My success story

banana

1 Posts
Reply RE: Diminished Ovarian Reserve - My success story Posted on: Nov 21, 2012 at 7:50am
Wow, where to start? Well, the overall summary is that Dr. B brilliantly helped me get pregnant, in conjunction with Cornell, after a very poor outlook. And that statement doesn't even come close to explaining how wonderful he was.

Here's the back story: At 31-32 years old, I was having difficulty getting pregnant. I eventually went for a successful laparoscopy to remove endometriosis, at which point I learned that my right ovary and tube were malformed (a congenital defect), and just didn't function. Additionally, I learned from RMA that my AMH level was only 0.19. Yes, ZERO POINT ONE NINE. This meant that I was not only working with one ovary, I also had very few eggs left, and most doctors believe that a diminished ovarian supply correlates with poor egg quality….the odds certainly were not in my favor. I couldn't believe that, at 31, my chances of becoming pregnant were so dim. I was devastated.

I went through an unsuccessful round of IVF at RMA-NY, where they used the antagonist protocol. 6 eggs were retrieved and only 2 fertilized. They transferred both and neither took. My doctor there said he "would not bet his money" on me, and also refused to answer my questions along the way, claiming he believed his patients did better when they didn't know as much.

In addition to our follow-up at RMA-NY, my husband and I went for 3 consultations: 1. Weill-Cornell, 2. CHR-NY, and 3. Dr. Braverman's office. To further confuse matters, the opinions we received were evenly split: RMA and CHR both wanted to put me on Lupron and birth control. Weill-Cornell and Dr. Braverman favored the estrogen priming protocol, and explained that it might help preserve egg quality (among other benefits). I knew I wanted to work with Our Medical Team the moment I met him (and especially when he took good care of my husband who nearly fainted in his office!), but it was not possible for me to get to his Long Island facility. As such, we agreed to have him consult as I underwent IVF at Cornell. This worked beautifully. The doctors worked well together. After very comprehensive testing, Dr. B was very upfront about what he thought my chances were (25% - yikes!). He put me on a regimen of vitamins and supplements before my cycle started, and on prednisone and lovenox for the early portion of my pregnancy, to address my specific issues. My cycle resulted in 13 eggs (more than twice the amount at RMA!), 9 of which were mature, and 4 of which fertilized. 3 were transferred and 2 stuck. At the beginning of our fertility journey, I was so completely depressed and distraught. I truly, truly believed that I would never bear my own children. Months later we are the proud parents to two wonderful babies!

To say that he was always available to answer my questions is an understatement. Dr. B answered EVERY question I ever threw at him, no matter how stupid (and many, many were stupid in hindsight), and in such a timely manner that it has spoiled me against all other doctors. That we could reach him via email was a lifesaver or, rather, a sanity saver. He really dedicates himself to helping his patients.

Yes, his office waits are LONG. But I never once felt that it wasn't worth the wait.

You will never find someone as available and brilliant. Trust me, we tried!!

ka_2008

10 Posts
RE: Diminished Ovarian Reserve - My success story Posted on: Apr 29, 2014 at 4:07pm
banana, do you mind sharing if you have any other autoimmune issues such as hypothyroidism/hashimoto's? Did you have NK cell activation? thanks so much. Our cases are very similar. Im 30 with an AMH of .5, it is totally devastating.
ka