IVF Cost

So, our first consultation was set for 26th October 2009. We had booked our flights out for the morning of the 25th, returning in the early evening of the 26th. Our initial appointment was scheduled for 14:30 on the 26th which meant that it was going to be very tight for us catching our flight back, however Dr. Peter Kovacs was incredibly helpful and he moved our appointment to 11:30 so that we had plenty of time – having now been there I’m surprised he managed to do this considering how busy the clinic is!

The cost of the flights from the UK (Luton Airport) to Budapest and a hotel room was £214.86 for the two of us, booked through lastminute.com using Wizz Air and staying at the Atlas Hotel – we thought this was very good value, and certainly far better than any other deal I could find given the inflexibility of the dates and the amount of notice.

IVF Cost so far £214.86

We turned up at the airport in good time (not something we are very well known for!), boarded the plane on time, then started moving for take off. Suddenly the engines stalled and there was a smell of fuel. We waited in our seats while they tried to restart the engines, then while they were supposedly resetting the on board systems. Chug, chug, chug and another strong smell of fuel told us that this plane was going nowhere. We were sent back into the airport to wait. We were supposed to have taken off at 08:05. The first notice came up and told us that we would be delayed until 14:00. We couldn’t believe it. A SIX hour delay – such a delay doesn’t happen very often nowadays, especially when the flight is only 2.5 hours. Apparently they were having to fly in a replacement part that was needed. So we sat it out. At almost 15:00 we were told that the delay was now until 16:00. At gone 17:00 we were told that the flight was canceled!

This was it. All that planning, all that research, all that umming and arhing about where to go, and when we finally made a decision and got moving with it then this happens. All I could think was “This is just not supposed to be”, and the tears started falling down my cheeks. A lady from the airline heard that we had an appointment and went to see if she could find us any other flight with any other airline that would get us there on time. It was bad news, there was none. More tears!

Suddenly the airline changed their minds. They said they were going to fly another plane in and we would go – now scheduled for 21:00 – there was still hope. When 21:00 came and went we were not distressed because we were now in a queue for boarding and we could see the plane; and sure enough, after over 13 hours sat in Luton Airport (not fun I assure you!) we were eventually airborne!

We had arranged to have dinner on the Sunday with a lovely lady who I had been in touch with through this blog and who had already completed her first cycle at the Kaali Inst. Unfortunately, to our great disappointment, that never happened as we arrived at the hotel at almost 01:30 on Monday morning – but at least we were there! Because we were so late we had to get a taxi to the hotel – HUF 4,800 (Hungarian Forint), approximately £16.

IVF Cost so far £230.86

The next morning we took a taxi to the Kaali Inst. (HUF 2,800, approx. £9.25). It is off a steep hill down a small private road. The place is beautiful, extremely well kept. You walk into a wood clad waiting room that looks very elegant, and was surprisingly full – this actually gives you confidence, if this many people are here it must be good! The receptionists were lovely, their English was more than adequate, and we were made to feel very comfortable. We had arrived early so we sat in the waiting room, now feeling much less apprehensive about our choice of clinic.

When we were called in to Dr. Peter Kovacs office for our consultation there was an acknowledgment of our numerous communications (through the blog I have often emailed him with readers questions) but the focus was fully on us and the procedure that was facing us. Peter Kovaks went through all the result that we had from the pre-appointment tests and explained the probabilities of success with IVF. I then had an ultra sound scan and a programme of treatment was drawn up. There are two things I need to sort out before the treatment can begin. Firstly I need a mammogram and secondly it was found that I have a problem with my thyroid so Peter Kovacs wants me to sort that out through my GP before the treatment starts which will cause approximately a four week delay in the starting date.

We were given a prescription for all the medications we would need – we said that we would prefer to buy them in Hungary as they would be cheaper – along with a map and directions for finding the pharmacy.

When we came out of the appointment both my husband and I said how comfortable we felt with Peter Kovacs and how he instilled confidence. He was very professional, and seemed to know just how much detail we needed. His English is perfect, and he is very upfront about the probabilities of success – he certainly does not try to give you false hope, but at the same time there is no doom and gloom story. As my husband said, he couldn’t imagine finding anybody better to undertake something so sensitive and important.

The medications that were prescribed to me include:

Provera

Gonal-F and

Merional

We were charged HUF 13,000 (approx. £43) for the consultation, which lasted about 1.5 hours, and HUF 8,000 (approx. £26.45) for the ultra sound – our next stop, the pharmacy!

IVF Cost so far £309.56