How was your experience with Lori Homa at Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny?
Dr. Homa diagnosed me with Diminished Ovarian Reserve based on low AMH (.73) I had normal AFC and FSH. I was not happy with my experience at this clinic. I complained about having pain with sex and that I think I might have endometriosis. She said to talk to my gyno about the pain, but she would not perform surgery for endometriosis for infertility.
The reason I left this clinic was that I had a huge cyst at my baseline cycle and she still let me proceed with Femara. On CD 14, the cyst doubled in size and I had 1 17mm follicle. She told me to trigger the next morning and do the IUI on Friday. I didn't feel comfortable wasting a $100 trigger or spending $375 on the IUI on a cycle with the cyst so I canceled. The next day on CD 15, I got AF estrogen break through bleeding. I went back in on CD 3 and she said it wasn't my period and I had ovulated since I had a high progesterone. This was wrong. My progesterone was pre ovulation and my other numbers indicated that I was in a new cycle. IN fact, my u/s from 3 days before showed that uterine lining was already in the process of shedding. Something that I was not informed with.
After this incident, I made an appointment at another clinic and didn't look back. My gyno ended up doing a lap surgery on me and diagnosed me with endometriosis. After my surgery, my AMH was 1.73 indicating my reserve for my age was not LOW.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lori Homa at Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny?
Please do your own research. Do not just follow the doctor's orders.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lori Homa at Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny?
The nurses did all the work in this office. They did follow up with you. However, I do not think they remembered my name every appointment. Just my face.
Describe the protocols Lori Homa used in your cycles at Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny and their degree of success.
At our first consultation, Dr. Homa suggested hybrid cycles for me (femara plus gonal F). She suggested this protocol because I had a short luteal phase. She said that since I was DOR I had poor quality eggs and she wanted to fix the eggs at the beginning of the cycle so my luteal phase would extend.
I wasn't comfortable jumping into injectables, so we stuck with femara and trigger for 3 cycles. Didn't get pregnant. Then we moved on to femara plus gonal f for one cycle. I responded well to all cycles but never got pregnant. We added an IUI for the hybrid cycle.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny.
Overall, the nursing staff was okay. Jen was great. The other ones I didn't really think they communicated well to me. The one nurse made me feel rather depressed when she said something to the effect of "despite your low amh, you have responded well..."
Describe your experience with Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny.
I think the lack of an online portal to communicate with the nursing staff is something definitely missing here.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Lori Homa at Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny.
Most of my costs were covered under insurance. My IUI itself was not covered and was reasonably priced. The ultrasounds and bloodwork associated with the IUI were covered.
Describe Lori Homa's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny.
Does not apply to me.
What specific things went wrong at Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny?
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Jones Institute at West Penn Allegheny.
When I left this clinic, they did not forward all of my ultrasounds to the new clinic.