An adventure from Adana to Istanbul

Rabia/Murat Öz – January 2009

We got married in 2000.The first few years, the fact that we had not gotten pregnant was not a problem.Then, I got pregnant but the pregnancy was terminated in the first trimester.Then I got pregnant once more.However, they could not see the gestational sac on the ultrasound: unfortunately, it was an ectopic pregnancy.My aunt, Dr. Sidika Saygili Arikan, was very supportive.In Adana, we attempted IVF twice but failed.Two couples from nearby towns were constantly recommending us to go to Bahçeci Clinic at the German Hospital, where they had been treated successfully.In our minds, Istanbul was very far and we could not be tempted to try it, considering that it would be very costly.Later, we of course understood that we had been mistaken. Soon our marriage became monotonous and our hopes were dwindling.My dear older sister and my doctor, Esra Yilmaz Saygili, contacted Dr. Esra Aksoy from the Bahçeci team and encouraged us to go.This would be our third attempt but we went to Istanbul with new hopes and wonderful dreams.We started the treatment but a cyst appeared in my uterus just two days before the transfer; the medication I was on was making it grow. I was deeply upset because I thought this attempt would also turn out badly.The words of Dr. Esra Aksoy are still on my mind, as if it were only yesterday:“We never build castles in the air.”My plans of having a baby had to be postponed to the following month because transfer would be impossible unless this cyst was removed.It was just a mere extension of time.The cyst was removed through a minor operation.I had been operated on before a few times under anesthesia; however, believe me when I say that the operation by Dr. Esra Aksoy was easier than tooth extraction.Until the eggs matured, I dropped in at the German Hospital every morning and gave blood.The smiling faces of the nurses and staff gave us hope.

Soon my eggs were picked up: 24 embryos were produced and frozen.We returned to Adana; we would go to Istanbul on the predetermined day for the transfer of the frozen embryo.I was skeptical that the frozen embryo would adhere.I thought, “Our third attempt will also fail but at least we tried the Bahçeci Clinic.”Meanwhile, my husband, H. Murat Oz, always supported me.When a woman is unable to be a mother, she constantly judges herself and feels a sense of guilt.One of my tubes was blocked and the other was damaged during the ectopic pregnancy operation.In other words, my husband could not become a father because of me.These feelings upset me further.When the time arrived to return back to Istanbul, we left Adana with the support and optimistic thoughtsof my husband.I wanted my husband to stand next to me during the transfer,but I was told that it wasn’t possible.I soon discovered they were right;there were maybe fifteen women in the preparation stage, waiting for the transfer.All had the same goal.All of us had the same desire in our eyes and our husbands were waiting in the waiting room with the same excitement.The team at the German Hospital was so positive and so tender; I had never seen such a mystical and warm hospital environment in my life.The transfer was performed and we returned back to Adana by plane the following morning.I constantly prayed to God and could not sleep until the result date – but I was always confident.I gave blood.My husband went to the Clinic to obtain the result. When he came back there was a weird expression on his face. I knew it:the result was negative.My husband looked me in the eyes and said, “It is positive but I can’t be sure,” and went to the pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test.The whole family was waiting for the result.Nobody called us but we knew that they were waiting for the news over their phones.The result of the pregnancy test was also positive.We still could not believe it.We did not talk for a while, just kept silent. Thenwe gave the news to our families.However, since I couldn’t say anything but cry, they thought the result was negative and tried to console me.Of course, the next nine months were full of excitement, joy, and fear… we experienced mixed emotions.«When my dear sister and doctor, Esra Yilmaz Saygili, put my daughter in my arms my whole life changed.Everything wasuplifted. Now, we also had a future.My daughter is now sixteen months old.If I can write these down with great excitement and hope for those who want to be a mother like me, it is thanks to the team of Bahçeci Clinic, especially Dr. Esra Aksoy, as well as the doctors, nurses and the staff of the German Hospital.I thank you and wish you all the best in your life.

With all our sincere feelings,Rabia-Murat ÖZ