Today is the follow-up level II Ultrasound...


I have been saying my special prayers and even went to the Catholic church in Brigantine to light a candle and then bless my stomach area with holy water.

I feel rather sick to my stomach in anticipation of this appointment so I'll wrap things up and report findings later. I may also be having an amnio today but those results won't be ready for 2-4 weeks.

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I had the amnio...FISH test reults (early chromosomal analysis) will be ready in 3 days.

The hygroma appears to be shrinking/resolving - it is now just behind the neck as opposed to covering the entire back as seen in the last ultrasound.

However its almost certain that baby boy (yes, its a BOY) has a heart defect and possibly Down's Syndrome. The Amnio results will conform or deny the DS diagnosis and at 20 weeks I can have another level II ultrasound with a pediatric cardiologist and a fetal echocardiogram.

Sounds grim, huh? Well...the only GOOD part of this (besides the shrinking hygroma) is that the "hole in the heart" may be this http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11066 which can heal on its own or is easily repairable after birth.

I've been tearful all day, and unfortunately my husband is reacting very badly to this prognosis.

However, my parents and one sister are very supportive of me and my "glass is half-full" optimism. The doctor I saw today was rather coarse and offensive - not just in what he said and how he said it but also how he SMELLED! He reeked of cigarettes with a lingering  note of B.O. on the side! Sheesh! So, I was able to throw his blunt statement that "maybe it isn't God's will to have a handicapped baby" out the window as I thought in silent reply, "Maybe it isn't God's will that YOU smell like a garbage dump, pal!"

I wish I had driven the extra hour to see Dr. Silver again but I went to his practices' local-to-my-neighborhood office and saw a different practictioner. I was nervous about having the amnio done by this slobby guy but I was there and since my "window of opportunity" was closing - and also because at that moment I had enough nerve to go through with it - I just said "ok, let's go for it." It won't change MY views on this pregnancy but I feel that with the heart situation, its a good idea to have as much info as possible so I can begin lining up specialists, etc. to take over if the pregnancy goes to full term. I state "if" because with the hygroma and heart problem, even though the baby is now active and has a great heart rate, it could still miscarry/be stillborn. So I wait...