Update

It has been a while since I last posted. I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday! Jason and I went back to Mississippi for Christmas. While we were home, a few family friends gave us a baby shower. It was so wonderful to celebrate little Addison without thinking about CDH. Everyone at home is so supportive.

I went to the doctor yesterday and today. Yesterday, they checked Addison's growth. She is about 3lbs 2 ozs and has no fluid build up in in chest or abdomen. We actually saw quite a bit of lung tissue on the right side and she is practice breathing. The only negative is that my amniotic fluid level is starting to creep up. They are going to continue to watch it and if it continues to creep up, they are going to put me on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Today, they found sugar in my urine and my blood sugar was on the high side of normal. The doctor told me to cut out all refined sugar and limit my carb intake over the next two weeks and they will test it again.

Doctor's Visit

I went to the doctor for my glucose test and the weekly check up on the baby. My glucose test came back negative and Addison is growing and has no fluid build up in her chest or abdomen. Currently, her estimated weight is 2 lbs 9 oz. They said that she is very active and doing well.

Jason and I have decided to go to UCSF for the delivery and after care for Addison. I will have to go to San Francisco in my 36th week and stay until the induction.

UCSF Update

We went to San Francisco on Monday night to meet with the UCSF team on Tuesday. After all the tests, it was determined that the LHR that was given to us in Cincinnati was lower than the one calculated at UCSF. At UCSF, the LHR was in the range .9 to 1.4. After a lot if thought and prayer, Jason and I decided that with her LHR being higher; it was not worth the risk of the surgery. We are praying that GOD will continue to bless us and give her the strength to grow and develop.

I thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers. It really helps having a group behind you that understands and can really support you!

I go to the doctor today for my glucose test and then on Friday for her weekly check up and stress test. Keep us in your prayers!

Off to San Francisco

During our visit at Cincinnati, the doctors recommended that we talk with UCSF about the Tracheal Occlusion surgery. We were contacted by the nurse at UCSF yesterday about the procedure and were asked to come out for a consultation. Jason and I decided to go for the consultation and determine if we wanted to proceed with the procedure. The only catch is that we have the consultation on December 16th and will have to make a decision immediately. The last day that they can do the procedure is December 18th since I will be 28 weeks on Friday, December 19th.

It is really hard to plan for this since we are not sure what we want to do about the procedure and will be traveling across the country. If we decide not to have the procedure, we will come back on December 17th; if we decide to have the procedure, I will not be coming back to Atlanta until late January.

26 weeks

We went to Children's of Cincinnati yesterday for our initial consultation. During the day, I had an echo, ultrasound, and MRI performed. We also met with the family support group, a geneticist, and all doctors that are assigned to the CDH team.

At the conclusion of the day, we attended a team meeting with the head of the CDH team, the geneticist, and the CDH neonatal surgeon. During the meeting we reviewed the images and test results from the day and were told that these tests indicated that Addison had LHR of .83 which puts her in the high risk category. They suggested that we talk to USF about the Tracheal Occlusion surgery and referred us to USF for a consultation.

We are currently trying to decide whether to have the surgery which has to be done between 26 -28 weeks or to manage her care after birth. It seems like there is no right answer or evidence to direct you to one way or the other.

I also went to my fetal doctor today for the biweekly checkup and ultrasound. They were able to perform a 3d/4d ultrasound and got amazing pictures of our little princess. She looks exactly like her daddy.

Amniocentesis

We heard yesterday back from the doctor on the amniocentesis results. Everything is normal. When I heard those words, I just wanted to jump through the phone and hug the doctor and pray to GOD all at the same time.

I guess that God is hearing the numerous prayers for my little princess.

I will be going to Cincinnati next week for my first appointment. I am hoping that I will finally have some answers and a plan. The not knowing is driving me nuts. It is like being on a roller coaster. I have the days where I just know that it will all work out and she will be OK, and then there are other days when I wonder what if it is not.

24 Weeks

On Tuesday November 25th, we went to the pediatric cardiologist for a check up. During the visit, we were told that her pulmonary vein on the left side was developed and functioning normally, and the right side was functioning but at a reduced capacity. He also told us that her heart is strong, functioning normally, and growing appropriately, and he did not see any reason for us to see him again until she was born.

We have not heard the results from the amniocentesis, so I am a little stressed out. I found out that we have been referred to Children's Hospital in Cincinnati for the remainder of her prenatal care and delivery. We will have to go for a visit in a week or two.