Your Little Realities: Abbie’s Story

“We had been trying for a while to conceive but nothing was happening. I just thought perhaps it would be a good idea to visit Dr. Levine, as he came highly recommended by my friends, and my regular OBGYN saw nothing suspicious. I met with the PA Alyson Butler at FINJNY for my initial visit and she was warm, friendly and ready for action. She did an ultrasound of my ovaries and took my blood to evaluate for any issues. Initially it seemed that all my hormone levels were off so we had to reset them in a way, but after 4 failed IUIs the diagnosis leaned more towards unexplained infertility. We started the treatment for IVF.  My insurance did not cover any of my treatment and I paid everything out of pocket. Everyone was so kind and understanding about the financial burden of all this, and the emotional hardship it brings when you try to do everything right but it doesn’t seem to work. Sarah, the practice manager was always there to help as well provide support and help give me financial breaks in any way she could. The stress of paying for everything is so hard but so worth it, but knowing that if something didn’t work I could afford the next step is what I truly believed led to my ultimate success. As I’m writing this, I am now 7 weeks pregnant and growing stronger every day. Things take time but it’s a part of the process and I wouldn’t have any other practice there to see me through! My first IVF didn’t work, but my second attempt did! Thank you, Dr. Levine, for all of your hard work and perseverance and belief in me, and to the entire team for making this hard and tiring process much, much, easier and more manageable.”

-Abbie