Planetshakers Conference 2013

Just some photos from the conference... the Holy Spirit moved in such a powerful way. His presence cannot be duplicated and when you sense it, it's like nothing you've ever experienced. It's not only about coming together for a huge praise and worship session, nor is it about the awesome word of God being preached (which I experienced in abundance during the conference btw). 

It's all about your spirit meeting with the eternal Spirit of God. The worship leaders and Pastors just create that atmosphere for you to meet God so that you will never be the same again. 

I felt so overwhelmed when God started to reveal things to me during the conference about the situations around me and what His will is for those situations. However, the climax was really on the last day, after Pastor Ben Prescott preached a powerful message "Under the influence" and the Holy Spirit fell on the congregation such that there were many people who were crying, laughing and some were slain. I was very curious and trying to observe what was going on (basically being a busybody) and then suddenly, I was just overwhelmed with a sense of His love for me and I just started crying and I couldn't stop (yes, I actually tried)! And He revealed to me that the past few days during the conference, He was revealing things and situations to me but at that moment, He wanted to reveal Himself to me. 

Check out Planetshakers Awakening 2014!

Planetshakers City Church

When we first arrived in Melbourne, we were so excited to hear that Hillsong was starting a church right in the city!! But since it didn't start until November 2012, we thought we should just check out Planetshakers City Church since my brother-in-love who was visiting us at that time highly recommended it. 

To be honest, I wasn't familiar with Planetshakers at all. Up till then, I had only heard some of their worship songs but I did not know the pastors or the denomination of the church (for lack of a better phrase... I really mean what the church believes in and preaches about). 

I was quite skeptical going in and the first time I was literally bombarded by their praise & worship. These guys rocked harder than some real "hard rockers". Haha!! Was totally not used to it since the worship at New Creation Church is a lot tamer by comparison (by that I mean normal). 

We went for a couple of weeks and in one of those Sundays, Pastor Sam Evans came out to preach an amazingly anointed and powerful message called "Get out of my house". I was so blown away that I still remember the message today. Because I've never heard of her or Pastor Russell Evans, I was completely unprepared for the sense of power they are releasing over their church. It was completely and utterly mesmerizing. 

When Hillsong Melbourne started sometime in Nov/Dec 2012, we attended the church for a couple of weeks but felt that it was not what we were looking for. Now, it's very difficult to explain this because it implies one is better than the other. It's not. It's just that different churches play different roles in the body of Christ. Just like every individual play a different role in the church. In any case, the important thing was my husband first spoke about being led to go back and plant ourselves in Planetshakers City Church and I agreed wholeheartedly. 

Now, let me try to explain why we decided to be a part of Planetshakers. We were so well established in the gospel of grace by Pastor Prince, it was easy for us to recognize that the same message was being preached at Planetshakers. However, there is also another dimension which is being revealed to us: the power of living by the Holy Spirit. This is a whole new level which we are very keen to explore. Having been in the church for close to 4 months now, I've learnt to communicate with the Holy Spirit and this just overwhelms me because..... the Holy Spirit..... He speaks to me!! He answers my questions!! He reveals things to me!! So I've started reading this book by Pastor David Yonggi Cho:

If you are looking to be part of a church in Melbourne, I highly encourage you to check out both churches and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you which church is most suitable for you. 

Matthew West: Into the Light

Been listening to Matthew West's new album for like the past 3 weeks and it's so incredibly anointed! Love his music and love his lyrics!!

This is the song that caught my attention while listening to LightFM:

So glad my sister bought the album cos the entire album is soooo good!!

And one day while I was listening to the album on the computer, this video popped up! Oh man, it just made me cry :( but it's such a crazy inspiring story of forgiveness... MUST WATCH!!

I'm such a huge fan of Matthew West!!

My Journey into Motherhood: Update on the costs of tests

So here's the breakdown of the total amount I spent after Medicare refunds.

1st Consultation: A$185 - A$72.75 = A$112.25

PAP Smear: A$35 (not covered by Medicare cos it's a more thorough check called Thinprep) 

Ultrasound: A$250 - A$83.30 = A$166.70

Follow up Consultation: A$85 - A$36.55 = A$48.45

Blood test: Bulk Billed (FREE)

Sperm test: Bulk Billed (FREE)

Total Paid for checks & consultation = A$362.40

So considering that in Singapore, the sperm test cost S$60 and each ultrasound at S$150 with normal follow up consultation costing S$60, it doesn't really seem like the Aussie system is any cheaper!!

However, I do think that the doctors I went to for the consultation as well as the ultrasound were very professional and thorough. They really tried to explain what is going on and what they are looking for in each check. 

Praise God that all my tests came back normal with the exception of my iron levels being a little low. I've been taking iron pills for about 3 weeks now so I'm feeling more energized. I'd probably stop once my supply runs out in a week and then go for another test to see if my iron levels have come up to normal since. I've also been trying to increase my intake of beef & spinach! 

At the follow up consultation, my gynae advised that I go through a laparoscopy to check for endometrosis or scar tissue, if any. I was really hesitant to undergo a surgery to check for something which may not even be there. So I went back to my GP to ask for a referral to another gynae for a 2nd opinion but his advice to me was that it is a common procedure and it is likely that the next doctor would also recommend the same procedure as the next step. And I would have unnecessarily paid for another consultation! 

The out of pocket expense (after Medicare refunds) will be around A$1100. So I'm pending my private health insurance company to get back to me as to whether they will be covering the A$1100 since it is a day surgery. But even if it's not covered, I've sort of decided to go ahead with it. Especially since my private health insurance only covers IVF procedures from November onwards so I still have a good 8 months to go before I go on to the next step. 

Of course I still believe that Jesus will come through and my babies are on their way!! I was meditating on this verse this morning:

Be strong and of good courage; 

do not fear nor be afraid of them, 

for the Lord your God, 

He is the One who goes with you, 

and He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

My Journey into Motherhood: 1st consultation with Aussie Gynaecologist

Just went for my very first appointment with a gynaecologist recommended by my friend. This gynae is an Aussie Asian and he's very different from my Singaporean gynae. He is totally cool and calm and talked a lot about Asian food (probably cos I'm new to Melbourne and he's worried that I don't know all the good restaurants here). He offers his advice and opinion in a straightforward and non-judgemental manner which is what I prefer.

Things work so differently here in Australia! To see him, I had to go and see a GP at my neighbourhood clinic to get a referral letter. The good thing is, with a Medicare card, my visit to the GP was free!

However, the consultation with the gynae was A$185 (paid upfront by cash/eftpos/cheque) and after that I went to Medicare to claim back A$72.75 which will be credited to my bank account in a few days. So I paid $112.25 out of pocket expense for the consultation.

Now compare this to my Singaporen gynae's consultation fee of S$65, it seems quite atrocious to be charged DOUBLE here in Australia. However, that's balanced by the fact that some of the tests (see below) are FREE so in the end, I would have paid more if in Singapore.

My Aussie gynae was mildly surprised that I've not been given a blood test (although from what he told me about why a blood test was so important, I was utterly shocked not to have been given one!) nor a PAP smear in the time I went to see my Singaporean gynae. So he immediately ordered for those as well as an ultrasound at another clinic. The doctor told me that the PAP smear costs about A$35 but it wasn't included in the bill when I paid so maybe I have to pay for it when the results come in. The blood test was indicated as "bulk billed" so I don't have to pay for that!

When I made my appointment for the ultrasound, I was informed that I'll have to pay A$250 upfront but can claim a part of it from Medicare. Will update how much out of pocket expense for the ultrasound.

I've a follow up appointment with my gynae at the end of this month, by then all the test results should be in, so hopefully he can make some recommendations! Even more than that, I hope that I'll be pregnant by then!!!

My hope is in my Lord Jesus!

My Journey into Motherhood: Encouragement from Nerida Walker

In 2011, I attended a mid week service at New Creation Church where Nerida Walker was preaching.

Hers is a  tremendously inspiring story of how God came through for her husband and her even though the doctors pronounced her husband as clinically sterile. I was very encouraged by her testimony and I've been following her on twitter since. A couple I know from church gave me her book "God's Plan for Pregnancy"and I was really blessed by it! The other book which I highly recommend is Jackie Mize's Supernatural Childbirth.

As I re-embark on my journey, I took this morning to encourage myself in the Word and used one of Nerida's blog posts to remember that God always comes through for His children. Her blog is called Faith & Fertility and it really encouraged me as I read about the promises of God in the bible and all the women who waited on the Lord for their baby. Check out her most recent post "Answers for Infertility".

I'm so glad that I didn't mope around this morning or watched TV. Instead, I found my faith renewed as I saw that I am not the first woman who is waiting on the Lord for a baby. And like the women in the bible, I will not be disappointed because our God is faithful.

Going through the bible and reading about these women, I learnt that these women were always loved by their husbands, their first born are always sons and their sons are always used mightily by God. These women all felt shame and disgrace when they could not conceive, but when God gave them a child, He exceeded all their expectations. You see, all they wanted was a baby, but God gave them a champion, called to do great things for His people (eg Joseph, Samuel and John).

My faith is renewed and my heart strengthened because there is not once where God did not come through. He is always a God that fulfils His promises.

If you'd like someone to pray for you with regards to having a baby, you should definitely watch this youtube video that Nerida posted. I just put a hand over my womb and as I played the video, I agreed with whatever that she was speaking forth. Hope this encourages you as much as it encouraged me.

My favourite verse out of all the verses she listed on her blog is:

 

You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.

Psalm 128: 2 -3

My Journey into Motherhood: Dilatation

After the failed IUI procedure in July 2012, my doctor recommended that I undergo a dilatation as my cervix was too small (which was what the doctor who administered the HSG procedure told me as well) and hopefully the next round of IUI would be more successful.

My dilatation was scheduled on Day 8 of my cycle at 10.30am in the morning.

At 10.45am, I was injected with anti-nauseus/pain killer and told to rest.

At 11am, the doctor started the procedure which basically involved inserting a metal rod into my cervix and leaving it there for a while to enlarge my cervix. Before all that, there was the whole process of injecting a local anasthetic near my cervix and that was PAINFUL but it was quick (thanks to my very efficient doctor). After the injection, I was told to wait for the anasthetic to take effect.

About 15 minutes later, the doctor tried inserting the metal rod. Because I was under anasthesia, I hardly felt a thing. Although I felt no pain, my husband who was in the room with me told me (after the procedure was over) that there was a lot of blood. I think he nearly fainted...

After some effort, the doctor finally successfully inserted the metal rod and pronounced that my cervix was so small it was the size of a pinhole! Maybe the reason why its always easier to get pregnant after the first child is because the cervix has naturally enlarged and the passage way for the little guys has widened.

I rested for about half an hour with the rod inserted in my cervix before the doctor came and removed the rod. After which he said I can rest in the clinic for another 15 minutes. The entire procedure took about an hour and a half, including resting time.

After that I was spotting for the next 5 days but there was no pain. This was much easier than the HSG procedure!

The whole procedure cost us about USD$100.

We went for another round of IUI in September 2012 but it was again not successful. At the 2nd IUI attempt, my doctor prescribed a course of progesterone support which cost USD$150 for a box of 15 applicators. This is called the "pregnancy hormone"as it thickens and prepares the lining of the uterus which helps in the implantation of a fertilized egg. It's basically applied like a tampon applicator. Very easy and since the cost is relatively low (having paid a lot more for the entire IUI procedure), we felt that if it increases the chances of us getting pregnant, we were prepared to pay for it.

At that time, we already knew that we were coming to Melbourne so we've also informed my doctor who strongly recommended that we proceed to IVF in Melbourne. We decided then to take a break from it all and just settle into our new life before we consider our options. As mentioned, we've made an appointment to see a gynaecologist in Melbourne and we are looking forward to his recommendation.

Moving to Melbourne: Hello from the most liveable city in the world!

Around the time I wrote my last post, my husband received an unbelievable job offer in Australia and he was given the choice of moving to Sydney or Melbourne. Well, that was the easiest decision ever!

We lived in Melbourne about 10 years ago whilst in university; Melbourne was just voted the most liveable city IN THE WORLD and we've got a couple of friends in Melbourne who could help us settle in.

So about 2 months after the incredible offer came in, we found ourselves in Melbourne!!!

Moving countries is CRAZY. Within 6 weeks, I had to find a place to rent in Melbourne, negotiate with our then landlord about releasing us from our contract, quit my job, sell our car, cancel stuff, consolidate stuff, attend hundreds of farewell lunches/dinners and oh yeah... organize to ship all the stuff we've accumulated over 10 years!!!

It was madness. I hope to write a post about that someday so that if and when we move again, I can have a roadmap to follow.

After 5 months of absence from my blog, I came back and found that hundreds of people have dropped by to read about my journey into motherhood. My journey took a hiatus whilst we made the move to Melbourne but it's going to continue very soon. It was a good hiatus because it allowed me to live my life and not think about cycles, injections, clomid etc for a while.

I've just made an appointment to see a gynaecologist here and I've found out that fertility treatments here are heavily subsidised (much like all other treatments & medications) which is great especially since I'm offically a homemaker now. I'm excited to re-embark on my journey to motherhood!