Scott and I went to my 20 week doctors appointment yesterday, where we were scheduled to have our routine ultrasound. As we went through the ultrasound we didn't see anything unusual, and got a lot of great profile and face shots. We didn't notice the US tech's attitude change, or that she got a little quiet. I did notice that the ultrasound was the longest I had recieved and that she kept going over the same spot a few times. Needless to say, I was shocked to hear from my ob that our little baby has a heart defect. The left side of the baby's heart is significantly smaller than the right side, and so is the aorta. This is not an issue for the baby while it is still inside me, but as soon as he/she is delivered and takes that first breath, it will be.
What was supposed to be a short appointment in the morning, turned out to be a marathon day of ultrasounds and specialists. It is one of the hardest days I have ever had to go through since becoming a wife and mother, if not the very hardest. By 5:00pm we had finally left the office of the last specialist, a pediactric cardiologist, who said the condition is not fatal, but will require us to deliver our baby in either Salt Lake City or Oregon, and it will need immediate heart surgery. He also gave us the heart breaking news that this condition almost always means that the baby also has Downs Syndrome. We were offered an amniosyntesis (which takes amniotic fluid and tests it for the 21st chromosome) to see if the baby does in fact have downs syndrome, but we declined. We decided that whatever the circumstances, Heavenly Father gave us this baby, and no disease will change the fact that it is ours and meant to be with our family. We will mentally prepare ourselves for having a child with this condition so that if it does have it, we will be ready.
Scott and his brother Russell, were able to give me a blessing yesterday afternoon, and it really helped to comfort me, but of course it is still difficult news. We would appreciate your thoughts and prayers in this difficult time, and you are welcome to leave your comments, but please do not call to comfort us. We are still coming to terms with all of this overwhelming news, and need time to figure things out together as a family.
We know that this baby is special, no matter what, and we feel honored that our Heavenly Father finds us worthy to have such a special spirit in our family.
