Wow…what just happened.

Good Morning friends and family.  I'm sharing my story with you so that hopefully your faith in God will grow and you can see His peace satisfies our soul if we let him.


It's Saturday morning and I woke up to the reality of "Wow..what just happened!"

I had to replay it all in my head and then realized that this is something I need to write down.

1. I had a regular high risk doctor appointment scheduled for Monday. I had to cancel because R was sick and needed to get to the doctor for medicines.

2. On Tuesday, S came down with the same thing R had and so I knew it was going to be a long week, but I called to reschedule my high risk appointment.  My options were Thursday at 10:45 or the next Thursday at 2:30.  I knew the girls were still going to have fevers by Thursday so at first I said let's just wait until next week, then that maternal instinct said "you should go this week, call your mom have her come up and watch the girls at home."

3. My good ole' mom saved the day again and came up to watch the girls so I could get to my appointment on Thursday.

4. During the high risk appointment little Joel was moving around as usual.  Nurse said things look great, but he's a pretty big boy.

Now to back up a little and to update you on my history.  When I was pregnant with Rachel my body made antibodies.  These antibodies were discovered when I first found out I was pregnant with Sarah.  I believe they are antibodies E and c. They would need to do testing throughout my pregnancies to test the "tighters?"  These tighters would let them know if the antibodies were attacking the baby as if the baby was an infection. Usually the first few pregnancies after discovering these antibodies you won't see any changes.

Besides seeing an increase in tighters they would see that the baby was swelling.  This usually happens to the abdomen and heart. So when they do the high risk ultrasound they will pick up on it because the baby is measuring "big."

5. So, my doctor comes in and has a seat and explains what he sees in the ultrasound.  He said the baby looks great except he was pretty sure he was anemic at this point meaning those antibodies that were discovered in my earlier pregnancies have possibly began to attack baby Joel as if he was an infection.  He instructed that I would have a steroid shot immediately there and then I would need to go straight to Labor and Delivery at OSU to get a blood transfusion to the baby.

6. At this point, I was just thankful my mom had the girls and I could concentrate on what I needed to take care of which was baby Joel's health.

7. Get to OSU and met up with my new BFF, Karen who is a head nurse.  She explains everything to me. They take my blood, rush it off so they can get blood from American Red Cross.  Set me up in a room with monitors and let me know two of the doctors will be in to evaluate his status.

8. Once the doctors and my BFF, Karen came back they explained everything again, they said it was three possibilities that has caused him to get anemic.  The antibodies, an exposure to parvovirus (fifths disease), heart defect, or down syndrome.  They also shared that by next week, Joel would have probably passed away.

9. During this time OSU was still looking at my blood and Red cross was on it's way to deliver the blood.  Unfortunately, OSU discovered that my body had produced another antibody (jkl) and the blood that Red Cross has brought wouldn't work.  So, the blood transfusion to Joel would have to be put off until Friday morning.

10.  The doctors were amazed that Joel was still moving.  One predicted that his blood level was around 4 and the other predicted around 2.5.  It's supposed to be 15.  They would only be able to tell when they were doing the procedure.

11. I spent the night at the hospital and now I'll fast forward to the procedure.

With this procedure I was slightly sedated and they had to paralyze Joel because as you know the child doesn't stop moving ever. They went into the umbilical cord, got a test of blood, rushed it to the lab and found out his level was 2.4. Then they proceeded to add the new blood back into the cord.  They tested again after and found out with the transfusion his blood level went back up to 6.  Remember our goal is 15.  After, I was a little loopy, but really it wasn't painful at all.  I had to be monitored for 2 hours and then I was discharged.

Things happened so fast so I think that's why this morning I woke up and said "What in the world just happened."  Anyway, I am at true peace, I honestly believe God has everything in his hands and I trust whatever the outcome is.  I'm not worried or stressed.  I do have a horrible head/chest cold which is making crazy, but that will pass too.

**Update…Karen called me yesterday afternoon to tell me that they did get one result back from the testing and one of the antibodies was off the charts high.  When they see it at a level of 32 they give a transfusion, but mine was 256.  So, she said until they get all the tests back they can't say for sure, but she is certain this is one of the main causes.  Which again means that this antibody is attacking the baby as if it's an infection.  Joel will have to get blood transfusions for the rest of the pregnancy and after birth. Since we have done this, we have also stopped his bone marrow from producing so he is dependent on these transfusions.  They said after delivery he will probably have to have a couple more.

I'm headed back Monday for another procedure and will know more about test results.

I hope this helps.

Here is the verse I cling to as I did with my pregnancy with Rebecca…

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.