Everyone’s anxiously awaiting the emergence of our little butterball. Maybe a little too much.
Polyhydramnios is an excess of amniotic fluid in the uterus due, in most cases, to the baby being unable to swallow enough of the fluid to keep the level at a normal level. We can’t know for sure if that’s the cause, but Christy’s level of amniotic fluid certainly has her in the polyhydramniotic condition. As you can see from the wikipedia entry on the condition, it may be an indication of a gastrointestinal problem, or, as we’ve been told before, a chromosomal issue like Down’s Syndrome. Or it may be that the CCAM puts such a crimp in the esophagus (think: kinked water hose) that swallowing is impinged upon. Christy’s read somewhere that in 65% of the cases, no cause can be discerned. True to form, the mysteries continue. Read the rest of this entry »
Quick update: Bella’s growing right on schedule. There is no hydrops, and by the doctor’s estimation, there will likely be no hydrops. There’s good lung tissue visible on sonogram. The hole in the heart, while essentially unchanged, causes no immediate danger (cardiologists tell us if you had to pick a heart-defect, you go with this one Bella’s got.) It is all theory at this point whether the heart condition will cause problems at birth since they have never seen these two anomalies in the same child before now. The contractions Christy’s had continue, but without the regularity or duration of previous weeks. Amniotic fluid is still on the abnormally high side, but the doctors are encouraged that her body has tolerated it well so far.
So we’re down to our last several weeks before we get to meet face-to-face our little Bella Hope. There’s a host of variables still to be determined: Read the rest of this entry »
If you are new to this website, you may want to go to “What’s Wrong with Bella” at the top of this page for a summary and context.
Well, the day was long but the news was encouraging. We all 4 (well all 5) attempted to go to Children’s Hospital and the Medical University. Had we known how much Bella was not going to cooperate, we would have left 3 of the 5 at home. We were at the cardiologist’s office for 4 hours. Bella was doing her gymnastic exercises and did not want to sit still for the fetal echo. The doctor finally got enough pictures of her to be able to talk with us. Her VSD (hole in her heart) has not changed. She said it would only stay the same or improve, it would not get worse. It us unlikely (medically speaking) that the hole will close on its own because it is so large and it’s not muscular. So, unless the Lord decides to surprise us all, Bella will need heart surgery at some point. The good news is that Bella will probably not need heart surgery at birth. The doctors can’t be sure, because they have never seen a baby with a CCAM (the large lung lesion, mass) and a VSD at the same time. She is already going down in the medical books. But in this cardiologist’s opinion, Bella will not need immediate heart surgery. She also told us that if you are going to have a heart problem, this is the one that is operated on most routinely and has fewer risks than most other heart surgeries. Read the rest of this entry »
[in the style of Lake Wobegon ]: It’s begun to feel a little like Fall around here. The wind doesn’t sweep by you like from a hair-dryer now. The yard gives the slightest intimation that it’s tired of growing for this year. The dogs seem friskier, the colors sharper, now that the oven-like temperatures have receded further south. It’s a slow and welcome transitioning.
The same can be said for Bella: a gradual transition into a quiet waiting period. Read the rest of this entry »
If you are new to this website, you may want to go to “What’s Wrong with Bella” at the top of this page for a summary and context.
Dr. Adam in Houston is not so certain that the mass has stopped growing. It’s not that easy to measure this thing because it’s 3 dimensional and the sonogram only shows 1 dimensional. It shifts and moves around in Bella’s chest. So, according to what she has observed, she does not notice that it is looking smaller (as it should be because Bella is growing). The good news is that it is not causing hydrops as of now. If it continues to grow, there is a higher likelihood that it will cause problems. So, obviously, we need you folks to continue praying for the mass to stop growing as you did before.
Also, we are not certain of Bella’s due date. An important measurement was not taken during the early sonogram, so it makes her gestational age uncertain for now. This is good news and bad news. The good side is that she may not be experiencing growth restriction like we have been thinking. The bad side of it is that if she is younger than we thought, she is still in the danger zone of the typical growth period for the mass. So all this is to say, please continue to pray that this mass would stop growing to keep her out of danger.
I have been put on bed rest for a different reason now. Before, it was to help Bella grow. Now, the doctor is concerned about these contractions that I’m having frequently. She said that it is probably due to the high volume of amniotic fluid that I have. This may be because Bella is having trouble swallowing the amniotic fluid because this large mass is pressing against her esophagus and stomach. If the mass stops growing and she keeps growing, then she will outpace the mass and that’s the best case scenario. Actually the best case scenario is that this mass would shrink. They shrink in about 10-20% of the cases. Sometimes the doctor can’t even find them on the sonogram later in the pregnancy.
I have a sonogram again on Tuesday here in Dallas. If there are no signs of hydrops while being monitored here in Dallas, I do not go back to Houston until the end of next week. So, we are grateful for one more day without hydrops. God has provided for our every need throughout this difficult time and He continues to do so. He has given us enough grace for each day.
Please continue praying for God to spare this little life so that she can come and grow up in our family. God will be glorified in whatever the circumstances.
Sometimes no news is good news. And from the last few sonograms, we’ve had relatively good news. Bella still kicks with abandon in the womb–suggesting anything but distress in her secure lodging. There’s not been the slightest hint of hydrops. The maternal fetal medicine doctor here at UT Southwestern was even forthright enough to use language like, “it doesn’t look like Bella will need fetal surgery.” And though the growth lag remains, the lag hasn’t lengthened–that is, she doesn’t continue to fall behind. In fact, there’s arisen a bit of a virtual-debate among some of the doctors we’ve seen as to whether this apparent lag is real or perceived. We’ll spare you the details on why there’s a lack of consensus; and since there’s not really anything we can do to ascertain who’s right, we just make sure momma’s getting her rest and the kids go to bed clean and fed–with credit going out to one fantastic nanny and a whole lotta help from so many.
If you are new to this website, you may want to go to “What’s Wrong with Bella” at the top of this page for a summary and context.
(update since this was written: went late wednesday afternoon for a sono, and no sign of hydrops!! Bella was wiggling around so much they could hardly do the sono… the doctor said this is a happy baby and she would not be wiggling and moving around so much if she did not feel good… another good day to thank the Lord for)
There is nothing “routine” about these sonograms. They are quite stressful. We ask that you pray for us tomorrow as we go for yet another sonogram at the medical university here in Dallas. We are asking for the continued prayers that you have all been praying with us… no hydrops, physical growth, the hole in her heart to close, for the amniotic fluid to not be too high. Let you know how it goes. Especially pray for me (Christy), because I tend to get quite anxious before these tests. Please remember to pray for energy, patience and stamina for Patrick since he is taking up all the slack since I’m on bedrest now. He’s doing a fabulous job!!
And a special thank you to all of those who have brought meals to us during my bedrest, it’s helped more than you can imagine. Our new chef, Patrick, really appreciates it!
If everything goes well and there are no changes and no sign of hydrops, then we will not go back to Houston until next week.
If you are new to this website, you may want to go to “What’s Wrong with Bella” at the top of this page for a summary and context.
(the following is written by Christy, clearly not the level of writing everyone on the blog is used to reading from Patrick… but Patrick seems to have his hands full these days being the full-time breadwinner in addition to cleaning the house, cooking all the meals, and taking care of his wife on bedrest and an energetic 4 year-old and 1 year-old. He’s doing awesome!! If there was ever any doubt about the substance of this man (and there hasn’t been), it has been cleared up. Please don’t forget to pray for him during all this.)
That’s the quote from the fetal medicine doc in Houston*. She said that Bella is definitely “holding her own” even though she is just inching along in growth. She also said that she hopes this kiddo outgrows this mass. Read the rest of this entry »
God’s kindness came to us quickly in supplying us a nanny for the kids while I’m at work!
Christy has a sonogram later this morning. We’ll let you know what they discover–or as our hope might be, what they don’t discover. [UPDATE, 11:33am: NO HYDROPS!]
Yesterday, I shared with our community the context Scripture provides when we think of suffering–how without that context, our suffering can consume us. I tried to put what we’re experiencing with our little Bella (our little “beauty”) in context by appealing to what we find in Romans 8.
It’s with that broader gaze that God could allow us to live without total preoccupation with what’s going on with the pregnancy. While we were in Houston, it wasn’t all thumb-twiddling in between doctor’s visits as the below will show. For that we are thankful.
