By nature I guess we are both not a very active couple and everytime we want to have it, we sort of miss the timing completely or are too lazy in the end. With a low sperm count on my husband's side, we decided that the only way for me to have a kid by next year is to just go for IVF.
As I'm writing this I actually can't remember the first few visits I went but I did keep almost all of my receipts so I guess I can sort of remember what went on.
First visit 22 Mar
We decided to take our friend's recommendation to attend this hopsital. However I came at a very bad time when my period just ended, so the doctor was not able to check anything. We registered some basic information and took a survey on our health and sex life. The doctor gave some advice on vitamins to take, and when we should do the deed and we were advised to come back again. Nampyeon went on to order some vitamins that his friend recommended called Fathermin and Implamin (no need to guess who takes what).
Expenditure: 7,200 KRW
First ultrasound / pap smear and blood test 27 Mar
I was able to do an ultrasound & pap smear test while my husband took a blood test. I'm not sure why he didn't do a sperm test that day because we ended up coming back for that anyway. Probably because we did it previously at Davos hospital and the doctor said there wasn't any issues.
Expenditure: 118,960 KRW
Test analysis and Sperm test 5 Apr
Ended up having to do the sperm test. Nampyeon understood the doctor wrongly and thought that I wouldn't need to do the HSG test (test to see if fallopian tubes were blocked) if he was the main problem. But i told him that i needed to do that test no matter his outcome. And sure enough, the doc told us that I needed to do HSG....T_T
Expenditure: 38,200 KRW
Test analysis and Sperm test 6 Sep
Needed to go back to listen to the analysis of the sperm test. whilst Davos said that his semen was normal, this hospital gave quite an in depth analysis of the count and motility etc. there's also an indication of the acceptable levels for each section so if you're within the levels you're good.
Expenditure: 6,500 KRW
HSG test 18 Sep
Yup, there was a huuuuuge interval between Apr and Sep. On one hand I can only book once my period started so they can estimate when it's finished, and I will need to do the test on the 10th day from when my period starts. On the other hand, the hospitals are always booked fully!!! Nampyeon called when my period started, and there wasn't any dates. We ended up booking the dates for when my next period was estimated to start at, and thankfully my period started pretty on time and we made it to the test just on my 10th day. Additionally I was actually touring Europe in between so I didn't have time for doctor visits XDDD
BTW my husband told me that this is a SUPER DUPER painful test. When they insert the dye in and your fallopian tubes are blocked you're supposed to feel about 3000x your normal period pain. and so the doctor suggested for me to eat painkillers 15mins before. But when i asked my sis if she took the test, she said she didn't have any pain at all.... i really wonder where my husband is really all the articles from. he made me dread this test so so so much.
And surprisingly i didn't have any pain. i guess i have healthy fallopian tubes. duh. the doctor warned that it will be painful when she inserted the ink but there was no feeling at all so i was surprised when the whole thing was done. one of his friend said that she felt such pain she sat in the changing room staring into space and almost fainting until someone called out to her to check if she was still alive.
Expenditure: 35,500 (HSG check), 3,000 (painkillers) KRW
HSG Analysis 21 Sep
Yep, so no problems with my tubes. Not much for an analysis but we just have to decide what we want to proceed with next - IUI or IVF. we decided to just go with IVF since the sperm count wasn't high and they are basically wiped out before they reach the egg. IVF would at least help to filter out the better sperms and ensure the egg is fertilised.
Expenditure: 28,870 KRW
Start of IVF 29 Nov
Again, there was the time lapse because i thought i had to come when my period is over, but i actually should have went on my 2nd day of period. my next period happened in Singapore, so i couldn't go and i could only go on my 3rd cycle since my HSG analysis. Apparently i thought i would have the process right there and then but it seems that i have to prep my body for it. so i was given Gonal injections and some antibiotics (or antigens?) - it seems to be some medicine to not let my body reject the process that comes afterwards. i'm not very sure because EVERYTHING was explained in Korean and the korean that came with me don't even know what's happening x_x we were advised to take the antigens injections and of course buy some vitamins. i needed to take multivitamins while nampyeon needed some fertility vitamins.
Expenditure: 102,700 (injections), 7,720 (antibiotics), 79,640 (all the vitamins) KRW
Routine check 3 Dec
As we are fast approaching the maturity of my eggs, the doctor advised to come back on the 4th day of injection so that she can check the state. my eggs are growing well (of course) but i had to continue my injections (dammit, why doesn't the guy get some injections too). to top it off i have to have TWO injections everyday - Gonal and Cetrotide. Cetrotide is used for follicle stimulation when the eggs approach maturity. i'm not sure what that means but uh just follow what the doctor ask. the injections look really complicated though. i almost fainted when i saw the big needle but it was for mixing purpose. thank goodness. i also have to thank my stomach for having enough fats so i wouldn't feel so much pain when self-injecting. also cursing at why i have to inject all this shit when my guy is the issue *$^&#!(*!&$#; being a woman is SO SHITTY. i only have my mom to thank that i'm so healthy because i kinda avoided half the pains in the process thanks to my wonderful body. only praying it wouldn't crumble with all these process going on.......
Expenditure: 102,600 (injections) KRW
Routine check 7 Dec
Another check and more injections. Thankfully these will be the last batch. and i have to take a blood test to make sure that my hormone levels (i think) are ok to proceed. they said that if the levels weren't right i would have to redo the whole process (from my next period cycle... and restart all the injections...). so i only have to wait for a call to see if that happens after they are done with my blood test. for now i just have to do 2 injections on the day at very specific times and another 3 more the next day, and specific times again. i have to inject that complicated Cetrotide and the last 2 injections are suppose to prepare me for the final extraction and needs to be taken exactly 36hours before. forgot to take a pic of it cos i was too excited to throw it away but it looks something like this:
after that all my injections are over! here's a summary of all the shots i took.
Expenditure: 93,700 KRW
Extraction 10 Dec
D-day 1. This is probably the most feared process out of everything, because i would have to get completely anaesthesized while they stick a looooong needle up by vagina to reach the ovaries, then extract the eggs from there. i was advised to fast from 12am onwards the day before since this is akin to a minor surgery. first i had painkillers IV dripped in me, then i was moved to the surgical room where both my arms were strapped (like a mad man) and my legs on the holder. then the anaesthesia was IV dripped in me. i don't know how long it take but the last words i heard was 'now we're going to put anaesthesia in you...' and then i was completely knocked out. wooooah. my first time getting completely numbed. it wasn't too bad. i woke up like 2hrs late in the recovery room, having no recollection or whatsoever of what happened in the past 2 hours. the nurse took my blood pressure but it was between 60-90, which was too low so she asked me to remain resting. but the pressure didn't change after 30mins so she just let me go XD i've probably had low blood pressure all my life and i didn't know it. but i was feeling completely fine with no acute pain or whatsoever, as if nothing happened. there was only a slight stitch to the sides of my stomach but it was the same feeling as if you have eaten and ran afterwards.
the medicine i had to take was some antibiotics and this vagina detergent. i have push this pill up my vagina every 8 hours to wash the insides. ughhh. and yeah i have to wake up to do it even if i'm sleepy...... and because the pill might slid out, i was advised to lie down for at least 30mins each time i put the pill in x_x which means... i can't go out in the middle of the day anymore. ughhh i think... this is worse than having the self-injections...................................... T_T and i have to do this for 2 weeks...................... ughhhhhh
oh in the meantime, my lucky husband only had to have his sperm specimen taken out through a rather enjoyable process. puis.
Expenditure: 295,100 (egg extraction) + 30,300 (sperm extraction) KRW
Embryo Transfer 13 Dec
i was actually feeling rather ok except for the occasional stitch happening. the common effects after the extraction was pain, flatulence, dizziness and feeling like you wanna puke so i was pretty glad i wasn't getting any of the symptoms. but from the 2nd day onward i started to become rather bloated. i couldn't exert a lot of strength or walk too fast because the 'stitch' would then happen. i couldn't straighten my back cos it caused the stitch again. it was not a very painful stitch but it was still rather uncomfortable. i walked slowly and did everything slowly, so the stitch was still bearable. but the bloatedness wasn't. the doctor advised to drink lots of ion water to get rid of the gas inside and i regretted not doing that since day 1 T_T only started drinking from day 3 (which was the day before the transfer), which didn't help much. i would eat really little and feel really full and i would feel so hungry and full at the same time T_T it was so irritating. but anyway the transfer is really quick - it is similar to pap smear in a way. the really uncomfortable moment was you have to have a belly full of urine to do this process so that it doesn't hurt so much. we were told not to pee about 2 hrs before. during the process, the would press really hard on your bladder cos that's the only way they can see the insides clearly. i was bloated and full of pee and it was hurting but there was no way out - i only have to tolerate that for less than 5 mins. they inserted a loooong tube in me - i couldn't see what it was but i really hate things going up my vagina. after that they announced the transfer and the embryo slid in in just 5secs. i could see in the screen a tiny sparkle which was the embryo and the doctor announced that i'm half-pregnant.
i was moved to the recovery room to lie down for about 1 hr lest the egg drop out. the nurses told me i needed to have some vitamins drip and i was like - wait, no, more needles??? i didn't hear that before! but thankfully they were the ones who got mixed up so i didn't need to have anything injected into me. phewwww. so after staring at the ceiling for 1hr i was finally able to go home. it's unfortunate that AGF was the next day and i couldn't go since i need to rest... oh well....
