Well...it's mid-November already. Pregnancy has really flown by. Next week, I will be in my 3rd trimester. I have been so busy with all my doctor's appointments and all the crazy going on in my life. I have written posts several times wanting to update on everything....but before I can post, my phone acts up and deletes everything I've typed.
So, here we try again. I haven't worked since August. The more time that passes, the more complicated my pregnancy gets. It seems like my family just can't catch a break! First, we got my cancer diagnosis. Then, I started having the issues with my blood nu pressure and had to go on medication to control it. Meanwhile, pregnancy is chugging along and I get so worn out easily from the combination of pregnancy and cancer. Some days I just have no energy whatsoever.
Then, while everything seems to finally be getting routine..the extra appointments, the weakness and lack of energy hasn't been quite as overpowering as before..our family got news that my stepbrother, Camryn had been in a car accident and the prognosis wasn't looking too good. Well, we're now 21 days post accident and Cam still hasn't emerged from his coma but things are starting to happen and hopefully he will wake up soon. He's in a rehabilitation center that specializes in brain injury and they have been working with him daily. Yesterday, he even opened his eyes a little & tried to give a thumbs up at the request of the physical therapist! That is so huge! I am worrying & praying for his recovery daily.
We went for my monthly growth scan on Monday, Veteran's Day. During all our other ultrasounds, baby has looked great...even if a little uncooperative. This time, however they noticed that I have now developed polyhydramnios...or have too much amniotic fluid. The doctor came in and looked again and is concerned that the baby has an intestinal defect called duodenal atresia or DA.
While, most people wouldn't even know what this condition is...I knew right away. See, I was born 27 years ago with DA. DA is commonly found in babies with down syndrome (DS) and our doctor offered us the chance to do the amniocentesis to determine if the baby would have DS. We declined. We did however opt for another screening test to look at the risk. We had done earlier screening that came back low risk but that test was only with 88% accuracy. The new one is 99% accuracy. We're waiting on those results. The doctor did say that the baby shows no other typical signs seen in babies with DS. So, it may be stupid of me it I'm not so worried about that. If the baby does arrive and have DS, that's a bridge we'll cross when we get there.
I am really going to try to update my blog with info as much as I can now because there aren't a lot of reading materials of parents going through this. Right now, I am scheduled for a fetal MRI on Tuesday at Scottish Rite in Atlanta to confirm the diagnosis and also look for any other abnormalities. Then, I will see both my regular OB & MFM on the 27th. I am now going to the MFM every two weeks to monitor the amniotic fluid levels because it can cause preterm labor and since baby will need to be born in Atlanta where they are equipped to handle the DA surgery, we don't want labor to start unexpectedly. We are probably 3 hours from the hospital in Atlanta where I would need to deliver. We will be getting a whole team of doctors to meet with in Atlanta including a pediatric surgeon who will do the surgery on the baby. So, there will be lots to update on. Stay tuned for the updates, I will try to keep them shorter from here on out.
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