Intrauterine Insemination, quite a mouthful but it was just a two minutes procedure that costs MYR700.
We reached the medical center at about 9.40am. It was a quiet morning. with only two patients ahead of us. After waited for about ten minutes, Dino dad was led to 'that' private room at level one to dispose his load of which the doc had advised him to accumulate for five days.
I waited downstairs checking out today's headlines on the newspapers.
When Dino dad reappeared, he sounded worry because his load was not as much as he had expected. We began to feel doubtful and started worrying that it might not be sufficient for successful IUI.
The nurse allowed us to go for tea while the sperms needed about one hour for washing process. Before stepping out of the medical center, i reasserted the nurses to not mixed up the sperms tub with other father-wannabe who might be having IUI or IVF for the day.
While sipping the teh-tarik-chum, we were scanning through the newspapers restlessly and discussing about Dino dad's crude coconut oil deal. We made our way back to the center at about a quarter past eleven. The nurse ushered me up to level one and Dino dad went off for his business appointment.
While waiting for the sperms being washed, i continued reading the newspaper. A toddler, probably about 3 years old, a boy, came running happily and climbed onto the cantilever seat in front of me. He surprised himself by the crackling sound when his busy little palms grasped by newspapers.
Back ten years i could be easily annoyed with such incident and would silently send off unspoken wrath to the ignorant parents with such ill-mannered child. Today, i found this toddler adorable. He was so enjoying the crumpling sound made by the newspaper he even sprawn half of his five-kilo body onto my paper and started swimming butterfly strokes. He giggled hard while he wallowed his face candidly on the papers and his stretched his arms further till they rest on my womb. Having saw this, his dad rushed forward and carried him away.
Well, the kid was fun and genuine but his parent has gain, proven me right about my never-ending disgust over their bad parenting skill. No apology or friendly gesture. I stood firm by my theory - how can such parent educate their children when themselves dreadfully needed to be taught.
Upon entering level one, i noticed some newborns wrapped up cosily sleeping by a huge glass window in front of the nurse station. At a glance, i thought the babies were triplets as they all looked extremely alike. The nurse, probably noticed me glancing at the babies intently trying to mentally deciphering triplets or singles, she offered a huge soft warm smile and said "these babies are just days old". And nope, they are not triplets. Yeah, i forget, newborns all look
alike. Or probably i have not had any close encounter of this tiny kinds in ages.
At 11.55am, an embryologist pushed a trolley to my daybed. On the tray were a few high-tech looking stuff. Shivers ran down my spine. I changed into a hospital wrap and lied down on the bed. When the doc came, i asked him if the sperms load was sufficient for this procedure, he replied "Oh, very good indeed. The volume is more than enough and motility is 97%". He beamed.
Great, that put me at ease. At a fleeting moment, i was kinda in a peaceful trance until the embryologist asked for my legs to prop up and wide. Sigh..... i have certainly lost count of the number of times i have exposed my vaginal to strangers in these past few months.
The spotlight was on and shone directly to my vaginal. Of course i feel uncomfortably embarrased. This time, the doc was delicate with his hands.
The vaginal was propped open like it was a pap smear procedure. Then doc filled up a thin and flexible catheter with a clear fluid which i was told its my Dino dad's best sperms. Then doc bent down to insert the catheter through my cervix and straight to my uterine to deposit the sperms.
I felt nothing. No anesthesia was given. Then doc filled up from another test tube of clear fluid.
This time, the doc took away jack and release the sperms just inside my vaginal. Very quickly, doc left and nurses pushed away the tray while another nurse relaxes my legs and cover it with a blanket. I rested for an hour.
During this hour, i had a moments of peace within me.
Probably it was the knowledge that i have professional help this time. Probably i was indulging in the crazy replaying of the scene of that little giggling toddler being a god-sent to boost my success today
. How else would i explain the sudden mellow mood towards this child? He could have climbed onto the other twenty seats and rumbled other stacks of papers but he found mine. The five thousand year-old ancient Chinese metaphysics study documented that children below age nine are very 'yang' and i certainly hope this toddler was an angel to 'yang' up my womb which many past sensehs believed my womb is too 'yin' (cold).
Now all that's left is my silent prayers and urging the little Dinos in me to swim harder and find the eggs.
