October is breast cancer awareness month.  A topic I am very passionate about.  With 1 in every 8 diagnosed it is no surprise that I personally know too many friends, colleagues, clients and even my own mother who have endured this devastating diagnosis.

This past weekend, I had the distinct privilege of being a sponsor at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Awards which was held at the beautiful Kennedy Center in Washington DC.  The production was flawlessly produced by my previous client and now very dear friend, Joy Zucker-Tiemann.  This past summer Joy offered me a ticket to the show and I respectfully declined her kind offer and said, “Heck no, such an important cause, I need to be a sponsor!”

With behind the scenes access, Saturday day and evening at the Komen event was truly humbling.  I met so many wonderful and very talented fund raisers, committed scientists working to end breast cancer and thousands of dedicated volunteers all to raise awareness and education for early detection and the need for more research.  I met celebrities, Olivia Newton John, Lynda Carter, Cynthia Nixon and Stephanie Mills to name just a few.  I heard the stories of global leaders like Ida Odinga, a dynamic woman who empowers Kenyan women to have a voice.  I saw Laura Bush receive a well deserved lifetime achievement award for launching groundbreaking educational and healthcare programs for women in more than 75 countries globally.  The celebrity voices of Ricardo Chavira, Jennifer Griffin and Andrea Mitchell rang loudly to emphasize that we will not stop until breast cancer is curable.  The sheer scope of commitments, efforts, talents and hope was endless.

But for me the highlight of the weekend was meeting Robin Roberts.  Robin’s poise, compassion and graceful demeanor made her the most eloquent voice in the house.  As Master of Ceremonies, Robin was truly a master!

Robin had been my idol for many years.  Even before she she earned her stripes as a breast cancer survivor, Robin always symbolized for me devotion, hard work, commitment and integrity.  I learned this about Robin while reading her book “From the Heart: Eight Rules to Live By” which speaks directly to her special character.  Her goals, dreams and commitment to self are clearly identified in her candid writing.

As a true leader, Robin led the audience through a very emotional, informative yet hopeful two hour award ceremony.  Robin spoke “from the heart” about her own battle with triple negative breast cancer and how support from Susan G. Komen organization, colleagues, close friends, and strong family helped her to endure her journey through cancer treatment.  Robin’s eloquent plea for advocacy, raising awareness, offering education about early detection and the importance of raising additional funds for more research resonated loud and clear nationally.  Compelling videos clips of cancer survivors emphasized these topics and solidified Robin’s powerful message.  Robin had always been my idol, but after this weekend she is not only my idol but also my hero.

The memory of the weekend would not be complete with out accolades for the lady whose vision became a reality, Nancy Brinker, Founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.  Since 1983, Nancy had created the largest organization for education and fundraising for cancer victims.  This organization has helped millions of women and their families to identify valuable resources  before during and after diagnosis.  Nancy too is a pillar of strength and has made it her primary mission to put cancer at the top of the World Health Organization’s agenda.

I too had an opportunity to share my small part in raising awareness with Barbara Harrison on NBC.  In a short segment I believe that together we were able to disseminate valuable information on advocacy and fertility preservation options for those facing any dreaded cancer diagnosis.

It was definitely an action packed weekend and I am so blessed to have played even a small part of to help promote the cause.  Thank you Joy for your friendship, the sisterhood that has bonded between us, the many opportunities you gave to me including sharing a special morning with your beautiful daughter Jade!

As children and young adults many of us were raised to grow up and become not just well established adults, but moms and dads. It is often a natural progression to graduate school, focus on career, marry and raise a family. Kids are the ultimate goal and accomplishment.

Today however, given the rise in infertility one in five couples today, or 7.3 million Americans struggle with infertility — the biological inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term. Many factors can contribute to this staggering and continually growing statistic. Most common are delayed child bearing, advanced maternal age, medical conditions, sexually transmitted diseases, obesity and environmental factors. As women continue to work and delay having children, their needs with regard to infertility treatment has also continued to grow.

The infertility diagnosis can be devastating and demoralizing. Unable to become pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term, women often feel inadequate, alone and depressed. Infertility treatment is costly and invasive. Success rates are not guaranteed and insurance benefits are often limited. The emotional, physical and financial stressors associated with the infertility process are often challenging and overwhelming.

Age matters in many aspects of life and definitely in the creation of life. Women are most fertile between the ages of 20 to 28 with their fertility decreasing in half by the time they reach 35 years of age. By age 45, only a 1% chance remains each month of conceiving naturally. This is a startling fact considering the average age a woman has her first child has risen to a record high of 25.1 years with 20% of women waiting until they are 35 years old to begin their family.

An increasing number of women choose to delay childbearing due to further schooling, career choice, or are waiting to find their perfect partner. Many individuals are choosing to be single parents. While those choices are understandable and personal, as women naturally age so do their ovaries; affecting their fertility. Oocyte cryopreservation, commonly known as egg banking, generally provides women up to the age of 38 a chance to stop their biological clock and effectively plan and preserve their fertility for the future.

Other treatment options to help overcome infertility include egg donation and surrogacy. Egg donation involves retrieving eggs from a donor between the ages of 21 and 32. Since success rates are linked to the age of the egg, using an egg donor can greatly impact the success rates for pregnancy after in-vitro fertilization treatments. It is most common to use an egg donor in an anonymous arrangement. Legal contracts are necessary to outline the roles of all parties and to have the egg donor relinquish all rights to offspring produced from the treatment cycle.

Surrogacy is another widely available option to help overcome infertility. Over the past decade surrogacy has become more acceptable as the laws in certain states have enabled couples and individuals to establish parentage at birth or shortly thereafter. The most prevalent form of surrogacy today is gestational surrogacy where the surrogate candidate is not biologically related to the offspring.

The pathway to parenthood is not always linear. But understanding the treatment options available will help you to determine your emotional tolerances and physical endurance for exploring treatment and reaching the American dream of becoming a mom and dad.

About Mindy Berkson and Lotus Blossom Consulting

As one of the first infertility consultancies in the United States, Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC was founded by Mindy Berkson in 2005. With more than a decade of experience at physician’s offices, and egg donor and surrogacy agencies, Berkson assists individuals working through the often-challenging roadblocks of infertility, by providing the best information and resources available to them from around the world – all in one location.

Lotus Blossom Consulting works with individuals on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration clients’ emotional, physical and financial infertility issues and then develops an individualized, comprehensive plan, to help clients make informed decisions. Mindy is a sought-after infertility expert and has appeared on countless media programs and speaker panels educating audiences on the topic of infertility, egg banking and surrogacy. For more information about Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC, call toll free (877) 881-2685, email mindy@lotusblossomconsulting.com or visit the web at www.lotusblossomconsulting.com or www.infertilityconsultant.com.

Understanding the Healthcare Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Individuals

A growing number of medical societies, health plans, academic institutions, public health officials and others have recognized the need for healthcare providers to receive special training on how to meet the unique healthcare needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. This fall, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) is hosting the 27th Annual Conference of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association to address this need.

I am honored to be one of the featured speakers at this event discussing how gay and lesbian families can navigate the alternative family building journey through surrogacy.

The conference will be held on September 30 – October 3, 2009 at the Westin Washington, DC, City Center.  It is the world’s largest scientific meeting focusing on LGBT health, healthcare delivery, workplace discrimination, and healthcare education and offers up to 18 hours of continuing education for healthcare professionals. In addition to rich educational offerings, the conference provides ample opportunities to meet and socialize with other healthcare professionals, students and GLMA members.

More information about the Annual Conference, including a preliminary program of educational offerings, is available at www.glma.org/annualconference.

I saw an interesting article in the Associated Press earlier this week that has prompted me to write this post.  In the article, a Wisconsin doctor claims that the number one public health threat that no one’s talking about is the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases.  He cited STDs as one of the major causes of infertility and infant mortality.  See article here.  

If you’ve been trying to conceive and haven’t been successful, consider being tested for sexually transmitted diseases.  Many sexually transmitted diseases can lay dormant for years and many women who contract STD’s do not develop visible symptoms and therefore, do not know to seek treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, chlamydia and gonorrhea are the most preventable causes of infertility.  The CDC sites about 2.8 million new cases of chlamydia every year in the United States and  718,000 new cases of gonorrhea.  Over time, these diseases can be silently damaging your ability to have a baby.  These STDs can cause an infection in your reproductive organs, know as pelvic inflammatory disease which can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes and make conception and pregnancy very difficult.

There are several ways to prevent STDs and monitor for them, as follows:

• Always engage in protected sexual intercourse.

• Get tested for STDs regularly.  The CDC recommends routine testing for all women over the age of 25. 

• Learn the symptoms of STDs and seek medical help as soon as possible if any symptoms develop

• Talk with your sexual partners about their sexual health and past sexual activities.

• Delay having sexual relationships as long as possible – the younger a person is when they begin to have sex for the first time, the more susceptible they become to developing an STD

I am proud to announce that Lotus Blossom Consulting has officially established the Jude Andrew Adams Charitable Fund to bring new life to families who are struggling to conceive.  motivation and intention in creating this grant is to offer a free fertility treatment for those who could not otherwise afford it.  To learn more about this fund and how it came to fruition, please click here.

Applications for a free treatment cycle are now being accepted.  The board of directors will select from applicants who meet the following criteria:

• Have a history of infertility, and provide a physician documented medical indication for exploring IVF treatment along with the application
• Demonstrate a financial need; defined as a gross combined annual income less than $80,000. A copy of the last two years’ IRS tax returns and two of the most recent pay stubs is required.
• No insurance coverage for infertility treatments.
• Do not currently have any children.
• Be under age 40.
• Be current legal citizens of the United States and living in the United States at the time of the award and subsequent treatment.

Thank you all for your help and support for this great cause. 

I am so honored to have the opportunity to sponsor a very special film entitled In The Family at the Women’s Resource Fair in Evanston Illinois. This very powerful and moving documentary eloquently displays and affords so many BRCA gene victims with education and information on a topic that is all too often stigmatized and avoided because it is too painful to discuss.

I believe the quote “…information really is a blessing. It’s a source of power.” perfectly depicts your relevant take away message.

I work every day with clients nationwide in your situation. Women who are facing the fear of the unknown, and or the inherent actuality of not being able to deal with the outcome of test results, or worst yet the reality of what options may exist, if any.

These are beautiful women in the prime of their reproductive years who need to know how best to maximize their chances of success while simultaneously increasing their opportunities for biological family building.

It pains me to see women so secretive, ashamed and feeling isolated and alone in this difficult decision making process.

It is my hope that In The Family delivers very powerful and important message to help women become their own best advocates as it relates to their health. Advocacy must start with education, awareness, information, and resources necessary to allow each one of us to make informed medical decisions.

In my experience, part of the decision making process that needs to be incorporated when dealing with test results or deciding whether or not to undergo testing is often influenced by the desire and innate need to have biological offspring. Perhaps if women knew and understood the available options today in the very advanced and technologically savvy world of in-vitro fertilization, the difficult decisions that have to be made, could be lessened by the increase in reproductive opportunities available today for the future.
The newest technology to enter the infertility arena is Egg Banking. This technique allows women to freeze their own biological eggs for use in the future. Egg banking is available to women up to 38 years of age. It is a wonderful new option for those who have put off child bearing for careers, for finding the right partner, and also for those who may have suffered medical diagnosis that could compromise future fertility.
Freezing eggs allows women to avoid having to use an anonymous sperm donor until they are ready to fertilize the eggs, at which time they may have identified a known sperm donor. Another advantage of egg banking is that eggs can be thawed in the future, fertilized with sperm of choice and then refrozen as embryos for future in vitro fertilization treatment cycles. This fast growing and very new technology offers more choices and much more flexibility with fertility treatment options for the future.
If you are interested in more details, I will be sharing in detail this option as well as many others on Saturday March 21st at 3:15 in my presentation entitled Conceivable Options: Exploring Fertility Choices. The Unitarian Church 1330 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, Illinois.

CHICAGO, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ — Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC, a Chicago-based infertility consultancy with clients around the world,announces the availability of their free E-Book, Financing Your Infertility Treatment, available on their website at http://www.lotusblossomconsulting.com. The E-Book addresses the financial aspects of infertility, and it will be available beginning with National Infertility Awareness Week, November 4 – 10, 2007, and beyond.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, most infertility cases — 85% to 90% — are treated with conventional medical therapies such as medication or surgery. Yet, infertility treatment can be costly, success rates are not guaranteed, and insurance benefits may be limited.

“Beyond simply the medical issues, there are so many factors to consider when dealing with infertility,” says Mindy Berkson, co-founder  Blossom Consulting. “Proper financial planning and utilization of insurance benefits in the right order can help you effectively minimize costs, maximize insurance benefits, and save significant out of pocket expenditures. Lotus Blossom’s E-Book can help.”

The E-Book, Financing Your Infertility Treatment, provides an overview of financing options available, with particular emphasis placed on individualized tax situations, specific insurance benefits, and the total financial resources available before undergoing the infertility journey.For more information on the E-Book, contact Lotus Blossom Consulting tollfree at (877) 881-2685, email consultant@lotusblossomconsulting.com or visit them on the web at http://www.lotusblossomconsulting.com.

ABOUT LOTUS BLOSSOM CONSULTING, LLCAs one of the first infertility consultancies in the United States,Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC was founded by Mindy Berkson in 2005 after her own personal battle with secondary infertility. With extensive experience in all aspects of infertility, from egg donors and surrogates to in-vitro fertilization, Lotus Blossom Consulting works with individuals on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration clients’ emotional,physical and financial infertility issues then develops an individualized,comprehensive plan, including relevant insurance information, to help clients make informed decisions. Lotus Blossom Consulting has worked with many individuals to enrich their lives by helping them to fulfill their dreams of having children.

For more information about Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC, call tollfree (877) 881- 2685, email consultant@lotusblossomconsulting.com or visitthem on the web at http://www.lotusblossomconsulting.com.

Before beginning any discussion about insurance coverage, it’s important to explain the status of fertility benefits in the United States. Not every employer is required to cover fertility treatments; this benefit is delineated per state.

Check out the full issue table of contents here.

It’s difficult to express how excited I am – Seeing my family on the front cover of the magazine was overwhelming.

While this is a print publication, they also have a .pdf version online so you can read the article even if you aren’t in Chicago. (Fact: Over half of my clients are international, so I’m used to making sure people that aren’t in the same area I am get the info they need!)

Let me know what you think of the article…thanks!

“The economics of health care is of vital importance to our patients, and to society generally. Using a standard measure like cost per additional year of life, infertility treatments are one of great bargains in modern health care,” stated David Adamson, MD, President-elect of ASRM. (Full Article Here)

Wow! It was actually shown in a study that adding ART as a benefit of a health insurance plan only increased the cost of insurance per member an eensy weensy bit.

The ASRM is the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. The information and studies they do are published in peer-reviewed journals (the good kind) and the results are really promising!