Post Treatment Update

It has been a couple of days since my last treatment, but I wanted to post an update about it. I started the IVIG on Sunday, and when I went back Monday I got a CBC to check my levels. Well... they were up to 117,000. My doctor was very happy that it had already started working within 24 hours. I got my second treatment Monday, but I will not know my levels until next Tuesday. We are just praying that this treatment works, and my levels stay up at least until Adalyn comes. Thank you all again for your support and prayers.

Update 9/7

Update:
 
After going back and forth trying to get a hold of my hematologist (apparently he's very busy) we figured out a treatment plan. I am going to get a treatment called IVIG or Intravenous Immunoglobulin. It is an IV treatment that I get over a period of two days, starting Sunday. I guess it is safe for pregnancy and should not have a lot of side effects. My doctor seemed very surprised that my levels dropped so fast, so please pray that they stay up after this treatment. Hopefully I will have a positive update for you next week. Thanks again for the prayers and support.

 

Another Bump.. Already?

As I was packing and cleaning to get ready to move on Saturday, I heard my phone ringing. When I looked at the screen and saw the familiar number, my stomach immediately turned into knots. It was the doctor's office. Tuesday was my prenatal appointment, and I had gotten a CBC to check my platelets while I was there. My doctor had told me to check the results the next day, but I did not think it was necessary because my platelets had been up to 204,000 a week and a half ago. The doctor had been so impressed by my count that he did not want to see me for another seven months. So, when the nurse told me the reason she was calling, my heart stopped. My levels were down to 54,000... 150,000 less than they were a week and a half ago. She told me to call my hematologist right away because I was going to have to get a different treatment.

All I could think while she was telling me this was I was being punished for something. I kept asking, what could I have done to deserve this Lord?! Just a few days ago I posted about being sure to be thankful and counting all of your blessings. How can I follow my own post when I feel like I am being punished? After not being able to sleep last night, I did a lot of thinking. The Lord is not punishing me.. He is merely testing me. It is another bump in the road that is meant to strengthen us. Mark and I are strong, and all of these things are going to make us stronger. We got a newsletter in the mail from friends back home who have a ministry called SHOP (Student House of Prayer) and on the back of it was a note. They told us how great our faith has been and that these things have made us more mature and Christ-like. It was a reminder that the Lord has trusted us with this little girl for a reason. All of the things that He has placed in our lives has been for a reason, and in the end, we will be stronger as a result of this. Hopefully our journey will be a witness to others and He will use us for His glory.

I am currently waiting on a phone call for an appointment with my hematologist, so we still do not know the course of treatment I will need to go on. In the meantime, we are asking for prayers. Please pray for continued strength and that this health issue of mine will not have an impact on Adalyn. Thank you again for your prayers and support. 

Happy birthday daddy!

Yesterday was Mark's birthday, and he informed me that he got the best birthday present ever. Was it the Red Sox hat and t-shirt that I gave him? Nope. Was it the strawberry double layer birthday cake that I labored over for hours? Nope. He told me his present was our little girl. He had been praying for the last few weeks that she could make it until his birthday... and here she is! If you would have asked us a few months ago if we thought that we would be sitting here today, we would have said no. After getting all of the horrible results back from our ultrasounds, we would not have thought it was possible that Adalyn would still be with us today. How dare we doubt our little girl?! How dare we doubt that she does not have her mommy and daddy's stubborn genes?! She is a fighter and a stubborn one at that. So, last night he got to enjoy a cake from his little girl. It is even decorated so terribly and it looks like she could have made it! 

Of course, there is no way I can give all of the credit to our genes and our little girl. We know that none of this would be possible without His glory and grace. Our little girl has been such a blessing, and we have enjoyed every single second of her presence in our lives. We would not be able to do this without God's intervention though. Even though I still get angry that Adalyn has been diagnosed with Trisomy 13, I am reminded every day how blessed we are to have her in our lives. This little angel was given to us for a reason, and we thank Him for that every day. 

The bigger my belly gets, the more people comment on it. Almost every time I come into contact with a stranger they ask me when I am due and if it is a boy or girl. They almost always tell me congratulations and talk about how excited that we must be. Yes, it is hard to participate in these conversations... it always breaks my heart to talk about her like everything is okay and pretend how excited we are for it. Of course I am not going to tell a perfect stranger the real story of what is going on. The reality is that I have been going about it all wrong though. Why shouldn't we be excited?! Why shouldn't we be so happy?! I will be 36 weeks on Thursday and our little girl is still kicking away. Mark and I feel it in our hearts that we are going to get at least a little bit of time with her. Right there is a reason to be excited! Even if we only get a few hours with our little girl we will be so happy. Why would that not be a reason to celebrate? I think this is what God has been trying to tell me when he puts these people in my life. He is reminding me all the time that we SHOULD be excited and happy.

So, whenever you are feeling down or depressed about something, just remember that you DO have something to celebrate. God has given each and every person so many blessings to be thankful for. Maybe it is something as simple as a sunny day or having good health. Whatever is getting you down in your life, just remember to step back and think about all the good things you have in it and rejoice! 

Post Doctor (8/23)

Just got back from the doctor a little bit ago... we heard her heartbeat and it was music to our ears. Although she is not moving very much, she is still with us. I had my blood pressure checked and weight to make sure I am not preeclamptic or anything. Everything checked out okay.. except for the fact that I gained 4 lbs in 3 days! This medicine is making me retain water at an insane rate! Hopefully after I stop it everything goes away.. including the weight. 

To make things short, thanks for the prayers. So far things are still good! Hopefully we will not be seeing Addy for 6 more weeks (since I am 34 weeks today). 

Another Update (8/23)

This is just a short update, asking for more prayers. Most of you have read my last update on Monday, and are aware of our situation. I started taking the steroids on Monday and now I have not felt Addy moving much these past few days. I am going to the doctor for a non-stress test today at 2:00 and we are very worried. We ask for prayers that my medical problems and medicine have not affected our little girl and that she is okay.

Below are just a few things I wanted share with you guys: some things that we have been doing as a family to enjoy all these precious times we are getting together. We pray that we get some more of these..

We bought the above book for Mark to read to Adalyn. Given his career and his love of construction we thought it would be perfect for him to read to her. The first night he read it she actually started kicking like crazy! It was precious! She is definitely a daddy's girl..

Last night Mark and I had tickets to the Red Sox game. It was Addy's 3rd game but we finally got pictures of us! Even though they lost (like usual) it was still a blast!

I will post an update as soon as we know anything from the appointment. Of course, we have accepted God's plan and know that whatever happens is part of it, but we are praying for some more time with our precious girl. Hopefully I will be able to post good news later, and that Addy may be able to go full term. Thank you again for your prayers and support.

Another Bump in the Road

We have come across another hill on this roller coaster journey of ours these past few days. One week ago I was bragging about how "healthy" I am, especially for a pregnant person. My doctor told me that my iron levels are through the roof, which is abnormal for a pregnant lady. My platelets were also in the normal range, at 160,000 (normal is 150,000 to 400,000). Unfortunately I spoke to soon.. last Friday I got a phone call after my prenatal appointment informing me that my levels have now dropped to 64,000. We scheduled an appointment to get them checked again Saturday in case we needed immediate treatment. They were down to 55,000. So.... after seeing my hematologist yesterday he decided to put me on a very aggressive form of steroid. I only take it for 4 days, because it is about 40 times stronger than prednisone. The side affects should wear off after day 5, so we are hoping they are not too drastic. 

I thought for sure that things could not get much worse, but Mark put it in good terms: we have just come across another bump in the road. Of course I am terrified, for Adalyn's sake. We are asking for prayers that this treatment will not affect her in any negative way, and that the Decadron medicine will bring my platelets up for when I go into labor. We are very thankful for our faith, because if not for it, I would be a horrible mess right now. He is teaching me to trust in Him and to be patient. These things are happening for a reason, and when we come out of all this, we will be stronger than ever. A stronger couple, and a stronger relationship with Christ. 

On a good note, I am almost 34 weeks, so we still have our little fighter. Last week we met with the neonatologist, nurses, and a social worker. We gave them our birth plan and finalized what to expect when I go into labor. They were very sincere and we feel like we are in great hands. When it comes time, they are going to make our experience as good as it can possibly be and as comfortable as possible. These next several weeks are going to need lots of prayers and patience. Again, we are thankful for everyone's prayers and support. Without them, we would not be where we are today.