Heather Cook

Our experience with Dr. Cook was that she is a caring doctor who does want what is best for the patient. She is very very kind and confident but communicating with her was difficult. It felt like she had a lot of patients to handle.

Make sure you try to communicate as clearly as you can. Ask every question you can imagine.

Will do my best here it's been over a few years. Dr. Cook recommended starting with IUI, we did 3 all resulting in 0 positive pregnancy tests. Medication and protocol was tweaked each round. Here were the meds I was on during those IUI'S- Gonal-F RFF 300IU, Ovidrel 250 MCG, Progesterone 200MG (50 Cap), Letrozole 2.5 MG Tablet (5 tab). If I remember correctly medicine was increased in dosage each IUI round. (especially Gonal, my follicles were slow to grow). IVF Retrieval - Dr. Cook Retrieved 9 eggs (which was not a number we were happy with given I had close to 19 good size follicles my last check up before transfer), 7 fertilized, 2 embryo's made it to day 5, both were frozen for a FET. We were told they were a "good grade" based off their grading system. We did not have them tested, it was not recommended to us because we were young. Waking up from surgery I was told they were unable to retrieve any eggs from my right side then proceeded to ask if we did our trigger shot at the right time. Which we did. I was still groggy and waking up, I personally felt like we were rushed out of there unable to ask the questions needed. Medicine protocol for retrieval- HCG Dilution 100 Units, Cetrotide .25 Mg inj, Gonal F REF #900 IU pen, hCG 10,000 IU dispense 1 vial (trigger), Lupron 4mg/.8 ml trigger kit (did not end up using lupron as a trigger just the hcg trigger), Estrace 1mg 180 tablets, Progestrone in oil 50mg/ml #3- 10ml vials 1ml IM as directed, Prometrium 200 mg #50 insert 1 @ bedtime (as directed). FET #1- Dr. Cook recommended transferring one seemingly healthy day 5 embryo. This resulted in a chemical pregnancy. We were told it was more than likely it was an embryo quality issue Here was our medicine protocol- "Escalating Estrace Protocol CPET" Estrace 1MG tablet 2X/day (am &pm) for 5 days then increase to 2 1mg tablet 2x/day for 4 days then increased to 2mg tablet 3x/day (8 am, 2pm, 8pm) remain on this until otherwise told. They ended up having me do my night time dose vaginally to help thicken my lining, on 13th day begin Progesterone in Oil Injection 1CC am increased to 2x/day the following day until transfer. After Transfer I stopped PM Progesterone Injections and began prometrium one 200 mg capsule vaginally before bed. After our FET #1 Dr. Cook recommended an "endometrial Scratch" to toughen up the lining of my uterus and make it more sticky. She informed us it is a somewhat new procedure that has been shown to help with transfers. We did that before FET #2. Dr. Cook also recommended a round of antibiotics in case there was any inflammation (ie endometriosis) also it is as I understood common to go on after a chemical pregnancy or miscarriage. FET #2- Did not result in a positive pregnancy test. The only difference was adding antibiotic. Medicine Protocol- Started antibiotic first day for 8 days- Escalating Estrace Protocol CPET. Estrace 1MG 2X/Day for 4 days- increased to 2mg 2x/day for 4 days- increased to 2mg 3x/day remain on this until otherwise instructed. 13th day begin Progesterone in Oil Injection 1CC am increased to 2x/day the following day until transfer. After Transfer I stopped PM Progesterone Injections and began prometrium one 200 mg capsule vaginally before bed.

IUI- $625 (NOT including medicine) IVF- (14,890 Total not including medicine + anesthesia) Stimulation Monitoring $5,339, Retrieval Procedure $2,270, Embryology $4,570, FET $2,165 , med apprx $6,188

I don't ever remember there being a conversation about if we even had an option. We knew it was recommended to do a FET and to transfer one embryo because of our age, but other than that there was not much of a conversation. We should have asked more questions.

Dr Cook was very straight forward with us about our diagnosis, she was informative and patient when answering our questions. She was also very kind and caring when we went through difficulties. She seems like she really cares about her patients and is trustworthy.

Ask as many questions as you can, a lot of her answers really helped us decide our course of action and she’s well informed on infertility topics

Because of our specific situation she recommended IVF and not IUI. We did a frozen transfer to give my body a break before transferring which I liked. I had a lot of fear around the progesterone shots, so she let me do suppositories which I chose to do the first time around. I also had my eggs retrieved a few days early because of how I was progressing. We chose to fertilize all 13 eggs per her recommendation to get closer to the number of embryos we hoped to have, which I’m glad we did.

$14,000 egg retrieval $5,000 embryo transfer $500 HSG $2,000 hysteroscopy

Because of my age we were recommended to only transfer one embryo

Dr. Cook has been fantastic. I feel comfortable with her, and she takes the time to answer my questions. My second egg retrieval is late this week (eek!) and she has been on top of it. She wasn't on-call when I did my first transfer, but I trusted the other doctor who completed the retrieval as everyone at this clinic is amazing. I wish we had more face-time, but I know that is rare these days.

Don't be afraid to ask ALL the questions. She is very patient and understanding. I was afraid I would sound uninformed or silly, but she never made me feel that way at all. IVF is a lot to take in...it is ok to be inquisitive!

Due to my diagnosis of Diminished Ovarian Reserve I am "batching" my eggs. This means that I am doing two back-to-back retrievals before we move to the Frozen Embryo Transfer cycle. My second retrieval is this week! I started each cycle with Testosterone Cream every night and CoQ10 200mg, three times a day. I then took birth control pills for 11-12 days and continued the testosterone. When I started stimulation I took 30 units of microdose Hcg each morning and 400 IU of Follistim each night. After day 4 this was increased to 450 IU of Follistim as I was not responding quickly. Once my follicles were big enough, I injected 250 units of Ganirellix each night (2-3 nights) to prevent ovulation. Omnitrope was added and Pregnyl was my trigger shot.

Oh goodness! We have spend over $25,000 to date between consults, testing, genetic testing, medications, and cycles. Because I am on an aggressive treatment plan, my medications have cost around $10,000.

I was defeinitely educted on this by Dr. Cook. Depending on how my second retrieval goes, we may do a multiple embryo transfer because of my diagnosis of diminished ovarian reserve. I will not have a lot of embryos, so that might be our best bet!

She has compassion, is smart, clear in her communication and expectations. She makes us feel like she is doing all that she can to help us achieve our goal in starting a family. She does not make me feel like it is my fault in any way. When I was disappointed in my retrieval results I felt she was disappointed also.

Ask questions and be clear in what you want.

Retrieval 1: birth control to regulate cycle, 30iu low dose hcg, cetrotide, 400 units Gonal f, novarel trigger shot. Retrieval 2: birth control to regulate cycle, testosterone cream for egg quality, 200mg x 3 Co-q-10, 30 iu low dose hcg, 400 units Gonal f, cetrotide, omnitrope, novarel trigger shot. Retrieval 3 (in progress): testosterone cream, 200mg x 3 co-q-10, 10units lupron, low dose hcg, cetrotide, Gonal f, novarel, omnitrope

I can go in for monitoring appointments anytime during the week from 7-9:30am and they are open weekends also. I can get in and out in 15 min, 30 tops with an ultrasound and no complications. When I had a cyst that needed to be aspirated Dr. cook dropped everything she was doing to take care of it herself immediately and I was still out of the office within 1 hr.

Total roughly $40k and still no baby. Am currently in treatment. Attain 3 cycle program $28,100 Anesthesia for 3 retrievals $1350 Medications ~$10k Pregenetic screening not yet paid for Have personal insurance with ZERO coverage for anything. Have spoken with Blue Cross SC multiple times and they offer no independent insurance plans with coverage.

For my age she will not transfer multiple embryos. She described a number of risks for both the fetuses and my health.

Dr. Cook was point forward with the steps of IVF but did not have much remorse regarding the cost especially adding on the cost of the IVF. She was able to have a quick explanation of IVF process but did not ellaborate on the medications we will be using or how she was able to count the follicles on my US.

It is a hurry up and wait process. I needed documentation filled out by Dr. Cook and she reported she could get the paperwork done within the next day and it took almost a week in a half to get this valuable documentation but she has been successful with other patients and was easy to talk to during our visit.

IVF with PGD testing but did not go into the medications

47,000$ approximately with IVF (two retrievals, medications, blood work and PGD testing one time )

eSET with being hopeful to having healthy embryos

We loved our experience with Dr. Cook and are so thankful she helped us conceive our miracle. After years of "unexplained infertility" it was a breath of fresh air to have a diagnosis within ten minutes of speaking to her, which she then confirmed via ultrasound.

Be direct about your wants/desires, she will listen.

I was diagnosed with Stage IV endometriosis, and as a result, Dr. Cook offered to skip IUI altogether and go straight to IVF. We weren't financially in a place to try IVF right off the bat, so we opted for two IUI cycles. After the first failed, she adjusted my meds to try and get even more eggs to mature, although it ended up being unsuccessful. We only had to go through one IVF cycle with her, and she was very direct about doing a frozen only cycle, as she believes it's better to allow your body some time to rest after being on all of the hormones for the retrieval. We opted against genetic testing, and transferred one day 5 embryo that was a 5-AA rating. Also, at the beginning of my initial treatment with her, she started me on CoQ10 to improve egg quality and we saw improvement between my initial ultrasound and my second ultrasound in the number of follicles available.

IVF cost between 15,000 and 20,000; IUI was between 3000-5000

Due to my age, she felt confident we would have good quality embryos and, therefore, only needed to transfer one at a time. Furthermore, she believed it would be difficult for me to carry multiples and did not want to run the risk of transferring more than one embryo and one of the embryos splitting.

She took her time and never rushed me with what I was feeling or with the questions I had. Every visit she was pleasant and explained what was going to happen thoroughly. She was easy to communicate with through my assigned nurse and always answered in a timely manner. At the beginning we asked about IVF along with IUI and she was willing and able to give us all of this information up front and explained everything. She did not push us one way or the other, but gave us her advice and let us make the right decisions for my husband and me.

Ask her any question you have, even if you think it is stupid or not important. She is willing to answer anything and takes everything you have to say seriously.

Dr. Cook was the second doctor that we saw, and had already complete Clomid cycles, another fertility drug cycle, and 2 IUIs. We were on the fence about trying other IUI and were looking for more information on IVF. Dr. Cook looked through our records and was surprised about certain tests that weren't run or that they did not do any ultrasound monitoring by our previously clinic and wanted us to run those test and try one more round of IUI with injections and ultrasounds. She understood why we would not want to do another IUI and was happy to give us all the information on IVF that we asked for. After reviewing everything that we talked about with Dr. Cook, we decided to do one last IUI with injections using her as our doctor. This did not work and we have now decided to more forward with IVF.

The cost was equal to the cost at the first clinic we went to in Nashville. We paid around $2500 for our IUI with injections and ultrasounds. The estimate for IVF is around $20,000.

I feel as if she hasn't taken individual circumstances into consideration. I feel like she's not attempting to dig deeper into why I'm not conceiving. I don't feel like she really cares if I get pregnant and maintain pregnancy. I've brought up health concerns she doesn't feel the need to address. I feel more as if I'm just a way to get more money, via IVF. She hasn't been all bad though, she is nice enough and returns calls when asked. But I just don't feel as if she is "in my corner" on my conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy to a live birth.

Give her a try but if you're not 100% comfortable then find someone who will be a good fit for you

Letrozole cycle and a gonal-f cycle to encourage follicle growth. Trigger shot (Ovidrel) to induce ovulation prior to IUI. Both were unsuccessful.

It's expensive, but probably only slightly more than average. IUI itself was $650, but that doesn't include meds, ultrasounds, labs, or donor sperm. It was slightly less expensive at another clinic.

She’s empathetic, extremely intelligent, confident, and gentle. I couldn’t ask for a better RE. I have experienced 6 losses, have had 4 surgeries and 3 D&C’s, and have gone through infertility for 3 years. My previous RE was less than ideal. I have no doubt in my mind that she will give us our baby. Zero.

Ask as many questions as you want to. She will listen and answer for as long as it takes for you to leave feeling knowledgeable and comfortable.

Blood work to rule out other causes of miscarriage. Saline infusion sonogram and HSG- was diagnosed with one blocked tube. Hysteroscopy- diagnosed with Asherman’s syndrome post-uterine septum removal. IUI- failed. Another hysteroscopy to check for scarring- no scarring but she removed a little more septum. Am currently in the process of taking stim meds for IVF.

It’s a little pricey. For our one FET cycle, it’s almost 15 thousand dollars. This does not include medications, ERA biopsy, or PGS testing.

Dr Cook strongly believes in only transferring one embryo unless she and medical history dictate it to be completely necessary to transfer two.

I thought she was very competent and compassionate. She told me the tests they do for RPL, we did those as quick as we could, and got the results back with really no explanation as to why I had the two miscarriages. I had read about low progesterone could cause it which was something we weren't really able to test, and asked it I could take that while trying. She allowed me to, and wanted me to start at ovulation. I did this and was pregnant the second month with the baby I'm carrying now. We are halfway through! I would say her just ruling out what could be wrong was great for my confidence. She was very knowledgeable.

Continue to be your own advocate and read, ask questions, but know she is on your side!

All I ended up being on was progesterone suppositories at ovulation through the first trimester. I was discharged after my baby was 8 weeks. She ran the whole RPL panel on me, and nothing came out that would be causing my RPL. That is why I asked to use progesterone. I also was told I could take a daily baby aspirin. I was lucky enough not to have to do any further in depth treatments.

My insurance covered a good bit of the tests we had run, so we just had to pay my co-pays, and then % after that until we reached deductible. I didn't think the costs were astronomical.

Dr. Cook explained each procedure in detail, gave handouts, and even drew the process when the explanation became overwhelming. She always allowed plenty of time for to discuss any concerns and she encouraged questions. Sometimes when meeting her, the session could feel rushed. Patients can combat that by being as prepared as possible. I wish I had the opportunity to see her face-to-face more often, I am a patient at one of their satellite offices.

She is very kind and warm. Don't be afraid to ask questions, she encourages them and is very detailed in her responses.

Three IUI attempts with varying medication protocols before moving to IVF. First IUI was just oral medication, with the second and third IUI requiring oral and injectable medications.

Billing was never accurate or straightforward. I would say IUI without medication was around $1700.

Dr. Cooks approach is multiple embryo transfer (FET)

Dr Cook was a very good communicator She explained all risks associated with every step of the process. She explained what the numbers meant and what we were shooting for. She remained very positive through the process even when I had had huge doubts. She personally called me several time throughout the process to see how I was doing.

Ask all of the questions you can possibly think of, she takes her time answering each one.

We used gonal -f, ganarelix, human growth hormone, HCG. We ended up with 14 eggs retrieved 7 of which made it to day 5.

total cost for our two cycles was around $14,000

Our Dr only does one embryo on the first transfer due to the risk of a multiples pregnancy. Our first transfer ended in miscarriage so we were given the opportunity to transfer two embryos the second time so we did.

I think she is very qualified and passionate for what she does. However, i also feel that she was quick to say our only options were IUI or IVF. Perhaps she is right but I didn’t feel that any other option was even discussed or considered.

She is a great doctor if you’re ready and financially prepared to move forward with IUI or IVF.

She has suggested we move forward with IUI first. This would mean I would take letrozole. Dr Cook would monitor my follicles with ultrasounds and I would take a trigger shot when she felt it was time to ovulate. Lastly, I would go in for the IUI with my husband.

My HSG test was $950. My initial consult with her was $250. If we proceed with IUI, it will cost around $2,000-$2,500 per cycle. IVF starts at $20,000 and goes up from there. Nothing at the fertility clinic is covered by insurance.

She made me feel important when other doctors didn’t and she went out of her way to find a plan that worksh best for me. She was very understanding when I needed emotional support. She has always been with me from the beginning

That she is a very good doctor and if she needs help trying to figure out the correct plan for you to be on she will ask one of the other doctors.

Dr. Cook started me off with a unmedicated iui and when that didn’t worked we started on the clomid for iui and once that failed we started on clomid and ovidrel. We was able to conceive our daughter through this and now for baby number two we did 6 medicated iui and they all failed now we are moving on to ivf

Each iui was 525 not counting donor sperm or the ultrasounds and blood work needed. Ivf is 6100 up front

N/a

Dr. Cook had been very helpful, compassionate, and informative. After going through our first egg retrieval and chromosomal testing we learned none of our embryos were viable. It was heartbreaking, but Dr. Cook was very encouraging and already came up with a new plan for us. We are very optimistic.

She is up front and honest about what to expect.

We have gone through one egg retrieval and are about to start our second one. She switched the medicine I am using for round two due to my low estrogen levels.

We signed up for the attain program which cost us about 24,000. This program covers multiple IVF cycles and even allows for a refund in some cases if you don’t “ bring a baby home”

Dr. Cook was the first fertility specialist I saw. She explained everything and was very eager to help us. We left her and went to another doctor for a second opinion. A year later I went back to Dr. Cook because I wanted to try IUI. She explained to me why IUI would not be a good option for me. She explained IVF in a very great detail. We are saving our money now for IVF and I plan to go back to Dr. Cook when I'm ready.

She's very nice. She will not make you feel like your stupid.

Dr. Cook was extremely helpful in explaining the IUI procedure and why she thought that was the best route to go. She had a very positive attitude and made us feel like she really cared. I would recommend her to friends. Coastal is a very busy clinic, because they are so successful.

Be patient

Coastal was very upfront and informative about the cost of everything. They make it very easy to understand.

She was cold and matter of fact. I was told I could undergo IVF treatment up until age 45. She then told me she couldn’t offer it to be because I am 44 and will only over IUI. She said the success rate was less than 1% based solely on my age and no other factors.

Try a different clinic that is less focused on statistics and reporting high percentage rates of pregnancies and more on the individual and their goals. Don’t deny someone just based on age alone. Dr. Cook did that to me and gave me no hope to become a mother.

No treatment was suggested.

It was covered under my insurance. I only paid a copay. Not sure if I will receive a bill later.

I was disqualified from undergoing IVF solely based on my age.

Dr. Cook spent as much time with me as I needed. She answered all of my questions and did my internal ultrasound. I am looking to be a single mom by choice and at no point did I feel judged for that.

Don't be afraid to ask all of your questions. She is happy to answer them and does not make you feel dumb for asking.

She suggested I do an unmedicated IUI going forward. We talked about how I whorl try 3-6 cycles of that before moving on if the IUI option didn't work.

The consultation was $255, all of the preliminary testing was about $1,000 and an unmedicated IUI was $300.

My facility only ever transfers one embryo at a time.

Not going to Charleston for each visit limited my face to face time with Dr. Cook but I felt like she was very active in my care. Called me to check in whenever we were making next steps. Very thorough and easy to talk to

Make sure your ask all your questions. Dr. Cook is happy to help! she does talk fast and can get to the point pretty quickly but she is happy to back up and make sure you understand.

She's very thorough and has excellent bedside manner. Ive always felt respected and understood in my appointments with her. She's always willing to take the time to answer any questions we have and always explains every situation in detail to help us be informed at every step of the process.

You're very lucky to have her as your doctor!

I really liked Dr. Cook. She was caring and compassionate, and patient when answering my many questions. I did not have any successful cycles, but I don't think that had anything to do with her. I will probably go back to her once my finances bounce back a little bit.

Know what you want going in.

Dr. Cook's expertise, compassion, and confidence set us at ease when coming to terms with our infertility. She throughly explained our treatment options, risks, and expectations. We have never felt rushed, pressured, or dismissed during our interactions and meetings.

Communicate with your care team. It is OK to ask questions, any questions, to make informed decisions about your care. Most importantly, be upfront and honest. There is no judgment, only compassion and an obvious desire to help from Dr. Cook.

Our trearment seems to have followed a prerry standard course so far. Prescreenings, labs, an HSG to obtain a visual of any structural issues, and medications. We are in the early stages of the first cycle.

We opted to utilize the Attain 2-cycle program with a possible refund if unsuccessful. Coastal Fertility Specialists has worked with our insurance, and has helped to reduce our out-of-pocket costs wherever possible.

With the cost of IVF, we originally expressed a desire to have multiple embryos transferred during our cycles. After speaking with Dr. Cook, and listening to her explanation of the process and rationales reguarding single vs multiple transfers, we feel confident that Dr. Cook has our best interests in mind when the time comes to choose which route to take.

While being under Dr Cook’s care, I have always felt like I was in the best possible hands I could be. Our situation is different than some with unexplained infertility. Every month seems to be a new learning experience with how my body reacts to medicines or naturally. She is always right on top of my care and adapting with what fits my needs beat each month. I trust her 100% and have full confidence in her which is so important when you’re dealing with infertility.

Be open and honest and ask as many questions as you have. She is a wealth of knowledge and will make sure you understand completely.

My spouse and I had been trying for almost 4 years with 1 pregnancy which resulted in miscarrriage. After our consult with Dr Cook, we went straight into IUI with GonalF injections 75. Ovidrel shot and IUI. We were blessed with a positive result. We lost our baby girl at 15 weeks due to triploidy. We tried to mimic a second cycle with the same protocol as the first with a negative result. Our third planned cycle, we were unable to utilize our Gonal F as I had a follicle which was already at nature stage with high estrodril levels on CD 5. Our third cycle. We started monitoring right away and injections early to try to preven a repeat of the previous cycle. We grew 2 16s and 2 14s due to her new protocol! We had to aspirate one of the smaller follicles as Dr Cook did not want to risk my health or health of multiple children if all follicles matured to released eggs. Ovidrel shot and IUI.

A cycle of IUI with labs, ultrasound, monitoring and the actual IUI procedure cost approximately $2500.00. This does not include medications.

Dr. Cook was excellent at explaining what we should expect throughout the process. She told us her opinion, but allowed us to make the final decisions. She was kind and hopeful. She made us feel comfortable like we were talking to a friend. She was respectful and encouraging.

You’re in good hands!

My husband had low morphology and motility so Dr. Cook recommended ICSI over traditional IVF and IUI because it would take the male infertility issue out of the equation. The result was 11 out of 13 eggs made it to day 5 embryos. Those embryos were frozen to allow my body to shed the lining of my uterus before implantation. This was decided because research shows the hormones I took to increase egg production can make a woman’s uterus less welcoming for pregnancy. The result was a beautiful baby boy born 9 months later.

I made sure I was there at 7am when the clinic opened so I could be the first patient of the day. I would usually be in and out in 30-40 minutes which then still allowed me to get to work on time.

I believe the ICSI process, including monitoring, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer was about $6,000. We also paid another $2,000 for medication. In addition, it cost another $1,000 for preliminary testing before we settled on ICSI.