The Essex fertility Centre

[AJ]

Hi Ladies,

I have just started my IVF tmt here and I was wondering if anyone else has cycled here?

They seem very nice but it is always good to have other opinions and advice.

Thanks,

AJ

[dancola]

Do you mean Holly House? If so, that’s my clinic and I have been very impressed with them. Sadly, my 3rd cycle just failed so my DH is very much at a point where he thinks we should change clinics as we are private so to have spent around £ 13K with no result is not good in his view.

I myself am not sure – my first cycle (all ICSI) technically was a +ve, but I then had an early m/c. My 2nd cycle was a –ve, at which point they tested me for killer cells and I came up positive. So I viewed this 3rd attempt as my first in some ways. Holly House always get my meds just perfect – I am one of those lucky people who react really well to stimulation (this last cycle I had 25 eggs retrieved, 16 of which fertilised and 9 got to blasto stage). Not bad for a nearly 40 yr old! All this without over-stimming me – I always suffer from mild OHSS but not badly enough to have my treatment cancelled.

I personally think they are very good at wanting to investigate reasons for the –ves – a lot of clinics wouldn’t have tested for killer cells so early. I am hopeful that at my follow up end September (the only –ve is that they are now very busy – especially after having been voted the 4th best clinic and they now take NHS patients so wait times have increased) we can find out why I fail each time. Being male factor, I myself have never been tested for anything and with ICSI your tubes don’t come into play. I’ve researched hydrosalpinx and suspect this may be the reason why I fail each time with 5-day, grade 1 blastocysts (HH have a very developed blastocyst programme).

I still have 7 frozen blastos, so guess I would be looking at an FET next. I hope to do this at Holly House but this depends on whether they test me for hydrosalpinx or not – I think it’s time I was tested and if some reason they refuse, then I guess I need to find another clinic.

In short (!) I recommend them – the staff are lovely and the consultants very good.

[AJ]

Thanks Dancola,

Yes I did mean Holly house. It seems very encouraging what you have mentioned. It is very good that they seem to test you for reasons why you have a -ve, not all clinics do this. From what I have seen of them I can't imagine them not testing you for hydrosalpinx if that is what you really want but I am still in the honeymoon stage with them so what do I know?

As a seperate question, we are trying to budget as much as possible (actually it is just me trying to break it to dh gently), I am already on Buserelin injections doing my DR I was just wondering how much the stims cost? I am maybe going to have Gonal-F but that could change. Also, how often do you inject Gonal-F? The reason I am asking you is that all clinics have diferent protocols and I know ours won't be the same but a ball park idea would be great!

Sorry to bug you,

Thanks for the help,

AJ

[dancola]

No worries – as you say, each clinic has different protocols and drugs so it’s useful to know. How much Gonal F depends on the amount you need to inject. I was on 225 mls a day which they dropped down closer to EC as I’m a good responder. I think the first pack of 2 vials cost around £ 228 and I found each vial only lasted around 3 days or so. The annoying thing is that you will get a tiny amount left that won’t make up a full injection and is hard to get into the needle – do your best though, because if you can get say 150 mls out of one bottle before finishing it, you can just make up the amount (if you need say 200) from the other. Do this, because the drugs are expensive. On average I spent around £ 600 on the Gonal-F. The other thing is not to worry if you run out just before EC and are say 50mls short or so. This happened to me but it really didn’t make any difference to the result (again, I respond very well). Hopefully you’ll only need to do this the once – I having done this 3 times am pretty expert on knowing how my body responds!

In terms of the actual injection – it’s done the same way as the Buserelin. With Gonal-f, you need to prepare the mix first. There’ll be one large needle with a liquid which you inject into the smaller bottle of powder. This then becomes your mix, and you inject with the usual needles in the same way. I tended to do the Buserelin in one leg and the Gonal in the other, and alternated legs each night. However, the nurses will give you a teach-in once you’ve collected the drugs.

[jdd2131]

Hi AJ & Dancola,

Just to give you some positive feedback on Holly House. They have helped me twice I have a beautiful 2 year old son, and am now 28 weeks pregnant with my second child!!! I had used a clinic before and on comparing the two there is no comparison. The service and the way I was treated at Holly House was far more professional. I wish you both every success in the future.

Julia X

[AJ]

Thanks Julia and Dancola!!

Dancola, WOW that stuff is expensive!!!

Lucky you gave me the heads up so I can let DH know. We read that drugs cosr between £500 and £800 pounds but I thought it wouldn't all be on one drug!! I had an idea it was this much and have budgeted accordingly however DH is in denial! At least I can tell him now so he doesn't pass out at the clinic!! ThankGod the buserelin didn't cost that much as I am on that for 4 weeks before I even start stimming!!!

Julia, Thank you so much for replying. It is always lovely to hear success stories but even more so from your own clinic! It made me cry, mind you that is not saying much at the moment!!! I hope that I have the same out come. Julia, how many attempts did it take each time to get pg? I am only starting out with my first IVF.

As for the clinic they do seem v. nice and I am happy with them at the moment, what more can I ask?

Thank you both again,

AJ

[dancola]

The Gonal-F is the only expensive one – the rest cost peanuts in comparison. You’ll be given a prescription for Ovitrelle 36 hours before your EC (which is the drug that ripens the eggs and has to be taken at an EXACT time depending on the time of your op – mine was a god-awful 4am!!) – and that costs around £ 20 or so from memory. So it’s really only the Gonal that costs – the Buserelin prescription should last you all the way through without needing a repeat, and the Cyclogest pessaries that you will take from EC (BTW – taking them anally is better and less mucky than the front entrance) cost around £ 6. So the quote you’ve been given is about right as that should cover everything.

[jdd2131]

Hi AJ,

I had one attempt at a previous clinic, which was in kent, which was negative. The reason for me changing was the travelling plus I new of someone who had recommeded Holly House to me. Then on my first attempt at Holly House I had success, and we tried again this year and on our second attempt there we had success!! I know iv'e been extremley lucky!! I am now keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Take care

Julia

[NickiMark]

we are at isis in essex.