u/Emmsysquared98

All being well i start stims this week for my ivf cycle and im very excited about it after waiting so long to get here. The only thing im unsure about is telling my boss i need a day off for ER. I work for the NHS as a HCA and our sickness policy is quite strict. 3 lots of sick periods and then we start getting looked at. Ive had one this year. And i dont really want to take a sick day for this as it feels wrong.

Depending on when my cycle starts (if it starts on fri 21st when its due it) and the number of days of stims need it could fall on a day when im off. But i know this process is unpredictable.

Most people i work with, including my boss, are aware ive been pursuing but only a few know that im moving ahead this month.

I do work at the hospital where i will be having my in cycle scans so i could use my break for those if they fall on working days. But i have to go to london for ER and ET. Ironically i am off the week afer er is likely to be.

How did you tell your bosses? And when did you know when ER would be?

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My sperm arrived in clinic yesterday after ordering on 8th july, so quicker than i was expecting. I contacted the unit at my local hospital where i have everything except retrivial and transfer done. They asked for my expected period dates for august and september. They got back and said we can proceed in august which is really exciting. My next period is due this week.

Have an appointment for injection teaching and planning on 5th august.

My cycles vary between 25-28 days. I havent had a 28 day cycle since feb. Either 25 or 26 days since then. How does it all work with starting everyhing? I know it depends on protocol. Then how long do you typically take meds before retrivial?

Follow up to my previous posts.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SingleMothersbyChoice/s/oNaUVsFKJ4

And

https://www.reddit.com/r/SingleMothersbyChoice/s/jMkdmr2cdi

My sperm arrived in clinic yesterday after ordering on 8th july, so quicker than i was expecting. I contacted the unit at my local hospital where i have everything except retrivial and transfer done. They asked for my expected period dates for august and september. They got back and said we can proceed in august which is really exciting. My next period is due this week.

Have an appointment for injection teaching and planning on 5th august.

My cycles vary between 25-28 days. I havent had a 28 day cycle since feb. Either 25 or 26 days since then. How does it all work with starting everyhing? I know it depends on protocol. Then how long do you typically take meds before retrivial?

I wish I wasn't so impatient

And the thing I wish I knew before I started was how long things can take.

First saw a fertility consultant in january where they found a cyst on my ovary. Needed a follow up ultrasound (done in feb) and an MRI (done in march) to check it. Finally saw another consultant in june and laid the next steps out. Implications and purchasing sperm. Once sperm in clinic id sign the consent forms, get meds ordered, start protocol. She was really nice. Also decided that i would be persusing ivf using only my left ovary due to the cyst in my right ovary making retrival from it risky. There were a few folliciles in there though.

I did the counselling 2 weeks later (15th june) then hesitated for nearly a month, until last wednesday where i saw a colleague at work l hadnt seen in a while who said shes 3 months with twins. That kicked me into action and i had ordered within an hour. The clinic contacted me the next day regarding the donors cmv status and mine. Said i needed to conact the clinic at my local hospital where ill have everything except egg retrival and transfers done. I did but my local said theyd already been in touch and sent the relevant results. The clinic confirmedn this.

So now im just waiting to hear back and its driving me nuts. They said in the info email before ordering it can take few weeks. But im so impatient. I hate it. But also think thats because i struggle, obssess and worry when there isnt a defined timeline and certain structure due to my ASD and mild OCD. I am currently in counselling to help with the overwhelm of it all and have a good support system at home. And have upped my dose of citalopram too which is helping. Wanted to up my quietiapine (on the lowest possible dose) or change it but that only be done by a pyschatrist.

The implications counselling went perfectly. She said I had my head screwed on and had clearly thought things through since id done research about telling the child theyre donor conceived, that i have my finances figured out and had worked out how a child would into my life and how i would manage my job and childare. That was positive and she was happy to sign off.

I dont know why I hesitated when I am so sure on this.

Now im literally restraining myself from emailing anf sking when im likely to hear if the donor was approved and about importation. I already paid that fee on monday.

Also annoying because intial waiting period cost me the donor i really wanted. Though it turns out the clinic dont have a proper partnership with that bank yet. But i mightve waited if it meant i couldve had him. He had similar childhood features to me, same eye and hair colour. Good profile too.

Then me hesitating cost me the next two donors I really liked (from a different bank). One had a much smaller worldwide family limit and the other reached their family limit in the uk. I kept opening the websites, spent time looking at profiles and the childhood pictures and favourited a couple. Then narrowed it down to 2 then 1 but kept putting off ordering until last week. and am happy with the one i choose. I liked his profile about himself and his donor letter. He has similar childhood features to myself and good personality profile.

Doesnt help im waiting to complete on my house purchase and my mortgage offer extension could run out and id have to get a new one and end up paying more per month. Offer was accepted before xmas and i gave the sellers time to find a new propert which wasnt until midmay. They want the date i want the people theyre buying from are being funny about it. Literally moving so i have my own space for me and my child.

Im so ready for everything and ive spent the whole year so far just waiting.

Following up from my previous post. https://www.reddit.com/r/SingleMothersbyChoice/comments/1tqexu6/just_need_to_vent_plus_questions/

I had follow up with the clinic today following my scans and I have to say it went really well. I truly didn't know what I was going to hear, so I came out feeling a lot more at ease. So, they did another pelvic baseline scan and cyst has grown a touch since the first one, about 3cm now. She said it could be removed however there are risks in removing it, because if they did try and caught something it could cause bleeding and possibly the loss of the ovary and the tube. But she said removal was my choice and it's not necessary so we're leaving it be. And I know it would probably be a long wait for removal on the NHS.

There were a couple of follicles in that ovary but the risk of using them (I'm going straight to IVF). would be similar to the removal of the cyst. I had already assumed that ovary wouldn't be used anyway because of the cyst, so I was happy to move forward with collection from the left ovary understanding I may not get as many eggs. But I did have seven follicles in my left ovary, which is more than the first scan.

Next steps were also discussed and the next thing I need to do is have implications counselling. Once that's done, I can order sperm to be delivered to the clinic and wait to find out when I can start treatment. So, am waiting for them contact me about that. She took the predicted dates for next three periods too, said my amh looks good, and explained how it works. It's not a definitive timeline but it all feels a little more tangible.

Yesterday I checked my chosen donors page and he's sold out of MOT20 sperm, which I was hoping to purchase. He has MOT10 available and my debating on whether I should purchase it now before implications counselling appointment and have it stored there until I need because I really want to go with him. Should I go for it?