How was your experience with Kimberly Moon at Shady Grove Fertility?
I've been a patient of Dr. Moon's for about three years, and have seen her about seven times: once for an initial consultation, again for a second consultation two years later, three or four times during my monitoring for my four IUIs, and most recently for another consultation after my IUIs were not successful. Every time, she has been warm, empathetic, and helpful. I really appreciate how she writes out the details of my protocol--the protocol itself and the medical explanation behind it--on a separate sheet of paper so that I can take it home with me. While I saw her only occasionally during my monitoring, I never expected to see her every day, as my clinic is large and the nurses are very capable. When she broke the news that I have low ovarian reserve, she showed a lot of compassion, even when I got very emotional in her office. She also encouraged me to explore options (donor egg and donor embryo) that I wouldn't have considered; clearly, she cares about getting me to my end goal of a baby. I have referred multiple friends to her. While I haven't yet been successful in getting pregnant, I consider this a fault of my eggs, rather than Dr. Moon--she's not a magician! I feel lucky to have a doctor who is so supportive, particularly since I'm a non-traditional patient (as a single mom by choice).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kimberly Moon at Shady Grove Fertility?
Also , it's helpful if you look through the clinic's website before seeing her, as it has a lot of good information on it; with a bit of background, you'll be able to ask informed questions and make the most of your time with Dr. Moon.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kimberly Moon at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Moon has been warm, friendly, and empathetic throughout my treatment, from my initial consultation through my most recent IUI. She shared her own experience with infertility very early on, and established a good rapport with me, which was important to me as a single mom by choice. When I broke down sobbing in her office, she never made me feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. I put a lot of stock in bedside manner, and Dr. Moon has absolutely exceeded my expectations since day 1.
Describe the protocols Kimberly Moon used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
Based on my initial testing, Dr. Moon diagnosed me with low ovarian reserve. She indicated that if cost was no object, she would recommend that I go straight to IVF. Because I have no insurance coverage for fertility treatment, cost is an object. She said I could try a few IUIs, and then decide to go to IVF, or then go to donor embryo. I appreciated that she didn't try to push one protocol over another, and left this very personal decision up to me. In terms of IUI natural versus medicated, she indicated that medicated IUIs would cost more and have a higher risk of multiples, without much of a payoff (ie, they would only raise my chance of a successful pregnancy by a few percentage points). After I did a first IUI completely unmedicated, she suggested that I use a trigger shot (Ovidrel) for my second IUI; I appreciated that she was looking at and thinking about my protocol and what would be most successful. I did three more IUIs, unmedicated except for a trigger shot, none of which were successful--but based on Dr. Moon's initial prognosis, I didn't really expect them to be. I did the IUIs because I needed to give using my own eggs a shot before I moved to donor egg or embryo. Dr. Moon understood and supported this decision. After four unsuccessful IUIs, she recommended that I move to another protocol, and I concurred.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Robin Peterson)
Robin has been great--extremely responsive and easy to get in touch with, very warm and friendly and helpful. I've always felt like she's in my corner and I could ask her anything.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
Shady Grove feels like an institution, and that carries pros and cons with it. I call it the "Bank of America" of fertility clinics, in the sense that they dominate the local market here. That said, while I usually prefer a more intimate, personal approach, I decided to stick with them because I love my doctor and nurse, and because I think they get results (even if I haven't yet been successful). Also, because they are larger, they are able to offer additional resources like support groups (the one that I attend has been invaluable).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kimberly Moon at Shady Grove Fertility.
I had insurance coverage for most of my diagnostic procedures and consultations, and for none of my actual fertility procedures. I paid $1200 for each IUI (actually, I paid $1140, as I had a 5% discount through their discount program).
Describe Kimberly Moon's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
N/a (though I think she usually recommends single embryo transfer).