There was never a time where we went home disappointed in the care we received [from Dr Wilshire]. We may have been disappointed in outcomes along the way, but those were outcomes that were not in anyway in his control. They were outcomes left to nature and my body that did not cooperate with our plan. Dr Wilshire was always available for questions. He never turned us away or referred us to ask his nurses questions. He was genuine in the time spent with us.
When it came to finding a high risk doctor for our successful IVF twin pregnancy, they [Mid-Missouri Reproductive Medicine and Surgery] did all the work in getting an appointment set for us. Even after hours, even once we were past their care, they still answered pages in the middle of the night and put to rest any concerns we had.
How was your experience with Gil Wilshire at Missouri Fertility?
Dr Wilshire from the get go was very forward. He didn't sugar coat things, but he also was not too harsh or gruff in explaining the hard facts. From the first visit we were very confident. He moved forward with us immediately with a plan, from day 1. If we experienced any set backs or curveballs, he wasted no time in coming up with a new plan and putting it into place immediately. There was never a time where we went home disappointed in the care we received. We may have been disappointed in outcomes along the way, but those were outcomes that were not in anyway in his control. They were outcomes left to nature and my body that did not cooperate with our plan. Dr Wilshire was always available for questions. He never turned us away or referred us to ask his nurses questions. He was genuine in the time spent with us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gil Wilshire at Missouri Fertility?
He prepared for the truth. Nothing will be sugar coated. He is honest in what baseline factors need to be present to conceive. Whether it's losing weight, or gaining weight, or picking up exercise and getting healthier, or cutting back on exercise and letting your body heal. He knows what he is doing. Trust it!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gil Wilshire at Missouri Fertility?
The nurses or Dr Wilshire himself were available to us 24/7. During treatments, if we left appointments and thought of questions later, we could call at any time and have any question answered. When we had breakdowns and cried, Dr Wilshire himself lingered in the room for comfort. When it came to finding a high risk doctor for our successful IVF twin pregnancy, they did all the work in getting an appointment set for us. Even after hours, even once we were past their care, they still answered pages in the middle of the night and put to rest any concerns we had.
Describe the protocols Gil Wilshire used in your cycles at Missouri Fertility and their degree of success.
We first tried clomid, but thanks to my pituitary issues, my body did not respond to this at all. So we immediately moved go injectables. It was a fast change of plans, and scary. We didn't expect that so quick. But Dr Wilshire knew clomid was a waste of our time, so we moved on! IUI + follistim was next for us. Since I had plenty of eggs, and maturation/ ovulation was my issue, we started with half the typical dose. Being conservative worried me, but he was right, because even at a half dose I over-responded and the cycle was cancelled. The next cycle, they monitored me every other day instead of every few days, to titrate my dose as needed. With this, I even still was over stimulated and cancelled yet again. We gave it one more shot, and this time went so low and low that after two full weeks of injections, we had no lead egg(s) jumping out and they were in fact fizzling. So we cancelled and moved to IVF. Our protocol with this was going to still be conservative, and have both an agonist and antagonist approach. We chose this since I do get overstimulated easily. We did not want premature release of any follicles. So about half way into stims we added antagonists as well. We went: follistim, follistim+ menopur, menopur+ ganirelix, and trigger. That worked beautifully. Resulting in an abundance of eggs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Missouri Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Marnee)
We worked primarily with Amanda at first. She was very quiet but kind and compassionate. She answered any questions we had and always made us feel comfortable. Kim did our IUI, and was a very fun, but professional nurse to work with. Marnee was our IVF nurse, who is very to the point and honest, but cares deeply for each patient. Marnee can come off as stern, especially when explaining risks, but we quickly realized this is just because she genuinely cares and worries about each patient. The relief on her face when she saw me after we suffered from OHSS (ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome) said it all. We had a rough patch, but one office visit we came in and I was feeling much better. She let out a huge sigh of relief and said she'd been worried sick every night for us. This made us feel even more comfortable in their care.
Describe your experience with Missouri Fertility.
The clinic is set in an older building, but don't judge a book by its cover. Their office is in fact very nice, clean, and comfortable. They recently received new ultrasound machines which are much improved. Their surgery prep room and surgery room and situated right next to the lab where embryos are kept. During transfer you can literally see your eggs being drawn up into the catheter by the embryologist. It is comforting to be able to see all the "behind the scenes" action, because these are our babies we are talking about!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Gil Wilshire at Missouri Fertility.
Ultrasounds were roughly average, ~$100. IUI was average as well, aside from injectables, the procedure cost just a couple hundred. Ivf cost was reasonable and average. ~15K, including ICSI, not including genetic screening.
10
Clinic
Missouri Fertility
Columbia