Managing covid risk when approaching / having treatment

[Skittles11]

I was curious to learn what others are doing to manage the covid risk when having / approaching treatment.

I've been working primarily at home, try to meet people outdoors and have limited what me and my husband do together to avoid crowds. It feels like I'm missing out on a lot when everyone else is "living". Whilst these sacrifices in isolation are not such a big deal, when you are questioning on a daily basis whether you should / can do something for fear of getting covid and having your cycle cancelled, it adds to the immense stress. And it seems permanent because I've not had success yet after numerous cycles so I'm constantly prepping for the next one. Feels unsustainable.

I wondered how others have managed. Are you back to "normal" life in terms of mixing, do you take precautions? Or are you still in your own kind of lockdown, avoiding mixing and enclosed environments?

Thanks all for your views

Xx

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi Skittles. Always wear a mask when you are out and in clinic. I do. Diane

[Tarasunny]

I feel the exact same way. I'm avoiding a lot of social situations for fear of getting covid and my cycle being cancelled. I always wear a mask and meet outside. I work patient facing in the NHS and in previous cycles I was told to isolate so I was put on admin. Now with no restrictions my clinic say I don't need to isolate so I'm still seeing patients albeit with a mask on as I'm in Scotland and it's still compulsory in healthcare. I do feel my life is on hold and I'm becoming a hermit 🤣

[Skittles11 in reply to Tarasunny]

Me too. And what makes it worse is that being stuck in the fertility boat is bad enough but having to deprive yourself of everything that may help you get through it just adds an extra layer. Xx

[Tarasunny in reply to Skittles11]

It really does, 5 out 15 people in my department have had covid in the last month, 3 being in the last week. Avoiding everyone so had lunch outside today and it was so windy the soup blew out my mouth 🤣, the things we do!

[JudithSS]

When I started stimms this round is when I stopped being in peoples house, going to classes at the gym etc. there was no way in hell I was going through all this to then get Covid before EC and have to start again x

[Skittles11 in reply to JudithSS]

Having to start again would be the worst! Im glad you got to egg collection yesterday without this being a factor xx

[JudithSS in reply to Skittles11]

Thanks hun! It’s a fine line between being isolated and living your life ❤️

[Rebecca2022]

Hi! I was more cautious (wearing a mask, avoiding crowded places…) the month I started ovarian stimulation as I knew it was a lot of medications for my body and I didn’t want the retrieval procedure to be cancelled due to a Covid surprise! Now I’m more relaxed (2nd FET this month), I can’t stop completely my social life, knowing that I have no idea when the IVF journey will end. I don’t feel like keeping my life “on hold” when the wait is already stressful enough, I need to see family, friends, going out for dinner, concerts, holidays. That’s my life, even waiting for my turn to be a mum

[Skittles11 in reply to Rebecca2022]

This is the problem so many of us have. I've been doing IVF since October 2020 and because of my ovarian reserve most of my cycles are fresh cycles so, like you mentioned I do not want a cycle to be cancelled before I get to retrieval. But then how long can you put your whole life on hold? It's never simple is it xx

[Eloquentia]

Be careful, it's worth it. My husband and I went on holiday a few weeks before starting FET and took our guard down on a few occasions. Now we are both recovering from COVID...My clinic said we can go ahead provided I test negative in 9 days time, when I am due to start the progynova. It's not a great position to be in.

[Skittles11 in reply to Eloquentia]

Oh no! That is incredibly frustrating for you. I hope you get that much wanted negative covid result prior to your start on progynova. Xx

[Mitco]

I'm glad you raised this, as my husband and I have been doing the same as you and it does feel isolating! Between cycles we do a bit more socialising and we just went on an overseas holiday but leaving enough time before starting my next cycle. We also wear masks in crowded places and carry hand sanitiser everywhere. In the last month 4 of my friends have had covid and become very unwell despite being fit and healthy. So we are not letting our guard down. But it is so difficult as we have been doing this since covid began.

[Skittles11 in reply to Mitco]

So isolating isn't it. Much like you we have picked up socialising a little in between cycles but it feels its always with a caveat of being outside and not being amongst other people. All the "rules" make it feel like you can't be impulsive at all, everything has to be carefully planned. I love going to the cinema and theatre and think they'd be good things to help me relax when going through IVF but I can't go because of covid. It just feels worse of both worlds doesn't it. But yeah better that than catch covid. I just find the detriment on mental health quite significant xx

[JoyfulStar in reply to Skittles11]

It is a very difficult dilemma and it can be hard getting the balance right. Could you perhaps go to less well known cinemas like Everyman or Greenwich Picturehouse? Just research any close to you as they tend to be less busy than Odeon Cinemas. Also the time of the day you go to the cinema can make a huge difference. Go during a weekday during the day to avoid peak times and do not go when a film is first released.

In Odeon cinemas you can also pay for premium seats which separate you from everyone else. These are tricks I used whilst I was pregnant when I wanted to avoid catching covid at all costs. I became more comfortable being indoors when I read an article that

the virus loses its potency once in the air. Therefore I became more comfortable going to restaurants and indoor spaces where there was sufficient distance between tables.

I will look for it and share it with you. Overall though, you have to do what makes you comfortable. I only went to the cinema once whilst pregnant and it was a weekday in the afternoon.

All the best x

[Purplehedgehog87]

I was very careful but let my guard down when in clinic waiting room after baseline scan/bloods as it was so damn hot - I took my mask off for a bout 5 minutes.....sure I caught covid there from symptom timeline and it fried my ovaries and body and process just stalled - eggs poor quality and nothing to transfer. I was fully jabbed too. I would wear a mask when at clinic and ask staff to do the same (our clinic were quite happy if you preferred it, asked each time). sounds like you are doing a great job already and luckily it being warm weather you can still meet people outside where risk is lower for support/sanity etc. Its a bummer but the extra precautions are not for very long, I find it a balance between mixing with people causing health anxiety and also reducing anxiety to get support from family/friends as I also have ME which has flared up with covid

[LRed]

My partner and I have been in our own ''lockdown'' for 2.5 years, not just because of IVF, but also for our general health and wellbeing.

We have not eaten inside a restaurant or drunk inside a pub. We wear masks in any public indoor spaces (with one damning exception that you will read below).

But life is still full of fun. We eat out al fresco and meet friends outdoors (we even had our wedding reception outdoor last winter!) We still do indoor activities as long as we can keep our masks on, such as visiting museums. We have travelled to safer destinations for holidays - in the quiet countryside, or abroad in countries where Covid prevalence is much lower than in the UK. We feel closer to Nature than ever, and we exercise more than before.

We are lucky that both our employers allow flexible/hybrid working and we both chose to work from home almost fully. My partner went into his office for a meeting without a mask (so that he could show his face to his team) earlier this year and caught Covid from his colleague. He passed it on to me even though we quarantined him. We were both very sick for several weeks.

We will carry on with as much precautions as possible, because life is too short to be sick every now and then, or even worse, to live with long Covid. According to the ONS, over 2 million people are living with long Covid in the UK.

You are not alone. This will be the 'new normal' for a lot of us. But like the others said, please do focus on all the nice things you can still enjoy in life xxx

[Hidden]

I guess it depends which clinic but I went for an appt at mine today all masked up and being careful and discovered they have ditched mandatory mask wearing AND ditched PCR tests and you just have to send them a photo of a negative lateral flow before any procedure!!! its like covid hardly exists anymore. They never updated me or told me that the rules had changed.. so definitely check in regularly with your clinic (mines a big one in London), as it may be that you can relax a little bit xx

[Anim88]

Don't deprive yourself of seeing people, but maybe you can make sure they're getting tested and no hugging or indoor events. Especially now since it's summer it's easier to meet outdoors! Also make sure you have a good mask!

all the best

xx