Urgent Pregnancy Update: Prayers Needed!

Dear Friends,

Today (at 18 weeks 5 days pregnant with twins) I went for what has become a routine ultrasound (every other week) at the Perinatal Center.  Since finding out that our twin babies are DiMono-aka Identical, I have been seeing my regular OB as well as going to the Perinatal Center for ultrasounds and consultation with High Risk doctors.  By identifying that our twins are DiMono our risks became greater for both preterm labor and Twin to Twin Transfusion. To put DiMono or Diamniotic Monochorionic into laymen terms, our babies are each separated by a very thin membrane (apparently dangerously thin) and each are in their own amniotic sac (Di) yet share a placenta (Mono).  The best way to explain the risk of Twin to Twin Transfusion is to say, each baby has their own house, yet they share a kitchen, because of this the babies are being watched very carefully to make sure one is not “raiding the fridge” more than the other. If this happens one baby will grow larger at the expense of the other baby not receiving enough blood/nutrients.  There is supposedly nothing I can do to prevent this from happening.  We were told if signs were to appear that Twin to Twin Transfusion was happening the only option for their survival would be laparoscopic surgery.  The surgery would sever the blood connection between the two babies so that one cannot "steal" blood/nutrients from the other.

At our 16 week appointment the doctor actually used the word “perfect!” Both boys (yes we found out that day they are boys) were growing equally and right on track.  This morning, Thursday- November 29, we learned that things have drastically changed! Baby B is measuring 1 week bigger than Baby A.  At this point I have been put on the RX Procardia -a calcium channel blocker that has been proven to restore the proper fluid balance between two babies.  I have also been put on bed rest for at least the next week.  We were told to have low goals right now, week to week, day by day.  In one week I will go in for another check of my cervix and ultrasound of the babies sizes and fluids.  The goal:  for things to remain consistent with what they are now.  IF the babies are progressing with one baby growing larger than the other I will be sent for a referral with a fetal health center (in a children’s hospital) and we may at that time move quickly toward surgery.  The good news is that we caught this early, making me eligible for the surgery.  As the babies get bigger surgery is no longer an option. There has been success from the surgery but it is a major surgery & considered a LAST RESORT effort to save the lives of babies.

For now we are trying to stay calm & trust that God is in control though our faith is weak. Please pray for the very basic goal we have been given: that the babies remain as they are for the next week. I have been told there is nothing I could have done differently to prevent this but that now I must rest. So rest I will. Please pray for our boys. We believe in the power of prayer but need you more than ever to partner with us in our moment of weakness.

Explaining all of this in writing is so much easier than individual phone calls. We'll keep you updated through this blog.  Please don't be hurt if you do not receive a phone call. We are overwhelmed & this is the best way we know to handle things at this time.

Love,
Katrina & Jonny



Ps. On a much lighter note if you still haven't seen our pregnancy announcement from 1st trimester here it is...

Happy Birthday Jackson!

This is one of my nephews with whom I am well pleased…

Yesterday he reached the milestone age of 5 years old! 

I will never forget 5 years ago (11/7/07) sitting in a hospital room with my sister-in-law while she labored.  Pre-epidural she said to me with great intensity in her eyes, “NEVER DO THIS!”  

Post epidural she of course barely remembered saying it.  We laugh about it now and I know she is grateful I didn’t listen because this little boy, now 5 years old, will have new baby cousins in a few months!

Happy Birthday to my nephew Jackson-avid reader, dinosaur enthusiast, and talented drummer!  We think you are AMAZING and we are so incredibly proud of the little boy you are growing up to be!

Delete A Friend?

Well folks the election is over but the divisiveness is not.  Not that I thought it would be, but a girl can hope!  So what does one do when going on Facebook or some other social media site and finding our friends and acquaintances stating opinions that we clearly disagree with?  Most of the time I just ignore it but today I have seen posts that hit right at the core of my beliefs.  One of my greatest passions in ministry is work with the poor.  Here is what I posted…

“My heart is breaking over so many insensitive comments being made about “the poor” so much so that I cannot stay silent anymore. If you want smaller government and people not living off welfare that’s AWESOME but make sure to ask yourself, What am I doing to educate people who were born into poverty and are ignorant to any other way of life? Whole generations of people are stuck in a cycle of poverty & don’t know how to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” If you don’t believe me and just think they are “lazy” spend some time in a poor urban neighborhood or small Appalachian mountain holler. Humanize “the poor” and listen to their story even if it is filled with drugs and crime-the only way they’ve ever truly known. Ask yourself, is my church stepping up so that the Government doesn’t need to? Am I loving the poor as Christ has called me to? Am I part of the solution? Ironically the people who should be the most frustrated with people living on welfare- the social workers, the non profit workers, etc…aren’t the ones complaining in my Newsfeed because they know they are doing the best they can to help poor people have a better life! Are you? They realize the systemic issues of poverty are far greater than mere laziness.”

Shortly after posting this I was overwhelmed by the number of people who seemed to agree, from both sides of the isle, democrat and republican.  I’m so pleased that my getting fed up actually touched people. What scares me though is that I am already seeing people springboard off of this and make their own status updates to say things criticizing others that have previously criticized the poor.  Disagreements are now taking place on the pages of others about whether or not to engage in free handouts and how often and who deserves them.  Really?  Aren’t we missing the point?  EDUCATION!  I am so blessed to have found a Church to work at that not only houses an amazing feeding ministry for homeless individuals/families (handouts) but takes a much more holistic approach with social workers on staff, occupational therapists volunteering their time, job counselors, etc… (AKA Education!)   It is easy to hand out blankets and donate clothing, it is SO much harder to build relationships with someone who may be smelly, addicted to drugs, a former (or even current) criminal, or just plain ungrateful.  Yet this is our mandate from Jesus Christ as Christians. 

The solution many are opting for on FB- delete, hide, or block people you don’t agree with.  Trust me I’ve thought about it. But is that going to help any of us grow?  Yes, if their speech is abusive or damaging to you, do it, of course.  On the other hand if you are just sick of hearing people with a different opinion than yours maybe you need to.  Take a good long look at your friend list. Is everyone the same race or socioeconomic class as you?  Are they all from the same region of the state, country, or even world?  Is everyone of the same religion?    I realize many people go on Facebook merely as entertainment and don’t want to be “challenged” but there is a great big world out there and social media is such an amazing way to truly listen and learn from one another. So for now, I won’t be deleting anyone-unless they call me names ;) I don’t like name-calling.

Now for some humor on the subject thanks to Rage Against the Minivan...