How was your experience with Shirley Fong at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?
Even when she diagnoses you with multiple fertility issues, and you present her with the research saying that IUI is a waste of time and money and could cause additional problems like ectopic pregnancy and miscarriages, she will not directly say try other options. She will just say keep trying IUI, when you know, she knows better.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Shirley Fong at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?
If you try fertility treatments with her and your gut keeps telling you that you need a second opinion, get a second opinion. Her energy and optimism can make you feel as though anything is possible, even when the facts about your fertility is so blatantly clear that you need more services than she can offer.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Shirley Fong at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?
The first few sessions she provides a lot of information and suggestions for your fertility treatment. She talks fast because she is trying to give you alot of information in a short period of time, but initially you do feel like she is treating you like a human being. However, once she creates a treatment plan and you try to ask more detailed questions via email or through her staff, she provides very limited vague responses (sometimes only phrases) and does not directly answer your questions, leaving you even more confused about what next steps to take in your treatment.
Describe the protocols Shirley Fong used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente SoCal and their degree of success.
With the IUI that I did, she prescribed about 50 mg of clomid as she did not want me to produce to many eggs and accidently fertilize too many eggs. She also prescribed a trigger shot that I took one or two days before my insemination. I did not get pregnant. Yet as mentioned before, she was being hopefully and not considering all the fertility issues I was presenting with.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente SoCal.
After the two week wait, when you call to tell them that you are NOT pregnant , they literally say, "Okay, call us with your next period." This response can be very shocking to a person who is devastated that she is not pregnant. After paying hundreds of dollars to try to get pregnant with this department, all they can say is "call back with your next period." The doctor does not schedule an appointment to reassess your treatment plan and determine if it needs to be changed. You are just told to do the whole process again (if you choose) when your next period rolls around.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente SoCal.
The consultations and limited diagnostic tests can be very informative when you are starting out on this journey. Yet, if it is determined that you have multiple fertility issues, it is better to go to a clinic that offers a variety of services, as this clinic offers very little services.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Shirley Fong at Kaiser Permanente SoCal.
Consultations, HSGs, bloodwork, and the actual insemination procedure all cost close to $2500 for one cycle.
Describe Shirley Fong's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente SoCal.
In this clinic, she does not deal with embryos
What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?
- Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente SoCal.
Even when you directly told them that you were concerned about your multiple fertility issues, the doctor continued to encourage their service, even when you needed more advanced services.