The history of our son, Semih
During the second date with my partner she was honest and told me about her bipolar disorder.
In the first days of our marriage I experienced that she has to constantly use lithium in the following 5 years and resumes the medication use after her pregnancy. According to my figures, pregnancy was forbidden for the next 2 years.
After the 2 years, we began to visit many doctors. Our doctor working at the Gureba Foundation wanted us to have the endocrinology investigation done. After the endocrinology monitoring we started to struggle with the side effect of Lithium such as TSH,T3,T4. My wife stopped using Lithium. She resumed her pharmacotherapy with Cetiapin and Olanzapin but her attacks began to relapse in different seasons.
We decided to see another doctor again. The professor we saw at the private hospital was specialized on different patients and we desisted from seeing this doctor. On the recommendation of my brother who is a doctor and his wife we visited Dr. Esat Timuçin Oral. He directed us to the Mood Center.
In the Mood Center, controls and the pacification of the attacks were implemented. Daily pleasant or unpleasant conditions caused the start of my wife’s attacks. The attacks were kept under control, the medications were reduced gradually and the use of Lithium was stopped. So it was allowed my wife to get pregnant. But we got stressed and therefore the attempts of getting pregnant were unsuccessful. She had to do restart the use of medications.
The main precondition for getting pregnant was the stopping of the use of Lithium!
We began to live intrafamilial problems. Our psychiatrist advised us to go to a family therapist and we started the therapies.
The number of therapy settings exceeded the number anticipated. I was being able to begin a second study and maintain a balance between the study, work and family with the support of my wife. Previously, I graduated from the faculty of education but I couldn’t give up this job because I got a training linked to construction at my high school. My biggest goal was to take architectural education. Architectural education was accompanied with sleepless nights, delayed pregnancy and for this I needed the support of my wife.
Our family therapist said: ‘One day, one of you may be a good architect and the other of you a good lawyer but your marriage can be over. You should see mutual sacrifices and should be thankful.’ We kept these statements in mind.
In 2013, I completed my study. I experienced a successful studentship period. In September 2013, our doctor, Erhan Kurt, told us about the doctor, Nazan Aydin, who recently came to treat women wanting to get pregnant. Each new doctor was linked to feelings such as sadness and disappointment. The time when the new doctor received patients wanting to get pregnant, was a beginning of new period and a chance for us.
No doctor took risks related the potential unpleasant consequences of Lithium for the infant. They would permit to get pregnant only if the risks are reduced to a minimum. In this period, the medication dose was reduced to a minimum and consequently it was allowed to get pregnant.
However it couldn’t happen again because of my health problems. I started my treatment and 3 weeks later, I experienced that we can get a baby. Then, we contacted the Medical Faculty Çapa for the implantation.
In March 2014, after the elections, the attack of my wife relapsed. During experiencing her attack she got unintended pregnant. My wife was taking her medications. This unintended pregnancy triggered worries as well as pleasant feelings. This period required a worried and accurate monitoring. According to the gynecologist, the probability of Lithium’s risks for side effects was lower than the probability of the risk for getting a child with Down syndrome. In the following weeks, we felt relieved when we saw on the ultrasound images, that the lips and the development of our unborn child were normal. During pregnancy, the use of Lithium has never been interrupted.
As our son was born on 12 December 2014, we were happy that our child was healthy. On 12 December 2015; we celebrated the first birthday of our son – we thank all the doctors who helped us (psychiatrist, gynecologist, internist, experts in endocrinology, genetic medicine, and in neurology) midwives, nurses and experts whose names don’t come to my mind.
S.B. 20/12/2015
