Dr. Cabrera was kind and warm, but the consummate professional. He was straightforward, didn't sugarcoat anything, but always positive and encouraging. He is incredibly knowledgeable, and always knew how to convey the knowledge in a way that we understood what was going on...Due to the severity of my endometriosis, I was determined not to be a candidate for IUI, but the perfect candidate for IVF...
Everyone [at Brown Fertility] knew our names, and they welcomed us with big smiles when we walked in. The only downside to Brown Fertility was having to go to a different location for our retrieval and transfer. We didn't have the comfort of knowing the staff at the Jacksonville location, prior to having such big procedures done...Our IVF cycle included all visits required to prepare, HSG, all necessary baseline ultrasounds, oocyte retrieval and frozen embryo transfer, and cost approximately $10,370 (not including medications).
How was your experience with Rafael Cabrera at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Cabrera was kind and warm, but the consummate professional. He was straightforward, didn't sugarcoat anything, but always positive and encouraging. He is incredibly knowledgeable, and always knew how to convey the knowledge in a way that we understood what was going on.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rafael Cabrera at Brown Fertility?
Ask a lot of questions and take your time when you're in the office. There are no silly questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rafael Cabrera at Brown Fertility?
From the moment we walked into the office for our initial consultation, to the day we "graduated" to a regular OBGYN, our care staff doted on us. My nurse held me while I sobbed after getting poor test results, they called us after hours to make sure our first injections went smoothly and to ask if we had any questions or needed help. They were flexible with their schedule, they explained everything a million times so we completely understood what was happening, or what our tests results meant, and they were always positive, while being honest and realistic. When it came down to choosing a "package," they didn't recommend the biggest one (in terms of cost), instead they looked at our health and fertility situation, and guided us to one that fit our needs. They truly cared about us, mourned with us, and celebrated with us when we found out our transfer of two embryos resulted in the birth of our sweet fraternal twins.
Describe the protocols Rafael Cabrera used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
May 2017 - initial consultation with Dr. Cabrera to discuss health history, and what Brown Fertility does. They briefly reviewed the IVF process.
June 2017 - Blood test done to ascertain AMH and other various levels. HSG done to investigate the condition of my tubes and uterus (blockages and such). My husband also underwent blood testing as well as a semen sample. My right tube was found to be almost completely blocked (I did not have a left tube at that point, as a result of a left salpingectomy), and my right ovary was scarred to my uterus. My endometriosis was determined to be a level 4 throughout. The inside of my uterus looked clean and clear, however. My husband was the epitome of child-bearing health. Due to the severity of my endometriosis, I was determined not to be a candidate for IUI, but the perfect candidate for IVF. My AMH was incredibly high, so that couple with my husband's stellar sperm, Dr. Cabrera anticipated a successful oocyst retrieval and hopefully a number of healthy embryos as a result.
July 2017 - we took the month off to relax and let my body rest before starting the IVF process.
August 2017 - Took birth control and baby aspirin for two weeks in order to regulate my cycle and shut down my reproductive system. A trial transfer was performed to ensure there would be no surprises during the actual transfer. Everything went smoothly.
September 2017 - I started initial injections on September 2, and continued through September 9. Meds varied, but typical day looked like this: Gonal-F (150 units) // Lo Dose hCG (20 units) // Cetrotide // Aspirin 81 mg. I did one trigger shot of Ovidrel on September 10, in preparation for our September 12 retrieval. I was directed to take doxycycline from September 11-16, for prevention against risk of bacterial infections. Cabergoline was prescribed for September 12-19, to reduce incidence of OHSS.
Oocyte retrieval went smoothly, with a total of 23 eggs retrieved. With that many eggs, however, I was diagnosed with OHSS, so we ended up doing a freeze all cycle. Our eggs were fertilized using ICSI, and we ended up with 13, day 5 blastocysts.
October 2017 - Once my body recovered from OHSS, I resumed birth control and baby aspirin, in order to continue regulating and normalizing my menstrual cycle. Once I completed two weeks of birth control, and my reproductive system was quiet and under control, we began preparations for our November frozen embryo transfer. I took a pregnancy test on October 14, as a precaution prior to beginning next phase of meds. Upon negative result, we added Leuprolide (Lupron) 10 units daily. Birth control discontinued on October 20, Lupron continued at 10 units. Baseline ultrasound conducted to ensure no reproductive activity was occurring. When that was confirmed, Estradiol was added to daily regimen - twice daily, increasing over time until November 9. November 9, Lupron was discontinued, and progesterone added.
November 16, we transferred two little embryos. Estradiol continued until mid-December. A two-week blood pregnancy test was done on November 27, and came back POSITIVE! A second round of bloodwork was done to confirm increasing HCG, and was positive. Progesterone continued until 10 weeks.
July 23, 2018 - At 38 weeks and 2 days, we gave birth via c-section to fraternal boy/girl twins. Both were healthy, and required no NICU stay. They are 21 months old as of today!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Elizabeth Carson, ARNP)
Cami was kind and compassionate, but also a straight shooter, and incredibly intelligent. She didn't sugarcoat things, which was refreshing in a world of "just relax, you'll have a baby one day." She prepared us for what was to come, but was encouraging throughout the process. If something didn't make sense to us, she took the time to explain it in a way we would understand.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
The clinic was conveniently located amongst other medical facilities. It was clean, welcoming, and intimate. Because it's not a giant clinic, we didn't feel like we were puppies being shuffled through a puppy mill. Everyone knew our names, and they welcomed us with big smiles when we walked in. The only downside to Brown Fertility was having to go to a different location for our retrieval and transfer. We didn't have the comfort of knowing the staff at the Jacksonville location, prior to having such big procedures done. However, because everyone was just as kind and accommodating as our Orlando team, we still felt comfortable there.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rafael Cabrera at Brown Fertility.
Our IVF cycle included all visits required to prepare, HSG, all necessary baseline ultrasounds, oocyte retrieval and frozen embryo transfer, and cost approximately $10,370 (not including medications).
Describe Rafael Cabrera's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
Our doctor initially recommended transferring one embryo, because of my age and the intention of doing a fresh cycle. Upon deciding to do frozen transfer, they suggested two embryos to increase our chances. We were adequately educated on the chances, risks, and possible outcomes of transferring one or two.
10
Clinic
Brown Fertility
Jacksonville