However, do note that the laser treatment centre at Ipoh, Perak (i.e Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun) is a government hospital. Do not expect a private hospital service and ambience but rest assured that the doctors and nurses are as capable as the ones in Singapore, even more since they are able to take very good care of me and the babies. Cost wise: around RM2,000 including one night in a high dependency ward and a night in the normal ward (no air con), laser surgery plus medication, food and constant care from the doctors involved and extremely friendly nurses. There is a direct flight from Singapore to Ipoh via Firefly daily.
If you would like to travel further because you have the money to do so, the next nearest treatment centre is in Hong Kong or Australia - but be prepared to pay so much more and the percentage of both babies surviving is almost the same as if it was done in Ipoh.
This picture was taken on 12th May 2013, a day before I was warded in for the laser surgery. We had dinner at Regalodge Hotel where my parents and Hambril stayed while I am in hospital. It was Mother's Day, so they actually gave both me and my mom complimentary beverages to go with our dinner.
Regalodge Hotel is located right behind the maternity ward around 300m away, hence, very convenient for all of us, especially since Hambril and my parents had to go back and forth as hospital visiting hours are from 12pm to 2pm and later in the afternoon from 4 to 5.30pm. I cheated a little, my parents and Hambril brought in outside food during visiting hours because I craved for so many things after the surgery.
Laser surgery to cut off the connecting vessels from the donor and recipient twins was done on 13th May, very early in the morning at around 8.30am and lasted less than an hour as I had no major complications. I saw Hambril briefly before the surgery, did not get to meet my parents though as everything happened too quickly. Dr Japaraj had wanted the laser surgery to be done on the twins as soon as possible. During the surgery, I was surrounded by nurses and doctors who all encouraged me to say my prayers, the nurses even said prayers together with me just to make me feel relaxed. I donned the op robe with warmers all over me - the surgery room was really chilly. I was on local anesthetic and my heart was beating abnormally but as the surgery moved forward, I became more at ease while the nurses taking care of me all shared stories with me in order to alleviate my thoughts. My babies' saviour: Dr Japaraj, a MFM specialist, is very calm and thorough throughout the whole process - we can never thank him enough for everything he had done for the babies. Dr Japaraj has done many laser surgeries related to TTTS - he is well known in Asia and is recommended by Prof B, hence, rest assured that you will be in good hands (see also http://www.japaraj.com/ for more info on TTTS).
Lunch after surgery - My stomach and legs were still swelling, but I felt lighter and I can finally sit up. Minor contractions and heart palpitations did occur occasionally though after the surgery, but the best thing is, in the operation theatre, I actually saw my babies' faces through the scope - both were telling me that everything will be ok with their hand gestures. I thank Allah every day for the successful surgery and for rewarding me with the most beautiful gift ever, my baby boys. It is still quite a long way to go after the surgery - with more ailments cropping up every week or so but I am confident that everything will be all right in the end.
Bye bye Ipoh - thank you for the great hospitality, look at my bloated stomach!! Walking to the airplane was quite a feat, but nonetheless, I made it without a wheelchair. By week 28, my stomach had actually subsided to 2/3 of that size as the babies' fluid levels are more or less equalized.
Post surgery - in pain, but less pain, and happy faces because breakfast at Regalodge Hotel was awesome!!!
By week 25, we were already back in Singapore, I was on bed rest most of the time because I still had heart palpitations now and then though my contractions had subsided. My feet were still swelling and my stomach now has battle scars all over (tiger stripes and stitches at the corner). We met Prof B on week 25 for more follow ups - and that is when he proposed that we should consider going for subsidized treatments at NUH instead of Gleneagles.
With twins, and a high-risk pregnancy, we could not agree more with Prof B, so we made a very tough decision to change our obgyn and hence, our weekly affair at NUH from then onwards.
I want to thank everyone, my family and my friends and colleagues for their support during these trying weeks, firstly, my doctor at Gleneagles, Dr Ang, who had been taking care of me since day one, Prof Biswas and his team of sonographers and nurses at NUH who had been nothing but kind to us with their constant care and concern, Dr Japaraj and his team of Medical Officers and the nurses at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun for their great hospitality, my family for being there for me, especially my parents for sacrificing so much for me and the babies, my brother and sister who had been taking care of me during my HL, my aunts, uncles and cousins who had kept me and the babies in their prayers always and for sending us off at the airport, my in laws for their prayers and constant support, my childhood friends Kak Fiza and Kak Lalin together with their families for visiting me and making me laugh during one of the most difficult times in my life and last but not least, to my dearest husband, Hambril, for everything he has done, still doing and sacrificed, still sacrificing. Love you Bee!
<3
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