infuriating convo with a fertility clinic

[quantumleap]

Grr! This angers me, so I am venting!
I wrote to a fertility clinic that had been recommended to me for IVM, we're just looking for momre information. In specific, please send us any and all info you have on this procedure and the application process, and my husband is looking for some recommendations for journal articles/litterature in reference to health and fertility problems in children conceived through ICSI/IVM. The response email told us ABSOLUTELY nothing. Not only did it tell us nothing and not answer any of the specific questions I asked, they actually told us to refer to the website (I DID! That's why I was writing for further info/clarification! That's what I said in my email!), and then informed us that a doctor would be happy to answer our questions after he has reviewed our medical files, for a tidy sum of money.
Seriously, is it unreasonable to ask for further info about risks BEFORE you start shelling out hard earned cash??!? And, I specifically asked about using donor embryos from a family in the US. Her response, "You need to contact Health Canada". I was expecting something along the lines of, "We have never done that before, but here's what I think will need to happen, and you need to contact XYZ" or, "Well, we've done that before, this is how it worked, and here's what we need."
They were totally unhelpful. Totally. Frustration. Mucho.

[fierrbugg]

I'm sorry that you got completely brushed off by that clinic. It's frustrating enough dealing with new procedures and issues, you don't need the extra hassle. I hope that you get the answers that you need soon.

[mamastotwo]

In the US it totally doesn't surprise me that they didn't give you more info than the website without a consult (between $250 - $500 here.) That's just the way every place I encounter does it.

[kristinc]

If that happened to me I think that I would be looking for a new clinic. You need to have trust and confidence during this and I think this is an indication of what is to come from that place. good luck finding what you deserve.

[quantumleap]

This is the norm for you mamastotwo?! Crazy. The ART community has way too much power, IMO, especially given the fact that their target audience is a group of stressed and desperate people.
I just got a second email from this clinic, and forwarded it to my DH with the following message:
Ha! These people are INSANE! This was in response to my "So, unless we send you medical files and pay you money you will not answer questions or direct us to additional resources?" question. I could strangle her. What is with these people?!!?! I don't understand how we are supposed to just jump on their train and give them all our money and time without a minimum of additional information. I wish I didn't like the IVM program so much. I'm going to do a bit of research and see if ayone else offers it. Just comparing this to ****, the difference is astronomical. So, maybe (our clinic in our last city of residence) for the monitored cycle? I trust them much more. At least they answer questions. Grrr!

Their message read:
Dear Katia,

Once we receive your medical file with all your current test results done within one year, we will be in a better position to answer all your questions.

Sincerely,
Evasive Woman

Seriously?!?! This is acceptable? To me, this is equivalent to a school saying, "Well, we may or may not be what you're looking for, and we may or may not accept you. If you pay us full tuition though, we'll let you know if we even offer what you're looking for."
The minimal investment this clinic could make by directing us to a few journal articles and giving us a contact person at Health Canada (or, even crazier, finding out what the legislation around donated embryos from the USA is!), would pay off for them in a big way. At this point, I am *extremely* hesitant to continue with IVM. I love the idea of the technology, but I do *not* trust these people. We live in such a remote area that plane tickets to this clinic cost close to 2,000$, each, plus we have to pay to stay somewhere, I have to take nearly an entire cycle off of work... And that doesn't even touch the actual cost of the procedure. I can't believe a clinic would expect a person to make that sort of commitment without a minimum of additional information.
I'm sure some of you deal with this stuff all the time, but, our former clinic (from before we moved to the middle of nowhere), didn't attempt any of this nonsense. They were available to answer question and figure out logistics before we payed up or signed our lives over. I guess I expected a more human approach to all of this.
Kudos to all of you who manage to not bite someone's head off in all of this. Can you all please pray, cross your fingers, do whatever it is you do, that this next, final, IUI cycle works for us? I would love to not have to go the IVM route.

Katia