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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Good News? I'll take it!

Round 4 at the Fetal Care Institute had a lot of positive feedback. The baby’s right lung appears to be working at very close to 100%.  Amazing.  That is all I have to say about that.  At our last appointment it appeared to be at about 70 – 80% of a normal lung, due to the fact the heart was pushed to the right.  So this was great news of course.  The other good piece of news is that we were able to actually SEE the left lung.  Up to this point all the extra organs have blocked our view to see what little, if any, left lung tissue actually exists.   At today’s appointment they were able to see the top portion of the left lung.  YIPEE!  So at least we know he has some lung there.  As to ‘how much’ is unknown due to the fact we cannot get a good view of it.
Also had a good report on the development of his heart.  They monitor it very closely since it is displaced.  The baby is currently breech, but still has several weeks to figure out the ‘correct position’!
Both Dr. Vlastos (Maternal-Fetal Specialist) and Dr. Yang (Pediatric Surgeon) were both very happy with today’s results.  Which, OF COURSE, made me very happy.
            And now, behold, the one you all ready about…………..

Monday, February 21, 2011

The Glass is Half Empty, Yet the Glass is Half Full

I read a story this past weekend about 2 moms who became friends during their pregnancies while both carrying babies with CDH.  It was at a different hospital than mine, but the story was the same thing I have read time and time again.  In their case, both their baby’s situations were similar.   Both the babies had the same organs up in the chest cavity (and actually the same organs as my baby as well).  The 2 women delivered within weeks of each other.  One of the babies survived; one did not.    One of the mothers wrote that some babies handle the stress better than others.  Which, again, seems to be a common thread.

As my due date gets closer I am starting to get more nervous.  In our situation the pendulum really falls one of 2 ways – to state the obvious.  Dealing with being told he has a 50% chance of making it is truly an interesting thing.  If the doctors would tell me he has a 40% chance my mind would wander more in a negative direction; if they told me he had a 60% chance I am sure it would swing more positive.  I just think it is human nature to think this way.  However, sitting on a 50/50 statistic really leaves a lot to be desired. The glass is both half empty and half full.

When people ask me what I am having I normally say, “A Boy, hopefully!”  And people look at me like I have 2 heads.   They are most likely either thinking “oh, she doesn’t know what she is having” or “this chick really doesn’t want a girl”.  Let them think whatever they want for a few moments before I tell them the reality of my situation.  Once I bring most people up to speed on my situation they look at me like I have 3 heads, instead of just 2.  Most people have never heard of CDH; including myself until our diagnosis.  Most people do not know what to say to me when I tell them.  It seems most people don’t know what to say to me at all.  It is ok.  I understand.  I don’t know what to say to myself most of the time.

I am now 31 weeks pregnant with 9 weeks left.  I am ready to be done with this.  Not that I want to deliver early by any means, I am just ready to deal with whatever may come and I am tired of WAITING for it to get here. Whether I have to deal with the loss of my child OR, HOPEFLLY, begin what is most likely going to be a long road to his recovery, I AM READY FOR IT. I feel I have handled working full time, family, and a stressful pregnancy fairly well up to this point.   However, I am ready to be done – COME WHAT MAY.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

CDH Hope Totebag


Today I received a package in the mail.  It was a CDH HOPE tote gift bag from CHERUBS (The Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research, Awareness and Support).  The package was absolutely lovely.  It contained a CHERUB tote bad, handmade blankets, hats, and booties.   It also had an assortment of items that I can use at the hospital and CDH information and research.  It was such a nice thing to do!  The items are all donated and then shipped off to parents expecting a CDH baby.  Here are some pictures of the items.  http://cherubs-cdh.org/






Sunday, February 6, 2011

Round #3 at the Fetal Care Institute

                Our most recent round of appointments went fairly well; nothing new or out of the ordinary to report.  The lungs looked to be keeping on the same track since my last appoints.   And, according the echocardiogram, the heart seems to be developing on a fairly good track as well.

On another note right as I hit my 7th month, I have noticed that the pregnancy hormones are officially in gear.  I find myself overreacting, flying off the handle, and dwelling on things that normally would not get me that worked up.  Between the hormones and stress of this pregnancy, I have decided it may be in everyone’s best interest that I do not attend a Superbowl party this evening.  I think me and my hormones just need a night at home.