Dr. Rodgers has personally called me on multiple occasions. She called me when I had to cancel an IUI cycle, she called me with my final fertilization report, and she shared personal experiences while I was miscarrying. I recently had a hysterscopy and D&C performed and she sat in bed with me to discuss my results. She also called me the next day to see how I was doing....Dr. Rodgers will give you a ton of information and tell you what she thinks is best for you, but she is also willing to discuss any research you may have discovered on your own. She definitely advocates for her patients and makes sure you are involved in your treatment plan. She generally answers questions you did not know you even had, but also make sure you ask the questions you do have.
Because it [FCI] is a large practice, some procedures may not actually be done by Dr. Rodgers. My egg retrieval was performed by another doctor, but I never once felt my quality of care was compromised. Dr. Rodgers will try her best to make sure she can perform transfers and any surgeries you may need. We had a slight issue with the billing department because they did not send my husband's initial testing through insurance. Because of this, we had to pay out of pocket. Once they did send it though, they were very slow to issue a refund and would not issue it until my account was also paid off. We have finally received the refund, but that process took longer than expected.
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
When I first met with Dr. Rodgers, I was extremely nervous because I did not know what to expect. However, she quickly put me at ease. She told me what she thought was going on, explained the process for figuring it out, and then made sure I had all of her contact information. Once I had a diagnosis and started the process she was very upfront about everything. She explained things in terms I understood and addressed any and all issues I had. After my first failed cycle, she called me personally to tell my beta hCG results were negative and discussed next steps. Each appointment we had with her she was incredibly informative and discussed our chances of success and what to expect. I think one of Dr. Rodgers' strengths is her compassion. She herself has been through the gamut of fertility treatment and because of this, she totally understands where each and every patient is coming from. I feel like I am thoroughly cared for by Dr. Rodgers and honestly could not ask for a better doctor to have to go through this journey with.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers will give you a ton of information and tell you what she thinks is best for you, but she is also willing to discuss any research you may have discovered on your own. She definitely advocates for her patients and makes sure you are involved in your treatment plan. She generally answers questions you did not know you even had, but also make sure you ask the questions you do have.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers has personally called me on multiple occasions. She called me when I had to cancel an IUI cycle, she called me with my final fertilization report, and she shared personal experiences while I was miscarrying. I recently had a hysterscopy and D&C performed and she sat in bed with me to discuss my results. She also called me the next day to see how I was doing.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Our first cycle was a timed intercourse and Letrozole cycle. I took Letrozole on cycle days 5-9. The rationale behind this was the fact that I have PCOS and do not ovulate on my own. If I could ovulate, I could potentially get pregnant. Unfortunately, I began surging on my own with only a 14.5mm follicle so while I did the trigger shot, it did not produce a mature enough egg. I did not get pregnant this cycle. My second cycle we chose to do an injectable IUI cycle. The rationale behind this was that while I produced one follicle on Letrozole, it was not large enough. The injectables (Gonal-f) would hopefully produce a few mature follicles. Unfortunately, after 19 days of stimming, I had 10 follicles growing at the same rate. This cycle was cancelled. We finally opted for IVF. We used an antagonist protocol with Gonal-f, Menopur, and Ganirelix. I stimmed for eleven days. Days 1-4 I was on 200iu of Gonal-f. Days 5-10 I was on 150iu Gonal-f, 75iu Menopur and Ganirelix. Day 11 I was on 100iu Gonal-f, 75iu Menopur, and Ganirelix. Day 12 I triggered with 20iu of Lupron. Day 13 I had to add an hCG booster. On Day 14, I had 24 eggs retrieved, 16 of them were mature and 14 were ICSIed. We ended up with seven day 5 blastocysts and two day 6 blastocysts. This was a freeze all cycle as I have a rather high AMH and PCOS. In January we transferred one 2AA blastocyst and ended up getting pregnant. Unfortunately, this ended in a loss at 7w3d. I am currently prepping for a May FET.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Amber)
Amber is definitely my go to. Whenever I have questions she is quick to e-mail or call me back with answers. She is incredibly compassionate and knowledgable. Her coordination with Dr. Rodgers is amazing and I always feel like I am getting the best care. At times I felt incredibly overwhelmed with the process, but Amber always put my mind at ease. She has made this journey tolerable and I cannot imagine having a better nurse to help me through the process.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Fertility Centers of Illinois is a large clinic, but they do have many smaller offices in the suburbs. Almost all of the blood work and ultrasound appointments, and meeting with Dr. Rodgers will be at your home office. Sometimes you may have to go to the River North location for an appointment or two, but that depends on the cycle you are in. For example, during IVF I had to have weekend monitoring appointments so I had to go to River North. Because it is a large practice, some procedures may not actually be done by Dr. Rodgers. My egg retrieval was performed by another doctor, but I never once felt my quality of care was compromised. Dr. Rodgers will try her best to make sure she can perform transfers and any surgeries you may need. We had a slight issue with the billing department because they did not send my husband's initial testing through insurance. Because of this, we had to pay out of pocket. Once they did send it though, they were very slow to issue a refund and would not issue it until my account was also paid off. We have finally received the refund, but that process took longer than expected.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We are extremely fortunate to have excellent insurance coverage. Once I hit my deductible, I was only responsible for 10% of the total cost of fertility care. Each time I meet with Dr. Rodgers personally I have a $40 co-pay. Other than that I just pay the lab and ultrasound costs. With that said, this treatment still has not been cheap, but it has been incredibly affordable because of my insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost appointments
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We have had very minimal problems with FCI Lindenhurst. However, with that said, they are worth noting. The day we found out that I would be miscarrying we scheduled an appointment for two days later. I was supposed to have a follow up ultrasound and meeting with Dr. Rodgers because she just wanted to confirm what she saw previously. This appointment somehow got lost in the shuffle and they were confused when we showed up. However, they fit us in and even called the ultrasound technician back to the office to do the ultrasound. It was nerve-wracking but it ended up being ok in the end. The only other problem I have had was either unsent ultrasound results or possibly a delay in them being sent and my OB/GYN not receiving them. I had to go in for a colposcopy after my miscarriage and my OB/GYN walked in the room and said, "congratulations." She had only received the initial OB ultrasound from FCI that confirmed my pregnancy. This was heartbreaking at the time.
10
Clinic
Fertility Centers of Illinois
Lindenhurst (closed)