Long-term TTC & Assisted Conception - Oct/Nov 2009

Hey Ladies,

Sorry for the long post I have not been in for a while.... but am just dropping in to say hi really and seeing how you are all doing. There is certainly some up & down emotions going on - why am I not surprised!

Motherhood - I feel for you :grouphug: I find all this hard enough with just a sperm issue in our way but to have to try and get little emby's and then they still have so much to get through to make the cut - its even more daunting - so I can understand why the numbers are even more important to you than some of the rest of us. There isn't much I can say - but hang in there and I hope it happens soon for you - it's a bloody hard road to ride - we all know that. 9 follies is still a good number and hopefully a little more time and some more drugs they will kick some butt and get them going in a growth spurt!

Emerald - I hear you with what you are saying tho it's not to say this is not hard on the guy's too. I had a bit of a discussion with my DP in bed last night about this same thing.. in that he has not had to change anything he has done, tho I mentioned ages ago that maybe he could stop drinking all together. Hard thing now is that his task (on EPU day) is less than 3 months away for us and so is there any point in him stop drinking now when they say sperm is 3 months old at time of deposit? I'm lucky I have a supportive man by my side, but it's still seems unfair some times given it's all me that has to go through it all as well as make all the changes & sacrifice.

Tracy - sorry your EPU was not very nice. It's a tough thing to go through anyhow without having personality issues from the specialist who you have to deal with. Sorry you only got 3 but at least 2 have fert & as you say you only need 1. FX they grow well and you are able to transfer 1 or 2 whichever way you want to go

Meg - Glad your Et went well. I can't remember about cramping after my 2 ETs but hope you get a good explanation from the nurses when you call. Stay well & FX for your :2ww:

Bonny - Welcome to BB! it is a great place for support & information. Hopefully you are not in this thread for long (if you know what I mean!!!)

Airline - GL for ET today I hope all your 6 have made it through but even if you lost a couple, 4 is still a good number. Hang in there and hopefully this ET is it and you don't have to worry about the others this time round anyhow. Rest well and take care of you! :shhh:

Coral - glad to hear things are going well. I can't believe FS decided to transfer 2 for you and only 1st spoke about it when your legs are in the air! That's certainly being put on the spot. You too rest well and look after yourself in these next few crucial days & FX for a BFP for you. AFM - yeah we are on next cycle I have started pill popping. It's just weird as I never speak to FS it's always the nurse and although she is very informative it just feels so "up to us" about what to do next, which I know it should be but I guess I just want some firm guidance. She is lovely and says she can not see any reason why it won't happen for us and reminds me that even for a natural pregnancy it's only a 25% chance of a woman falling pg in a month. (Never knew it was so low) And that just because it has not happened for us does not mean there is something wrong or that it won't happen it's just the odds are low and so it may take a few goes. I just don't know how many goes I or the wallet can take. :dunno:

Loops - its bloody hard isn't it when you have to consider the $$ side. As if the whole emotional side of it is not enough. I just can't believe how expensive this all is. GL with whatever you decide to do I agree do whatever causes the least stress and only you and DH can work out what is best for you both at any time. Still sending some selling vibes your way!! :goodluck:

Sonya - so sorry to hear about the neg result. :hug: It just sux bad. It's taken me a really long time to get over my last BFN and I still feel gutted about it. Tho I need to look forward to the next cycle & concentrate on good vibes. I hope you are coping OK. I think I would like to take a break too but the $$ side makes us want to fit one more stim in this year so we are only $1600 out of pocket instead of doing it first thing next year and being $2700 out of pocket (or something like that) until we reach the safety net again. Plus I just feel like this whole process is pushing out the date I get to actually have a baby, I know its not old or anything but this now means if we are pos this cycle I will be late 34 and then if we have to go again I'm going to be 35 before we could have our baby. It's just not what I had planned and meanwhile all our friends kids get older and ours will be younger growing up - you know how it is. It's just so much pressure in a way. Sorry, not sure if that is positive for you but I guess if you feel the same way you know you are not alone. GL with deciding and enjoy the wine & cheese till your next cycle!

AFM - am pill popping and started another down reg cycle. They will start me on 275 gonal (where I left of in the 1st stim cycle) so I am praying for a higher # of eggs this time - but not too high. I REALLY do not want to have to do another stim cycle again. Just the $ and the time. I think I could cope (well I guess I would have to) if we have to FET again but another stim cycle I think would really push my limit. And I know there are so many of you out there who have had to do many more than me and I guess honestly you find a way to deal with it, so sorry no offense to you as I take my hat off as it must be so emotionally draining. Anyway am waiting for my dates to be posted out so I have some idea of when things may happen.

To all I have missed :hello: and hope you are all doing well and are ready to face another week! Hope it brings some joy and good news to many of you.

Hey Nix,

Thanks for the well wishes. Am keeping my head up and think I just need to accept it and go along for the ride no matter what the journey may be.

Just want to say though, wish we were only out of pocket the same as you. Us doing the whole shebang (IVF, ICSI and PGD), even with the Medicare threshold and refund, a whole cycle will cost us out of pocket $5000 to $6000. Oh to dream hey :).

Have a good day eveyone and Ill be sure to update you tomorrow after my BT and results. FX hey!!!

That seems crazy amounts out of pocket motherhood.

I'm talking an IVF/ICSI cycle with MIVF is $5300 and as we had reached safety net we got back about $4300. Then on top of that we had the EPU which was about $800 but we have private health so they covered all but about $300. Then you have synarel $100, which was covered through private health. So not sure if I'm forgetting something but I thought we were abotu $1600 out of pocket for 1 down reg cycle with EPU and 1 x ET.

So even if you add on PGD (I don't knwo what that is and how much) I don't get why you would not get more back? Are you sure? You are saying $5k out of pocket - what are they charging for the IVF/ICSI cycle alone as a comparrison? What exactly does your $5k out of pocket include?

If we were out of pocket $5k for 1 cycle there is no way we could be going back for another.
I have ready it is more expensive in Sydney - but it should not differ that much and medicare should rebate the same across the country.

Hey girls hope your day is going well, thinking of you airline

oops hit the wrong button.

I lost the plot this morning and had to come home from work, I am so embarressed. Luckily my boss knows I am going through all this and was very understanding. Told me to take the rest of the week off.
I dont know if its the stress, the after-effects still of the drugs from EPU, the hormones or a combo of all those things. I think the worst part was however that my dh turned up there :( Quite coincidently, boss thought that was great, made me feel even more like an idiot.
I just so can't wait for all this to be OVER!!!

Hey there all,

Firstly, a Q for you all. Anyone heard that DTD more with DH etc increases estrogene levels??? Think we need to try this to increase mine :P

Nix - Im not 100% at the moment what the cost of just the IVF and ICSI would be but I know our bill all up which is IVF, ICSI and PGD before any Medicare rebate etc is $12250. Thats with a little taken out from private health insurance (before starting I looked into it and it wasn't worth paying the extra premium and waiting the 12mth waiting period, only to get back almost exactly the same amount as what the difference we would pay between the standard cover and increased cover over the waiting period time. E.g. would cost us $1300 in extra premium for the 12mth waiting period just to have ivf covered by them but would then only get back approx $1300 from health fund). Then on top of that we had to pay for the PGD work up which was $1545 and can only be claimed through tax, no rebate from medicare or health fund and then there is the cost of the Lucrin $295 which again is claimable from no one other than at tax time, provided you hit the $1500 threshold!!!
So hopefully you can see why I want to get lots and lots of eggs and sort it all out.

Spoke with the Nurse earlier and she has all my Q's written down and when she speaks with FS tomorrow about my BT results (have a BT tomorrow) will ask him. If its something we can fix, I want to fix it now and hopefully salvage this cycle. I even asked about another one before the end of the year. She said it was certainly an option but need to see what FS says. FX though that we can start straight after this one if it goes belly up again!!!! But its not going to, Im going to stay positive.

thanks tracy....ready and waiting for dh to finish in the shower and then we're off. wish us luck girls....feeling calmish. worried about the discomfort...
dh has bad cough/throat etc, may not come into the transfer room. he's gone sick, so at least we're off together tonight and tomorrow.

hope everyone else is ok. hope the rain arrives soon.

all i can do now is (pardon the phraseology) open my legs and :pray::redface::pray:

Opps just realised I didnt answer your question about what PGD is. PGD is where they go through everything the same as IVF and ICSI but then after that, have the embryo develop to a day 5 blastie then take from the blastie, about 4 or 5 cells which they then place under a microscope and do there magic and look for the specific genetic malformation they had developed the test for (thats the $1545 test). DH and I had to even give samples when first starting out so that they could Identify who is who when the time came to test the little emby. That is the simple version of what PGD involves.

If you have any more questions, am more than happy to answer them.

Oh my goodness Motherhood - that still seems so high. Even without the PGD - you are talking just 1 cycle yes? So we are comparing an IVF with ICSI cycle at MIVF is $5300 and at Sydney IVF is $12,250. I can't beleive there is so much difference. If that is all correct I feel terrible for you, I was winging about being $1600 out of pocket per stim cycle - I don't know how anyone can cope with that amount.

Is anyone else paying that kind of fee - the only other fees I have heard from other girls was about the same as mine.

Not trying to scare you MHIC - just hopeful that there is something not right there and maybe we can find a miracle that it isn't! not that I don't believe you as it sounds like you have done your homework. How do they seriously expect couples to be able to go 1 round let alone subsequent rounds at that cost?

Motherhood - I just sent you a PM!

You know what Nix, when my mother found out about those costs, she too asked the exact same question. How on earth can people afford IVF????

Nix76 nad MHIC - I am with IVF Australia in Sydney and i pay $5890 everything is included for IVF / ICSI. For EPU and ET my private health care covers everything except anaesthetist which I am out of pocket about $300. With the IVF i get back $4300 odd $'s from medicare, so by the end i'm out of pocket about about $1600.

Hi Girls,

MHIC- I agree that $12K sounds outrageous, even considering the additional process and screening. I wonder if it's worth calling around a few other clinics, even outside of Sydney to get an idea if that is reasonable? You poor things- on top of everything else to have to come up with that kind of money every time!

How are you feeling otherwise? Have you given any thought to speaking to the counsellor? I'm thinking of you and hope things start going your way really, really soon.:hug:

Tracy- I'm sorry to hear you had a bad morning but how lovely to have a boss who is that understanding! Hope the time away from work does the trick and you are nice and relaxed.

Airline- I know you've got better things to worry about right now than updating us but I'm thinking about you and hope all has gone smoothly. xxx

AFM- I hope you guys don't mind me sharing a bit of good news I had today and that it doesn't seem insensitive considering the challenges some of you are going through... I mentioned the other day that of our 8 fertilised eggs, 4 had developed perfectly (1 of which was transferred), 2 had not developed and the scientist wanted to give a bit more time to the other 2. Well, I rang today and the great news is that they made it and we have a total of 5 to freeze. I was really happy to have 3 to freeze so an extra 2 is such a bonus.

xx

Meg- that is wonderful news:) TFS

I just want to add my 2 cents for what its worth ;) Im at Concept over here in WA and we have had one round so far of IVF/ICSI all up including EPU/ET anethatists etc we paid out some $9500 and with medicare rebates ended up about $3000 out of pocket

Meg76 - Thats wonderful!!! :clap:

Tracy - wow!! Your figures are right up there too! Sometimes I wonder whos making the money here....if we are all taking the same drugs why do prices differ so much???

WOW a couple of days off here again and Im so behind.
Great to have you all here for friendship and support and Im sorry there has been some not so good news of late :grouphug:
There has been some good news too though.

Tracy, Sonyalouise, Coral and Airline and Im sure there was others too ~ thanks for your support and encouragement with my tuff decision and finances.

Sonyalouise ~ Im sorry things havent been so great for you - hang in there and all the best with your decisions, hugs.

Motherhood ~ same with you, im so sorry things havent been working out the best, your not alone and I hope you see some good things happening soon, things will turn around, just you wait.

Bonny ~ hi and welcome, you'll make some great friends here but I hope you're not in here long, meaning I hope you get your BFP straight away. Your pains could be implantation - FX they are.

Tracy ~ well done on those emby's. 3 is still good! All the best for your ET

Meg ~ well done on your emby's that is excellent news!

GL to others in TWW.
There are so many others im foretting - its so hard to keep up.

Emerald Star - thanks for your support and all the best to you with your next cycle.

AFM ~ Im going insane right now. Im at CD37, AF is normally late but today she is probably a day or 2 later than normal. Ive got tummy pains which kind of feel like AF but she is just not coming, so again im holding out a tiny bit of hope and going nuts. Im too scared to POAS - i will tommorrow though if she is still not here. This cycle has been very up and down - ive felt ill at times and thought just maybe then ive had headaches and thought nup and I did POAS about a week ago and it was BFN. My boobs have been itchy at times but not sore and no real change to them. Aarrh - this is the worst TWW to-date! :wall:

Loops12 - so happy to hear from you.....i'm hoping the late AF is a really good sign for you!! FX

Hi ladies. Thanks for making me feel very welcome :)

Had my scan today and things are looking up... have gone from 2 to 3 ok follies to 6! We were looking at EPU on Wed, but lovely FS is putting it off until Fri or Monday. Funny how shocked I am when things go ok :rolleyes:. My only worry was my FS asking if I was having any probs with my syneral. I don't know if I was doing it right to begin with. Worried I'm going to ovulate too early if that's even possible!!! :redface:

DH has just informed me that dinner's ready! Bye for now :)