Donna Session

Dr. Session is a fantastic REI. She is extremely knowledgeable and I have been so happy under her care. She makes sure you are aware of each risk/benefit/and alternative. She makes us feel well taken care of and I look forward to moving towards IVF with her.

To just make the appointment already and you won’t be disappointed.

IVF pending

IUI- $1100 IVF $15,000 for everything including ICSi (meds not included)

Pending

When I first went in to see Dr. Sessions, I had been to countless other clinics before, she really took the time to assess my case. She actually interrupted the accounts receivable’s lady to change my plan. We were chatting egg freezing before a surgery I needed to do. Instead, she gave me a great specialist who could do my surgery and told me I didn’t need to do such things. I could do this without and proceeded to make a different plan for me. Because I’ve seen my fair share of doctors, I really found her intelligence, knowledge on the subject, and willingness to change our plan if needed a strength. I haven’t really experienced any weaknesses but I can understand if your needing more comforting and extremely warm, this is probably not the doctor for you. But she’s always been positive and helpful when I needed her to be.

Get ready to be told a lot of information. Be ready to jot it all down and follow her instructions. Also come in with your own questions and research, she’s very good at answering all your questions. Also, make sure to ask her all your options. There are many out there. She’s not going to give you a hug, but she is a book of information and is very helpful in this very complicated circumstance.

After my surgery (endo, fibroids, polyps), I needed to wait a second to heal. I tried on my own first and then we decided to do Timed Intercourse first because that’s what I was most comfortable trying. We did two months of it and then COVID-19 shut them down. But during that time I first went into the office to check my ovaries and make sure I didn’t have any cysts. After I was okayed, I then took Letrozole for 5 days. Went back into the clinic to check to see how many eggs I grew and then did the trigger shot (Ovidrel) that day. We planned on intercourse that day and the next and the next and then I used vaginal progesterone for the rest of the cycle until I took a pregnancy test. We are going to IUI next.

It’s the same as everywhere. My insurance barely covers anything. It all goes to a portal and I pay through there. I do have the option for payment plans through the portal. Timed Intercourse: Ovidrel - $95 at the Walgreens on Galiton in East Nash Letrozole- $10 Ultrasounds - $30 -$1500 IUI: Procedure ~$450 Sperm wash ~ $200 Ovidrel - $95-$200 letrozole - $10

Not there yet.

Dr. Session is the second doctor we have been too. During out first appointment we explained our concerns with her and she did a great job of coming up with a plan that we felt comfortable with. I do sometimes wish she would have given me more changes I could make to my lifestyle that might be helpful in the fertility process. After our first IVF egg retrieval and transfer we ended up getting pregnant and we are due in January.

She was always very nice and incredibly smart, but she also keeps the visits fairly business. She didn't hurry us along, but after she explained things to us and we didn't have questions she would move on pretty quickly. So try and come prepared with specific questions you might have, or just let her know that you don't quite understand if thats the case and she will make sure you leave with a clear understanding of the plan.

Ultrasounds were around $388 for us, insurance would not cover

She said that they normally just transfer one embryo, but that it really depends on that day the transfer is happening and the specific needs of the patient.

I felt Dr. Session didn’t explain the processes well or our options. She lets you guide your treatment and at the time we were new to infertility and had very little information. She’s quiet, but so am I so for this process we did not make the best match. I’m not saying she’s not a good doctor; she just wasn’t the best fit for me. And now after I have researched fertility treatments I wish she would not have spent so much time with us just doing timed intercourse and a low dosage of femara or clomid. We did this for 8 months (1 month we had a cyst so could not try, 1 month I was unable to try because I could not get my medication refilled due to their office being closed during the holidays so I was unable to get the ultrasound done to get the medication.) I feel like we wasted 8 months of valuable time because I was 36 during this time.

Make sure to do research prior to meeting her so you can ask any questions you want and also so you don’t stay in the dark about important information because she did not give us the information we needed to make the best decisions about our treatments. Again I think she took a more cautious approach and I felt maybe I was too old to be spending so much time on timed intercourse.

We did timed intercourse and I took either femara or clomid each cycle. I would go in for an ultrasound to check for cysts before I was given the medication.

I only had ultrasounds there to check for cysts which were around $180

Again, she is quick to return correspondence. She is very knowledgeable and discusses the science behind her decision making. She is patient and will answer all of your questions and look into things that she may not have considered before. She also very carefully reviewed records from another clinic and went through all of her concerns regarding prior treatment.

Dr. Session is very smart and kind but she is not the "warm and fuzzy" type which is perfectly fine given the quality of her care.

She has different strategies for every patient depending on what your baseline issue is. For patients with DOR with a low AFC she will consider clomid or letrozole focusing and getting fewer, high quality eggs rather than having patients spend 4-6K on injectable medications that will yield similar results. For patients with mid-tier AFC she will max out medications and prime with estradiol patches or lupron. She rarely does this for the first cycle due to fear of ovarian hyperstimulation. Her strategies are largely patient dependent.

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For fresh transfers, if embryo quality is fair to poor on day 3 or five she may transfer 2 or more. For good quality day 5 embryos in patients in their mid thirties and below she will recommend transferring one embryo and will give estimates on the chance of multiples if patients have assisted hatching or PGD testing done.

First meeting felt rushed and talked dr instead of more of a one on one matter of fact details. Appointments after that seemed more one on one and relaxed. I loved that she explained everything she did step by step and would show you what she was doing if she was able to.

She can be stand offish at first, but she warms up.

I was prescribed Clomid on my first round. It made me crazy! When I went back for a follow up, she listened to what I had to say and adjusted accordingly. She assured me that it was normal for some women. She changed the medication for the next round and I was finally back to my normal self. We did three rounds total with one round of IUI. We were hopeful, however it did not work out and I gave my body a break to recover.

Costs were covered by insurance. If they weren’t I was billed, however, I wish they would have told me at each appointment if there was a balance due instead of waiting till we stopped treatments to send bills that were 3 months old.

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I felt that Dr Session listened to all of our questions and answered the best she could. She definitely reads up on the latest studies and is proactive in treatment. While it was sometimes frustrating to go to some of the ultrasounds to check follicles and not see the Doctor and see a resident, she was there for all the important procedures. Sometimes it is still difficult to make the decisions you are trying to make based solely on percentages and statistics, but it is a numbers game. When we received a negative result she called me as soon as she could to find out how I was and give me options for next time if we chose to do it again.

Be prepared to spend a good amount of time at the office if you have alot of questions.

My protocol started with using estrogen patches and Cetrotide 9 days after a positive ovulation kit to suppress because I have diminished ovarian reserve. Then I used Gonal-F at a high dose twice a day plus Menopur 75iu until the follicles were a good size and then used Cetrotide. After retrieval I used progesterone in oil shots and Lovenox shots to help with clotting due to previous pregnancy losses. We were originally going to PGS test but decided not to when we only had 3.

We had to do a self pay plan due to no insurance coverage for fertility treatments but they did cover diagnostic testing. It was $12,000 for the IVF process, $550 for anesthesia and PGS was $5,500 but was optional. The meds were purchased from an outside pharmacy.

Dr. Session is the other person that I see. Each visit she is the one who does the ultrasounds, gives me info, etc. I have never had an appointment where I didn't see her. On my first visit there was a student doctor in the room who took notes for me and helped Dr. Session explain things. It was very helpful! She is quiet and doesn't get excited or have that type of personality, but she is kind. I never feel rushed or feel that she is in a hurry.

Have questions ready to ask before you go to your appointment. Keep notes and don't be afraid to ask her anything.

When I had started seeing Dr. Session I had already been through 4 rounds of clomid, unmonitored. She immediately recommended switching to Femara. She was never pushy about any treatment. We are currently on our second round of Femara with Trigger shot. She is allowing us to decide when we are ready to move into IUI.

Luckily, my insurance covered anything that had to be done to determine why I am not able to get pregnant. I did have to pay a co-pay for each visit and my ultrasounds, thus far, have only cost me $30 out of pocket for each. The trigger shots cost $162 each and were not covered by insurance at all. Fertility meds have been $7 each month.

She is very knowledgeable and gives reccomendations based on your personal needs. Doctor jargon always confuses me, she has no problem putting it into words I can understand. She is caring and considerate when things dont work out as planned. I also appreciate her humor, I need someone who can be serious when need be but doesnt always have to be.

Do your research about procedures and ask as many questions as possible

IUI number .5 - we used clomid to help stimulate the eggs to grow, when checking on the growth of the eggs and my lining she decided it wasn't the perfect scenario to continue the treatment IUI number 1 - switched me to letrozole to stimulate egg growth and said it would help to control my lining better. Things looke good to continue so we used Ovidrel for the egg drop. Procedure went smooth but we were not pregnant. IUI number 2 - same treatment as before and same outcome. We are now doing IVF, just beginning our treatments for egg retrieval

Dr. Session was on point and told me what to expect and the potential outcomes. I always have the big picture, good and bad. She is also very caring and loving, and you feel that you are her priority when she is with you.

Expect the truth. She is not rude but she is going to let you know what you need to hear.

First cycle-high doses of Gonal-F, high doses of menopur, and cetrotide. Second cycle-more of a mini ivf cycle. Letrozole, Gonal-F 75, Menopur, and cetrotide. The thought was to do lower doses but for an extended period. This was in hope that my ovaries would respond better.

It was convenient for my schedule.

All office and doctor costs were in network. All lab costs were out of network with my plan.

Dr. Sessions was very understanding, thorough, patient, and helpful. She never rushed us when making decisions or through appointments when we had questions. She took her time and really went through everything in detail with us.

Be prepared to wait a while to get a new patient appointment

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Dr. Session sat with me for a long time in my first visit with her going over my past history and what she would recommend moving forward. She is very analytical and lays out her reasoning for her choices, siting studies she has read and other doctors in the field. She performed a hysteroscopy on me to remove calcium deposits. Unfortunately, she did not have a lab to perform IVF at Vanderbilt. If she did, I would have done an IVF cycle with her.

Hysteroscopy to remove calcium from the uterus.

The cost of the hysteroscopy at Vanderbilt was around $22,000. After insurance coverage, we paid $2,500.

We did not feel comfortable with her or he clinic after our initial consultation. We had already seen two other REs and they were much more impressive. I don’t feel like she looked at my chart. I had to correct several things she said. She was willing to work with a repductive immunologist and that may have helped but we did not feel she fit our complex case

Be prepared to ask your questions.

We did not proceed after consultation

I had some coverage with work and we did not proceed so not sure costs

I was misdiagnosed originally with a bicornuate uterus when I really had a septate uterus. All REs have recommended single due to uterine anamoly

Dr. Session is very welcoming caring and understanding. She treats you like a human and not a number. It's very obvious her passion for the research side of things and finding out exactly why it's not working for you. Knowing she loves the research behind it all is very comforting because I believe she won't do a procedure she truly doesn't think will work.

Book asap b/c she is booked up.

Chlomid days 3-7, menopur day 9 and trigger and IUI.

Very compassionate and relatable. Doesn’t make you feel like there is anything wrong with you and always sounds hopeful. Her bedside manner is great and you feel like you’re talking to a friend. Would recommend her to anyone seeking treatment before any other clinic in town.

Schedule ASAP because she is booked out!

Chlomid day 3-7 with menopur day 9 and trigger day 15

Billed after and was on par with other clinics.

She tends to always bring up eliminating embryos if more than 2 which I’m not comfortable with

Dr. Session is VERY smart. She has clearly done a lot of research and continues to educate herself on options and medications. She understands each situation is unique and there isn’t a one size fits all solution to infertility. She made us feel confident that we were going with the right doctor and treatment plan. We always feel comfortable asking her questions and never feel rushed.

Less data and more “real life scenarios”

Progesterone cycling for 3 months. Letrozole and times intercourse.