I got kicked out of Shady Grove's shared risk yesterday

[Anonymous]

I would leave SG. My first cycle ever was botched at SG. Everything looked great all the way along, but then only 3 or my 15+ eggs fertilized normally. The rest were fertilized by two sperm each. I did a ton of research in medical journals that pointed pretty clearly toward premature trigger. Another clinic I spoke with basically agreed, and also thought I should have been offered ICSI based on a mild male factor issue.

Switched to CCRM, switched from long lupron to antagonist protocol with Lupron trigger, and had one live birth with own eggs at 41 and change and am now 37 weeks pregnant with second child, also own eggs. I have never had a repeat of the poor fertilization rate that I had at SG.

To its credit, I have not known CCRM to turn away patients. Even women with horrible statistics have been given an opportunity to cycle there with own eggs, albeit after being counseled about the dismal chances of success. If you have any good eggs left--and at your age you probably do--they will pull out all the stops to find them.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm in shared risk at Shady Grove but this next cycle, my second, is my last--either it works or I'm pulling out my money. The shared risk is great financially but I think it leads SG to care less about each individual cycle, they are playing the overall numbers, thus the robotic approach.

I echo that if you can afford to go to CCRM, then that is your best bet. They gave me low odds at my age even if I cycled with them, so I just couldn't afford to risk the money. But if I had more money, and had been your age, I would have gone there first.

Even now, when judging a doctor's protocol/suggestions, I'm more comfortable with it if CCRM also recommends the same thing (gleaned from reading their forums or from friends who have cycled there).

[Anonymous]

Go to Cornell. Seriously. I wouldn't waste my time with any place locally. I cycled at Cornell after failed cycles at SGF. I didn't end up successful at either clinic, but I will say that Dr. Davis at Cornell has enormous success with hard cases.

[Anonymous]

I didn't know SGF let's you test for NKC or treat them? When I was there they didn't and I had two Fresh DE and five Fets and no baby here on earth. Long story.

[Anonymous]

Just my experience, at 33-34, i had two failed IVF cycles with CFA and then SG. I am convinced the second one they botched the transfer (i had very strong, weird cramping, that i now recognize were uterine contractions. Yep, they poked my uterus.). Cnsulted with and did all the testing with CCRM. Was about to start cycle with CCRM when i turned up pregnant on our own. I now have 2 kids that are not the result of IVF. So, if their only reason for pushing DE is 2 failed cycles, screw them.
I know everyone hates the "pregnant naturally after failed ivf"stories. I hated them too. But i do think there is so much these people don't know. I found the CcRM docs actually more humble about trying new stuff and admitting how much is unknown.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I can't afford to do more traditional cycles and then move to donor egg. Based on that it probably makes sense to move to donor egg at this point. I'm going through the mock cycle at shady grove to do the lining check but I'll probably pull out and move to RBA for the actual cycle.

This may sound dumb, but I just want someone to give me an honest opinion on my two cycles and the actual chances I would have to conceive and deliver with my own eggs. I'm stuck on it.

[Anonymous]

I would leave Shady Grove. I am 30 years old and have premature ovarian failure and they would not let me into the shared risk program. They told me immediately to go to donor egg, which I felt was extreme since I am young and already have a child. The thought of spending so much and it not working was too much for me so we decided to try Dominion Fertility's natural cycle ivf. Since the problem is that I don't have many eggs to begin with (similar to someone going through menopause on the next couple of years) they don't even try to stimulate you to make more. The idea is to use the one that naturally matures and could be of better quality because of it. It is $4,400 a cycle instead of I think $9,500 that we were quoted at Shady Grove. Anyways, it worked the first time even though Shady Grove literally told me they could "give it a shot but chances were low of it working". They only seem to care about their stats and not the patients. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

PP we had a similar experience and got a BFP with NCIVF but unfortunately I m/cd at 7 wks. We are trying again this month and just had egg retrieval today.

[Anonymous]

PP I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I really hope this time works out for you! I just found found out I am pregnant and am still in the scary/early days but I still have made it much farther than Shady Grove ever made it seem like I would get, so I am happy and would definitely recommend Dominion. It is also not as hard on your body, with so many fewer drugs. It is so emotionally draining to go through this that I think you need to feel comfortable with your clinic. Shady Grove did not make me feel that. They just made me feel bad that I had something wrong with me.

[Anonymous]

SG will not have my gratitude even after I have my baby--they act like they're doing my a favor by taking tens of thousands of dollars from me and forcing me to chase after them for basic information on cycle timing.

"I appreciate your patience as I try to coordinate". . . umm, you can take a minute to send an email for the money I'm paying, and if coordinating is so hard, give me my money back and I'll do it for you. I can communicate between three parties without acting put upon.

SG's shared risk is the only reason I'm there, as money matters but I've found them incredibly unprofessional during this last cycle.

[Anonymous]

Shady Grove sucks and they take advantage of the easy cases to make money and kick the hard cases to better clinics.

[Anonymous]

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I can't afford to do more traditional cycles and then move to donor egg. Based on that it probably makes sense to move to donor egg at this point. I'm going through the mock cycle at shady grove to do the lining check but I'll probably pull out and move to RBA for the actual cycle.

This may sound dumb, but I just want someone to give me an honest opinion on my two cycles and the actual chances I would have to conceive and deliver with my own eggs. I'm stuck on it.

I am sorry OP. So frustrating. I think you do not have an accurate diagnosis for what is going wrong. We ended at Dominion with twins. Dr D changed the protocol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shady Grove sucks and they take advantage of the easy cases to make money and kick the hard cases to better clinics.

I agree. CCRM takes hard cases and still has phenomenal success.

SG is a factory, with no attention to individual variation, even though when something doesn't work, it's blame on individual variation. They're infuriating--if they're going to work without putting thought into it, they should charge a lot less--SG is like using a form for a contract instead of having a lawyer draft it up to suit your circumstances. It works if your case is straightforward.

[Anonymous]

SGF is the worst place in our area for IVF.