Apology to all

judith bagley · Post by **judith bagley** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 7:00 pm

To all the people who took the time to reply to my question of "Is IVF worth all the heartache," may I say how very sorry I am for any upset or offense I may have caused this was not my intention at all. I have only deep respect and regard for any couple who have to go through years of treatment just to get what what we all take for granted, a baby. I cannot say I know how it feels because I only have second hand experience of IVF with my sister. I know to her all the heartache was worth it after years of monthly disapointments or miscarriages she and her husband were blessed with twins. I would never try to put a price on the life of a baby or on a womans right to have one and so once again I must apologise for being so incensitive. I will be changing the title of my dissertation to " The truth behind IVF" and I will investigate why in some areas the treatment is free and in others the price varies sometimes out of reach for some couples. For those people who Emailed me with offers of help it is much appreciated and I will take any help that is offered. Sincere regards and good luck to all the trying couples.

woppa · Post by **woppa** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 7:40 pm

Dear Judith I was one of the people who replied to your letter. I'm sorry if my letter seemes rude and agressive but I think the way you phrased it was wrong. I think the new title is so much better as IVF is such a lottery. We are so fortunate to be getting 3 goes on the NHS after only a year wait. We do have to travel to Dundee for our treatment but the postcode lottery means that if we lived in Dundee we wouldnt get anything!! Its bizarre. Anyway I am sorry again and will offer any advice you may need with your dissertation woppa xx

Bex · Post by **Bex** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 9:24 am

Dear Judith, With regards to the 'lottery' of IVF and funding. I live in Rugby, Warwickshire and am not entitled to funding until after i am 30 (i was in December, but am now on the waiting list) - even after attending the clinic for 6 years. We have decided to fund this attempt ourselves but needing ICSI and having to pay for drugs brings it just under £3k ! ! Luckily in Warwickshire, if we fail this time we are still entitled to apply for funding - some counties will not fund you ever if you pay for any attempts yourself. Good luck with everything. Becky

Amanda Newell · Post by **Amanda Newell** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 9:54 am

Hi, I am pleased that you have changed the title of your dissatation, much more appropriate. I live in Surrey where there is zero funding for any infertility treatment, I have just completed a ICSI cycle and my DH had to have pesa/tesa. The total cost for this including blood tests, scans, drugs and freezing of the retreived sperm was £6,968.45P. We were unlucky it didnt work for us. Finacially We will be unable to continue after we have used up our 4 frozen embies, There are only so many times that you can remortgage your house. So if the FET fails then it is the end of the road for us. Adoption isnt an option for us due to our ages dh 42 me 39. If you would like any specific information then please feel free to E-mail me. amandanewell@btinternet.com Regards Amanda

Helen G · Post by **Helen G** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 9:59 am

Hi Judith On the question of funding, I live in Berkshire where there too is zero funding for IVF. I'm paying for my own treatment in Oxfordshire. regards, Helen PS - as the others have said, please let me know if you want any further info.

fiona_lk · Post by **fiona_lk** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 3:00 pm

Dear Judith, Wanted to say much better title and thanks for opening up to us that although you don't have first hand experience you have seen the good and bad effects IVF can have on someone close to you. I live in Stockport. We had to be trying for 1 year before our GP would do anything (despite my dh having already been through IVF with his fist wife). We were then referred to Stepping Hill Hospital fertility expert (who held his clinics in the maternity hospital!!!). - Didn't see us for 8/9 months, - organised a laporoscopy for me, another delay before the follow up appointment - "leave it 6mths" (you never know you might get pregnant naturally!). - 6mths of clomid (NO MONITORING) - another "leave it 6mths" And, "by the way, we don't do IVF here, we refer you to St Mary's Manchester who have a 3 YEAR waiting list"!!!!! (closest ever been to actually throttling someone) On going private, (I was 33 then, 35 now, so couldn't afford to wait) turned out dh has 96% abnormal sperm, so we wasted well over 2 years. Manchester has a policy of 3 IVF sessions on the NHS but any private goes are knocked off this allowance - since we are having ICSI attempt no 3 in March (after 7 failed donor IUI's 2001 and last year 1 failed ICSI, 1 ectopic) there is no point us being on the list. ALSO, my GP agreed to pay for the IVF drugs (over £700 worth) and bloody Stockport Health Authority have stopped this - insisting that MFS (my clinic) don't instruct their patients to ask their GPs for drugs!!. Sorry for rambling - am pretty annoyed about the dreadful NHS service and thank my lucky stars that (at least for now) we are able to afford treatment at over £3k a go ourselves. Good Luck and imagine if we all sent a copy of your finished research to our local MP for interesting reading - I for one would. Fiona

Loonpants · Post by **Loonpants** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 3:45 pm

Judith You have my utmost respect as the other people who came on here poking around didn't come back to apologise or to try and understand. I am pleased that you have changed your title I think it will be much better for you too as at least you can look at specific areas. I had my ICSI treatment out in Cyprus but am now back in UK. Cyprus like most foreign countries is cheaper than treatment in this country. There has been an article recently in Woman's Own that discussed cheaper treatment in certain areas if people were prepared to egg share. I am happy to be of help if you want any further info. Lisa(Loonpants)

fi · Post by fi » Thu Jan 09, 2003 9:48 pm

just a thought...but how are you doing this dissertation by qual analysis? its just I think that the title is too broad and you will find it difficult to lit review across the whole of this!! how many words have you??? why not stick with one particular aspect - would be happy to assist if you want to email me directly Fi

alison p · Post by **alison p** » Fri Jan 10, 2003 5:15 pm

Dear Judith, I live in Brighton and they only pay for 1 cycle, but under quite strict criteria. We have male factor infertility and until recently this didn't entitle you to free treatment. Thankfully they changed it before we came along. However, we did have to go to Barts Hospital which is a hour and a half (at least) journey by train - not very convenient when you have to go for scans every other day. After that cycle failed we were forced to go private. Luckily for us we can afford it at the moment, but as you can see by comments on this website, there are lots of people who struggle to come up with the cash to fund it. When is the government going to accept that infertility is an illness and that it should be paid for on the NHS? They pay for everything else - including cancer treatment caused by smoking, liver damage caused by drinking, etc. It's not our fault we're or our husbands are infertile. Sorry to rant but I feel very strongly about this issue. Good luck with the project. I did read an interesting article recently by Lesley White taken from The Dr Foster Fertility Guide, published by Vermilion (the email address is www.drfoster.co.uk) The article outlined which health authorities offer free treatment and which don't, plus age limits. It may be of some help. Alison P

Louise · Post by **Louise** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 5:32 pm

Hi Judith Just wanted to say that I think the new title is much better and more appropriate and wanted to wish you well in your research. I would be very interested in reading a copy of your finished piece, particularly your research on what some health authorities fund treatment and some don't. My local health authority don't help at all, not even with the preliminary blood tests. They did all the investigations but when it was discovered that we needed IVF, they were very uncooperative. The postcode lottery seems very unfair. In this day and age of equal opportunities and human rights, it doesn't seem right somehow. Good luck, Regards Louise

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