Patient Journey

I came across Dr. Roshni quite by chance. The doctor I had tried booking, was on holiday in the week I was due. Since I had heard her name from more than couple of people, I decided to meet Dr. Roshni.

At the first appointment, I could tell that she did know her job very thoroughly, answering all my medical and personal questions with text book precision, clearly spelling out all the pros and cons.

But what delighted me were 2 things:

  • That she believed in customizing the care based on the patient’s personal beliefs and preferences as far as possible (how medicalised or natural I wanted to keep it).
  • And secondly, unlike most doctors, today, who are always in such a rush, that you almost feel guilty asking them too many questions, she made it very clear that since it was my first time, I could take all the time to resolve all my concerns and queries.

 

After over an hour, I left feeling so reassured about the person who was going to care for me over the next 8 months or so… And that feeling of reassured confidence is the best treatment Dr. Roshni gave me throughout my pregnancy!

 

Subsequently the following months continued to be an exhilarating and exciting journey, with Dr. Roshni being a very integral part.

She was always very precise on my situation, explaining routine tests and checks planned, their reasons, the progress we were making, next steps etc.

Whenever I would get paranoid about a niggling pain or unusual symptom, she was always just a phone call away and mails always received a prompt answer, even on weekends or while she was on holiday.

I once developed a severe pain and called her through the day, narrating my symptoms.

She reassured me it was nothing to worry about. But since I continued to be anxious, she got her colleague on duty to see me at the hospital as she had other commitments. Her colleague was of an equally high standard and it ended up being just an innocuous muscle stretch.
In Month 7, my pregnancy suddenly changed from a perfect pregnancy where I was in glowing health, to a high risk pregnancy.

I was detected with Gestational Diabetes – a rude shock for someone who has no family history of diabetes and someone who is extremely fit and slim.

Dr. Roshni balanced so carefully between being a huge emotional support, almost like a friend and balancing it with the firm doctor that she could be when needed.

When she suspected a problem, she got my reports from the lab and called me herself to give me the bad news, rather than letting me get it from a stranger in the lab. She was calm, explaining that it was a potential risk, but with close monitoring and discipline, it could all be controlled with no risk to me or the baby.

And she was firm about ensuring that I was disciplined! I was petrified at subjecting myself to needle pricks to check my blood sugars through the day, so I asked her if I could do it less often/ not do it at all. Her answer was a firm ‘no’ – as professional as a doctor can be – making it amply clear that she knew what was right and wrong for me at that stage.

Anyway we coped through the 3 months. I was sure I didn’t want any medication for my gestational diabetes, that I worried would affect the baby. She assured me that if I followed a painfully strict diet, she could avoid the medication. Her instructions were clear and I was very disciplined.

And we made it through the 10 odd weeks with the sugars well controlled, without any complications.

D-day finally arrived. I called her at 6am narrating what I thought was labour setting in. Promptly she asked me to come to the hospital and she was there quickly to check me. Sure enough, I was in labour. I had been keen on a natural birth, but the most important thing for me was to ensure the baby and I were healthy. Whatever that meant in terms of birthing process, I was open to.

Again, with her usual precision, she explained that the baby’s heart beat was dropping with the contractions. So she wanted me to consider a Caesarean. We decided to opt for a Caesarean, without a minute’s hesitation.

The choice was entirely mine. But I had reached a level of understanding with Dr. Roshni, where I trusted her completely and could read her signals.

And it ended up being the easiest thing I have done! 15 minutes in the OT and the baby arrived. The surgery was completed in 45 minutes after that, without me having felt anything more than a prick on my back in the first minute.

The recovery was also smooth and quick. Even though all was going well, Dr. Roshni would come by twice a day, for the 3 days I was in hospital, to ensure all was on track. One evening, she even came by a third time, unexpectedly, to say hi to my mum who was visiting.

Back home with the baby, my world changed (it was wonderful of course!). But I was almost so used to call Dr Roshni at the slightest symptom that I called her about a cold I developed after a few weeks. She was lovely as always, saying she could advise me, but was no longer the expert, as I didn’t need a gynaecologist for a cold anymore.

We have moved from London to Paris now. I am not sure how it would work out, as we don’t have a place to stay in London anymore. But I am already thinking of how I can be back in her care, if I had another baby.

Raka Sinha