10 replies to this topic

[MrsMouse21]

Hi everyone
I am new to this all so I am looking for any advice at all. I was referred to Mt Sinai and am hoping to get a call next with with my appt.
I have endo with one tube (blocked) and ovary(other was badly damaged and removed) and hubby has low coumt and low motility so we were told ivf is probably our only option.
I have heard pretty awful things about Mt. Siani even from my Gyn's receptionist. This has made me terrified!!! It all seems so overwhelming so I am just looking for any advice from anyone out there. What are your experiences? Has anyone been covered through OHIP? If so what all do they cover?

[gibasgirl]

Hello AAWilson,

Welcome to the community and I am sorry for the struggles that you have experienced thus far.

No clinic is immune from criticism. It's often a very personal matter finding a doctor and clinic that are right for you.

I say it wouldn't hurt going through with your consultation because it will give you an opportunity to meet with one of the doctors, ask them about their process and how patients are handled (some clinics have a team approach and the patients simply see whomever happens to be on rotation that day, at others you see your doctor exclusively unless they are away.)

Some clinics specialise in dealing with older patients, some specialise in dealing with donors, some specialise in dealing with immune issues, and others may have a different set of strengths.

For the most part, if your case is not complex many can offer some help.

But everyone is different. Some patients work well with a doctor who holds your hand, while others are not looking for a warm bedside manner.

If you want to explore some options, you can always get a referral to another clinic to see if you will have a better fit with one over the other.

As to the OHIP coverage for bilaterally-blocked tubes, every clinic in Ontario has pricing for patients who qualify for OHIP coverage and pricing for those who do not qualify for it.

It is my understanding that Mt. Sinai's pricing is such that most of the treatment fees are covered by OHIP. Medixation is paid by the patient (or if your workplace insurance covers fertility medications, that helps some of the expenses).

At other clinics their pricing is different, so you still have to pay the clinic for their services because the money OHIP pays does not fully cover their costs.

(Think of it this way, if you were given $100,000 towards buying a home, the money would go further in some neighbourhoods/cities than others. In one place, the $100,000 would buy a house outright, and in others it would defray half of the cost, or less. You can think of the OHIP coverage in that way.)

The other ladies can share their experiences and feedback.

Wishing you the best.

[MrsMouse21]

Thanks so much gibasgirl!

I have heard good and bad stuff about most places and my Doctor really wants me to try Mt Sinai so I will. Im just nervous!! We have been dealing with infertility for so long now it just seems so strange to us right now thinking we may have a chance. I dont necessarily want a Doctor who is super warm and holds my hand but I just want a Doctor who is honest and truely cares about our wellbeing.
Thank you again :-) its so nice to have people to talk to who share similar issues.

[If at first]

AA,

I'm a fully covered OHIP patient at Mt Sinai (and will be until we complete our family!) My experiences have varied over the time I've been there. Yes, sometimes you do feel like a number. It's a very busy clinic. I've been a patient at two other clinics and I can't say that one is better than Sinai, just different. They are ALL busy! I find Sinai to be very efficient. You can do back to back to back cycles if you want to without waiting like at other clinics. If you need a procedure, such as an office hysteroscopy, it can be booked very quickly.

You see whichever doctor is on duty that day after your initial consultation, but your doctor will always review your file during your cycle and recommend any protocol changes. In over a year, I've been through the entire staff and they were all great. Of course, you'll get to have favourites!

As for being honest, I found them to be very honest with us. After many months,my Dr told me she had never seen a case like ours, and was reaching out to other doctors for their insight. I appreciated her sharing that with me. It made me feel like she cared about helping me get pregnant more than she cared about her ego, like some doctors might. Even though it's a super busy clinic, whenever I had a miscarriage I truly felt like they grieved with me, and when we finally got pregnant this time the nurses, doctors, students and even the front desk staff were so thrilled for us.

Overall, I would say don't believe what you hear until you experience it for yourself. Wishing you so much good luck and I hope your time at Mt Sinai is very short!!

 

Oh, and as for the funding/cost: You don't pay for any treatment costs for your IVF (except meds- those aren't covered at all). You must pay to freeze your embryos if you have any to freeze, and you must pay $1500 for any FETs after the IVF cycle. There is also a one time admin fee for the clinic (I think it's $275?). If you do ICSI or PGS, that is on your own dime as well. Feel free to pm me if you have more questions.

[mcbee]

I have only positive things to say about Mt Sinai....I'm currently 35 weeks pregnant from a single frozen embryo transfer of a PGD tested embryo.  My case was definitely out of the norm as I am a carrier for a rare genetic disorder, and Mt Sinai worked with Reprogenetics lab in the states to build specific tests to tests my embryos for my disorder.  This test building process was almost a year, and during that time my doctor was in regular contact with me and I felt very supported despite the time delay.  

 

Once in my cycle, I continued to have a good experience.  During cycle monitoring you see whatever Doctor is on the schedule, so that took some getting used to, but I didn't mind it as you created a relationship with all of them.  The nurses were all fantasic and even the receptionists/billing office clerk all seemed to know my name and were general happy to see me.  Cycle monitoring mornings can be crazy at the clinic, and you do feel a bit like a number or a cog in a the baby making machine, but from chatting with others in Toronto at other clinics, I think its a common theme.  

 

At my 7 week viability ultrasound, my doctor (Dr Greenblatt, who is the clinic director) was over the moon happy to show me the heartbeat and after hearing I was tearing up, she admitted she was too.  The embryologist who worked with my embryos even came out to hug me when she heard the news.   

 

Good luck!!

 

sarah

[MrsMouse21]

Mcbee
congratulations! That is so exciting !it really gives me a bit of hope for this whole experience.

[abm]

I would agree that while no clinic is perfect, I also mainly have positive things to say about Mt. Sinai. I do not feel like a number, in fact quite the opposite. I find the doctors and nurses to be friendly and I really feel that they care. 

 

A couple of anecdotes: 

 

- My first attempt at IVF was cancelled due to poor response and I was comforted with hugs and kind words from a nurse who knew what I was going through.

 

- Upon my 2nd attempt at IVF, I retrieved only 4 eggs. When I confided how nervous I was about my low number, the nurse attending me warmly reminded me that it was quality, not quantity and to try and be positive (different nurse than the first example). 

 

- More than once, my RE will see me in the hall (when I am just there for monitoring and not there to see her) and she asks how things are going. She accurately recalls and comments on recent results and what the next steps may be without having to look at my chart or have me remind her what was going on. How that for not feeling like a number?

 

You may find that things are not perfect there, but I can't imagine any clinic THAT busy is (whether it's a fertility clinic or a dental clinic). But I will say this: You have a role that is just as important as the RE's and the nurses there – I would say that it is important that you try to educate yourself somewhat and understand what's going on. Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't be afraid to advocate for yourself. If something doesn't seem right or doesn't make sense, ask for an explanation.

 

Best of luck to you!

 

ABM

[MrsMouse21]

So I got a call 4 weeks ago from someone at Mt siani asking for some info that was missing on my referral and also said I would get a call in 5 business days with an appt date. I have heard nothing. I called and left one message with them but it was probably in the wrong area. I'm so anxious and just want to know the day! Is this typical of this clinic? Anyone have experience with this type of scenario?

[unsure]

Four weeks is a long, long time. I don't think that's typical. Have you tried leaving a message with Patient Liaison?
http://www.mountsina...lity/contact-us

[MrsMouse21]

Thank you so much. I called Friday and finally got a hold of someone and go for my first appt July 30th. Soooo nervous and excited!
Thank you again for providing that number. 😊

[unsure]

You are welcome! Best of luck!