29 Weeks

4/20/11
 
I AM 29 WEEKS TODAY!!!  WE ARE THANKING GOD AND GIVING HIM ALL THE PRAISE AND GLORY.  TWO WEEKS AGO, WHEN I CHECKED IN TO THIS HOSPITAL, I WAS VERY NERVOUS THAT I WOULD NOT SEE THIS DAY.  WE BELIEVE THAT PRAYER IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS GOTTEN US HERE.  BELIEVE ME, I FEEL THE PRAYERS THAT ARE BEING LIFTED FOR US, AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THEM.  
 
I AM TRYING TO ONLY UPDATE THE BLOG ONCE A WEEK SINCE IT IS SO HARD TO DO HERE.  ANOTHER REASON IS THAT THINGS HONESTLY CHANGE FROM DAY TO DAY AND I HATE TO GIVE ONE REPORT, AND THEN IT CHANGE THE VERY NEXT DAY.  LAST WEEK THE DOCTORS WERE A LITTLE CONCERNED WITH MY BLOOD PLATELETS.  THEY SEEMED TO BE DROPPING AND THE DOCTORS WERE WORRIED THAT IF THAT PATTERN CONTINUED, AND THEY GOT TOO LOW, THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE BABIES.  THANKFULLY, AS OF MONDAY, MY PLATELETS HAD NOT DROPPED ANYMORE.  THE DOCTORS NOW THINK THAT I HAVE GESTATIONAL THROMBOCYTOPENIA, WHICH SHOULD GO AWAY ONCE THE BABIES ARE BORN.  HOWEVER, JUST TO BE SAFE, THEY ARE CONTINUING TO MONITOR MY LEVELS.  
 
OUR BABY GIRL HARPER IS SHOWING SIGNS OF GROWTH, AND TODAY, THEY WERE EVEN ABLE TO SEE FORWARD FLOW OF BLOOD IN HER UMBILICAL CORD.  THAT IS HUGE!!!  NOW, THINGS CAN CHANGE IN AN INSTANT, BUT WE FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HER NOW.  SHE STILL HAS IUGR, BUT WE ARE PRAYING THAT ONCE SHE IS BORN NO OTHER COMPLICATIONS WILL ARISE.  
 
THEY TOLD US LAST WEEK THAT THE CCAM IN HENRY’S CHEST MAY BE BIGGER THAN THEY ACTUALLY ANTICIPATED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY KEEP REITERATING THAT THEY REALLY WON’T KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE UNTIL HE IS BORN AND WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL BE A SHORT TERM OR A LONG TERM PROBLEM.  RIGHT NOW IT’S LOOKING LIKE HENRY WILL HAVE TO HAVE SURGERY IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE IS BORN.  THE DOCTORS ARE WORRIED THAT THERE IS NO NORMAL LUNG TISSUE WHERE THE MASS HAS GROWN, BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE WON’T KNOW FOR CERTAIN UNTIL HE IS BORN.  IF THERE IS NO LUNG TISSUE THERE, THEN WE PRAY THAT HIS OTHER LUNG IS STABLE.  IF THERE IS SOME LUNG TISSUE THERE, THEN ONLY TIME WILL TELL IF IT WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY.  ALSO, THE FLUID IN HIS AMNIOTIC SAC IS CONTINUING TO INCREASE.  RIGHT NOW, IT IS NOT CAUSING HIM ANY COMPLICATIONS.  HOWEVER, IT IS MAKING IT VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME.  BECAUSE OF THE EXCESS FLUID, I AM EXPERIENCING CONTRACTIONS, AND THE FLUID IN HIS SAC IS CAUSING HARPER TO BE PRESSED INTO MY DIAPHRAGM.  NOW, WE COULD REMEDY THIS BY DOING AN AMNIO REDUCTION, BUT AS LONG AS I AM THE ONLY ONE IT’S AFFECTING, AND ITS JUST DISCOMFORT, THEN I AM GOING TO ENDURE IT AND NOT RECEIVE THE AMNIO REDUCTION.  I WILL HOWEVER HAVE TO HAVE THIS IF THE FLUID CAUSES ME TO GO INTO PRETERM LABOR, OR IT BEGINS AFFECTING MY BREATHING.
 
WE ARE CONTINUING TO PRAY THAT I WILL MAKE IT JUST ONE MORE WEEK.  MY DOCTORS ARE TRULY AMAZED THAT I HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR.  WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE FURTHER ALONG I GET, THE BETTER CHANCES HENRY WILL HAVE AT RECOVERING FROM SURGERY.  WE ARE ALSO PRAYING THAT ONCE THEY REMOVE THE MASS, THERE WILL BE A PERFECTLY HEALTHY LUNG THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO SEE BECAUSE OF THE MASS.  BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE PRAYING FOR GOD’S WILL TO BE DONE.  WE ARE PRAYING FOR PEACE DURING THIS VERY STRESSFUL TIME.  I AM CONTINUING TO PRAY FOR SAFETY FOR MY MOM AND MARK AS THEY CONTINUE TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM MEMPHIS.  GOD IS SO GOOD, AND I JUST PRAY THAT WHATEVER THE OUTCOME, HE WILL BE GLORIFIED THROUGH IT ALL.  I HAD A FRIEND SEND ME MATHEW 19: 26, “ JESUS LOOKED AT THEM AND SAID, “WITH MAN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.”  I BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS, GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL OF THIS SITUATION AND WE ARE JUST TAKING COMFORT IN THAT.  THANK YOU ALL, AGAIN, FOR YOUR PRAYERS.  MARK AND I ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THEM ALL.