How bad is IVF treatment and a laparoscopy?

I'm due to go in for a laparoscopy sometime within the next 8 weeks i'm waiting on a letter from my doctor confirming the dates.  Thing is i hate needles i take panic attacks after i've been injected and i'm even worse if i feel any pain.  I'm going under a general anasthetic so know i won't feel anything but what should i expect going in for the procedure and after coming out of theatre?

Also, we've been added to the IVF waiting list in the UK which is a 3 year wait so i have a while to get used to the idea.  Thing is again about the needles and having to inject myself, i'm so scared of injecting myself and having to have my eggs removed from me to implant, is there any pain?  what should i expect?  sometimes i wonder why i want to put myself through all this as i'm a very emotional person who doesn't deal with pain very well.  I have a good partner who helps me through these times as he can be sympathetic but also a bit hard on me when he needs to be.

Can someone please give me some info, is there anyone i could speak to before going in for this treatment?  i don't want to go for the laparoscopy and take a panic attack and the doc's then not doing it i'm so scared!!!

[gillianl]

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[PrincessJam]

Hey There,

I can tell you what my experience was like for me for my laparoscopy. I had one in August of '08.  I too, was terrified of needles and had never even had blood drawn or been under anethesia.  Basically they inject you with the needle in your arm so they can give you the medication to put you to sleep.  It's not bad at all. It's a small ***** and then it's done.

I ended up having stage 2 endometriosis, so they lasered and cleared out everything they could find.  The recovery wasn't bad, it was a few days before I was back to normal. They give you pain meds, but the only thing that bothered me was the pain I had in my shoulder because they put gas in your belly so they can see around your organs.  The gas sometimes gets stuck and has nowhere to go, so it goes up into your shoulder.  I had to sleep sitting up for a couple days, but I just keep on thinking this is all for a BABY!!

After that, I had to do 6 months of Lupron injections.... not thrilled about that either as I hate shots, but it really wasn't bad.  Once a month for 6 months... I just keep thinking this is for a baby, this is for a baby.

You can get through it, just remember the end product that will come of all of this hopefully if you can get through it!! :)

Good Luck everything!! Talk to your doctors and tell you that you are really nervous, they will help you through it! :)

[bevfly]

Hi hun i had my laparoscopy on 29th jan and like you i am terrified of needles,but it went very well.You are put to sleep and have an intravenous needle on your hand for medication etc.I came round and was a wee bit sore and uncomfortable but that was about as bad as it got,i was only sore for around a week then started to feel better.They let you know the outcome as soon as you are awake and ready to talk so thats really good.I am waiting for appointment to go for IUI and i am terrified of needles bacause you need to have injections for a few days each cycle,i will not be able to do it myself so have decided to go to my doctors surgery and get the nurse to do it for me.After the laparoscopy they will advise you on your next step and all the options.I think at 24 you are very young to go for IVF but maybe after you know the outcome of the laparoscopy then you will be more informed and hopefully if there is anything wrong then they can go ahead and fix things right then and there.Hope all goes well hun keep me informed xxx

[bevfly]

Sorry meant to say that ninewells in dundee has only 18months wait for IVF,but unfortunately for me after 42 they dont perform IVF as the success rates are very very low so after my IUI the next step will be IVF if its done asap and offcourse privately because i will not be entitled to any help with funding either,its costing us £3000 for just 1 go so will wait and see.

[jennlaurin80]

Hi there...i had lap done in October. Like already said, its a pretty quick recovery. Im a pretty big sissy about any type of pain...so i tend to think that if i can do it, ANYONE can do it :)
When i woke up i was quite a bit of pain...once i told them, they gave me some demoral through my I.V...that helped ALOT. It was just the first 2 days that were really uncomfortable and a little hard to get up and walk to the bathroom and whatnot. Hardest part was peeing...because it hurts pretty bad to be in a sitting position because one of the incisions is in the belly button. But when i was laying down it wasnt so bad. And by day 3 i was crampy and the gas also bothered my back,,,chest...shoulders. I was back t work by day 6. My RE told me day 5 i would be fine to go back to work, but i took an extra day off for recovery just in case. I didnt really need it...but its always nice to be prepared. Make sure your hubby is home to help you out on the 1st day ...it will be hard to get up and down. My husband could only take off the day of the surgery...i wish he would have been home for day 2 but  i managed alright:)
I had minimal endometriosis on both ovaries which was removed so i am very glad i got this done ...no BFP yet, but hope that happens real soon.
Wishing you lots of luck and SSBD !!

Jen

[kris71]

i also had laproscopy in Aug of 09. Worst part of it was the recovery for me. I just thought it would be a lot less painful than it was. Allow yourself proper recovery time. You need at least 5 to 7 days in my opinion. i didn't have that luxury as i have a toddler and no help so it was really hard to recover for me. My husband helped for 2 days but then had to get back to work and i was left on my own. lifting a little one was no easy task! the dr found a  couple adhesions from my C section but that was it.

[gillianl]

thanks very much everyone, sometime's i feel like a big wimp because i panic so much over needles and pain.  Until i get my dates through i can't sort out days off from work, though my boss has said it's fine for however long i need off.  As this is the last test done i can't wait for it to be over with so i'll know my next options.  Again thanks everyone you have somewhat eased my mind a little lol