Switching insurances & doctors was no sweat for Isabel, who had our team to overcome obstacles of advanced maternal age, twins and a preeclampsia pregnancy
Being 30 weeks pregnant with twins while managing high blood pressure is not an ideal time to switch insurance companies or doctors. But this is where Isabel and her husband, Adam, found themselves when her employer decided to offer new healthcare coverage.
While not ideal, they opted to make the move. They knew just who they wanted to help deliver their babies – thanks to a trusted family recommendation.
“My sister-in-law is radiologist at Rose Medical Center and had a baby with CU Medicine OB/GYN East Denver in November of last year,” explains Isabel. “So when it came time to start to figure out the transition and insurance, she was like: ‘You need to go to East Denver. You need to see Dr. Allison Herman, she’d be the perfect fit for you. They’ll take great care of you.’
“And so I just trusted her. I figured if my physician sister-in-law could give such a resounding endorsement, that was good enough for us!” says Isabel.
Welcoming her as a new patient with a high-risk, pregnancy
While the couple was initially worried about how the transition to a new doctor would be, those fears where quickly put to rest. First she called to confirm her insurance would be accepted, and it was.
“I was a little concerned the practice wouldn’t take me on that late in the pregnancy. So I contacted Dr. Herman, and we went back and forth a couple times, you know, asking her some questions. And she was fantastic,” Isabel says. “I mean, everybody that we interacted with was fantastic. I really only saw Dr. Herman as a patient twice. But I felt really confident with her and, and with other people that we interacted with. And they instilled a lot of confidence that taking on a high-risk pregnancy, late in the pregnancy stage, wasn’t going to be an issue.
“And, at the end of the day, we were really, really, really lucky and really happy that we switched,” continues Isabel.
Unfortunately, finding the right doctor was the easy part of Isabel and Adam’s story.
I think I got to meet all the doctors [throughout the experience] and they were all great – everyone was so nice, so helpful. Honestly, if I had to do it all over again, I’d go with the team at East Denver from the beginning.”
On top of existing complications came a preeclampsia pregnancy
The couple already had a long road to beginning a family, starting with in vitro fertilization. Taking that into consideration, along with Isabel’s age, and the potential risks of carrying twins, it was a very high-risk pregnancy.
Then came the preeclampsia pregnancy.
Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal. While most women deliver healthy babies and fully recover postpartum, it can lead to serious complications, so doctors need to monitor it closely.
“Issues just seemed to sort of pile up on top of each other,” says Isabel.
All hands on deck for a safe childbirth by C-section
During a blood pressure monitoring appointment at the high risk OB’s office, conveniently across the hall from CU Medicine OB-GYN East Denver, the nurse became concerned. While Isabel had an appointment with Dr. Herman the same day, the nurse told her that she’d contacted Dr. Herman, and Isabel needed to go to labor and delivery triage at Rose Medical Center (across the street). What could have been an alarming turn of events was coordinated with utmost care and attention.
“It was actually amazing, because it was so seamless,” says Isabel. “The doctor literally walked across the hall. It was perfect.”
She was admitted to the hospital for a few days for monitoring and a dose of betamethasone to support the babies’ lung development. After returning home for two days, another blood pressure check proved concerning. That time, Dr. Herman recommended a C-section.
The practice’s Dr. Jean Dwinnell was on call at the hospital so she took over for the delivery. Having researched most of the CU Medicine OB-GYN East Denver doctors during her prior hospital stay, this was no issue for Isabel.
“Dr. Dwinnell was amazing,” she says. “I read up on her and all the doctors prior, and was really happy she was my doctor because we both went to the same college. That was just a great conversation starting point!”
After all the ups and downs with her health, one thing finally did go smoothly for Isabel: the delivery.
“It was a fantastic experience,” admits Isabel. “My recovery was pretty quick and easy. I feel good, the babies arrived quickly and safely. The whole thing was amazing and great. I think I got to meet all the doctors [throughout the experience] and they were all great – everyone was so nice, so helpful. Honestly, if I had to do it all over again, I’d go with the team at East Denver from the beginning. Instead, I’ve recommended them to all of my friends.”
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