Kaldas Center Patient Stories

In celebrating my baby’s first birthday in September, I couldn’t help but reflect on all the experiences I’ve had as a mother this past year. Dr. Kaldas was a part of this journey. I decided to see Dr. Kaldas after experiencing 4 miscarriages. I was seeking a second opinion and had heard great things about Dr. Kaldas. At my first visit with Dr. Kaldas, his calm nature and determination to examine things more closely reassured me that this was our doctor.

As I was holding Calvin in my arms, right after delivery, I will always remember Dr. Kaldas reminding my husband and me that we had never given up hope. Everything that I had longed for and prayed for had been given to me. I had come from a place of sadness and darkness to experiencing the joys of motherhood. Each smile, each snuggle, each cry….I had been blessed with the opportunity to be a mother to Calvin. After each miscarriage… miscarriage 1, 2, 3, 4…it became more and more difficult to hang on to hope that our plan to start a family would in fact become reality. Each time that I found out I was pregnant, I was overwhelmed with feelings of joy, fear and anxiety…just hoping that I could make it through the first trimester. One of the most difficult things is to hear that one day you’re pregnant, and the next you’re not. But with the expertise and compassion of Dr. Kaldas, I was given hope that one day we would have a child. I was always impressed with the confidence Dr. Kaldas had for a future baby Bales. He was determined to find a solution. In looking back to this time, I feel that his unrelenting promises and reassurance to do everything he could truly made all the difference as we tried to move forward after each miscarriage. Each visit with Dr. Kaldas resulted in renewed hope and he made me feel that my emotions and questions were all very valid. In talking with others who are patients of Dr. Kaldas, you will frequently hear how much people appreciate the time he spends with his patients. We all recognize that Dr. Kaldas cares for a large population of patients, but whether you are at an office visit or delivering a baby, you truly feel like his only patient. Dr. Kaldas has a unique set of skills wherein he demonstrates professionalism, calmness and care.

Throughout my pregnancy and during the birth of Calvin, Dr. Kaldas consistently demonstrated his commitment to helping us welcome a healthy baby into this world. It feels like thank you is never enough for all that he has done, but we are thankful that Dr. Kaldas was part of our journey. We highly recommend Dr. Kaldas to anyone that is struggling with miscarriage. His staff are wonderful.

Crystal Bales - New Holstein, WI

Doctor Kaldas has been an instrumental part of my journey from the heartache of infertility to the joys of childbirth. To say our family would not exist as it does today without Dr. Kaldas is not an exaggeration. He calmly and confidently took on my complex case after many other highly-recommended surgeons said it couldn’t be done, he also guided me through the entire infertility journey, often giving me courage when I was ready to give up.

Dr. Kaldas is a brilliant surgeon, yet approaches each patient with humility, class, and individual attention. He is transparent in communicating challenges and trade-offs of the medical and surgical options available, while helping his patients maintain hope, and preventing them from becoming overwhelmed. Without question, Dr. Kaldas and his staff have provided the best medical care that my family and I have ever encountered. He has brought tremendous joy to our lives when we were ready to accept heartbreak.

My Journey

I was referred to Dr. Kaldas nearly 15 years ago after three highly-regarded doctors referred to my abdominal cavity as “a complete mess” and were quite clear that I would never conceive. I spoke to friends, my primary physician, and others who were struggling with infertility. Everyone had glowing reviews about Dr. Kaldas as an OBGYN and as a person.

I had all of my surgical notes, labs, and ultrasound images sent to his office prior to my first appointment and was quite prepared for a doctor who talked more than he listened and issued directives instead of partnering with the patient to build a plan. Instead, this wonderful, soft-spoken man entered the room, shook my hand, and listened to every word as I relived the challenges I had faced up to that point. I waited for him to tell me that there was nothing he could do to help me, but it never came. Instead, he provided options of procedures that we could try and communicated in such a way that I distinctly remember thinking, “this man is on my team, if anyone can help me it’s him.” We spent the next few years working towards my goal of conceiving. Unfortunately, my fallopian tubes were damaged too severely to allow natural conception to occur. When Dr. Kaldas felt that IVF was the best route he again sat me down and gently guided me that direction.

Partnering Through IVF

I found a doctor in MN who has very solid IVF success rates. Dr. Kaldas’ team made sure all of my records were sent to MN before my arrival. I went through IVF and was so fortunate to become pregnant on my very first try. I went back to Dr. Kaldas for my prenatal care. Early into the pregnancy we learned that I was pregnant with twins, but that it was an ectopic pregnancy. Dr. Kaldas was there to repair my uterus after it ruptured. Again, I was utterly devastated and contemplated giving up. At my follow-up appointment Dr. Kaldas was incredibly supportive and positive. He assured me that I could become pregnant again and that I could safely carry a baby to term.

A year later my husband and I tried IVF again, and became pregnant again. I went back to Dr. Kaldas for my prenatal care. Midway through the pregnancy my family moved to Wausau, WI. It was my desire to continue care with Doctor Kaldas and his team, but I was concerned that it would be risky given that it was a two hour commute to his office. My husband and I spoke to Dr. Kaldas and he was happy to continue my care. As I approached the end of my pregnancy Dr. Kaldas monitored me for contractions twice a week. At week 36 my contractions were close enough together that it was time for my beautiful son to be born. The experience was incredible and we were both healthy.

Care from Out of State

Eighteen months after my son was born my husband and I decided that we were ready to try again. The challenge this time was that we had moved to Fort Worth, Texas, but we knew that Dr Kaldas was the only doctor we wanted to continue to work with. Prior to scheduling IVF I contacted the Kaldas Center to discuss whether it would be a viable option for me to deliver with Dr. Kaldas. Within hours Dr. Kaldas’ nurse, Kate, contacted me and we developed a plan that eased my concerns. I saw an OBGYN in Texas for the first several months of my pregnancy. However, I was able to see Dr. Kaldas at weeks 10 and 20, and at 34 weeks my family drove up to Appleton, WI. My husband and I were delighted to welcome our daughter a few weeks later.

I have and will continue to recommend Dr. Kaldas to anyone who is experiencing fertility issues. Not only is he incredibly knowledgeable, a very competent surgeon, he also is positive and compassionate. I will continue to travel to Wisconsin from Texas annually for care.

Jamie Seil - Fort Worth, Texas

My husband and I came to the Kaldas Center from Escanaba, MI. We were referred to Dr. Kaldas through Facebook. I was desperate to find a specialist in endometriosis, and I put out my feelers on Facebook asking if anyone knew of any good specialists. The top 3 replies were that we HAD to go see Dr. Kaldas in Neenah, WI.

We did our research on Dr. Kaldas and found out how he was nationally accredited and made our appointment. My struggle began when I was 16, and was diagnosed with Endometriosis. When I was 24 I was flown down to Ann Arbor, MI where I had a scraping done and they told me that the endometriosis had eaten through my fallopian tubes and the chance of naturally conceiving was 0%. I was devastated, but knew that I could possibly conceive via in-vetro fertilization. At that time I wasn’t in a relationship so fertility had to wait. 6 years later I married my husband Drew. In those 6 years the endometriosis grew back ten-fold! I was having so many issues with debilitating pain, and heavy bleeding. I also have other health issues that trying in-vetro on top of the endometriosis was a no go. Drew and I discussed this long and hard and knew that my health had to come first. I wasn’t living, I was surviving, and at 32 years old I’m still young and have a life to live pain free.

All of the doctors I had seen prior to Dr. Kaldas knew of everything I was dealing with but wanted to keep putting me on birth control, or try conceiving. They were not listening to me, or to my wishes, which was I wanted a complete hysterectomy.

My very first appointment with Dr. Kaldas was amazing! He came in and listened to me! He gave me an exam and knowing my history told me that he agreed that I needed a complete hysterectomy. He explained what he wanted to do thoroughly, all the while making sure I was OK with it and if I had any questions. He is very personable and wants what’s best for you, and you can feel that from the moment you meet him.

The day of surgery arrived and I could not have had better care! All the nurses were so attentive and friendly. They knew I was nervous and did everything in their power to help. Dr. Kaldas came in briefly to explain what he was going to do and kept reassuring me that he will take the best care of me and everything will be alright. One particular aspect that sticks out in my mind is when I was brought in the O.R. and I was getting the anesthesia put in my IV, Dr. Kaldas was rubbing my hand telling me everything was going to be OK. That is part of what makes Dr. Kaldas so special.

My surgery went well. I was stage 4 endometriosis. It was everywhere including inside my bowels! No wonder I was in so much pain! Since we had traveled 3 hours to see him he had me stay overnight in the hospital. The nursing staff was phenomenal! I have a slew of allergies and they were very attentive to that.

I cannot recommend Dr. Kaldas and his staff enough.

Trisha LaVacque - Escanaba, MI

When my husband and I made the decision that we were ready to have children we never imagined that it was going to take work . After months of trying and it just not happening we were not sure where to turn, that is when a friend recommended Dr. Kaldas, and boy am I glad she did! From the day I met Dr. Kaldas he made me feel hopeful and put all of my fears of never becoming a parent at ease. He wasted no time and performed all the diagnostic tests possible to help him (and us) understand why I was not getting pregnant on my own. After getting the results he quickly put me on the medication I needed and provided us with all of the information necessary to improve our chances. Fast forward to today, as I am only 1 month away from giving birth to our first child, and I must say I wouldn t be at this point without the help and knowledge of Dr. Kaldas. He is truly the best at what he does, he is brilliant, but never makes you feel uncomfortable about asking questions (and believe me I have asked 100 s!), he is kind and compassionate and above all he will never allow you to lose hope. I do and would recommend Dr. Kaldas and his wonderful staff to anyone and everyone who is having difficulties making their dreams of becoming a parent come true. Dr. Kaldas is beyond AMAZING and I am thankful every single day that he has walked into our lives!

Lucy - Appleton, WI

Share your story…I have battled uterine fibroids for over ten years. I’ve had three surgeries to remove them and they just kept coming back and in greater numbers. The daily issues that I was experiencing due to the fibroids was getting to be unbearable. My husband and I decided to try and get pregnant so that I could have the hysterectomy I had wanted for years. Low and behold about 5 months later we were pregnant. One week after finding out we were pregnant we started having issues. My OB at the time after looking at the early ultrasound pictures said they could not figure out how we got pregnant with all the fibroids in there but when pressed on what other issues we could encounter because of them, they just said we needed to wait and see.

A week after having a fibroid degenerate at 14 weeks the surgeon who performed my last fibroid removal surgery called me and asked if I was pregnant because they had a request from my OB for my medical records about the surgery. I indicated I was and they told me with my medical history I should really have a consultation with Dr. Kaldas as he works very closely on some cases with the surgeon. I was able to get a consultation when I was 18 weeks pregnant and Dr. Kaldas immediately put me at ease. Because of my previous surgeries I was at high risk for a number of complications aside from the complications that the fibroids could cause. Since I was able to make the decision about my own doctors at the age of 18 I have refused to have a male OB until that day. I immediately made the switch to his care.

A week and a half later I went into early labor at work and was just over a centimeter dilated. I was immediately placed on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy, had a number of procedures through quite a few hospital stays and had weekly appointments with Dr. Kaldas to ensure not only my safety but to try and reach the result of a healthy baby. Dr. Kaldas brought in one of the best perinatologists in the state to also oversee our care. The first appointment with the perinatologist, he told us we had a 10% chance of making it viability (24 weeks). For anyone who has ever had problems getting pregnant or has had a complicated pregnancy, that is the last thing you want to hear.

Somehow though with the care I received from Dr. Kaldas week by week we moved forward. A lot more issues arose during the pregnancy but he was right on top of everything right up to our emergency Labor Day delivery when our little miracle decided she had just had enough and was ready to make her entrance. She was born at 36 weeks and 1 day – 2 days earlier and she would have had a mandatory NICU stay. She was tiny but was perfect, healthy and completely worth every agonizing moment.
My husband and I truly believe that if we had not made the change to Dr. Kaldas we would have lost our little girl. My former OB just did not seem prepared for the issues we encountered and I don’t know that they would have been able to tend to my needs the way that Dr. Kaldas was. We cannot thank him and his staff enough for getting us through what was one of the most emotionally trying times in our lives and achieving the best possible outcome.

Megan - WI

Having worked as an RN in a few different hospitals throughout the Fox Valley I must tell you that Dr. Kaldas and the ENTIRE staff at the Kaldas Center is the best around. I attribute the healthy and safe deliveries of both of my daughters to Dr. Kaldas. Both of my pregnancies ended up being complicated by pre-eclampsia and thrombocytopenia of pregnancy-basically those are just fancy works for my platelets were low and my blood pressure was on the higher side.

With Sutton, our second daughter, I got to experience the Kaldas Center. Wow. Dr Kaldas has gone above and beyond to ensure that he has the best staff for his patients. I was thrilled when I heard Kate’s voice on the phone when I scheduled my first prenatal appointment and that feeling continued when I walked in and saw Lora and Angie. Besides the 3 “originals” Dr. Kaldas has managed to pull together another OB/GYN, 2 midwives, and 2 awesome ultrasound techs. The care I received was so personalized that despite having an eventful pregnancy I always knew I was in good hands. Even Tiffany the office manager ended up getting in on the action!

So, to make a long story short–see Dr. Kaldas! Even though I don’t work for the ThedaCare system anymore I refused to take insurance that wouldn’t allow me to continue to see him. I will never see another OB/GYN and am so grateful for his entire staff. They were my rock in a time that I could have easily fallen apart.

Jess - WI

Dr. Kaldas has been a vital part of my gynecological care since 2004. Following the birth of my daughter, which was only after difficult infertility issues, Dr. Kaldas and his staff helped me in understanding my diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which contributed to other health concerns besides infertility. Beyond this condition I was also laden with endometriosis that has surfaced throughout the years. Dr. Kaldas performed ablation procedures as necessary and was always thoughtful, professional and informative before and after these events. Recently, I underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy, left sided salpingo-oophorectomy. This latest procedure was unexpected and took me a few weeks to accept given my age, but Dr. Kaldas assured me that this was the best procedure given the progression of my endometriosis and the painful side effects I was enduring. He was very confident that the outcome would eliminate all of my pain, which had become unbearable at times, as well as potentially give me an opportunity for even better health. It was an emotional time for me, but his ever available demeanor during my questioning at the time of any appointment or follow up calls as well as his staff’s were immeasurable to putting my mind at ease with this and every procedure over the years. I found that he was not only right in this recent undertaking, but I truly feel the most healthy I have in years. He is without a doubt a doctor of compassion, kindness and wealth of infertility knowledge, who I would gladly refer to other women encountering the same health concerns. I consider myself blessed that he is my doctor.

Kelly - Appleton, WI

My husband and I started trying to have a baby shortly after we got married and later found out I had pcos and began fertility treatment. We started with Clomid and after many cycles and not seeing any results we began looking for more options when I started seeing Dr. Kaldas. Wanting a baby and unable to conceive was a very emotional and challenging time for us, but Dr. Kaldas made this process easier and comforting, he always made me feel like there was still hope and we still had options to try. After two and a half years of on and off treatment we finally got pregnant after the second round of injectables, and we know have our beautiful baby girl. The nine months of pregnancy went by so fast and Dr. Kaldas but me completely at ease that everything was going well. After the delivery of our daughter there was so much joy in the room shared by everyone. Everything we had been through and having a doctor that was there with us every step of the way from the fertility treatment to pregnancy and then delivery, he really took the time to get to know us on a personal level and knew how much this baby meant to us.

Danielle

My husband and I got married in July 2012 and decided we did not want to wait to start a family. We figured it might take a year or so, but always assumed we would be able to get pregnant without any trouble. However, after six months went by and my period never returned after going off birth control, I knew something wasn’t right. I went to see my doctor who diagnosed me as having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which was affecting my ovulation. After a year of fertility treatments with another doctor, I began to think that maybe having children of our own just wasn’t meant to be for my husband and I. At that time a friend recommended I go see Dr. Kaldas. It was the best decision I could have made.

At my initial appointment I remember feeling a sense of hope and comfort that I had not felt before. My previous treatment felt a bit like throwing darts at a dartboard and hoping one stuck, but with Dr. Kaldas I had a clear idea of what we would be doing, when we would be doing it, and why that course was chosen. He reassured my husband and myself that he would help us make our dream of having a family a reality. And so began my cycle of medications, injections, ultrasounds, labs, and appointments. After three failed IUIs, it was decided that the best course of action for my husband and I would be to pursue In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). This was a very scary step for us, both logistically – because there are no IVF clinics in the Fox Valley, and financially – because IVF is expensive and offers no guarantee of success. Dr. Kaldas explained our options, and gave us a list of IVF clinics he recommended. He was open about his experiences with each of the clinics, which helped us to make the best decision for our family. We were able to do all of our monitoring appointments for the IVF treatment at the Kaldas Center, which greatly reduced the amount of stress I had about the process.

Fortunately for us, our first round of IVF was a success! We found out we were expecting twins (oh my!) in April 2015. The staff at the Kaldas Center was just as excited as we were to find out, as they too have been a part of this journey with us. I was extremely excited when I learned that Dr. Kaldas was open to a vaginal birth, as I read that many doctors will only consider a c-section when there are multiples. There was always a balance between maintaining my health, and the health of the babies. I felt well-informed about any decisions that were made, and that both my needs and my babies were being considered. I developed mild pre-eclampsia around 31 weeks and needed to go on modified bedrest. However, precautions were taken to help the babies’ lung development just in case they needed to be born early. A few weeks later my mild pre-eclampsia turned into severe pre-eclampsia, and it was determined that I needed to be induced. Luckily, all went as planned, and at just shy of 35 weeks, my husband and I welcomed our two healthy babies into the world!

During the course of our fertility appointments, I encountered almost every practitioner within the Kaldas Center. From the receptionists who greeted me by name, to the nurses and ultrasound technicians, to Dr. Kaldas, Dr. Rafuls, Dr. Menya, and Mary Williams, who guided our journey; I always felt listened to, respected, and cared for.

Thanks to the Kaldas Center my days are now filled with crying, dirty diapers, and too little sleep; but also with smiles, snuggles, and the wonderful smell of babies. And my husband and I are thankful, every single day.

Stephanie - Appleton, WI

Our story to start our family began in December 2011, we were young and excited to start our family. To my surprise, I got a positive pregnancy test on our first try – I couldn’t believe it. Getting pregnant was so easy and stress-free! Shortly after the positive pregnancy test, we miscarried. Naturally, we were sad and confused. We tried on and off for quiet awhile. As my patience grew thin I sought advice from many doctors and most of them said the same thing, “You are young, it is going to happen. We understand your periods are not fun, but it is normal.” So, I believed them.

I started to share our journey with others and every one I talked to said I NEEDED to see Dr. Kaldas – I finally gave in and made an appointment to meet him in October 2013. That appointment changed my life. He sat and listened to me as I explained our journey – sweetly and kindly confirming that my symptoms were something greater. At that appointment, he confirmed that I did have endometriosis and needed surgery. I finally got the answer I was searching for all this time and for that I will be forever grateful.

I had surgery on January 7, 2014 and a positive pregnancy test on February 27, 2014 – our first month trying! Of course, I had some fear during this time – will this pregnancy end in heartache or pure happiness. On October 24, 2014 we met the love our life. Thanks to Dr. Kaldas and his staff we are chasing a fun-loving, spunky and sweet daughter. My husband and I will be forever grateful for his support, kindness, compassion and dedication. When I see him, I feel like I am his only patient – that speaks volumes!

Katie Dietz - Neenah, WI