Patient Letters

This section of the Web Site will be devoted to patient communications. These letters will be printed with permission without individual identification. Infertility treatment can be very stressful for the couple. After going through treatment, couples compile experiences that we believe can be informative to others.

If you would like to share your thoughts or experiences with others, please either e-mail me your letter as a Microsoft word file attachment or mail me the disk itself, and I will be glad to consider it for publication on our site.

The e-mail address is: sawadalla@aol.com

 

Jennifer and Craig

I wanted to thank you for your kindness and support.  My husband and I started coming to your office about 10 months ago and the first time we walked in we were terrified.  We had been to so many different types of doctors and were feeling a bit hopeless and lost.  We weren't treated very well at most of the doctor's offices we went to, so after we met your staff for the first time we were delighted.  Everyone was so helpful, kin, friendly and positive!  I have never been in a doctor's office with this type of environment on a consistent basis.   Please know that it is much appreciated.  Anytime we called or came into the office everyone was extremely helpful and friendly.  I felt like the staff actually cared about me and our situation.  This helped alleviate a lot of stress for us.  I just wanted to say thank you for your kindness and dedication.  You made this whole terrifying experience much more manageable.  I am now 31 weeks and have about 2 more months to go!  We are anxiously awaiting our baby boy's arrival.  Thanks so much.

Katie's Letter

 

Dear Doctors:

My husband and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your employees for everything that was done to help us achieve our dreams of having a child. Words cannot express our gratitude to you and your staff for the support and care that was given to us. Following two miscarriages, we were pretty devastated. We did not know if I would ever carry a pregnancy to term. I was really nervous when I found out I was pregnant for the third time. We did not want our dreams and hopes that come with being pregnant to be shattered once more. You and your staff helped us to feel confident and secure by keeping us informed and by constantly encouraging us.

I can still remember how we felt when we saw our little ones heartbeat on the first ultrasound. My husband and I looked at each other and cried because it was the first time we had made it that far. When we were referred back to our regular ob/gyn doctor, we were sad. The attention and personalized care you gave us was exquisite. To actually receive lab results within an hour or two was always a relief. It was so nice not to have test results looming over our heads for a few days. Also, it was so nice to interact with such a positive, encouraging staff. Everyone seemed to rejoice for us every time we came in for a visit.

This, it was with great joy and gratitude that we announce the birth of our daughter, Erica Jane. She arrived August 17, 2000 at 4:27 am. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 21 inches long.

Once again, we want to express our sincerest thanks for helping us bring our daughter into the world. Without your help, I don’t know if she would be with us here today. It is the best thing that has happened to us and we look forward to having more children in the future.

Sincerely,

Katie

 

Lisa's Saga

 

Dear Doctors:

Believe it or not our family thinks of you, your family and your staff more often than just at Christmas. In fact, you all are in my prayers each night as I tuck my two incredible children into bed.

I can remember crying myself to sleep and praying "Please God, just give me a child with my husband. Please let me know what it feels like to carry a child inside of me. Please let me know what it feels like to have my own child hug me around the neck. I just want to be called ‘Mommy’. Please God, just grant me this one wish, and I promise I’ll never ask for anything ever again."

(Luckily God knew I was full of crap, but he led us to you and your practice and granted our wonderful wish with the birth of Carlie Lucile on 6/18/97.)

Thank God IVF worked as my husband says I would have had our dog in diapers with her little tail sticking out, had we not gotten pregnant.

Six months after Carlie’s birth, I began to experience abdominal pains again, much like those which I complained to you about initially. I remember you telling me that you could help us, if we wanted to try to have more children. Since my benefits through my employer covered three IVF attempts in my lifetime, and since we had gotten pregnant on our first cycle with Carlie, my husband and I chose to use our last two IVF attempts before considering surgery.

I must admit that I never thought I would get pregnant again. We even goofed up the instructions during this second cycle. Amazingly enough, your office called us just in the nick of time and interrupted (literally, we almost didn’t answer the phone) and SAVED cycle #2. You and Dr. Behnke were wonderful to open the wing at the hospital on Father’s Day 1998 to fix our "timing error" and conceive our second blessing, Jessica Kelley.

(I guess my chef can’t put the ingredients together, but I sure do have an ‘Easy-bake oven’.)

I think I was four months pregnant with Jess, before it finally began to sink in that I WAS PREGNANT AGAIN!!! My second pregnancy had been the total opposite of my first. With Jessie it seemed there was something new to worry about each week: the doctor’s said she had a "higher than average" chance of Down’s Syndrome; I had caught "Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease" from Carlie, so they thought Jess would be born with scars on her hands, feet and mouth; I was exposed to chicken pox so they were afraid of additional scarring. I was as sick and as exhausted as I ever thought a body ever could be.

Again, I found myself emotional and praying to God, "Please just let this baby be happy and healthy. I’ll be as sick as you can dish out, but let this baby be healthy and happy." (I didn’t bother with the "I’ll never ask for anything again stuff this time".)

I also began to question how would I ever love another child as much as I love Carlie. We prayed so hard for her. We went through so much Hell to have her come into our lives. I wanted to make sure that Carlie never felt replaced or jealous with the new baby. I decided that they were both brought into our lives to help each other and protect each other. One is not more important or more special; rather they will need to become a part of each other. I never had a brother or sister, so when I was little and the living room lamp broke, there was little detective work required. With these two little charmers, how am I ever going to know who breaks my lamp???

My husband tells me that the last words I shouted before finally giving birth to Jessie on 3/2/00 were: "can’t you just reach in there and get her***out""!!!" We both knew from the moment she was born that our latest wish had been granted. She was healthy and perfect in every way.

Ironic that the week after Carlie turned a year old; we found out we were pregnant with Jessie. About a week after Jessie’s first birthday, I found out that I have a mass (probably a fibroid) and am also in need of a total hysterectomy with removal of both ovaries. (We’ll save my employer the claim experience of another IVF attempt and hopefully get some sleep this year.)

I can’t help but think that this procedure was inevitable at some point and I’m just amazed that I have my two children. The thought of this surgery is a little scary, but I’m so anxious to get rid of this abdominal pain once and for all, that I’m actually looking forward to the hysterectomy. Besides, look how we have made out of every other ordeal so far.

Since there is a picture of Carlie on your wall of fame, I was wondering if you could also do me the honor of hanging Jessie somewhere amongst your presence too.

I hope that if you glance at a picture of one of my children throughout your busy day, you will know for that one moment how much you have given me, and how eternally grateful I am. Thank you for letting me experience all of my wishes. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t laugh and smile and realize how lucky I am.

(We also kept our "needles & syringes" pop bottles to remind us of what we went through to have these children. We may need to publicly display these bottles on our mantle when the girls get into their teens.)

I realize that not all of your patients are granted their wishes and that makes me sad, as I know it affects you. Please let the positive in life overshine any negative.

God Bless you and your staff and your families. We look forward to seeing you at this year’s Baby Reunion.

With Much Gratitude and Love,

Lisa

 

Sheila's Letter

 

May 19, 2000

Dear Doctor:

I don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done for me! When my doctor gave me your name and number, I was very uncomfortable. I never had a male doctor before. But I trusted her recommendation, so I made an appointment anyway. Within the first 2 minutes of meeting you, Ted and I really liked you! We trusted you and knew you were the best! I suddenly became very comfortable being in your care.

The day before surgery you made me feel better. I was absolutely terrified of surgery! Right before you did the procedure and you came in my room to tell me everything was going to be all right, I knew you were right. All of a sudden I became relaxed. Thanks for being so nice and so kind! You were so great to Ted and me before and after surgery.

I feel so lucky and so blessed to have you as my doctor! I had lost all hope of ever getting pregnant. You gave that back to me! And for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are the best! I want you to have this teddy bear. Her name is "Hope". It’s perfect for you because you give many women everyday hope that one day they might become pregnant. You have the gift of hope! Thank you for sharing your gift with me!

Sheila

 

Betsy and Jim

 

Dr. Awadalla, Dr. Scheiber and all the wonderful IVF Staff,

Jim and I have been holding onto Jacob’s 9-month picture for some time now trying to find the words to tell all of you how much you mean to us and we just can't seem to do it. You are thought of every day as we celebrate being Mommy and Daddy to our two young miracles and somehow THANKS is the only word that keeps coming out.

Throughout all the ups and downs we endured during our struggles (one of the biggest being the perception that once you reach IVF you are guaranteed a baby—a fact we knew wasn’t true but were painfully reminded of with the loss of our first pregnancy) you were there for us! A bigger family was in our plans if it weren’t for the financial (NO insurance coverage) and even the emotional concerns that IVF involves but we wouldn’t change a thing. Both of us cry some and smile a lot because things happened the way they did! THANKS.

Although Sarah decided to enter this world 9 ½ weeks early (We guess she figured Jim and I had waited long enough to become parents and besides we needed more challenges.), she continues to grow and act like any other 2 year old. Sarah is a loving little ball of fire who can climb onto anything, fit between the smallest spaces and is downright stubborn. Jake started his arrival 15 weeks early only to be delivered on his due date! (And no I did not do well on bed rest—I can’t sit still for ten minutes much less ten weeks—UGH!) He is now 10 months old and already outweighs his sister. Jake loves to cuddle, chase after balls with a bat or golf club in hand and eat rocks (saving wear and tear on his thumb). She looks just like her Mom (and according to Dad acts like Mom too) and he looks just like Dad. THANKS.

One more THANKS for doing what you do and being who you are. We are truly blessed and grateful for the gift of giving life that you gave us. May God continue to bless you and your work always.

XOXOXOXO—Betsy and Jim Murray, Sarah and Jacob

 

Robin's Letter

 

Dear Dr. Scheiber, Dr. Awadalla and the wonderful registered nurses, coordinators and technicians who serve their patients.

As I write, it is much too soon to know if our combined efforts to get pregnant have succeeded. Nevertheless, Tom and I want to share the following with you. When contemplating the prospects of parenthood, one doesn’t normally imagine more than two people (count: one husband, one wife) involved in the sweet and intimate beginnings. Perhaps if we had committed to the process of baby making years ago it might have been as simple as "Tom and Robin, sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g." But alas, we only began dating in December of ‘98 and married in September of last year. At forty-one and forty-three respectively, Tom and I have learned swiftly how very complicated reproduction can be. And we now know the debt we owe to each of you, the dedicated professionals who do all in your power to guide us through the strange and sophisticated world of infertility.

De. Scheiber, thank you for our initial meeting (and successive ones), for putting lousy statistics aside and agreeing to lend us your expert hands. I acclimated quickly to how you and Dr. Awadalla share your patients and felt often like I had the benefit of two minds rather than one. Better...thank you. (And I did miss you!!!!)

Thank you Sheila for outlining the Center’s financial expectations and demanding we supply lists of which procedures our insurance coverage included. These thorough requirements introduced early on helped us to put the focus where it belonged (preparation for conception) and not on the very realistic yet often overwhelming costs. You each deserve every bit of compensation you receive. Thank you for an efficient practice thereby making the many scheduled appointments (sonograms, blood tests, etc.) as pleasant and stress free as possible.

We extend a special thank you to the amazing cadre of nurses who gently empathize and allow for hormonally and circumstantially charged "feelings". We’d like to also mention their patience with the many questions we posed: How many cc’s should I give myself? Wait...what syringe? Which gauge needle? In my belly? Oh no, I put my Gonal-F in my thigh! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

We can only imagine the painstaking labor of those of you in the lab whose efforts inform the doctors and our decisions. You are instrumental in making the "ultimate" merger possible. You have our gratitude for your tender behind-the-scenes care.

Thank you for our very recent in-vitro fertilization. Our two outpatient experiences at Christ Hospital were excellent. Dr. Awadalla, to the best of our knowledge, your work was flawless. I can’t recall a thing about the retrieval (good drugs!) and the transfer to my uterus of our five zygotes was a painless swoosh! Dr. Awadalla, thank you for your upbeat energy and deft skill in both procedures.

We applaud heartily the nurses of the Center for Reproductive Studies, in particular our nurses for the big retrieval day: Terry and Peggy Hainley, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at Dr. Chin’s office. We so appreciated your obvious nursing expertise and your constant attention and concern for our well-being. Our heartfelt thanks to you, ladies.

In summary, since we began with all of you almost eight weeks ago, our experience has been a highly positive one. And until the 24th of March we hold hope for a positive result. If that isn’t the case, our only wish will be to continue with you, exploring how to best go forward in our endeavor to be parents.

With much respect, affection and appreciation,

Robin