Virika FF: New Beginnings - Page 4

Chapter 4

The next week seemed like a slow haze for Jeevika. She was distracted and easily upset by the smallest things. The family blamed it on the high-strung emotions caused by pregnancy, but Manvi knew better. She approached her sister in the middle of the week and demanded an explanation. Jeevika broke down and told her everything...but made her promise not to say a word to the rest of the family about it.

The day when she was to go for the ultrasound, she could not stop fidgeting or relax even for a moment. "Jeevika," Viren said, while he drove them to the hospital, "Everything will be okay." She had been abstractedly toying with the cell phone in her hands, gazing out of the window, and had nearly dropped it a couple times. "Jeevika?" he tried again.

She started, "Haan, Virenji? What were you saying?"

"Jeevika, you need to relax. This anxiety is not healthy for you, or the baby, okay? I'm sure everything will be fine. Remember, the doctor said there is only a 5% chance of you having a weak cervix."

"And what if I am one of the 5%?" she asked, desolately.

"Even if you are...which I highly doubt, there is a treatment available. And with the treatment, you and the baby will be perfectly alright. Theek hain?" he covered her quivering hand with one of his own.

He parked the car in the parking lot and went to open the door for her, holding her hand in a firm grip as he led them into the waiting room.

"Virenji..." she began quietly, "We've waited so long for this baby."

"We did and then we got Mansi. Now, by some miracle of God, you've become pregnant, even though the doctor said it was impossible. Do you think He would take away this miracle, now?" Viren asked her, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles gently.

"But, what if-"

He cut her off, "Nothing will happen, nothing to the baby. No matter what the doctor tells us now, our baby will be born healthy and on time. Did you know how many different cases this doctor has dealt with? He's internationally recognized. And he told me that because I came to him now, if you do have a problem, then there will be no need to worry because it can be treated. See, how God has been taking care of you? He will not allow anything to happen to our baby, I am 100% certain."

Jeevika nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder. She and Manvi had gone to the temple to pray that morning for good results from the doctor. Surely she would be fine. And even if her cervix was weak, it would be taken care of, the baby would be fine.

"Mrs. Jeevika Vadhera?" the receptionist called her name.

Jeevika stood up and holding her husband's hand tightly, made her way into the room. A nurse gave her the hospital gown to wear and she went to go change into it in the dressing room, while Viren waited for her. She came out, fiddling with the tie at the waist, her hands too shaky to do it properly. Viren tied it for her, caressing her stomach, before saying, "I'm here, okay? Always."

She nodded and went to lie down on the bed. It wasn't long before the nurse returned to conduct the ultrasound. "You'll be able to see your baby," the nurse told them, "But, that's not why we're here, today. We're going to be detecting dilation in the cervix. From your medical history and the details from your first pregnancy, the doctor determined certain symptoms that could possibly mean a weakened cervix, but as he already told you, the problem is very rare."

Viren nodded, holding his wife's hand. The nurse continued, "Also, we will not be able to determine if Mrs. Vadhera has this problem today. In fact, we will have to bring you in for ultrasounds for another few weeks before we can determine for sure. But, Dr. Chakravarthy has a history of detecting problems early in one's pregnancy, so it is very likely he will tell you today if he thinks you may have laceration of the cervix. And even if he does think you do, or you don't, we will still bring you in for the next few weeks until we know for certain. We will be measuring the length of your cervix to note if there are any significant changes, okay?" Jeevika nodded bravely.

The nurse conducted the ultrasound and after a few minutes, pointed to a gray splotch on the screen, "Mr. and Mr. Vadhera, there is your baby."

Happy tears came to Viren and Jeevika's eyes as they saw their child for the first time. It truly was a miracle, that she had been able to get pregnant, that there was a junior Vadhera residing in her stomach at that moment. They could hardly believe it. But, could it be possible that their happiness could be taken away from them?

Viren and Jeevika sat in the doctor's office, waiting for him to arrive.

"Virenji, our baby looks so sweet," Jeevika said, smilingly. Viren was glad to see her happy.

"Now, I am certain, she is a girl," he told her.

"Nahi, he's a boy," Jeevika protested.

"How do you know?"

"I know," she said confidently, "I'm his mother, aren't I?"

"Arrey, then who am I? His uncle?"

She laughed, a pure sound that lifted Viren's spirits, but a sound that abruptly stopped when the doctor entered the room, Jeevika's file in his hand.

"Dr. Chakravarthy, are the results alright?" Jeevika asked anxiously.

"There aren't any problems, are there?" Viren queried at the same time.

"Mr. and Mrs. Vadhera, it is as yet too early to determine if Mrs. Vadhera does have laceration of the cervix...however, from the ultrasound results...and your previous medical history...I believe, Mrs. Vadhera, that yes, you do have laceration of the cervix."

Viren stared at him in shock, numbed by the news, but Jeevika was still fighting to remain strong, "Leken, even if I do have a weak cervix, there is treatment, right? The baby will be okay?"

"Yes, Mrs. Vadhera, there is a treatment available. After you are 14 weeks pregnant, if you do indeed choose this option, then we will perform a cerclage. A surgical suture would be inserted into the cervix. Between 36-38 weeks we will remove the suture to make sure there are no problems when you go into labor, however, Mrs. Vadhera, you will need to stay in the hospital overnight, for us to monitor premature contractions or labor."

"Are there other, less painful options?" Viren finally found his voice again, although it cracked with strain.

"No, no other options," the doctor replied.

"But, the baby will be fine, after this, right?" Jeevika asked desperately. She didn't care. She would undergo any physical pain if it meant her baby would be born healthy.

The doctor sighed, "There are some minor risks involved, but the possibility of them occurring is greatly less than the benefits. The success rate of this procedure is between 80-90%."

"What are the risks?" Viren asked, apprehensive.

"Like I said, the risks are minimal and I feel that this option could save the life of your baby, but you should be aware that there can be rupture of the uterus or the bladder and there can be preterm labor, as well as maternal hemorrhage, which is heavy bleeding for the mother, as well as infection. You should know that without this procedure, if Mrs. Vadhera does have a weak cervix, she will most likely have a miscarriage and the baby will die. But, even if she does have the cerclage...there is a small chance that you may lose the baby, anyway."