OB/GYN Discussion Thread

Does anyone know how the process works if I get swabs done at a private clinic versus using a referral through my insurance?😕
Because of a bad Pap smear, my OBGYN told me I need to test for HPV and chlamydia.😢
She said I could get the swabs done right there with her office, but I’d need a referral from my primary care doctor first. I was honestly in such a state of shock that I didn't really process the logistics. Someone mentioned Rockefeller here—what am I supposed to go to Rockefeller for? The nurse mentioned something about test tubes? Where does that happen at Rockefeller? Which floor, who am I looking for? (Or should I be heading to Mercy Hospital instead of Rockefeller 😕?)
Also, once I get the referral, do I have to do the swabs that same day, or can I wait until tomorrow?
And once the swabs are taken, do they need to be dropped off at Rockefeller immediately?
Do they operate all day, or is this something that has to be handled in the morning?
Ladies, if you've been through this exact loop, please walk me through it!😕
Thanks🙂

Hey ladies, I’m really hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. I’m in urgent need of a gynecologist—either a doctor or a specialist—in the Chicago area who is actually accepting new patients right now. If you know of any clinics or private practices, specifically around the downtown area or maybe over in Lincoln Park, please let me know.
Thanks so much!

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES
Dr. Sikanic ++ (at the local community clinic, requires a referral, mostly pediatric)
Dr. Puvacic +/x
Dr. Kesab Marina +
Dr. Kos x (at the municipal center)
Dr. Dmitrovic ++ (used to be at the municipal center, now apparently at St. Jude’s)
Dr. Antonela Madjor–Bozinovic +++xxxx (high patient volume, but both she and her nurse are professional, attentive, kind, and thorough. You might feel too relaxed there, but they get the job done. North Side Community Health)
Dr. Marija Gregov +/xx (student clinic) – did she move???
Dr. Magdic ++ (on Main Street, near the courthouse?)
Dr. Kovacevic xx (Downtown Clinic)
Dr. Sandra Kovacevic + (Railroad Health Center, no longer accepting new patients)
Dr. Danka Mirić-Tesanic ++x (student clinic, wonderful, attentive, and thorough, but the nurse Marina is terrible. 4th floor)
Dr. Inge Matezovic +/x (one is phenomenal, the other is hit-or-miss... busy, you can book an appointment but expect a two-month wait... back in 2005, she left a pregnant woman bleeding... on Oak Avenue)
Dr. Renata Dragun +/x friendly, you can actually call her during a crisis; back in 2005, she wanted a pregnant woman to take antibiotics without supervision [Westside Clinic]

PUBLIC
Dr. Franulovic +++ (at the Oak Avenue Community Health Center, seems like he isn't taking new patients)
Dr. Mario Curic ++++ (student clinic, a bit of a jokester, looks cold at first glance, but the nurse is great)
Dr. Shedid, Shadid, Chadid, Chedid... +++/xx (difficult personality)
Dr. Oskar Kirchbaum + (at the health center by the train station, if he's still practicing)
Dr. Doko ++++/x (over in the suburbs)
Dr. Marceta x (in the suburbs)
Dr. Wahid +++++++ (difficult personality)
Dr. Stanic x
Dr. Susac x
Dr. Zlopasa + (on Main Street)
Dr. Asad x (at the county hospital)
Dr. Ezgeta + (on New Road)
Dr. Arap (St. Jude’s)
Dr. Raić + (45-minute appointments, feels like a private practice, new location, on Broadway)
Dr. Daniel Shebo + (from the community clinic over on Washington Street)
Dr. Sabljak + [Westside Medical Center]
Dr. Ratko Matijevic + (St. Jude’s)

PRIVATE PRACTICES
Dr. Visnja Tadic ++/xx (on Maple Avenue, in the suburbs)
Dr. Mladen Miljan ++ (on Market Square)
Dr. Fistonic + (on Broadway)
Dr. Tomic + (on Voćarska/Main St) -
Dr. Tihana Mazalin ++++ (Elite Medical Group, pleasant exam, patient, everything is great)
Dr. Grujic-Koracin ++++++/xxxxx (the lady over on Star Street)
Dr. Husar +++/x (male doctor in the suburbs, address on Elm Street)
Dr. Snjezana Belak x
Dr. Latin +++++ (female at VILI Clinic) >> Dr. Kos +
Dr. Harni ++ (female) >> Dr. Gudelj Maja +++++++xx (good until you're actually sick; there was a whole thing regarding fetal loss) >> Semnicki ++ (but slow)
Dr. Jelekovic ++ (on the outskirts)
Dr. Snjezana Skreblin Kucic x
Dr. Klinc ++ (right downtown near the plaza)
Dr. Ujevic +/x (superstar on Savska Ave)
Dr. Mato Tarle ++/x (on Draškovićeva, right opposite the ER entrance)
Dr. Djuric Predrag ++ (City Center, 18 Draškovićeva)
Dr. Marton ++/x (older lady) x wrong tumor diagnosis, very bad experience (mother and daughter?)
Dr. Konrad Nizetic xx (suburbs) malpractice/abuse!
Dr. Ljubojevic ++- (on Vlaška Street, best practices, but uses "you" immediately, quite blunt)
Dr. Buric + (the lady on Vinogradska)
Dr. Jednris-Skrljak x (Sunshine Clinic)
Dr. Dorić + (from out of town, friendly)
Dr. Sanja Grsic Buric +x (on Vinogradska, everything is fine, but she's unfriendly)
Dr. Karmen Dubreta + (at the Nemetova Clinic)
Dr. Visnja Latin +++ (Vili Clinic)
Dr. Visnja Tadic +- (on Maple Avenue, good until you fall ill, then she panics you)
Dr. Romana Dmitrovic ++++ (works with Visnja Tadic on Maple Avenue? Does IVF at the Voćarska clinic)
Dr. Zrinka Males + (37C Mihanovićeva, open and accessible)

MIXED
Dr. Branka Potlaceck + (at General Hospital, you can use a referral or pay out of pocket; prices are lower than private clinics)
Dr. M. Podobnik ++++xxxxxx (at Mercy Hospital, reportedly also has a private practice in the suburbs)
Dr. Topalovic ++++++/xxxxxxxxx (student clinic, seems like she isn't taking new patients, but has a private practice too)
Dr. Tanjica Pavlek + (at the Northside Community Health Center, does private work, not taking new patients)
Dr. Aleksandar Dijakovic ++ extremely satisfied, used to work abroad! [Westside Medical or private practice?]


OUTSIDE CATEGORIES
Dr. Snježana Belak (has an office at 5 Sokolgradska St. She sees women without health insurance on Mondays from 1 PM to 5 PM. Commendable work. If you know anyone struggling to get checkups because they lack coverage, pass this along.)

MISCELLANEOUS:
Dr. Davorin Lukenda + (very approachable, located on Šubićeva)
Marija Zorić x (not much of an explainer, pills [New Chicago Clinic or private?])
Dr. Dropulić x
Dr. Banović x (a total charlatan)
Dr. Brnčić (female, fine, though the exam is a bit rough)

Dr. Pačak at the Maksimir Health Center – good for referrals and prescriptions?

Fine, I’ll bite. Tomorrow—actually, today 😬—I think I'll finally ask who should take me on, so please, give me your final thoughts. Who should I go with:

*Dr. Antonela Madjor-Bozinovic – I read nothing but glowing reviews for her on WebMD, though there isn't much here on this forum.
*Dr. Danka Mirić-Tesanic
*Dr. Mario Curic
*Dr. Aleksandar Dijakovic – What's the deal with him? Does he practice privately or at the local community clinic? I saw some rave reviews about him on WebMD too.

It's just an initial consultation, nothing urgent, no emergencies... just that I can think of a billion things I'd rather be doing than this. Should I probably just cross off "Butcher" Curic then? 😳

For now, I'm thinking of calling Tesanic first, then Bozinovic. It's a shame no one mentioned Dijakovic here.

Personally, I’d suggest checking out Jelakovica—I know, it’s a bit of a drive from downtown, but honestly, it's totally worth the trip... She is 👍 👍 👍 —I mean, I don't think there are any gynecologists with gentler hands in this entire country, period 😁. Plus, she actually takes the time to walk you through everything and explain things clearly; it's such a relief compared to those clinics over by the public hospitals where you basically have to interrogate a grumpy nurse or doctor just to get three basic pieces of information 🙄... My only real hesitation is whether she's currently accepting new patients, though I'm guessing she probably is...

I know this probably came up ages ago, but I honestly don't have the time—or the mental energy—to comb through 150 pages of info 🙂
so I was hoping for a little hand. I’m heading out on a ski trip in a few days, and it looks like my period is planning to show up right in the middle of it, which would be just lovely... so I really want to push it back. I’m currently on Logest, and I read somewhere that I should just keep taking the pills without a break, but then I thought I heard someone mention that the last one is actually a placebo and you’re supposed to skip it to start the next cycle. And now I'm stuck in this total state of confusion!
Do I take them all and just move straight to the next pack, or should I skip that last pill? Also, just a heads-up!
Thanks so much for any help. My doctor is away on vacation, so I’m basically forced to seek out alternative routes here. 🙂

I’ve been seeing Dr. Kos over at the Vili clinic for years now.
He’s honestly great. I’ve even sent three of my girlfriends there, and they were all really happy with him.
It’s a bit pricey since it’s private, but you don't have to deal with any waiting or all that other nonsense.

Linda Harris5 said:Does anyone actually know how this works—getting swabs done at a private clinic versus using an insurance referral from a primary doctor?😕
Because of a bad Pap smear, my private OBGYN told me I need to be tested for HPV and chlamydia.😢
She mentioned I could get the swabs done right there with her, but I’d need a referral from my insurance provider first. I was honestly a bit shell-shocked and didn't quite grasp the logistics of the whole thing. Someone mentioned Rockefeller Hospital earlier—what exactly am I supposed to go there for? My nurse brought up something about test tubes... where even is that in Rockefeller? Which floor, who do I ask for? (Or should I just head to Mount Sinai instead of Rockefeller? 😕 )
Then, once I have the referral, do I need to get the swabs done that very same day, or can I wait until tomorrow?
And after the swab is taken, does it have to go straight to Rockefeller that day?
Do they operate all day, or is everything strictly a morning thing?
Ladies, if you've navigated this bureaucratic nightmare before, please walk me through it!😕
Thanks🙂

First off, you have to be specific about which tests you're looking for—ureaplasma, chlamydia, aerobic, anaerobic, etc.—meaning the gynecologist sending you (your private doctor, in this case) has to specify exactly what needs testing. You take those specifics to your primary doctor to get the insurance referral. Now, I don't know if your private doctor keeps test tubes on hand—they really ought to, so give them a call to be absolutely certain—but if they don't, you'll have to swing by Rockefeller first to pick up the vials. Once you have them, you go back to the private clinic to have the swab taken, and then you rush that sample over to Rockefeller. It’s best to get the swabs done first thing in the morning; if I recall correctly, you should drop them off by 9:30 AM at the latest. Alternatively, you could do the swab in the evening, pop it in the fridge, and take it to Rockefeller the next morning.
You really have to be careful with those test tubes—they must stay upright.👍

By the way: Rockefeller is that long building with the columns; it's hard to miss—you'll see the main entrance, then that yellow building behind it, and then there it is.

Greetings!
I am switching my gynecologist from the Runjaninova Community Health Center to the one on Martićeva Street. I wanted to see if anyone goes there or if you have any specific doctors you can recommend.
Thank you.

Because my cycle has been acting completely erratic lately, my doctor sent me off to get my hormone levels checked out. I received the results today, but since my follow-up appointment isn't until next week, I find myself wondering if anyone here might be able to make sense of these numbers... It seems quite clearly to be an imbalance between certain hormones—some are running low while others are elevated—and a friend suggested I'll likely be prescribed some birth control pills, much like she was.

FSH 2..... (31 - 134 IU/L)
LH 11..... (9 - 75 IU/L)
E2 346.....(389 - 984 pmol/L)
Pg 11,6 ...(16,2 - 76,3 nmol/L)
PRL 21..... (5 - 30 µg/L)
T 2,5...... (0,7 - 2,5 nmol/L)
free T 37,4....(0,19 - 8,9 pmol/L)
DHEA-S 6.....(0,95 - 11,67 µmol/L)
A4 12,2....(2 - 9,25 nmol/L)
SHBG 46...(20 - 118 nmol/L)

On the left, you have FSH and LH—those are your gonadotropins.
Basically, FSH handles follicle maturation, while LH is what triggers ovulation. On the right side, you'll see the standard reference ranges—different units are used depending on the specific hormone, but these are the usual benchmarks.
If you ask me, looking at those first two numbers, it’s pretty clear your body isn't pumping out enough of the hormones needed to trigger ovulation—meaning you aren't ovulating regularly. To fix that, your doctor will probably put you on some birth control pills to essentially "override" your natural cycle and create an artificial one. Honestly, it's nothing to worry about.

You should definitely read up on this; I actually just finished a university paper on this exact topic recently.
http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks...pit/lhfsh.html

I don't have time to go through everyone else's results right now, but from what I can see, yours are closer to the normal range than most.

darkmaker said:Because my cycles have been so irregular, my OB-GYN sent me to get my hormone levels checked... I got the results back today, but my appointment isn't until next week, so I was wondering if anyone knows what this means... It clearly looks like some kind of hormonal imbalance (since some are low and others are high), and a friend told me they'll probably just prescribe me some pills, just like they did for her....

FSH 2..... (31 - 134 IU/L)
LH 11..... (9 - 75 IU/L)
E2 346.....(389 - 984 pmol/L)
Pg 11,6 ...(16,2 - 76,3 nmol/L)
PRL 21.....(5 - 30 µg/L)
T 2,5...... (0,7 - 2,5 nmol/L)
free T 37,4....(0,19 - 8,9 pmol/L)
DHEA-S 6.....(0,95 - 11,67 µmol/L)
A4 12,2....(2 - 9,25 nmol/L)
SHBG 46...(20 - 118 nmol/L)

Hi everyone!
For those of you who have actually seen Dr. Wahid before, how long did you end up waiting for an appointment?
I’m heading in this Monday to get myself registered, but I really need to get an exam scheduled as soon as possible, so I’m trying to gauge what to expect.
Thanks!🙂

Sandra Bailey8 said:hey everyone!
Any girls who have seen Dr. Wahid, how long is the wait for an appointment?
I'm planning to go sign up on Monday and I really need to be seen as soon as possible, so I was wondering
thanks🙂

You don't actually book anything, you just show up whenever you feel like it, and honestly, I don't think I've ever waited more than thirty minutes myself.

I’d head straight for the sun.
Does anyone have any intel? Apparently, all the doctors available are women, which works for me.

Rachel Morris42 said:I heard there's a doctor, I think her name is Galovic, over in the South Side. A few of my friends go to her and they say she's actually great, so I might consider making the switch. As for me, I had to wrap things up with Dr. Leko because I didn't have much of a choice; it was summer and everyone was away on vacation, but I had an urgent matter that couldn't wait. She was the only one still working.

I’m heading in this Wednesday. Leko is through my insurance, and I've been asking around the neighborhood, but honestly? I haven't heard two good things about any midwife within driving distance. I really want to find someone I can actually trust to guide me through the pregnancy later on—and let's face it, that's a tall order.

Susan Gonzalez4 said:I’m heading in this Wednesday. Leko is through my insurance, and I've been asking around the neighborhood, but honestly? I haven't heard two good things about any midwife within driving distance. I really want to find someone I can actually trust to guide me through the pregnancy later on—and let's face it, that's a tall order.

Where are you headed; to Dr. Galovic or Dr. Leko?
I'm not feeling that second one either.

What’s the first impression looking like? Any unpleasant surprises—or is it smooth sailing?

Michael Jones23 said:Where are you headed; to Dr. Galovic or Dr. Leko?
I'm not feeling that second one either.

Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough—I'm going to Dr. Leko.

Who's Ginkic to you?

😠

Dr. Harni just dropped right off my list of people I actually trust with my cash and my health.
Back when I first signed up in August, I had to wait two whole weeks just to get seen, and then—of course—I sat there for another 20 minutes after my appointment time. Fast forward to December, I try to book again, and they tell me I’ve got a 25 (!) day wait. Yeah, even after I explained I was dealing with some serious stuff—which I still am, by the way. When I finally made it in, the nurse left me hanging. After waiting 20 minutes, she looks at me—only because I practically begged her—and says I need to sit there for at least another half hour. When I asked why nobody bothered to call me since I have to get back to work, she gave me this condescending lecture about how "this is the doctor's office" and "you just have to wait for the doctor." Honestly, screw them. I packed up my things and sent them straight to hell. Compared to this disaster, my local clinic at the VA is 👎 👎 👎 👎—and on top of all that, they expect me to hand over my money? No way! Not happening!

I’m going to give Ljubojević another shout-out. I always place my order just a day or two in advance, and they always get me 👍
.