The baby looks perfect on the ultrasound. We even got a 3D ultrasound, which Alan apparently thinks looks horrible. :) No markers for Trisomy 18 at all. Basically, the doctor told us that my risk for Trisomy 18, as a normal 33 year old, was about 1/500. Since I tested at the risk of a 35 year old, my risk was actually 1/250 (about). Of babies who have Trisomy 18, at least 80% have hard or soft markers of certain birth defects on ultrasound. We had ZERO markers!!! That means my risk, at this point, is about 1/1,250...basically, very, very low. He wouldn't rule it out, of course, but he said that's because you can never rule it out, in any pregnancy. But our baby has little chance of having the problem.
And, the part that is good for Kristy and bad for Alan - it's a BOY!!! I'm so relieved. I'm such a better parent to a boy than I think I could ever be to a girl. But Alan really wanted a daughter. Poor Alan.
Etcetera.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Should This Make Me Mad?
I called my OB nurse today with several questions. Most were sort of procedural, such as how to get a referral to a physical therapist and asking about the progress in faxing my medical records. I also needed an update on my labs. TMI Update - there's protein in my urine, of course, so I need to do a 24 hour urine test. It can mean absolutely nothing, can be the first sign of a kidney infection or gestational diabetes, or a precursor to preclampsia. :(
The last question I threw in just because I was calling anyway. What are the odds of Trisomy 18 that I tested for during my Quad Screen? I have researched it, and the odds for a 35 year old to have Down's are all over the 'net, but no odds are listed anywhere for a 35 year old having Trisomy 18.
The answer? The maternal-fetal specialist will discuss this with me, and they'd rather not discuss it over the phone.
Okay, I can live with that. EXCEPT...the nurse was quick to say to see a maternal fetal specialist right away, "in case" I decide "to terminate." If you can casually discuss termination over the phone, you can give an educated person specific information they ask for regarding odds. It really made me mad, because they were so casual about the word "terminate," but unwilling to answer the follow-up questions that are most natural to ask after hearing that termination could even be an issue. Seriously, if you want to talk about information OUT OF FREAKIN' CONTEXT...sigh...termination was MUCH WORSE to say than any odds, even if they are 50%.
Should I complain? Or am I just oversensitive about this? I feel like I should get information when I ask. I should not have to wait to see a specialist, especially if I'm going to get partial and incomplete information over the phone anyway.
Etcetera.
The last question I threw in just because I was calling anyway. What are the odds of Trisomy 18 that I tested for during my Quad Screen? I have researched it, and the odds for a 35 year old to have Down's are all over the 'net, but no odds are listed anywhere for a 35 year old having Trisomy 18.
The answer? The maternal-fetal specialist will discuss this with me, and they'd rather not discuss it over the phone.
Okay, I can live with that. EXCEPT...the nurse was quick to say to see a maternal fetal specialist right away, "in case" I decide "to terminate." If you can casually discuss termination over the phone, you can give an educated person specific information they ask for regarding odds. It really made me mad, because they were so casual about the word "terminate," but unwilling to answer the follow-up questions that are most natural to ask after hearing that termination could even be an issue. Seriously, if you want to talk about information OUT OF FREAKIN' CONTEXT...sigh...termination was MUCH WORSE to say than any odds, even if they are 50%.
Should I complain? Or am I just oversensitive about this? I feel like I should get information when I ask. I should not have to wait to see a specialist, especially if I'm going to get partial and incomplete information over the phone anyway.
Etcetera.
Oh Misty, My Fellow Giftie
I know Misty doesn't always read my blog. But this one's for her, on the occasion of her birth.
I remember in high school, when I thought she was nice, and shy, and far more confident than I. She was nice. And she was a bit shy, though probably not nearly as much as I suspected. She was probably less confident than I thought, but still far more confident than I.
Then there was college. She was independant and self-sufficient, in my eyes. She would probably say (based on conversations we've had since) that she was a bit co-dependant and unsure and in need of a good friend.
Post-college, she was artsy, and funny, and sweet. Finally, I got my impression of her right!
Happy birthday, Misty.
Etcetera.
I remember in high school, when I thought she was nice, and shy, and far more confident than I. She was nice. And she was a bit shy, though probably not nearly as much as I suspected. She was probably less confident than I thought, but still far more confident than I.
Then there was college. She was independant and self-sufficient, in my eyes. She would probably say (based on conversations we've had since) that she was a bit co-dependant and unsure and in need of a good friend.
Post-college, she was artsy, and funny, and sweet. Finally, I got my impression of her right!
Happy birthday, Misty.
Etcetera.
My Hubby Points Out...
"You do know that you never blogged about Trisomy 18 until this morning, right? It kind of came out of nowhere if a person hadn't spoken with you in person last week." -Husband
I did mention Trisomy 18 in one of my blogs today, didn't I? I took a Quad Screen, and the results came in Friday. I tested at the risk of a 35 year old (instead of the 33 year old I am) for Trisomy 18, a devastating illness that rarely (if ever) results in a surviving baby. Although my levels were only slightly elevated (well, the nurse said "elevated," but in all actuality, they were actually lower than expected, as that is the indicator of Trisomy 18), the doctor's office suggested that I move my level two ultrasound from late next week to tomorrow, to give the maternal fetal specialist a chance to rule out any "soft markers" for the genetic (although not inherited...it would be the result of a random gene problem) disorder.
The nurse, on Friday, was INCREDIBLY INSENSITIVE. She said I should see the maternal fetal specialist right away, in case I decide to "terminate." Um, my risk is still fairly low. Honestly, it's low enough that if I wasn't already high risk, they probably wouldn't even follow-up on this. Also, I would not terminate. She's usually a good nurse, but I will need to talk to the doctor about this. It's not that I don't think termination of a pregnancy should be mentioned to a woman who is diagnosed with Trisomy 18 (as the baby will not survive anyway and there are serious risks of continuing the pregnancy to the mother), but to tell me that ON THE PHONE WHEN MY RISK IS STILL FAIRLY LOW was a mistake.
Anyway, I was devastated, as you might imagine. Friday was pretty tough for me. I kept myself busy all weekend. I'm trying to work today, but it'll come as no surprise that I've gotten very little done. First the miscarriage, and now this. So I'm freakin' out, a little.
Tomorrow, we find out the gender and check for soft markers. If there are no soft markers, that doesn't rule out Trisomy 18 (nothing but an amnio can rule that out in any pregnancy, even one where the woman tests normal on her Quad Screen), but it would be a really, really good sign. If there is a soft marker, then we would be recommended to do an amnio. I don't think I'll do one (as most stats suggest that the risk of amnio-induced miscarriage of a healthy baby is higher than actual risk of Trisomy 18, and there's nothing that can be done about Trisomy 18 anyway), but I'll need to talk to the specialist before deciding.
So tomorrow has suddenly become a really big day. Not just a boy/girl determination day, but a "will my baby survive" day. If I've been sharp with any of you or distracted, it's not personal. I'm just going through a lot right now. I guess I didn't think about that I hadn't blogged about it. :(
Etcetera.
I did mention Trisomy 18 in one of my blogs today, didn't I? I took a Quad Screen, and the results came in Friday. I tested at the risk of a 35 year old (instead of the 33 year old I am) for Trisomy 18, a devastating illness that rarely (if ever) results in a surviving baby. Although my levels were only slightly elevated (well, the nurse said "elevated," but in all actuality, they were actually lower than expected, as that is the indicator of Trisomy 18), the doctor's office suggested that I move my level two ultrasound from late next week to tomorrow, to give the maternal fetal specialist a chance to rule out any "soft markers" for the genetic (although not inherited...it would be the result of a random gene problem) disorder.
The nurse, on Friday, was INCREDIBLY INSENSITIVE. She said I should see the maternal fetal specialist right away, in case I decide to "terminate." Um, my risk is still fairly low. Honestly, it's low enough that if I wasn't already high risk, they probably wouldn't even follow-up on this. Also, I would not terminate. She's usually a good nurse, but I will need to talk to the doctor about this. It's not that I don't think termination of a pregnancy should be mentioned to a woman who is diagnosed with Trisomy 18 (as the baby will not survive anyway and there are serious risks of continuing the pregnancy to the mother), but to tell me that ON THE PHONE WHEN MY RISK IS STILL FAIRLY LOW was a mistake.
Anyway, I was devastated, as you might imagine. Friday was pretty tough for me. I kept myself busy all weekend. I'm trying to work today, but it'll come as no surprise that I've gotten very little done. First the miscarriage, and now this. So I'm freakin' out, a little.
Tomorrow, we find out the gender and check for soft markers. If there are no soft markers, that doesn't rule out Trisomy 18 (nothing but an amnio can rule that out in any pregnancy, even one where the woman tests normal on her Quad Screen), but it would be a really, really good sign. If there is a soft marker, then we would be recommended to do an amnio. I don't think I'll do one (as most stats suggest that the risk of amnio-induced miscarriage of a healthy baby is higher than actual risk of Trisomy 18, and there's nothing that can be done about Trisomy 18 anyway), but I'll need to talk to the specialist before deciding.
So tomorrow has suddenly become a really big day. Not just a boy/girl determination day, but a "will my baby survive" day. If I've been sharp with any of you or distracted, it's not personal. I'm just going through a lot right now. I guess I didn't think about that I hadn't blogged about it. :(
Etcetera.
BMI and Boobies
There is this horrible commercial that comes on the radio on a New Orleans station I listen to sometimes. It features husbands, talking about how great it is that their wives got a breast enhancement.
I appreciate the value of a kick butt body. When I was working out, and my BMI moved from obese to overweight (yippee!...and I'll never truly be normal weight, as I wasn't even when I was skinny...I'm just too muscular and curvy to fit on the chart), I loved my body. I felt like I could do anything. Now that I am pregnant, and my BMI has jumped back up to borderline (although it's frozen there...and I should gain more but cannot manage to), I'm scared. Scared of being fat. Scared my boobies will droop even more. (Is that really possible?) Scared of not feeling like I can do anything.
I don't even oppose boob jobs. Personally, I'd love a reduction and lift. I probably would never take the risk of surgery, but given the torturous level of back pain I am currently experiencing, I'll never say never. And if you have no boobies, I can understand the desire to fit clothes properly.
What I oppose, I guess, is the presumption in the commercial that boob jobs are for the husbands. Um, no. When I worked out, I'm sure Alan enjoyed the effects. But the only part of working out that was for him was the part where I live longer for him. The body...that was for me!
Selfish? Heck yah! But husband gets the boobs he gets. And if he ever thought otherwise, even for a second, I'd be raging mad. :)
Etcetera.
I appreciate the value of a kick butt body. When I was working out, and my BMI moved from obese to overweight (yippee!...and I'll never truly be normal weight, as I wasn't even when I was skinny...I'm just too muscular and curvy to fit on the chart), I loved my body. I felt like I could do anything. Now that I am pregnant, and my BMI has jumped back up to borderline (although it's frozen there...and I should gain more but cannot manage to), I'm scared. Scared of being fat. Scared my boobies will droop even more. (Is that really possible?) Scared of not feeling like I can do anything.
I don't even oppose boob jobs. Personally, I'd love a reduction and lift. I probably would never take the risk of surgery, but given the torturous level of back pain I am currently experiencing, I'll never say never. And if you have no boobies, I can understand the desire to fit clothes properly.
What I oppose, I guess, is the presumption in the commercial that boob jobs are for the husbands. Um, no. When I worked out, I'm sure Alan enjoyed the effects. But the only part of working out that was for him was the part where I live longer for him. The body...that was for me!
Selfish? Heck yah! But husband gets the boobs he gets. And if he ever thought otherwise, even for a second, I'd be raging mad. :)
Etcetera.
Tomorrow's The Day
I don't know how I'll make it through the day. Tomorrow is the big ultrasound. I need to call my nurse this morning and make sure she took care of sending my medical records and Quad Screen. Tomorrow, assuming open legs, we find out the gender. Tomorrow, we find out if there are soft markers for Trisomy 18, and, if so, decide whether to have an amnio. I think it's going to come down to stats. If my chance of miscarriage is higher than the chance of Trisomy 18, I will likely decline one. But Alan and I are both people who do better armed with tons of knowledge, so I can't say anything for sure. I'm so nervous that I am afraid I won't sleep all night tonight. Ander is staying with my mom, since our appointment is at the crack of dawn (okay, people, 8 a.m. is the crack of dawn to me) in the morning.
If we find out the gender, and it's clearly correct, we'll share. If there's doubt, we won't. And we don't share the name until birth...not that we have one. Of course, we always welcome name suggestions...especially as we don't have a name yet. Sigh.
Pray, wish, or do whatever it is you do that everything is okay.
Etcetera.
If we find out the gender, and it's clearly correct, we'll share. If there's doubt, we won't. And we don't share the name until birth...not that we have one. Of course, we always welcome name suggestions...especially as we don't have a name yet. Sigh.
Pray, wish, or do whatever it is you do that everything is okay.
Etcetera.