Please read this before choosing this clinic -- my experience was deeply painful and avoidable…read more
I started treatment at the Fertility Center of Kalamazoo after being referred by Lakeland of St. Joseph. From the beginning, I felt like just another chart. The front desk was cold, and when I presented a $250 referral coupon, I still received a bill. When I followed up, the billing team was dismissive and condescending -- a tone that sadly reflected the rest of my experience.
During my IUI prep, I was on Letrozole and responding well. Then, without warning or compassion, a nurse told me I couldn't move forward with treatment and needed surgery for a septate uterus. No empathy. No bedside manner. Just a clinical shutdown of everything I had been emotionally and physically preparing for.
I later transferred to the Grand Rapids location, where I had the surgery -- and to their credit, the surgical care there was excellent. That's the only part of this journey that felt supportive and professional.
Unfortunately, what came next was far worse.
I was prescribed Cabergoline 0.5mg -- 30 tablets to be taken daily. I followed the instructions exactly. When I began having severe side effects (hallucinations, migraines, abdominal pain), I messaged the clinic through MyChart to ask if this dose was correct. The nurse confirmed it was. No corrections. No concern.
After almost a month, I followed up again. Only then did they admit the prescription had been dangerously wrong -- I was supposed to take the medication once per week, not daily. That's a 7x overdose. By then, my prolactin had dropped to a critically low 0.3, and my IUI cycle was likely compromised.
The clinic admitted the error and said it was due to an automated system mistake that went unnoticed. They offered me a $400 credit. While I appreciated the honesty, it didn't come close to addressing the emotional, physical, or financial toll I endured.
Worse still, I received a combative phone call from a practice manager who raised her voice, blamed me for the error, and completely disregarded my experience. Later, I got a letter from a provider I had never seen, further denying responsibility and encouraging me to continue care. It felt like gaslighting.
In short:
* I was prescribed 7x the correct dose of a medication.
* I followed instructions and even verified it with the clinic -- they confirmed it.
* I experienced serious physical and emotional side effects.
* The mistake went uncorrected for nearly 30 days, impacting my IUI cycle.
* I was later dismissed, blamed, and spoken to in a hostile way -- despite the clinic admitting fault.
Medical mistakes can happen -- but how a clinic responds makes all the difference. What I experienced was a failure of communication, accountability, and empathy. I'm sharing this because reproductive care is deeply personal, and patients deserve to feel safe and heard. I hope my story helps someone else make an informed decision.
