# who's had a phone consultation with Dr Sher?



## Violet66 (Dec 28, 2007)

What's he like? 

I've booked one for this coming week - just curious as to what he might make of my case. 

It's free and he's very experienced in his field so nothing to lose. But I have a feeling he will encourage me down the immune route which I still remain unconvinced by


----------



## suitcase of dreams (Oct 7, 2007)

Violet - I had a consult with him. Winky has too, and Midnightaction and I think a few others
I thought he was OK, a bit patronising...assumed I knew nothing at all about IVF/fertility tx and kept refering to me his articles/website to educate myself (I guess fair enough for someone who is starting out, but he knew I'd had loads of cycles before and I personally just found it a bit patronising...is always hard on the phone though as you can't see someone's facial expressions etc)

I was quite surprised that he suggested I try with my own eggs. He said he believed with his protocol (which would include immunes etc) he could get me pregnant. Personally I disagree - I'm 40 and I've had so many failed cycles with my own eggs and I just don't think the odds are good enough to pay what it would cost to go to Vegas and have tx with him
His immune protocol is pretty much what I'm doing anyway, so for me it was just confirmation that I hadn't missed anything else obvious - but otherwise I personally didn't get much out of the call but as you say it's free, and does no harm to get a 2nd or 3rd opinion

Hope it goes well, let me know how you get on and what he recommends for you,
Suitcase
x


----------



## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

I think I was one of the first batch to have a phone consult with him, recommended by another FFer.  He will give you advice, thre will be an element of come over to USA and do CGH.  He was brutally honest with his opinion- he words ' Honey stop keep putting good eggs into your bedrock you need a surrogate' then followed the 'come to the US and have CGH I can get you an egg better than any young donor's but I will not put it back into you only a surrpgate.  He my be right, he may be wrong it is up to you to choose, a second/third opinion can't help!

It is free, he is an immune fan and also if you have been to ARGC he will not contradict anything they say as he is a friend of Mr T's.

Lx


----------



## Violet66 (Dec 28, 2007)

interesting - well it's on Friday so I will let you know!


----------



## cocochanel1 (Oct 15, 2009)

Violet, my consultation with Dr Sher was the turning point in my treatment that I believe got me pregnant. He cut through all the other rubbish I had been hearing from all of the best clinics/experts in the UK. In my opinion he has the best brain on the topic of fertility in this industry - he knows his stuff inside out. He owns a number of private fertility clinics in the USA with great success rates and to operate like that in the States you have to be good. Yes, he is patronising to some extent but I acutually found him very helpful and once he realised I knew quite alot (and he told me I knew more than most doctors) he pitched to that level and at times I had to ask him for further clarity because he went on to speak in medic terms at a great rate of knots. Yes, he does sell his clinic and success rates (that is why he does free consultations). He gave me the facts and the options and his opinions and from this I was then able to pick through all of the research I had done, come to a conclusion myself and then plan my new treatment approach.
Good luck on Friday.
Coco xxx


----------



## winky77 (Nov 27, 2007)

Hi Violet....

I had a tel consult back in Nov....and like Coco it was quite a turning point.....Dr Sher does tell it as it is....he doesnt sugar coat it!  I needed a reality check about the chances at my age and altho I didnt buy in to going to Vegas I did buy into doing the protocol he recommends ....which is what I am planning to do at CareNotts.....next best thing in terms of getting some treatment a bit more local than Vegas!  If he is doing the patronising thing and just telling you what you already know just interrupt and let him know and he'll step it up as he did with Coco and with me too. 

Good luck and let us know how you get on....

..winky


----------



## Hollysox (Nov 7, 2004)

Hi Violet

Just to say I went down to his clinic in Harley Street and met him face to face....(Now wondering if he is the same doc as he never mentioned anything to me about going to America !!!!)  Personally I found him to be pleasant and very straight to the point....I was already using donor eggs so on that score he didn't need to offer that kind of advice.....he does have a great interest in immune issues and I personally already thought I had raised NK cells which the tests did reveal......it is still early days for me but I had my first scan yesterday and saw my babys heartbeat     

It is always difficult talking on the phone to someone you dont know but if its free what have you got to lose ?

I wish you all the luck in the world....


----------



## suitcase of dreams (Oct 7, 2007)

hollysox - think you are talking about a different doctor hun   

dr sher works out of vegas not harley st....

huge congrats on your pg btw    

suitcase
x


----------



## Violet66 (Dec 28, 2007)

Had my consultation last night.

For the first 10 minutes he was the cross between a biology teacher and a double glazing salesman - but he doesn't charge for these chats so it's fair enough that he does a certain amount of plugging. 

He said for me not to bother with the full immune testing - he could see from the basic testing I'd had done and mine and my family's health history that there was unlikely to be a big issue. My TSH is also pretty low already, so he wasn't worried about that. 
He thinks my failure is down to: bad luck, poor transfer technique (which I doubt - my dr worked at the ARGC for 15 years) or implantation issues  - he says the only test I should bother with is the K562 something or other test....and that I didn't need the full NK essay


----------



## cocochanel1 (Oct 15, 2009)

Violet, I had K562 via Dr Sher and it is well worth doing. It basically is a top end immune test to rule out there being any 'attack' on the embryo. It mimics embryo cells etc. Once you do this test if it comes back negative you can rule out for sure that immunes are an issue.

His reasons for you seem to be fairly vague. Did he tell you what he thought was most likely?
Coco xx


----------



## Violet66 (Dec 28, 2007)

Hi coco 

do you mind me asking how much the test was? 

He wasn't vague really - just honest. He said his gut feeling (and I admit it's mine too) is that there probably isn't a problem - it's just bad luck. 

My level 1 immune tests - which I sent him - didn't indicate any problems, plus I have no health or family history that would point towards an immune issue. I tend to have a low platelet count which means I wouldn't have a clotting issue either. 

Not sure if I'm relieved or even more frustrated. he even said - I think he said this to suity as well - that I could still try with my own eggs as my FSH and AMH tests were all really good - but i don't think I'll be tempted in that direction.


----------



## cocochanel1 (Oct 15, 2009)

Violet, I think it was about £350/400 by the time you have paid for the test and US postal costs etc. But well worth it. xxx


----------



## cocochanel1 (Oct 15, 2009)

Violet, just one more thought - I know given your age you are probably thinking that donor eggs are the answer but if FSH etc are still really good I might be inclined to try with own eggs because donor eggs are not necessarily a panacea in terms of success but I don't know how many cycles you have had already. 
Coco xxx


----------



## Acropolis (Feb 28, 2006)

Hello ladies, 

Do you mind asking me, what is the number you called to book a consultation with Dr Sher? I sent him an email but the number he gave me didn't work. 
Thank you.

Ex


----------



## suitcase of dreams (Oct 7, 2007)

E - he called me. I arranged it all via email with his secretary, she took my number and we agreed a specific time for him to call. You should not need to call him...

good luck!
Suitcase
x


----------



## greeney (Jan 6, 2011)

Hello girls,

Can some tell me what is better?
I want to have a consultation with Dr. Sheer to get a second opinion on Chicago bloods. If a schedule a phone consultation, how will he able to read the results? Will I have to read them to him? 
I now I can post on his forum? Does he answer the interpretation there or I have to write him an e-mail?


----------



## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

When you hav a phone consultation you will be emailed a form to complete and put your bloods results etc in or send over- I recall and 18 page document being sent to his sec.
He will be prob in favour of immune bloods and CGH.

L x


----------



## cocochanel1 (Oct 15, 2009)

I had three phone consultations with Dr Sher and he was amazing. You have to ignore his slick sales tone (which some have found annoying) and just listen to his intellect. I found him to be incredibly knowledgeable and he got me back on the right track after 3 failed IUI's and 4 failed IVF's....


Good luck.
Coco xxx


----------



## greatgazza (May 27, 2010)

hi ladies

this is the first time i've read this thread and i'm curious about the K562 test mentioned which i've not heard of before and don't think i've seen it in Agate's FAQ:



> Violet, I had K562 via Dr Sher and it is well worth doing. It basically is a top end immune test to rule out there being any 'attack' on the embryo. It mimics embryo cells etc. Once you do this test if it comes back negative you can rule out for sure that immunes are an issue.


Does this mean that if you had this test you could do it INSTEAD of all the chicago bloods on NKa, TNFa etc etc?

thanks

GG x


----------



## agate (Nov 14, 2008)

GG its in the FAQ - the K562 test is another name for the NK cytoxicity assay - as done by millenova and RFU... the bit that goes 50:1, 25:1 etc. K562 is the name of the cell line which is used as a target cell.  So basically they put your NK cells and a fresh batch of K562s into a test tube and then see what %age of the K562s have been killed off after 2 hours....


----------



## greatgazza (May 27, 2010)

oh ok thanks agate. It was just the way it was written about i got the impression that this 1 particular test superseded all the others and I was pretty sure i would have read or heard about it via you or your FAQ.



> Once you do this test if it comes back negative you can rule out for sure that immunes are an issue.


 is this right though? i would have thought possibly not as there are so many other tests looking at different immune issues that need to be tested for as well?

GGx


----------



## agate (Nov 14, 2008)

according to dr sher - the only immune test that matters is the NK assay (he calls it k562).  he doesn't agree with testing for cytokine ratios or for LAD (because he doesn't support LIT or humira). that isn't to say that he doesn't think non-immune tests like testing for thrombophilias or thyroid aren't worthwhile... and if your NKa comes back high, he does like to test DQA (but only if you and the sperm donor can both test) - in case a DQa match explains the high NKa.

So, its not that he is talking about a test which is better than tests you can get elsewhere, but rather that he thinks most of the other 'chicago-type' tests are not that important.  That said... he does prefer to use the lab in california (reproductive associates I think - can't remember) rather than the one in chicago but the two labs do the test the same way.


----------



## greatgazza (May 27, 2010)

thanks agate

GG xx


----------



## some1 (May 13, 2006)

Just reviving this thread to ask if someone can post details for how to go about setting up a phone consult with Dr Sher.  I have  a friend who will soon be starting her 6th cycle (after 3 IVFs and 2 FETs), she has great lining, great response, great embryos, her DH has great sperm, but always BFN   .  She was interested when I mentioned Dr Sher so I said I would get hold of his details for her. 

Some1

xx


----------



## suitcase of dreams (Oct 7, 2007)

some1 - go here http://haveababy.com/ and click on request a free consultation

might be worth her also seeing an immune specialist here in the UK - Dr Gorgy for eg. if she always gets great embies and there are no sperm probs, it does suggest an immune issue. Dr Sher can advise but if she needs tests/tx for immunes she'll need someone local to do that anyway...

best of luck to your friend
Suitcase
x

/links


----------



## some1 (May 13, 2006)

Thanks Suity - will pass the info on to her.  She is having some immunes (clexane and some other painful injections, not sure what they are) at Care Notts, I thought Dr Sher might have some insight to share with her about next steps   

Some1

xx


----------



## suitcase of dreams (Oct 7, 2007)

ah OK, Care are pretty good on immunes (suspect the painful ones are gestone - progesterone injections?) but yes Dr Sher may be able to add a new perspective, definitely worth a call as is free


----------



## some1 (May 13, 2006)

Thanks Suitcase   

Some1

xx


----------

