Describe your experience with Fertility First.
This is a very small office, as Dr. Archer is the only doctor. That can make it feel very personalized at times. However, it doesn't feel as private as it should. It's hard not to hear what's going on with other patients who are being seen before you, and there's no separate entrance or exit for men who are, ahem, giving their samples....so it can be very awkward and, I'm sure, embarrassing for the men.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Johanna S. Archer at Fertility First?
Dr. Archer seems to genuinely care about her work and her patients. However, she does tend to rush through appointments and keep her eyes on the chart unless you stop her to talk or ask questions.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Since it is a very small office, the same staff was there most of the time. One of the nurses was friendly and always remembered me. The other nurse was somewhat abrasive in personality and seemed to get annoyed easily by patients.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility First?
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
How was your experience with Johanna S. Archer at Fertility First?
My overall experience with Dr. Archer was that she genuinely loves what she does and wants to help everyone she can. She seems very dedicated to helping people have the children that they desire so badly, and is very flexible with scheduling and payment. And my husband and I would like to go back to her when we get in a position to afford IVF. That being said, she seems to spread herself too thin with too many patients. Our appointments with her rarely lasted more than 5-10 minutes, and she seemed to rush through the information and plan for the next step. Even after seeing her multiple times a month for over a year, she always had to review my chart during appointments like she didn't remember me. I know it's hard for a doctor to keep up with all the details of every patient's treatment, but it felt a little more impersonal than this process should feel.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Johanna S. Archer at Fertility First?
Ask questions, get her to slow down when she's explaining things to you so you completely understand your treatment, and be open and honest with her about what you want and what your limitations are (financial, physical, emotional).
Describe the protocols Johanna S. Archer used in your cycles at Fertility First and their degree of success.
My first cycle, we used Clomid and Dr. Archer monitored follicle growth with ultrasounds every few days. She increased the dosage as we went if she wasn't seeing the growth she needed to see. After Clomid was not effective, we switched to Femera and followed the same strategies of monitoring follicle growth with ultrasounds and increasing the dosage as we went if needed. When at least 2 follicles reached the right size, we did a trigger shot to make me ovulate, and then timed intercourse. After 3 cycles of this not being effective, we moved to Femera with a trigger shot and IUI. The second cycle resulted in a chemical pregnancy. After the 3rd cycle failed, we decided to take a break from treatments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Johanna S. Archer at Fertility First.
Around $1000 per IUI cycle