What the doctors are saying these days

I'm sorry that it's been so long since I've updated -- the holidays were crazy and also I felt that there really hasn't been much to say. I've gotten the following bits and pieces but I didn't feel like individually the warranted their own blog. From now on I'll try to be better about updating after each appointment. Thank you to each of you who has read this blog and has hounded me about updating.

I saw Dr. Tabor (my new perinatologist -- he works with Dr. Robinson) on the 17th of December and he did not have good news. He was very brief, and from what he said it sounded like he didn't expect her to make it to the next appointment. Some fluid was starting to accumulate in her abdomen and he was saying it could cause her to go into liver failure. I simply nodded while he spoke and reminded myself that God is in control and the doctor isn't always right. Dr. Tabor wanted to rule out that this was a genetic issue and so he asked if I was willing to have an amniocentesis. Less than 10 minutes later he was sticking a GIANT needle into me and stealing some of Maggie's amniotic fluid. Let me tell you, it did not feel good. There was no numbing and no being gentle; he JABBED me, no, he STABBED me. I was in so much pain and so afraid that I couldn't move. This probably worked out nicely for him. Afterwards, he told me I would get my results in 10-14 days and sent me on my way. This was probably the most horrifying experience thus far but I knew that it needed to be done and so it was.

I saw Dr. Tabor again the day after Christmas. This time he was much nicer and much more optimistic. I'm not sure if it was because things had actually gotten better or because it was the day after Christmas. Either way he was much more cheery and I appreciated it. He told us that the fluid in her abdomen was gone and that there was also less fluid around her heart. This was very different news from what he had said just a week and a half prior. I didn't ask for an explanation and he didn't offer one. I simply nodded as he spoke and reminded myself that he wasn't the one calling the shots and he certainly didn't have all the answers. The results from the amnio still were not in because as Dr. Tabor informed me "cells obviously don't grow during the holidays" (he's a very funny man with a dry sense of humor that is lost upon most people, but not on me -- he cracks me up).

I got my amnio results last Wednesday while I was out of town for New Years. All 46 chromosomes (23 pairs) came back NORMAL!!!

This brings us to today. I went in for my follow-up fetal echocardiogram. Apparently they didn't think she would make it this far, because when I got there I found out that my appointment never got put on the schedule. However, they were able to get me in about 30 minutes later and so no harm no foul.

Dr. Readinger was brief but sounded more hopeful than he did last time. He says her heart is still beating at about 60 beats per minute. They were able to see the pulmonary veins this time and they look to be functioning well. This is good because last time he could not see them (partly because she was so much smaller) and he was not sure if they were there and/or functioning. He said that things were slightly better and certainly not getting worse, so this is good news. For the most part the appointment motto was "no news is good news". We're still going on week by week. Though like I said he sounded much more hopeful. The plan is to let her "cook" as long as the fluid build up stays lows. He mentioned maybe having Dr. Tabor put me on some steroids to help her lungs mature faster so that she'll be better off if we have to deliver sooner instead of later.

I'll be seeing Dr. Tabor again at the first part of next week.

I've felt such an amazing peace in the last few weeks. I realized it does not do me any good to stress and be upset. God has a plan and in the end He knows what is best. So I'm just sitting back and leaving it in His hands.

In closing, I would again like to thank all of you so much for your continued thoughts and prayers. This whole thing has really opened my eyes to all of the wonderful people in my life. You all mean so much more to me than I can explain.


Love to you all--
Kelli


PS -- As a side note, Maggie has been CRAZY lately. She is kick kick kickin' along all the time. She's incredibly active and even the doctors have mentioned how active she is. She certainly is not letting something so silly as a SEVERE heart defect slow her down....boy oh boy am I in trouble when she learns to walk!