One more week until our lives change forever. One more week until our family of three (we most definitely include Duke, our four-legged kid) becomes a family of four. One more week until we meet this little guy. One more week and then we’ll finally get some answers…not all, but some. That is, unless Jackson Timothy has something different planned ;)
I’m a mix of emotions at this point…..excited, nervous, anxious, hopeful, fearful, happy, etc. Everyone keeps asking me if I’m ready to have this baby yet. I’m pretty sure I am. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally ready to meet him, hold him, kiss him, squeeze him and love him. But, at the same time I’m not dying to have this kid out of me. For the most part, this has been a pretty easy pregnancy compared to some of the stories I’ve heard from my friends and family. We can pretty much say no morning sickness (I think it happened once therefore it doesn’t count), no food aversions, no real aches or pains, no itchy skin, no horrendous punching or kicking by the little bambino. He’s been pretty good to me, I’ll give him that. I hope that continues once he’s born….
I also thought this would also be a good time to thank our family and friends for all of your support and prayers throughout this pregnancy. It means more to us than you will ever know. A lot of you know already, but some of you don’t so here’s the scoop.
At 19 weeks, Jackson was diagnosed with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. Spina Bifida is a neural tube defect where the spinal cord fails to close properly during the first few months of pregnancy. It is common for those with Spina Bifida to develop Hydrocephalus, which is a build-up of fluid in the ventricles of the brain. There are some great sites out there if you are interested in getting more information. I wouldn’t necessarily suggest that you “google” it because I can tell you from personal experience that it is VERY overwhelming and will kinda scare the crap out of you. I found these websites helpful and informative: Mayo Clinic, NINDS Fact Sheet, Spina Bifida Kids Community.
Shortly after the diagnosis we transferred from Canandaigua Medical Group to Strong Perinatal Associates (SPA) a medical group that specializes in high-risk cases. We LOVE it there. Everyone is so nice and they know a lot more about Spina Bifida than CMG did. It is also nice to go in and have them remember our names and not have to wait 45 minutes after our scheduled appointment to be seen. I have to say that I can’t stand that about CMG. I always feel like just a number there and it really irritates me that I always have to wait that long to be seen. But anyhoo, I’m rambling….
We’ve been told that Jackson’s opening (lesion) is located in the sacral area and from everything we’ve heard…the lower, the better. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s going to be fine. It just means that it’s more likely that only the lower extremities will be affected (legs, bladder, bowel). It’s still up in the air at this point how much nerve damage has been done and whether or not he will be able to walk. It’s possible that he could walk with braces or he may end up in a wheelchair or function somewhere in between. We won’t know much more until after he’s born and even then it will probably be a while until we know how his motor function will be affected.
We are scheduled for a c-section on May 31st at Strong Memorial Hospital. Jackson will be having surgery to close the lesion within 24-48 hours of being born. They will monitor the fluid in the ventricles and will determine whether or not he will need a shunt right away or at a later date. The shunt will help to drain the excess fluid in the brain. Again, won’t know much more about that until after he’s born either. They say that he will be in the NICU for probably two weeks if not longer, but again won’t know more until after he’s born and has had surgery.
Sensing a theme here? That’s pretty much what we’ve heard for the majority of this pregnancy…“We won’t know more until he’s born.” I’ll be real honest, the control freak in me hates it every time I hear that. I understand it, but it’s still frustrating. Luckily, there’s only ONE MORE WEEK!!!! J
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