I'm back and I'm feeling ok, for today at least!
It was Miss Mia's birthday last Thursday! Our big 4 year old! I took 6 ultra crappy photos on her actual birthday but my Dad took lots on Saturday when we had her party. It was a rainy kind of day to start with so we had the party inside... It would have been much much better if the kids were able to go outside but oh well....
I got the window hanging from a cheap shop for $2, what a bargain, Mia's Dad put up streamers and balloons and I really hope that all the kids had a good time while they were here. The whole thing was a bit of an effort and I was teary in the morning so I made myself snap out of it and tried to make it a fun day...
It was Miss Mia's birthday last Thursday! Our big 4 year old! I took 6 ultra crappy photos on her actual birthday but my Dad took lots on Saturday when we had her party. It was a rainy kind of day to start with so we had the party inside... It would have been much much better if the kids were able to go outside but oh well....
I got the window hanging from a cheap shop for $2, what a bargain, Mia's Dad put up streamers and balloons and I really hope that all the kids had a good time while they were here. The whole thing was a bit of an effort and I was teary in the morning so I made myself snap out of it and tried to make it a fun day...
Mia running around excited as she knew her friends were coming soon!
Balloons are such cheap fun, except the ones I had here must have been old as they kept popping for not much reason at all and my Mum and Dad did a mercy dash to Woolies to get more! We still have heaps of balloons on the loungeroom floor!
Mia and her 'cake', I had visions of something else, maybe we should have made smaller cupcakes but no-one cared! I wanted it to look like a rainbow, but as I'm creatively challenged this is what it turned out like! Yum though!!
Mia and Lil having a quiet moment! Mia is quite excited to be 4, and I just can't believe that she is 4, she had grown so fast really!!
We have had a very hectic and upsetting 2 weeks, I am still coming to terms with it all, but am feeling strong and positive today, full of optimism for the future....
On the 18th of August we were in Port Lincoln for what we thought was going to be a routine scan, my biggest worry was that the sonographer wouldn't be able to see what sex the baby was..looking back I think I was naive but then again, you have no idea of what's ahead, you just don't know. You just presume that all is going well.... We had a normal scan, everything was looking good, but the lady couldn't get a proper look at Bubba's heart... we went away twice for walks hoping that the baby would get into a better position, and bubs still did not get into a good position. So off we went, we were to go back when the sonographer was in her lunch break, as it turns out I went back on my own, but again, how were we to know! Hubby had to go to the dentist for a toothache... It was while I was on my own that the sonographer said that she wasn't seeing the heart like she should be and I would need to go to Adelaide for further scans and to see specialists over there. What a shock.... I started babbling, 'put me on a plane right now', and other things too... It was a huge shock... I walked out and sat in the dentists waiting room for 45 minutes with my sunnies on quietly losing it....
We had an appointment in the afternoon with the Dr that I THOUGHT would deliver bubba, he made a a few phone calls and we had two appointments made for Adelaide at the WCH for the next Monday, I was not at all happy about waiting a week but what can you do? We waited the week out, finally to hop on a plane on the Monday morning. I knew that the Hospital was huge and was feeling very scared that we would get lost and not know where to go. We did walk into the wrong dept first and the lady was a bit confused and so was I, I was just a total bundle of nerves... I started crying when they couldn't find me on the system...great start.
We did get to the right dept and they knew all about me, and what we were there for...We had a scan, which confirmed something was definately wrong with bubbas heart, and the paediatrition (sp) was wonderful, although it was so much to take in... He suggested an amnio as babies with these types of defects also have a risk of chromosomal problems as well... It was all too much. We had an appt with the Cardiologist at 2 so we went outside and sat in the sunshine, my teeth were rattling and I felt like vomiting, AN AMNIO????? We talked about our options and decided to go ahead with the testing...
We went back for the 2 o'clock appt with the sonographer again and the cardiologist aswell, they looked at the bubbas heart for at least 45 minutes, it really amazes me what they can tell, very special and skilled people! We went into a room and Dr Robertson expained what was happening with the bubbas heart. At this stage is has been diagnosed with DORV+VSD+GA+Co Ao, which means Double Outlet Right Ventricle with Ventricular Septal Defect with Transposition of the Great Arteries and Coarctation of Aorta! Sounds scary, huh! I am not stupid enough to think that that is a definate diagnosis, there is still alot of weeks before baby is born and more echos on bubbas heart and more trips to Adelaide... I do realise that things can and do change, and will take it all in as it comes...
And then life will not be the same once bubba is born, but that is another story, and I will write more about that when I know more.... Birth will be in Adelaide and bubbas operation(s) in Melbourne....and that is all I know so far...
We have had one lot of good news so far, we had the first test results from the amnio, the FISH results and so far there are no other problems, we are waiting on the full screen results which will probably be another week away but am feeling optimistic....
The two Drs that we saw in the WCH last Monday were fantastic and compassionate, we really can not say Thankyou enough... Our road is long but if there is one thing to be grateful for is that this is all known now. At least preparations will be put into place when the baby is born for all the best care it can get. If we didn't know now, all hell could have broken loose, at least now we can be in the best place possible....
On the 18th of August we were in Port Lincoln for what we thought was going to be a routine scan, my biggest worry was that the sonographer wouldn't be able to see what sex the baby was..looking back I think I was naive but then again, you have no idea of what's ahead, you just don't know. You just presume that all is going well.... We had a normal scan, everything was looking good, but the lady couldn't get a proper look at Bubba's heart... we went away twice for walks hoping that the baby would get into a better position, and bubs still did not get into a good position. So off we went, we were to go back when the sonographer was in her lunch break, as it turns out I went back on my own, but again, how were we to know! Hubby had to go to the dentist for a toothache... It was while I was on my own that the sonographer said that she wasn't seeing the heart like she should be and I would need to go to Adelaide for further scans and to see specialists over there. What a shock.... I started babbling, 'put me on a plane right now', and other things too... It was a huge shock... I walked out and sat in the dentists waiting room for 45 minutes with my sunnies on quietly losing it....
We had an appointment in the afternoon with the Dr that I THOUGHT would deliver bubba, he made a a few phone calls and we had two appointments made for Adelaide at the WCH for the next Monday, I was not at all happy about waiting a week but what can you do? We waited the week out, finally to hop on a plane on the Monday morning. I knew that the Hospital was huge and was feeling very scared that we would get lost and not know where to go. We did walk into the wrong dept first and the lady was a bit confused and so was I, I was just a total bundle of nerves... I started crying when they couldn't find me on the system...great start.
We did get to the right dept and they knew all about me, and what we were there for...We had a scan, which confirmed something was definately wrong with bubbas heart, and the paediatrition (sp) was wonderful, although it was so much to take in... He suggested an amnio as babies with these types of defects also have a risk of chromosomal problems as well... It was all too much. We had an appt with the Cardiologist at 2 so we went outside and sat in the sunshine, my teeth were rattling and I felt like vomiting, AN AMNIO????? We talked about our options and decided to go ahead with the testing...
We went back for the 2 o'clock appt with the sonographer again and the cardiologist aswell, they looked at the bubbas heart for at least 45 minutes, it really amazes me what they can tell, very special and skilled people! We went into a room and Dr Robertson expained what was happening with the bubbas heart. At this stage is has been diagnosed with DORV+VSD+GA+Co Ao, which means Double Outlet Right Ventricle with Ventricular Septal Defect with Transposition of the Great Arteries and Coarctation of Aorta! Sounds scary, huh! I am not stupid enough to think that that is a definate diagnosis, there is still alot of weeks before baby is born and more echos on bubbas heart and more trips to Adelaide... I do realise that things can and do change, and will take it all in as it comes...
And then life will not be the same once bubba is born, but that is another story, and I will write more about that when I know more.... Birth will be in Adelaide and bubbas operation(s) in Melbourne....and that is all I know so far...
We have had one lot of good news so far, we had the first test results from the amnio, the FISH results and so far there are no other problems, we are waiting on the full screen results which will probably be another week away but am feeling optimistic....
The two Drs that we saw in the WCH last Monday were fantastic and compassionate, we really can not say Thankyou enough... Our road is long but if there is one thing to be grateful for is that this is all known now. At least preparations will be put into place when the baby is born for all the best care it can get. If we didn't know now, all hell could have broken loose, at least now we can be in the best place possible....
Last Tuesday night, we were happy to be back home and i was happy to have a shower in my own shower, and to have my jammies on! I am 20 and a half weeks here.
And the little hole where the amniotic fluid was taken, it was a scary procedure, not painful but just really scary... I just had to get a photo of it, DH thought I was mad!! Note the piece of crap that I still have floating around in my camera!
Bubbas room, it is getting there, I want it to be done and all set up very soon, I want to have some sort of bags packed and organised soon too, you just never know, and I don't want Hubby to have the stress of having no idea where to find things if we have to leave in a hurry! You can never be too prepared!
Sorry for the hugest ramble, but this is as much for me and my memory as it is for you... I feel good for getting it out... I better go and do something around the house....
Thanks for visiting! xxx
