By November of 2011, I was instructed by the organization I work for to do a medical test which should have been done when I started work months ago. I went to the hospital recommended, one I wasn’t familiar with and I did the various tests recommended. About a week later, I got a call from the hospital instructing me to come. They were supposed to mail the results to Abuja so I wondered why I had to go there in person. I went there but the medical doctor was unavailable to speak to me so I left. Later that evening, I was at a restaurant with my husband in a very romantic mood ordering various dishes when my phone rang. The caller introduced himself as the doctor I should have seen earlier in the day. I asked why he insisted I see him urgently. He said “Madam, this is not a phone matter o! You are HEPATITIS B positive!” My head did a spin 360 degrees in one second! “You need to come down to the hospital so we can talk. I am also aware you are married. You need to come with your husband so we can check him as well so that if he is negative we can give him some vaccines and if he is positive as well we can do some further tests to determine the viral load and know the next step” I sank into the chair my stomach tightened and my face turned pale.


Let’s go to our newly found hospital and check before believing whatever this doctor says, it might be false’. I tried hard to leave that vacuum of thought that it might be false but I was afraid. What on earth was hepatitis B? I had heard of it but I felt like it was one of those illnesses ‘far away’. Those ones you never imagine would happen around you and you never bothered finding out the symptoms? The waiter interrupted us as soon as our food was ready. Food was the last thing on my mind. I struggled to eat; it just looked like God abandoned me for some other project that evening.

We went to our hospital (the newly discovered one- prime hospital) the next day to confirm the new it was sadly the truth. Luckily, my husband was negative. I was grateful it was just me. If not we would have been trying to solve the puzzle of who gave who! We swung into action getting him vaccinated and I went to the hospital where I was first diagnosed to meet with the doctor. I was so sad. I met the medical director and after introduction, he asked if I had done any blood transfusion or surgery lately. I said yes and he asked for the hospital. When I mentioned it, he said ‘so you are part of the gullible Nigerians that watch a doctor on television, believe whatever he says, run to his hospital and form a troop there’. I told him I never saw the doctor on tv prior to my visit there. I just walked into the hospital. It was after I knew him that I realized he was a very frequent face on television. I explained what took me there and he said PCOS was a small thing.

The physician in our hospital wasn’t patient enough to explain in details to me what was wrong with me or what the long term effect of hepatitis B was so Google was my friend through the whole period. I asked how I could be treated and he said there was no cure. He explained a few things and told me it all depended on my viral load. He also talk about breastfeeding my child when I gave birth that my children would need to be vaccinated before I breastfed them. Since I didn’t smoke nor drink and my liver was still in a ‘perfect state’, I was lucky I could manage with some prescriptions. ‘God did not abandon me totally afterall’, I thought.


It was a very bumpy period. One terrible thing had been added to the list of my problems. I felt like going to the media to say this hospital most likely infected me with hepatitis. I was angry. Did I let my guards down in this hospital? I blamed myself; maybe I should have done a lot of research on them before committing my life to their table to be ‘slaughtered’. Maybe if I was more vigilant I would have seen red flags but how would I have known? I tried to forgive myself. At least I went there on my own; no one compelled me to do so. I tried to move on.

Blendy77: Bros I dey everywhere oooo! R&B are doing great. we bless God. This ur testimony powerful o, we bless God for you.



$10,000 for normal ivf/icsi without tests? The owner like money no be small. Congrats on your bundle of joy. Am happy you got results after spending that much. God be praised.

@Kings Daughter, we are still waiting for your story. We need to know why you dont want nairalanders to go there. Please find time to share your story with us. God bless all waiting mums soon.

I have SEEN doctors!!!! Both within the country and outside. We had just recent gotten married. Prayers upon prayers were showered about twins, triplets and quadruplets. Even our parents friends argued about which we would have twins or triplets (like they were the ones to do the implantation) we smiled, said Amen to their prayers and hoped for the best.

Aunty Flo came in the next month following the church wedding, I was glad. Maybe God had healed me completely, I thought since I had a long history of irregular periods. That was it. I didn’t see my period again for another six months. My mum called and decided to inform me that since I knew I had a history of irregular periods and hospital visitations, I shouldn’t wait for the conventional one year to visit a gynaecologist for unexplained infertility. I took to her advice and informed my DH (darling husband) in a subtle manner. He was glad to drive me around Port Harcourt. We didn’t really have friends or anyone we could ask so we just drove around town stopping at every hospital we could find asking for a gynaecologist. It was a Saturday and we couldn’t find any. We had almost given up when we decided to try a last road. We found Save a Life hospital there and they confirmed that a gynaecologist was present, I was glad. We saw a young doctor and we were given several tests to run. That was when the issues began to roll in.

I ran so many test that I can’t even recall their names. The one I can never forget Hysterosalpingography (HSG)- It was so painful – I went to heaven and came back . No one can describe to you the pains they feel until you experience it yourself (which I pray you don’t). The results were ready mine and my DH’s. We went there one evening after work and the news was broken to us. “Madam, you have fibroid and your left fallopian tube is blocked so you will need a surgery to correct it. This will help increase your chances of getting pregnant”. Surgery again?. (I had one in my teenage years) The alarms in my head began to ring! “What is the cause of this blocked tube?” my DH inquired. “It is mostly caused by a chronic Pelvic Inflammatory Disease”. I listened as he talked about the details of the surgery and how it would be minimal invasive and would be done by Indian doctors that are regularly brought to Nigeria. It was about 350,000 naira. We needed to pay a deposit to secure a space when the Indian doctors came around. It was going to be a short surgery. There would be no cutting open of the stomach, all will be their camera passed in to see inside my stomach and with their work instruments.(Te-Ki-No-logy I thought in my mind). He assured us that we would see what ever had been brought out of me and a video of the operation to confirm it was real. It was a long drive home. My DH was sceptical about the Nigerian surgery but consoled us that since experienced people were coming in from India, we had nothing to fear. I just prayed they won’t forget anything inside me. I discussed with my dad as well and he was positive about the whole arrangement.

DH had to travel out of the country during the surgery because of work so he had to invite his older sister over without raising any alarm to his parents. She was supportive. She drove me down to the hospital the morning of the surgery, it was a Sunday. As we parked the car I saw WOMEN- (that was when I knew I was still a girl) They were in their numbers in the waiting room in all sizes, forms and ages. That was when I realised they were here for one purpose- Not a church service but surgery. I was alarmed by the number. One hospital staff was by the corner was busy making calls “the Indian doctors are here try and gather the rest of the money and come” My sister in- law and I looked at each other it sounded more like “the garri sellers are here get the rest of the balance and quickly come and buy yours before the garri finishes”. We sat at the waiting room. The owner- Dr Okoye of the hospital came around and gave us a brief of the Indian doctors on duty. He told us he had gone to get the best doctors from India for the various surgeries. The woman who sat next to us asked us where we were from and I told her. She said she had travelled all the way from Warri and hoped to be home before night. That was like a four hour journey away and no- one came with her. I couldn’t believe it. I was informed that I was the third person in line and as time passed we all struck various conversations with each other. It was then I realised I didn’t have any issues compared to what these women were talking about. These women had been married for several years with several issues that I had not heard of in my entire life. Some of these women even looked older than my sixty year old mum yet they did not have any children and they were still approaching menopause. I prayed quietly that I didn’t want to wait that long to get my answers from God and listened to each one tell her story. Then, it was my turn. On the average, the first two took an hour each. They were wheeled out of the theatre still sleeping. I walked in took a look at the doctors’ faces to be sure they didn’t look tired and I lay down. The I V lines were set and I didn’t know when I dozed off.

I remember I felt like I was being dropped into a bottomless pit. I was going further down, I just kept dropping. All I could harvest from my mind were scriptures. I was speaking them, saying I shall not die but live and quoting psalm 91, psalms 24 and every other scriptures that came to my mind. It felt like a battle but after sometime, ‘I woke up ‘to realise I was actually speaking in reality and the nurses were saying Amen. They were happy to see me open my eyes as they were really alarmed at the way I was speaking the scriptures like I was in danger. My SIL was worried as well. She panicked so badly that she called my mum. I opened my eyes to look around and I saw a lot of women on the beds. I knew I had slept for a long time. I recovered overnight and I was at work the next day. No one knew I just had a surgery and I couldn’t take some time off because I had just started working there around a month before the surgery. I healed fast. We went back for a review after about a month when DH returned. I still had not seen my period. The doctor suggested inducing my period and trying IUI. I really didn’t want to start going through assisted reproduction at this early age. I felt it was the lazy way out. DH wasn’t interested either. From the review of the surgery, they doctors didn’t even see any fibroid of tube blockage. They saw PCOS ( Poly cystic ovarian syndrome). That was the first time ever I was hearing the term and that during the surgery ovarian drilling procedure was done. I was drilled without my consent?


Drill, Drill Drill!!! That was all that was ringing in my head. I had never heard of the procedure Ovarian Drilling. “Doctor could you break it down in simple English” I inquired. He smiled at me but I wasn’t in the mood for smiles. Two things had happened to me medically and I was lost in the terminologies. I didn’t like to be caught unawares with medical terms I was always equipped before going to a doctor. “Madam” He responded. “Firstly, You have a condition called Bi- lateral Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and in simple English it means your two ovaries produces eggs you know as you must have learnt in biology; every month at least 1 egg should be matured enough for fertilization or menstruation as the case may be but in your case, these eggs don’t grow past a particular stage so you have multiple eggs/follicles that should be matured enough to move out of your ovaries for fertilization or menstruation. Because these eggs don’t grow past a particular stage and don’t shrink back they have become tiny pearls in your ovaries and they have now formed a string of pearls in your ovaries – you know like the pearls you ladies wear. That is the reason why you don’t see your period regularly” my heart sunk! “We did a procedure called ovarian drilling” he continued “again in simple English, we tried to puncture these eggs that have been there over a while to allow new growth of eggs that will hopefully mature and will definitely correct the condition as the procedure normally corrects PCOS in some women” By the time he finished I was trying to hold the hot tears from dropping on my cheeks. All the while before now, all the doctors only informed me that hormonal imbalance caused my irregular periods. NONE ever mentioned this PCOS even with the multiple scans that I had in the past. They had always talked about high prolactin, low progesterone and high estrogens. I really wanted to cry but I held myself. “So what is the way forward I inquired”. After my doctor consulted with the Indian doctors via E-mail, (which I was worried about like he couldn’t make a decision himself) we were informed that we needed to do Intrauterine insemination (IUI) and my period would be stimulated as well as ovulation induction when a follicular scanning had been done to confirm the follicles had grown to about 18mm and I would be given HCG shots. I went home that day and thought of my life. Friends were beginning to call to ask “so are you pregnant?” And my general response is “Do you want to chase me off the market? Am still doing ‘sisi’ jare” but deep down in my heart I knew that wasn’t exactly the case.
We tried IUI as the doctor recommended. I was hopeful…Very Hopeful. I prayed and confessed positively. I even felt cramps in-between that I tagged implantation cramps/bleeding I was told not to be in a haste to do pregnancy tests but still went ahead. I think it was faintly positive. I had also read online that the hormones I was taking might give me a false reading. I was so positive. I sometimes laid my hand on my stomach and smiled, having the thoughts of “FINALLY I Am PREGNANT”. I checked for the very early signs of pregnancy and I could confirm a couple of them already. Day by Day I waited patiently hoping and praying that my baby embryo was forming well and reading all I could find on the net. I tried not to stress myself but I was so anxious; I was even beginning to walk like I was 3 months pregnant. A day before my scheduled period was a Friday I had woken up with pains from very serious stomach cramps I was having. I went to the toilet to ease myself and there was it AF was all out. I couldn’t believe it! It was so thick and red I had never seen anything like it; I was devastated. I told my husband about it as soon as he woke up and he tried not to show any form of hurt. I was depressed. I got to work that day and I couldn’t concentrate. I tried to check what could have gone wrong. Did I have an early miscarriage? Then, I saw the term chemical pregnancy and I felled maybe that was what happened. I picked up my phone and called the doctor up. He didn’t seem to have my number again and I tried to remind him who I was. I told him about the procedure and all. He didn’t seem to have a clue. Yes, we were a lot he was treating but I couldn’t believe he didn’t remember me after all I had said. After awhile he insisted I come over to the hospital.

I went to the hospital on a Sunday. The third day of the bleeding and we saw the doctor’s car parked at the car park and we were glad he was around. We got to the main reception and the receptionist informed us that he said we should see another doctor (This is Dr Okoye instructing us to see a younger doctor. He wouldn’t allow this on a normal day. Once your case is transferred to him you were not allowed to see a ‘junior’ doctor on that particular case again) I was confused. Since he didn’t know who was coming, how he could have given that instruction without seeing us. Then I realised he had seen us through his CCTV as we were parking and he quickly gave that instruction via intercom before we got to the reception. We obeyed reluctantly and we got to meet the ‘junior doctor’. I had met her before. I came in to be treated for some infection. She listened carefully as we narrated the whole story to her and she was disappointed in the MD after we complained bitterly about all the things we felt was wrong. She told us to come back the next day and walk directly into his office which was on another wing from the reception so we would not meet any hindrance. She also told us to inquire from him why I had not seen my period since that was the reason I came to the hospital in the first place( this was three months after the surgery and I was just seeing my period because it was induced. I had been told the ovarian drilling will definitely correct the PCOS). We had spent hundreds of thousands of naira already and all we got for it was a Doctor on the run who wasn’t interested in seeing us again.

It was my birthday the next day so I decided not to go to the hospital to so as not to spoil my mood so we went there on Tuesday. As soon as he saw us at his own private reception from his cctv he dashed out hurriedly. I greeted him and informed him we were there to see him. He said ‘you people like to come late’ I looked at the time it was just a few minutes to 6. I had closed from work by 5, DH picked me up and we were there before 6. The Doctor walked away and kept us waiting for over an hour but we were determined to see him. “At least he would come to his office to pack up” we thought. When he eventually came back, he had no apologies for us. We told him the issues bothering us and he brilliantly avoided our questions. He told the sonographer to do a scan and measure the follicles (they were back in their tiny bits but just forming clusters this time between 7-9 mm) and as the results came out he said “ I have told you people to do ISCI you said you don’t have money” My DH replied him in anger saying “what is the guarantee that if we do ICSI she would get pregnant” and the doctor said 100% GUARANTEE ! I had never heard that all my life. Only God could give anyone 100% guarantee on anything and not fail and here was my doctor promising that. At least we were enlightened enough to know that was a lie. My husband informed me he didn’t want me to take any more drugs that year and that all that I had taken was enough for the year (I felt it was more than enough for a lifetime) . He said when we were ready we should come back. We didn’t even ask him about how much the cost ICSI was. He promising 100% guarantee began to look like a scam. The next day, the ‘young doctor’ called to inquire how the discussion went with the MD and as I informed her she screamed ‘Ha, I knew it would come to that. Goat ICSI, Cat ICSI, chicken ICSI must everybody do ICSI? This man doesn’t have a conscience!’ I was quite shocked hearing a doctor from the hospital speak like that. “How much is the ICSI procedure” I inquired “its 1.5 Million here” she responded. Hnnnm, there and then I knew why ICSI was so important to this doctor. It wasn’t really that he had our interest at heart. “He also said ICSI had 100% pregnancy guarantee” I said. She laughed mischievously. “Look” she continued “I am advising you as a sister. You are still very young. I don’t see anything extraordinary that is wrong with you that the doctor is recommending ICSI. No procedure has a 100% guarantee, Only God can give you that. Don’t let anyone lie to you. Enjoy your marriage, calm down and look for a better hospital later. Assisted reproduction isn’t something you just jump into the highest intervention. You need to be sure the simpler interventions cannot work before you head for ICSI. Find a doctor you can talk to”. She didn’t need to say more than that. I already understood what she meant. I thanked for her help. DH and I resolved to take the rest of the year off and enjoy our marriage and not see and doctor or use any drugs. These drugs were beginning to make me look bloated as soon as I started using them. That was 2011.
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Mychildren:
Hello,

please, i will want you all to forgive me with some of the words i might use tonite. 3 groups here are just the place i can pour out my mind. here's my story.

i got married 3 yrs and 7 months ago, i thought most of my issues will be solved ranging from polygamous family issues, loneliness cos i dont have a sister or brother born from same mother and father,and threats here and there. i joined my husband after my marriage and few months into it i started having irregular period, too cut the long story short, after waiting for sometimes, investigation began, i was diagonose with fibriod, one tube status was not known but the other was ok. PCOS . i was placedon clomid, i got pregnant and lost it due to the fact that they cant see the baby anywhere in my body, not even in both tubes, but blood test and urine confirmed pregnancy, they had to use cancer injection to terminate the pregnancy.
After, then i continued with clomid which didnt work and i had to stopped it, leaving me with the next option which is IVF, i was asked to do some test with my husband which we did, they result came out fine for my partner and as usual for me i tested positive to Hepatisis B which made my doctor to write to a board to allow me go to a special hospital for my IVF proceedure. I never knew what it meant. They hospital keeps writing me about the progess for IVF proceedure, and my huband saw some of the letters. we talked about it and he concluded that he will have to be using condom with me. I was like using condom with someone that's TTC.
Meanwhile, let me deviate a bit, i do strange dreams, seeing a man difference faces trying to make love with me in the dream, atimes i normally woke up feeling like i just cum or feeling serious sexual arousal. i suffer with body itching, i dare not leave home without priton or anti allergy drugs, except i want to disgrace myself. i have you other drugs, agbo, agunmu etc its didnt work, i cant wear leggings and some cloths. i avoided some food, body soap, cream yet no changes. Few months ago, my period went for 3months and 2 weeks, i went to GP i was stylisghly walked out that theres nothing they can do to my case.
hmm, my bro and sis here im i , can you see my life. i will be honest with you, all these issues has affected me psychologically, im always scared to do things.
After, intense prayers my period came, and body itching has stopped. but now 'im faced with the issue of using condom and TCC. Another puzzle, i cant slove is he said Hepatitis B can be transferred sexually, we have been living for the past 3 years and hes still not infected .

Please, i want you all to help pray to maker of heaven and earth to please be merciful unto me and prove himself in my life. I cant bear this alone. i want him to make me happy bless me with fruit of the womb with his might hand.And to put and end to wickedness of the enemy

It is well with you. like others have said I would say pray like you have never prayed before. I also have PCOS I have not seen my period in over a year and I found out over a year ago that I am Hepatitis B positive.I must have caught it in a particular hospital procedure. I was devastated and all but I moved into action- carrying my husband along because I was concerned for him. My husband was negative -I was glad and he was vaccinated and we were told my baby will be vaccinated before being breastfed when i have one and we moved on gracefully with our lives. we've been married for four years. I think you made the mistake of hiding it from him(if i got your post well). Using condoms isnt the way forward. Pls seek the consultation of a physician you need to be monitored as well on the viral load and your husband vaccinated and all and above all pray. God is with you.

Blendy77: My Sister tell us the story na so others can learn cos I also have a SIL who has started her investigations with them and still waiting for them to start the procedure proper. Is it tru that they have white Drs there? Is it also true that ivf is $10,000 there? And is it also tru that their ivf is in batches and not 'do as u come'? That's the gist I heard but educate we Lagos folks since u have used them so we can enlighten our family and friends in PH.

I will look for time to write it.

walmart:

Gynescope just moved to their permanent site off Airforce road, around Diplomats assembly church(I don't know the street name). I went there for IUI last year but the doctor told me he had stopped doing it that its the same thing couples do at home. That he is concentrating on IVF. But you can give them a call on 08166593030, 08122689120 for more information.
Prime medical Consultants, Save a Life Medical Missions and Bridge Clinic also do both IUI and IVF in PH.

Dont ever! I repeat Dont Ever go to save a life medical mission in PH! I went, I saw and my pocket was emptied. Its a long story

vinediya:

Thanks AwesomeGod and Amen to your prayer for me. I googled and got the address of Gynescope. Hope to visit within the week to get the details. Hav a great month and a BIG congrats to you. God is indeed awesome.

@ Vinediya Did you eventually go to gynescope? I will love to hear about their prices and your perception of the place.

Regiblinkz: Thank God for them ooo...I pray such miracle come to my aunt who's been looking for a child for 20yrs now

Amen and Amen

dominique: Miracle, sign and wonder Sheesh!!!

you have more apropriate names the parents could have given their girls? am sure you also know they would have other names--- Esther, deborah and Ruth, Oluwatobi, Oluwatoni & Oluwatomi. Happy now?

enitan2002: I know definitely this couple went for IVF, a lot of people have been embracing that option but will never come out and admit it, but rather give kudos to an invisible being someplace.

As you were not there when the conception took place dont be "definitely sure"

baby_123: Hopefully they are not being deceptive. I read on the TTC thread how it is popular for women looking for kids to go and pretend pregnancy and have miracle babies in the south south. There is nothing God cannot do, but Nigerians can surprise God with their deeds. Anyway congrats to the new parents. If God gave you those kids truly. There is nothing wrong in adoption, so I don't know why people try to pass off adopted kids as theirs. Anyway God sees all, and has a way of exposing fake preachers in due time. This is if they lied about the methods they got the babies through.

I saw the pregnant woman with my eyes at a point she was so heavy that most times in church she had to go rest in her car.

Yessssssssssss I did. I wanted to work with a particular international NGO in a region i had in mind. It looked like a 30years dream. No clear path towards achieving my dream. No ordinary man's child gets that kind of job but just after 5 years after school, I landed in my dream job, in my dream location, happily married!With no man's help.