March 29 – Late Posting
Next day we went to the Hospital where our Family Gynecologist visits. She had taken an appointment for us for the Plastic Surgeon there. We were there on time ( Like always ) and again we went through the Registration Process, filing the form and receiving a card.
We were waiting in the main reception for the Plastic Surgeon to come. About 30 min later the Doc came, looked pretty young and very young compared to our Old Doc. He took us to a cabin inside.
We showed him the reports and explained him what the Radiologist told about the baby. He was not the sugar coated bitter pill types. He said in one sentence – “If I was the Parent of this baby – I would get it aborted” – wait come again did I just hear it right?? man that was too straight forward for our comfort.
Again shaken Vanitha had tears, The Plastic Surgeon-Hospital of Good Repute and his personal opinion would be to abort – this was too much for her. Doc sent another comment like an arrow in an already punctured heart, he said “It’s better you cry now rather than you and the baby crying all life”. he explained further. “This the the most severe in case of Cleft & Palate, you guys are young, you can always have another baby, this baby’s surgery no surgeon can give you 100% assurance”, hmm “no assurance on the scars no assurance on the shape of the nose, no assurance on the Nasal Voice”
We thanked him and then took leave from there, called my family Gyn and told her will visit her clinic and discuss, she said she was in hospital only and told to come imd and meet her. She was very curious to know what happen. I told what the Doc said, she was shocked initially, even spoke to the Plastic Surgeon over the phone and discussed the case.
She said everything in one clever sentence – she said “The Plastic Surgeon has made your decision easier” – slowly my mind was starting to accept the fate, starting to accept the reality. She further tried her level best to console- by then weeping Vanitha. She talked about cases where in both the parent and child had to suffer all life.
But Common those cases she spoke were about the Physical Deformity and Mental Challenges. How can you abort a child just because the child will not be good looking having scars on the face and may be nasal voice. Are we not expecting too much from the baby?? are we not threatening the baby? either you come out handsome and beautiful or Iam gonna kill you” On the other hand we did not want our baby to face it, we did not want the baby to have social problems, we did not want the baby to be ashamed of her / himself.
At once what the Doc told made sense and in the other hand what I thought also made sense, more question raised and the most important one – Will I take life of a baby because it may have an lil deformed face??
We decided to share this news and first with our Parents – I called them and said wanted to meet them at 5 PM, a bit shattered and a lot confused.
I told Vanitha – lets calm things down, lets go for a movie, have food outside, go the mall. It sounded all funny, but then It would be impossible to remain silent, I just did not want to think anything about what the Doc said till eve. We went to the Forum Mall – it looked very empty, movie – well we still start thinking about the baby, restaurant – we decided to go Gramin for Lunch. Seated there Vanitha made a startling discovery – When we came to know she was pregnant, we went there and after that only today we went back to that Restaurant.
