24 1/2 Weeks Part 2

Well we went to our appointments and as we had feared, we don’t have a clear cut answer to what we have ahead of us. The ultrasound looked like all the others we had seen for the most part. No amniotic fluid, still no kidney action that can be seen, and no new answers. A positive though is that the measurements were spot on for 24 weeks and the baby weighs an estimated 1.8 pounds, right at the 50th percentile. Also, the heartbeat is a strong 146 bpm and the baby had the hiccups again.

Next we went to our meeting with the neonatologist and the specialist. After many minutes of discussing statistics on delivering at 24 weeks, we came to the conclusion it wasn’t going to happen right now because the baby would not survive. A best case scenario normal baby has anywhere from a 40% to 70% chance, but a baby in our situation probably has less than a 10% chance. As we continued to discuss our situation we learned each day the baby makes it is vital to the development of the baby. The main points of concern were of course the amniotic fluid, the lungs, the kidneys, and the unexplained mass below the kidneys. To try something different in figuring out the whole disconnect with the kidneys and the unexplained mass, they asked if we would consider having a fetal MRI to try and see what is going on. They usually do this for babies when looking at brain or head development, but they thought an MRI could help discover some of the other issues with the kidneys. We agreed, so we have an MRI set up for Wednesday afternoon. Hopefully the MRI will shed some light on the subject and help us out.

With all of this being said, this is where some hard news hit us. We were now told that they can’t tell us when to deliver or begin monitoring the baby, but that it is completely 100% our decision. Suddenly we were given all of the responsibility and were told again there is no right or wrong answer. Without knowing what to do at this time, we have decided first to get the MRI and see if we get any new information. If there is new information, hopefully the doctor’s can give us some better direction. Still yet, anything can happen to the baby any time and any day, so the next goal is to make it Wednesday for the MRI. The constant fear is the chance of cord compression with the baby growing and limited space.

We have some big and tough decisions ahead of us. We will be praying for wisdom to make the right decisions, and also strength to make it through each day. The stress of the situation definitely hits us from time to time, but the support and prayers from everyone has helped us immensely. Please continue to pray for our Junebug and our families as the near future is not going to get any easier.

I know some people who may be reading our blog aren’t religious people, but I’m going to throw out some more religion right now. We truly do thank God for this baby and giving us strength to make it as far as we have. Without Him, Allyson and I would not be handling this as well as we have and we would not have all of the awesome support of family and friends. Our situation has really put in perspective for me the difficulty it must have been for God to send his only son Jesus to die for all of our sins. I would do anything and even die for Junebug, but I wouldn’t want Junebug to give its life for me. I want Junebug to know life outside of the womb and have the chance to live a long life.

The love of a child is different from anything else in the world and I would not give this experience up, even with it being a challenge. So whenever you are reading this, if you have kids, give them a hug or give them a call and let them know how special they are and that you love them. Each life is a miracle and a true blessing. If you don’t have kids, hug a spouse or loved one because they are someone’s child and a miracle too. Remember, it is because of the Son we are all blessed to have the lives we do.

Thanks and God Bless,
Rob