On Sunday night we packed the kids in the van and drove 2.5 hours to Edmonton, where the Ronald McDonald House was able to set us up at a hotel for the night at a special reduced rate. The next morning, Mark dropped me off to head to a full morning of appointments, and took the kids to an indoor playground where they had a fantastic time!
Appointments & Diagnosis Update (with
links)
My first appointment was with my OB, and everything went really well. He still plans to induce me between 39-40 weeks, and we're keeping Monday, August 22nd in our minds as the most likely date. Afterwards, I had an ultrasound, and Iver is looking great! He is growing wonderfully in all other areas expect for his heart. No surprises, and no changes, and lots of praise to God for that! Iver is in the 50th percentile for growth, which is perfectly average. He currently weighs about 4.5lbs.
My third appointment of the morning was a fetal echochardiogram (a fancy name for an ultrasound that focuses on the fetal heart). I spoke with the cardiologist about the results, and he is almost 100% certain that Iver has Truncus Arteriosus with an Interrupted Aortic Arch. Again, slightly different diagnosis than last time, but they are much more certain. Click HERE for the latest detailed information (as of July 4) on his diagnosis, and what life will look like for him in the first few hours and weeks after birth.
Mark and the kids met me back at the hospital after my echo was completed, and we all attended our multidisciplinary meeting. We spoke with a perinatologist (an obstetrical specialist concerned with the care of the mother and fetus at higher-than-normal risk for complications), the cardiologist, neonatologist (doctor who will take care of me and Iver after birth) and the neonatal social worker. It was very informative and we both feel as prepared as we can be for what is to come. And, thanks primarily to Happy Meals, the kids were amazing during the meeting! Thank you for everyone who prayed specifically for that!
What’s Next?
We are on the waiting list for the Ronald McDonald House, expecting to arrive at the very beginning of August, when I am 36 weeks along. That's only 4 weeks from now! I will be happy to get settled in and be close to the hospital just in case I were to go into labour a tad early. Although, I'm really not expecting to, as I went beyond full-term with Thaddeus and Juliet!
Our Social worker told us about the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation, which we have decided we will apply to. Here's part of what they do:
Our Social worker told us about the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation, which we have decided we will apply to. Here's part of what they do:
"When people can’t access the level of care they need at home, they must often travel to health care facilities in other parts of the province or country. And while the medical procedures are covered by health care, the patients and their families must pay for their own travel, meals and accommodations. By easing the financial strain, the Kinsmen Foundation allows families to focus on what only they can provide – love and care."
Of course, we hope that our application will be accepted to help offset some of the costs coming our way.
Please Pray For Us
- For a healthy and peaceful third trimester and a complication-free birth
- For Iver to be stable when he is born, and to be able to breath on his own
- For us to be able to hold Iver, if only for a few minutes, before he is transferred to the Stollery
- For a spot to be available to us at the Ronald McDonald House
- For our application to be accepted to the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation
- For the medical team who will be working with and operating on Iver
To see the previous post about Iver, click HERE.
