Mason City Apt.

Well we were called last Friday with our apt. date of Oct. 5th at noon.  That was the next time Dr. Hwang was going to be in Mason City.  I am so thankful we only had a week to wait.  What a LONG ride there...I don't know if Brian and I said a word the whole way there.  We were very scared at what the apt. would hold and tell.  We got called back almost right away when we got there.  We had to go back downstairs into an overflow ultrasound room because they had basically just fit us in.  I was worried this could take a while but I didn't care...I just wanted answers.  The ultrasound tech got right to it.  She did everything the lady in New Hampton did but she just focused more on some of the areas of concern.  She really looked the brain over, of course and the heart, kidneys, backbone and bridge of nose.  She didn't say much the whole time to reassure us.  She at one point finally said all those things looked very good except the brain.  I was happy to hear she could see the whole spine this time.  The brain appeared to be of the same size as the week before.  I was sad to hear it hadn't completely resolved itself!!  Wishful thinking, I know!  We were told to wait there and she would get the doctor.  We knew he was going to come in and do his own evaluating also.  She spent probably an hour and he spent probably another half hour looking at the baby and talking to us.  He kept asking me if I have had some kind of infection. No-I have not.  He also asked about our family history.  I mentioned my sister that has her two youngest kids with dwarfism.  He didn't think there was a connection there.  He felt that an amniocentesis would better help him rule some things out.  I was really hesitant and asked if it would really make a difference anyway.  I told myself I wasn't going to do this if they wanted even before getting to the apt.  I had resolved myself for knowing it wasn't going to change the diagnosis whether we knew it or not but Dr Hwang really insisted and talked to us about how helpful it would be for him now for the rest of the pregnancy and any doctors that would be there delivering  her (YES, THEY CONFIRMED 100% SURE IT'S A GIRL).  I was super scared.  I am so thankful for Brian.  He held my hand through the whole thing and stroked my hair.  I bawled.  It was really uncomfortable but mostly I was just worried about the baby and if I took a wrong breath or if I made her move too fast.  The whole time they are doing it they have the ultrasound machine on and are watching her, but it didn't make me feel any better.  It was just too much to be honest.  I was incredibly tense for the few minutes it took.  When the needle was out they watched on ultrasound to see if it would seal up again.  It had a few bubbles and then it was fine.  She watched the baby for a bit and said she looked good too.  I was instructed to take it easy for a couple days and that was it.  We had the whole ride home to sit in silence.  I was very crampy and weak.  Brian held my hand the whole way home and at some point we just cried together.  It was really comforting to have him.  I am so thankful for him!  He even stayed with me that afternoon instead of going back to work.  The girls were sleeping when we got home (thank-you grandma Kathy for watching the girls) so I laid down too.  Dr. Hwang sent it out for a few tests.  He said he was testing for a couple different viruses.  He said if the baby has some kind of viral infection then it would be really really bad.  That she would have severe brain damage.  This is why he was checking and double checking if I have had any kind of infection.  He said as an adult we can fight off viruses really easily, but as a fetus it is very deadly because their bodies aren't capable of that yet.  He also sent out the fluid for a genetic test, to test for things like down syndrome, etc.  If there were 23 chromosomes from each of us (Brian and I) then it wouldn't be anything genetic.  The tests are supposed to come back in 10-14 days.  I don't know how we will get through it!!  God is good... and for now, I am resting in that!  Dr. Hwang did say that if these tests come back normal then he thinks it is Agenesis of Corpus Callosum (part of the brain is missing).  It just means that the fluid could be shifting the brain around so it develops in the wrong way, or that part of the brain isn't developing.  He said even if these tests come back normal there is still a wide range of things that could come of it.  From the least being not even being able to notice there was ever a problem with her brain, all the way to severe developmental delay,etc.  He also gave us some hope in saying that there have been autopsies done on people who died later in life and found their brains to be enlarged like this and you would have never known it about that person.  He said this isn't likely and actually even told Brian that 'this will not resolve itself.  It can get worse, but it won't get better this late in pregnancy.'  But I know that with God, all things are possible and I am going to pray for the best!!  We go back to see Dr. Hwang on Dec. 7th at 10:30.  Until then I just keep seeing my doctor here in New Hampton for all my regular visits.