Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

Went this morning for my bloodwork and to get my BCPs. I start tonight. I'm somewhere between excited and scared to death to start my first IVF cycle!!

The only nightmare was that LI IVF was a ZOO this morning. I was told to come in between 8 and 9:15 for blood/urine/BP check and to pick up my prescription. I got there at 8:25 and it was literally standing room only. It was CRAZY. I wasn't called in until around 10:00 am!!!! Finally got out at 10:25. 2 hours for what essentially took 15 minutes.

Apparently the Melville office is the only office open for monitoring on Saturday mornings and it gets super busy. They had 8 nurses there and it was still an hour and a half wait. Last Saturday when my DH went to drop off his SA sample he waited 25 minutes to be seen - all to just drop off and fill out a form! (I hope all his swimmers survived - we still haven't gotten the results...)

But when I was there on a Tuesday for my interview/injection teaching the place was empty...so when you can, I'd try to avoid Saturday mornings!

Has anyone started weekday morning monitoring there yet? I'm curious about the wait times especially on days I have to go to work...

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

I was at the Melville office on last Saturday and I totally agree with you - ZOO!! I got there at 8 and didn't walk out until after 930. Everyone was very upset. It is the only office open for weekend monitoring now, which is the problem. I really think they might need to open another office on Saturdays because the wait is ridiculous!

Good luck to you, Lee!

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

Thank you!

If I hadn't been so tired and annoyed (especially since today is my birthday and I spent 2 hours waiting... ), I actualy would have felt more sorry for the nurses - you could tell they were just overwhelmed...

You're right - they might want to rethink the one office only thing on Saturdays!

ETA: it was so crazy that the receptionist actually asked me to wait until Monday to call back and schedule my water sono - she was so overwhelmed. I was also told to wait until Monday to leave a message for Dr. Brenner regarding my DH's SA. Yikes!

The good part was (I think) that people with actual appointments, as opposed to monitoring, after 9:15 seemed to be getting in quicker. All I could think about was that on my calendar they are tentatively looking at a retrieval on a Saturday - I would be dying if I had to wait all morning!!

Message edited 4/26/2008 2:40:19 PM.

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

I was there twice at 630 am for montioring last week and i was the only one there. I havent had the experience of a Saturday morning yet thankfully!

Im so sorry you had to wait! I guess they are still working out the "kinks" of the new place?

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

I think that this business of having all weekend monitoring at Melville and all IUI's at Melville is going to be a problem. There are too many patients to have everyone going to one office. I really hope they go back to doing IUI's and monitoring at their other offices.

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

Well, I'm glad it sounds like the weekday early mornings at Melville might not be so crazy.

I'm hoping it's a combination of working the kinks out plus Saturday mornings being tight considering Melville is the only one open, but I agree, they might want to rethink that strategy.

I think the water sono depends on which doctor you are using. Before they told me to just call back Monday to schedule, I asked about scheduling the water sono next Friday. I was told that Dr. Brenner is only in Melville on Tuesdays so if I wanted it on a Friday, I'd have to go to Lake Success. So...I think they are still doing water sonos in the other offices, but who knows what the doctor's schedules are. I'm now trying to decide if I should just do it on a Tuesday or go to Lake Success... It just seems like one more thing to think about....

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

BTW.. I went in yesterday for my FET and my appointment was at 11. I guess I waited maybe 15 or 20 minutes before they called me... thats the longest I have ever waited with them. Im sure if enough people are complaining, they will have to reopen at least the PJ office for the weekends!!!

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

I don't live in NY, so obviously I don't go there. But where I go is the same thing. They have one main office (which thankfully is 30 seconds from my job), and 6 smaller offices throughout the area. All the offices except the main office are closed on Saturday and Sunday, so all morning monitoring on the weekend is done there. Morning monitoring on the weekend is 5:45am-10:00am. If I end up having to have bloodwork and a sono on the weekend, I make sure I am there no later than 6:00am. And even then, by the time I've gotten there, it can be a 30 minute wait. My embryo transfer last month happen to be on a Sunday and when we were leaving that afternoon, the receptionist had said they had seen 200 women between 5:45 and 10:00 am for blood and sonos. Crazy!

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

With your retrieval I would hope you go to another area. That is timed to the minute to get them eggy's out. Hopefully they have a separate section for that.

Sorry about your 2 hour wait. My old RE used to have us wait that long when they moved to their new location. Maybe they just need to get a system going.

My current one, on weekends when it's mad, I still get out within 20 minutes.

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

Sorry about your wait there...

Just wanted to say that I just started BCP's also and will begin meds on 5/15 so we are kinda on the same schedule!!

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!

OH NO! They're not doing weekend monitoring at Port Jeff anymore???

Re: Starting BCPs...Melvile LI-IVF was a ZOO!