Hope, Humor, Hapiness – A heartwarming story of success from a cancer victim, in her own words.
Life couldn’t get much better. I had been married to a wonderful man, Jorge, for two years. We had just decided it was time to start a family – which is what I had been dreaming about for as far back as I can remember. It was August 1999. I booked a full medical examination in joyous anticipation of getting pregnant. Instead, the day before my physical was scheduled, I found a lump in my breast.
Because I was only 32, it took me over two months to get an appointment for a mammogram. Three agonizing months since I first found the lump, the final diagnosis was finally in – it was cancer. On November 8, I had a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, and a lymph node biopsy. A device was inserted into my chest in preparation for chemotherapy. The ordeal was nearly over.
But then the oncologist gave us a crushing blow; chemotherapy could do permanent damage to my ovaries. He encouraged us to consult Dr. Lawrence Werlin, Founder and Medical Director of Coastal Fertility Medical Center in Irvine, Calif. about having my eggs harvested and frozen.
There was a great sense of urgency surrounding this appointment because I would have to start chemotherapy soon. If Jorge and I were ever to have the children we had longed for, my eggs would have to be harvested immediately. Four days later, we met with Dr. Werlin.
I simply do not have the words to describe our wonderful Dr. Werlin. First, picture Einstein in a Rolling Stones T-shirt. (The Werl, as he’s affectionately known, listens to nothing but the Stones at his Orange County clinic.) Dr. Werlin has an incredible way of encompassing everything about a woman in his care. He gave us hope; we decided to have our inseminated eggs frozen for the future – just in case.
Six days later, Jorge began to inject me daily with hormones to prepare my ovaries for the great egg harvest of 1999. In the middle of my menstrual cycle, The Werl called to say that the following day was egg day. While I was under general anesthetic, having 16 of my eggs retrieved with Dr. Werlin’s tiny little vacuum cleaner, my husband was in another room doing “his thing.” The retrieval and fertilization process was a success. The Werl froze our resulting 11 embryos.
Two days later, December 1999, I began chemotherapy. I finished my various treatments in December 2001. In January 2002, I was nominated to be a torchbearer when the Olympic Torch Relay came through Los Angeles County. Physically, I was exhausted, but I managed to run nearly a mile. Somehow, the relay seemed symbolic; though my race hadn’t yet been won, the relay marked a turning point on my road to recovery.
For 18 months, Jorge and I tried to conceive the old-fashioned way, but nothing happened. We became anxious. The spontaneity was being taken out of what was supposed to be a wonderful experience. We decided to go back to The Werl to discuss our situation. He was extremely mindful of my medical history. A very humane scientist, Dr. Werlin presented our choices objectively, and with genuine compassion.
We decided on a frozen embryo transfer; it would expose me to the least amount of medication. Transfer day, April 1, 2004, was surreal. So different from a normal conception. I was “conceiving,” but I couldn’t even see my husband! We were edgy and jumpy – yet we were so elated. Dr. Werlin gave us something we were not expecting – a picture of our microscopic embryos. We could see these overlapping circles and I thought, gosh, how beautiful! I was awake, watching onscreen while Dr. Werlin did the transfer. I’ll never forget hearing his booming voice shout “Beatriz Sandoval! Get pregnant.” The transfer was a success.
Lately, I’ve had the opportunity to tell my story, and I’m honored to be an advocate for women, educating them about their options. It’s important for me to express that having cancer doesn’t have to be a drama on the high seas; a diagnosis of cancer is not a death sentence.
After nine months and 21 hours of tickling her mother’s tummy, Sofia Margarita was born, sunny-side-up, on December 26, 2004. We couldn’t stop kissing her. Or crying – for the sheer joy of this amazing miracle. Sofia remains a symbol of hope in our family.
Halloween 2019
Each year, Coastal Fertility Medical Center’s staff hosts a fun get together for our former patients and their families. View more photos from our 28th annual Miracle Babies Halloween event!
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Our fertility clinic focuses on helping you build your family regardless of your sexual orientation or the gender you choose to identify with. We are even taking further steps to make LGTB people feel more welcome at our fertility clinic. Each of our patient-facing staff goes through LGTB training to let family-building clinicians provide necessary support and make you feel highly welcome.
Coastal Fertility Medical Center offers one of the most advanced fertility treatments and is completely transparent regarding the costs of procedures and any other expenses that you may have to pay before commencing your treatment. This differentiates us from some fertility clinics that reduce prices before the signing of the contract but charge you extra later on. We make sure our patients are well aware of any possible extra pricing that may occur over the course of their treatment.
The infertility industry is currently segmented, with each service or treatment being handled by a different provider. Our all-inclusive model simplifies an otherwise complex and difficult process. We are here to revolutionize the infertility industry by offering a one-stop-service model to assist our patients through infertility challenges while reducing physical, emotional, and financial risks.
Our globally respected team of specialists are helping improve IVF technologies to enter into a generation of better outcomes for infertility. Although you’ll have a doctor guiding you, you are also going to benefit from the experience and insights of other doctors during case review collaboration meetings, which take place every week. So, you won’t just rely on the expertise of a specialist but benefit from the knowledge of many reputed fertility experts.
Our team specializes in difficult cases and help patients who may have been considered “hopeless” at other fertility clinics. Thanks to our personalized solutions, expertise, and internal collaboration, weare able to maximize pregnancy success rates that are well above the industry average, even in difficult infertility cases.
We know that every situation is different and that everyone requires different treatments. Unlike facilities that take “a one-size-fits-all” approach for all cases, our fertility specialists use more than 40 customized protocols to raise the chances of success. The customized approach even extends to our fertility laboratory. Our on-site lab director and his highly-experienced team nurture every embryo and egg to increase the odds of success of each cycle.
Coastal Fertility Medical Center offers one of the most advanced fertility treatments and is completely transparent regarding the costs of procedures and any other expenses that you may have to pay before commencing your treatment. This differentiates us from some fertility clinics that reduce prices before the signing of the contract but charge you extra later on. We make sure our patients are well aware of any possible extra pricing that may occur over the course of their treatment.
Following the Preimplantation Genetic Screening process, which helps ensure there are normal chromosome numbers and detects possible genetic disorders, the most healthy embryo(s) are selected to be implanted into your or your chosen surrogate’s womb. 2 weeks after the transfer of the embryo, your physician will conduct a final blood test to determine the level of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in your body. Increased hCG levels usually indicate a positive pregnancy test.
For fertilization to take place, the collected egg and sperm are combined in a petri dish and cultured in an embryo incubator. This dish is closely watched to check whether any of the eggs have been fertilized. Once the egg is fertilized, it is referred to as an embryo or a blastocyst on the 5th day of development. Our in-house embryologist carefully nurtures every embryo to the right time, even if it means working outside the standard business operating hours. For instance: If an oocyte is not mature, our laboratory will wait for it to mature and then ICSI it at the right time.
The egg retrieval is a slightly invasive medical procedure that takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You will be given an anesthetic to make you sleep for the duration of the procedure. Using ultrasound technology, your doctor will harvest your eggs transvaginally with a small, hollow needle connected to an ultrasound probe. Once your eggs are collected, your partner’s semen or donor sperm you have pre-selected is used for fertilization. The sperm are washed and prepared, and the top-quality sperm extracted is used to fertilize the eggs.
Your doctor will create a customized medication schedule that contains information about the fertility medications and hormone injections you have to take. Medication and injections are taken to encourage your ovaries to mature a large number of eggs for fertilization. Since women don’t respond to fertility drugs and hormones the same way, personalized protocols are crucial to the IVF cycle success. At Coastal Fertility, we will monitor you closely, letting you understand the changes occurring in your body and keeping track of how your egg follicles are growing.
On-site consultations typicallyinclude a standard fertility evaluation, consisting of a physical examination, complementary follicular ultrasound, and testing to enable your doctor to know your present fertility status and draw up a treatment plan.
This consultation includes a detailed medical evaluation with a doctor. You and your physician will review your health records and have enough time to talk about your goals and get answers to your questions. We recommend that you jot down all your questions before the visit to allow you to make the best use of the time spent with your doctor.
Your Reproductive Endocrinologist will take all factors into consideration and create a comprehensive plan of care, otherwise known as the treatment plan. This plan will include treatment recommendations from the physician and enable your financial coordinator to make a precise quotation once you meet.
Our globally respected team of specialists are helping improve IVF technologies to enter into a generation of better outcomes for infertility. Although you’ll have a doctor guiding you, you are also going to benefit from the experience and insights of other doctors during case review collaboration meetings, which take place every week. So, you won’t just rely on the expertise of a specialist but benefit from the knowledge of many reputed fertility experts.
The infertility industry is currently segmented, with each service or treatment being handled by a different provider. Our all-inclusive model simplifies an otherwise complex and difficult process. We are here to revolutionize the infertility industry by offering a one-stop-service model to assist our patients through infertility challenges while reducing physical, emotional, and financial risks.
Our fertility clinic focuses on helping you build your family regardless of your sexual orientation or the gender you choose to identify with. We are even taking further steps to make LGTB people feel more welcome at our fertility clinic. Each of our patient-facing staff goes through LGTB training to let family-building clinicians provide necessary support and make you feel highly welcome.
We know that every situation is different and that everyone requires different treatments. Unlike facilities that take “a one-size-fits-all” approach for all cases, our fertility specialists use more than 40 customized protocols to raise the chances of success. The customized approach even extends to our fertility laboratory. Our on-site lab director and his highly-experienced team nurture every embryo and egg to increase the odds of success of each cycle.
Our team specializes in difficult cases and help patients who may have been considered “hopeless” at other fertility clinics. Thanks to our personalized solutions, expertise, and internal collaboration, weare able to maximize pregnancy success rates that are well above the industry average, even in difficult infertility cases.
Upon your arrival, you will check in with a Patient Care Coordinator. We will obtain your insurance information for benefits verification, a copy of your identification and take a picture for your electronic medical chart
Welcome to Coastal Fertility Family
Coastal Fertility is the leading provider of fertility solutions located in Orange County. Join us to get free updates on fertility news, treatments, infertility solutions and more.
Welcome to Coastal Fertility Family
Coastal Fertility is the leading provider of fertility solutions located in Orange County. Join us to get free updates on fertility news, treatments, infertility solutions and more.
