How was your experience with Margaret Graf Garrisi at Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Science at Saint Barnabas?
She was not always the doctor that saw me, or did procedures. I only consulted with her if something went wrong. She was a sweet doctor but sometimes i felt there was a lot of miscommunications and at times i felt like maybe she didn’t know what she was doing knowing my issues. She would give me wrong dosages, at wrong times and would have to cancel cycles. It was a lot of frustrations.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Margaret Graf Garrisi at Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Science at Saint Barnabas?
Be patient and always ask for her to get back to you, to check you or monitor you, not a technician or a nurse. Communicate well with her and ask her to explain things instead of just rambling on.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Margaret Graf Garrisi at Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Science at Saint Barnabas?
I felt like a human because they took the time to consult with me, call me by my name, not a number and treat me like i was a priority. However, i will not put 100% because sometimes they were insensitive to me as a infertility patient.
Describe the protocols Margaret Graf Garrisi used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Science at Saint Barnabas and their degree of success.
I will display my full journey. I was diagnosed with PCOS, an ovulatory dysfunction and a blocked dysfunctional tube.
met with dr. Garrisi on 10/18/2017 after being referred to her by my gyno. had an ultrasound done.
Prescribed Provera and started taking it on 10/19 for the next 7 days. **
Nurse said once I start bleeding on the first day to call them to schedule an appt. for an HSG test.
Started first pill of Provera, same day.
Few days later, 6th day of pill, a few clots of blood, Spotting.
On November 6th had a Saline Sono done. Days later i followed up wit Dr Garrisi, discuss the surgery for removing the polyps. Blood work and ultrasound. Discussed My husband’s blood work and mine. He is a carrier of genetic disorder and I’m negative. (Nothing to worry about)
On the 16th- started taking birth control as prescribed to stop my cycle, waiting for surgery schedule date.
Surgery scheduled for 12/11 at 10am. Went well.
Surgery done on 12/11 - went well. follow up after surgery. found out my polyps were benign but have a chronic endometriosis infection on my uterus lining. Prescribed antibiotics for 14 days to cure the infection. RWas told on the 2nd week to make an appt for the 3rd or 4th week to have follow up biopsy done again.
Cervix is back to normal.
12/23 - started taking the antibiotics.
Metronidazole 3x a day
Doxycycline 2x a day
14 days.
*2018*
1/5 - ended the two week antibiotics.
Follow up appt done for the 4th week, on 1/17 3 pm
No bleeding since.
1/17- follow up appt with dr. Garrisi, has a biopsy done to check if the infection is gone.
1/25 - results in... infection gone. Dr wants to do a saline sono once my period comes to double check if everything is okay to proceed. Need to get on the pill for my period to come.
1/29 - blood work and ultra sound to put me on medroxyprogesterone.
1/30 - started taking the pill for 7 days (call dr. office at cycle day )
2/13 - Cycle day 1. Called to make the Saline sono for Wednesday 2/21. (Cycle day 9)
2/21 - Saline sono - everything is good and prescribed meds to start the ivf cycle
Started birth control at 8:51 pm to stop my cycle For the next 5 days. Cycle day 9.
IVF cycle treatment starts March 3rd 2018.
3/3 - started IVF cycle. appt in Livingston, blood work and ultrasound.
First injection of gonal F pen 225 units and menapur 75 units. 7:30 pm Saturday, Sunday and Monday only. Tuesday 3/6 appt at 7 am Hoboken.
3/4 - cycle 3 - bleeding less not as heavy. Injections day 2.
3/6 - blood work and an ultrasound in Hoboken. 7 am. Continue injections. Menapur, gonal F and cetotide
3/8 - cycle day 24 - blood work and ultrasound 7 am Hoboken - tech said i had a lot of follicles and that’s good! Take three injections as usual. 6th day of stimming.
3/9 - cycle day 25. Blood work and ultrasound 7 am Hoboken. 3rd time this week. One shot of HCG at 11:30 pm, no other shots. Found out the retrieval is Sunday!!!!
3/10 - cycle day 26. Cramping a lot, a lot of pain. No shots.
3/11 - cycle day 27. Retrieval surgery done at 11:30 am by dr. Thompson Took out 15 follicles/eggs. Went well but In a lot of pain. Starting new medication. Shot of progesterone and two sets of pills. So much pain!
3/12- pain!!!!! Cycle day 28. Found out only 4 eggs fertilized.
3/13 - pain decreased but still there. Cycle day 29.
3/14 - not the greatest of news! Estrogen Levels are really highly 5860 and i have OHSS. Couldn’t do the transfer on day 3. Pain still there.
3/16 - we decided to cancel the day 5 transfer. Ovaries are still enlarged even though my levels went down to 3000 but doctor said it was wise to cancel and wait till next month to do the transfer. I’m okay with this decision, my health comes first. I could’ve gotten very sick. Less pain but still feel it. Super bloated from the fluids in my uterus and back.
3/18- learned the 3rd embryo didn’t make it and i could’ve miscarried. Did not get frozen and i only have two day 3 embies.
3/21 - blood work and ultrasound- estrogen levels are back to normal, ovaries still a little large but everything is healing good. Have a few ovarian cysts due to the retrieval, which according to dr garassi, will go away.
3/27 - appt for blood work and ultrasound. I’m okay. Starting birth control pills to control the cycle, evening.
3/28 - period gone. Cycle day 4 - 2nd day on bc pill.
3/29 - cycle day 5, follow up with dr. Garrisi, everything went well. Will start the meds next week and transfer will be scheduled for 4/24 or 4/25 or 4/26
4/2 - last day of birth control pill. Cycle day 9.
4/3 - follow up for monitoring. Asked to stop the bc pill and will hopefully start Saturday the hormone pills.
4/5 - cycle day 12. Everything normal so far.
4/7 - appt in Livingston- found a lot of cysts in the ovaries and must continue birth control till Thursday. Was not able to start hormones.
4/12 - last day of birth control pill. Monitoring check up Tuesday.
4/17 - no bleeding, doctors appt. I’m okay to start the estrace tonight. 2 pills 2x a day. 4 mg (HERE WE GO! Starting the cycle again!)
4/21 - monitoring, hormone levels went up from 48 on Tuesday 4/17 to 208 and was
Told to start taking 2 pills 3x a time. 6 mg.
4/23 - blood work; everything came out okay to continue pills. Levels 296.
4/30 - Doctor appt for monitoring, everything came out okay. Received the email that I’m ready to start preparing for the embryo transfer and it’s scheduled for 5/7. MONDAY IS THE BIG DAY!! start all the rest of the meds and injections on Wednesday.
5/7- was not the big day!!! A huge mistake with the medications happened and the injections were given to me two days too soon and the transfer should’ve been on 5/5 not 5/7. My heart broke! Second time this process has been cancelled. Have to start all over again due to the staffs mistake. Have to wait for my period to come. Stopped meds.
5/14 - first day of period, spoke to nurse Kim, refilled my hormone medications and hopefully after monitoring tomorrow, i can start Tuesday May 15th.
5/15 - appt for usual. Everything came out okay to start hormones today. Second time starting meds for the thaw cycle., third time starting hormones for the IVF cycle. Started estradiol two tablets twice a day, to Friday. Saturday, appt in Livingston
5/23 - day 9 on hormones. doctors appt for monitoring. One week completed.
6/4 - transfer day!!! Two baby embies went in! Finally. 6/15 - positive result. I’m pregnant! My HCG BETA levels are low (22) but have to go in Monday to test again and see if they rising up. Staying positive!! nurse says it’s too soon.
6/18 - results stated i lost the embryos and had an early miscarriage.
In July went for a follow up and found out my insurance will no longer cover another treatment and must pay out of pocket. I was not told this during my first and only cycle that it would be my only shot. It was a nightmare of journey which ended up in a big disappointment.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Science at Saint Barnabas. (Assigned nurse: Kim Neilley )
The staff was polite at time but not always sensitive to the patients needs. They had an attitude at times and as you read in my whole journey, they screwed a few times with the medications and times to take the medications and not one apologized for their mistake. Only the doctor called to apologize but i wrote an email to my nurse and she never acknowledged it. As an infertility patient, who went through a nightmare of a journey, they should be more understanding. Some where nice.
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Science at Saint Barnabas.
Technicians and nurses who draw blood see you more than your own nurse and doctor. The financial aspect of the clinic and most nurses can be rude. Be patient and if you don’t feel comfortable, find a new clinic.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Science at Saint Barnabas.
I would have liked for my doctor to monitor me but it was always a technician who never said a word to me but good morning and have a good day. Never worried about hurting me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Margaret Graf Garrisi at Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Science at Saint Barnabas.
My insurance had a limit of $10000 for infertility treatments once in a lifetime
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Science at Saint Barnabas?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
- Canceled a cycle due to clinic error