Tuesday, November 08, 2016

My IVF experience at Malpani Clinic

I never faced any major disappointments in my life, be it my family, friends, education or career, the first time i experienced one was in the form of miscarriage of an early pregnancy immediately after marriage and then never conceiving naturally  for several  years thereafter . It was emotionally very draining to accept that life can be so harsh on you. There is always an expectation that since i conceived  once, it may happen once again naturally. But all the efforts went without any positive results .

I started thinking of medical options, initially i did not understand the significance of choice of doctor and clinic. Therefore, i went to a doctor who was referred to me by one of my colleagues. When i visited the doctor for consultation, i had a few questions on process and procedure of treatment, which any patient would have, i was snubbed by the reputed doctor, he told me openly, don't try to be a doctor, its not necessary for you to know so many details..i was so disappointed, that i decided to discontinue the treatment.

 Then, i went to another doctor who also claimed to be infertility specialist, but when i went for consultation, i realised that his primary interest was maternity and natal care, and he practices in infertility only in a limited way. Moreover, he used see  patients side by side, one his assistants would be attending in the same room and one he would be responding, i felt very uncomfortable due to lack of privacy. At this stage i realised i am going to wrong places. I realised that i need some real specialist and a doctor who practices only infertility and has a good success record.

 then i began my research  to find the best clinic, my only objective was to find the best doctor in town and clinic which would help me identify the problem correctly and help me have my baby at the earliest as i had already wasted lots of precious time going to wrong places.

I recollected at the first instance itself of  Dr. Malpani's philosophy of patient information and awareness. I had  heard him once in one of conferences talking about how he believes in educating patients about the entire process and working as team rather than just treating his patients keeping them in dark unaware of what is going on with them , he also talked about several initiatives of creating patient education he had taken over years. Once i reached home i subscribed to his weekly mailers.

I found his approach quite impressive, and he became my immediate choice. But i did not want to rush to a decision, therefore i started reading almost all the material available on his website, mailers and blog, which i found quite useful. I also read and understood information from other sources. I also found that the information provided by him is not exaggerated and is in line with  several research outcomes from across the world.  It increased my confidence levels.

Now, i decided to write a mail to Dr. Malpani with my history and seek his opinion. Since i had already read feedback of other patients that he responds to mails promptly, it was not a surprise to me to receive a detailed response to my mail on the same day.

The exchange of mails continued for some more time and i got all my small and big queries resolved. I had still neither seen nor met the doctor in person, but my trust and confidence increased each time i got response to my questions.

Then we decided to take an appointment and meet him in person, i found that the doctor gave us enough time, encouraged us to ask questions and patiently responded to all my queries, a list which i had prepared and taken.

The tests prescribed were also minimum required and once he analysed them, gave us the options of treatment available to us, leaving the decision to us. I always worried about my career taking a hit during the process of treatment, as i had heard of many stories of ladies resigning from jobs as they were not able to manage treatment schedules and work simultaneously. But Dr. Malpani assured me that i can continue with my normal personal and professional routine during treatment. Initially i did not believe it, but once my treatment started i found that the number of visits and Procedures all were so systematic and planned, that it did not affect my work much. I continued with normal life.

I was briefed at every stage about what process i am undergoing, and why. Also the medication prescribed and what they intend to do. The process of monitoring my cycle  went on smoothly, with doctor changing the course of treatment as per my biological response.

The staff at the clinic also are very  cordial. The best part i liked is that when you phone clinic for some purpose, and tell your name, they immediately recall, inspite of having so much work pressure, this quality of staff is really admirable. This gives a sense of belongingness, that we are not just another number on register for them but a living person.

Then came the day of embryo transfer, it was first time i met Dr. Anjali that day. She assured me that the process will go on smoothly and there is nothing to worry about. The positive vibes she spread was truly contagious. While the transfer she kept on telling me that its going on fine, and asked me to relax. Her reassuring words were quite helpful. The process was so quick and smooth that i did not even realize its over. It was exactly opposite to the horror stories i had read  about experience of other patients in several other clinics.  Dr. Anjali made me feel comfortable through out, i think its her sheer dexterity that played the magic. I was told to relax for some time and then ready to go.

I followed normal work and personal routine normally for the next two weeks. I was in regular contact with doctor over mail. The doctor was always there. He ensured that i don't get obsessed about anything, put my anxiety to rest on several occasions and always assured me that things are moving fine and going right.
The treatment was successful the very first time, one of the two embryos had attached. After 6 weeks when i saw and heard the heart beat, tears rolled down, the feeling was inexpressible. I never expected that i would experience this day in my life. I thanked god for his blessings and Dr. Malpani for facilitating the same.

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