She [Dr. Jun] lays out the all the facts and circumstances, takes time to carefully explain what to expect, what is going on, what can be done, and allows the my partner and I to digest the information before making any decisions. While she does provide her recommendations, she also provides alternatives so that as a patient, I can choose what I am comfortable with. This is makes me feel like I am still able to control my body, rather than being treated as just another patient going through the IVF machine...
The clinic facility [CCRM San Francisco] feels clean and spacious and appropriately equipped. While a lot of patients go through every hour, everything feels completely sanitary and never crowded...My primary nurse coordinator Ellie is great...She is super organized and will make sure that you complete all the paperwork correctly and respond to any questions timely. All the nursing staff that I have interacted with at CCRM have been very nice...
How was your experience with Sunny Jun at CCRM San Francisco?
I have completed 2 egg retrievals so far and frozen a few genetically normal embryos. There are a few things in particularly that makes me really appreciate Dr. Jun's approach: 1) I think she laid out a good strategy that works for me and my partner. At my age and with my already diminished ovarian reserve, she suggested that we figure out how many children we potentially want to have and work on creating enough embryos to be able to realize our goals. This way, I am currently only focused on the success of each IVF cycle based on the results from each retrieval. I have not done implantation yet and don't have to deal with the disappointments from any unsuccessful attempts. Emotionally, this keeps me much more focused and balanced. Once I have collected a sufficient number of embryos, I would move on to the next phase. While this approach is designed to collect my eggs sooner rather than later to ensure higher quality, it has the added benefit of avoiding that feeling of having to start all over from square one if there is a failed implantation. 2) Dr Jun suggested that I get tested for endometriosis after the completion of the first retrieval. I appreciated that she waited to see the results from 1 cycle before suggesting this, especially given that the test was not covered by insurance. This made me feel like Dr. Jun is also sensitive to how much the patient has to spend on this process.
Dr. Jun makes it clear that the body is slightly different every cycle, so it is not an exact science when trying out different protocols from one cycle to the next. I have been put on different protocols each time, presumably based on prior cycle's results and additional diagnostic information obtained regarding my endometrial condition. However, it would be helpful to hear from Dr. Jun or my nurse coordinator what is being considered to arrive at the decisions behind the changes to each cycle's protocol, medication changes, dosage changes, etc. Providing a little more insight and helping the patient understand the protocol better would help ease the suspicion that the whole process might be based on random guesswork.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sunny Jun at CCRM San Francisco?
Be as prepared as possible with all the questions you have. Dr. Jun will cover the basics and answer all the questions you have, but it is up to the patient to drill into the details. If you're the type of person that cares about the details, it is best to come prepared to each scheduled meeting, given that you would probably only interact with Dr. Jun once, maybe twice, throughout each cycle.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sunny Jun at CCRM San Francisco?
All my encounters, including Zoom meetings and diagnostic procedures, with Dr. Jun have been very professional and courteous. She lays out the all the facts and circumstances, takes time to carefully explain what to expect, what is going on, what can be done, and allows the my partner and I to digest the information before making any decisions. While she does provide her recommendations, she also provides alternatives so that as a patient, I can choose what I am comfortable with. This is makes me feel like I am still able to control my body, rather than being treated as just another patient going through the IVF machine. IVF is a challenging process for any woman, and Dr. Jun's approach has kept me from developing resentment towards this long journey.
Describe the protocols Sunny Jun used in your cycles at CCRM San Francisco and their degree of success.
I don't feel like I have a good understanding of the rationale behind my treatment strategies and protocols used in each cycle. This is an area where I think Dr. Jun could spend some time with the patient to explain at the beginning of each cycle.
Describe your experience with your nurse at CCRM San Francisco. (Assigned nurse: Ellie)
My primary nurse coordinator Ellie is great. She has been doing this for a long time and does a great job of hand holding me through each step. She is super organized and will make sure that you complete all the paperwork correctly and respond to any questions timely. All the nursing staff that I have interacted with at CCRM have been very nice. I have a real fear of needles and an oddly positioned ovary that makes it dreadful to go into the clinic frequently for the mandatory in-cycle blood work and ultrasounds. However, the staff has been so empathetic and tries their best to ease my anxiety and discomfort. This makes the word's difference for me, and is probably one of the biggest reasons that I recommended another friend to also seek fertility treatment at CCRM.
Describe your experience with CCRM San Francisco.
The clinic facility feels clean and spacious and appropriately equipped. While a lot of patients go through every hour, everything feels completely sanitary and never crowded. I have only experienced long wait times (close to an hour past my scheduled appointment) a couple of times when the clinic runs behind schedule. I have not had any negative experience with any staff member; all the staff members are on top of things and trying to help me make the best out of this less than ideal journey that I am not particularly enthused about going on. I am dealing with some billing issues that I believe was processed in error; however, I don't know if the error originated with the clinic's billing department or my insurance carrier.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sunny Jun at CCRM San Francisco.
My costs are covered by insurance, so I am responsible for my annual deductible up to the out of pocket maximum. The only cost that was not covered was the Receptiva test to diagnosis the possibility of endometriosis. However, the clinic was very upfront about communicating that this would not be covered by my insurance.
Describe Sunny Jun's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at CCRM San Francisco.
We have not reached this stage nor discussed the approach to embryo transfer.
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Clinic
CCRM San Francisco
Menlo Park