The appointment

DH's semen analysis was worse than we thought (less than 5% normal), and therefore it would be a bust to do anything short of IVF. I was hoping we could do an IUI but apparently that's only worthwhile with minor male or minor female issues, and certainly not both. So, it's IVF and ICSI at that. Apparently a standard cycle (where the sperm fertilise on their 'own' ... well as much as these things are left to their own devices when they're monitored to the hilt in a lab! ) would probably be a failure, and ICSI is the only bet laying money on.

The decision now comes as to who we see treatment through ... Fertility Associates or Fertility Plus. For publicly funded cycles, we have to go through Fertility Plus. So, do we wait, and go public, thus leaving the $10,000.00 in our savings (once we've saved it! ) and just suck it up, or do we spend the $10,000.00 to stay with FA? If we put the application in to go through the public system and it's accepted, and we do a private cycle that doesn't work, we still have to stay with F+. You only get to do the whole, pay for private treatment, stay with the provider of your choice, if the private treatment is underway before the application to go public goes in apparently.

What to do? $10,000.00 is a lot of money. Plus, it's not like we're under any time pressure - I'm only 28, so my fertility isn't going to get worse if I wait a year (I sincerely hope!), but ... well.

Fun and games!

I refuse to mope though. I'm still kind of processing, but there are people worse off than I am, and I have plenty to be thankful for ... we will have our baby, it's just the how of it that I'm mulling over

Is it possible to go on public but when your $10,000 is raised, change to private?

And that, folks, is why we love Nikki It's aaallll about perspective!

Miss ... basically, yes. We can have our 2 public goes, and if they don't work, we can go private with whoever we want.

But, if we are on the public waiting list, we have to go with the provider we are registered with, which would be F+. So, if we've been on the waiting list to see F+ and decide to do a private cycle with FA, and then our public funding comes up, we can't then switch the public funding to FA. Does that make sense? I'm a bit bollocks at explaining things

The waiting list is around a year I think, and we could drop off it any time we wanted if we got the $10,000.00 together first. We'd be able to raise that in less than a year ... but then, if people are dropping off the IVF waiting list, and our name could come up sooner than a year ... Or, if it took us 9 months to get the $10,000.00 together, is it better to keep the $10,000.00 and wait the extra couple of months for publicly funded, even though FA might be our preferred clinic? (and good point Nikki ... maybe there's not, you just hear more about FA because they have a higher profile? and, let's face it, if we're on the list for F+ and everyone else wants to go to FA, then we'll jump up the waiting list, won't we? )

I'm pretty sure we're going to start saving flat out, go on the public waiting list, and see how it goes. But, get back to me tomorrow ...

Ginger i agree with topcat (and nikkis suggestion sounds tempting too)
if it was me i think i would keep saving but also have my name down for public funding that way you are keeping all you options open. good luck with your decision

What Topcat said makes sense to me too, and Nikki's made lots of sense
from me, making complicated decisions sucks ass.

ginger wrote: I'm pretty sure we're going to start saving flat out, go on the public waiting list, and see how it goes. But, get back to me tomorrow ...

Sounds like a really good plan - best of luck

So sorry to hear that things were worse than you had thought Ginger.

We were told that once we paid for private treatments through FA, we could stay with them for any public treatments. I'm confused now. That is why DH and I had booked to see FA so we could pay for IUI and then stay with them so they can do our publicly funded IVF.
Gosh, its damn confusing.

At the seminar we went to, FA said they had the highest success rate, so that is something to consider. However, if you know that you only have to wait about a year for public funding, then it is definately a bonus waiting for it as everyone says, you will have $10k in the bank for bubs if all went to plan. And as you are 28, you do have some time on your side.
Thats a hard one. Just take some time to digest everything they told you so you can make the right decision.
Good luck

Yay Ginger I'm glad you have made the decision and i hope the wait isn't too long, is it a weight off your mind now knowing the exact course of action, and that all decisions have been made and that it IS going to happen?
I'm so excited for you and think you are an amazing, positive and a great influence to have on the infertility board (not that you would want to be here if you had your way! a bit like us all) but thanks Ginger you help to put ALOT of things into perspective!

Yay for fertility+ waiting list not being that long! and positive thinking will make it happen!!!!I'll sure share mine with you!!!!

noodle wrote: I'm so excited for you and think you are an amazing, positive and a great influence to have on the infertility board

I totally agree with you Noodle. Ginger, you have been such a good friend to many on this board and I hope it all goes well for you. You are so positive and I really admire that coz I know how hard it can be. Its must be a relief to finally have some answers and a plan. Like you said - even if it is a year (which it wont be) it will go fast. Just think, with each day passing you are one step closer....