Time for a fertility specialist?

B

brightstar

Registered User
Hi Girls

Not that I thought I would ever have to post here but I am coming to terms that it's probably about time I look into things. Hubby and I have been TTC for 10 months now without any luck.

I am 30, and I O regularly. Hubby's sperm test is fine too.

We have been timing BD and I temp and use OPKs so can't blame it on bad timing...

Anyways, to be honest I am not sure what is the next step - do I go to my gyno or book myself directly to a fertility specialist? Are there any good ones in HK?

Do you think I should do this in HK or go back to Oz? What should I expect of the visit anyway? Any idea on cost of these visits, too? I don't think my insurance would cover anything.

I am really anxious of what lies ahead, but got to tackle it...

Thanks Girlies I know you have tons of wisdom.
 
I went to see Dr.Christine Choy and now have a little boy who is 1 tomorrow. She's good but not cheap. Her consultations are about HK$700-800 and scans are HK$800. But she does know what she is doing. I had Polycystic Ovaries and had to take medication and insurance was able to cover that, some consultations and some tests. Though insurance would not cover the fertility injections and related scans. Her number is 3112 0480.
 
I am currently seeing Dr. Derek Lo (you can find his contact information at the directory), for baby # 2. Have been TTC for 11 months already so felt it was time to check. I have Polycystic ovaries and will start treatment Friday this week. He charges HKD$600 for consultation --- and my first one, he did not charge ultra-sound.
 
I've also been treated by Dr Choy, after recurrent miscarriages, and she took it seriously and urgently... now pregnant for 25 weeks and doing fine. She is very nice to talk with, and understand when you worry. She's in Central.
 
MayC, hubby just went to his GP who referred him to a guy who does sperm tests. Nothing like what I have seen on TV / imagined, they don't have rooms or anything, apparently they just send the guy to find a toilet somewhere and bring back their reuslts :-)))

Needles to say hubby and I had a VERY good laugh about this process.

Anyway, I have booked myself to see a fert specialist on Friday, will keep you posted.

I am a bit aprehensive but have no choice but to tough it out I guess.

MickeyMom, are there any symptoms with PCOS?

Sky123, you are the best, thanks for sharing Christine's contact, she does sound great and I will give her a try.

Lots of baby dust to all! x
 
Well first off I should point out that I'm a guy and also not as well informed as a lot of the ladies that often post here...

I'm sure you're doing the right thing in getting these checks done, but if they show that there is no medical issue you could certainly keep going down the natural route for longer, especially as you're still young. My wife is also 30 and we were TTC for quite a while - don't remember exactly how long, but long enough that we were starting to be anxious and dissapointed when my wife's cycle invariably came round again and again. The best advice we got then was to try to totally relax about it and put it out of our minds completely (especially by not having expectations if her period was a little late etc). It was actually once we stopped thinking we "were TTC" and sort of gave up trying for a few months that my wife got pregnant straight away. Others often tell a similar story too. In my case, I was certainly one of those who thought that once we we're TTC, using the ovulation kits, tests etc it should only take a few months and then was dissapointed and concerned when my wife didn't get pregnant...

It's very hard to do (I speak from experience on that!) and this is just another view of course...

The very best of luck to you - I'm sure you'll be having some good news soon...
 
wow a guy wonders into these mysterious waters, I am impressed :-))

thanks Lantau35 I hear this a LOT about the magical trick of being relaxed. I think however that one needs to rule out any medical problems to start with... otherwise I could be relaxing till I am 40 and still have no little people in tow!

I am also the type of person who is very organised and likes to plan things, so not having a plan will be the hardest thing of all............. oh should I mention hubby travels 50-60% of the time and the rest of the time he is jet-lagged so not to plan means we won't have any little people making time at all!

At least seeing the two lines on an OPK make him put some effort in..... or am I the only one whose husbands travel so much that even the most romantic gesture won't help their desire to just go to bed and sleep.....
 
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brightstar said:
MayC,

MickeyMom, are there any symptoms with PCOS?
Click to expand...

No symptoms really, well maybe except for missed periods. When doctors rule out that your period is irregular because of stress, lifestyle change etc, then they start thinking that maybe it is PCOS and check via an ultrasound. If you google this, you will see that it is a fairly common syndrome. In fact, one literature even claims that 1 out of 5 women have it. But they are also hormone driven and may come and go. So doctors like to do the check to measure and see if it is in any way affecting your fertility.
 
MayC, good idea about utilising home for this I think. :-)

I will let you know how tomorrow goes. Not really sure what to expect so just going to go with the flow.

Do you think they will do some significant testing tomorrow already?
 
Im going back to see Dr Lo tomorrow. Have a schedule for an xray using a special dye to check my tubes. he wants to rule out blocked tubes. with my transvaginal ultrasound he saw that i have several polyps so considered me having PCOS. Hubby had a sperm test (not in the toilet but a proper clinic with lost of reading and video materials i heard!) and test came back a few hours later. He has issues with motility which is why Dr Lo is suggesting IUI.

However, I have spoken to Dr Lo about it and have agreed to try naturally (with the help of ovulation inducing drugs) if necessary. I hope that my other tests come back ok so that I am allowed to do it "naturally".

I have a wonderful 4 year old son already and would really love to have another one. But hubby and I sort of want to draw the line on anything artificial (im scared and so is he), i know that a lot of couples have reaped rewards with these new technologies available, but it's just something personal we feel.

Good luck to all of us who are trying still!
 
Hi Tutor1, have PMed you re: OPKs

MickeyMom, fingers crossed for your appt tmrw - let me know how the tube test went as I think I will be sent to that too eventually.

MayC, good luck with a sperm test next week.

Has anyone ever had (or heard of) infertility related to thyroid problems, by the way?
 
MickeyMom - Goodluck tomorrow!

Brightstar - Thyroid problems can cause infertility. Do you think Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture might help? If you search the forums a number of members recommend Troy Sing for acupuncture.
 
Thanks Rani, I had no idea it could have such an impact (since I know I ovulate regularly and the only problem I thought thyroid hormones would cause would be nonovulatory cycles).

Three months ago, I was in fact diagnosed with some thyroid nodules (proven harmelss) but the bloodwork showed slightly elevated TSH levels and very elevated levels of Thyroxin Peroxidase Antibody (and somewhat elevated Thyroglobulin antibody). Possibly a thyroid auto-immune disease like Hashimoto's although the diagnosis was never given to me.

My GP at the time suggest observation for 6 months. I since started homeopathy initially (when overseas during the summer), and now TCM and acupuncutre. I feel a lot better on many fronts, not sure if it had a lot to do with a burnout at work but I had no energy left before, whereas now I am feeling a lot more "with it".

But making little people is not happening to us...

... hopefully I will find out more today. I really hope our journey doesn't end here :frown:
 
After doing 5 years of infertility treatment and finally having a baby , I give credit to u girls for trying to have another baby.For me one is enough I would suggest to all tests before any kind of surgery.

We learnt the hardway about Drs.Before doing any treatment go to atleast 2-3 drs before deciding. the treatments are basically the same, but sometimes u need a dr to think outside the box to solve you rproblem. U need to sperm test, fish test for husbands, ladies need to tube test to see if the tubes are open, all blood work including THYROID, INSULIN RESITANT , receptor cells for the lining to see if the lining will accept the embroyo. tHis can be done when the dr is doing a surgery.

I suffered with severe case of endometriosis. Even we were told to try naturally for sometime but I feel that made things worse in our case as my endometiosis became worse.

We didnt do the treatment here in HK.

Also please read up all u can about your problem be in cyst, endometriosos etc and make sur eto ask your doctor any qustion u want and dont let them rush u. Beleive me even when they look at your that u are stupid for asking questions u must after all it is your life and your money.

So best of luck to all
 
MickeyMom, how did you go?

My doc did an U/S, she said my lining looked really good. She is also running tons of tests and I will go back for more on day 3 of my new cycle... I think the key ones for me are thyroid and progesterone levels. She didn't think I had PCOS or fallopian tubes problem (based on initial assessment)

But she sounded positive so far - well after 13K which is what I was charged (!!), maybe it was included in the price too?

:Butbut

Can you please tell me one thing. Based on an U/S and a comprehensive check, would a fertility specialist be able to tell that I am about 12-24 hrs (less than 1 full day) away from AF? Or would the lining and everything look the same as if I got PG 7-8 days ago? Bacause she was looking at an U/S, said did you BD 7-8 days ago as you could too be PG already... I looked at my chart and yup we did BD on both those days - but then it was already 6 days since my o - so would I be able to ovulate 2x in the same month?

Why did she even mention this to someone who is trying to get PG? I am not really keeping my hopes up but am quite intrigued...
 
Hello ladies,

I was also dx with PCOS. I go to Dr. Choy, well i think she is very good even thou a little expensive. It has been almost 3 month see in her, i lost 33 lbs and my homrones are almost normal. I'm very pleased with her and as i read many other ladies are as well. It's a very hard journey and i hope we will all reach our goal of having a little miracles. Just yesterday i went to see her, there was a lady with her baby girl and her husband. Baby was 1 month old and was so cute. Her daddy was so proud, like little boy. It was so nice.

I wonder if there is any support group around for ladies with PCOS or any of you interested in starting one?
Good luck ladies
Michaela
:thanks
 
MayC, tell me about it, I couldn't believe my eyes. The consultation cost $800 and the U/S $800 as well but it was all the other tests! They are running like 20 tests and each is $400 - $600.

I just found out I may be able to get 50% of this back from my insurance company thank God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now as for the pregnancy kit, I don't want another false hope you know? Do you think the Doc would be able to tell clearly if my period was due today / tomorrow? And how do I explain that I ovulated 13 days ago and she talks about something possibly happening 7-8 days ago?

Loads of Baby Dust to all....
 
a sac? would that possibly look like a small black area in the uterus? she saw one, she said it didn't look like a cyst, it didn't have that shape and size apparently. then she said my lining looked really really good and from the two I think she came to that predicament.

well i didn't ask as i was completelly shocked by her comment, in fact I tried to convince her that it was very unlikely as I was a lot further down my cycle than 7-8 days. She just said to wait and see. so that's what I will TRY to do.

i went there to see what was wrong with me... you know what I mean... oh, I remember she said she couldn't see any follicles. Would one normally have new follicles already visible a day before their period? and what about if they had just conceived?

Jeee I am sorry I have million questions don't I. Sorry!!!!

MickeyMom, we miss hearing from you, how did you go today?
 
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