Another note from the hospital...

Well, here we are again...back at the hospital.  This little lady seems to want to have a story to tell when she finally arrives.  I told Josh that his girls are sure starting their little lives with a bang!

For those of you who do not know, the last 36 hours have proved to be quite a roller-coaster for our little family.  (haven't you been on a roller-coaster, you might ask?) Well, thankfully, it is one orchestrated by our Lord, so the ride is not dangerous or uncharted.

I awoke yesterday (Sunday) with symptoms again (it has been almost 6 weeks without) and pretty intense back pain, which can sometimes be labor pains.  Came into the hospital and was met with a new diagnosis from an ultrasound.  Something very rare & serious called Vasa Previa.  Our placenta previa diagnosis was in the past now, as it looked from the ultrasound that the placenta was completely out of the way.  Instead with the vasa previa, there were vessels from the placenta (both baby's vessels & mine intermixed) that were over the opening of the cervix.

This is incredibly dangerous and highly fragile for the baby.  (If the vessel rupture, the baby's chance of life is very slim.) I was put on immediate and strict bedrest here at the hospital (can't get up to go to the bathroom, can't shower, can't raise my head, etc...).  I was put on 24 hr/day monitors for her and I, as well as our nurse in here checking my symptoms every 30 minutes.  They put me on steroids to help our little baby's lungs to develop more, in case she had to come early.
And they started giving me magnesium sulfate, which acts as a muscle relaxant, to slow the contractions of my uterus (a big muscle).  This was to keep me from going into labor & rupturing those vessels.  The side effects of this drug are a real bummer (think of all the muscles you have in your body relaxing all at the same time! Heart, lungs, legs, eyes, along with a serious continuous hot flash...yikes!) I was definitely not feeling myself once the drug was infusing.

However, my uterus "relaxed" (along with the rest of my body!) and we were able to buy some time.  This morning, a radiologist who specializes in these sorts of diagnoses wanted to take another look at the "vasa previa".  So our doctor was in the process of discussing it with him, when my symptoms started up again.

The c-section team was assembled again, in case they needed to go into emergent surgery to get our little lady out.  They were pretty positive that the bleeding was from her vessels and therefore we had to go in and get her.  However, during all this, the extra ultrasound was ordered to take one more look at the vasa previa.

The special radiologist, the tech, our OB doctor, Josh & I sat there and watched the ultrasound...all of them said, "It looks clear...the cervix looks clear...there's nothing in the way".  "Is that what you see?" "Do you concur?" "I don't see any vessels in the way!"

We couldn't believe our eyes.  Yesterday, they had seen the vessels quite clearly...there, precariously in the way.  And now, they aren't there.  Miracle? Well, let's just say I wouldn't be surprised. :o) The prayers of the saints were very specific toward this end!


So the surgery plan was halted...and we were back to bedrest.  Our baby girl has continued to "look great" in her monitoring.  Her heart rate & activity are all right on track for a little lady of only 32 weeks.  And for now, she is staying put...growing, getting hiccups, rolling around, and getting bigger & stronger.

And trying to rival her big sister in the area of birth stories & God's provision. :o)


So, the latest is this...I am back to bedrest. Completely. No bathroom privileges or showers for now.  Laying down in the bed and sort of "reclining" to eat is the activity of the day.  I am off the yucky medicine (magnesium) and am able to eat & drink.  And I am going to be finishing the duration of this pregnancy in this hospital.  

Of course, as the last 36 hrs have proved...things can change quickly.  But we are still confident these changes are not unknown or unseen by the Lord. And so we are going moment by moment. Day to day seemed a little too far out. :o)

And miraculously I have been flooded by another wave of His peace in the last couple days.  Peace that really goes beyond understanding or explanation.

And I can only thank my Heavenly Father for it.

In order to keep you in the know on God's latest in our little girl's story, I will be using this blog for any new status changes with either her or I.  I will definitely update it frequently these next few weeks & months. (If you'd like, you can subscribe via feed or email...it's over to the left.)

The Lord has been so faithful! And we want to again tell each of you, thank you for your prayers, gifts, kind words & deeds. We are overwhelmed almost daily by the care each of you show toward our family.

We ask for continued prayer for our daughter and her health, for me, for Josh & the kids, for our in-laws who continue to help with our children...for our doctors, nurses, ultrasound techs, radiologists, anesthesiologists, lab techs and so many more that we will be coming in contact with over these next days & weeks here at the hospital.  We pray that they may see that Christ is better than all things...even in the midst of all this.  

Good night & blessings,
Sharon
(for our McPherson Five)