Life after Life... A story to remember.

Life after Life 

In about 795.09 crores people staying on this globe, our job is to find that one person we can call home, yet our entire life goes by choosing that one person. Why is it so difficult to call them ours? Has our check list got longer or has it turned tougher for anyone to fit? Over the years, we have upgraded ourselves from “holding hands on engagement date” to “Situation-ships even at the age of 16.” May be love has different form, age and shape now but the core meaning and feeling of holding hand for the first time will always remain old school. 

May be eating Maska bun and Irani chai at Bombay café has lost its cool now, but the first date shall remain unaltered corner in the hearts forever. May be first rain is no more under umbrellas, but the first rain under the car roof still gives butterflies. One such story, is of Dr. Shah and Mrs. Shah, a perfect Maska ban chai couple. Seeing them reminds us of those old handwritten love letters, footpath vali chai and lots of Kishor Kumar songs. Have you ever experienced nostalgia of 1990’s seeing a couple walk in the rain?

Dr. Shah, a PhD scholar completed his studies and was practicing as a psychologist in Ahmedabad. He had a mesmerizing control on words and would write fictional stories but never planned to publish any of those. I came across those writing when I visited their home on Diwali last year. Mrs. Shah, sweet loving soul. She loved plants as much as Dr. Shah. They had entered 40, last year and completed 10 years of marriage successfully. They were a couple which made marriage, love and old Bollywood movies look good.

Adoring them was never enough for me, but one fine evening post Diwali I smiled and said that “you two are enough for each other, isn’t it?” that’s when I thought that I have hit the wrong cord. Mrs. Shah got up suddenly and started walking towards the kitchen to prepare ginger tea. Dr. Shah spent the rest of the evening silently, scribbling in his diary. They came to see me off at the door, and Dr. Shah handed me a letter with a smile. I took the letter and could not resist to read, so I sat in the car and started reading….              

हम दो हैं और कविता से बी सुंदर जिंदगी चल रही है,

ना जाने फिर भी सुबह होने की इंतजारी अब नहीं होती ||

शाम को घर आते ही, उसको गले लगा कर थकान दूर हो जाती है,

ना जाने फिर भी क्यूँ दिल बेताब रहता है ||

हम दोनों काफी हैं, जानता हूं, समझता हूं,

पर फिर भी पापा कहे जो मुझे, उसकी पुकार ढूंढता हूं,

पुराने ख़यालो वाला हू, पर हम दो और हम जिसे हमारा कहे सके उसका अभी भी इंतज़ार कर्ता हू||

Tear rolled down my eyes thinking of the hollowness they must be feeling. I was not sure why they were not approaching any of the infertility clinics, or why there was no try from their side to become parents or may be there was and they had given up the hope on everything. I could not move from the car and that’s when I saw them coming out of the house. She stood there till he locked the house and came to her, held her hand and crossed the streets with her. I feel, no matter old we get, someone holding our hands while crossing the streets gives next level of safety feels.

It may have creeped them out, if they would have known that I was stalking them having vanilla ice cream at that small ice cream parlour. Anyway, I came home that night and spoke about this to Dr. Patel, called her at night 12:30 AM shamelessly. She advised me to get them to the hospital the next day. Well, that was a big task. Talking to them and convincing them to start their parenthood journey was too personal and yet I had that intuition that they were just waiting for that push from someone.

“Sometimes, we know the right path for us,

Sometimes we know the perfect option for us,

Yet, we choose for someone to give that slight push for our own good,

I guess, deep down entire human race craves for reassurance from someone”

I went to their place, sat their waiting for Mrs. Shah to join me and uncle. There was some silence with small talks about the politics and today’s culture. Mrs. Shah came in with maska bun and Chai. “Let’s go to Dr. Patel tomorrow,” Dr. Shah immediately understood that his poem shined. Mrs. Shah was shocked and asked “Why, why Dr. Shah, I am completely fine and nothing is wrong with me.”  Dr. Shah took her hand and asked “are you happy Sudha?” She like any other woman started blabbering that “of course yes I am happy, I have you, my home, my job, my freedom, why won’t I be happy?”  She started walking across the room and speed increasing with each item she listed she was happy for, Dr. Shah held her and that’s when she broke. She hugged him, and cried like a small child, “हम जिसे हमारा कह सके, उसका इंतज़ार है।”” Dr. Shah looked at her, kissed her on the forehead and said “Let’s give a try.”

The next day we all visited Dr. Patel, and she took an informed history about them, (History taking is the most important step in any medical field, it gives an insight and give a pre-diagnosis of the problem, Vani IVF Centre takes a detailed history of the patient to make sure that the diagnosis is spot on.) Uncle asked Dr. Patel if she feels that IVF would be good option for them and the chances of success. Dr. Patel mentioned that let me run a few tests just to make sure that she does not miss on anything. Dr. Shah told her “Yes, but IVF would be the same for all the patients, right?” Dr. Patel explained him saying that as “every woman is different, the same way her ovaries and uterus is also different from others, hence all patients cannot be treated with the same line of treatment, here at Vani IVF we believe in individualizing the protocol as per the need of the patient, hence history taking and few hormonal tests along with semen analysis for you is very important.” After the hormonal panel, FSH, LH, AMH & testosterone for aunty and semen analysis for uncle, they went in for the counseling session with Dr. Patel. She explained them that due to age, the quality of the eggs has reduced and the sperms lacked motility. IVF was advised with cumulative cycles of ovarian stimulation and ICSI was performed, where in post egg collection the sperms are injected into single oocyte with the help of ICSI machine by a skilled embryologist. This is an absolutely natural and safe procedure where in the success rates are better where the number of eggs and quality of eggs are less, and even the sperm quality is little low. With Gods Grace and Dr. Patel’s team the blastocyst (day 5 stage of the embryo) was formed. Next step for them was the transfer of the blastocyst in the uterus, the final stage where in their dream looked so near and real. That day evening, Dr. Shah and Mrs. Shah were having their evening tea at home, happy & laughing, and weaving dreams of the days when they would have a little one running around in the house. Dr. Shah stood up to get biscuits from the kitchen and suddenly he fell down. He was unconscious, Mrs. Shah rushed and call 108..

क्या ख़ूब ज़िन्दगी है, आज खुशिया है, और कल में क्या लिखा है किसी ने कहाँ जाना है

The doctor informed Mrs. Shah that it was a heart attack and he needed for diagnostic procedures to find out the reason. Dr. Shah after coming to the consciousness refused to undergo any test and asked for a discharge. Mrs. Shah on the way home, walking on the footpath, talked to her husband to take up the test for his condition, and postponed the IVF treatment. Slowly he held her hand and crossed the road, and told her that everything is okay and he had inherited this condition from his father, which he knew had no treatment. Dr. Shah told her that “this is my dream Sudha; I want our child.”

Next day was the day of Embryo Transfer, Dr. Shah and Mrs. Shah were nervous, but they had made up there mind this time, this time they were not turning back and going forward with the treatment no matter what. Dr. Patel confirmed again, if they wanted to go forward with the treatment in this stressful condition. Mrs. Shah was firm, she said “yes doc, I am surer, than the day I married him.” Both laughed and entered the OT. Embryo transfer is a quick process, takes about 10 min of time and is usually painless. Post ET, she got a counselling from the counsellor regarding the Dos and Don’ts (Vani Team, provides customized counselling session to the patients, Post ET counselling session is very important as the counsellor explains about every detail that needs to be taken care and even clears the myths associated with the embryo transfer.) After 15 days, the pregnancy test was done and it came out to be positive…. Positive. They were pregnant, they finally had their dream nurturing now.

Dr. Shah was so happy, he cried holding Mrs. Shah at the hospital. Along with them Vani Team’s entire staff cried in rejoiced. They have this tradition of ringing the “bell of positivity” whenever any IVF patient gets positive result. That day, after the hospital formalities, Dr. Shah was prepping the dinner table, and Mrs. Shah heard the sound of bowl dropping. She called Dr. Shah, but he did not respond. She ran towards the dinning area and found Dr. Shah lying on the floor. She called 108 and ran to the hospital. This time when she held his hand in the ambulance, she knew... she knew that Dr. Shah, was not there. Doctors gave the news to Mrs. Shah that Dr. Shah is no more, his heart had given up. She came home alone that night. 

"कहा था ना, आज खुशिया है और कल मैं क्या लिखा है किसने जाना है"

After 20 days of his demise, Mrs. Shah visited the hospital for her regular checkup. Dr. Patel did the ultrasound, and told her “Congratulations, listen to the heartbeats of your child” to which Mrs. Shah replied “Heartbeats of my Husband, Samir.” Tear rolled down her eyes. Dr. Patel that Dr. Shah made sure that you would not be alone for life, he must have loved you a lot. Mrs. Shah smiled and said “yes, but I crossed the street without an arm to hold me safe that day. I need to get stronger for Samir and for the little soul inside me.” She thanked Dr. Patel for the lifelong happiness she and her team had given her. 

There are times, when we see the patients more than a family to us, this couple, Samir and Sudha will always be a part of our Vani Family. 

                - Signing off from the diaries of Vani IVF Centre 

[Narrated by Dr.Kamini Patel and Penned by Vani Patel]