stress as can go on in my school - the people themselves are being fantastic. I owe the rest of my faculty big-time - they are doing a lot of my share of the marking, and just generally doing everything they can to keep me from freaking out. Some of the executive are also brilliant, it's just the lack of policy, planning, support from certain sections which make it awful. If we're still at this next year I'll probably go part-time. We can't afford to go through IVF at all without me working, but if the stress becomes a factor, that's what we'll do.
Rols, DH came as often as he could for my appointments. Which basically means he was there for one of the cycle scans, was going to be there for another but they were running late and he had to race off to work. He's been there for every single appointment with the FS, and has often had to duck into the clinic for me to pick up drugs and instructions. He was there for EPU (had to be, with the anaesthetic and all), and will be there for transfer on Monday. I've told him that I don't think I can manage the drive into the clinic without crashing, so it's up to him. Hopefully I'll be a heap less nervous by then!
I'm babbling... I think I need to go bother DH about dinner...
I am new to the forums, this is only my second post so hoping I am in the right place...
Quick run down...have PCOS, went off pill last March to try but AF wasn't cooperating with me! FS put me on Metformin for 3 mths but that did nothing, did 2 cycles of CLomid still no ovulation (had to take the prog. tablets to get AF). My FS has now said that I have the choice of IUI or IVF.
I guess I really want to get ppls opinions on what they think worked best for them as I am so confused about what to do. My DH & I put having a baby off until we had our house & now that we are here I wish we hadn't waited. I find it hard to be around those friends and family that seem to fall pregnant at the drop of a hat...is that normal to feel that way?
Also my FS works with Sydney IVF & when I looked at the prices I nearly fainted. Am now looking at going through Westmead IVF but looks like I will have to wait 2 mths before I can see one of their docs. Does anyone else go through westmead? Anyone suggest a good FS?
I'm lucky that I am close to those at work cause lately I have been crying at the drop of a hat. I know there are others worse but I was naive & didn't think it would be this hard.
Welcome, AliCat. You've certainly come to the right place, and I do hope we can help you.
I'm also in Sydney - I go through next generation fertility with David Knight - you can always get in to see him quickly, even for the first appointment. We were in within a week.
I too have PCOS. I did the metformin thing - no go. I did clomid and got nowhere but off work for a week with severe anxiety... no ovulation.
And this is where my FS is different to others. He doesn't seem to like clomid much, and uses another drug called letrozole which works in a similar way, but uses a different mechanism in the body. I've ovulated on it twice now. Way less side effects than clomid, so this could be an option for you? It's not a very common thing in Australia just yet, but I'm certainly a big fan of it now.
When it comes down to the IVF/IUI thing... my FS explained that getting women with PCOS to respond sensibly to IVF drugs can be a bit tricky. Often we under-respond and get nowhere, and a slight increase in dosage creates a massive over-response which usually leads to cancellation of an IUI cycle. I went through that with my IVF cycle... we still got to collect the eggs, but I was too sick from the hyperstimulation to be able to transfer. That's not to say that it's not worth trying IUI. We would have if it were an option for us, but with the state of DH's sperm it was completely off the table for us.
As for the way you feel... completely, utterly, 100% totally normal. It's hard. Some days are worse than others, and nobody ever really thinks TTC will be this hard, or that going through IVF or other forms of assisted conception is as hard as it is. It's important to have supportive people around you - they are the thing that saves your sanity in this!
I hope this has been of some help to you... Feel free to ask more questions, everyone here is more than willing to answer them for you.
Thanks for the welcome Lou.
Atryingtime I have destressed alot with the help of all you ladies, I think it was nerves about my 1st time! lol
BG let the countdown begin!! Good luck I will be watching and waiting to hear great news from you!
Well heres to a new month and a whole new fresh load of hope!
Hi Ali. Finding it hard to be around people who fall pregnant easily is something I reckon each and every one of us feels. It is also a certifiable scientific fact that since we have been TTC, there has been a huge increase in babies and pregnancies amongst people everywhere! In the supermarket, work, social events, whatever!
As for costs, we have just started with SIVF, and I too nearly died when I saw the prices, particularly as we don't have another choice where we live. But remember the quoted prices are before Medicare rebates, and the Medicare Safety Net once you've spent around $1000 out of pocket. You probably know all of this already, but it's all knew to me. Knowing it is going to cost us around 2K approx out of pocket is much more manageable than 6K!
Hi AliCat - Firstly, welcome to TTC! I hope that it all happens very quickly for you!
I cant really help with the PCOS side of things, all I can help with is information about trying IUI. My FS asked my DH and I to try IUI before we try IVF. I have sev. Endo and DH has a 'few' problems with the motility of his boys. So, after many tests (on both of us) the FS suggested that we try up to a max. of 3 cycles of IUI before we try IVF.
Basically, IUI is much less invasive and also involves lower doses of hormones than IVF. I just finished my first cycle of IUI - I am currently in the dreaded TWW... my blood test is next week - fingers crossed. I havent found the whole thing to be 'that' bad - certainly doesnt appear to have as much strain on your body as IVF - from what I hear the other girls in here talking about! Poor things...
If you trust your FS, that he/she is willing to try IUI with you because he/she honestly believes that it could work - then I would definately give it a go.
This is a very obvious thing to say - but, just make sure you ask lots of questions and make sure that he/she IS confident that IUI really IS an option - not just an easy way out for them atm.
Good luck with it all!! x
Thanks Rols
you have given me some food for thought, I go to most of my appts by myself, DH would come if I asked but I am sometimes a little too independant, i am now considering with this cycle to have him be more involved and come along as most people have said in this thread that their partner goes with them mostly. Perhaps it could be a good thing to lean on him a little more.
As for the cost medicare is great in NZ we would have gotten anything back like we do here and in the states it costs 10K US per cycle! So we are lucky but is it still alot of money 2k a month, especially when most of us have been shelling out 1K for IUI and other fert treatments over the last few months. But i am sure it is all worth it in the very end!
And I second that about EVERYONE being PG! OMG seriously! I must not be drinking the same water as the rest of the town!!
Welcome Ali...I too have PCOS and over the years have worked our way through the chlomid, IUI, IVF, and finally have ended up at ICSI. Personally I don't have any regrets about our journey (other than the obvious - we still don't have a baby!) Each step has given FS more information and has allowed for positive changes in our next protocol...we attempted IUI but the cycle was cancelled because I produced too many follicles which is really common with PCOS girls...I'll never forget when they scanned me and the nurse saying what fantiastic ovaries I have for IVF...was shattered at the time...but I do stim up really well. I find the physical side a IVF/ICSI really challenging and at times painful...EPU is a huge for your body and really not that nice...that's for me anyway. Good luck...do what feels right for you guys...looking forward to following your journey and hearing about your BFP soon xxx
Rols and Blayz...our last ICSI cycle has left us $5000 out of pocked...that includes freezing 2 snowbubs and that's which top HBF(do they pay for anything anyway?)...thank goodness we're over the medicare safety net for the year now...next one should be closer to $1000...expensive bubbies...DH and I have this 'joke' that if we have girls (always preparing ourselves for mutliples!) we will just never let them use the phone (coz they'll possibly take after their mother!) and that will easily balance out the cost!!!!
And as for the big CHAT last night...we have finally made a decision...I am going to talk to my boss when I go back to work on Tuesday and aply for leave without pay for terms 3 and 4...with a letter from FS to support and then if they won't give me that...I'll resign! Yippee...means I've only got 4 weeks left at work...which will give me a few weeks to destress before doing FET...soooo good to have a plan!
To everyone else...hope all is going well...have a great day
Ellie - 5K? Was that with additional drugs or something for PCOS? Just looking at the SIVF site, and with ICSI it is apparently about $1200 out of pocket after medicare and safety net. So assuming no safety net for first cycle, add 1K and I would've thought around 2-2.5K plus medications?
I assume for the first cycle if you haven't already reach the safety net, the cost of that cycle contributes towards the threshold - ie. it kicks in about 1K later than it would otherwise?
Well just a quick one good job on the BIG chat ellie! Well just had to share!
I GOT THE JOB!! They called me an hour ago and i start in 2 1/2 weeks! with a $10 000 payrise! Yippeee Means IVF goes on hold for 6 months but we can keep trying maybe a miracle will happen!
Congrats Shannon!!!! That's fantastic...the beginning of good things to come...well deserved!!! Hope you're going out to celebrate tonight...I'll have a drink for you...not too many around here that can drink at the moment so I'll take care of that!!!! Any excuse!!!!
!!
Confused - Advice Needed Please!!!
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