Ultrasound Scan, ET and Power Disruption

Yesterday, was a special day.  It was the 8th of February 2012.  It was when we were to get documentary evidence.  An ultrasonic profile converted into an image of the fetus.  Apparently, we can now call it a fetus. Good Bye Embryo!

After the initial chaos of finding the right room, we are finally at the place. The Radiology lab of the hospital.  I always thought radiology dealt only with X-Ray, Krypton rays and Dr.Who stuff.  Apparently, they deal with ultrasonic’s too. At least in a hospital. 

The girl approaches Ingrid, ‘Please go and pass the urine’

'What?', Ingrid asks.

Hiding her shy smile, she repeats, ‘Pass the urine’

‘You need a Urine sample?’ Questions Ingrid.

I can see this conversation will not go anywhere, I interrupt, ‘No! She means you need to empty your bladder’

‘Ah…..pfft’

Ingrid is back. Before taking the liberty of joining Ingrid into the room, I ask the girl, if it is alright for me to come in. I am allowed. A small room with a screen partition.  Ingrid is summoned in.  I am told that I cannot enter that room until I am informed. 

Inside, Ingrid is asked to take off all clothes waist down.  After some moments,  I am told I can go in. In there Ingrid is lying on this high hospital bed. Covered by a blanket waist down.  All good so far.

A pleasant lady then walks in.  She is the one who will do the scanning.   An Arab, but surely not from the gulf region. On the upper right corner of the bed is the Ultrasound machine, which has a key board that looks more like the cockpit of a fly-by-wire aircraft.  

The moment of truth is here!

She takes this probe that resembles an oversized electric toothbrush.  Hand goes under the blanket…search! search! Search!.....the screen flickers…she makes adjustments.

A blurred image appears..

Yes!  I can see it. It has a head! It has a huge head!  It is ET.  And then she plays around a little with some of the buttons and levers and it gets even clearer.  I see this little blip a little below the head.  It seems to be pulsating. It is the heart. Is that not amazing?  A life is growing in there. 

 It has its own heart. I am told that most of the major organs are formed by this time.  It is absolutely, astonishing!  Unbelievable!  I am in a state of brain freeze.  If there is anything like that. 

This lady, does show us different angels of the fetus.  All is well she says.

At this moment, my paranoia is kicking in.   Since I am in absolute disbelief.  My mind wanders for a moment. What if it is a recorded replay of some other or someone else’s scan.  And not really a live run.  I think it is perfectly normal to think that.  Hence, I scan the machine in detail, and even what buttons and control she is actually toying with.  Nothing looks like a ‘playback’ sign.  Still…I have to be more observant, I tell myself.

Ingrid wants to see the heart.  And she shows it again..Beating away.  She then continues to do some adjustments.  A graphical representation of the heart appear.   And more adjustments she makes, and it is in surround sound mode now!!!  We hear the beat of ET’s heart!  It is raising away. Rather fast and in a hurry, but in perfect time intervals.  A little slower it could be a metronome. The sound of the beat reminds me of a panting canine. 

We continue with other angles of view.  The head in particular seems big.   It is supposed to be like that.  She decides to do a  kind of video clip.  As the 3 of us are eagerly watching..

Zap!   All goes dark….Power disruption!!! Absolute darkness.  Now what?

Well, we wait for a few minutes in the dim lighting of an emergency lamp.  It does not seem like any power is coming on.  This is not typical in Oman. I am irritated.  It was like a sneak preview to a movie. Just when the action starts, the bloody lights go out.

The lady tells us, that she cannot make a report. Obviously!!  But has all the details and will send it to the doctor once the power is back. 

We have no evidence yet!

At the doctors, today we have the whole team back. All happy and gay. The Doctor, The doctor’s assistant. And, the doctor’s assistants assistant.  She greets us with a smile, and asked Inrid how she is. And we tell her that the scan was done, but she must speak to the lady at the radiology lab, as we do not have a report.  Power black out and all. She speaks to her on the phone.

'You must take a lot of rest' she says

'There is  slight bleeding inside, but nothing to worry.  I  will  prescribe some medicine. It will arrest that'. 

Arrest that?  Does the medicine activate some biological police SWAT force that goes and does an arrest?  'You are under arrest'  These doctors!  They language they use!

Apparently, this is not unusual. So nothing to get all strung up about.  The biological police or tablet is called Duphaston 10 Mg.    I am always fascinated at doctors for one thing. How on earth do they remember these names!   And then the chemist. How the hell does he know, on which shelf the drug is. These people are amazing.

I ask her, 'Can she go to the gym and exercise as usual?'

She looks at us in shock and dismay. Not like I asked her to get on the table and strip or  pole dance!!!  She spews a barrage of words.  All we heard was,

‘No! no!  you can’t do that!  You can’t do anything like that. Please…you can’t. First trimester, you can’t do anything! So don’t do anything. Just rest, No?’

Oh!  Contrary to all that we have been reading. Well, doctor knows best!!

And then Ingrid asks, 'Can I swim?'

'No! No!  You can’t.  1^st trimester you cannot do anything. Please wait, no! Until this time and then later you can do anything.  Don’t worry, you won’t get fat!!!' 

Well, that was the end of that conversation. As we prepare to leave, Ingrid asks, 

'When do we come again'.

'You can come once a month. But, next time, when the medicine finishes, you can come'.

OK!  Thank you, Doctor.

I still do not have documentary evidence!!