Cost of fertility checks and IUI

There were no other obvious reasons on what we need to do  (other than to remove the polyp) to get pregnant naturally but our doctor did mention that i need to have the polyp removed if we are going to do the IVF. I believe in the clinic’s stand point , they also want to have higher pregnancy success rate (well, of cos a win-win situation for both of us). But i were afraid of there will be any side effect after i removed polyp thus we went ahead with our first attempt of IUI. This took place in April 2018.

Before I move on to my IUI experience , I want to mention that if you are comfortable with any doctors, i would suggest to get a referral letter from polyclinic so that your fertility checks will be subsidised by the government ( applicable to Singaporean and Permanent Residents(?) only ). My bff took the subsidised route and paid about 50% ( for the checks and IUI) of what we had paid for. And fyi, we paid almost $2500 for the tests and consultation (my spouse +me) that included the Tubal Contrast Sonogram (Layman term:Tubes checking procedure)

Since most of the blood tests and scans are actually done by the nurses thus at this stage, in my personal opinion, you do not need a dedicated doctor to handle your case. Just  another note that if you requested for male/female doctor, that will put you as a private patient as well.

For the IUI procedure:

  • You will need to be legally married and of cos, the man who produced the sperm specimen needs to be the same man on the marriage certificate.
  • You will need to clear off for HIV , Hep C, Hep B and venereal disease (thorough blood tests).
  • My rubella vaccine had worn off so i needed to retake the vaccine.

Money Saving Tip: You could include some of the blood tests into your company-claimable medical checkup if any and you plan to do IUI or IVF so that you do not need to retake again. But bear in mind, there’s validity of how long the results can be used, HIV is 6 months and the rest are a year. 

Once you are cleared on the above, doctor would assess what kind of medication or treatment to aid you in ovulation. For my case, i took oral medications (i.e clomids) from the 2nd day of my menses and continuously for 5 days. And of course, you might have some side effects. One of friend had drastic mood swing and she didn’t like the feeling of it as she will just seems to break down out of no where. I do not feel much of the difference but B said i do. Haha oh well.

You could read it here on what will happen on the day of your IUI. 

So what happen next after the IUI?

Simply , stay relax and happy and wait till the day to take the pregnancy test.  :)

Monthly failed attempt

I’m 37 this year. Had been trying to conceive for 4 years and still no good news.

Hopefully not many of you out there are experiencing the same as me.

My best friend got married earlier than me and did not really try until she is about 33(?). We always joked that why people got pregnant so easily in TV dramas so we did not take it serious till we really try to conceive.

Initially it started with “oh , fail attempt again” (when menses came that month) during the first 2 months and same thing happen again and again. This dragged on for a year. It started to get depressing.

I started to panic. I do not wish to be 高齡產婦 (pregnant woman of aged 35 and above) and i was thinking probably stress (?) or typical women’s problem like “cold womb” etc. We started with TCM consultation but we did not continue. Cannot remember why we did not continue either.

You might be thinking why i did not go for a checkup instead. Somehow i have this fear that the problem lies in me and the inner part of me does not want to face it which is a selfish thinking. :(

Then the changes in our career put this temporarily on hold though we continue trying every month. Sometimes to the extent that B actually said that it feels like an “overtime” for him . Lol! Oh well… we only have ONE chance.

Another year just went by. My mother-in-law started to get anxious again maybe she was thinking we do not want any kids. We do really want but it’s not happening. And she suggested to consider adoption but personally i find it difficult to love another one’s child. I really salute to those who really could do that! The children are really blessed!

Towards the end of 2016, B and I decided to go for a full medical checkup and found that there’s no problem with B instead the scans showed that I have a polyp (growth) on the uterus wall.

“Will this affect my rate of pregnancy?”

The answer is yes, as implantation of the embryo could be anywhere on the uterus. So eventhough the polyp is small, it’s still affecting the chance. it’s like the chance of getting pregnant is about 20% if you do it naturally and now it becomes maybe 15% or even lesser.

In order to remove that , i have to be on general anaesthesia (GA). This will be my first surgery in my then 36 years.

“Will i die?”

“Will i woke up with side effects?”

“What if the GA doesnt work on me? And i could feel the pull and scrap in me throughout the operation?”

“What if …”

So many negative thoughts running wild in my head.

 

 

 

 

Birthday Trip to Phuket

I was hesitating when B suggested to go to Phuket. I was like thinking “omg, no shopping?!” but we still went ahead to book since Jetstar was having a some sort of a mid night promotion.

Tickets for 2 with one check in luggage at $270! which i think it was a good bargain ! ( i know , i know , it was not dirt cheap but it was still cheap!)

Our stay at Chennalai Garden Resort was remarkable! i think this is the first time i stayed in such nice and cheap (yeah i’m a cheapskate) hotel! I was expecting like at least SGD 100 per night for a seaview hotel but here it cost us around $78/ night (seaview and with breakfast) and not forgetting it was like 3 min walk to the Kata beach! I think the previous stay at Patong was not really enjoyable as it was too crowded and for some reason i did not remember that the beach was as nice as Kata! but if you are someone who wants a bit of a beach life and more of nightlife holiday, Patong would be a better choice!

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Escaping from the “very unhealthy” PSI from Singapore to beach paradise Phuket was one of the most enjoyable moment! I was worried when i heard news that the haze actually reached Phuket but we were blessed that we did not continue to be engulfed in the haze instead we had enjoyed one of the best weather we had for months!

View from the room    Kata beach   Kata Beach

We made a trip to the Phuket Weekend Market. It’s like a smaller scale of Chatuchak. So we booked a cab at the hotel which cost us THB600, i was thinking that’s about THB 1200 for a return trip! Personally i find that’s quite lot of money. Moving around in Phuket is expensive , i would suggest to book a personal driver or from Phuket Shuttle. we used their airport service and so far they are safe and punctual. Another alternative that we tried was GrabCar! (I find it kind of weird that Uber is somewhat banned in Phuket but not Grabcar) Anyway , they are having a promotion till end of Nov 2015 that is THB300 off per trip , maximum of 3 trips, so B and I would have total of 6 trips! Always look out for promos where possible!

 

4th week

Here I am. Writting. 

Start of 4th week of my first business trip to Eindoven. Till the last moment, on the day of my flight, i could not believe that that i am going away for 5 weeks business trip.

Then again, i really appreciate the opportunity that i have got here. Learning to be independent and figuring my way out in a foreign country.

Adventurous yet timid of the thought “what if i got robbed?” , “what if i got lost?”, “what if ..?”

Just thinking of the problems does not get me to anywhere. I remembered telling someone i lacked of confidence. She asked:”In what way that makes me feel that way?” After sharing, she said “you lacked of preparation, that was why you do not feel confident”

Come think of it. It’s true.

“What if i got lost?”

I have wifi, battery pack, a phone and a mouth that can speak a common language. What makes myself think that i will get lost?

“What if i got robbed?”

I do not look flashy, my stuffs are well kept. And does not even looks like an easy target. What makes me think that someone would waste such an effort to rob me?

Stay calm and think. Counter fear with logic.

Family

Family.

Unspoken love.

Unlimited tolerance.

Endless forgiveness.

Everyone express love differently. My parents always quarrel over little things but when one fell ill, the other put everything aside and wants to be by her side.

I remembered there was once my mum dropped a claypot (luckily not directly on her foot) the bigger bits and pieces cut and left a few deep wounds on her foot. She called me and was unable to describe the situation properly.

“I dropped the claypot and ..and.. Blood is everywhere” she told me over the phone while i was on the way to office. I freaked out.

“Stay where you are! Don’t move! I’m coming back” i hang up. Dashed through the MRTgantries and got into the cab.

Dad was cleaning up the scene. I was still able to see smudges of blood on the white marble floor. Mum was sitting at her usual chair with toilet papers soaking with blood rolled up at her ankle.

“Omg!” I exclaimed.

“Let’s go to the hospital” Dad said.

Mum probably felt at ease when both of us are home and sluggishly picked up her bag and slowly limped to the car.

“I was at the polyclinic and received mum’s call. I rushed home by cab and forgot to pick up my medicine” Dad explained while driving to the hospital.

For someone only takes buses and never ever take cabs even when he’s ill actually rushed home via cab at that moment.

Having heard that, Mum would still said “you do not need to rush back what” eventhough she felt the sweetness from Dad deep down in her heart.

While waiting for our turn, Dad waited patiently for us in the car which i think took an hour to clean up the wounds and do further checkup to ensure no broken pieces in the wounds.

Mum was discharged on the same day and we had lunch together. Everything went back to normal the following day.

That was actually the first time i see Dad did care for Mum in an more open manner.

Let your family knows you love them too today. :)

MACS application

The 新光大道 had expired. The feeling of the express queue is like a star walking on the red carpet ( without waving hands at your fans/supporters).

The normal proceduce would be just renewing the pass before crossing the causeway.

Over the weekend ( 9th Jan 2016), the moment i stepped onto the Malaysia’s custom, the office was in pit black and there was a banner just right outside of it. As usual, the custom was chaotic. The huge army of people right in front of us. I quickly snapped a picture of the banner and joined the queue.

“Damn, this gonna take at least an hour”

Having no choice, B had to join the queue with me. I took out the photo to have a second look.
“So, they have a office in Singapore now? Does that mean that the fee going to be charged in SGD?”

B :” definitely”

Feeling helpless without data access, i tried googling for more information on the relocation when i am back home.

In summary

  • MACS can only be done in Singapore unless you have properties in Iskandar, you could do that in JB.
  • Your passport needs to be valid for 2 years before it expires
  • You have to apply it in your physical self personally. You can’t bring all your 祖宗十八代 passports and submit on their behalf.
  • Bring your IC
  • It’s going to cost you SGD 35 ( yes, it’s stated on the vendor’s website, $15 goes to the Malaysia’s government and the balance goes to the service fee of the vendor. Hey, at least they are honest about it).
  • You need a HARDCOPY of passport photo.
  • You could only apply during working hours ( 830am-430pm). Applications received/ processed before 2pm, you could pick it up the following day (730pm – 9pm, yeah to afterwork hours, skipping dinner to collect the passport …).
  • Your passport will be kept by them for 1-2 days depending when you submit the applications.

Here am i, updating this at MEVAS, the one stop center. Reached around 940am, and most likely i need to wait for at least 2 hours? The poor staffs have to endure with all the anger from the public when they are just paid to service the applications. I think i see at least 1 in 4 applicants making noise at the counter.

Oh well, CNY is coming, just want to get this done to avoid the queue and hope that they will starts doing the MACS application back at the custom again. Meh.

#macs #singapore #jb #causewaywoes

We came back to Malaysia home on friday night because B needed to get up early today to 扫墓.

The queue at woodlands check was .. Ok that was besides the point.

B came home after 扫墓 and told me he saw “bloomed” trees on the way back and will bring me there on his grandfather’s old scooter.

The scooter stalled halfway by the way. Lol so paiseh. Those young kids who saw us might thought that i was too heavy and caused the engine to stall. Damn those kids!

So we got to the place… It was really beautiful and amazing! The whole trees were covered with flowers!

Here are the pictures taken with iPhone 5, edited with snapseed!

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Jeju Day 1 : Manjanggul

it was around 4pm but we still went ahead to the Manjanggul Cave (knowing that it closed at 6pm) as it’s freaking far from our hotel. Hence instead of taking bus 700 to the cave which i think it would takes another hr or so, we took a cab instead and it was about USD 25-30 (cannot remember the exact amount)

The driver was nice enough to point us the bus stop as he mentioned that it’s difficult to get a cab at Manjanggul .

We got there in about 30 min time and it’s a long way in from the bus stop which i read it’s about 20-30 min walk.

Here we were at the Manjanggul Cave.

we arrived!

we arrived!

Almost there

Almost there

the tickets

the tickets

 

I did not upload a lot of photos about this place cause it’s too dark and most of my photos turned out blurry..

Interesting place , you are part of the lava that once flowed through these lava tubes. But most of the time I was walking through the place looking down cause there were potholes and i was worried that I will just stumbled into puddle of water unknowingly. The place was chilly and damp. I would suggest to bring a cardigan at least even though you are visiting the place during summer.

potholes

potholes

Manjanggul

Manjanggul

the massive lava tube

the massive lava tube

Manjanggul

Manjanggul

end of the cave

end of the cave

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the glare

the glare

After visiting Manjanggul, we walked our way out instead of taking the shuttle bus.

While walking out, we passed by the Gimnyeong Maze Park  which is situated between Manjnggul and the bus stop. Though we have some time (an hour) before it closed at 7pm, I decided to skip it cause it’s getting dark and I do not want to walk out to the bus stop in darkness. Be early if you want to drop by Gimnyeong Maze Park.

And how lucky we were to capture this amazing sunset !

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more sunset <3

more sunset <3

sunset <3

sunset <3

We got to the bus stop and as usual we saw the massive timetable and we could not tell what time the bus is coming. We waited patiently and the bus was moving so fast that we could not see the number (780) clearly so B just flagged whatever bus that came first.

This time we to make use of the T money card that we bought at Incheon airport. It’s not like Ezlink. It works more like a cash card. You would need to tell the driver where you are going so that he can punch in something before you can tap your card on device.

B told the driver that we are going to “seogwipo” and so we tapped the card and sat down. Soon later , the driver stopped the bus and asked us to alight. We were shocked but then we realized that he thought we wanted to go “seongsan”. Haha so actually he’s nice enough to tell us to alight!

And it was time for dinner!

Most of restaurants were already closed by the time we got back to Seogwipo. Another must try on the list is the BBQ black pork. With our limitation in conversing with the locals, we do not know whether the BBQ pork that we ate were from “black pigs” . B loves it. He said that was the best meal in the whole trip.

the dinner

the dinner

After dinner, we strolled our way back to the hotel.

Seogwipo at night

Seogwipo at night

 

 

Jeju Day 1 – Seongsan Ilchulbong

Made our way to the bus terminal. It’s probably about 15 min walk from the hotel. I was expecting an interchange but instead it’s just the size of 2 bus stops joined together. Oh well, that’s the bus terminal.

to the bus terminal (circled in yellow) from little france

to the bus terminal (circled in yellow) from little france

We were checking out and staring at the map at the bus stop for a while and a nice helpful Korean lady tried to help us with .. er..  Korean.

 

this was part of the thing that we were starring at

this was part of the thing that we were starring at

 

Anyway B managed to figure out what she’s trying to tell us. She mentioned “30″ . So I asked B , what she meant? ” the frequency?, the journey duration? The next bus?”

B : /shrugs

So we approached the old man behind the ticketing booth and pointed to the Korean words on my ipad for Seongsan. He went “ahhhh”, wrote something on a piece of paper and showed us a right hand and index finger of the left hand onto the opened right hand.

“15″?

B said :”6″

Amazed at how he can read the folks’ mind. All of us laughed. The bus ticket cost us KRW 3000 each which is 10 x cheaper (i think) comparing to taking taxi.

We bowed to show our thank you and board the bus 700 soon after. Taking transport in Jeju is not difficult ( just need to know which bus number to take). There is voice announcement (in 4 languages; korean, english, chinese and japanese)of next stop and next next  bus stop in the bus. So just need to listen carefully and hit the bell.

On the journey there, the bus stopped for a while, the driver actually went for a quick smoke and back again. I don’t think our Singapore drivers can do that! Haha it was quite a sight actually.

After a while, the bus stopped again and we saw he went to buy himself a drink! lol!

Photos took during our journey there and the bus ride from terminal to Seongsan is about an hour.

9km more!

9km more!

 

 

Butcher shop

small butchery

alighted at the wrong stop .. so near yet so far

alighted at the wrong stop .. so near yet so far

Almost there!

Almost there!

almost almost!!

almost almost!!

 

Reached and bought 2 tickets!

tickets for 2!

tickets for 2!

Dolhareubang at Seongsan

Dolhareubang at Seongsan

 

here we go!

here we go!

Midway at Seongsan

Midway at Seongsan

Finally got to the top! It was not as spectacular but it’s still beautiful! Cannot imagine how beautiful if we get to see the sunrise in this clear sky.

Top of Seongsan!

Top of Seongsan!

 

to descend

to descend

decending trail

decending trail

 

Manjanggul was the next destination!