oneinsix.com - IVF Patient

"Have you tried IVF?" This is the usual remark we get when we explain our difficulties in conceiving to people. Though meaning well, undergoing IVF treatment and explaining what it involves to them, the hardship and heartache, it is something never understood or realised.

For egg donors it can be even worse having to give (or sell) your own eggs to strangers after enduring month long needles and drugs. Something not to be taken lightly if you wish to be a donor. More so if you want to be a surrogate mum (pretty please).

Back to IVF. The wife will tell you how 'easy' it is. The headaches, the stress, the hormonal changes, the mood swings (husband testifies here), the bruises, the needles ... By the way all you who wish to donate or undergo IVF - You will have to administer the dose and inject yourself twice daily ! Yes that's correct, you will be injecting yourself and be doing this for a month with no guarantee of achieving a harvest. You will be required to undergo scans to chart your progress a number of times aswell. Finally when/if it comes to egg collection time you will be 'out of it' for a little while with a little bit of discomfort but not much! When you come around you would hope they offer you a cup of tea free what with having to pay through the nose the Thousands to get to this stage!

Hope we haven't scared you off. Donors need to know the naked truth. We can't help them spiritually, mentally or legally. The treatments does vary and you may be able to get away with fewer drugs as newer methods become available and I hope to add them here too. But for now, the following was just one of our many failures at IVF. Brings back hurtful memories of the hope we had summer 2002 . . .

The Period.
Follow-up consultation fee Ł70

Daily injection self administered - needed to stop your natural cycle
3ml Supercur Ł40 Bottle will last until next stage

The Period.
(keep taking the daily injections)

Scan to see if sufficiently 'switched off' and womb lining thin enough.
Second daily injection of 5 ampoules Menopur Ł425 for 28 ampoules
(keep taking the other daily injections Ł20 for further Supercur supply)

Reduce Menopur to 4 ampoules injection daily.
(keep taking other injection aswell)

Scan to check progress of egg development
Increased Menopur injections to 6 amps Ł364 for further supply 24 amps
(keep taking other injection aswell)

Scan and Ł273 for further supply of 18 ampoules of Menopur
(keep taking other injection aswell)

Scan and Ł182 for further 12 ampoules of Menopur
(keep taking other injection aswell)

Night injection of Profasi 15,000iu Ł15 once only
(take last 3ml Supercur injection)

The day the eggs were collected. Ł2,140
Cyclogest pressaries 400mg Ł24 to be inserted in vagina until empty.

Embryos are implanted

Another period another failure.
Back to square one. Minus Ł3,000+ and minus life span (body clock)