By the time my husband and I landed at UNC Fertility, we were exhausted, depressed, and very short on hope. Since 2004 we'd been struggling with infertility. In the early days we'd visited a clinic in Greenville, NC, and were told after only a short span of expensive, painful testing and medication that we'd need IVF. As a young married couple, the exorbitant price tag was completely beyond our scope, so we put the idea on the back burner for several years.
When we decided that the time was right to pursue our family building again, we changed to a well-known practice in Raleigh. While the staff was nice enough, the fact that we saw a different doctor (who did not seem to know our history) every time we stepped through the doors was not a point in their favor. They suggested injectable meds with timed intercourse. After only three unsuccessful cycles, our insurance company informed us that our lifetime maximum for infertility medications had been reached. We were again counseled that IVF was our best option, even though our diagnosis was unexplained infertility. But while we were trying to figure out how to afford such expensive treatment with no insurance coverage, we got a call from one of the doctors. My BMI was too high, according to their clinic's rules, and unless I lost weight, they would not do IVF. Apparently the thirty pounds I'd lost on my own, with healthy diet and exercise prior to that phone call, wasn't enough for them, despite the evidence I'd found showing that there wasn't a functional difference in outcomes for someone of my BMI. In desperation I spent over $600 on their recommended diet plan, with trendy supplements and a starvation-level limited calorie and food diet. After two weeks on the program, I'd only lost two pounds, and physically I was run down, weak, and almost unable to function.
That was the last straw. We began looking for a different clinic. And then we found UNC Fertility. The third clinic, in our case, was the charm.
From the time we walked through the doors, everything was different. The tone of the place is hopeful, positive, and kind. And when we sat down with Dr. Fritz, the differences were astonishing. He'd actually read the reams of medical records we'd had sent over prior to the appointment, instead of skimming them while we sat there like every other doctor seems to do. He asked specific questions about our histories, about our medical conditions that didn't directly affect our fertility, but could affect our future children. He explained to us why the treatments we'd had before had done little--or nothing--to increase our chances of conception. And then together, we came up with a plan of attack.
We were in his corner office for that first appointment, with him, for at least forty-five minutes. Not once did he rush us or make us feel like he had a schedule to keep. It was as if the only thing he wanted was to help us achieve our goal--to become a family. I'm tearing up now remembering it, because it is that special to us.
Through UNC Fertility's incredible ATTAIN program, we finally were able to take the IVF gamble. It felt much safer than the one-and-done payment cycles that most clinics offer, because we had the security that even if our first attempt failed, we'd have more FET and fresh cycles to try.
Through the IVF process, we were constantly supported by the UNC staff. There was a nurse that was MY nurse. Wendy would email me to check on me, I could send her questions, call her if I was unsure of something. She was my contact, my safety net, and I swear she's earned her angel wings. Dr. Fritz oversaw everything that happened during our cycle, even though we did see other physicians in the practice, all of whom were kind, knowledgeable, and caring.
And then we got the phone call from Dr. Fritz, only a few hours after our HCG blood draw.
"How are you?"
"I'm nervous," I said, my voice shaking. "How are you?"
"I'm wonderful, because it is my great pleasure to tell you that you are pregnant, young lady."
Dr. Fritz performed our first ultrasound a few weeks later, and his grin when he saw our twins on the screen was as wide as my husband's.
"Graduating" to the OB clinic was so very bittersweet. I can honestly say that if Dr. Fritz and his staff would deliver the babies they helped us create, I'd still be there! He, and Wendy, and the front desk staff, and the other nurses and doctors all were such an important part of our lives, and we will never be able to express our gratitude enough.
We heartily recommend UNC Fertility, and especially Dr. Fritz, to anyone in the area needing diagnostic testing or infertility treatment. There are other options in the area, but none of them could be any more caring, knowledgeable, or kind than this practice.
With all our gratitude,
Gina and Scotty Lamm
(and the twins) read more
