The Cardiologist Visit

I just wanted to let you know the latest on Victoria Jayne (the baby I'm expecting April 3rd).

Mark and I met with a pediatric cardiologist a few weeks ago. He said that he is seeing two problems with Victoria's heart right now. He said the septum (the wall that separates the left and right side of the heart) does not run completely across the heart vertically as it should. It is missing in the middle of the heart, which would allow the oxygenated and non-oxygenated blood to mix. Also, there should be two valves and he is seeing only one big valve.

He reminded us that he is looking at a sonogram that is trying to get a good image though my body and the baby's body ... trying to look at Victoria's little heart. So, he said that there is a chance he is wrong and we surely pray that way ... but, he is 95% sure he is right. But, after Victoria is born, he'd do another heart echo to see exactly what is going on.

He said that most babies having these types of defects are Downs babies, although the girl he saw right before in his office had the same two defects and she was not Downs or didn't have any other genetic disorders. So, he said we will have to wait until the baby is born to also find out about that.

When Victoria is 2 1/2 months old, he'd want her to have open heart surgery at UAB in Birmingham (if she actually does have these defects after she is born). He'd want me to carry her as long as I can to get her as fat as possible. Then, during those 2 1/2 months, he'd want me to try and continue to plump her up to prepare for her surgery. I'm sure she'd have some weight loss, but he didn't say how much.

Anyway, please continue to pray for Victoria's heart and also the looming genetic questions (Downs or Trisomy 13/18). I pray that she is born completely healthy, but also know that I have to accept whatever the Lord's will is. Thanks for your prayers. We will see our specialist again on January 7th, so the visits will start up again ... JOY!!! (I'm saying that very sarcastically!!!)

Take care and I'll make sure we keep you updated on everything. Happy holidays and New Year!

The Specialist

I just wanted to let you know how my visit went today with my specialist, Dr. Kathy Porter. She said that the heart echo that was done a week and a half ago did confirm what she thought she saw. She said that they are looking at two things: AVSD (Atrioventricular Septal Defect) and VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect). One of these she said is very common with babies who have Downs Syndrome. Basically, this is also called a "hole in the heart." When a defect or "hole" is present between the ventricles (or lower chambers of the heart), blood from the left side of the heart is forced through the defect to the right side every time the heart beats. So, blood that is already rich in oxygen keeps pumping into the lungs while blood that is not yet oxygen rich can't get to the lungs. You can look up more on all this stuff on www.pediheart.org.

We are supposed to meet with the pediatric cardiologist on December 18th and he will explain more about all of this to us. He'll also talk about what his take is on it and what might could be done to correct this. I'm sure he will address how severe or not that this case might be, too.

Needless to say, it was another emotional visit. Just continue to pray with us for healing for little Victoria. Not only pray for her heart, but also pray about Downs or any other genetic problem. They are still not ruling out those things. Actually, today, the doctor said there were a few things that pointed towards Downs. So, we are just walking in a strange place right now, knowing that this is way bigger than us and totally trusting the hand of God. We know that He is in control and very capable of doing a miracle here if He so chooses. Boy, do we pray He does choose to do something miraculous!!! But, if He decides to take us down another road, then pray that He gives us plenty of grace to do whatever we might need to do and be the best parents for this baby that we can be.

The Ultrasound Report

For those of you who didn't know, I'm pregnant again! However, I received a bad report on the baby yesterday when I went for my first ultrasound. Please read the prayer request below that was sent out to our church prayer email team and lift up our precious little baby on the way. Thank you so much.

Please pray for Mark & Heather Messick and the precious new baby they are expecting. Heather is 11 weeks pregnant and had an ultra sound done today that showed the baby MAY have a condition known as “Cystic Hygroma”. This condition is some kind of fluid filled cysts found mostly in the back of the neck that result from blockage in the lymphatic system. While I do not know exactly what this condition is, I do know that it can be dangerous for the baby. As we find out more and understand more, we will update you so that you may pray specifically. For now, please pray for the baby’s health. Pray for Mark and Heather to have peace of mind. Pray for their strength and wisdom in making any decisions they may need to make. Pray that they will be reminded everyday of God’s never ending love and mercy.

Here is a Praise!
Mark is speaking at a conference this week at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany , GA. He is doing the Children’s sessions, and so far 11 children have made decisions to accept Jesus as their Savior. Please continue to pray for the Conference and for Mark as he leads the Children, that many more lives will be changed.