Daddy, Mommy, and big sister, Madi, all went to see you in an ultrasound to check on development and find out if you are a boy or a girl. All of your major organs are forming just as they should, the doctor thinks. He was not able to get a good view of the left side of the heart, but thinks it is because you were moving so much during the sonogram and not in the right position to get a good look. We may need to go back in a couple of days to see if we can get you in a better position just to be able to "check it off the list". We're having a boy!
I wanted to share with you all some of the details of what has happened in our lives over this past week and ask for continued prayer (without ceasing).
I had an intense pain in my right side and back last Monday, so called the
doctor thinking it may be my kidneys or another cyst. They set up an ultrasound
almost immediately. During the ultrasound, they found that our son's heart
is missing on the left side and his kidneys were not functioning. We were
sent immediately to my OB doctor, Dr. Dunn. She said there were several problems
with both the baby and me. She told us about the baby's kidneys and his heart
and then told us that my right kidney is completely blocked. She was able
to get in contact with a maternal-fetal specialist and made an appointment
for us that same afternoon. From the specialist's office, she wanted me to
go to the emergency room for my kidney. When we left her office, Tim and I
prayed for many things like healing and wisdom. We then went to see Dr. Hales
for a Level 3 sonogram to get a more detailed look at the baby. We were blessed
with good news that the baby's kidneys are fine and functioning normally.
Then it was reconfirmed that part of his heart is missing. Dr. Hales explained
that the part of the heart the baby has will keep him alive as long as I carry
the baby. But, once he is born, the chances of him surviving are less than
1-2%. He called another specialist, Dr. Atkinson, in immediately to get yet
another opinion. Dr. Atkinson saw and said the same thing about the baby's
heart. They also said a part of the procedure is to have an amniocentesis
to check for any other problems, even though they felt sure there were no
other problems. Both doctors suggested I not go and sit in an emergency room
that night if I could stand the kidney pain. But, instead to make an appointment
for another day. I was given their home phone numbers in case we had questions,
and told to pray. We called people and asked for prayers until late in the
night. We ourselves could not quit praying for a miracle that our son's heart
would be healed.
On Tuesday, we received a phone call from Dr. Hales that he was able to get
in touch with Dr. Colon, a pediatric cardiologist, who was out of town. He
said that the soonest we would be able to get in would be Thursday afternoon,
when he was back in town. Dr. Hales said that he discussed in detail with
Dr. Colon what they found with our son's heart. Dr. Colon assured Dr. Hales
that he has had several successes with this type of heart defect. Dr. Hales
told me all of this over the phone, then said don't give up hope. We felt
God's control and grace in this light of hope.
Later that day, I went through 2 x-rays to check for large kidney stones.
I went to an urologist, Dr. Kirk (Dr. Dunn's husband). He said without putting
me and the baby through any more stress of detailed testing that might be
harmful, his best educated guess would be that the pain I am having is from
the positioning of the baby. This can be common in pregnancy, but usually
comes much later in pregnancy. The pain will continue as the baby grows. His
hope is that the pain is intense because my body is in shock and may lessen
as time passes. But, I will continue to have the pain until a couple weeks
after the baby is born, then everything should go back to normal. Tim and
I immediately felt another blessing and told the doctor we do not want to
put any more strain on the baby. I feel blessed by my having this pain and
praise the Lord for it each and every day. God allowed this pain in order
to prepare us for our son's heart.
When Thursday afternoon finally came, we discussed in detail the two living
options we have for our son. One of which is heart transplant. With a transplant,
there is a 50 percent success rate. If heart transplant is done, then the
heart would last only 20 years before another option would have to be taken.
The other, which we have been able to choose through God's grace, is a 3-stage
procedure called Norwood. This procedure is only 20 years old and has shown
great success. The very first patient this was performed on is now in his
twenties and shows no signs of any heart trouble. Dr. Colon said there is
a 75% success rate with the surgeons and staff he is referring us to, which
is the same as having an appendix removed, and the best available.
Dr. Colon has told us that the beauty of our son's case is that we know he
has this defect 4 months before he will be born. We will be able to plan the
timing of the birth and surgery to have the best possible situation available
for our son. The best place for the surgery is the Children's Hospital in
Dallas. We will need to fly to Dallas for a C-section and for the baby's surgery.
The baby will be born in January, during the middle of RSV season. Dr. Colon
said that our son can not go to a babysitter's or day care in order to prevent
catching RSV. He also said that the baby will need to be immunized for RSV.
Through all of this, God has shown us so many miracles in the past week, with
less than a 1% chance of our son's survival to more than a 75% chance, our
son's kidneys are functioning, my kidneys will be fine... There have been
and continue to be so many prayers lifted up for our son. God is in total
control and has great plans for our son, as he has already shown. Please continue
to pray for our son with the faith of a child, as our Madi does, to "heal
his heart and his whole body" knowing without a doubt that our son will
be just fine.
His name is Jayken David. The meaning behind his name is Victory through God's
Grace for God's Beloved, which is exactly what Tim, Madi, and I know in our
hearts is His plan for His son.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness..." 2 Corinthians 12:9a
"They see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep." Psalms 107:24
approximately 7 pounds 4 ounces
"He made the earth by His power; he founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses." Jeremiah 51:15-16
"For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:4-8
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11