Dr. Purcell does every ultrasound and while they are typically quick, she will always stay and answer questions or concerns that I have. I feel that she is always thinking deeply and processing things, even though she doesn’t always explain in detail unless asked.... I have amenorrhea and don’t cycle on my own, so my protocol was always a little different, and everything was based on how I reposnded based on my bloodwork. For my IUIs, I took a combination of clomid, ovidril, and progesterone.
The clinic [C.A.R.E.] is quaint, comfortable and welcoming. The staff at the fron, Irene specifially will great you and offer you something to drink. They have water, tea, coffee, and a variety of other options to drink.... I love working with Sandra and feel I get my best care when I work with her. I don’t feel as comfortable with the other nurses, not because they are not great, but because I don’t feel they know me or what my issues are.
How was your experience with Karen Purcell at C.A.R.E for the Bay Area?
Dr. Purcell is a Yale MD and PhD and and I feel confident in her knowledge and experience. I am unsure of her statistics and never thought to ask, as I was impressed with her from our first consultation. Dr. Purcell does every ultrasound and while they are typically quick, she will always stay and answer questions or concerns that I have. I feel that she is always thinking deeply and processing things, even though she doesn’t always explain in detail unless asked. Sometimes I don’t know what questions to ask, and so I don’t always get all the information I need, but when I do, she always explains things thoroughly. She pays attention to my schedule and works to build my treatment plan around it. I know she takes the time to think about me when I’m not there as she will get back to me once she processes all the information and blood work results. When I have called before with questions the nurse cannot answer, Dr. Purcell has taken the time to call me back. We are still in the midst of treatment, and have not been successful yet, but I would still highly recommend her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Karen Purcell at C.A.R.E for the Bay Area?
Do more outside research of procedures so you know what to expect going in. She is good at explaining medically what will happen, but not all the logistics. I also felt unprepared for the extent of the recovery post retrieval, but Dr. Purcell was also surprised by how severely my body reacted, so she couldn’t have prepared me for that.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Karen Purcell at C.A.R.E for the Bay Area?
What I like about C.A.R.E. is that it is strictly Dr. Purcell’s clinic, making it a little smaller and intimate. I work with Sandra mostly and feel that she tracks and supports my care pretty closely. Irene always greets me when I was in and asks if I would like something to drink. They allow me to bring my daughter when needed, and even volunteered to watch her while my husband and I had a consultation with Dr. Purcell. I feel they have been very accommodating with my schedule, especially since I have to go so often. They allow me to come for blood draws before the clinic officially opens so I don’t have to bring my daughter with me, and have offered to stay late to meet us for a consultation or for my husband to fill out paperwork.
Describe the protocols Karen Purcell used in your cycles at C.A.R.E for the Bay Area and their degree of success.
I have amenorrhea and don’t cycle on my own, so my protocol was always a little different, and everything was based on how I reposnded based on my bloodwork. For my IUIs, I took a combination of clomid, ovidril, and progesterone. For my retrieval cycle and one FET I took menopur, follistim, and ganirelix, plus progesterone post transfer. For my second FET I took estrace and PIO.
Describe your experience with your nurse at C.A.R.E for the Bay Area. (Assigned nurse: Sandra)
I love working with Sandra and feel I get my best care when I work with her. I don’t feel as comfortable with the other nurses, not because they are not great, but because I don’t feel they know me or what my issues are. When we had a calendar issue around a trip, Sandra built out 5 calendar options and sat down with me for 30 minutes to go over each one so that I could select which worked best. When I was having an issue with information, she promised to sit in on the the next appointment so she could answer any additional questions I had.
Describe your experience with C.A.R.E for the Bay Area.
The clinic is quaint, comfortable and welcoming. The staff at the fron, Irene specifially will great you and offer you something to drink. They have water, tea, coffee, and a variety of other options to drink.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Karen Purcell at C.A.R.E for the Bay Area.
Insurance: 41K
Personal: roughly 5K
Describe Karen Purcell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at C.A.R.E for the Bay Area.
Dr. Purcell feels strongly in eSET when embryos have been PGS tested. I understood her reasoning, and agreed to avoid the risk.
What specific things went wrong at C.A.R.E for the Bay Area?
- Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at C.A.R.E for the Bay Area.
One time I had a nurse forget to call following a pregnancy test (that was negative). I had to call and ask the following day. I had started my cycle so I knew the results but it was very upsetting. When Dr. Purcell found out she was very upset and apologized. The next results I needed, they called twice and emailed to get in touch with me. I have never had another issue.
9
Clinic
C.A.R.E for the Bay Area
Los Gatos