This Is How I Saved Her Marriage!

Click here to read this article in Marathi: असा वाचवला तिचा संसार!

I was watching a movie about a married couple going through infertility problems. It reminded me of cases related to infertility I had during my practice and I want to share it with you.

During those days, I was practicing as an anesthesiologist and I would do general practice in my free time. One day, one woman came to my clinic with a big file in her hand. She told me that she got married four years ago and that her and her husband were experiencing infertility problems. They had been to many infertility centers and had tried all types of treatment, but no luck. She wanted to try my treatment, so she came with all her medical records. At that moment, I felt very uncomfortable because I was not an infertility specialist. My knowledge about it was limited to the little that I had learned during my medical training. What was I going to add to her treatment that her previous doctors did not already try? But, in small places like my town, people assume that all doctors know (or should know) everything. I could not say no to her as it would have negatively affected my reputation and I would have let down a patient. I had no other option but to treat her in my way. My brother owns a pharmacy shop and he has a good knowledge of Ayurvedic medicines (it is an alternative treatment typically based on complex herbal compounds) too, which he taught me. I gave her tablets to regulate her menstrual periods. Then, prescribed her allopathic and ayurvedic medications in combination along with infertility medicines and sent her with all the instructions. I also gave her lot of counseling, which might have also helped.

I forgot about her. Then one day, she appeared in my clinic after three months and she was very happy. She was pregnant! OMG!! She hugged me and thanked me a lot. I was happy that my treatment worked and I did not disappoint her. I still do not know what worked for her. Was it allopathy medications or ayurvedic medications or counseling or a combination of all of them? Whatever it was, it worked, and she was very happy.

After a few weeks, another woman came for the same treatment. She heard about my treatment from the previous lady. I really wanted to avoid these cases, but I was unwillingly getting involved into them more! I gave her a similar treatment and to my surprise, it worked too! Luck was on my side during those days. During my short period of practice, I successfully treated 18 out of 22 cases. Two of my school friends and a few of my relatives were in the list of successful cases. If my doctor colleagues were to ask me about the details of my treatment, I cannot remember all the details now as it happened many years ago.

One story out of those 18 couples was very memorable for me. It was a couple from a nearby village. They were married for 5 years and were going through infertility problems. I obtained the medical history and examined the couple. I gave the husband a prescription. He went to bring the medications I prescribed from the pharmacy. She started telling me more details about her life. She told me that her husband wants to marry another woman as he does not want to wait anymore for a baby. She started crying saying “what will happen to me?” In rural India, it is common practice for a man to marry another woman if his first wife does not have children within the first few years of marriage. I consoled her and told that “I will try my best to help you, let me try to talk to him.” After some time, he came back with the medications. While talking to him, I slowly raised the topic of his second marriage. He told me that, he already waited for 5 years and does not want to wait anymore. I suggested to him that now that treatment has started, it would be good idea that he postpone his marriage plans for at least another 4-5 months and see if this treatment works or not. I convinced him and he agreed to wait until the treatment completes.

After four months, the same couple showed up in my clinic. She ran to me and touched my feet (it is an expression of gratitude in Indian culture). Tears of joy were rolling down her cheek. She was pregnant. She was very grateful to me as my treatment saved her marriage. He was also very happy and thanked me for my advice of postponing his second marriage plan. It was a highly rewarding moment, one which I will never forget!

Another couple was from a nearby state (Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India). They got transferred to my town on one project. They were married two years ago and were facing infertility problems. One day, the woman expressed that she wants to try my treatment. I started the treatment and they had a baby girl. To express their thanks, they gifted me a silver jewelry box, which I still have with me. 

Some of my patients who successfully completed my treatment come to meet me every time I visit India! It makes me feel very accomplished! It is a very gratifying experience to be able to make a difference in their lives! The best part of being a doctor is being able to make a difference every day!