My time with Dr. Thompson was very neutral. Nothing good or bad to report. I will say she talks extremely fast and so its hard to process everything and think of questions at the same time She is very knowledgable on topics related to fertility and will adjust her suggestions based on medical history...I know you probably say the same thing 10 times a day but if you could slow down that would be great!
[CARE Fertility California is] Extremely disorganized, did not submit insurance claims until I called them two weeks later, did not give me referral to genetics testing doctor to see if I am a carrier for braca, did not give me any paperwork after, did not disclose costs for defrosting eggs/embryo, did not call to review results of blood test, no idea what next steps are at this point. Will not be returning...Overall Dr. Thompson was fine to work with but the clinic itself has been extremely frustrating and I will be looking elsewhere for my care
How was your experience with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
My time with Dr. Thompson was very neutral. Nothing good or bad to report. I will say she talks extremely fast and so its hard to process everything and think of questions at the same time
She is very knowledgable on topics related to fertility and will adjust her suggestions based on medical history
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
I know you probably say the same thing 10 times a day but if you could slow down that would be great!
Describe your experience with CARE Fertility California.
This clinic was a mess to work with from the start. I filled out the online form to request an appointment and was ignored twice. I finally called the clinic to make an appointment and got one scheduled. They checked to make sure my insurance was covered prior to my appointment and confirmed over email that I had coverage
While the clinic was discussing pricing with me for Egg Freezing/Embryo Freezing I found it extremely shady that they don't bother telling you about the fees when you decide to defrost your eggs/embryos. They only tell you about the retrieval and freezing costs.
Was told I needed to pay $300 up front for an ultrasound and that they would refund the payment if my insurance covered it (Something other clinics in LA check prior to your visit). There was no follow up from the clinic after the visit and after two weeks I had to call them for them to initiate a request from my insurance
After my visit, Dr. Thompson told me that she was referring me to two specialists and that the front desk would give me that information, never received
Overall Dr. Thompson was fine to work with but the clinic itself has been extremely frustrating and I will be looking elsewhere for my care
Describe the costs associated with your care under Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California.
$15 copay
$300 ultrasound (my insurance covers 100% of this, they did not bother checking ahead of time and they did not bother to submit a request after the visit)
What specific things went wrong at CARE Fertility California?
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at CARE Fertility California.
Extremely disorganized, did not submit insurance claims until I called them two weeks later, did not give me referral to genetics testing doctor to see if I am a carrier for braca, did not give me any paperwork after, did not disclose costs for defrosting eggs/embryo, did not call to review results of blood test, no idea what next steps are at this point. Will not be returning
In general, all my appts with Dr. Thomas felt very rushed and I felt like she would get annoyed when I would try to ask her questions to try to understand something...I also told her how I felt it was unprofessional for her to state in front of me before a surgery that she was tired/didn't get enough sleep and complain about her boyfriend and how that conversation made me uncomfortable. Her response was literally "OK"...
I was treated like a number at this [CARE Fertility California] clinic. There was a lot of sloppy mishaps that occurred during the few visits I had during my egg freezing...At the end of my experience, I filed a complaint with the clinic manager...I asked for a partial refund because of the unprofessional comment Dr. Thomas made in front of me before my surgery and the poor outcome, which I believe to be related to the sloppy care I received in the clinic...
How was your experience with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
My overall experience w/ Dr. Thomas is that she unprofessional. I have a long review, but the biggest takeaway is that she knowingly performed a surgery on me while she was mentally impaired.
I was originally going to obtain care with another clinic but found out last minute that Care Fertility was having a promotion for 2 cycles of egg freezing for $12,000, so I decided to go with Dr. Thomas here since I was paying for this out of pocket and this price was significantly lower than what the other clinics quoted me. I had obtained 2 consults with other REs in the LA area within a month prior to seeing Dr. Thomas, so this was going to be my 3rd consult. Both of the 2 other REs informed me during my consultation of the following structural abnormalities on my pelvic ultrasound: 1. The presence of a left endometrioma, whose size needed to be monitored during injections because it will grow w/ the hormones, and also it will need to avoid being punctured during egg retrieval bc it would bleed into the abdominal cavity and potentially cause an infection 2. The presence of a benign uterine fibroid (leiomyoma) in a specific location in my uterus that would make implantation of an embryo difficult - its size would need to be monitored and it would need to be surgically removed in the future before I try to get pregnant. My initial consultation with Dr. Thomas was very rushed, and I wrongly made the assumption that she noticed the same things the 2 other RE's did on the ultrasound bc they both had noticed the endometrioma + fibroid immediately and commented on them. In general, all my appts with Dr. Thomas felt very rushed and I felt like she would get annoyed when I would try to ask her questions to try to understand something.
Throughout the stims, Dr. Thomas mentioned to me at every pelvic ultrasound appt that she was expecting to retrieve around 10 eggs.
Fast forward to my egg retrieval/surgery day: I was in the pre-op room lying in the hospital bed waiting to be taken to the OR. The RN was already tending to me. Dr. Thomas comes in around 7AM and says to the RN "OMG I'm sooo tired I didn't get any sleep last night" and then proceeds to complain to the RN about her personal problems with her boyfriend for 20 minutes....while I am lying there waiting for her to take me to the OR! By the way, she knew I was there, because the RN had said a few minutes into the conversation "BTW Jacqueline is already here". Dr. Thomas didn't even acknowledge me. I was REALLY upset to hear the comment about her being tired right before performing a surgery on me and wanted to say something, but I felt stuck because I had already done the trigger injection and the surgery had to be done at that specific time. My biggest regret is not speaking up for myself at this time.
When I woke up from the surgery, Dr. Thomas informed me that she was shocked that she punctured an endometrioma on my left ovary bc it bled and that she will be prescribing me antibiotics to prevent an infection. She apparently didn't know it was there. She was only able to retrieve 3 eggs from my left ovary, and 0 from the right, because the ones on the right "were not ready yet". It was at this moment in time where I realized she wasn't aware of the endometrioma to begin with, like the 2 other RE's had noticed :(
I had a follow up visit where I wanted to ask what happened - why did we only get 3 eggs when ~10 were expected. I asked her if she triggered me too early bc she mistook the endometrioma for a follicle, and she was defensive and said no. I also told her how I felt it was unprofessional for her to state in front of me before a surgery that she was tired/didn't get enough sleep and complain about her boyfriend and how that conversation made me uncomfortable. Her response was literally "OK". I pointed out that 2 other REs had noticed the endometrioma and uterine fibroid and I asked her if she had noticed these things, would the outcome have been different? She literally responded, "Jennifer, I don't understand what a growth in your uterus has to do with your egg freezing" (my name is Jacqueline btw). Umm, bc I am freezing my eggs to get pregnant some day, so if I have a growth in my uterus that will prevent pregnancy, you need to be aware of it when I come back in the future to use these eggs?? I am in shock an RE made such a statement.
Additionally, during ~9 days of stims, I had 4 pelvic ultrasound appts and my blood was drawn only 1 of these times. Most clinics in LA draw blood at every ultrasound appt, but this clinic only checked it once. Just FYI, Dr. Thomas told me that she didn't need to check it every time, but it makes me wonder why other clinics check it every time and she didn't. I wonder if that would have altered the poor outcome.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
I wouldn't recommend
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
I was treated like a number at this clinic. There was a lot of sloppy mishaps that occurred during the few visits I had during my egg freezing. For example, my first appointment w/ Dr. Thomas was scheduled on a Thursday, a day she is apparently not in the clinic. When I was checking in the front desk, the receptionist literally asked me, "why are you here today, Dr. Thomas isn't here on Thursdays!"...umm, I don't know, I was scheduled to come in? There were no female ultrasound technicians available either so I had to have my pelvic ultrasound done by a male, which I wasn't comfortable with, but I was already there and didn't want to make a big deal out of it so I let it slide. But other small issues kept arising, such as my prescription being sent to the wrong pharmacy. Towards the end of my treatment, when I tried to file a complaint with the clinic, they literally avoided answering my phone calls and responding to my emails. I had to follow up several times.
Describe your experience with CARE Fertility California.
At the end of my experience, I filed a complaint with the clinic manager Genesis. I asked for a partial refund because of the unprofessional comment Dr. Thomas made in front of me before my surgery and the poor outcome, which I believe to be related to the sloppy care I received in the clinic.
Genesis seemed shocked when I explained to her what happened, and she said she would get back to me with a partial refund after presenting my case to the clinic owners. She said she would call me by Tuesday, and to contact her if I didn't hear from her. Well, I didn't hear from her, and I called her a couple of days in a row. I believe she was avoiding me. She ended up sending me an email saying my request for a partial refund was denied. I had prepaid $7,200 for 2 cycles but only completed 1 cycle. They actually didn't want to refund me anything, even though the current advertised price for 1 cycle is $6,500! So they were trying to charge me more! I had to explain to her that I was owed at least $700 back, if not more for the partial refund I was requesting. I have been emailing Genesis back and forth a few times and she basically ghosted me.
What specific things went wrong at CARE Fertility California?
I have no negative feedback for Dr. Thomas. From our very first consultation, she was kind and positive, while also setting realistic expectations and what problems and roadblocks we may or may not face. Everything went according to plan and I think she did a great job in adjusting medication based on how my body reacted. We love her and if we ever need a little extra help, we're going back to her.
CARE Fertility had great staff. Their space was nice...We experienced a tiny snag because Labcorp once charged me for a test, but it was very easy to fix. All I did was email one of their staff the receipt and it was all handled...Natasha [nurse] is awesome. She was very clear with instructions and was very prompt when I emailed questions...We did single embryo transfer because of my uterus' limitations. She had warned me that it was risky for me to carry multiples.
How was your experience with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
I have no negative feedback for Dr. Thomas. From our very first consultation, she was kind and positive, while also setting realistic expectations and what problems and roadblocks we may or may not face.
Everything went according to plan and I think she did a great job in adjusting medication based on how my body reacted.
We love her and if we ever need a little extra help, we're going back to her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
I would tell them to trust her and the process, while also having realistic expectations. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
Dr. Thomas was very kind while also setting very realistic expectations for my partner and I. She took her time answering all our questions in person, and was available (along with nurse assistant Natasha) to answer questions via email.
Describe the protocols Semara Thomas used in your cycles at CARE Fertility California and their degree of success.
For IUI we had half a dose of letrozole so that we're only producing one egg. our IUI failed.
For IVF:
Egg retrival: we took 300 units of gonal and then 150 iu of monpur, and then gonal decreased to 150 on the 5th day. we did around 10 days of medication before getting novarel and lupron trigger shot 2 days or so before retreival
Transfer:
We did 4 mg of estrace for first 6 days, then increased to 6mg every day for the rest of the cycle. we started progesteron in oil + progesterone suppositories on the 10th day onwards, and we did the transfer on the 16th day after starting medication. We kept taking estrace, progesterone in oil + progesterone suppositories until the the 12th week or so of pregnancy
Describe your experience with your nurse at CARE Fertility California. (Assigned nurse: Natasha Pelaez)
Natasha is awesome. She was very clear with instructions and was very prompt when I emailed questions.
Describe your experience with CARE Fertility California.
CARE Fertility had great staff. Their space was nice. They took a lot of precautions during COVID, which made us feel safe.
We experienced a tiny snag because Labcorp once charged me for a test, but it was very easy to fix. All I did was email one of their staff the receipt and it was all handled.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California.
The cost was out of pocket for me. While they were closed during the pandemic they were a little harder to reach and coordinate with as we were preparing, which is understandable. I had a scheduled call with their finances, but I ended up getting a call from their CEO who walked me through financial options as well as what was covered.
All procedures, testing, ultrasound and consultation was part of a packaged price, and medication and genetic testing was extra. Tests that were done with my hospital prior to starting care with CARE fertility were taken out of the package price.
Describe Semara Thomas's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at CARE Fertility California.
We did single embryo transfer because of my uterus' limitations. She had warned me that it was risky for me to carry multiples.
Dr. Thomas was attentive, encouraging, and also very honest with me. She made a good balance of respecting my wishes to try lower intervention methods before higher intervention procedures while also being honest about the odds and potential challenges should I wait until after or closer to age 35 ... Dr. Thomas took her time with me during in-person visits and made herself available to me over email. I felt she really cared about me as a human
Strengths: the clinic [CARE Fertility] is very clean, neat, and has a welcoming atmosphere. Weaknesses: Sometimes the wait time before I was seen was over 30 mins. No free/validated parking ... I had to pay for medications and some visits although I have fertility insurance through my employer (Progyny) ... Stephanie and Natasha were very compassionate, encouraging, and accessible when I had questions
How was your experience with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
Dr. Thomas was attentive, encouraging, and also very honest with me. She made a good balance of respecting my wishes to try lower intervention methods before higher intervention procedures while also being honest about the odds and potential challenges should I wait until after or closer to age 35
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
Her nurses/clinical staff are very helpful. Get their contact info/email addresses. Sometimes you’ll see them during visits and phone sessions instead of the doctor
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
Dr. Thomas took her time with me during in-person visits and made herself available to me over email. I felt she really cared about me as a human
Describe the protocols Semara Thomas used in your cycles at CARE Fertility California and their degree of success.
Clomid used because I had conceived once before on that medication. We tried Clomid and injectables (Menopur) for 3 cycles before switching to Letrazole because Clomid made me very emotional/depressed. I was on Letrazole and Menopur for 1 cycle before I conceived
Describe your experience with your nurse at CARE Fertility California. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie)
Stephanie and Natasha were very compassionate, encouraging, and accessible when I had questions
Describe your experience with CARE Fertility California.
Strengths: the clinic is very clean, neat, and has a welcoming atmosphere. Weaknesses: Sometimes the wait time before I was seen was over 30 mins. No free/validated parking
Nothing else to say. Won’t let me continue until I hit 200 characters
Describe the costs associated with your care under Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California.
I had to pay for medications and some visits although I have fertility insurance through my employer (Progyny)
She [Dr. Semara Thomas] was kind and took the time to follow up with me and let me know what results were as well as to explain exactly what the treatment plan was and why...She is well informed and knowledgable and does her best to have fertility treatments happen as quickly as possible. I appreciate being able to get in touch with her to ask questions when I very much need to and find her to be someone who is easy to communicate with. Her only weakness is that at times she can speak rapidly without always giving enough time for information to be digested but her kindness and compassion are still present.
Both of the care coordinators I've worked with [at CARE Fertility] were truly wonderful. They were both responsive and answered all my questions with patience...First IVF without transfer done was about 24K, Second was around 16K and third 11K +6K for medication...Strengths, the staff is extremely friendly and easy to interact with. Weakness, somehow there was a pause in treatment over the course of 3 months that was extremely inopportune and I wish they had let me know I could have pursued treatment at their other location during that time and not lost the time.
How was your experience with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
She is well informed and knowledgable and does her best to have fertility treatments happen as quickly as possible. I appreciate being able to get in touch with her to ask questions when I very much need to and find her to be someone who is easy to communicate with. Her only weakness is that at times she can speak rapidly without always giving enough time for information to be digested but her kindness and compassion are still present.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
Just to follow up with her directly and be persistent if need be as she's busy and seems to want to be responsive.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
She was kind and took the time to follow up with me and let me know what results were as well as to explain exactly what the treatment plan was and why.
Describe your experience with your nurse at CARE Fertility California. (Assigned nurse: Natasha and Stephanie)
Both of the care coordinators I've worked with were truly wonderful. They were both responsive and answered all my questions with patience.
Describe your experience with CARE Fertility California.
Strengths, the staff is extremely friendly and easy to interact with.
Weakness, somehow there was a pause in treatment over the course of 3 months that was extremely inopportune and I wish they had let me know I could have pursued treatment at their other location during that time and not lost the time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California.
First IVF without transfer done was about 24K, Second was around 16K and third 11K +6K for medication
She [Dr. Semara Thomas] helped me through a hardship with our donor eggs. All six didn’t survive in fertilization or thawing process. She explained what happened. She was very understanding and answered my questions that I had...She listens to what your concerns are...She made me feel like nothing was my fault. Everything was great until the transfer...She knew I would be disappointed on the out come of treatment. But she was very professional.
The [CARE Fertility California] clinic is very relaxing. They answer any questions you might have. You can use care credit to pay for your cycle. A lot of communication between all staff...She [Dr. Semara Thomas] made me feel like nothing was my fault. Everything was great until the transfer. I’m very thankful that her team saw what was really wrong with my donor eggs. She knew I would be disappointed on the out come of treatment. But she was very professional.
How was your experience with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
She made me feel like nothing was my fault. Everything was great until the transfer. I’m very thankful that her team saw what was really wrong with my donor eggs. She knew I would be disappointed on the out come of treatment. But she was very professional.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
She listens to what your concerns are.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
She helped me through a hardship with our donor eggs. All six didn’t survive in fertilization or thawing process. She explained what happened. She was very understanding and answered my questions that I had.
Describe the protocols Semara Thomas used in your cycles at CARE Fertility California and their degree of success.
I was doing a donor egg cycle. I was take estrogen, baby aspirin, progesterone injections and progesterone cream also. When the six eggs were thawed three didn’t survive. Then the other three fertilized two stopped growing. One was left Dr. Thomas put in my uterus. But the embryo was a poor. I waited 10 days to do a blood test. The cycle failed. Just like every cycle I’ve gone through.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at CARE Fertility California.
Very sweet and nice
Describe your experience with CARE Fertility California.
The clinic is very relaxing. They answer any questions you might have. You can use care credit to pay for your cycle. A lot of communication between all staff. Labcorp was not nice when we had to blood work. Do it in the clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California.
I had a goal without a reasonable path until I met Dr. Semara Thomas, I love this physicality and their process because the decision was all mine and they facilitated that as a possibility. They never gave up on me, and made me feel supported till the day my goal was met...[we did] Multiple embryo transfer , 1 took...
The office is very clean and everyone was so professional and the financial department was very helpful with the financing. The energy was very positive and made me feel hopeful. They have all the equipment necessary...She [our CARE Fertility nurse] was so sweet and understanding and professional...The financial department worked with me to make it affordable and make my dream come true
How was your experience with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
People often use the phrase "dream come true". I had a goal without a reasonable path until I met Dr. Semara Thomas, I love this physicality and their process because the decision was all mine and they facilitated that as a possibility. They never gave up on me, and made me feel supported till the day my goal was met. If it was up to me I would rename them "A dream come true" I love my baby already and I haven't even met him. Thank you Dr. THOMAS you are TRULY my dream come true.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
Be patient and trust the Dr. Follow her instructions and pray
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
People often use the phrase "dream come true". I had a goal without a reasonable path until I met doctor Semara Thomas, I love this physicality and their process because the decision was all mine and they facilitated that as a possibility. They never gave up on me, and made me feel supported till the day my goal was met. If it was up to me I would rename them "A dream come true" I love my baby already and I haven't even met him. Thank you Dr. Thomas you are TRULY my dream come true.
Describe the protocols Semara Thomas used in your cycles at CARE Fertility California and their degree of success.
She did ivf.
Describe your experience with your nurse at CARE Fertility California. (Assigned nurse: Natasha )
She was so sweet and understanding and professional.
Describe your experience with CARE Fertility California.
The office is very clean and everyone was so professional and the financial department was very helpful with the financing. The energy was very positive and made me feel hopeful. They have all the equipment necessary.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California.
The financial department worked with me to make it affordable and make my dream come true
Describe Semara Thomas's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at CARE Fertility California.
Multiple embryo transfer , 1 took and I am 5 months pregnant now
Dr. Thomas listened to our story, understood our fears, and explained that she would do everything she could to ensure that we achieved our goal of having a family. She conducted fertility testing on both my husband and I and found out that I had a low number of eggs for my age and possibly poor egg quality...Dr. Thomas was elated and reminded us that it's also about quality and that we produced 2 beautiful embryos...We are currently at 14 weeks and Dr. Thomas is still checking in on us
[CARE Fertility] was amazing! The entire staff seemed to remember every client and they all were so compassionate...I felt that they were invested in my journey and wanted to see us succeed. I even remember being told by my primary care nurse, Natasha, that when my HCG results doubled they all cheered...The nursing staff at care fertility were amazing! From the front desk person remembering who I was, to the always kind and said hi lab tech who always withdrew my blood, to my primary care nurse who was compassionate and answered every question or concern.
How was your experience with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
Dr. Thomas was everything my husband and I needed and more!
I had experienced a miscarriage at 7 weeks (Feb. 2019) and a loss at 20 weeks (Feb. 2020). We had done all types of testing prior to meeting with Dr. Thomas to determine if I or my husband had fertility issues, but everything came back normal. We were told to keep trying, but after 10 months of ttc after the loss of our daughter, we felt that IVF may be our best option. We were uncertain if a doctor would see us because we technically hadn't been diagnosed as infertile, but Dr. Thomas listened to our story, understood our fears, and explained that she would do everything she could to ensure that we achieved our goal of having a family.
She conducted fertility testing on both my husband and I and found out that I had a low number of eggs for my age and possibly poor egg quality. We started the first cycle for egg retrieval in Feb. 2021. However, I grew a cyst in my ovary from the medication and needed to cancel that cycle. I was devastated, but Dr. Thomas was compassionate and ensured that the journey wasn't over and that we needed to change the protocol.
We started our second cycle in March, 2021, and Dr. Thomas changed the protocol to a more gradual approach. Throughout the monitoring period my eggs were growing, but not quickly enough. Because of that, Dr. Thomas made additional changes and added medications to ensure that we were able to retrieve quality eggs at the end of this cycle. Fortunately, we were able to do a retrieval and get 6 eggs, 3 matured, and from there 2 embryos were formed.
Initially, my husband and I were a little disappointed with only retrieving 6 eggs because we've heard retrieving was about getting as many eggs as possible. However, Dr. Thomas was elated and reminded us that it's also about quality and that we produced 2 beautiful embryos.
In May, 2021, we decided to transfer 1 embryo and it was such a special experience. Dr. Thomas and her staff made it such a calm and enjoyable moment for my husband and I. We watched as Dr. Thomas transferred our embroyo and she held my hand when I stated to cry from joy.
Those days following the transfer were stressful, but Dr. Thomas and her staff were attentive and answered all of our questions. It felt that they were just as invested in ensuring a positive pregnancy test as we were. Fortunately, we had a positive test and my hcg numbers continued to double throughout the week!
At 7 weeks we went in for our last appointment with Dr. Thomas and it was probably one of the saddest visits because my husband and I didn't want to leave Dr. Thomas. She treated us like family and the thought of continuing this journey without her and her staff was hard. But again, Dr. Thomas ensured us that this is a good thing! That we were pregnant and that her job was done. It was time for us to move on and watch this embryo grow.
We are currently at 14 weeks and Dr. Thomas is still checking in on us.:) She is an amazing doctor and there are no words to express how much we appreciate her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
As fearful and stressful as this process is, trust Dr. Thomas because she will do everything she can to get you pregnant and having that dream family.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California?
Every time I went to the clinic they knew my name and greeted me as someone they were genuinely happy to help. With regards to Dr. Thomas, she made sure to explain, in detail, the journey we were embarking on without overwhelming us. Whenever I did get overwhelmed or anxious, she would calm my spirits and ensure me that we're doing great and doing everything we can to have a baby.
Describe the protocols Semara Thomas used in your cycles at CARE Fertility California and their degree of success.
I went through 2 cycles before being able to retrieve.
The first cycle was a more aggressive approach because we wanted to ensure that I produced quality eggs. The protocol was, Gonal F (225 units), Menopur (150 units), Dexamethasone (1 pill), Omnitrope-growth hormone (0.25 mL), Provera (10 units), HCG (10 units). Sadly, at 5 days in to the cycle I developed a cyst in my left ovary and we canceled the cycle.
My second cycle we initially planned to be a fresh transfer, but changed into a frozen transfer. We started with Gonal F (225 units), Menopur (150 units) and HCG (10 units). Dr. Thomas later added Omnitrope-growth hormone (0.25 mL) because my eggs were not growing quickly enough. Once we added the Omnitrope my eggs grew and we were able to do a retrieval.
I must note, that my left ovary was quiet/did not produce any eggs this cycle. We retrieved 6 eggs just from my right ovary, 3 were fertilized and 2 embryos formed.
We chose not to do any pre-screening or testing on the embryos and transferred 1 embroyo in May, 2021. We're currently 14 weeks pregnant.
Describe your experience with your nurse at CARE Fertility California. (Assigned nurse: Natasha )
The nursing staff at care fertility were amazing! From the front desk person remembering who I was, to the always kind and said hi lab tech who always withdrew my blood, to my primary care nurse who was compassionate and answered every question or concern. I felt that they were invested in my journey and wanted to see us succeed.
I even remember being told by my primary care nurse, Natasha, that when my HCG results doubled they all cheered!
I could not imagine this journey going so smoothly without the staff at care fertility!
Describe your experience with CARE Fertility California.
The clinic was amazing! The entire staff seemed to remember every client and they all were so compassionate. A major strength for me, during Covid, is that they required everyone to wear a mask in the clinic, they did temperature checks for everyone who entered, and even required me to take a Covid test before retrieval.
My safety and the safety of everyone who entered was their number 1 concern and I greatly appreciated that!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Semara Thomas at CARE Fertility California.
Dr. Thomas and Care fertility were in our insurance plan. However, we did have certain co-pays for tests, visits, ultra-sounds and medications not covered by our insurance. When we started, our insurance estimated out-of-pocket expenses to be $5000. We ended up needing to $4000 out-of-pocket, which we're currently on. payment plan for.
Describe Semara Thomas's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at CARE Fertility California.
Dr. Thomas did not have a strong preference and left that up to us. We discussed with her my age, prior pregnancy history and the risk factors for transferring multiple, but in the end my husband and I decided on 1 embroyo.