Physician Assistant, Shady Grove Fertility, Washington, D.C., Columbia, Maryland
[as told to Jennifer Schaffer Leone]
“When I started my job as a physician assistant at Shady Grove Fertility, I was 13
weeks pregnant with my son. I was blissful, nervous, nauseated and ever cognizant
of my growing baby bump. The truth is, it is somewhat awkward to be pregnant when
you work in the field of infertility. When I first meet patients, many have endured
countless negative pregnancy tests, miscarriages or failed treatment cycles. Many
are struggling with feelings of isolation, battling their biological clocks, believing
that they arrived late to the fertility party or that they were forced into infertility
for reasons beyond their control. Some are single women, same-sex couples, couples
with cancer or genetic abnormalities. The last person they want to meet is a healthcare
provider whose round belly represents that which seems unreachable. . . . But, like
my patients, I personally have a profound understanding of the crazy human experience
that is fertility treatment. Professionally, I have in-depth knowledge about what
actually happens in a fertility practice to make it work—from the office to the embryology
lab, to all the amazing staff behind the scenes who help make each patient’s journey
come to life. I am part of the one in eight [couples]—or more than seven million people—affected
by infertility. . . . My husband and I faced various unexpected struggles in our journey
to build a family, but finally met success (twice) with IVF. IVF was life-altering
for us; it made us parents and it led me to change professional specialties—from neonatal
intensive care to infertility. I love being part of a collaborative healthcare team
that provides personalized medical care to those facing infertility. Daily, I perform
baseline ultrasound monitoring, early OB ultrasounds, intrauterine inseminations and
mock embryo transfers, among other services. I counsel and care for patients. I share
my story with my patients, offering hope and possibility. Modern medicine has made
possible treatments to help most people achieve their goal of parenthood.”
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