How was your experience with Mark Payson at CCRM Northern Virginia?
Dr. Payson can sometimes need a minute to "reset" and remember my exact case when he comes in the exam room, but once he does he's fully engaged and on top of every detail. His initial projections for me were slightly optimistic - it took us two cycles to reach what he hoped to accomplish in the first cycle - but he's been open about his thinking/planning/adjusting for my cycles throughout and willing to take my personal weighing of risks/benefits into account when making decisions about how aggressive to be in the treatment protocols. When I miscarried after my initial transfer he was very empathetic and talked me through all of my options for resolving the pregnancy and how each option might impact the timing and possible success of my next transfer.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Payson at CCRM Northern Virginia?
Ask questions - he's better at providing information in response to questions than in proactively offering the information. He's always given me full, respectful answers to any question I ask, but if I didn't ask him anything I might know almost nothing about my treatment or what's coming next.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Payson at CCRM Northern Virginia?
It's important to me to have a full understanding of my treatment and to discuss pros/cons of various protocol choices. Dr. Payson has always been willing to slow down and fully engage in these conversations with me.
Describe the protocols Mark Payson used in your cycles at CCRM Northern Virginia and their degree of success.
I don't remember enough of the terminology to describe the protocols accurately. I know that I did a more classic protocol in prepping for my first egg retrieval and then moved to a protocol more typically used for poor responders for my second retrieval. The second retrieval produced almost twice as many mature eggs as the first.
Describe your experience with your nurse at CCRM Northern Virginia. (Assigned nurse: Jamie)
My particular nurse is warm, compassionate, and always gets back in touch quickly when I contact her. It's possible I would have fit better with a different nurse - mine tends to be fuzzy on the "why" questions I ask, whereas some of the other nurses who have covered for my primary nurse over vacations have had well-informed answers. Overall, the nursing staff is extraordinarily friendly, cheerful, and warm - the center clearly screens for personality in their interviews.
Describe your experience with CCRM Northern Virginia.
The entire staff is warm, friendly, and greets me by name at every appointment, even as the center has grown. I have a great deal of trust in them and I feel they're all sincerely committed to the work they do. While their cycle price seems to be higher than many in the area, I appreciated that the entire financial and clinical process was clear and transparent, with zero surprise bills or add-ons. They told me upfront what their global fee is, what that fee covers, and when it would be due. They base their global fee on the clinical practices they believe lead to the best outcomes, which means I didn't have to debate whether to pay extra for 17 different line items (e.g., ICSI, assisted hatching, pre-implantation testing, etc.). And have I mentioned the friendliness? It's truly almost overwhelming.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Payson at CCRM Northern Virginia.
I paid out of pocket - zero insurance coverage. The clinic uses a global fee for cash patients. My egg retrieval cycles were approximately $14,000 each. Each transfer was $4,600. My medications (I was a poor responder) ran approximately $6-7000 per cycle.
Describe Mark Payson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at CCRM Northern Virginia.
My doctor (and the practice as a whole) have a very strong preference for eSET. To bypass biopsy/testing or to transfer multiple embryos you need to sign specific consents saying that you're going against their recommendations.