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ICSI and did you tell work?

Hi ladies,



I think me and DH are going to have to have ICSI due to poor sperm morphology.



I just wondered if anyone could tell me if the procedure is ok? I've been reading up about it online and I've scared myself half to death! Is it really painful? What are the worse/easiest parts?



Also did you tell work you were going through ICSI? My boss is not very understanding and we don't get on so I really don't want to have to tell him but I'm worried that I may need to take time off suddenly which I am never able to do where I work or would I be able to book a couple of days holiday to take the time off and focus on the treatment? What I'm trying to say is, is there a timetable of when things happen so that I can book the time off or do you have to play it by ear a bit as things progress at different speeds?



Thanks x

Replies

  • Hi Loopy I haven't had icsi myself but from being on other forums I've gained a bit of info on it.



    You have bloods done on cd2 of your cycle, the consultant your with will either have already decided or decide after the result whether your on short or long protocol. On long protocol you down regulate (get put in a menopausal state)for a few weeks,then have a scan to see if you are ready to start stimming. If not longer d'regging and another scan. Once you start stimming you'll be on those drugs for up to 2 weeks depending on how your follies grow and have a couple of scans during that time to. Then once your ready you'll trigger and go for egg collection (under general anaestetic in a lot of clinics but not all) wait 3 or 5 days then have your embie transferred back to you and then it's your 2 week wait. The process takes about 6-8 weeks (test day would be roughly 8 weeks after having your first injection) You may need extra scans a needle/drug appointment before you start. You may develop ohss and be too ill to work. Lots to factor in,it'd be almost impossible to get everything organised around work as things can change quickly.... Work can't really deny you time off for fertility treatment,most companies offer paid time off



    I don't think you'd be able to plan in exactly when you'd need to book days off as even if they give you a schedule it may not go to plan. You could book off a 2 week holiday around the time your stimming but then you'd probably end up in work when you should be relaxing during your 2ww
  • Thanks wibble_wobble I'm getting a bit worried what I'm going to do about getting time off from work my boss is really unapproachable and a bit of a caveman there is no way I can tell him that I'm having fertility treatment I hope I can find a way around it x
  • Loopy, I had ICSI in Oct and am now 12 weeks pregnant. It was pretty tough going emotionally but not particularly painful although I did get get uncomfortably bloated just before egg collection and for about five days after. But I was fine by the time embryo transfer came. The whole process of injections, scans, blood tests, EC and ET were fairly straightforward.



    I went private as I wasn't entitled to NHS treatment having already had a son. My private clinic was very full-on, they expected bloods daily then twice daily so it was very tricky to organise work and childcare. Howver, I believe that they are quit unique in that regard. I think most NHS hospitals provide you with an approximate timetable. Like you I couldn't tell work so I took one week off as annual leave and had two weeks sick leave which my GP was quite happy to provide a vague note for.



    After all we'd been through with secondary infertility, work had to take second place. I am never off sick and have always been very dedicated to the job but it was about time to concentrate on what was important to us in our personal life. For us, this was our last chance (our choice due to financial restraints) so we had to do all we could to make sure it worked.



    Good luck!
  • Bubbliciousuk massive congratulations on your pregnancy!



    We also can only afford one go at ICSI at the moment if it doesn't work then we'll continue to stay on the NHS waiting list and continue to save for another try.



    Did you tell your doctor that you were going to pay private? We don't have any children and so we're entitled to treatment on the NHS but we've been told that we have to wait for at least 2 years. We're both in our 30s so don't want to postpone TTC any longer. I don't mind telling the doctor but I don't want to be taken off the NHS waiting list incase we need it in the future.



    I'm glad you found a way around your treatment with work. I also never take time off, I just hope the doctor will write a vague note for me to in order to get around it. My boss called me into his office the other day and asked if there was something I wanted to tell him as I'd had a couple of doctor's appointments I said no and then he asked if it was twins! Work is definitely 2nd on my priority list too my boss is a bully and its an awful place to work so maternity leave would be a blessing, giving me time away to look for something else.



    Hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well x
  • Lolly013,



    Don't worry about anything. Like the other lady said it is just uncomfortable when they do the EC - and then when the do the ET it is nothing. So don't worry about anything. You will be fine. I am also doing my 2nd ICSI - just waiting for AF to start.



    Good Luck
  • Thanks Cheryls13 for the reassurance - good luck with your 2nd ICSI I hope you have a super sticky bean x
  • Thank you - when you do offically start?
  • Hi Cheryls13 I haven't got a start date yet. We're going to an open evening at a private fertility clinic on 18th Jan to find out some more info. I'm hoping to book a consultation at the end of Jan early Feb and then hopefully we'll be able to start not long after that. I've done quite a bit of research online and as my DH's morphology is so low I from what I can find out ICSI looks like our only option. Keeping everything crossed that IUI may be something that we can still look at but I'll have to wait and see. My husband has just found out that he has a thyroid problem too so wondering if that has been causing us problems also x
  • I wish you everything of the best. I hope that everything works out for you and that you start as soon as possible. And it will help if you know the problems are and to get a solution for them.



    I am just waiting for the AF to start then we go ahead. We are paying for the treatment ourselves so this will be the final time. I just pray that this works and that we have a little bundle of our own.



    So may this year be our year.image
  • Cheryls13 really hope this is your time to get a BFP. Sending you lots of luck and babydust x
  • good luck loopy! keeping my fingers crossed for you x x
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