Hmm.. Where do I begin? At my last OB appointment, I was given the slip to go to the lab and have my blood drawn for the usual 16 weeks blood test. Something I wasn't worried about whatsoever and knew it was apart of the routine. Well, I just had my appendix removed and couldn't do it until this 17th week, a week after surgery. Well, I got one phone call at work that ruined the next two weeks. Dr. Shilling's office called me on Monday AT WORK and left me a voicemail to call them as soon as I could. They also called the house, so I had a text from Brent telling me to call them. I thought, "Hmm, I wonder what this is for?" That's when it hit me. I remember Shilling's office telling me at my last visit that "you need to go get blood drawn, if you don't hear from us, everything is perfect. We will only call you if something is wrong." So, I anxiously call them and I am told (in the first sentence of the conversation) that my lab test came back abnormal and that I tested positive for Downs Syndrome. I am in the bathroom at work and my stomach hits the floor. Everything the nurse said after that, I didn't comprehend. All I heard was that my son would have Downs Syndrome. She did say that there was a 1 in 300 chance and that just because my test came back positive as a risk, it did NOT mean he had it, just that I needed to have a further ultrasound to make sure he didn't (didn't hear this or understand the first time around). I call Brent and my mom freaking out, crying hysterically (please keep in mind I am at work teaching 3 year olds when this call was made).. Not one time did the nurse say "do you have a minute? are you able to talk?" NOTHING. Anyway, I probably would consider this one of THE worst days of my life. I have never prayed so much, and it was not that I was asking God to make sure he didn't have Downs Syndrome, it was more so asking Him to help me understand and give me the strength to deal with this. I get home and quickly go on the computer to research. I start reading the numbers and remember the nurse said something about 1 in 300 chance, but like I said, I didn't comprehend anything after her first sentence. I also read about how common FALSE positives occur and that this screening is VERY inaccurate, that most women go on to find out their baby is perfectly healthy. So, I decide to call that nurse back. She explained that my PERSONAL chance came back as 1 in 300, which was considered extremely low and that even some lab places would have considered that normal (she could have explained this when she first called). She reassured me this didn't mean my son at this, just that there was a small risk. So, she set up an appointment for me with Atlanta Maternal Specialist for the following Monday (my 18th week). The next week was the worst of my pregnancy yet.. I had terrible nightmares, was constantly researching, praying, etc. I didn't want stress to affect the two of us, but it was very difficult. I also didn't want to tell anyone about this until after the ultrasound. I lost nights of sleep until Monday.
Week 18: Today was the day. My mom and I went to the appointment together. I don't think I have ever been SO nervous in my entire life. I was finally called back, from what it seemed like hours of paperwork of mine and Brent's life history. Ashley, the ultrasound technician who called me back (can't believe I remember her name), said "Do you know why you are here?" I said, "Yes, because there is a chance my son has Downs Syndrome." She said, "Barely." She explained that 1 in 300 in other labs was actually considered NORMAL and that I would have never have gotten a call if it would have been somewhere else. She explained that it was my particular lab that cut off "normal" at 1 in 250 chance, thus this stressful process. She also explained the factors that could lead to the positive results, which could be the doctor being off even a day on gestational age or "stuff" in my system (I had just had surgery a week before my blood was drawn). My mom and I explained the phone call I received and Ashley was appalled. She couldn't BELIEVE the way it was handled and barely explained. She made me feel much better and proceeded with the ultrasound that would determine the results. She tested EVERYTHING from Brody's heart all the way to his pinkies! He showed NONE of the signs of Downs Syndrome and in fact, said everything was perfect. The doctor came in next to look at the results herself. She too said I missed the "normal" screening mark by a millimeter and that everything was fine.
Honestly, I thought having my appendix removed was the worst week of pregnancy so far, but this TOPS it completely. In fact, this was two of the worst weeks of my life. It could have been handled differently. Glad that we can move past this! WHEW.
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