She’s [Dr. Thornton is] a good listener and answered questions in detail and has a kind demeanor. She also took interest in my life outside treatment so I didn’t feel like just a number. It was important for me to have a black female doctor and I felt I could more easily talk about racial concerns...She recommended COQ10 in addition to the prenatal vitamin I was already taking...
It’s almost impossible to get someone to answer a call directly [at Boston IVF]. It tends to go to voicemail with a long message about their callback policy that you can’t skip. During the treatment cycle they were very responsive and and warm. Missing a call created anxiety especially before I started a treatment cycle, because I’d have to leave a message again...Communications had sort of a factory feel. Before scheduling my initial consult I wished someone could have laid out potential future appointments and blood/ultrasound monitoring during egg retrieval...
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
She’s a good listener and answered questions in detail and has a kind demeanor. She also took interest in my life outside treatment so I didn’t feel like just a number. It was important for me to have a black female doctor and I felt I could more easily talk about racial concerns.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Don’t delay in scheduling since her calendar books quickly, and be persistent about getting an earlier appointment/ask to get put on the waitlist and follow up
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
She listened to my concerns and answered my questions and also expressed interest in personal details outside the treatment.
Describe the protocols Kim L. Thornton used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
She recommended COQ10 in addition to the prenatal vitamin I was already taking. I injected meds to increase my follicles and eggs and had frequent monitoring to time my retrieval.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Boston IVF.
It’s almost impossible to get someone to answer a call directly. It tends to go to voicemail with a long message about their callback policy that you can’t skip. During the treatment cycle they were very responsive and and warm. Missing a call created anxiety especially before I started a treatment cycle, because I’d have to leave a message again
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
Provide an easier way for patients to get in touch and get questions answered sooner. Communications had sort of a factory feel. Before scheduling my initial consult I wished someone could have laid out potential future appointments and blood/ultrasound monitoring during egg retrieval. I would have potentially opted for a closer clinic had I known that
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF.
My insurance covered everything except embryo genetic testing. I’m still not sure if donor sperm is covered
Describe Kim L. Thornton's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Boston IVF.
We discussed potentially transferring more than one embryo due to my age.
She [Dr. Kim Thornton] is very straightforward, and with time being of the essence, that’s what we need! She explains the process very thoroughly and answered all of our questions. Even after our first failed cycle (we didn’t make it to transfer) she quickly sat with us (within 1 day after finding out no transfer) and went through the next course of action! Even went so far as to collaborate with other Drs with in the practice to see if they had similar cases to ours! Overall I’m happy with her and am still holding hope that I’ll have a live birth!
The nursing staff [at Boston IVF] is great! Dawn took the time to sit with us and go through all of the procedure steps and anytime I had a question she was very quick to respond to me...Boston IVF is great in the way that they have offices all over. I mainly go wot a Worcester but have been to Waltham and Lexington for ultrasounds and blood work. They also have in-house acupuncture which is great. Weaknesses, their financial coordinators are VERY quick and only give you information if you ask for it. I found out after my first cycle that self pay clients could apply for a discount (income based) which would have really helped to know before!
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
I wasn’t sure where to start on the IVF journey. It’s very overwhelming, I filled out an online contact form and received a call from Boston IVF and they paired me with Dr Thornton. Other may not have left the best reviews but I personally think she has been great for us. She is very straightforward, and with time being of the essence, that’s what we need! She explains the process very thoroughly and answered all of our questions. Even after our first failed cycle (we didn’t make it to transfer) she quickly sat with us (within 1 day after finding out no transfer) and went through the next course of action! Even went so far as to collaborate with other Drs with in the practice to see if they had similar cases to ours! Overall I’m happy with her and am still holding hope that I’ll have a live birth!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
If you want someone to give you hugs and kisses, Dr Thornton isn’t the one for you, but if you want an honest approach she definitely won’t sugar coat the process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
I definitely felt with the small Worcester office Dr Thornton knew it was me there
To meet with her. She always talked to me not at me which I appreciate.
Describe the protocols Kim L. Thornton used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
When I first met with add Thornton I was 39 turning 40, my husband had a failed vasectomy reversal. She initially suggested we go back to the office who did the reversal to see if we could retrieve sperm from him. Once that procedure was complete we moved very quickly. We started with Gonal-F and Menopur and then added Cetrotide. Trigger was done and then egg retrieval. Once retrieval was done I started on Endometrin 3 times a day.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Boston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Dawn )
The nursing staff is great! Dawn took the time to sit with us and go through all of the procedure steps and anytime I had a question she was very quick to respond to me.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
Boston IVF is great in the way that they have offices all over. I mainly go wot a Worcester but have been to Waltham and Lexington for ultrasounds and blood work. They also have in-house acupuncture which is great. Weaknesses, their financial coordinators are VERY quick and only give you information if you ask for it. I found out after my first cycle that self pay clients could apply for a discount (income based) which would have really helped to know before!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF.
Costs were pretty high! I am self pay meaning insurance doesn’t cover anything for the cycle. All pre blood work was covered but once the cycle started I obtained a loan for $15,000 and paid $1000 out of pocket on top of that. That included medication
I'm glad that my husband and I trusted our gut instinct about what was best for us, and appreciated that Dr. Thornton and her team were flexible and supportive of our decision. ... What I can say is that in my initial consultation, Dr. Thornton gave me a lot of reassurance that treatment could work for us, got me started on treatment right away as I had hoped, and explained what she would recommend for us and why very thoroughly.
It did at times feel a bit like a baby factory with so many people coming in and out, but again, that seems expected when you choose a larger practice. I only had one procedure done at the clinic, with a few rounds of lab work, so my experiences are somewhat limited, but I had no complaints. ... However, given the sheer size of Boston IVF, it was hard to not feel a bit like a number during my actual treatment cycles, since there were so many women at the Waltham location for labs/treatments/etc.
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
I was only a patient for a few months as my second treatment cycle was successful, so I can't comment on some of the questions like how compassionate Dr. Thornton is or how willing to change treatment course she is -- those didn't come up during our treatment course. What I can say is that in my initial consultation, Dr. Thornton gave me a lot of reassurance that treatment could work for us, got me started on treatment right away as I had hoped, and explained what she would recommend for us and why very thoroughly. I ultimately had positive results after just two months and am forever grateful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
I would recommend advocating for yourself and what you feel is the best for you. Dr. Thornton recommended that we do letrozole + IUI, which did not work during our first month of treatment. I was concerned that the timing of the IUI the first month could have been a bit off and that that could have caused the unsuccessful cycle (we did not use a trigger or do any monitoring). As a result, for our second cycle, I felt strongly that I wanted to try letrozole + timed intercourse instead of the IUI, and expressed that to Dr. Thornton and her team. They were supportive of this change, and that was the month that we were successful. I'm glad that my husband and I trusted our gut instinct about what was best for us, and appreciated that Dr. Thornton and her team were flexible and supportive of our decision.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
During my one-on-one consultation with Dr. Thornton, I very much felt treated like a human and was able to ask all of the questions I had. I felt she addressed my concerns adequately and gave me reassurance about beginning treatment. However, given the sheer size of Boston IVF, it was hard to not feel a bit like a number during my actual treatment cycles, since there were so many women at the Waltham location for labs/treatments/etc. I don't fault Dr. Thornton for this but rather feel it is almost inevitable when selecting a large fertility treatment center.
Describe the protocols Kim L. Thornton used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
Both cycles, I took letrozole (I believe the dose was 7.5ish?) CD3-7. This was to help me ovulate strong eggs, and ideally more than 1 to help increase our chances of success.
Our first cycle, I had an IUI performed. I was told to test with OPKs every morning before noon starting at CD 15. Once I had a positive test, I was to call and schedule my IUI for the next morning, and my husband would go in and drop off a fresh sample. We did this one time and were unsuccessful.
Our second cycle, we used the same letrozole protocol but had timed intercourse once I began testing positive on OPKs. We were successful.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
I appreciate the size of this practice and the number of locations to choose from for providers. It did at times feel a bit like a baby factory with so many people coming in and out, but again, that seems expected when you choose a larger practice. I only had one procedure done at the clinic, with a few rounds of lab work, so my experiences are somewhat limited, but I had no complaints.
Dr. Thornton was kind and somewhat compassionate. If I was down about a high FSH she reminded me it wasn't that high (11). She is straight to the point though, she isn't really going to coddle you. After my first round of treatment only resulted in 2 dominant follicles and I was converted to an IUI, she asked me if I ever considered donor eggs. I was really disappointed that was discussed so quickly, but she was being real with me I guess. She agreed to change the protocol and move forward if I only had one follicle next time. Unfortunately that cycle was cancelled when they went in to retrieve and found no follicles, they assume I prematurely ovulated.
Boston IVF has its good and its bad points. They service a TON of patients and its easy to get lost in the shuffle, but I do feel the nurses and staff in Waltham care about the patients and want us to succeed. The downside to the high volume is not getting much for personal care because your doctor is too busy to really be adjusting protocols or meeting with you personally. I also didn't love that they aren't much into research... other websites for clinics have studies and videos and information for patients. I felt like Boston IVF was like the Costco of reproduction, and you are fortunate to be successful if you have only a small issue to work through or try enough times. Anyone with specific issues that need special attention or outside the box thinking would probably do better elsewhere.
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Dr. Thornton was kind and somewhat compassionate. If I was down about a high FSH she reminded me it wasn't that high (11). She is straight to the point though, she isn't really going to coddle you. After my first round of treatment only resulted in 2 dominant follicles and I was converted to an IUI, she asked me if I ever considered donor eggs. I was really disappointed that was discussed so quickly, but she was being real with me I guess. She agreed to change the protocol and move forward if I only had one follicle next time. Unfortunately that cycle was cancelled when they went in to retrieve and found no follicles, they assume I prematurely ovulated.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Be prepared going in. Dr. Thornton goes over things for sure, but there is a lot of information out there and questions you should be asking of any doctor. If she hesitates on proceeding, keep in mind that it is your choice and your body and don't give up.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
My husband and I met with Dr. Thornton once, and I met with her once alone. She was always very nice and explained things in a way my husband liked, as her undergrad is in chemical engineering as is his. She seemed confident that I would be successful, and she explained the process well with pictures, etc. However, past those meetings I have felt like any other patient being pushed through the clinic. Three times a nurse told me to take a medication I didn't have (the insurance sometimes sends Cetritide but I had Ganirelix, and the insurance sometimes sends Gonal F, but I had Follistim) so it felt like no one was even reading my chart before speaking to me. After my second fail (premature ovulation prior to retrieval) I didn't receive a follow up call from the clinic to schedule a follow-up and next steps. I don't know if Dr. Thornton cares if I come back to Boston IVF ever, she likely has enough other 'numbers' to deal with.
Describe the protocols Kim L. Thornton used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
Cycle 1 - Day 3 start, 450 iu Follistim, low dose HCG; Day 5 Ganirelix, up to 600 iu Follistim, low dose HCG. One decent follicle, one smaller - converted to IUI. Ovidrel shot. BFN
Cycle 2 - Ganirelix and Estrogen patch prior to cycle start, Day 3 450 iu Follistim, 150 iu Menupur; Day 9 Ganirelix, Follistim same, and Menupur same. Day 11 had two dominant follicles and some smaller ones starting. Pregnyl shot, retrieval 36 hours later showed no follicles. Was instructed to go home and have sex (not sure why they didn't do an IUI at that point)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Boston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Dawn)
I was so very NOT a fan of Dawn (Worcester office only) that I asked to be switched to a nurse out of the Waltham office. She lacks compassion as well as a knowledge of what she should say to a patient vs. what the doctor should be communicating. Abbey and Sonya (Dr. Thornton's other nurses) in Waltham are excellent though. The nursing staff in Waltham overall has been incredible - everyone you meet from the time you walk in, get blood taken, ultrasound, checked in for surgery, etc - they are SOOOOO great. They see your eyes start to tear and they always have tissues. I had to visit Waltham on Mothers Day for an ultrasound and they had a big bucket of roses and a sign that said "thinking of you all today and everyday" and I lost it. So touching. They are A+++++. In Waltham.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
Boston IVF has its good and its bad points. They service a TON of patients and its easy to get lost in the shuffle, but I do feel the nurses and staff in Waltham care about the patients and want us to succeed. The downside to the high volume is not getting much for personal care because your doctor is too busy to really be adjusting protocols or meeting with you personally. I also didn't love that they aren't much into research... other websites for clinics have studies and videos and information for patients. I felt like Boston IVF was like the Costco of reproduction, and you are fortunate to be successful if you have only a small issue to work through or try enough times. Anyone with specific issues that need special attention or outside the box thinking would probably do better elsewhere.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF.
Pretty much 100% insurance paid after deductible. I think we paid $150 for one medication through Village Pharmacy. My scripts cost me a small co-pay (like $30) but the 'real' price was $15,000 just for the drugs! Phew!
Dr Thornton explained the process thoroughly using language that I could understand. She even drew pictures which made it easy to understand a complicated process. She also was very direct and didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, she told me what I needed to hear. Since I am 43, nothing is a guarantee...They [team at Boston IVF] were sensitive to my situation and didn't treat me like the "next patient"...
They [Boston IVF] were sensitive to my situation and didn't treat me like the "next patient"...You will be making blood work appointments with set times, but there's a sign in sheer too. So if you need to get in and out, it's best to get there early and sign up first for your time slot. A strength they have is their phlebotomists.... they are absolutely wonderful for people who have anxieties about needles.
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Dr Thornton explained the process thoroughly using language that I could understand. She even drew pictures which made it easy to understand a complicated process. She also was very direct and didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, she told me what I needed to hear. Since I am 43, nothing is a guarantee.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Don't go in with the expectation you absolutely will be able to get pregnant, there are tests to be done to see if you're a candidate or not
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
They were sensitive to my situation and didn't treat me like the "next patient"
Describe the protocols Kim L. Thornton used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
I had to take the pill for two weeks to jump start the ovaries. Then once I got mt period, I started gonal f, HCG, cetrotide, and ovidrel. I needed to get my ovaries ready for egg retrieval. The meds made me feel tired, bloated, and a little nauseous. My ovaries were get getting enlarged. I get blood work and an ultrasound tomorrow to figure out the next round of injections.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Boston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Sonia)
They are all great. From the front desk to the phlebotomist, to the nurses. They're sympathetic to how your feeling and speak in a very ca manor. They call and follow up with the information as they get it.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
You will be making blood work appointments with set times, but there's a sign in sheer too. So if you need to get in and out, it's best to get there early and sign up first for your time slot.
A strength they have is their phlebotomists.... they are absolutely wonderful for people who have anxieties about needles. I hate them and they made it the most pleasant blood draw I've ever had
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF.
My appts are covered by my insurance . Normal dr appt were 25$.
What specific things went wrong at Boston IVF?
Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Boston IVF.
My husband had blood work done and the nurse requested specific tests done. But one of the tests weren't performed so he had to get a second blood draw.
They didn't explain why the test was missed
Dr Thornton has a great ability to explain complicated processes. I know the general gist of what happens but she literally drew out a map of the process. I know it's more complicated but it made it easier for me to follow ans understand. And she tells us like it is. She didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, she told me what I needed to hear...I just started. So the only protocols I started was first with the birth control pill. This is to "jump start" my ovaries. Once I get a period after stopping the pill, I'll get a blood test the next day and then I'll start the injections. The lady I spoke with about the injections was super helpful and figured out a way that I could do one injection a night with all the medication instead of 3 injections! Very helpful, I'm not a fan of needles.
Dr Thornton has a great ability to explain complicated processes. I know the general gist of what happens but she literally drew out a map of the process. I know it's more complicated but it made it easier for me to follow ans understand. And she tells us like it is. She didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, she told me what I needed to hear...I just started. So the only protocols I started was first with the birth control pill. This is to "jump start" my ovaries. Once I get a period after stopping the pill, I'll get a blood test the next day and then I'll start the injections. The lady I spoke with about the injections was super helpful and figured out a way that I could do one injection a night with all the medication instead of 3 injections! Very helpful, I'm not a fan of needles.
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Dr Thornton has a great ability to explain complicated processes. I know the general gist of what happens but she literally drew out a map of the process. I know it's more complicated but it made it easier for me to follow ans understand. And she tells us like it is. She didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, she told me what I needed to hear
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Be ready to hear the real facts if you're in the grey area of becomming pregnant. She doesn't hide reality.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Dr Thornton didn't hide any realities from me because of my age. She told me things I needed to know and not pretend that it's garauntee that I'll become pregnant. And her staff are the nicest, warm, caring people. It's tough to go through this and everyone there treats you like a person, definitely not a number.
Describe the protocols Kim L. Thornton used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
I just started. So the only protocols I started was first with the birth control pill. This is to "jump start" my ovaries. Once I get a period after stopping the pill, I'll get a blood test the next day and then I'll start the injections. The lady I spoke with about the injections was super helpful and figured out a way that I could do one injection a night with all the medication instead of 3 injections! Very helpful, I'm not a fan of needles.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Boston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Sonia)
She treated me with respect. Her and her team has a motherly, caring aspect about them which made me feel comfortable given what I'll be going through shortly. Just a great team to work with, all the way to the ultrasound team and the phlebotomists, they are fabulously talented and kept me calm at all times
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
While you may have an appt time for blood work, there's still a sign in sheet and you get taken in by the list. So If you need to get out of your appt quickly, it's good to get there a little earlier than your appt.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF.
My health insurance covered a good portion of appointments. I'm not sure if the cost yet going forward. Waltham is a certified wellness center and I get and extra 10k$ towards my lifetime IVF coverage
Describe Kim L. Thornton's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Boston IVF.
Waltham IVF only does single egg transfers. This reduces the risk of injury to the mother and babies should
Multi births happen. This is fine by me.
What specific things went wrong at Boston IVF?
Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Boston IVF.
The only thing that happened and not sure where the error occurred, but tests were ordered as part of my husbands blood work and when they got the results, one of the tests didn't happen. The nurse said she wrote it down and couldn't explain why it wasn't done.
We have met with Dr Thornton 3x over 7 months...She had the uncomfortable job of delivering life changing, devastating news - that couldn't have been easy. I was 28 and my blood work showed Premature Ovarian "Insufficiency" (Failure). She was clear that the odds of us conceiving naturally were about 5% if I was ovulating, which I was not. She's a straight shooter and I respect that about her. She didn't sugarcoat anything just to make us feel better and didn't create any sense of false hope. She was direct. There was no hand-holding. I felt that she had put the best plan together for my specific situation, and trusted her medical expertise.
Boston IVF Waltham is the best of the best. They have the best medical team, the best surgeons, the best nurses, embryologists, anesthesiologists, and the most experience. My best experience was with the egg retrieval and the embryo transfer. Dr. Riley did both the retrieval and the transfer, and he was amazing. His staff was also amazing - so kind and gentle, very reassuring that they would do everything in their power to help us make a baby, and I trust that they did. We were in very good hands. Boston IVF literally has video cameras in the embryology lab to watch each embryo so they don't have to disrupt them by handling the petri-dishes - that's amazing. They also gave us a photo of our 7-cell embryo, and did a mock transfer before the real transfer...
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
We have met with Dr Thornton 3x over 7 months. The initial consult was Dec 23, 2 days before Christmas, in the Worcester office. She had the uncomfortable job of delivering life changing, devastating news - that couldn't have been easy. I was 28 and my blood work showed Premature Ovarian "Insufficiency" (Failure). She was clear that the odds of us conceiving naturally were about 5% if I was ovulating, which I was not.
She's a straight shooter and I respect that about her. She didn't sugarcoat anything just to make us feel better and didn't create any sense of false hope. She was direct. There was no hand-holding. I felt that she had put the best plan together for my specific situation, and trusted her medical expertise.
Dr. Thornton felt that we needed to be aggressive and move straight to IVF. Anything less than that would be a waste of time. I appreciated that she felt the same urgency. We started the full panel of diagnostic testing 5 days later to rule out genetic disorder and prep for IVF.
The 2nd time we met was in February at the Worcester office after all the diagnostic testing. The plan was to proceed with IVF knowing that we won’t get many eggs, but hoping that they will be excellent quality due to my age.
The 3rd time we met was in April at the Waltham office after IVF Cycle 1 was cancelled during day 7 of stimulations, over a holiday long-weekend. My body sort-of responded, but nowhere near the anticipated response given near-normal AMH and Follicle count of 8 in January. The blood work/AFC counts didn’t line up with the results.
She was clear that IVF only works when you have follicles that respond to stimulation. If you don’t have follicles to stimulate, IVF can’t help make eggs that aren’t there. We decided to do an estrogen-priming cycle, change the ratio of meds, and push the dosage to 600iu. We also decided to do a mock cycle to prep the paperwork for Donor Eggs and attend the Donor Egg seminar at BIVF in case IVF Cycle 2 didn't work.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Make the commitment and go to the Waltham office for the best care. All of the ultrasounds are recorded on video and it allows the doctors to see what the ultrasound tech sees in real time, significantly better than printed out screen-grabs, or handwritten data.
Also be aware that if the odds of IVF working is 25%, that means that 75% of the IVF cycles are failing. Yes, IVF gives you a chance that you may not have otherwise had, but it's not a magic bullet and it doesn't fix everything.
Keep your own log of everything - it will help you advocate for yourself. Write down notes, dates and times of appointments, names of the nurses, what the results were for all of the tests. Keep track of invoices and health insurance coverage - otherwise you may get stuck with the bill.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Cycle 1 at BIVF Worcester was a mess. The short version is that cycle 1 was cancelled due to poor response on stimulation day 7 on a Saturday, over a long holiday weekend, by nurse Tanya who seemed to have no idea what was going on. When we finally had the post-cycle consult, found out that Dr. Thornton did NOT cancel my cycle; she was on vacation. The on-call Dr. cancelled it. She said she would have made the same decision. As a patient under her care during the most critical time in an IVF cycle, we should have been alerted that she was going on vacation and been given the contact info of the on-call Doctor, all of which we told her.
For Cycle 2 we made the decision to move all appointments to BIVF Waltham, and it was a completely different experience. It was well run, the nurses, ultrasound and blood techs were all great. We worked mainly with Kathy, Dr. Thornton's nurse in Waltham, and she was fantastic! Kathy was responsive, personable, and cared about us. She was also able to get in touch with Dr. Thornton when we needed her to, which was huge.
Describe the protocols Kim L. Thornton used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
Birth Control Pill for 2 months while waiting for insurance approval. CoQ10 to help improve egg quality. Levothyroxine for thyroid (within normal range but higher than ideal for pregnancy). Continued prenatal vitamins.
IVF Cycle 1: 450iu total does of stimulations.
300iu Gonal F Redijet Pen, 150 Menopur daily injections.
Stimulation day 5, blood and ultrasound. AFC: 2 - 4 in left and right ovary. Estrogen 33. Nurse warned that cycle may be cancelled if estrogen didn't increase, but that it we had a chance.
Stimulation day 7, blood and ultrasound. AFC: 2 - 4 in left and right ovary, 1 10mm follicle in left. Estrogen 80. Tanya (nurse) called - cycle cancelled.
Mock Cycle to prep for Donor Egg in case IVF Cycle 2 doesn't work.
Estrogen Patch, 2mg Estrace pill 2x daily for 3 weeks, then ultrasound/blood work to check AFC, uterus lining (8mm needed for Donor Egg cycle). Then Prometrium 200mg for 7 days to induce period.
IVF Cycle 2: 600iu total dose of stimulations.
Menopur 450 iu, Gonal F 150iu daily injections for 14 days
Stimulation day 6, blood and ultrasound: AFC: 2 to 4 in left and right ovary. Estrogen 17.95. Instructed to continue injections, next appointment in 3 days.
Stimulation day 9, blood and ultrasound: Left AFC: 2 to 4, Left Follicle: 11.7mm,
Right AFC: One, Right Follicle: 10.14mm. Estrogen 183. Instructed to continue injections, next appointment in 2 days.
Stimulation day 11, blood and ultrasound, Left AFC: 2 to 4, Left Follicle: 10.5mm
Right AFC: One, Right Follicles: 15.47mm,14.24mm. Estrogen 370. Instructed to keep taking 450 menopur, 150 gonal F, add cetrotide 25mg to suppress ovulation. Next appointment in 2 days.
Stimulation day 13, blood and ultrasound, Left AFC: 2 to 4, Left Follicle: 11.35mm
Right AFC: 2 to 4, Right Follicles: 18.55mm,17.48mm. Estrogen 610. Instructed 450 Menopur, 150 Gonal F, and 25 of Cetrotide tonight. OR Nurse will call on Friday with instructions on when to inject Ovidrel (trigger) and schedule retrieval on Sunday!
Stimulation day 14, Ovidrel 250mcg at 9:30pm
Egg retrieval @ BIVF Waltham 36 hours later. Retrieved 2 eggs, 1 fertilized.
Day 3 transfer of "textbook perfect, High Implantation Potential, 7-cell embryo". Begin crinone 8% daily until beta test.
Period starts 1 day before beta test, instructed to continue crinone and come in for blood pregnancy test anyways. HCG 0.343 mIU/ml, negative.
Follow up appointment scheduled in 12 days.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Boston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Kathy )
Kathy was amazing. She was kind and on-top of all the details. During my mock cycle I had a very bad reaction to the estrogen (severe hot flash, extreme dizziness, nauseous) while I was traveling for work, and I was able to reach her via email through out the entire weekend. For the first time, somebody actually checked in on me to see how I was feeling or what the side effects were, and if I was OK to continue. It went a long way with me because she treated me like a person. And on top of that, she was able to coordinate a call with Dr. Thornton when I got home so that I could speak to her directly, which was very reassuring.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
Boston IVF Waltham is the best of the best. They have the best medical team, the best surgeons, the best nurses, embryologists, anesthesiologists, and the most experience. My best experience was with the egg retrieval and the embryo transfer. Dr. Riley did both the retrieval and the transfer, and he was amazing. His staff was also amazing - so kind and gentle, very reassuring that they would do everything in their power to help us make a baby, and I trust that they did. We were in very good hands.
Boston IVF literally has video cameras in the embryology lab to watch each embryo so they don't have to disrupt them by handling the petri-dishes - that's amazing. They also gave us a photo of our 7-cell embryo, and did a mock transfer before the real transfer. We were able to watch the transfer on the ultrasound - the entire experience was incredible.
They can't guarantee you that it will work, and in our case it didn't work, but know that it's the best team, with the best technology, and the most experience, and they are doing everything in their power to help you have a baby.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF.
over $50,000 for all diagnostic testing, cycle monitoring, medicine.
What specific things went wrong at Boston IVF?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Boston IVF.
The errors happened at Boston IVF Worcester. Tanya was the nurse, and to be frank, she was terrible. I should mention that this was our 1st cycle, and we had no idea about anything IVF. We signed the contracts with Tanya on 4/1 and she confirmed that our prescriptions were "ordered and ready to go" and were instructed to call when I got my period. We assumed that the prescriptions were available and that we would pick them up as soon as my period started for CD 1, and stimulation would start CD3.
When we called on CD 1 six days later, she asked if we had our prescriptions yet, which should have been a red flag, because she was the one that told us to wait and call her, which we did. Turns out that she sent our fertility prescription to a specialty clinic that wasn't covered by my insurance, and when I called her to tell her that they were denying me, she kept re-sending it to the same clinic, and telling me that it should be all set for the next day.
On CD 2, I called the fertility clinic first thing (because the clock is ticking here! Supposed to start injections in 1 day!!! Talk about stressed) and they tell me that its never going to go through, and to call my health insurance. Call the health insurance and they also say that it's not covered at that pharmacy, and to have BIVF submit it to a different pharmacy that is covered. Call back Tanya and explain the whole thing and then it FINALLY goes through and we have to rush-ship it. The prescription finally arrives mid-morning cycle day 3. It was a terrible experience.
It's the primary reason that we switched to the Waltham clinic.
The receptionist in Worcester had no idea what was going on. The bloodwork in Worcester was a nightmare. They didn't open till 7am and by then there was a line of 8 - 10 women that were also cycling. Once I had to wait 1 hour to get my blood drawn. There was a different person working there every single time which made me think they had trouble staffing it.
Dr. Kim Thornton is a straight shooter and I respect that about her. She didn't sugarcoat anything just to make us feel better, and I appreciated that. She was direct, to the point, and pretty serious. There was no hand-holding. I felt that she had put the best plan together for my specific situation, and trusted her medical expertise...There wasn't one dedicated case manager or go-to person that we could contact. Even trying to reach the 'dedicated' nurse was a nightmare. If you called before 9am you got message that "you've reached the emergency phone number", and you couldn't leave a voicemail. If you called the same number after 9am, you spoke to 3 different people before you even got the Voicemail for the nurse...
Waltham clinic is the main facility. I live closer to the Worcester clinic so I had most of my blood tests/ultrasounds there. The receptionist in Worcester had no idea what was going on. The bloodwork in Worcester was a nightmare - last time I had to wait 1 hour to get my blood drawn, it was also a different person every single time which made me think they had trouble staffing it. The Waltham clinic seems to run like clockwork. My cycle was cancelled before egg retrieval, but all of my appointments there were on time.
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Dr. Kim Thornton is a straight shooter and I respect that about her. She didn't sugarcoat anything just to make us feel better, and I appreciated that. She was direct, to the point, and pretty serious. There was no hand-holding. I felt that she had put the best plan together for my specific situation, and trusted her medical expertise.
At 28, my FSH levels and AFC was that of a 40 year old, and she diagnosed me with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency - time was not on my side. She felt that we needed to move straight to IVF and not waste any time, so we went for it. I appreciated that she felt the same sort of urgency that if I was going to have my own healthy babies with my husband, it needed to be ASAP.
I met with her twice. Once for the initial consult just before Christmas, and once again in Feb after all the diagnostic testing. My first IVF cycle started in April and after 8 days of stimulation it was abruptly cancelled (on a Saturday), because not enough estrogen was being produced. I trusted her expertise, and was instructed to call on Tuesday (after marathon Monday) to schedule followup consult. When I called on Tuesday, I was told that she was on vacation for the rest of the week, and the next available appointment was 8 days away. Not only was she on vacation, there were no other doctors available that could talk to us sooner, except the emergency on-call doctor, but that wasn't an option.
As a patient undergoing something as extreme and sensitive as IVF, I'm shocked that my Doctor would go on vacation without a back-up. I'm also shocked that there was no professional courtesy to give us a heads up that she was going away during the most sensitive part of the cycle (days 7 - 16!!!) because that's the critical time for everything IVF related. I would have postponed it, or asked for another Dr to monitor the cycle.
Not only that, but I'm also left wondering if my cycle was cancelled because it was inconvenient OR if there simply wasn't anybody there to monitor my cycle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Ask about upcoming vacation days that may occur during your cycle. Be proactive and be an advocate for yourself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
If we hadn't pushed and been strong advocates for ourselves to move the process along, we would still be at square 1. There wasn't one dedicated case manager or go-to person that we could contact. Even trying to reach the 'dedicated' nurse was a nightmare. If you called before 9am you got message that "you've reached the emergency phone number", and you couldn't leave a voicemail. If you called the same number after 9am, you spoke to 3 different people before you even got the Voicemail for the nurse. And then you had to wait 2-3 hours to get a call back.
Nobody checked on us during the first few days of injectable medication. Nobody made sure we knew how to mix the medicine, or inject it correctly, and our first appointment wasn't till 5 days later, so we ended up learning how to mix menopur on YouTube! Not the type of service I would have expected given the financial expense and level of intensity of the drugs.
Describe the protocols Kim L. Thornton used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
I'm 28, in-shape, besides my sub-fertility, I'm generally healthy. My husband and I were officially trying, but I wasn't getting my period. I went to see my OB after 6 months and he tested my blood work to see the thyroid/hormone levels. After that he referred me to Dr. Kim Thornton.
She revealed that I wasn't ovulating at all, and my FSH was about 2x - 3x higher than it should be at 28. During preliminary ultrasound scans there were 8 antral follicles, not as many as there should have been for my age, but enough that she thought IVF was our best shot. She didn't want me to waste my time with Clomid or IUI. The goal was to stimulate the few follicles that I had with injectibles, and hope for high quality eggs.
After diagnostic testing she prescribed levothyroxine to bring my Thyroid levels down. It was within the normal range, but was higher than ideal range for pregnancy, had me start the birth control pill, and start taking CoQ10 to help with egg quality. I continued taking a prenatal vitamin.
Summary: Antagonist protocol
300iu Gonal F Redi-Pen and 150 Menopur during stimulation days 1 - 8.
Cycle cancelled on stimulation day 8, not enough estrogen being produced.
Stim day 6: Ultrasound + bloodwork 7am. Ultrasound technician wouldn't comment on anything. Nurse called around 1p and said that results showed 1 dominant follicle 10mm in left ovary and 2 - 4 small follicles in each. She also said estrogen was way too low and that my cycle may be cancelled, but for now Dr. Thornton wanted me to continue same dose of meds and come back for testing on stim day 8.
Stim day 8: Ultrasound + bloodwork 8:30am. The ultrasound technician said there was nothing going on in the right ovary, but 1 dominant follicle 10-11mm and 10 follicles too small to measure in the left ovary. Nurse called around 1:30pm to say that the cycle had been cancelled, and to call on Tuesday to schedule followup meeting with Dr Thornton.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Boston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Tammy)
I dealt with 5 to 6 different nurses over 8 days. It's not a recipe for success. There should be 1 point person who is familiar with the patient, develops a relationship with the patient, understands their test results, and really advocates for their care, otherwise I'm just a number.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
Waltham clinic is the main facility. I live closer to the Worcester clinic so I had most of my blood tests/ultrasounds there. The receptionist in Worcester had no idea what was going on. The bloodwork in Worcester was a nightmare - last time I had to wait 1 hour to get my blood drawn, it was also a different person every single time which made me think they had trouble staffing it.
The Waltham clinic seems to run like clockwork. My cycle was cancelled before egg retrieval, but all of my appointments there were on time.
Dr. Kim Thornton was easy to communicate with, was very knowledgeable and adjusted the course of treatment based on my timeline, needs and insurance restrictions. She treated me like a person and was easy to talk to...We are only allowed to transfer one embryo at a time based on my age and insurance restrictions. Dr. Thornton is passionate that multiple embryos lead to a more high risk pregnancy for the mom and baby.
[Boston IVF is a] Very professional and well-known clinic. All staff members were very knowledgeable and easy to work with. Clinic can feel a little commercial at times and less personable than smaller clinics but you cannot argue with their results...My assigned nurse was easy to communicate with and returned phone calls promptly...We are only allowed to transfer one embryo at a time based on my age and insurance restrictions. Dr. Thornton is passionate that multiple embryos lead to a more high risk pregnancy for the mom and baby.
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Dr. Kim Thornton was easy to communicate with, was very knowledgeable and adjusted the course of treatment based on my timeline, needs and insurance restrictions. She treated me like a person and was easy to talk to.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Dr. Kim Thornton is very experienced and has a lot of practice treating infertility issues.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Every visit I have had Dr. Thorton has been very well prepared and it was clear that she took the time to review my file and my situation prior to the appointment.
Describe the protocols Kim L. Thornton used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
We had already had frozen eggs being stored so the treatment protocol was fairly straight forward. She put me on birth control for 6-8 weeks to regulate my cycles and finish testing. When that was completed we started estrogen patches and pills. The next step is an ultrasound and blood work and depending on the outcome we will be discussing the transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Boston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Dawn)
My assigned nurse was easy to communicate with and returned phone calls promptly.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
Very professional and well-known clinic. All staff members were very knowledgeable and easy to work with. Clinic can feel a little commercial at times and less personable than smaller clinics but you cannot argue with their results.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF.
Most of my procedures have been covered by my insurance minus my co-pay and out of pocket expenses. Costs of treatments vary.
Describe Kim L. Thornton's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Boston IVF.
We are only allowed to transfer one embryo at a time based on my age and insurance restrictions. Dr. Thornton is passionate that multiple embryos lead to a more high risk pregnancy for the mom and baby.
I did not find Dr. Thornton to be a caring physician. She did not take the time to answer our questions or to fully explain everything that was going on. I always felt rushed and that I was taking up her time.... Dr. Thornton did not order the full panel of tests that our current RE ordered. I found out through my current RE that I have a thyroid issue that requires me to take medication. Dr. Thornton also did not give me proper instructions on how to take a supplement she advised me to take.
I felt very rushed at my appointments.... The clinic [Boston IVF] is incredibly large and you often feel like a number and feel rushed. There are ample physicians if you wish to get a second opinion within the same clinic.... I did not find Dr. Thornton to be a caring physician. She did not take the time to answer our questions or to fully explain everything that was going on. I always felt rushed and that I was taking up her time.
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
I did not find Dr. Thornton to be a caring physician. She did not take the time to answer our questions or to fully explain everything that was going on. I always felt rushed and that I was taking up her time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Do not go to her. Find a different provider or clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
I felt very rushed at my appointments.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
The clinic is incredibly large and you often feel like a number and feel rushed. There are ample physicians if you wish to get a second opinion within the same clinic.
What specific things went wrong at Boston IVF?
Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Boston IVF.
Dr. Thornton did not order the full panel of tests that our current RE ordered. I found out through my current RE that I have a thyroid issue that requires me to take medication. Dr. Thornton also did not give me proper instructions on how to take a supplement she advised me to take.
She [Dr. Thornton] never rushed conversations...Extremely knowledgeable, easy to talk to and gave us choices. We always felt like we had a say in the changes to the plans. She was very thorough. Sometimes getting an follow up appointment was hard because she is so busy. I missed a cycle because of it. Not sure if that was her schedulers fault though.
[The nurses at Boston IVF were] Very compassionate and kind...Sometimes appointments are booked far out, but their treatment is worth it. Be open to different paths that will change during the process. The people do do the ultrasounds and blood draws are super friendly!...She [Dr. Thornton] never rushed conversations...Extremely knowledgeable, easy to talk to and gave us choices. We always felt like we had a say in the changes to the plans. She was very thorough. Sometimes getting an follow up appointment was hard because she is so busy. I missed a cycle because of it. Not sure if that was her schedulers fault though.
How was your experience with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Extremely knowledgeable, easy to talk to and gave us choices. We always felt like we had a say in the changes to the plans. She was very thorough. Sometimes getting an follow up appointment was hard because she is so busy. I missed a cycle because of it. Not sure if that was her schedulers fault though.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
Be patient
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kim L. Thornton at Boston IVF?
She never rushed conversations
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Boston IVF.
Very compassionate and kind.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
Sometimes appointments are booked far out, but their treatment is worth it. Be open to different paths that will change during the process. The people do do the ultrasounds and blood draws are super friendly!
