This Only Happens in the Movies

Zeynep Gümüşçü

Even though it means I have to relive the suffering I endured during that time, I have decided to write my story to give solace to other patients. When your patients read what I will relate, they may say to themselves, “This only happens in the movies.” Nevertheless, I did go through all these things. 1996, I suffered from a disease called chocolate cyst. I underwent treatment for 2 years in Sanliurfa. After that, the treatment continued in Antep for one more year. The doctors wasted my time, asking to take an x-ray of my uterus and then saying that there was nothing wrong. Finally, I was informed about a very good doctor in Adana. Again, I was treated there for a year. I had a very serious open surgery. After this surgery, I received cortisone treatment for six months. Somehow, my results were still the same and my disease still had not been cured. I lost confidence and decided to continue with herbal remedies. For an entire year, I soaked in an herbal bath fifteen hours a day in addition to drinking herbal teas and applying oils. When this didn’t work I restarted treatment in Istanbul. I went to a good doctor and a good IVF center. The doctor told me that I needed an open surgery and long-term treatment. This second operation, which I had thought would last 45 minutes, lasted four hours. It was a very serious operation.I still didn’t get any results with this IVF Center so I started treatment in Ankara. My doctor there told me that I had to have a closed surgery. So, I underwent another surgery and then we made our first IVF attempt, but to no avail. Six months later, we made our second IVF attempt and 4 eggs were picked up; unfortunately, it didn’t work again. Of course, these attempts cost a lot both financially and psychologically. For a moment, I lost hope and wanted to give up on all these treatments. What’s more, the menstrual bleeding and pains had become unbearable. Thanks to my faith in God, as well as my stubbornness, I ultimately decided to search for a good doctor. One day, I encountered the Bahçeci Clinic and Dr. Murat Berksoy on the Internet. I went to Istanbul and met Dr. Berksoy.

We started to shuttle back and forth between Istanbul and Urfa. Dr. Berksoy was constantly giving us hope and reminding us that the treatment would take a long time and that we should not give up. We started the treatment by walking six to seven kilometers a day, avoiding animal products for two years, and by sticking to the formula of Dr. Murat Berksoy. Meat is the main ingredient of all of our local dishes. So while everybody here was eating meat and heavy desserts, I resolutely continued the treatment without going off the diet. My pain was decreasing monthly thanks to my resolution. We made our first IVF attempt a year and a half into the treatment. However, since the egg quality was not as high as desired, Dr. Burçak told us that we could interrupt the treatment and eliminate any possible psychological and financial trauma, if we wanted because there was a chance that the results would be negative.

We started the second IVF treatment with Dr. Murat Berksoy. This attempt was successful. Unfortunately we learned in the second month of pregnancy that it was ectopic; we were devastated. We went to Istanbul to have an abortion and a litigation of my tubes by Dr. Halit Fırat Erden. Still we did not give up and started treatment for the third attempt. We succeeded this time as well. However, on the third day of the transfer, bleeding started in my bladder; I tried to endure it at home for three days but finally went to the German Hospital on my own accord. I thought these were my last moments. I had lost almost all the blood in my body. I was immediately taken into the operating room and given five units of blood, all while pregnant! I stayed in the hospital for a week. A catheter was installed in my kidney. I didn’t think I was pregnant anymore. However, my baby was so strong that all tests yielded positive results. Yet as we talked with Dr. Murat Berksoy I was saying to myself, “I am not pregnant, I am not a mother.” This continued up until three months before my due date. Combined screening tests were performed during the second month of the pregnancy,. The results revealed that the baby most likely had Down Syndrome. A second test was performed in Ankara. The result was the same. However, I would give birth to this baby, no matter what would happen.

Dr. Murat Berksoy was always reassuring me, saying that I would overcome this difficulty. In the last month of the pregnancy, my blood pressure did not decrease to normal levels even once. Fortunately, I gave birth to a healthy baby. My stitches were opened the second day after the delivery. This was the worst scene I had ever experienced in my life. My husband and I were trying to console each other. I stayed in the hospital for six days and then was discharged. When we arrived home, I felt bad again and we returned to the hospital. It was midnight and we were pacing back and forth in the hospital. Nobody knew what to do. We came across Dr. Berksoy in the emergency room. I cannot tell you how relieved we were! Dr. Berksoy informed the staff of the medications I was on and had me put into intensive care. That night, we had to remain separate from our baby as they worked to decrease my blood pressure. I could not take a shower for 45 days. After all of these bad experiences, my baby awakened such wonderful feelings in me that I forgot all about them. Now my daughter is sixteen months old and if I were asked if I would accept another treatment with Dr. Berksoy, I would answer “YES” without hesitation.

Nobody can live without hope. I owe a lot to Dr. Murat Berksoy. He is an excellent man and an excellent doctor. His patients are very lucky. During this treatment everybody should be as confident and resolute as I was. I would like to express my endless thanks to the Bahçeci Clinic in general and to Dr. Murat Berksoy in particular.