UPDATE ON BABY NICOLE

#1 · May 8, 2004, 4:14 am

Quote from Forum Archives on May 8, 2004, 4:14 am
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
Dear Friends:

Thank you for your continued prayer in behalf of Deanna, baby Nicole, and the rest of the family. They successfully made their trip to St. Louis on Friday for the ultrasound and other tests, and are back home, tired, emotionally frayed, but trusting.

Deanna's report letter is pretty exhaustive, so I'll just copy and paste some highlights:

-------------------

We came away with a little good news, a little no news and a few more questions and concerns.

+ . . . there is not any blockage in the bladder, even though it was still a little enlarged. The kidneys are perfectly fine (which would not be the case if there were a blockage of some kind).

+ The amniotic fluid level fluctuates from time to time and even did so while there, with readings below what we had here on Monday and above what we had on Monday. His biggest concern would be if it were to drop drastically. So we are going to continue to have to monitor that probably weekly for the duration of the pregnancy.

+ The size/estimated current weight of the baby. Based on the dates of my cycle and abdominal measurements (until last Monday), everything projected a due date of June 21^st/22^nd. . . . If that June date is correct, the baby is small enough to cause some concern; . . . I think all of you know our first 2 were NOT small.

A possible (but not for sure at all) reason for the smallness could be that normally the umbilical cord has 3 vessels 2 that take blood into the baby and 1 that carries it out. In 1% of pregnancies the cord will only have 2 vessels (1 in and 1 out). That sometimes results in slower growth rates late in pregnancy and also just in general in childhood. I happen to have landed in the 1% in this case.

+ All babies brains have ventricles that collect and drain fluid from the brain. The amount of fluid varies with the high end of normal being 10 mm of fluid. Nicole is at 9.9 mm again normal, but on the very edge. As long as it doesnt continue to enlarge (which normally happens at a very slow pace) there is no cause for concern. If it does, then tests will have to be run to make sure there isnt a narrowing of the spinal cord and a shunt would have to possibly be put in after birth. That really isnt all that uncommon. . . .

+ . . . . there is some part of the brain (cant remember the humongous name) that he could not detect in the ultrasound. That doesnt mean it isnt developed or normal, he just couldnt pick it up on the ultrasound. . . . It should be detectable, however, by an MRI which can be done now or after the baby is born. We asked what does that mean if its not there or not properly developed and he couldnt tell us because again there are a multitude of possibilities and therefore results based on what the MRI could tell them. There might be impairment, there might not. There might be slow development in some areas, there might not. . . . There is nothing they or we can do about it until after she is born if there is a problem. There is actually nothing we can do about any of these things except continue to pray and monitor.

+ . . . . Her heart structurally looks just fine, but when he first started doing his scan, the heart rate was pretty low. It climbed back up pretty quickly, however and then remained constant in normal range. He decided to go ahead and do a non-stress test anyway. Basically the results were non reactive. . . . The heart normally beats at a steady rate but when the baby moves it jumps up about 20 beats per minute (just like ours does). So they run a test and they like to see it jump a certain number of times during that 20 minutes. Well, hers didnt it remained steady. But he again wasnt terribly concerned because I could still feel plenty of movement, she was moving and breathing during the ultrasound, etc. So, again, were going to do regular NSTs and as long as I continue to feel movement regularly, there is no cause for concern.

+ Basically, in reality, almost everything mentioned is in normal range just on the far edge of normal. Then there are the uncertainties on the weight if its normal or not based on due date projections and, of course, the area of the brain they couldnt detect, which could just be a function of the stage of the pregnancy. However, its all just enough concern and needed monitoring that makes you anxious and wonder, etc. Theres also the decision to be made about having the MRI.

We will find out Monday as to when next week we will go and see our doctor here in Quincy for yet another ultrasound and NST. . . . After talking to him, well make a final decision about the MRI.

+ So, please continue to pray. Pray, she will grow, pray her various fluid levels would get in a little better range, pray that well know what to do regarding the MRI and for a positive result should we go ahead. Even though our emotions and anxiety levels are a little stretched and tested right now, we still believe that everything is going to be okay. Its just a matter of if our definition of okay and Gods definition are the same or not. And please pray for us often. We truly felt the strength of prayers over the past few days; but now we need that same strength for many weeks to come. Emotions sometimes take a while to catch up with our faith. We know God will remain faithful regardless, but somehow in His sovereignty, He chooses to respond to the prayers of his kids the more the better.

Thanks,

Deanna

--------------------

Most of you do not know Jim and Deanna and the children personally. However, that provides opportunity for one of the unique characteristics of prayer. In short, prayer is really our response to God's initiative. His initiative flows from His sovereignty, His knowledge, His power, and His plans. Our praying, therefore, comes from our response flowing from our own mortality, limitations, and uncertainties.

It's a perfect match. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

We'll continue keeping you posted.

In His Bond and For His Kingdom,

Bob and Jo Ann

Bob Tolliver
IBC - Hope4Kyiv
lifeunlimited@pobox.com
Subscribe to "Hope4Kyiv" letter
  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: hope4kyiv-unsubscribe@welovegod.org  

Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>

Dear Friends:

Thank you for your continued prayer in behalf of Deanna, baby Nicole, and the rest of the family. They successfully made their trip to St. Louis on Friday for the ultrasound and other tests, and are back home, tired, emotionally frayed, but trusting.

Deanna's report letter is pretty exhaustive, so I'll just copy and paste some highlights:

-------------------

We came away with a little good news, a little no news and a few more questions and concerns.

+ . . . there is not any blockage in the bladder, even though it was still a little enlarged. The kidneys are perfectly fine (which would not be the case if there were a blockage of some kind).

+ The amniotic fluid level fluctuates from time to time and even did so while there, with readings below what we had here on Monday and above what we had on Monday. His biggest concern would be if it were to drop drastically. So we are going to continue to have to monitor that probably weekly for the duration of the pregnancy.

+ The size/estimated current weight of the baby. Based on the dates of my cycle and abdominal measurements (until last Monday), everything projected a due date of June 21^st/22^nd. . . . If that June date is correct, the baby is small enough to cause some concern; . . . I think all of you know our first 2 were NOT small.

A possible (but not for sure at all) reason for the smallness could be that normally the umbilical cord has 3 vessels 2 that take blood into the baby and 1 that carries it out. In 1% of pregnancies the cord will only have 2 vessels (1 in and 1 out). That sometimes results in slower growth rates late in pregnancy and also just in general in childhood. I happen to have landed in the 1% in this case.

+ All babies brains have ventricles that collect and drain fluid from the brain. The amount of fluid varies with the high end of normal being 10 mm of fluid. Nicole is at 9.9 mm again normal, but on the very edge. As long as it doesnt continue to enlarge (which normally happens at a very slow pace) there is no cause for concern. If it does, then tests will have to be run to make sure there isnt a narrowing of the spinal cord and a shunt would have to possibly be put in after birth. That really isnt all that uncommon. . . .

+ . . . . there is some part of the brain (cant remember the humongous name) that he could not detect in the ultrasound. That doesnt mean it isnt developed or normal, he just couldnt pick it up on the ultrasound. . . . It should be detectable, however, by an MRI which can be done now or after the baby is born. We asked what does that mean if its not there or not properly developed and he couldnt tell us because again there are a multitude of possibilities and therefore results based on what the MRI could tell them. There might be impairment, there might not. There might be slow development in some areas, there might not. . . . There is nothing they or we can do about it until after she is born if there is a problem. There is actually nothing we can do about any of these things except continue to pray and monitor.

+ . . . . Her heart structurally looks just fine, but when he first started doing his scan, the heart rate was pretty low. It climbed back up pretty quickly, however and then remained constant in normal range. He decided to go ahead and do a non-stress test anyway. Basically the results were non reactive. . . . The heart normally beats at a steady rate but when the baby moves it jumps up about 20 beats per minute (just like ours does). So they run a test and they like to see it jump a certain number of times during that 20 minutes. Well, hers didnt it remained steady. But he again wasnt terribly concerned because I could still feel plenty of movement, she was moving and breathing during the ultrasound, etc. So, again, were going to do regular NSTs and as long as I continue to feel movement regularly, there is no cause for concern.

+ Basically, in reality, almost everything mentioned is in normal range just on the far edge of normal. Then there are the uncertainties on the weight if its normal or not based on due date projections and, of course, the area of the brain they couldnt detect, which could just be a function of the stage of the pregnancy. However, its all just enough concern and needed monitoring that makes you anxious and wonder, etc. Theres also the decision to be made about having the MRI.

We will find out Monday as to when next week we will go and see our doctor here in Quincy for yet another ultrasound and NST. . . . After talking to him, well make a final decision about the MRI.

+ So, please continue to pray. Pray, she will grow, pray her various fluid levels would get in a little better range, pray that well know what to do regarding the MRI and for a positive result should we go ahead. Even though our emotions and anxiety levels are a little stretched and tested right now, we still believe that everything is going to be okay. Its just a matter of if our definition of okay and Gods definition are the same or not. And please pray for us often. We truly felt the strength of prayers over the past few days; but now we need that same strength for many weeks to come. Emotions sometimes take a while to catch up with our faith. We know God will remain faithful regardless, but somehow in His sovereignty, He chooses to respond to the prayers of his kids the more the better.

Thanks,

Deanna

--------------------

Most of you do not know Jim and Deanna and the children personally. However, that provides opportunity for one of the unique characteristics of prayer. In short, prayer is really our response to God's initiative. His initiative flows from His sovereignty, His knowledge, His power, and His plans. Our praying, therefore, comes from our response flowing from our own mortality, limitations, and uncertainties.

It's a perfect match. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

We'll continue keeping you posted.

In His Bond and For His Kingdom,

Bob and Jo Ann

Bob Tolliver
IBC - Hope4Kyiv
lifeunlimited@pobox.com
Subscribe to "Hope4Kyiv" letter

  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: hope4kyiv-unsubscribe@welovegod.org