Round 10

One of the main reasons we all choose a certain healthcare facility is because of a particular doctor…. right? Maybe it’s their medical experience or their bedside manner or maybe its because someone has referred them to us, whatever it is we pick a doctor, we rarely a facility.

I chose my UK doctor solely because of the referral from my UAE doctor.  The facility was completely unknown to me and hadn’t been recommended by anyone.  I had noticed that my UK doctor had worked at a couple of well known places before his current facility which filled me with reassurance but ultimately my decision to go with my UK doctor came down to a decision about him and not the facility.

It is because of this that I find myself increasingly frustrated that the UK clinic I attend failed to tell me that it had been sold until a few months ago I had a problem with my billing and the sale came out in the discussion and why they still haven’t told me (although I know through my UAE doctor as he is a friend of my UK doctor) that my UK doctor is actually leaving the clinic.

Dr Who?

My collection in Round 9 was not done by my doctor. I only found this out AFTER the procedure when my doctor wasn’t around and today I visited the UK clinic for my day 11 scan expecting to see my regular doctor who was the one I had been emailing with my results while in the UAE and who I had a 10:30 appointment with and I found another doctor in his place.

The new doctor was lovely, but she wasn’t the person I chose and the person who has been working with me over the past 16 months.  The person who knows my body and how it reacts to certain medication.  She wasn’t who I had paid over 16,000 AED (£3,250) to see.

When I asked why the change I was told my doctor would definitely review my results and he would most definitely do the collection but that he was trying to take a step back from seeing patients as he was getting close to retirement stage!

Obviously if I thought that to be true I would fully understand (albeit it might have been nice having been informed formally of this rather than to stumble into it so I could make an informed decision on if I would like to stay at this clinic and see one of the new doctors or change clinics), but I have heard that my UK doctor, who was the owner of my UK clinic, has sold up and is moving to take up a position in Dubai of all places!

I understand people move on and I understand that my body is currently pulsating with a cocktail of different hormones so I am not thinking completely rationally, but I chose this facility for one reason…. the doctor and being a long standing patient of theirs it would have been nice to have been informed of his move, ahead of treatment!

Own it

I fear this lack of transparency is all too common with private healthcare facilities.  In a buy out they are so desperate to maintain a profitable business that this takes priority over being transparent and allowing a patient to make an informed decision on if they want to remain with a certain clinic or not.

This lack of transparency and harsh reality that profitability is the number one driver for clinics like these makes it evident just how important it is for you, the person that knows your own body better than anyone else, to take an active role in any medical treatment you receive.  Own it, ask questions, challenge what doesn’t feel right, understand what is happening to your body because there may come a time when you are the only person who knows your history as well as you do and this is where I am at right now.

For example:

I know that it is usually 14 days from the start of my period that collection is done.

I know that it is usually 7 days after the start of stimulation that I start to feel extremely tired and emotional.

I know that I need to take x2 cetrotides after 8 days of stimulation and I know roundly what my blood work should look like after a blood test during stimulation.

A little bit of advice

You may think that after 10 rounds of this I should know this stuff but it is amazing just how resistant my UK clinic is to share certain information with me including blood test results. I have to ask time and time again to be sent the actual results.  They will share what medication I should be taking once they see the results but never share the actual test results with me unless I ask.

My UAE clinic is different.  They are much more open to me wanting to self educate and understand the process.  I’m not sure why the UK clinic is so resistant.  Maybe most patients who only go through one or two rounds aren’t as involved or interested or maybe the clinic want to ‘own’ the process so they can control you as a patient…???? I don’t know but one piece of advise I would give to all of you out there who ever have to go through this or something similar is, you never know when you start something just how it will turn out.  I never thought when I started that I would be 16 months on and on Round 10! So take some time to understand what is going on.  This is your right and it will help you on your journey, if nothing else it will help you feel like ‘You’ve got this’…. and you have!