Stress of waiting took over our lives
A mum who waited almost six years for fertility treatment on the NHS today welcomed news that couples will soon only have to wait six months.
Joanne Stephens, 38, of Lostock Hall, near Preston, experienced the rollercoaster ride of IVF treatment before eventually having son Ben, now seven.
Joanne, a support worker for Lancashire Care NHS Trust, said going through fertility investigations and treatment is an stressful and traumatic time for couples longing to start a family.
She said: "It puts a real strain on your relationship as it is all you think about and talk about and you end up putting the rest of your life on hold.
"My husband and I have now split up and part of me believes going through such a stressful time together led to the breakdown of our relationship.
"Infertility can have a devastating effect on relationships. It is a difficult time anyway, but if you have to wait many years for IVF treatment on the NHS, it adds to the pressure.
"It becomes all you are focussed on and you fit the rest of your life around it."
Joanne first went to see her GP in 1993, concerned about her fertility after trying for a baby for around two years.
Investigations revealed she was not ovulating and she was told her only chance of having a baby was through IVF.
She was placed on the NHS waiting list in 1994 and it was 1999 before she reached the top of the list and began treatment in 2000.
The IVF treatment involved daily injections, scans and tests. Then once the eggs are implanted, couples have the heartache of waiting to find out if the treatment has worked.
After three failed treatments, Joanne finally became pregnant with Ben during her second cycle of IVF and fourth treatment.
Joanne said: "I consider myself very lucky as the treatment worked and I have Ben. But I had to wait a long time before I got there.
"I think it is wonderful that couples in the Preston area will soon only have to wait six months.
"It is a massive difference between the six years I had to wait and I am glad infertility is being recognised as a priority."
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Friday 03 September 2010
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