High – Risk OBGYN visit

Wednesday 1/23/08
They got us an appointment to the high-risk doctor the next morning. Bradley and I went hoping for some positive news and that is was all a mistake. We got called into the Ultrasound exam room and the Ultrasound tech went through the normal ultrasound taking pictures of all the organs, etc and labeling them and then they looked at the heart again, you could see on the ultrasound and using the Doppler that part the left part of his heart was only getting a small amount of blood and only sporadically. Dr. Campbell came and was looking at the ultrasound of the heart and the Doppler and explaining that all chambers of the heart should show the same amount of activity and blood flow and in our case the left ventricle of the heart he diagnosed him with a condition called Aortic Stenosis and explained that if the baby can make it to full term that he will need to have surgery on his heart as soon as he is born and that we might have to have the baby in Cincinnati or Michigan where the surgeons who specialize in this type of surgery on newborns is located. He assured us this was not anything Bradley or I done to Dr. Campbell suggested that we go ahead and have an amniocentesis to determine if there were any other abnormalities. He explained the risk with the amnio and we agreed that we wanted to be prepared if there was something else wrong. I figured Bradley and I would be sent to the hospital for the test, but to my surprise just minutes after we decided on the test they laid me back on the exam bed and cleaned my stomach with iodine and continued to numb my stomach where they were going to insert the 7.5 cm needle. Bradley stood beside me and held one of my hands and gently brush my hair away from my face with the other.
I did not watch the amnio needle go into my stomach, instead I felt the stinging pinch watched on the ultrasound monitor and saw the needle piercing through my abdomen, when the procedure was almost done I saw our baby boy’s little hand like waving on the monitor. In that moment nothing else matter except him and as strong as I wanted to be I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. We were told the that the results would be back within a few weeks. They instructed me to go home to rest and take it easy the remainder of the day since I could experience some cramping from the procedure. After we left the doctor’s office I called one Shannon- one of my peers on my team to ask if she could cover for me. When she answered I could barely get out the words to say anything except ask that she cover for me the rest of the day. She could hear the hurt in my voice as she said Missy, “You don’t have to say anything, I will cover you the rest of the day no problem, when you want to talk I am here.” In her not only do have a great co-worker, but a wonderful and dear friend. Already I was blessed with the supportive chain desperately needing.

We got home from the doctors office and I knew I would have to start making phone calls and trying to re-explain all the information the doctor provided about our little boys condition. I told Bradley he could go onto work, because I knew he needed to stay busy and focused - that is how he is built.

First call was to my mom and then Bradley’s mom and I tried to explain the best I could of what they found was wrong with the baby’s heart and that he was going to need surgery as soon as he is born, in additional to we may have to travel to another state to deliver the baby depending on where the surgeon is who can perform the surgery. Both my mom and his mom stayed positive while they were on the phone with me which made it a little easier and they offered prayer and support. Next call was to my sister(Stacy) who is a proud mother of 2 children a girl Allie and a boy Scott, she cried with me and said we can’t lose our faith God is going to help you and Bradley thru this and watch over your special baby boy. She asked if I needed anything and I said I would like the company and to see the kids, they always cheer me up. She came out and visited with the kids, my mom and little sis (Lindsey) came out, and then Bradley’s mom and dad stopped by, it felt nice to have the company, we all watched the ultrasound video and they saw him moving around and saw the imaging of his heart and where it was not working the way is it supposed to.

When Bradley got home that night, I insisted we needed to give our little boy at least a first name and he picked out Colt, I said Colt it is. Our special little Colt.

I knew going to work was going the next day was going be hard, since not only is being pregnant an emotional roll-coaster but having complications just doubles it.
Everyone at worked asked out everything went and I did my best to hold back the tears, I explained what was going on that that we would hopefully know more when we see the pediatric Cardiologist.

The Ultrasound

All night long before our appointment I had been so nervous thinking what if something is wrong am I strong enough to handle it, can Bradley. I had asked Bradley if something was wrong with our baby could he still love it, he said there was no decision to it, he would love it no matter what.

Tuesday - Jan. 22, 2008
Bradley picked me up from work this morning to take me to our Doctor’s appointment 18 weeks ultrasound to see how the baby is developing and hopefully get to sneak a peek to see if we will be the proud parents of a son or daughter. Bradley thinks it is a boy and I was thinking I am having a girl.

We got to the doctor’s office and we called back to the Exam room to start the ultrasound. The ultrasound tech asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby and I said yes. She quickly moved the ultrasound device and there is was, no mistakes. I said it that what I think it is and she said yes it’s a boy, I looked at Bradley and said Daddy, you got your boy! Bradley was smiling from ear to ear. We got to see all the organs, see and hear his heartbeat, see him move and suck his thumb, I was starting to feel relief. Then I notice how the tech kept going back to the heart, I was like everything is okay, then the doctor came in and kept going back to the heart also. Once the ultrasound was finished Bradley and I were instructed to go into the chat room. The doctor came in and said that he was concerned about our little boys heart, he said the left part of his heart is not functioning the way it is supposed to and that he is referring us to a High risk OB-GYN for a level 2 ultrasound with Doppler to see the baby’s blood flow more in-depth .

My heart stopped, it felt like my world just fell apart, I couldn’t stop myself from crying. Bradley was holding me telling me it was all going to be okay and maybe the ultrasound was wrong.

I went back to work and everyone was asking what we are having I just broke down and said I could not talk about it right now and I needed to call my mom first.
I knew she would be waiting by the phone for my call as she thought it was a girl too. My little sister answered the phone and she said it is a boy or girl, I said a boy and I was still crying, she told my mom it’s a boy and handed the phone to my mom and said she is crying I think something is wrong when my mom answered I could not say anything but sob, she said, “Miss, what’s wrong?” I finally was able to stop crying for a little bit to mumble, “ it’s his heart they think there is something wrong with it, we are going to a high risk doctor in Lexington tomorrow. She said oh, Miss it is going to okay no matter what. We will all pray for him.


* So amazing how you can love someone so much that you have never met.