THE COUPLE – INSTANCE
Posted on Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 at 7:18 amMr and Mrs E., a wealthy Indian couple, had been trying to achieve a pregnancy since their arranged marriage two years previously. Mrs E. was frightened and withdrawn at her first visit to the infertility clinic at the hospital, but seemed to be somewhat relieved to find a female doctor present. Mr E. gave the history and spoke for her. They adhered to all the investigations and treatment regimes with precision. She was diagnosed as having polycystic ovarian disease, and underwent a year of gonadotrophin therapy to induce cycles of ovulation, but she still did not become pregnant. Only on one occasion did the doctor manage to examine Mrs E. on her own. She hinted at her despair about her failure to conceive, and at the lack of fun with sex, but her allegiance to her upbringing and to her husband prevented her from letting go of any of her own feelings.
Several times on visits to the hospital, tears would appear but they would be stifled by her husband’s words, ‘Don’t worry, she will be all right soon.’ They were both sad when it was agreed that treatment should stop, but the doctor was again told not to worry as they would be fine. The only treatment left to them was to consider in vitro fertilization, where the fertilizing power of the sperm could be studied as well as ovulation. This idea must have posed difficulties for Mr E. but he could not share them with any member of the clinic staff.
Several months elapsed before Mr E. telephoned to say that they would like a private referral to be admitted on to the assisted conception programme at a nearby centre: he asked for it to be done immediately because he had got his wife in the mood for it now. An offer to come and discuss it again was firmly but politely refused.
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