A type of pregnancy that I tried to explain to both of them that “the pregnancy cannot continue, should have an abortion” is a couple whose unborn child has severe thalassemia.
This might be a bit difficult, but believe it or not, it’s within us.
Really, because I’m talking about the “blood system and oxygen transport.”
The moment we pop our heads out of our mother’s vagina and scream for dear life to breathe in air to expand our lungs, the body’s gas exchange process begins immediately.
Air is inhaled into the lungs, reaching the deepest part which is the capillary system. Oxygen gas is drawn into the blood vessels, with hemoglobin on the surface of red blood cells acting as the carrier, and then transported to other parts of the body by the pumping force of the heart.
The point of the story I’m about to tell is hemoglobin and the abnormalities of this hemoglobin. We call it “thalassemia.”
Hemoglobin is determined to be produced by the genetics of both the father and the mother, half each. Now, if one of them happens to be a carrier of the abnormality in hemoglobin production, they can pass this genetic trait to their child. And if they hit the jackpot, the child receives the thalassemia genes from both parents simultaneously, they will have full-blown thalassemia.
Some types might just be slightly pale, with misshapen red blood cells, and may never need a blood transfusion in their lifetime. Some types might be a bit more severe, with severely misshapen red blood cells and extreme paleness, requiring regular blood transfusions. These children will have similar appearances: high cheekbones, pale to the point of being yellowish, enlarged liver and spleen causing a protruding belly, and in some types, the fetus will die in the womb. But this group often doesn’t die alone because their placenta is very large, causing the mother to develop severe preeclampsia, seizures, and possibly die if we don’t abort in time or don’t deliver the baby and placenta quickly.
It’s very important that we identify at-risk couples, meaning both are carriers of the disease. If they have a child together (not counting those pregnant by a lover who is not a carrier), we must diagnose whether their child has the disease. We will perform an amniocentesis to check.
Not confused, right?
“Why did this pregnant woman find out so late that she is a thalassemia carrier?” Aunt Ple mumbled when she found out that the pregnant woman in front of her, who was already 17 weeks pregnant, just found out that her blood test was abnormal, even though we had known the results for a month.
Normally, we would follow up with the patient immediately to get her husband to come for a blood test.
“I’ve called her several times, but the patient never answers the phone,” explained Naow, the expert on this matter, to Aunt Ple.
“This is very important. We don’t have much time to handle this. Please call her husband to come for a blood test,” Aunt Ple turned to the pregnant woman sitting in front of her.
“I told him already, but he won’t come. He said he can’t come, his boss won’t let him,” she said.
“Tell the doctor, where does your boyfriend work?” I was curious to see what Aunt Ple would do next.
“He works right downstairs here.”
“Huh..?” Aunt Ple probably looked puzzled.
“Downstairs is the basement of our hospital. Oh, he’s one of our own. What’s going on?” I mumbled to myself.
“Gan, can you call this person for me? He works in our hospital. Tell him to come up for a blood test,” Gan is the key person in my hospital’s antenatal department. If you want to know anything about a patient, ask Gan. Can’t remember the patient’s name? Ask Gan. Where is that patient? When is the appointment? Ask Gan. Anything, just ask Gan.
Not long after, Gan came in after managing to call that man.
“He said he didn’t know he had to come for a blood test, Aunt Ple,” she said.
What the heck.
“No..” This time the room was silent because the patient was probably frustrated.
“He’s not telling the truth. The truth is I didn’t actually call him, but I told him in person to come for a blood test. Understand, doctor? Told him in person, didn’t use the phone. He said himself he couldn’t come, his boss wouldn’t let him,” she was upset.
“Alright, understood. Told in person means told in person,” Aunt Ple told me she found it funny.
“Gan, do whatever it takes to get this woman’s husband to come for a blood test today. Tell him if there’s a problem, Dr. Pae will come down.”
Oh..
Hehe
Actually, that guy is afraid of needles. He’s afraid of blood tests.
Oh dear, talking about blood tests makes me shrink.
Thanaphan Chuboon is not afraid of small needles.
January 5, 2019
Source: https://web.facebook.com/100001116121950/posts/2015802785133573/?_rdc=1&_rdr