The Story

As most of you know--baby boy #3 had an echogenic bowel on his 20 week anatomy ultrasound. We had additional blood work and testing to do to rule out any chromosomal issues such as downs syndrome. And this where the story begins...

It was Thursday morning. The boys and I were running some errands when a good friend of mine text me saying daughter Hannah was "dying for Tayden" and asked if we wanted to come over and play for a bit. Tayden loves Hannah, so he didn't hesitate one bit when I asked if he wanted to go play before lunch. As Melissa and I were chatting my phone rang. Sure enough, it was the doctor. I know as soon as I heard his voice he did not have good news. His exact words were, "So the plot thickens". He gave me heart wrenching news and I went into shock.

Dr. S told me that my chances for downs were 1/2500. Great results. However, there was a result on my blood work that we simply could not ignore. My alpha-feta protein, or AFP, levels were extremely high. Normal results are 2-2.5%. Mine came back at 3.6%. This meant my chances for having a baby with spina bifida were 1/22. Not a number I wanted to hear, or a number I will soon forget. He told me I needed to go see a specialist at a high risk pregnancy center for additional testing and a level 2 ultrasound. 

As I got off the phone, Melissa asked me what the doctor said and the only thing I could say was I can't think right now. My mind clouded over and my mind was paralyzed. Bless her heart, she gathered everyone together for a prayer. Tayden asked Heavenly Father that our baby would be healthy and I hugged Melissa and cried. It was so strange in that moment. My world had just been turned upside down, but the world around us kept going. I still needed to take my kids home, feed them and put them down for a nap. They still needed me. I could not fall apart. 

We got loaded up in the car and I immediately called my mother. Scott is working now and is practically impossible to get ahold of. As soon as I heard my moms voice I broke down. I sobbed and sobbed and all I could think of were those awful words-- 1/22 for spina bifida. 

The rest of the afternoon was filled with heartache and crying. Bless the people around me though. I have the best friends on the face of the planet. I received countless texts and phone calls and dinner was brought into me that night. It was a good thing to, because the only thing my kids had to eat were cookies. So thank you Haley, for providing my children with some real food and nourishment. 

As the news spread, my sister organized a family fast. My grandma put our names in every temple in Utah. Again, more phone calls and texts. I can not get over the amount of people that care for us. We are so blessed. Seriously, so extremely blessed. I have never been on the receiving end of prayers and fasts of this magnitude. I have to say, it was the most uplifting experience I have ever had. I know it was because of everyones faith that I felt such peace amidst all the chaos. I can not thank everyone enough for your love and support. It means the world to me. I could not have gotten through it without you. Thank you. 

I spent the weekend immersed in research and worry. And then today finally rolled around and it was time to see the doctor. Oh, and one other HUGE thing I need to mention. My parents drove all the way down to be with us and offer us extra support. It was very calming having them here. But most of all, they took care of our children. I was able to go to our 3 hour doctor appointment and concentrate 100% on it and not have to worry about my boys... at all. It was a gigantic relief and more appreciated then I think they will ever comprehend. I love them so much. I am so grateful to be their daughter. I am so grateful for their presence.

Okay, back to the doctor. First we had to meet with a genetic counselor to discuss family history, our rights and options and to make sure we understood everything that was happening. Next, we met with an ultrasound tech for a level 2 ultrasound. They way they explained the level 2 was like an HDTV opposed to a traditional ultrasound, which would be equivalent to using rabbit ears. Just a much clearer picture and more accurate readings. After the ultrasound and cervical check we finally met with the actual doctor who did a short ultrasound to double check everything the tech had done and discuss the results and our next steps.

The results. No sign of spina bifida! His head, spine, feet, hands, heart...everything looked great! This scan picks up 90% of all neural tube defects, so there is still a small chance they could have missed it-- but very slim, considering how great everything looked. The doctor was confident he is free of spina bifida. And still, if they missed it, chances of it severe are extremely low. However, his bowel is still pretty echogenic and causing some concern. We have (mostly) ruled out downs, so now we are looking into other causes for the abnormality. Other causes are cystic fibrosis, infections, placenta problems, low birth weight or signs of problems in the third trimester. My placenta looked fine, the measurements for preterm labor were fine, and Scott and I don't have family history for cystic fibrosis. I did more blood work to determine if baby has an infection and we will go from there. We are hoping its nothing and will clear itself up and not cause any issues down the road.

So what this all means for me. I am still high risk. Between my high AFP levels and the echogenic bowel, I have to be monitored the rest of the pregnancy. I'll continue seeing my regular doctor every 4 weeks. But now, I also have to see the specialist every 4 weeks for an ultrasound to measure the baby and check on his bowel. At 32 weeks I'll have to go in weekly for fetal monitoring and non stress tests. With any luck, the rest of the pregnancy will go smoothly and I'll be able to have a normal delivery.

One thing is for sure, I will never NEVER never take my children's health for granted again. Ever. I learned what it was like to ache for my babies health. I felt the pain of a possible illness. It is heartbreaking. The sense of relief is indescribable. I feel like with the good news I can finally breath again. 

I would just like to take a minute to thank everyone for your love and support. We didn't want to make a huge announcement about this before we knew what was really happening, but we appreciate everyone putting us in their thoughts, prayers and fasts. It is amazing to know just how loved we are. I wish I could put into words my appreciation. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Now that everything is cleared up for now, it is time to enjoy the last few days with my parents!

Man, we are blessed. And we know it.