If you've been diagnosed with a low ovarian reserve and/or have egg quality issues, this review is…read morefor you. Four years ago, I was in your position, and I am now going to pay it forward by telling you what a work colleague then told me: "The doctor you need to see is Dr. Kang at Weill Cornell; I wouldn't have my babies without her."
Before seeing Dr. Kang, I was treating at another facility, where I had multiple failed IUIs and IVFs and was told I would be given one more shot before having to resort to an egg donor, that my egg quality was obviously too poor. I was only 35 at the time and, while feeling hopeless and depressed, also refused to believe that of the few eggs I had left not one could create a healthy, normal embryo. It was at this time I was referred to Dr. Kang by the aforementioned colleague, as she had previously gone through the same devastating losses with other doctors as I had.
At my first consultation with Dr. Kang, I immediately started to feel relief. She was warm, welcoming, easy to speak with, and most importantly was down to business; she had a job to do, and that was to get me pregnant. She asked about my prior protocols and if they had tried x, y, or z, etc., to improve my egg quality - they had not. As per Dr. Kang, there was more that could be done for me, and that was all I needed to hear. My hope was restored.
My first IVF with Dr. Kang was not an immediate success, but there was significant improvement. Whereas at the previous doctor's office I only had 2 and 6 eggs retrieved, on my first IVF with Dr. Kang I had 12 eggs retrieved. However, despite the increased quantity, the quality wasn't quite where it needed to be, but she told me to stick with it, try not to get frustrated, and that there were many other options I could try to improve my quality. I did a few more cycles, with medication and the protocol being tweaked each time to find the combination of what worked best for my body, and finally it worked. I started producing high-quality embryos and genetically normal blastocysts.
After 3.5 years of fertility treatments and 6 years of trying, I was finally pregnant at 38 years old. I honestly could not have done this without Dr. Kang. Her tenacity, compassion, and overall awesomeness was what I needed for this to work and also to keep me sane. My previous facility had excellent doctors, but what my body needed was an individualistic approach to treatment, as opposed to the cookie-cutter treatments prescribed at most fertility centers. Dr. Kang's treatments are all about the individualistic approach.
Another benefit to being a patient at CRM at Weill Cornell is access to the services they provide for fertility patients. Due to the stress involved with treatments and exams and the depression and anxiety that crept in as a result of infertility, life became harder to manage, so I was able to see Dr. Grill, a psychologist on staff at the center who specializes in infertility. Dr. Grill made my life not only bearable during this time but helped me to find coping skills and relaxation strategies to decrease and manage the traumatic feelings that manifest as a result of infertility. She was immensely valuable with helping me to relax and also worked with me to reinstate my sense of control over my body to keep myself in a good, strong place both mentally and physically.
Also, the staff is amazing. Diana, Dr. Kang's assistant, makes scheduling very easy and is very prompt and friendly. Dr. Kang's nursing staff is top notch and oversees the monitoring process in a streamlined and organized manner. They are all truly wonderful.
I cannot promise you that your treatment with Dr. Kang will be successful, but I can promise that she will do everything in her power to improve your chances. Not only did she help me to achieve pregnancy - something I was truly doubting I could ever achieve - she also helped another friend of mine improve her egg quality after many miscarriages. This friend just had her first baby thanks to Dr. Kang. I am now 13 weeks pregnant and even have several genetically normal blastocysts still left in the freezer. Thank you, Dr. Kang, for everything!