Allison Rodgers

Dr. Rodgers was open to different approaches and protocols. She helped customize a plan of care for our needs and I did not get the sense that she uses the same protocol for all of her patients (unlike one of the other doctors that we had seen). She was optimistic and creative. Although she made herself reachable and was responsive, I would've liked to get a broader explanation of medical rationale when I expressed concerns and questions mid-cycle.

I believe that you are in competent hands. If you have preferences about treatment approach and protocols - you should not hesitate to speak up and voice those preferences. It is easier to get her undivided attention during a pre-treatment consultation than mid treatment cycle (not impossible mid-cycle - but certainly easier beforehand) so come prepared to speak out your needs.

We used Follistim/Menopur/low dose HCG for the first retrieval which resulted in 9 eggs retrieved, 8 fertilized, 7 blastocysts! but no euploid embryos. In the 2nd cycle, she added several days of HGH to the protocol which resulted in very similar numbers but lead to 4 euploid embryos (at 41 years old!) and 2 decent mosaics. I had also done a lot of things differently leading up to this cycle (which was my 4th and, we decided, final egg retrieval -- and the only one to produce euploids). I was taking Tru-Niagen supplements (in addition to the ubiquinol, PQQ, NAC, vitamin D, fish oil, etc etc) and using a specific at home red light therapy device. I also had cut out a lot of endocrine disruptors in terms of dish liquid, hand soap, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, etc.

Hard to remember-- also it was completely related to when we hit our out-of-pocket and deductible.

Because I was doing PGT testing, and was only going to transfer euploid embryos - single embryo transfer was strongly recommended, and that made sense to us.

Dr. Rodgers cares about her patients. She takes the time to review your past history and what was discussed at previous appointments. She likes to schedule appointments with patients so she herself can explain everything and answer any questions. She is always the one to call with good or bad news after a cycle ends or after a procedure. She does NOT have a one approach fits all patients approach and really looks and discusses each persons challenges in order to create a proper care plan

Don't get scared away by how excited and hyper she gets. She sometimes talks very fast or gets overexcited about things. If you have questions make sure to ask even if she is moving ahead. She is always happy to answer your questions you just have to make sure to slow down and ask since she does move at a fast pace.

Every approach that Dr. Rodgers follows is backed by facts and knowledge. I asked multiple times why we were doing things a certain way and she always gave me a good response as to why. She has specific ways that she likes to do things but they are for good reasons.

I had a wonderful first meeting with Dr. Rodgers and appreciated her knowledge including a recommendation for an insurance plan with better fertility coverage. I mostly interacted with the nurses for the medication protocol. Two different MDs performed the egg retrieval then embryo transfer as Dr. Rodgers was not on call. I did experience OHSS with ovarian torsion once my HCG started rising with pregnancy and felt like my symptoms were diminished (was told “cramping is normal”) despite me saying it was far more extreme than cramping and the worst pain I had felt at that point.

Keep advocating for yourself (no matter which provider you work with for care)

As far as I know, my treatment was standard - no specific changes. This egg retrieval and embryo transfer resulted in a pregnancy and live birth. Gonal F Redi-ject 150 IU SQ PM Menopur 150 IU SQ PM Ganirelix Acetate 250 SQ AM HCG trigger shot Aspirin 81 mg PO Daily Cabergoline 0.5 mg PO PM Progesterone in oil 50mg 1 ml IM PM Zithromax 250 mg PO PM Estrace2mgPO2mg PO2Xday

Around 6k for egg retrieval/transfer, monitoring. Around 1k for medications. Around 600/month for insurance through the state with better fertility coverage than what my work provided.

One embryo (safer for baby and mom) and I’m glad that was the case because one was heavy enough and I was at risk for preterm labor due to other factors.

Dr. Rodgers and her staff (my main nurse was Alyssa) were fantastic! We met Dr. Rodgers in January 2023 with the goal of having a baby in this same year. Dr. Rodgers absolutely made it happen! Unfortunately my insurance requires 3 failed IUI’s before IVF which Dr. Rodgers did explain the percentage chances of each method. She was reassuring as she has gone through this personally before . She was confident that I would conceive this year and she is truly passionate about what she does. I’d recommend Dr. Rodgers and FCI to anyone who is looking for a fertility treatment. Everyone was great and if we do decide on a baby #2 in the future, we’ll definitely be back with Dr. Rodgers!

Trust the process!

Dr. Rodgers believed that a natural FET cycle would work best for me instead of a medicated assisted FET cycle. She was right! I was a little concerned at first as medication sometimes seems to be the route a lot of people go but she said my age and numbers projected that a natural FET cycle would work the first time.

I needed to meet deductible plus out of pocket costs. I’ve spent nearly 13k total.

Dr. Rodgers only performs eSET if you’re not a geriatric patient

Allison took the necessary steps to see why we couldn't get pregnant at home. I appreciate her thoroughness with the additional tests when she thought something might affect our fertility (or our chances). My experience has been ten stars, and I will come back again when we are ready for another baby! Allison connected on a deeper level, which I appreciated when going through this bout of infertility.

Take her advice to the fullest (I was overthinking it for a few months but finally got my mind right and started)! It will work; rest and take it slow during the treatment cycle. It is a long journey, but it is so worth it!

IUI Cycle - CD 3-7 Letrozole 2.5 mg, Ovidrel 500 mg (two syringes), PIO (Progesterone in Oil) - a week after IUI every night Produced two large follicles for an IUI - which eventually turned into a positive pregnancy

All were covered by our insurance except the actual IUI procedure. The IUI procedure was lumped into one line item at a flat rate of $625.

I got recommended to FCI & Dr. Rodgers through my gynecologist. I have worked with her for 2 years. My major issue was a very low AMH & my age. Two big things that were against me. Dr. Rodgers always gave me her recommendations after each failed attempt but it was always my decision on what route I wanted to take or if I wanted to keep going. When we moved from IUI to IVF, she never gave up. She was realistic in my percentage of success but would modify her protocol to make sure my chance of success was better each time. Yes, she is very busy, as most fertility doctors are. But I never went with a question unanswered by her nurses (Stephanie was a god sent) or her scheduler Shantel (talked me down a few times :p). I was never left confused about next steps, there responses or calls were immediate. And I always talked to Dr. Rodgers herself after any procedure (iui, retrieval, hgc test, hysterocopy, transfer). And here on now 6 months along with twins. She really did her magic on what I thought might never happen for me, and would have never been possible without her as my Doctor.

Don’t let unsuccessful results deter you from your end goal. She won’t give up, if you don’t want to give up.

Protocol changed a little each time depending on results. Sometimes medication was given in higher doses or it was changed all together. And retrieval might be changed to iui if the eggs weren’t there.

Fertility treatments were expensive. Insurance covered a lot but some medicines were not covered.

Impressed with her and her staff! We transitioned our care to Dr. Rodgers when our prior doctor retired. We were scared and worried about switching, but we were so blessed to start working with Dr. Rodgers for our frozen transfer. Her and her team are on top of things and always made us feel so cared for. She got the job done as we just delivered our baby girl all because of her - we love her for it.

In general, try to ‘Google’ less and listen to your doctor, Dr. Rodgers in this case. I had been warned about all the awful things that could happen during IVF treatment and not one of those things happened to me. She’s an amazing doctor that cares about your success - let her do her job and guide you.

She did our embryo transfer for us. She lets us do a natural, gentle cycle, which I think was perfect for my body. I took minimal estrogen and started on progesterone. She timed the procedure perfectly and my first transfer took.

We had good insurance so things never got too expensive for us. Dr. Jacobs was the one to educate us ahead of time on what policy to look for to cover more of our treatment. Transfer costs were fair.

Single transfer was definitely best in my case. I think we needed to see how my body would respond before even considering sticking multiples in.

Where do I begin! Dr Rogers has made our dreams come true. We are happily pregnant after our year fertility journey. I came to Dr Rogers because she was a size inclusive doctor. I was never judged or treated differently due to my weight (bmi) or age for that matter. She always was encouraging and supportive during each step. She advised what tests would be best and was always assuring me we would have our baby. Her presence on social media is so great for information and to see what’s really happening during these procedures. I strong recommend Dr Rogers if you are looking for start or restart your fertility journey

Follow her on Instagram. You can your patent can learn so much. Soren Mondays are great!

My biggest take away was going to big tests. Due to my age we did the genetic testing. After my first retrieval we had 8 embryos and all were abnormal so we then did chromosome testing. When we did our first transfer did didn’t work so we did the Emma/Alice tests. These were mostly all out of pocket but made a big difference in my treatment and success.

Appointments are every 15 minutes. They are on time and prepared for you. You do the ultrasound first and then to bloodwork. Nurses will call you with results later in the afternoon.

I met my insurance deductible pretty quick which covered my office and procedures. My out of pocket was for the elective testing like genetics and Emma/Alice. My meds were mostly covered but some did have some bigger copays.

We had to transfer only one embryo since it was tested as normal

Doctor Rodgers is an intelligent doctor with a long history in the field. She uses a lot of technical jargon when talking with patients which is very overwhelming. I had to begin studying fertility diagnostics and biology to better understand all the terms used by my doctor and the team. I had concerns during treatment regarding whether my doctor was individualizing my treatment or giving it the necessary time to analyze my results. Most of the treatment decisions seemed to be off the cuff decisions made during the consult. I am an out of pocket patient and she did try to get me medication samples to keep costs down which I appreciated. Most of my procedures were completed by different doctors and I rarely had any immediate follow up from Dr Rodgers after a procedure.

Be prepared to be your own advocate and study terminology and diagnostic tools.

Cycle 1: High dose of medications (Menopur, ganarelix, Follistim, hcg trigger)-26 eggs, 1 normal embryo (transfer unsuccessful) (long recovery and high discomfort/pain after retrieval) Cycle 2: high dose of medication (Menopur, Ganarelix, Follisitim, Omnitrope, hcg trigger) 16 eggs, 1 normal embryo (chemical pregnancy) (long recovery after retrieval) Cycle 3: high dose of medication: Letrozole, Dexamethasone, Follistim, Menopur, estrogen patches, hcg trigger)-28 eggs, 0 normal embryos (long recovery after retrieval, emergency room for pain) Cycle 4: leuprolide, Menopur, low dose HCG, follistim-lower dose of medication, cycle cancelled due to high estrogen Cycle 5: low dose meds-Ganarelix, follistim, Menopur, low dose HCG, Lupron trigger) 12 eggs (cycle in progress)

IVF (with monitoring)-$9300 Embryo biopsy-$2600 Cryo/storage-$1525 Average cycle medication-$4400

I cannot answer this question as I have had only a few viable embryos.

Dr. Rodgers was very willing to work within our unique requests. We were very cautious in how many embryos we created and how high of dose of drugs I was on. She explained everything very knowledgeable and was very understanding and kind to work with us with much compassion. And we got two healthy pregnancies with her.

Go to her! She's great!

We did Clomid once, IUI twice, then IVF once and got our first pregnancy. Our second pregnancy was after two negative IVF rounds. She was very helpful with how to modify my drugs and protocol due to how I was reacting to the Progesterone in Oil.

Great! the staff was so helpful

Depended on what our insurance was like that year! Clomid and IUI were self pay- cost sent to us were fussy. Thankfully it ended up being less than we expected. IVF in 2017 was very manageable because we had good insurance. 2019 it was very tricky since we had a different insurance plan that had a lifetime allowance on IVF procedure and IVF drugs. Our billing person forgot to send into insurance our request for coverage one round, but thankfully got it in right before we began. It was very stressful and frustrating process. But, Dr. Rodgers and our nurse Amber did all they could on their end to push it forward with their billing person.

Dr. Rodgers is always willing to answer our questions. She never acts like we are bothering her by asking questions. I wanted to try a different medication and she was open to discussing that option with me.

Go into an appointment with your questions written down. She doesn't rush you and will answer all your questions, but she sometimes talks fast. For me, it was easy to get sidetracked while in our meetings. Writing everything down kept me on track during our meetings and made sure all my questions were answered.

My first cycle was clomid. My next two cycles were letrozole. We switched from clomid to letrozole per my request. We are currently moving on to IUI.

I have insurance so it's just been my normal deductible for now until I reach my limit.

She’s ok. I am irritated by the disingenuous way she always says “I’ll be with you every step of the way” and “let’s make you a baby.” It felt canned and ridiculous after a year of failure. She acted like she was always looking at my chart for the first time. I wish she had spent more time on my treatment plans.

Dont expect the nurse to help you. You have to advocate for yourself, do your own research, and count your medications every day.

For my IUIs, she had me on Letrozole (varying the amounts) and Ovidrel trigger, with Crinone, PIO, or Endometrin. For my IVF, she started me on a very conservative dose of Gonal-f, Menopur, and Ganirelix. It resulted in a much smaller number of eggs than I was hoping for and I was unhappy that she didn’t increase my dosage sooner.

IVF was about $13,000. Genetic testing of embryos was $4,000 at the clinic plus $2,500 at RGI.

She is very determined to make you successful. I am one of 4 friends who has used her and we all have gotten pregnant. She takes time with you and is very blunt about her expectations. She is all business but is also very compassionate.

Make sure you are ready to hear the hard truth. She is willing to do whatever you want for the most part but does not want to waste your time or money.

Before egg retrievals she did not use birth control but instead waited for natural ovulation before starting estrogen patches and Lupron. Then after your period started, the stimulation meds began (follistim, ganirellix, menopur). I then had appointments every 2 days for monitoring. We also did ERA cycles to make sure Lining was receptive before frozen transfers. For transfers we used Lupron, estradiol patches, vaginal estrogen, and progesterone in oil.

We were very lucky to have insurance coverage for IVF. We were only responsible for our copays until our deductible was met.

Dr. Rodgers is usually against multiple embryo transfer until several attempts have failed or embryo quality is not ideal.

Will not take responsibility for negligent care even when confronted. She tries to multitask instead of paying attention to her patient. She has ordered incorrect medication for me more than once. She tries to fit each patient into a predetermined course of action instead of making a plan of action based off of the patient. She defended her nurses when they were clearly in the wrong on multiple occasions. She was sarcastic and completely tuned out during our face to face visits.

Run!

She prescribed me solely endometrin and my progesterone level did not rise because my body did not absorb it. She questioned if I was inserting it correctly and the documented in my medical chart that I had stopped taking it, which was untrue. Now that I have a better physician I know that research shows endometrin alone is rarely successful. I should have been prescribed PIO or a PIO and vag insert combo.

12,000

She didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

Dr. Rodgers has provided a caring service. She really shows that she cares for patients success and wants to do anything to get them there. She is always staying up to date on the latest studies too. We have not had the success we have been looking for yet but Dr. Rodgers has made us aware of our options.

Dr. Rodgers will be there with you every step of the way. She is not at every appointment you might have but she is very open to you emailing her with any questions too!

Dr. Rodgers really believes in the ERA biopsies to check when the body is receptive to receiving an embryo. We did an ERA before another transfer of my embryos from my first clinic. We found out I am receptive at the right time and moved on to a transfer. When that transfer failed we moved on two a fresh egg retrieval with transfer. I was on gonal f, letrozole, menopur and cetrotide. All these drugs were standard for producing healthy eggs.

We had some IVF insurance coverage at this clinic. With two retrievals, we still have to pay for medication out of pocket and the coinsurance. Overall under $10,000.

Dr. Rodgers was open to transferring 2 untested but with pgs, transferring 1 was recommended.

Face to face interactions with Dr. Rodgers was great. We really clicked with her and were very happy to have her for our doctor, she felt like the right fit. My first two IUIs were fine, though I didn't see Dr. Rodgers for any of the treatments. I only spoke to her when she called to tell us the negative results. For our third (canceled) IUI my cycle started off poorly due to my baseline testing but treatment was recommended anyway. I questioned it but was encouraged to continue. I felt like my personal case was not really being considered when these decisions were being made. It felt like they were trying to "pull out all the stops" without considering me as a whole person.

Reach out directly to her if you need to. I sort of missed the memo on that and only communicated with the nurses. Also speak up if something doesn't feel right. I regret not doing those things.

I had a mass on my ovary. Dr. Rodgers recommended surgery first. She recommended a great surgeon who took out the benign tumor and minimal endometriosis. After that Dr. Rodgers recommended Letrozole IUI/timed intercourse or IVF. We chose to try THREE medicated IUI cycles. For the first one I took 2.5 mg for 5 days. I ended up with 1 follicle but it took a while and wasn't very large. I used ovidrel for the trigger shot. I was directed to take progesterone in oil daily. The cycle ended with a negative result. The next cycle was cancelled due to an estrogen producing cyst. Then we try again with 5 days of 5 mg of Letrozole. Again, it took a while and I only got one follicle, slightly larger. I used ovidrel for the trigger shot. I was on estrogen twice a day and progesterone once a day. It resulted in a negative test. For this cycle my FSH was high on baseline and was told I was less likely to respond to treatment but it was recommended we continued with the cycle. I took 7.5 mg for 5 days. I showed no results. I was recommended 100 IU of gonal-F/follistim for three days but that quickly changed to 300 IU for 4 days. I started showing a response and it as recommended to increase to 600 IU for 2 to 4 days. At that point we decided to stop treatment because the injectable medications were not a protocol we ever discussed with Dr. Rodgers and I had become increasingly uncomfortable with the way treatment was progressing.

Honestly the billing was so confusing I don't think I could tell you how much different aspects cost. I will say it was in the estimated cost they provided. $2000 per IUI.

Dr. Rodgers is a compassionate and knowledgeable doctor. She may be younger than most RE's but I honestly thing she takes her time to really understand different treatment options and thinks outside the box. She is not afraid to be challenged and answers all questions and concerns with honesty and with data to back it up if needed. She will try anything and everything that makes sense for your treatment. The only negative that I would say about her is that due to the amount of patients, she sometimes has to be reminded of things like meds, what protocol you followed for your last transfer but that should be probably expected as I am not her only patient. I never have felt rushed during any consults with her and she makes sure to be there for all transfers and procedures. I really wish that I had done a cycle with her with my own eggs.

Once you are a patient and in treatment, make sure you remind her of things that could be important.

Before the first FET I had a saline sono and ERA done. FET #1 included an endometrial scratch, lupron, estrace, estrogen patches, antibiotic, baby asprin, and PIO. I got pregnant for the 1st time ever but sadly miscarried a couple weeks later. After the miscarriage we ran a couple of blood tests and everything was ok. Before FET #2, we did an endometrial biopsy to look for inflammation which came back negative so we proceed with the same protocol as the 1st FET and it was a negative. For our last FET, we added predisone and lovenox (everything but the kitchen sink) and sadly we had another negative. After this last negative, we decided to run a couple of more blood tests and will possibly do an EIP before our next transfer.

Dr. Rodger’s always explains things in a way that is easy to understand. She always encourages questions and she’s great at what she does. She had to go through treatments herself and she’s living proof that IVF is successful.

Ask questions. Be an advocate for your care.

I haven’t started IVF yet but I know we will have to do egg and sperm retrieval. So far I am taking Levothryoxine, a prenatal vitamin, vitamin D, inostisol, and other supplements to prepare my body and hormones before starting the IVF process.

My total estimated treatment cost is $10,181-$13,361. The deposit to start treatment is $2,500. I’ve already spent >$1,000 on appointments, lab work, medication, and supplements. The treatment will include IVF (early monitoring, monitoring, retrieval, embryology, and transfer), cryopreservation, sperm storage, progresterone, etc.

Dr. Rodgers was kind and honest. She explained everything clearly and truly helped us make the hardest of decisions. She didn't perform any of my procedures unfortunately but I was happy with the other doctors that treated me on those days.

Be prepared to be overwhelmed and take notes. She has gone through infertility herself and will tell you what's up!

My husband had a vericocele procedure done and between that and medication, his sperm quality wasn't improving. Dr. Rodgers found that I had a low egg count for my age. She didn't want us to waste time or money on IUIs so she suggested we jump right to IVF. Our first cycle consisted of a prep cycle with cetritide and patches then the stimulation contained Gonal F, Menopur and Cetrotide. Unfortunately all 4 embryos that survived at first were only compact embryos and had a much lower chance of survival. No embryos were able to be frozen and we got a negative pregnancy test. Cycle #2 also consisted of a prep cycle with patches and Cetrotide. The simulation was changed by adding the Lupron protocol which made the cycle a little longer. It also contained Gonal F and Menopur. This cycle we had the best of embryos! We have 3 frozen embryos and I'm currently 12 wks pregnant with our 1st place embryo.

We did not have insurance coverage for our treatments but there was partial coverage for diagnostic testing and consultations. I believe it was less than $100 per consultation visit with Dr. Rodgers.

Dr Rodgers had a good bedside manner, but at the same time didn't sugar coat stuff and made sure she was clear on her expectations/next steps. After multiple failures she was a breathe of fresh air with a new approach. Not afraid to try new things and took the time to really talk through multiple options.

She likes to run tests and is a big fan of the ERA. She will talk through all of the options with you. While you wont regularly communicate directly with her, the nursing staff is great. I did also love that when I did need to meet with her it was not a month plus wait to get on her schedule like it seems to be with a lot of other doctors.

IVF retrieval, ERA, and then a frozen transfer protocol that was a "stimulated cycle."

I was lucky and had insurance cover a lot of our costs.

Dr. Rodgers will only do a single embryo transfer when the embryo is tested. Because we did not test and had multiple failures we transferred two embryos and became pregnant with our son.

Dr. Rodgers is compassionate, and focused. She tailors each treatment protocol based on the individual she is treating, and is first and foremost concerned with the wellbeing of her patients, both physically and mentally. She has acted as both doctor and therapist during our experience, and never rushes her appointments no matter how busy she is. She is honest, yet optimistic, which is critical for me as I tend to expect the worst. I wish I had found her sooner. She is a true blessing. I know that if we do not have a child out of this, Dr. Rodgers has truely given it everything she’s got.

Don’t hesitate. Go see her now. She will change your life!

I have a high ovarian reserve and my husbands sperm quality is wonderful. I just have severely blocked tubes which couldn’t be fixed via surgery. She began my dosage very low to try to prevent OHSS. I was on 75 unita of Menopur and 100 units of Gonal-F to start treatment. We slowly increased my dosage until my ovaries responded correctly. At retrevial we got 27 eggs, fertilized 20 with conventional insemination, and got 14 total embryos (8 1aa, 2 1ab, and 4 1bb). I ended up with OHSS so we had to put off transfer to be safe. We never expected this outcome.

Monitoring appointments were always quick and efficient. I would arrive and be back in my car to leave within 10-15 minutes usually.

Insurance covered some of my expenses, however a retrieval cycle came to around $12,00

Due to my age and quality of embryos, we have decided with Dr. Rodgers advice to transfer 1 embryo for our first transfer.

Dr. Rodgers had to go through fertility treatments herself so she knew what was going through. She was there for me the entire time. Any questions I had she answered, and I had a lot. I went through 7 IVF cycles. I came to Dr Rodger after my 2nd egg retrieval that did not make it to a transfer. I was told I had bad egg quality but we she was going to try her best to help me become a mother. We tried so many different protocols. After every unsuccessful cycle we had a consultation to review my results and how well my body reacted to the meds. Then we came up with a new plan for the next cycle. I loved her hugs and she was so caring. She always gave me the strength to continue to try another cycle. She wanted me to get pregnant just as much as I did. I would recommend her to anyone.

Just be open and honest about your wants and fears. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

I had so many different protocols that I can't remember them all. I was on several daily supplements to improve my egg quality plus a prenatal vitamin. My daily injections varied cycle by cycle based on how my body reacted to the previous cycles.

I always did multiple embryo transfers due to my age and poor egg quality. I was terrified at first because how I going to take care of more multiple children at one time. Then I realized that everything was going to work out the way it was supposed to. I wanted to become a mother and I would accept any little blessing.

Dr. Rodgers was so easy to work with. She is confident and extremely knowledgeable. She is up front and honest about prognosis, while also being caring and compassionate. If you do IUI before moving to IVF, you rarely see Dr. Rodgers because the nursing staff perform the inseminations, but she always calls with pregnancy results and to discuss next steps. Once IVF begins, there is frequent phone calls and appointments with her. I never felt like a number.

I think you can trust Dr. Rodgers. She is knowledgeable and up to date on evidence based research. Don’t be afraid to reach out to her and ask questions because she is very responsive.

I started out with three IUI’s with 150mg of Letrazole. None were successful because Dr. Rodgers believes I have endometriosis that might be interfering with the egg being able to travel through my fallopian tubes. She did not want to do injectables with IUI because I have PCOS and would be at risk for producing too many eggs. We moved to IVF after the three failed IUI’s. I was on birth control for three weeks to suppress my ovaries, then was prescribed an antagonist protocol, including approximately 10 days of Gonal-F and Menopur shots. After careful monitoring my Gonal-F was decreased because my ovaries were responding very well to the medication and there was concern for OHSS. My HCG trigger was decreased to 5,000iu instead of 10,000 to prevent OHSS. During retrieval, they were able to get 29 eggs, 21 of which were mature. We were concerned about having leftover embryos so we only fertilized 8 eggs with ICSI, and froze the other 13 eggs. We wound up with 4 beautiful embryos! Three are graded 1AA and the fourth is 1AB. We did a fresh transfer with one of the 1AA embryos and it worked! I am now 16 weeks pregnant. I want to say that with the number of eggs that were retrieved my risk of OHSS was pretty high, but Dr. Rodgers was so careful with my medications and monitored me so closely that I had a picture perfect recovery and was able to do a fresh transfer. Dr. Rodgers educated me really well on the symptoms of OHSS and helpful tips to prevent it. She also called me several times after the retrieval to check on me. I could not have imagined IVF going any better than it did.

Luckily in IL it is mandated for insurance companies to cover fertility treatments, though we have a pretty high out of pocket max. Our IUI’s each cost around $500. IVF cost $3,600 after insurance and then an additional $1,200 for embryo freezing because insurance did not cover that. My medications we mostly covered.

Dr. Rodgers recommended a single embryo transfer due to my age and the high quality of our embryos. She said the chance of implantation of one embryo was very high and the goal is to produce one healthy baby. She went over this with us in detail so there were no questions come transfer day.

Dr. Rodgers has a lot of experience treating patients with PCOS and was fully equipped to handle my condition. My treatment plan appeared to take into account the PCOS and she took over my metformin treatment as well. It was a little challenging that she chose not to be the treating doctor for my hypothyroidism. My main Endocrinologist still had to order her own bloodwork and adjust medications. During the IVF cycle, when I was already being poked so many times, it was challenging to then have to be poked again separately for TSH/T4 tests. During consultation visits, Dr. Rodgers makes decisions very quickly. Sometimes I felt like she left me out of the decisions. The decisions were medically sound, but her thought process was not well explained. I was happy that she was the doctor on call for my first egg retrieval. It was comforting to know that she already knew me. I would have liked her to check back on me post-op before I left. She did call me a day later to give results. Her explainations about the eggs/embryos were a little misleading. Her words confused me and concerned me, although when i talked with the Embryologist from her office, they were able to describe things a lot better. Overall, I think Dr. Rodgers is a good doctor and has good follow through with her patients, but could work on improving her communication skills about the treatment.

Dr. Rodgers’ explainations are not the end-all. If you are confused, ask her supportig staff and they will offer more explainations.

The first cycle included 21 days of Orthocyclen, then baseline ultrasound, then on the first day of my period I started with 2.5 MG Letrozole, 75 IU Menopur, and 225 IU Follistim. At the first ultrasound they upped the dose to 250 IU Follistim. Later it was upped to 300 IU Follistim and added Ganirelix. They explained that the increased Follistim would help the eggs get bigger. Monitoring was every other day at first, and then every day. Monitoring on the weekend is downtown at the River North office (over 1 hour away from the main clinic). 36 hours before the surgery I was instructed to take an IM shot of Pregnyl. After the surgery, they told me that the eggs were “granular” because they had given me too much medication too fast. Basically they told me that the eggs were low quality because I’d been cooked on high. I am about to start the second round and they have adjusted my dosage. This second round I will have 150 IU Menopur and will start at 175 IU Follistim. It is anticipated that the cycle will last slightly longer.

$1700 for the cryopreservation and storage for 1 year. Additional years of storage are $500. Everything else was covered by insurance. Semen analysis (at the beginning) was $100.

My doctor believes that only one embryo can be transfered at a time because it is already a high risk pregnancy. I have done IVF with Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis for my BRCA1 mutation. She considers all PGD or PGS patients high risk and will not implant more than one at a time. Since I have depression, my therapist told me to ask if I could do two at a time (because it is anticipated that I will have post-partum depression), but Dr. Rodgers did not think this was possible.

She has been a great doctor for me. I know she cares and tries her best. We have had many setbacks and she is willing to fight with us. The negatives are FCI does not prescribe HGH. You do have to be very vigilant in getting your concerns and information to everyone you work with.

Make sure you remind her of important details especially during the phone calls.

First retrieval was an antagonist protocol with 300 Gonal F & 300 Menopur along with Cetrotide. I retrieved 10 eggs, 8 fertilized and all 8 arrested by day 3 so no transfer. My second retrieval I did a lupron protocol with Gonal F & Menopur doses changing almost daily. I retrieved 11 eggs, 6 fertilized, and 1 embryo had to be frozen as my progesterone was too high for a fresh transfer. My third retrieval was lupron, 300 gonal F & 300 Menopur. I had 16 follicles going into retrieval and ended up ovulating during the procedure. 2 follicles were retrieved, 1 fertilized and I don't know yet if it makes it or not to be frozen. We found out during our second & third retrieval due to an ERA that I am pre-receptive by 12 hours so going forward I always have to freeze embryos.

I could always get an appointment time that was convenient. Some days you are in and out and others they are backed up.

I am running around $12,000 per retrieval cycle which includes meds, monitoring & retrieval. I do have some insurance but no coverage for meds.

We have not transferred anything yet but we have discussed positives & negatives to both.