Friday September 28 Update

Hi! Back with another update! We got some great news today!

The morning started with my 6:00 am blood draw where my numbers are still doing well on the Heparin. My dosage has now stayed the same since Tuesday night.

We got an early morning visit from Dr. Modi, the hematologist, and everything is all still set for my c-section Monday. Still feeling good about the doctors decision of when to take me off and put me back on the Heparin drip.

Around 8:00 am a nurse with a wheelchair came with news that Dr. Rinehart, the perinatologist, had some free time to do one last sonogram on Embry before delivery. On our 'trip' down one floor to his office Jacob told me how nervous he was for this sonogram since we will find out the levels of her brain fluid. He hadn't told me that this sonogram will tell us quite a bit about which of those three groups Embry is likely to fall into.

Dr. Rinehart talked us through the sonogram and got to her brain and measured the fluid on her brain. Remember "normal" is 10 mm and Monday Embry was measuring 30 mm. If the fluid was increasing the chances of Embry needing a shunt and possibly having more severe problems is much higher. Today the fluid measured 25 mm! We were thrilled, but that's not even the best part...

Dr. Rinehart was able to get a good view of her cerebellum and it was 100% normal. He told us that it was great news and indicated she has Isolated Hydrocephalus, which means she strictly has some excess fluid on her brain. (The fluid is not a symptom of something worse, it's basically just there) Also, there is a chance that this is just the amount of fluid she is born with and just has and they will never do anything about it. Or, if the NICU and Neurosurgerons decide, she still may need a shunt to drain the fluid, but that would be the end of it. Hooray!!!

Dr. Reinhart put us at complete ease about Embry's health. We're not 100% out of the woods yet, but the her future is looking WONDERFUL! He told us that we should no longer be worrying about her and that as of now my blood clot is of much more concern than anything having to do with the baby. I've never been so HAPPY to hear something's wrong with me- hah! We still feel comfortable and in great hands with the team of doctors working with me on my blood clot.

We also met with two of my OBGYNs and feel good about the C-Section Monday. I also found out I may have to stay an extra day (in addition to the four days after the c-section) just because of the blood clot. (So we may be here through next weekend). We'll see though. It's all about getting my meds all set up for the next few months. Twice daily shots in the stomach to look forward to- eek!

Today "the moms" or I should say "the grandmas" arrived (my mom and Jacob's mom) and we had a fun girly day in the hospital! I even got a pedicure complete with a footbath and all from Kathleen! We may have even had my nurse peek in a few times when we were laughing so loud. We also found out last night that dogs are allowed on the high risk maternity floor for visits with mom. So after getting Athena's shot record from our vet, Athena was able to come visit this evening. Definitely the icing on the cake!

We're looking forward to more family arriving this weekend and the birth of our baby Monday! This week has been filled with a rollercoaster of emotions and we're so lucky that so many people have been thinking about and praying for us. We know we are incredibly lucky!!!

Many thanks, Cori & Jacob

Thursday September 27 Update

Here's a quick update on a few new developments today!

Anesthesiologist

We met with an anesthesiologist today and went over our plan for Monday. The plan is to take me off of the Heparin drip six hours before getting a spinal. My blood will be drawn about four hours after I am taken off Heparin just to make sure it’s all out of my system and Will resume Heparin drip 12 hours after c-section. 

OBGYNs

I just love my OBGYN group. Of the five doctors, three of them came by at various times today to check on me. My doctor told me that she and one of the other doctors have decided that it will be best to do the caesarian with a vertical incision, versus the “bikini line”, horizontal incision. I guess it tends to bleed less and with me being on blood thinners and going back on them soon after the surgery, they both feel safest doing that. Plus, it’s easier to bring a bigger baby out of the vertical incision.

Hematologist

We met again with the hematologist and didn’t learn anything new. He was basically just coming by to check on me. He said he will probably be by one last time before the c-section, but that he agrees with the rest of my doctors with the six hours before and twelve hours after surgery Heparin drip decision. 

Thank You

Thanks again for all the prayers, emails, texts, calls, etc. 

37 Week Appointment

Our Week So Far...

Wow, where do I begin...

This has been a crazy past few days.

I will start at our first doctors appointment Monday at 2:45 pm with Dr. Reinhart, the perinatologist. We were there to determine Embry's birth weight and base our c-section date on those results. Last week at our 36 week appointment we found out Embry was measuring very big and our doctor wanted us to have a ‘level two’ sonogram with the perinatologist to confirm her estimated size and base our c-section date on it.

It was confirmed that she was measuring really big but then the doctor gave us some news. We were told that Embry has fluid on her brain. It was a shock and we were very sad to hear the news, but we were also very confused. We wanted to know what this meant for her, not just in the womb, but for her future. Dr. Reinhart only works with babies in the womb, so I know he didn’t want to quote anything since he doesn’t have the answers to the questions we had. He told us he didn’t want to paint our situation bleak, but also didn’t want to paint it rosy. Both of us were quite scared.

We were both in a really big daze when we walked down one level in the hospital to my OBGYN’s office to meet with her to discuss the plan for the birth. My doctor, Dr. Remedios, made sure we understood our situation. We confirmed what we learned at 36 weeks (that the baby is large and that I have polyhydraminos , excess amniotic fluid) and that now we were able to see the baby’s fluid on the brain. We walked over to surgery scheduling and scheduled an October 1 c-section. We went back with my doctor again to answer any final questions.

On my list of questions to ask the doctor was “blood clot”. I have had an odd sensation, not pain, in my left leg for weeks. At my 34 week appointment I had written down to ask my doctor about it, but had forgotten. At my 36 week appointment I asked her to take a look at my leg. My exact words were, it’s probably in my head, but I have a fear of blood clots and have been having an odd sensation. She had me stand up bare legged and felt around. She said I have no signs on a blood clot and if it were one I’d have swelling in that leg and it’d be warm to the touch. I felt relieved for sure. As the week went on and the feeling didn’t go away, my intuition kept telling me something wasn’t right. I checked the mirror daily and made sure my leg wasn’t swollen. So Monday around 4:30 pm when I asked her for a second week in a row I told her I’m just paranoid but I’d like her to check me. Once again, no signs and she told me it was possibly a varicose vein buried in my leg, BUT that if we wanted she could order me a sonogram on my leg for peace of mind. I wanted it done.

Jacob and I were sent to a clinic about 3 miles from the hospital where I had an hour long sonogram done. At this point we were both spent. We had just received news about our baby possibly having an issue with her brain!!! We waited and waited and waited for results. Finally at 6:45 we asked the front desk if we could leave and just have them call with results. She said that was okay, but she was going to check with the tech. When she came back and said that it wasn’t a good idea if we left, I knew things were wrong. About 10 minutes later they handed me the phone where an OB from my doctor’s group was on to tell me the news. She told me I had a blood clot in my leg and to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Obviously we were terrified.

We arrived back at Presbyterian Monday night around 7:15 pm where I was admitted and told I would be staying until the baby arrived. We spent the first night in Labor and Delivery since the monitoring there is more intense and I needed to get started on a Heparin (blood thinning medicine) drip  ASAP. My parents also arrived from Austin about midnight that night. It was a very restless night sleep if you can imagine. Vitals checks every hour, blood drawings very often, noises, doctors, nurses, etc.

Tuesday was spent trying to get the Heparin levels in my blood steady. I was moved up to the 4^th floor of Presbyterian where all pregnant women who are being hospitalized stay. We met with a team of wonderful doctors throughout the day. OBGYNs from my group, Internal doctors, NICU doctors, the Perinatologist, etc…

Until this morning all doctors agreed that I was to be on strict bed rest…meaning no “bathroom privileges”. That has been no fun. I have to say, Jacob gets husband of the year and never once called in a nurse to do it. He insisted on doing it all himself….quite the trooper. This morning after my 6:00 am blood work came back, the doctors agreed that the Heparin levels were at a “therapeutic” stage and I was allowed to have bathroom privileges. I’ve never been so happy to pee before =) Also, I was allowed a shower this morning. I am not allowed off the Heparin drip for even five minutes, so it was interesting showering with one arm out of the shower, but again, Jacob gets the caretaker award.

Internal Doctor

I was assigned a very sweet internal doctor who will be on my case. She is on board to help deal with the blood clot and manage the clot after delivery. In short, she was shocked that the blood clot was discovered because I do not show any signs on having one. (this is quite the theme with everyone- I have even had nurses not assigned to me come in to have me tell the story of how the clot was discovered. Everyone is amazed that with showing no signs it was discovered). She is working with the OBGYNs to decide when I will be taken off the Heparin for the surgery and when I will be put back on it after surgery. (Probably 6-12 hours on either side).

NICU Doctor

We met with a NICU doctor Tuesday evening to answer any of our questions about what will happen when Embry is born. Essentially, she will come out and be taken to the NICU where she will have an MRI done of her brain to assess the fluid situation. The NICU team will work with Pediatric Neurosurgeons at Children’s hospital to deicde what needs to be done. She may, or may not, need a surgery to place a shunt in her head to help drain the fluid out of her brain. Again, he told us that we can’t plan much and won’t know much until she is born and the MRI is done. It was reiterated to us that we saw a Perinatologist at 22 weeks and everything was 100% normal with her brain and fluids.

Hematologist

Today I met with a Hematologist that was brought on board from Texas Oncology. He was very interested in my case and amazed when he looked at my legs and saw no signs of a blood clot. He had me explain exactly how it was discovered. He also told me that in some blood work that was done since I’ve been admitted that I have “Activated Protein C Resistance – Factor Five Leiden”. It basically means I have a disorder where I have a genetic predisposition to have a blood clot. He also said that pregnancy is the larger factor in this situation. He let me know that for any other pregnancies I have, I will basically be considered “high risk” in the sense that I will be more likely to have a blood clot again. Also, I am never again allowed to take a birth control pill. I will most likely spend a lot of time on anti-coagulating medicines. Good news is, all is manageable and with this knowledge we will just always be aware and proactive about this. He is also advising my OBGYNs on when I’ll be taken off the Heparin and when I’ll be put back on it. When I leave the hospital I will be on a shot form of the drug for 3-6 months.

Pediatric Neruosurgeon

Today, Wedneday, Jacob and Mark went to go meet with the Pediatric Neurosurgeon at Children’s hospital who will be working with the NICU team here after Embry is born. Here is a little write up of what Jacob learned…

Jacob's Words...

Mark and I met with Dr. Sacco, a pediatric neurosurgeon, on Wednesday.  We spoke for about an hour.  Here are a few of the big questions he answered for me:

What do we know about Embry based on Monday’s sonograms?

She has extra fluid in her brain, causing her ventricles to swell.  The swelling is at about 30 millimeters.  Anything above 10 is abnormal.  Her whole body is big, so we don’t know if her head is disproportionately big.

We don’t know if she’s going to need surgery.  If she does, there are two options.  The first, and way more common option, is using a shunt.  A shunt is a valve that takes the fluid out of the brain and releases it somewhere else in the body.  It would probably stay in her for the rest of her life.  The second is EVT, where they cut an opening in the brain for the fluid to release.

What’s the probability Embry will live a normal life with a shunt?

We aren’t sure Embry is going to need a shunt.  If she doesn’t, the odds of living a normal life are great.  If she does need a shunt, she’ll fall into one of three groups.  Of ALL the people requiring shunts, the groups are about evenly divided:
(1)    Totally normal life (mentally and physically)
(2)    Functions well but has developmental issues and needs help in school
(3)    Debilitated

How do we know which group Embry will be in?

Which group an individual falls into depends on several factors, including:
(1)    The amount of swelling (Embry’s is high at 30mm, but it’s not “severe”)
(2)    How long there’s been swelling (there was not swelling when Embry had her 22-week sonogram, which is a REALLY good thing)
(3)    How much damage has been caused to the brain when the shunt is placed (her 37-week sonogram indicates that, if there is any damage, it’s not significant)

Overall, these factors would give Embry a greater chance of being in the first or second group than in the third.

When will we have a better idea of what’s going to happen?

Immediately after birth, doctors will do an eye test.  If she looks good, that may be the end of the story.  More likely though, she’ll have an MRI soon after birth (1-4 days after birth).  The MRI will answer many questions.

I'm back now =)

This was probably the best day of all because of this appointment. We have been quite worried about what all of this means for Embry in the long run. We both feel great about what Jacob learned and we are very optimistic that Embry is going to lead a normal, healthy life! When I talked to Jacob after leaving the appointment I could hear it in his voice that he felt great. His exact words is he feels "tons better" after meeting with this doctor. Both he and Mark said how wonderful Dr. Sacco is and they both feel 100% confident in him.

Thank You

Overall, I know this is a TON of information and it was hard to actually sit down and try to organize it in a way that makes sense. So much has happened in the past 48 hours and I know I’m leaving out a ton, but the bottom line is that I am in the best place possible for my blood clot and am thanking God that it was caught when it was, especially given the fact that I am not ‘showing’ any signs. And as for Embry, we know that she has fluid in her brain, but we also know that all other organs are 100% healthy and she is doing great in the womb. We can’t know anything else until Monday when she arrives and until then we are trying to stay positive! We know we're in great hands here at Presbyterian and have loved everyone who is taking care of us here! (These nurses all are awesome!!) Also, my OBGYN group has been amazing. They have created this amazing team of doctors for us and are truly being great advocates to get me and Embry the best care and most thorough care they see possible.

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, calls, texts, etc. As you can imagine things are quite busy around here and I was able to make my first phone call today around 4:00 pm. It’s much easier for me to be able to get news out this way.

Love, Cori and Jacob

36 Week Appointment

Doctors Appointment

Today was my 36 week appointment, and boy was it a doozie!

We started with a sonogram to get an idea of how big Embry is. Immediately the sonogram tech said two things... "boy this baby is taking up a LOT of room" and "you sure have a lot of water in there". She took eight (!!) different measurements of just black space, which we found out was the amniotic fluid. I know they aren't allowed to tell the patients much info, but I could tell something was up with the fluid. She went on to measure Embry's head, abdomen and femur. All of those calculated into.... a 39 week gestational age!!! She's huge!!!

We (I) was really freaking out and we had to go to the waiting room to wait for my doctor to call us back. When my doctor called us in, she said she was concerned about a few things. I now have polyhydramnios, which is basically excessive amniotic fluid. Plus, Embry is measuring very big. It's no wonder I've been quite uncomfortable and "feeling big" lately! I have good reason! Hah!

The long story short is that with the mixture of the polyhydramnios and big baby, she wants to schedule a c-section for the 38th week.

Next Monday we will go have one more sonogram, with the perinatalogist, and then take the results to my doctor. If things are the same (still a big baby and lots of 'waters') we will schedule a c-section for the following week. Crazy.

Jacob and I both are still trying to take it all in. All along I've been saying I hope she comes early and I hope to be induced so I can have some say in her birth date and I guess I got my wish. Although, I am a little sad to be having a c-section, it's pretty exciting that in two weeks we'll probably be parents!

We will definitely update everyone Monday night!!!

Other Pregnancy News...

Not much! Now all we can think about is Embry coming in less than two weeks!

Here's my 36 week photo!

36 w, 2 d... Lots of baby and fluids, huh?

Well be sure to update next week!

The Nursery

Welcome to Embry's nursery =) My sister, Ruthie, was in town and took some great photos of the nursery this weekend! I'll let the pictures do the talking!

Also at the bottom, there is a video tour =)





The entrance



Crib and one corner

There will be a chair pad to match the ottoman soon =)

Changing table and 'collage wall'

Chalkboard door and the closet

Books, books, books!

One of my faves

Silhouette of Athena =)

Definitely not lacking in hair accessories

Precious Moments and ducks from my nursery =)

And now for the video....

34 Week Appointment

Doctor's Appointment

On Labor Day I hit the 34 week mark; only six weeks to go!

Today I had my 34 week appointment and everything was good. My blood pressure was a tad high at first when the nurse checked me. I talked to my doctor about it and she said it was good, but high for me since I have had fairly low blood pressure. My doctor checked and it was back into my normal range (124/70).

Embry's heartrate was "in the 140's" and I measured right at 34 weeks.

I am going to have a sonogram in two weeks to estimate her birthweight to see if an induction needs to happen. I have heard varying opinions on these 'birthweight sonos' and they don't seem to be very accurate. In a way I hope she looks big, so we can pick the day she's born =). Also, starting in two weeks, I'll go in for checkups weekly until she is born.

 

Other Pregnancy News...

I have definitely hit the "I'm done being pregnant" wall!

New developments I'm not loving-
*Heartburn, oh my! Tums are my new best friend!!!
*Achy legs at night. Sleep used to be something I realllly looked forward to each night, but it's now become quite uncomfortable. Frequent bathroom breaks and very achy legs.
*Just feeling BIG! I crack up when I look back at my blog posts from 3 months ago when I said I felt big... oh to only be 20 weeks pregnant again! Hah!
*Shortness of breath. I know it's totally normal, but it's so odd to feel like I can't catch my breath. Can't wait until my lungs have room to fill all the way again! =)

Jacob and I have been going on a 3 mile walk most evenings with Athena. It's definitely a much slower pace...about halfway through I get a Braxton Hicks contraction that seems to last the rest of the walk, but at least we're out movin! I haven't been to the actual gym in a few weeks...but I hear walking is the best thing to do during pregnancy anyway.

Embry is quite the mover and shaker. I keep reading movement should be slowing down as the baby gets bigger...not Embry! A few nights ago I had the remote on my tummy and she kicked so hard it wobbled off! Jacob is convinced she's trying to break out! Last night I was sitting about 10 feet from Jacob and he could see my belly bouncing around. She's a wild woman!

I've for sure started having Braxton Hicks and have been for a few weeks. Nothing regular or painful, just definite tightening of the stomach multiple times a day.

Now for the lovely photo of the week!

34 w, 2 d

We had some help taking the photos today...

Labor Day

We spent our final weekend out of town before Embry arrives at the Fanning Lake House. We arrived midday Friday and stayed until fairly late on Monday! It was the perfect relaxing weekend!

We took two long boat rides, did some crafts (yes, even Jacob!) and lounged on the beach! Perfection!

Getting dried off.

Jacob making a bow for Embry all on his own (wouldn't let me help at all)

The final product! (basketball ribbon with a green center)



Perfect day on the beach

Family photo

Hip pup

Theenie and Auntie Ruthie

Jacob and the 8th graders (James, Jono, Jake and Austin)

Cooling off mid boat ride

We got to spend one day with Kayce and Blake Higgins, Jacob's half sister and brother

We had an eventful ride back to Dallas on Monday evening... We were on a highway going through a small town and a truck with a trailer carrying four-wheelers swerved into our lane causing us to spin out and end up off road in a ditch. We did not roll or hit anything, so it could have been WAYYYY worse. For the most part it just scared us! A ton of nice people stopped and called 911. I was checked out by the EMS and was okay. My blood pressure was high, but I knew I was just shaken up. We blew a tire and dealt with that for about two hours before getting back on the road home. The rest of the ride home we kept saying how much worse it could have been; we feel very lucky!! Now, we're in Dallas for the long haul until Miss Embry makes her debut! The next time we'll leave town will be Thanksgiving to go to Austin!

Well that's all! I'll be back in two weeks with nursery pics!!!! And an update on our 36 week appointment and sonogram!