My husband, who is trans, had already had 2 failed IVF attempts and I had several failed IUI attempts...When it turned out that my husband just could not produce eggs that were viable...We discussed [with Dr. Talebian] new options and directions at length and she was always willing to listen to all of our ideas no matter how crazy they were. She made herself available at all hours so that we could do conference calls, she even stepped out of a dinner party one time to call us because that was most convenient for us.
The team at CCRM NY is amazing. Every single person working there is dedicated to their work and you can tell that it is important to them. Also one of our favorite departments is Amanda, who is the insurance coordinator. If you ever wanted someone to go to bat for you against the terrible insurance companies she is the one you want. We called her our secret weapon, she was fierce!...Both the Doc and the staff became like family. They knew us by the sound of our voice on the phone and they never once let my husband feel like any less of a man let alone a number.
How was your experience with Sheeva Talebian at CCRM New York?
My husband and I were referred to Dr. Talebian after several failed attempts at IUI and IVF. When we first met the Doc we were at a point of feeling broken and hopeless. My husband, who is trans, had already had 2 failed IVF attempts and I had several failed IUI attempts. The plan was for him to produce eggs that I would carry. As soon as we sat down with the Doc we knew we were in the right spot. She never lied or filled our hearts with false hopes, but she did make it clear that she wasn't willing to give up until we were holding our baby. As many who have traveled this road know it is not easy, it's an emotional rollercoaster and very personal. It is the most vulnerable who will ever feel. You sit there and discuss yourself in full detail and can't help but feel like you're a failure because you can't do what "normal" people do. The Doc never made us feel like failures, not even when outcomes beyond anyone's control weren't what we hoped or planned for. When it turned out that my husband just could not produce eggs that were viable the Doc shared in our tears, but never let us feel like that was the end. We discussed new options and directions at length and she was always willing to listen to all of our ideas no matter how crazy they were. She made herself available at all hours so that we could do conference calls, she even stepped out of a dinner party one time to call us because that was most convenient for us. She never left us in the dark and we never felt alone. She made us feel comfortable with every step, test and procedure. She was so dedicated to us that even after being dragged on the ground by a taxi, the morning of my retrieval, she got her head stitched up and walked into the room ready to make a baby for us. She said nothing was going to stop her from making this happen. I don't know any Dr. who would do that for their patients, so we really felt more like friends. Everyone who has done IVF treatments knows the daily testing that needs to happen, we happily drove from NJ into NYC, in stupid amounts of traffic every day to be a part of the Dr Talebian team. With her help and determination we were blessed to get pregnant with our daughter born this January. We still keep up with the Doc and send her pics and updates all the time. We could have never done this without her. And to think 2 years ago when we walked in her office we thought it was never going to happen and now we have a beautiful baby girl and 2 fertilized eggs still left to try for number 2!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sheeva Talebian at CCRM New York?
I would say to be open and honest about everything, even if you don't think it makes any difference. Lay it all out on the table, the Doc will never judge you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sheeva Talebian at CCRM New York?
The process of Infertility all on its own is extremely personal, intimate and difficult. Now add in that you have a Trans husband who is also trying to add as much as he can into the making of our child, only to find out the he is sterile after 3 IVF attempts. For him to step into what is ultimately the female side of infertility requires an extreme amount of trust with the Doctor and staff that will be caring for him. This just would not have been possible if it weren't for Dr Talebian or "Doc" as we like to call her. Both the Doc and the staff became like family. They knew us by the sound of our voice on the phone and they never once let my husband feel like any less of a man let alone a number.
Describe the protocols Sheeva Talebian used in your cycles at CCRM New York and their degree of success.
The Doc communicated with our previous Fertility Dr. so that she did not duplicate what did not work already. She then discussed it with other Dr's at CCRM to come up with the best course of action for us. Between the 2 of us we went thru 4 IVF cycles and I went thru many IUI's. I could tell you every drug protocol we used, but the truth is that we tried them all until one worked.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at CCRM New York.
The staff at CCRM NY became like our morning coffee clutch. We shared stories, hopes, worries, smiles and tears. They new us by the sound of our voice when we called in and we called A LOT, but they never cared. We would always apologize for calling with so many questions and they always assured us that we could call as many times as we needed to feel comfortable. We never felt like a number, which was very important to us. They were gentle with the hundreds of times they took blood and thank goodness because I am extremely squeamish. It was actually bitter sweet when we walked out of there on week 10, so happy to be pregnant, but sad to be saying good bye to a staff that we had spent so much time with.
Describe your experience with CCRM New York.
The team at CCRM NY is amazing. Every single person working there is dedicated to their work and you can tell that it is important to them. Also one of our favorite departments is Amanda, who is the insurance coordinator. If you ever wanted someone to go to bat for you against the terrible insurance companies she is the one you want. We called her our secret weapon, she was fierce!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sheeva Talebian at CCRM New York.
An IVF cycle ran about $21,000 and IUI cycle ran $3,000 to $5,000 depending on how long your cycle lasted.
Describe Sheeva Talebian's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at CCRM New York.
Being that it took us so long to get to pregnancy we were always in the mindset that we wanted to just put 2 in and hopefully get a jump start. However, when it came down to it and we thoroughly discussed it with the Doc we all decided that it was safest and most effective to do one at a time.
10
Clinic
CCRM New York
New York