Dr. Jungheim constantly has our best interest at heart. You can tell she genuinely cares about my husband and I's struggle with infertility and she is constantly finding ways/different options for us to make it possible to have a baby...She has personally called me before, spending 30+ minutes on the phone, talking about diagnoses and the treatment plan from there...personally called our insurance company and fought with them explaining why this step in the IVF process is medically necessary for my husband and I
They sometimes offer drinks [at Washington University School of Medicine] while we wait, if it is going to be a a while. The office, patient rooms, and labs are all very clean. The front desk women are always very nice and courteous. I cannot think of a weakness, unless some want to count the occasional phone call missed or the clinic running behind, but again, they always update us and things happen.
How was your experience with Emily Jungheim at Washington University School of Medicine?
Dr. Jungheim cares for her patients. She has personally called me before, spending 30+ minutes on the phone, talking about diagnoses and the treatment plan from there. She makes me feel like she cares about me and my need to have a baby. My husband and I are both CF carriers, so we determined, along with Dr. Jungheim that PGD/PGS would have to be done to ensure that the CF gene is not passed along to our children. Long story short, insurance DENIED the PGD/PGS, however Dr. Jungheim personally called our insurance company and fought with them explaining why this step in the IVF process is medically necessary for my husband and I, to only have my insure company approve it. I strongly believe Dr. Jungheim would do this for any of her patients and I know that she cares for me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Emily Jungheim at Washington University School of Medicine?
See her, if you are facing infertility. She will not only figure out the best course of treatment for you, but will fight for you, until she finds something that will work. She is constantly willing to think of new ways to help my husband and I and she explains everything, in and out, regardless of how long it takes. There is never a rush with her, while she is talking to me, and that makes me feel so important.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Emily Jungheim at Washington University School of Medicine?
Dr. Jungheim constantly has our best interest at heart. You can tell she genuinely cares about my husband and I's struggle with infertility and she is constantly finding ways/different options for us to make it possible to have a baby.
Describe the protocols Emily Jungheim used in your cycles at Washington University School of Medicine and their degree of success.
First, Dr. Jungheim felt it to be necessary to get a genetic screening on me, as my husband was already a known CF carrier. We all thought nothing of it, that I would be fine, but the screening did also say I was a CF carrier as well. Dr. Jungheim is the one to make that call, and I can't think her enough for it, as we could have passed that disease along and it would've been awful. So, we are currently in the middle of the PGD/PGS development. We spoke with Dr. Jungheim about 3 weeks ago, regarding the details, as we cannot proceed with any cycles until we get confirmation that the development was complete, however it could be at anytime now. So, she put me on birth control at that time. This will help knowing right where I am in my cycle, so we are able to start/stop things if needed right away. She also put me on a prenatal vitamin just to help get my body ready. Once the development of the PGD/PGS is confirmed, I will start my medication for stimulation. cannot remember exactly which ones I will be on, but I know she said roughly I will be on meds for about 14 days before the egg retrieval. From there, the embryos will be made and grow for 6 days. At that time, the surviving embryos will be biopsied and frozen. The biopsies themselves will be sent to the company for the PGD/PGS and we will wait about 2 weeks to hear if any of those embryos are medically clear for transfer. If there are more than 1, we will keep them frozen, as we are only implanting one.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Washington University School of Medicine. (Assigned nurse: Kate, Melanie)
All of the nursing staff at the office is great. They are usually very quick on calling back, to answer questions. My clinic also has an online patient portal, and if I get impatient, I also write them via the portal, and they are also quick to respond on that as well. They are all very sweet, and just like Dr. Jungheim, I can tell that they care for the patients.
Describe your experience with Washington University School of Medicine.
They are always on time, and if they rent, they are sure to update me and apologize. They sometimes offer drinks while we wait, if it is going to be a a while. The office, patient rooms, and labs are all very clean. The front desk women are always very nice and courteous. I cannot think of a weakness, unless some want to count the occasional phone call missed or the clinic running behind, but again, they always update us and things happen.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Emily Jungheim at Washington University School of Medicine.
I am still in the procees, so no bills have come to us yet. I have had a Saline Sonogram, which the bill was around $2,000, but I only had to pay $35 after inuracne. I do know that the PGD/PGS development will cost around $6,000, meds will cost anywhere between $3,500-$4,500 and the IVF procedures themselves which also have to include ICSI, freezing of the embryos, etc will be about $10,000, if not more.
Describe Emily Jungheim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Washington University School of Medicine.
Dr. Jungheim, and the rest of her clinic, are very reluctant on transferring multiple embryos. Of course, it depends on the mothers age, and other health concerns, but for me, Dr. Jungheim explained that I am otherwise healthy and also with my husband and I having to go through PGD/PDS, there is a high likelyhood that the one embryo that we implant, will take. I fully trust herin this. Dr. Jugheim explained, that transferring 2 embryos does not necessarily increase the risk of pregnancy, as if one embryo wants to take, it'll take, but transferring two embryos does increase the chance for multiples, which then becomes high risk.
10
Clinic
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis - Central West End