Linda Elkins

Dr. Elkins is one of the best doctors I have ever had experience with and not just ivf doctors. She knows what you’re going through on a personal level and makes sure to learn about you and your spouse outside of your fertility. She explains every part of treatment and answers questions no matter how silly, she comforts you in the pain of a moment or procedure and every step after. We had several points of bad news delivery and she did it with grace and compassion. I can’t say enough about her and even through our failures I dont doubt her.

Be ready to explain your whole situation and be ready to be met with a friendly face and demeanor! She wants to know about you and work through everything with you! She may be busy but she takes her time and makes you feel like you’re her only patient of the day.

At total a full ivf cycle with one transfer is around $13,500

I came to Aspire after my natural losses and started the RPL panel testing. We decided after about 4 months of trying naturally to proceed with medicated/monitored IUI cycles with Aspire as well. Dr Elkins was was compassionate and always empathetic. It is known that Dr Elkins gerself went through the IVF process successfully so she has a very close perspective to that of her patients.

Be ready with your questions and know Dr Elkins is willing to give a less aggressive approach if you’re not ready for IVF right now.

I did 2 IUI Femara cycles with monitor. Unfortunately neither cycle resulted in a positive test. This was my first experience with a RE so we weren’t ready to pursue more invasive measures. I had started a RPL panel and completed a saline sonogram with her as well.

The cost for my IUI cycles was about $1300 or so I believe which seemed to trend higher than what I’ve seen other say elsewhere. I can say I did receive thorough monitoring and meds. I didn’t explore the cost of IVF with Aspire.

I do not know her preference or feelings with single or multiple embryo transfer.

I love Dr. Elkins. She is very personable and easy to talk to. She takes her time with you and is very informative. I never felt rushed when she was with you. The only problem I had was that two out of the five IUIs were done by a nurse and not her. I was not aware this was going to happen before hand.

Make sure that you find out if she will be able to do the procedure when you make the appointment for IUI’s.

We started with IUI’s and taking clomid. I took two pills once a day for five days. I would go in for blood work and a sonogram on or around day 3, 5 10 and then once for the procedure. The 4th and 5th IUIs we also added in nightly shots to go with the oral medication.

$1,400 for IUI plus medication. $14,000 for IVF plus medication

We are talking about going forward with IVF in June and she said she would probably only put one embryo during the first IVF attempt.

She makes you feel welcomed and wants your dream to come true of having a family and wants to help you and your spouse get there. She is truly a good person and wants what’s best for her patients but again my wife and I seem to ask a lot of questions that seems she should have already covered them at that specific visit. Maybe we are just new to all of this and have read up on a lot of things thinking we should ask if she doesnt cover it or maybe at that time of the visit that’s not something she should go over? We would just want to know everything no matter what and seems we are the ones looking for answers that haven’t always been given to us.

If you are new to the fertility process research and have questions ready just in case.

Dr.Elkins suggested that we use unmedicated IUI seeing that I have no health problems and I am a younger woman and that I seem to ovulate regularly. My wife and I tracked my ovulation for 3 months before we tried for the first time and it was like clock work so the 4th cycle we tried and got a positive pregnancy test. Everything was good until the 7 week ultrasound and there was nothing in the sack. We were given three options to move forward with our miscarriage. One was to let it run its course, two was medication and three was surgery. So at 9 weeks still with the hope it wasn’t a miscarriage we checked one more time and still nothing so at that point we moved forward with the medication for the miscarriage. After everything was said and done we tried again on my first cycle after my miscarriage. Dr.Elkins suggested that it wouldn’t hurt to try, trusting her judgment, it ended with a negitave pregnancy test. We have taken a cycle off due to the fact that I still don’t feel 100% with my cycles yet. We asked Dr.Elkins what she thinks would be best for us with the best possible chance and she still thinks unmedicated IUI is still an option. I still don’t feel 100% with this cycle off so my wife and I have decided to try the medicated IUI this upcoming cycle. We just want our best chance. She didn’t seem forth going with the idea of a medicated IUI but announced it was our decision. We didn’t know how many more months would pass by until I felt 100% with my body but didn’t want to waste time which is why we have decided to try the medicated route. She supports us in that decision whether she agrees with it or not. We don’t have a lot of money so the tries we have attempted and are about to attempt will probly be our last for awhile.

$550 for unmedicated IUI $10 for miscarriage medication $60 for RhoGam $1,400 for upcoming medicated IUI $50 or so for Clomid $100-$150 or so for trigger shot We were actually charged twice for our first unmedicated IUI even though it was already taken care of and took a little bit for it to get fixed.

We don’t need any of these routes.

She is friendly, educated, laid back but still type A so she gets it when we as women feel the need for control/more knowledge. She is rarely behind and always makes you feel comfortable. She is thorough as you want her to be.

Go with the flow. Ask questions.

Started with clomid and stimulation. Now moving on to IVF in case we want a third and still trying for a second. We can’t seem to time my cycles correctly, so we are moving forward.

Completely average costs for IVF. About $20,000 for the first cycle of IVF/egg retrieval/embryo transfer. IUI and timed intercourse cycles were appropriately priced as well.

She usually recommends one. And some of that is based on body habitus etc. I’m petite, so twins aren’t ideal. If we go through a few unsuccessful cycles we will try MET.

Strengths- real, upfront, personable. Definitely feels like she believes in us- she’s very smart. Weakness- didn’t seem to want to try a more aggressive approach after we as patients wanted to after our MC.

Trust her expertese but don’t be afraid to push back if you feel you need to... she will explain her reasoning or listen to what you have to say

IUI # 1- unmedicated and unmonitored. She said all test results/ultrasounds showed her a healthy and able body. Cycles were 28 days exactly, smiley face on OPK came exactly 2 weeks after CD1. Came in for insemination about 32 hours after smiley face. Unfortunately, at 9weeks we had to force a miscarriage along. IUI #2- After having to force along a 9wk MC, she advised we were good to try again next cycle but didn’t have to if we weren’t ready. She was adament about doing another unmedicated and unmonitored cycle, we wanted medicated to improve chances... she insisted she didn’t think it was necessary. Same procedure as IU#1 was followed except we came in for insemination the day of the smiley face instead of 32 hours later- BFN

$550 for basic IUI- unmedicated and unmonitored 1 $40 copay for 7 week ultrasound 1 $12 payment for bloodwork sent to outside lab $1,400 for medicated and monitored IUI -ultrasounds -monitoring clomid -monitoring trigger shot (Does not include clomid and trigger shot, separate coats)

NA

Dr. Elkins was always friendly, but she gave me NO information. At the beginning, she told me I'd get pregnant with no problem because I'd had my son after 1 unmedicated IUI, and didn't seem concerned about the fact I was now 37 and had a low AMH. For the first 4 IUIs, she did the procedures and most of my sonograms, but she never told me how many eggs I had or other relevant information. When I decided to do a 5th IUI because I knew they'd mistimed 2 of my previous IUIs, she pushed me to the nurses. When she called to tell me I was pregnant, she didn't hide her surprise. When she called me a week and a half later to tell me I was miscarrying, she was nice, but she also told me they would follow up in a couple of days and no one ever followed up. That was actually the last I ever heard from anyone there.

Go somewhere else. They seemed to treat married people a little better - giving them IUI appointments on the weekends for example, but their methods for IUI at least probably mean you're going to have a lot of mistimed cycles and waste a lot of money.

1st cycle-unmedicated IUI with Ovidrel trigger shot on CD14, IUI 48 hours later on CD16, negative blood test 2nd cycle-unmedicated IUI with Ovidrel trigger shot on CD11, IUI 48 hours later, negative blood test 3rd cycle-50 mg of Clomid, Ovidrel trigger shot on CD11, IUI 24 hours later, negative blood test, cyst developed following cycle Next cycle scrapped due to cyst-when nurse called with baseline results, she told me we were good to move ahead but that Dr. Elkins said I should stop the estrogen now, I told her I wasn't on estrogen, she hung up on me immediately and then called back about 30 minutes later to say we needed to scrap the cycle because my estrogen was too high 4th cycle-50 mg of Clomid, Ovidrel trigger shot on CD12, IUI 48 hours later-was initially told to trigger on CD13 12 hours before IUI, negative blood test, recommended I move to IVF, arranged a "free" appointment with in-house therapist to sell me on IVF 5th cycle-50 mg of Clomid, nurse told me Dr. Elkins wanted to add Gonal-f, I indicated I preferred not to but was willing to discuss but it was never raised again, Ovidrel trigger shot on CD11, IUI 48 hours later, chemical pregnancy All my cycles were monitored but that only meant one baseline sono at 2-5 days and one monitoring sono about a week later, then they would arbitrarily set the date for the IUI-my 1st was 5 days after the monitoring appointment

Each IUI cost $1400, which included the monitoring and blood tests.

N/A

Dr. Elkins went above and beyond to communicate with me throughout the IVF cycle and post retrieval. She called me multiple times after hours to let me know what the update was on our embryos during the day 5/6 wait. She is an IVF success story and truly understands the process, not only from a Dr.'s point of view, but as a patient. I feel comfortable to be vulnerable, stressed, excited and sad and I believe that is really important as your hormones are a mess during a cycle. She has amazing bed side manner and clearly knows what she is talking about. I like when a Dr. can get excited or ramble about a topic. There is passion, empathy, results and knowledge for all things IVF with Dr. Elkins.

Bring questions. She loves it and appreciates those that are super organized and on top of the process. I think this goes for any Dr. but being your own advocate is really important and she is one to listen to you concerns and stresses to make sure everyone is comfortable.

I was told that I would respond really well to the drugs so I was put on BC for a primer for 2 1/2 weeks. We then started shots that consisted of 7 days of 300 Follistim & 1 vial of Menopur. I began using 250 mcg of Ganirelix 6 days into the cycle. After the 7 days, we took follistim down from 300 to 225. I triggered a day earlier than anticipated and triggered with Lupron (4mg) & HCG (1.0 ml). My retrieval went super smooth and didn't even need pain medicine post procedure. I was told immediately that they retrieved 16 eggs. Additional stats from my first cycle below. Eggs Retrieved: 16 Mature Eggs: 11 Fertilized Eggs: 10 Day 3: 10 Day 5/6: 7 PGS results: 3 viable embryos The one thing that was discussed was the disappointment in the amount of mature eggs. We hope to correct that with our second cycle.

100% pay upfront: $12,600 Pay through stages: $14,000 This includes: assisted hatching/icsi/year 1 cryostorage/egg retrieval/IVF cycle visits, lab work & ultrasounds/unlimited frozen transfers (if doing pgs) This does not include medications, kick off lab work or anesthesia for retrieval. It also does not include embryo biopsy for pgs/pgd needs (which was $2,500 per cycle).

Aspire only does single embryo transfers or only does them when using pgs, which we have done.

She did an amazing job getting to know me and my husband. She understood our personalities and concerns and talked to us accordingly. She was good at listening and fully explaining all sides of the next step, our concerns, or the odds coming next. She was a trusted confidant during the entire process.

She will take your experiences into account, your history, and your desires to personalize a treatment plan for you. Be up front with her on your expectations and desires.

Due to our unexplained infertility, she took steps to help us be successful without jumping straight into IVF. We first tried a different oral med and trigger shot timed intercourse since I hadn’t responded to chlomid with my OBGyn. We then moved to IUI. We discussed possibly skipping and going to IVF, but again she felt IUI was a good next step based on our test results. We did injectable meds with trigger shot. Monitored my follicle development regularly leading up to each IUI. Based on my reaction to each IUI, she adjusted medications for future cycles. We discussed trying another IUI, but based on the small percentage it would possibly give us to be successful we went to IVF. We did one retrieval cycle, got 18 eggs, fertilized 7, and 5 made it to freeze/PGS. We still had 4 after testing and success on our first transfer on one embryo.

Due to good egg/embryo quality, my age, and our desire for a singleton , she did not recommend transferring multiple.

Dr. Elkins is amazing I love how she keeps it real! She is willing to share herself with me, and hears all my concerns and addresses them. I have only me with her twice but I am looking forward to partnering with her as our family embarks on this journey.

I have had both of my tubes removed due to fluid. I also have severe endometriosis and kissing ovaries. I am currently on birth control and will be taken off once they recieve my labs back. Depending on how my labs look we will determine my schedule. I have let my team know that I have 1 week of the year that I like to travel to see my family and they are more than willing to work with me to make it to where I can still see my family. I know that I will be given medications that will essentially take over my body. I will develop eggs, and they will do ultrasounds to monitor progression and let me know when to give my self a shot that will stimulate my ovaries. They will go in for retrieval of the eggs. Because my ovaries are kissing ovaries, the procedure should be a little easier. Then the will introduce the eggs and the sperm to create embryos. I am to be driven home and relax after this... hide my cell phone!! Then the in house embryologist will watch the embryos for how they develop. Because I am 33 it is not currently recommended for any genetic testing. They will give my body a month or longer to recover and then we will transfer the embryos. And then we hope and pray for them to find a happy home in my extra thick uterus lining!

Cost will be around $20k

Dr. Elkins has been an amazing support for us. When I need to talk to her about treatment or just have general fears or worries about fertility she takes time out to call and talk with me. She doesn't sugar coat things with us. She makes sure we fully understand everything. Dr. Elkins has gone above and beyond to treat us.

Don't be afraid to share your thoughts. She is usually very receptive.

IUI#1- Clomid and IUI- 3 mature follicles- Miscarried at 9wks IUI#2- Clomid and IUI- 2 mature follicles- Chemical Pregnancy IUI#3- Clomid, trigger, progesterone, and IUI- 3 mature follicles- Miscarried 5.5wks RPL testing- Revealed Anitphospholipid syndrome and PAI-1 Cycle 4- Aspirin and tried in our own adding in lovenox at positive hpt.- Chemical Pregnancy Cycle 5- Aspirin, tried on our own and added lovenox at ovulation.- Chemical Pregnancy Cycle 6- Timed intercourse with Aspirin, Clomid, trigger, and lovenox and progesterone at ovulation- 3 mature follicles- Miscarried twins 8wks

Dr Elkins is a great doctor. Her staff is always willing to respond to any questions I had . However, sometimes I feel like I need more information about how I can make myself more fertile and it feels like I have to squeeze those answers out of her. She is compassionate and knowledgeable about what she does. We went to her because she was once a patient of her practice as well . We felt that connection that she knew what we were going through.

Prepare your questions prior to visit

We are preparation to seek IVF treatyfrom her next year

IUI was 1200-1400 for procedure

Dr Elkins has been honest yet optimistic since our first visit in 2014. She has never stopped looking for ways to help us complete our family! I’m so grateful that we went to her for treatments! I have my children because my age and genetic condition didn’t keep her from wanting to treat me!

Be ready for her upbeat, positive attitude mixed with a dose of reality! :)

Very friendly and explained everything. Even came in while on vacation because of a situation with the IUI. When things changed, she changed her plan of action. When we decided the medication was to much she agreed and changed course.

Ask all the questions you need, she will answer them.

IUI non medicated 600. Our insurance paid for everything but the actual procedure.

Aspire Fertility Dallas was outstanding and I could not recommend them more. Our doctor, Dr. Linda Elkins, was kind, courteous, and extremely knowledgeable. She made my wife and I feel l like we were high profile patients but family friends. She went over and beyond our expectations and hopes. As this was our first experience, we were a little nervous of what to expect. This worry was quickly alleviated, as soon as we had an opportunity to spend some time with Dr. Elkins and staff. In addition, we absolutely loved our nurse Shab Liles. Shab's smile, demeanor, and knowledge was so contagious that it was hard to have a bad experience. Even after our experience was over, Shab continued to check up on us and make sure everything was going well. She went above and beyond anything we could have hoped for.

Be open and honest about your experiences.

I thought pricing was as expected.

Dr. Elkins is very knowledgeable and straightforward. She made me feel comfortable during our consultations. She answered my questions, but wasn't able to pinpoint exact recommendations. But at the same time I felt like she was too busy to take me on based on her staff.

Be pushy with her staff.