Support Meetings and Workshops for December 2009

This month we will hold Support Group Meetings at all three of our CNY Fertility Center locations – Syracuse, Albany and Rochester – we will gather in the reception area at each location. We will also hold two workshops this month, details below.

For our CNY Fertility Center addresses and phone numbers click here.

• December Support Meetings
• December Workshops Offered
  

Holiday Gathering – Circle of Hope Support Meetings:

This month we will take a more relaxed approach to our time together and share some coping strategies for the holidays. Our support group meetings strive to provide support from others going through the same experiences, the opportunity to ask questions, discuss how best to cope with the emotional aspects of infertility, and to learn about different paths to parenthood. Join us in sharing and creating a supportive community.

LATHAM – CNY Fertility Center
Tuesday, December 8th, 7-8:30pm – Please RSVP to Eileen at eclark@cnyfertility.com

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SYRACUSE – CNY Fertility Center
Monday, December, 14th, 2009, 5:30-7pm – Please RSVP to Meg at mmarnell@cnyfertility.com

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ROCHESTER – CNY Fertility Center
Wednesday, December 16th, 5:30-7pm – Please RSVP to rochregister@cnyhealingarts.com

Holiday Survival Strategies Tele-Workshop
Monday, December 7th, 2009, 6:30-7:30pm
Join Kristen Magnacca as she does a review of the Love & Infertility Workshop Series Part 1. Call in from the comfort of your own home, to join the Tele-Workshop, and she will discuss some “Holiday Survival Strategies” to help you move through this holiday season with joy. *Please RSVP to Kristen at kristenm@cnyfertility.com.

Winter Solstice Retreat with Dr. Rob
Saturday, December 19th, 2009, 10:00am–4:00pm
Take the day to get away and enjoy a winter retreat with Dr. Rob and Bonita Shear at the beautiful Stella Maris Retreat Center on the lake in Skaneateles, NY. We will have yoga, a lovely lunch, some positive words of living your Best Life and a peaceful closing meditation. No cost to attend. We have limited space available so please RSVP soon.
* Please RSVP to Chris at events@robertkiltz.com

Words of Support and Encouragement Week of November 30, 2009

I hope you all had a nice and relaxing Thanksgiving!  Hopefully you were able to utilize some of the tools I mentioned last week, and set aside some of the usual holiday frustrations and anxieties.  Remember, you are human, and if this weekend did bring up some unpleasant or unexpected emotions – it’s OK!  We learn, and just work towards better preparing for the next holiday!

Sometime this week, it would be good to take an inventory of your recent holiday.  How did you feel going into it?  How were you able to cope with anxiety producing situations?  Would you have changed anything?  How do you want to prepare for the next holiday?  We are quickly approaching the December holidays, and now is a good time to begin preparing.  We can learn from Halloween and Thanksgiving, to better prepare ourselves and continue to evolve.

While the weather is still nice (in Syracuse at least!) try to take a quiet walk and review your holiday experience.  Be proud of how you handled yourself in a challenging situation.  It does not matter whether you feel you handled each situation as best you could, it has passed and you will never be placed in that same position again.

In the next week or so I will be posting an article specific to the December holidays with some repeat suggestions, and some new tools to try out as well.

Please contact me if there is anything I can help you with, or if you need just a little more support this week.

Take care,

Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

The high cost of increasing age and FSH in IVF treatment

This article is provided for patients who are trying to conceive and have concerns regarding the potential cost- effectiveness of IVF. It is written for patients who have an understanding of the basic concepts being discussed. For explanation of the significance of FSH values, please see articles on this website on IVF and prognosis, and low response. At CNY Fertility Centers, access to care is a concern addressed by offering low cost IVF options in Syracuse, New York, Rochester NY and Albany NY.

The age of a woman who is trying to get pregnant with IVF and her ovarian reserve as reflected in day 3 FSH values are good predictors of IVF outcomes. Henne and colleagues at Walter Reed Hospital and the NIH evaluated 1238 first IVF cycles of women between age 26 and 42 years and an FSH level of <13 miu/ml.  A cost analysis was applied and focused on these patients who by normal standard were good prognosis. Patients need to understand that statistics for overall success even with a specific age group may not apply if the FSH is higher than 12 as results would be even worse. At a cost of $10,803 per cycle costs soared to over $100,000 per baby born as FSH and age of the patient increased over age 38-39.

This is not surprising as Voorhis had estimated cost per baby of $89,981 for patients over 38. Trad calculated the cost to be about $75,000. Neumann, who used very low success rates estimated that in low prognosis patients, costs per baby could be as high as $800,000.

For comparison and for patients concerned about the high cost of donor egg treatment the delivery rates of the alternative must be considered. At a cost of $25,000 per cycle, and delivery rate of 51%, the cost per baby is $49,000. These costs will be dropping rapidly as egg banking becomes widely available. As a woman’s predicted delivery rate falls below 10%, the donor egg option becomes favored treatment economically. CNY Fertility Center offers multiple options to make IVF and donor eggs more affordable including a refund program for IVF and donor egg IVF, 0% financing, six cycle discount program, and Fall IVF specials.

References:

Henne, MB et al The combined effect of age and basal FSH on the cost of live birth at assisted reproductive technology Fertil Steril 2008; 89:104-10.

Neumann, PJ Johanesson M The willingness to pay for in vitro fertilization: a pilot study using contingent valuation. Med Care 1994; 32: 686-99.

Trad, FS et al In vitro fertilization: a cost effective alternative for infertile couples? J Assist Reprod Genet 1995; 12 418-21.

Van Voorhis BJ et al. Cost effectiveness of infertility treatments. Fertil Steril 1997; 67:830-6

Holiday Support Guide: Thanksgiving

As we move further into the winter months, we are faced with more frequent holiday get-togethers, and potentially challenging situations.  The key to not just making it through each passing holiday but actually enjoying them, is being prepared!  We most likely secure our plans ahead of time, giving us plenty of room to be selective, and prepared.

Unlike Halloween and the December holidays, Thanksgiving tends to be focused more around conversation, than on children.  If you are eating with family, children will most likely be present.  There is some relief however, if it is anything like my family, the children are too busy running around causing trouble to occupy the center of attention.

I have compiled a quick list of things to remember as you are preparing for the holiday (note: prepare!  You will feel most relaxed and ready if you give yourself a pep-talk, and review your options before the actual holiday!):

1. Be your best friend:  You are not required to be anywhere or do anything you are not comfortable with.  You have to listen to yourself, and protect yourself.  If you feel that going to your cousin’s house with 15 children running around will be too anxiety provoking, then graciously thank them for the offer but let them know you have other plans.  You (and your partner, if you have one) must have a discussion before, outlining the most enjoyable and least stressful holiday scenario:  where will you eat?  How long will you stay?
2. Prepare your script:  This does not mean you will have each conversation planned out, but come to a Read more

Words of Support and Encouragement Week of November 23, 2009

This month we are reading Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices by Thich Nhat Hanh.  This is a wonderful book by the patient Vietnamese Monk offers clear and simple exercises to achieve mindfulness.

Mindfulness is especially important during the holiday season because we can easily become preoccupied by our worries and desires instead of the love and warmth of our families.  You can purchase the book of the month here at our online store: http://cnyfertility.com/store/ as well as in the office.

Also, if you have never encountered any of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, I suggest you watch the following quick video, it is a nice explanation of his definition and love for mindfulness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8gEpW7DraI

We will be discussing the book of the month at our December Circle of Hope support meetings, and I will also post some quick thoughts and notes on our website, if you are too busy to take a peek at it!

Also, look check back for the second part of our Holiday Support Guide early this week for some good coping tools for Thanksgiving!

Take care,

Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

April’s Journey to Fertility: Week Twenty Six

April is a CNY Fertility Center patient and has been on her journey to fertility for approximately two years. April will share candid stories and a unique perspective on the fertility challenges many women and couples face.

Week 26: Making a Plan
My last cycle began during my workday, leaving me little time to wallow in self-pity or have a mini breakdown. Instead, I e-mailed my husband and gave him an assignment. I let him know that our last IUI did not work, and that I needed him to have an idea of what he wanted us to do next. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed and burdened, so what I needed him to do was think about what we had already done in terms of fertility treatment and what we should do next.

When I returned home from my day, I was in a much better state. I’d just had a great talk with my primary care doctor who reminded me that my husband and I are great candidates for IVF, when we are ready, and that we need not rush into anything at this point. She gave me a different and fresh perspective. I felt less rushed to move onto the next step and more confident about the fact that we have options and time to decide.

At the end of our day, my husband came home with a plan, and I was able to agree or disagree once I let him discuss his ideas and feelings. When I spoke with my husband, we both agreed that I was putting my spirit and body through a rigorous routine of blood work, ultra sounds, shots and multiple doctor appointments. We both acknowledged that although we were emotionally exhausted, we were not ready to begin IVF. Read more

Love & Infertility TeleWorkshop with Kristen Magnacca

Dr. Rob Kiltz of CNY Fertility Center and CNY Healing Arts Center will be hosting a teleworkshop with Kristen Magnacca as the presenter. She was scheduled to visit our Rochester CNY Fertility Center but will be offering this teleworkshop instead. You can dial in and join the teleworkshop no matter where you are located. Please see below the dial in information. If you have any questions or need further information please email Kristen Magnacca at kristen@cnyfertility.com.

Love & Infertility TeleWorkshop
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009, 6:30-7:25pm
Dial-in Number: 1-270-400-2000 East Coast
Participant Access Code: 406268

Words of Support and Encouragement Week of November 16, 2009

Although I have posted these meditation techniques in the past, I always think a quick reminder is helpful!  Especially because as we continue on further into the holiday season, we may feel a bit more stress and anxiety.  Meditation is a wonderful tool, helping us access our inner peace and quiet.  Look for an article in the next week about coping with anxiety and various challenging situations at Thanksgiving, and if you are in the Syracuse area be sure to try our Wednesday evening Mindfulness Meditation sessions: http://www.cnyhealingarts.com/2009/11/10/mindfulness-meditation-classes-syracuse/

Meditation

Meditation can be extremely relaxing and beneficial for everyone.  However, sometimes it is a challenge to get started and feel comfortable with the idea of sitting quietly for an extended period of time.  We are so accustomed to constantly running and moving onto the next project that it is a wonderful opportunity to slowdown, catch our breath, and appreciate where we are in life.  I have compiled some meditation techniques that I have tried, and hopefully some of them will be beneficial to you.  Keep in mind it is good to have a few different ones you enjoy.  Sometimes you may be more receptive to focusing on a thought rather than a spot on your body, or vice versa. Read more

Bio: Christine Briel

Christine Briel is website administrator.

November Support Meeting Webcast

Dr. Rob Kiltz had his IT staff create a webcast for the Syracuse CNY Fertility Center Support Meeting for November. There were many helpful things discussed, if you missed the support meeting or the webcast we now have the video footage for you to view below, it’s broken up into 15 minute segments.  It is Dr. Kiltz’s intention to continue to further expand CNY Fertility Center’s global offerings and support by utilizing this wonderful technology. Feedback and comments are always welcome, we hope you find our webcasts useful.

PART 1:

PART 2: Read more