Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Part 3 : Finally, the Diagnosis

It was quite disgusting to know what kind of medical practitioners we have in our country. Some are really out there to extort us. After seeing 2 Drs, and paid almost RM1500 in total, we still didn’t know what my problem was. One of Daddy’s colleagues knew we have been seeing gynaes who weren’t empathetic with our problem. The next Dr we went to was highly recommended by her. She said her gynae was a very honest Dr and should be able to help us. Dr Liew was based in Asunta Hospital, and true enough was an honest bloke. He checked through all the tests that we’d done, and listened to my problem. He did a scan. Took out a pictorial chart, and started giving us a lesson on causes of infertility and what he suspected was wrong with me. Based on my symptoms (irregular period, high LH in my blood test), and the scan which showed lots of darken dots close to the wall of the ovaries, he said I was having Polycystic Ovaries (PCOS in short ). My eggs did not mature and got released from the Ovaries, and hence the dark dots (gathered around the walls of the ovaries) and the irregular period. Dr Liew also told me to fix PCOS, I had to do a laparoscopy, where the Dr would drill holes in the ovaries (for the egg to be released). Before we went there, he wanted to know if my fertility was caused by any other thing like a blocked fallopian tube, because some PCOS patients are still able to have children unaided. He suggested I do a Hysterosalpinogram or HSG, which was actually to pump dye into my uterus, take an x-ray shot, then check if all passages (fallopian tubes mainly) were clear. All his explanation, steps of diagnosis sounded logical. So I immediately scheduled a HSG. I got my result very fast, it was good, my tubes were intact and no blockage. Dr Liew suggested that I try without surgery first, by taking ovulation drugs to increase the chance. So I was put on Clomid (or Clomiphene). While having Clomid, it regulated my period (which meant the egg was released), but I could feel a pain in one of the ovaries every time I ovulated (this sensation later help me to realize when I ovulate). We were supposed time our intercourse. So we did it, scheduled, mechanically, and I lifted my legs high up at the end of it to prevent the sperm from flowing out (my own logic). It was no fun! After 3 rounds of Clomid, no luck, and every time I went back to Dr Liew, he didn’t seem to suggest to do the laparoscopy. When I brought it up, he recommended more Clomid (till when?). Someone at this point recommended a Malay Dr to me, she said he’d helped many Malay women to conceive after many years of trying. Daddy told me I should stick to Dr Liew, but I was too impatient, so I switched Dr again. This Dr gave me the same diagnosis as Dr Liew. PCOS was my problem. And just like Dr Liew, he suggested I took Clomid, laparoscopy could wait. I took 2 more cycles of Clomid. One of my ex colleagues who’d been trying for a child for 5years brought news to us that she’d conceived. Now, all these while I knew she was trying, but she had never suggested to us that she had a problem (even when we asked). She just said she tried, maybe due to stress at work, she never conceived, so she quit. While bringing this good news to us, she shared her story, she had endometriosis and told me she had a laparoscopy done, and 3 months later, she conceived. I quickly got more information from her about laparoscopy (Painful? How big were the wounds? ) and the Dr she went to (Was he good? Which hospital he is from?). Since my friend’s Dr, Dr Wong, is from Pantai, Bangsar, and both my brother’s daughters were born there, I asked King’s Wife if she knew that Dr my friend went to. Coincidentally, Samanta, my youngest niece, was delivered by Dr Wong, and King’s Wife’s said he’s quite good, nothing close to Versace, or the dodgy Dr I went to earlier. When I got home, I told daddy about this, it seemed that I cannot escape having a laparoscopy done. So we scheduled an appointment and went to see Dr Wong in Pantai.

16 comments:

mom2ashley said...

ok at least these diagnosis dont sound dodgy at all...

i heard that there is a really good obgyn at Pantai as well....a veteran doc..cant remember his name already....old chinese chap...dunno whether it is doc wong...i'll check it out for you incase you are trying for 2nd one (wink)

Sue said...

can understand your impatience, luckily this doctor sounds much much better

Egghead said...

eh... my wife have the same idea of holding the legs high up too :)

mom2ashley said...

i've always wondered how you incorporated the "strikethrough" feature in your postings. care to enlighten me?

blurblur said...

Hmm..now we're getting some light as to what your problems are...can't wait for the next "episode"..:)

Yup, am wondering about the "strikethrough" feature as well, mine don't seem to work..

ZMM said...

milly,
yeah, must take care of yr health. Don't abuse it.

Dinah,
Must be Dr Wong. He's known as the BOSS in Pantai. Very experiance, but sometimes too confident that he never ask for your concensus to do something on you.

sue,
yeah, at least I got down to my problem.

egghead,
do you think it works? :P

dinah, blurblur,
striking through : put < strike > the words u want to strike < / strike >

MomsyWorld said...

at least u hv some supportive souls around and of cos, ur dearest is patient enough to go thru' this trying period...

Hope Zara gets to this and she had better treasure her mom and dad for all the sufferings in order to conceive her...esp so for u, Agnes...really pei fu for ur courage!

mom2ashley said...

oh yes agnes - it's dr wong wai ping

Helen said...

When i read through, I could not imagine how strenuous and frustrating that period was... Thank GOd everything turned out fine...

Anonymous said...

hi zara'a mama, i'm a friend of dinah's and happened to stumble across ur blog, whilst reading her's. i was actually operated by dr wong in pantai - laporoscopy for endometriosis - recently. he is indeed very experienced and is known to be a fertility specialist. i went to 3 gynaes abt my condition and the other 2 recommended open surgery, which is more invasive and takes longer to heal. am very happy that i went for laporoscopy -i was back on my feet in less than a week after the op and after 2 weeks there was no more discomfort or weakness where i was operated. the holes are like chopstick holes and u can still wear bikinis =)
there is another famous fertility doctor called dr colin lee, who practices in damansara fertility hospital (i think), whom i heard a lot of ppl go for this sort of condition.

5xmom.com said...

Clomid made me so, so fat and pimply. I gave up after two cycle. Took back my birth control pill (decided enuff of guessing game) and what do you know? I got pregnant on birth control pill. That was for my #3 son.

BTW, so sorry to hear that you had to go through so much. God bless you with many more to come! Babies, I mean.

Anonymous said...

oooh ... the trickery in family planning! Guess it gets even more difficult with age, doesn't it? Hmmm ... something for me to think abt.

Good luck.

ZMM said...

Fannie,
actually I always remind myself how difficult it is for me to get her, so that I don't loose my cool with her. :P
Thanks for the encouraging words.

Dinah,
He's really quite famous I think.

Helen,
It was, but it's the past, just wanted to share so that people who are trying should not give up so easily.

Kp,
Thanks for visiting. I went to Colin Lee as well (will talk about it in later post). I'd almost seen all (drs), done all (procedures).

5xmom,
The pill made you pregnant? I thought it was meant to prevent you from being pregnant? :O What happened? Do blog about it.

Anonymous said...

wow ...I din realise how complicating it can get. All the best. The baby will come when the time is right ;)

Try enjoying and having fun with the process. Spice things up. It'll lift a lot off your mind without having to think of lifting your legs up to keep the sperm in and all. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

hi - just realised that your were relating this story in retrospect (read part 1&2 after part 3)...so are u still with dr wong? did he deliver zara? how do u find him? am thinking of keeping him as my regular obgyn...in case i get pregnant anytime in the future =)

ZMM said...

wil,
thanks. I will try not to lift my legs in reflex the next time round. haha.

kp,
I changed gynae. If you read on, you'll know why.
My gynae now is Dr Jason Lim in Sunway, and I love him!