Nobel Award Best of the Best

     Dear readers, I continue to introduce you to excerpts from my book "Angels drink milk". 

    It was her day, her success, the undeniable recognition of her own merits at the highest level. She was the first such young 35-year-old woman to receive the Nobel prize in medicine today! Only she, a modest doctor from Korea, was able to achieve such success, was not afraid of the unknown, and opened a new page in the history of nanosurgery, gynecology, and endocrinology. Years of hard work and scientific research were not in vain.

    Jin-Ho was incredibly self-conscious that day. She had to go to the center of the hall and receive the prize from the hands of the real king of Sweden, make a speech and pick up the symbols of the award – a gold medal with the image of the founder of the monetary prize, Alfred Nobel, and a diploma. It seemed to her that all this was happening not with her but with someone else, didn't believe that she and her service was at the highest level of honor and recognized by the international community. Her closest and closest people: her little son, husband, and parents were sitting in the first rows of the hall and were happy for their beloved mother and daughter! It is only thanks to their immense support and love that she was there, receiving this award. Finally, the host of the ceremony spoke loudly into the microphone:

    "On this momentous day, the tenth of December, all those present in the hall gathered for a reason. On the day of remembrance of the great scientist, inventor and just a generous person, Alfred Nobel, we are happy to welcome and celebrate the best among us, the winners of the most prestigious prize in the World. Today, you, dear prize winners, will receive not only a monetary award, but also the highest honors, applause, recognition and publicity. Although, I think that your achievements are already known to a lot of people, regardless of their place of residence and nationality! Immediately after the award ceremony, I would like to invite you to the beautiful city hall, where the Nobel dinner is waiting for you. And then we will go to the concert hall, where the symphony orchestra will play for you and your loved ones, and the best musicians and singers of Europe will perform!"

South Korean idols are the Gods?

    Dear readers, I continue to introduce you to excerpts from my book "Angels drink milk". 

    In Korean youth culture "idols"[1] are like gods!

    Korean pop culture and idol culture in particular began to develop most actively in the nineties of the last century. The prerequisites for such a rapid development were the active promotion of the American music industry and show business in Korean media structures. Numerous competitions for young performers began to appear on TV screens;it wasn't even necessary for them to have basic musical education or drama training. A significant role was also played by the media moguls and their desire to attract the attention of the general public, especially young people.

    Korean pop culture (K-pop culture), largely incorporating Western fashion, still differs in its Asian authenticity, expressed in a mix of styles of pop, rap and rock with a large emphasis on visual and computer effects. But who is an idol? To put it simply, an idol is a representative of Korean popular culture, mainly of a young age, who is not burdened with any other occupation other than stage, concert, touring, and PR performances in the media. Usually idols are guys and girls under the age of 25, maximum 30 years, who are not married and do not have children. An idol isn't master of his fate "he is the property of the Agency that hired him, bound hand and foot by the obligations of the contract. Several major music agencies control the entire Korean pop music industry with their iron hands. Thousands of young boys and girls dream to get a little closer to their idols, give them gifts, and know everything about their life outside the stage. These desires are facilitated by the development of information technologies: reality shows and broadcasts with idols are created, and it is possible to communicatewith them through forums, social pages, and video conferences, especially given the fact that South Korea is the world leader in the production of technical devices and information support. Needless to say that thousands of young people would dream of becoming idols for at least a couple of hours, to get fame, money and become popular.

    The wave of idol fanaticism did not pass by Jin-Ho and her friends. First, all the girls were in love with the members of "Infinity boys" band, and secondly, they in their heart wanted to become idols for someone. Well, noother dream can fascinate 20-year-old girls! They counted the hours until the next concert, bought t-shirts and caps with images of their idols, listened to their songs on CDs, sang along. And if any girl managed to get an autograph at a concert or touch her favorite, then all her friends and acquaintances envied her, she did not wash her hands for weeks! Friends tried to buy or beg for autographs as gifts. In general, all this fanaticism can only be called madness!

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[1]              Korean pop idol or simply "idol" is a term applied to South Korean musicians and singers who have signed a contract with one of the labels.

"Traditional" family system in Korea

   Dear readers, I continue to introduce you to excerpts from my book "Angels drink milk". 

        All these three days Jin-Ho thought about Ji-Min's situation, let it pass through her mind and was indignant and surprised at the cynicism and stupidity of the "traditional" family system in a developed and prosperous South Korea. Why is it that we are throwing away our own gene pool and giving our children abroad for adoption just because of medieval traditions and customs? Who in the modern world can decide the fate of a person born in an incomplete family? Why are single mothers in Korea significantly underprivileged in their rights compared to married women? Why hasn't the state developed a mechanism to support such families? There were a lot of questions running through her mind…

        All this, given a fact that South Korea ranks last in the world's birth rate, is simply incomprehensible. Such a short-sighted policy of the country's leaders is ruinous for the nation! According to the World Bank, the birth rate in Korea is now at the level of 1 child per woman, and for the survival of the nation, you need at least 2 children per woman, the percentage of marriages has also fallen sharply in recent decades. With such success, South Korea will soon become a branch of China in terms of the national composition of its population…Jin-Ho decided that it would be necessary to raise this issue in professional medical circles at conferences, to shame colleagues who perform abortions without direct medical and social prescriptions.

        With what contempt did she think of rich snobs who could so easily dispose of a daughter-in-law and a grandson from a simple family in purpose of personal ambition? All these days, Jin-Ho went to a Buddhist temple and asked the Higher powers to reason with people capable of such actions. 

Maternal love does not end in death (16+)

      Dear readers, I continue to introduce you to excerpts from my book "Angels drink milk". 

M

eanwhile, in one of the American States, in a hospital, a mother for the last time clutched in her hands a  tiny hand of her baby girl. She would have to let her go to the land of Angels forever. Only God and her family knew how difficult the girl got to their family: all these procedures, years of infertility…And now she must die.

"Will you sign the papers on the removal of organs for donors?"

"Yes, put them here and give us another half hour alone with our daughter."

What this woman had to go through was difficult to describe and understand. Tracy and her husband Tom went through several procedures of injecting sperm into the uterine cavity in order to conceive their baby, and before that they've been preparing for a long time and underwent different treatments. When it seemed that all the difficulties were behind, around the middle of pregnancy, they learned the terrible news: their unborn child has a rare genetic disease-the absence of brain lobes and some skull bones. They were not formed in the mother's womb at the initial stage of development and will never be formed again. Such children, if they are born, live for literally a few days. When the first tears and shock passed, the doctors offered to terminate the pregnancy, but the term was too long, there could be risks for the mother's health…

After a week of thinking, Tracy decided to give birth to this girl, not because she was afraid about herself, but because she decided that her baby should give life to other babies, more precisely, not a life, but the possibility of it. It might sound even creepy, but the parents agreed to make the baby an organ donor. However, Tracy and her husband did not even think until the birth that it would be so difficult to part with their sweet, special girl, that they would love wholeheartedly after birth, despite the external deformities.

Only a mother's heart can be so love, so torn apart! The daughter was born by cesarean section; the doctors' forecast came true completely, but she surprisingly wanted to live and lived in this world for almost a week, although it was very difficult for her. The doctors hurried and insisted on letting her go as soon as possible, but her parents were still postponing it, unable to get enough of their precious daughter.

"You are my angel, my girl, and I am so sorry for you…" wailed the inconsolable mother. "How beautiful you are!"

The baby was named Kelly. Her face was out of proportion and distorted because of the missing part of the brain and bones, but the smile was completely unearthly, as if an angel lived in a small body and smiled at everyone around him sincerely and kindly. It was as if she was saying, "Momma, don't worry. I am sent to you on purpose to bring with my love and huge Heart you and Papa together with people who need my kindness. I will definitely return to you, only in a different guise. Don't cry, mom, you can't help me anymore, but together we will become an incredible Force and give our warmth to many people, and the sick children will Live, I will disappear into them."

How much light and life-giving power was there in that smile, pure, bright, and sinless. The mother couldn't make up her mind to take this last step.

"I will always remember you, my joy! You are the most beautiful and strong girl in the world! With your dad we are sorry about everything. We will definitely wait for you and give birth to you again."

These thoughts brought tears to her eyes and at the same time made her feel calmer. Parents of the little girl knew that no physicians and medicine could cure their daughter. May she remain forever in their hearts and in the hearts of the people she would help.

The agitated father entered the room where the mother was saying goodbye to her daughter forever. From sleepless nights and unshed tears after giving birth, his eyes were red and there were dark circles under his eyes, but he could not help saying goodbye to his daughter. They sat next to little Kelly for another 20 minutes, stroking her hands, kissing, crying. They even took a family photo and a selfie, although it was insanely hard to smile for the camera.

"Well, Princess, we say "see you Later!!" Come back soon!"dad tried to joke, a single tear rolling down his cheeks.

"I think it's time to call Dr. Adams," the mother said.

They kissed the baby good-bye and handed her over to the doctors, knowing that this was the last time they would see her. How she smiled at them, no words could describe! Apparently true, the baby was a real Angel!

Thanks to baby Kelly, a new heart, kidneys, liver and stomach were received by several newborns in urgent need of these organs, and the girl's parents received the title of "Honorary donors of the USA".

God heard their prayers, a year and 2 months later Tracy became pregnant on her own and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, who was also named Kelly.

Don't believe people who say that 95 percent of infertility is due to psychological factors

        Dear readers, I continue to introduce you to excerpts from my book "Angels drink milk". 

 "You should understand that there is no diagnosis of infertility of uncertain origin, there is always a reason for not getting pregnant, and only an experienced doctor can get what that reason is. Don't believe people who say that 95 percent of infertility is due to psychological factors, just the opposite, 95 percent is due to physiological reasons!"

In general, the persistence of some patients was surprised not only the young gynecologist Kim Jin-Ho, but also the doctors with a huge experience, her colleagues. Here is such a story, of course without names and surnames, one of her colleagues, Pak Pur-Soo, shared at a seminar for doctors. She received a letter from a Russian patient, which made her want to cry and be happy at the same time. It was an example of the heroism of a mother who went through everything possible with one goal-to conceive and give birth to her angel. Here is the appealing text:

"How I managed to give birth to our child and carry it out is known only to God. Seven different IVF protocols in Russia and then one in Korea, which was victorious, but what it cost my husband and me! Of course, it's not about money…

For those who think that you have too many diagnoses, I will write my own. I have endometriosis[1] in the peritoneum of the fourth degree (out of four possible), the adhesive process of the abdominal cavity of the fourth degree, that is, the maximum, an endometrioid cyst[2] of 1,5 inches with three cavities. A few years before the successful attempt, 3 fibroids[3] were removed: 2.4, 1.5 and 1inches. The small ones, from 0.3 to 1.3 inches remained (with them I went to the protocol, the cyst was not removed as well). Ovarian reserve at the time of the last protocol is about 0.3 (the norm is higher than one). Both fallopian tubes were removed to increase the chances of IVF treatment.

Plus to the above, I have almost formed diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, decreased sensitivity to insulin and, of course, obesity. For this reason, the entire pregnancy I was injected with insulin, since from the seventh week of pregnancy, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus[4].

Pregnancy up to thirty weeks in general went normally: even toxicosis was almost absent, but they constantly told me I had low placentation of the fetus[5]. At thirty-one weeks, I started to bleed a little pink, spent a week in a hospital. At exactly thirty-two weeks, right during the ultrasound screening, I started to bleed. We were urgently taken to the perinatal center. I spent the night lying in the delivery room, thinking what to do. That night I was lucky, the birth didn't start: I went to bed, but I never left the hospital again. At thirty-four weeks and five days, I was transferred to a regional maternity hospital for observation until delivery. On the same day, the nightmare began: a critical placental abruption! The minutes counted, and the catheters were placed in my veins right in elevator while they were takingme to the operating room. I was lucky with the baby: the operating room and all the staff were in full alert, since it was at this time scheduled for a planned cesarean section of another woman. They have already started to give her an anaesthetic, but here they brought me, the woman was urgently disconnected and wheeled out," they put me on the table. Thanks to the coordinated actions of the doctors, I heard the first cry of My child! It took about 30 minutes from the time of the beginning of the bleeding to the birth of my son. If we were at home (which is unthinkable…), he would not be born, and I would be left without a uterus at least.

Another horror my family experienced at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. I was given a 1:20 risk of having a child with down syndrome in Russia. This is a high probability! To say that I was shockedwould be an understatement! I couldn't even cry for the baby. The only thing that did not allow me to believe the test result and get an abortion is that the day before I passed the first screening in Korea and underwent genetic check up. Two weeks later, the result came "a genetically healthy child is expected. Even at 12 weeks, my Korean doctor said that it would be a boy. Also, after transferring two fairly average embryos, I was assigned 3 immunoglobulin IVS to prevent rejection. The doctor decided to play it safe and, as it turned out, he was right.

We all won together! And I wish the same results to all childless couples who are going to take advantage of high reproductive technologies and thinking that they have a lot of diagnoses!"

Reading this story, you can't help but realize that any hopeless situation is just a reason to sit down, think for a minute and start acting. Fate likes bold and positive people, as soon as you start to loose spirits life usually changes for the worse.

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[1]          Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease in which the cells of the endometrium (the inner layer of the uterine wall) grow beyond this layer. 

[2]          Endometrioid cyst is one of the types of tumor on the ovary in a woman..

[3]          Fibroid is a benign tumor in the uterus.

[4]          Gestational diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder, which is based on a lack of formation of its own insulin and a simultaneous increase in blood glucose levels.

[5]          Placentation of the fetus is attachment of the placenta in the lower parts of the uterus, leading to its dysfunction as the weight of the fetus increases.

George Washington Manor Walk

        Dear readers, I continue to introduce you to excerpts from my book "Angels drink milk". 

The old estate was located on a high hill on the banks of the Potomac River, a medium-wide river but deep enough for cruise ships to navigate. Chatting cheerfully, the young people reached the top of the hill and the entrance to the beautiful white stone building designed in the colonial style. It turned out that inside the building was wooden, and the outside was just plastered to look like stone, the estate looked huge. The peculiar dome of the building, which looked like a lantern from a distance, served as an additional source of light and attracted attention. The crowd of tourists who wanted to get into the house did not seem so large against the backdrop of the majestic structure, but it was not so: there were plenty of whose who wanted to visit the "House of the first President" on this weekend.

 Kevin went up to the administrator, had a quick conversation with him, and took the girl by the hand, leading her past the line to the ticket office directly into the inner halls of the estate. "Is he that influential?" Jin Ho wondered to herself. The interior decoration of the estate was surprising with its stern delicacy. It seemed that the former estate owners,the members of Washington's family, friends and relatives, were not deprived a good taste. Long but spacious halls, high ceilings, and small rooms were mostly furnished with beautiful wood furniture with delicate inlaid. The main decoration of the master's office was a high bureau, skillfully made of precious woods, as well as an impressive collection of books, ranging from the scientific works of Herodotus, ending with "The Beggar's Opera" by John gray. What surprised the eye was the guest room, decorated in soft-blue color, a large fireplace looked "hidden" in the wall, as if it was specially made for hanging Christmas socks for gifts. There was no excessive luxury in the rooms, and Jin Ho wonder why? Either the owners really did not chase after posh knickknacks, or relatives hurried to remove the valuables before the estate was turned into a museum. Jin Ho was interested in everything, but it was forbidden to photo and video inside the estate. Having gone out of the stuffy estate, the couple hurried to take a walk in the park that was situated on the hill around the house. The wind ruffled the curls on Kevin's head, and he was clearly in high spirits.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes, everything is so trimmed here, and the air is fresh!" said the girl.

The air smelled of new leaves and was intoxicating. Not far from the alley path a wide stump was visible, most likely it was an old tree that had been cut down several years ago. Suddenly, Kevin pulled Jin Ho's hand toward the tree stump: "Come with me!" When they reached it, Kevin climbed up on a tree stump and began to recite the verse aloud:

The Robin is the One

That interrupt the Morn

With hurried — few—express Reports

When March is scarcely on —

The Robin is the One

That overflow the Noon

With her cherubic quantity—

An April but begun—

The Robin is the One

That speechless from her Nest

Submit that Home—and Certainty

And Sanctity, are best.

Jin Ho laughed and began to applaud, her heart pounding in the chest. Was this posh man really interested in her? But deep down, she didn't trust him.

"You're gorgeous! Did you write it yourself?"

"No, I didn't, unfortunately. This is Emily Dickinson, American poet. Although sometimes after a bottle of brandy and I have poetic urges!" Kevin boasted.

"It would be very interesting to hear something of your poems," cheerful Jin Ho said indiscreetly. Perhaps the wind in the park made her dizzy.

"I will certainly try to arrange it for you," the man replied.

They walked in the Park for a while, then, tired but happy, went down to their car in the Parking lot. Kevin behaved very nobly towards his companion: he obligingly opened the car door, supported her on the stairs, looked into her eyes with a completely innocent look, and smiled broadly. It seemed that he was sincerely attracted and wanted to get to know the girl from all sides, and not just to admire her appearance. It was alluring. That evening they parted innocently at the stone barrier that separated the campus from the bustling city. 

Christianity and IVF

       Dear readers, I continue to introduce you to excerpts from my book "Angels drink milk". 

 Natasha's husband was an Orthodox, religious man who regularly attended Sunday services at the Church of the Protection of the Holy Virgin in their small provincial town. It was located on the outskirts, on the territory of an old cemetery, the interior of the Church had always been homely, there were relatively few parishioners. Natasha inwardly did not accept the Church as "the House of God on Earth", but still sometimes she went with her husband to celebrations, confessed and took communion[1]. During the decision-making period on IVF necessity Natasha went to confession to one of the priests of the Church.

    "Father, we have a difficult life situation in our family."

    "What is it, my daughter?"

    "We are diagnosed with infertility… The age is already critical…They offer a procedure of artificial insemination. There is no other option. Have you ever heard of it?"

    "As a matter of fact, yes, I heard of it. But I personally and the Russian Orthodox Church disapprove it."

    "Why?"

    "This is against the laws of God. Interference of third parties in the sacrament of Conception is inadmissible according to Canon law. If you can't give birth yourself, take the child from an orphanage and don't suffer. If God is against you having children, you will never have them!"

    Natasha shuddered at these words.

    "But we are leading a righteous life and we want to give birth to our own children and we do not want to "take on" the sins of those people who abandoned their children!"

    "I understand all this, but it is the will of God, and I am only his messenger on Earth, and I convey his words to you."

    "So you won't give your husband and me your blessing for this method of treatment?"

    "Unfortunately, no!" the priest interrupted the conversation rudely.

    Natasha, puzzled, turned and walked away from the priest, receiving neither the blessing nor the absolution of her past sins. Her legs trembled and in her resentment she could hardly speak, but she restrained herself and did not cry. She went to the icon "Theotokos of Tikhvin"[2] To the mother of God and began to pray:

    "Sacred Virgin, Tsarina Heavenly! Please tell us what I and husband should do? Should we tempt fate and achieve conception with the help of medicine or adopt someone else's baby?"

    For a second, Natasha thought she saw the mother of God lift the Baby in her arms and shown it to her. "What did that mean?" a thought flashed through her mind. Her thoughts were swirling! Wait, does it mean that the Blessed Virgin was carrying in the womb a baby that was not hers, but a child from the Father! But all her life she thought of him as of her own son! And her husband, Joseph, knew that the Child was not of his blood, but had accepted it as his own! Maybe this was a sign that Natasha needed to take a baby from an orphanage? But on the other hand, the Blessed Virgin herself carried and gave birth to a child who didn't share her blood.

    "This story is similar to a modern surrogate motherhood or a program for using donor material, may the adherents of the Russian Orthodox Church forgive me!" Natasha thought suddenly. At the moment the thought flashed in her mind, it seemed to her that Virgin Mary smiled. In a certain sense one may think that Virgin Mary in some ways was the prototype of the surrogate mother for the divine child. This thought made Natasha feel terribly awkward and ashamed, but on the other hand, she somehow found an excuse for her natural desire to give birth to her baby. There were more of these thoughts to come, and they were swirling in her head at a breakneck speed:

    "Why did Mary and Joseph have no children afterwards?"

    "Maybe they also had conceiving problems?"

    "Why didn't they ask God to give them more children?"

    "Wasn't there a problem of infertility before?"

    She felt uneasy at such thoughts as she knew that it was a blasphemy. She knelt quietly, closed her eyes, and prayed sincerely in front of the icon of a Holy Virgin for sending her the only correct solution. In one moment of the prayer, it seemed to her that an incredibly bright light had been shed upon her, as if an invisible hand had laid on her head and absolved all her sins and blessed her for incredible feats for the sake of Life. She rose from her knees, as if enlightened, and thanked the Holy Virgin and Jesus Christ from the bottom of her heart and with reverence went to the exit of the church. Her husband was waiting for her at the exit.

    "What did father Mikhail say? Did he give us his blessing for the treatment?"

    "Yes, he said that Our baby is already waiting and the Lord blesses us through him," that was Natasha's "white lie."

    Her husband trusted her words more than he trusted himself and, of course, he did not dare ask the priest again.

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[1]Confession and communion are rituals obligatory for a believing Christian in the Russian Orthodox Church.

[2]The Theotokos of Tikhvin is one of the most celebrated Orthodox Christian icons. It is said to be one of the icons written by St. Luke the Evangelist.