‘For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.' Romans 8:28
This past Monday we went for our routine ultrasound and appointment. It was decided that b/c there has been some uterine activity, we needed to meet with the Fetal Development Clinic again (a team of doctors including obstetrician and pediatrician) to discuss somewhat of a birth plan. That appointment was made for Tuesday, and so we spent a full day at the hospital on Tuesday.
We did get a few more answers, in a way. But things are so much more complicated than I had anticipated, and the prognosis for Noah is still not very good.
It is difficult to make a birth plan b/c everything is still unknown. The extent of Noah's problems cannot be determined until birth, and that's hard.
There is of course the bladder, which is no longer a balloon, but appears to have somewhat collapsed. There is also fluid in his abdomen and there is concern that this will spread to his chest, and eventually his skin tissue (something called hydrops). This will make a natural birth as well as a c-section very difficult b/c you cannot remove fluid from tissue, and there is only so much room for a baby to be delivered. We now need to go in every week for them to monitor the fluid b/c they do not want to take Noah early and add the complication of premature birth to everything else.
There will likely be damage to the kidneys as well as the lungs, but we're not sure how much. And this cannot be determined until after birth. In the near future we will be meeting with the doctors that specialize in these fields to discuss possible situations.
We will also be having a tour of the NICU next week, which I'm sure will not be easy.
It just seems that there is SO much to try and wrap our minds around, and we are feeling overwhelmed at this point. 7 weeks (my due date) is both so close and a long ways away...
It is difficult to know what to pray for, but we do pray that the LORD will grant us all that we stand in need of from day to day. We also pray that He will fulfill His purpose in our lives and grant us peace with whatever that may be.
We thank you all for your emails and phone calls and continue to covet your prayers.
This past Monday we went for our routine ultrasound and appointment. It was decided that b/c there has been some uterine activity, we needed to meet with the Fetal Development Clinic again (a team of doctors including obstetrician and pediatrician) to discuss somewhat of a birth plan. That appointment was made for Tuesday, and so we spent a full day at the hospital on Tuesday.
We did get a few more answers, in a way. But things are so much more complicated than I had anticipated, and the prognosis for Noah is still not very good.
It is difficult to make a birth plan b/c everything is still unknown. The extent of Noah's problems cannot be determined until birth, and that's hard.
There is of course the bladder, which is no longer a balloon, but appears to have somewhat collapsed. There is also fluid in his abdomen and there is concern that this will spread to his chest, and eventually his skin tissue (something called hydrops). This will make a natural birth as well as a c-section very difficult b/c you cannot remove fluid from tissue, and there is only so much room for a baby to be delivered. We now need to go in every week for them to monitor the fluid b/c they do not want to take Noah early and add the complication of premature birth to everything else.
There will likely be damage to the kidneys as well as the lungs, but we're not sure how much. And this cannot be determined until after birth. In the near future we will be meeting with the doctors that specialize in these fields to discuss possible situations.
We will also be having a tour of the NICU next week, which I'm sure will not be easy.
It just seems that there is SO much to try and wrap our minds around, and we are feeling overwhelmed at this point. 7 weeks (my due date) is both so close and a long ways away...
It is difficult to know what to pray for, but we do pray that the LORD will grant us all that we stand in need of from day to day. We also pray that He will fulfill His purpose in our lives and grant us peace with whatever that may be.
We thank you all for your emails and phone calls and continue to covet your prayers.
Praying that God will grant you the wisdom and clarity of thought you need to make decisions, peace of mind with the decisions that are made, and strength to go day by day.
ReplyDeleteSeven weeks does seem like a long time, but you know how time can fly. And, technically, a baby is full-term at 37 weeks, which isn't THAT far away.
You and Rob and Noah remain in our daily prayers.
Love, Will and Chris.
Anne, you and your family are always in our prayers. Our covenant God and faithful Father knows what is best even when you cannot put your thoughts and desires into words! Your precious son is His covenant child, and He cares! Praying you will always find your strength in Him, and that He gives you all that you need, daily.
ReplyDeleteLove, Bob and Janine