Carissa Noriega, FNP-C

I went to see her for my annual well woman exam. I have been experiencing symptoms of peri-menopause & wanted to talk to my GYN about it. She pretty much dismissed my concerns b/c my periods were still regular. She then only did a partial exam (I am 40 YO & know what these exams consist of) & walked out of the room. This has her listed in Mesa, but she is currently at Lily of the Valley in Gilbert where I will never be going again mainly because the office didn't let me select my provider, they just throw you with whoever if it's not for a pregnancy. Women's health is low on their list unless you are making babies.

After not being on birth control for a few years, I went to a new provider and looked at my options. When I was younger, I had the shot and didn’t like the side affects and go off completely for a while, no need for it. She gave all options and I decided the iud was right for me. After an initial ultrasound to measure and another to place the iud, apparently no one noticed an issue. First, while placing the iud, she pulled it back out “by accident” and had to replace, very painful. The second thing which really made me question her was when the iud slipped not six months later and I saw another provider, same place, who informed me that I should have never had one because of the shape of my uterus, something that should have been seen during my first couple ultrasounds. The third was when I went in to get a birth control refill and she asked what happened to my iud, I explained what happened and she kind of laughed it off. I would rather have no prescription than go with her again.

I saw Carissa when I was 19 years old. At that point I had suffered from amenorrhea for about 3 years. She quickly diagnosed me with PCOS from an ultrasound + blood test. That day, I came in wanting birth control. Her response to that was that I didn’t need any because I was infertile (who says that to a 19 year old?). She then handed me a piece of paper about PCOS and sent me on my way. Beside her being rude, birth control or some other form of inducing menstruation is incredibly important for anyone suffering from amenorrhea for extended amounts of time. She didn’t care, but both the gynecologists I’ve seen since do. Now I get routine ultrasounds, blood draws, and have a prescription to help regulate my periods. MomDoc is fine, but I would recommend seeing anyone else. A different female provider I had there was great.

I went to see Carissa at the MomDoc location in Gilbert in September 2018. I expressed to her that I had significant ovarian pain in my left ovary. She said I had a thick lining, and that there wasn't anything else that could be done. I expressed that I had migraines and there was something unusual going on. She looked at me and said "That's just your uterus folding." I explained that it wasn't, it was my ovary, and that I needed an ultrasound. I went back three months later after being on progesterone, and a 5 cm complex cyst was identified through an ultrasound. Jenny Engleby referred me to a Gyn Onc, and I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer the following month, at 37. I would not suggest going to MomDoc, but if you do, I recommend going with a different provider.