Evie's face, 32 weeks
"Anxious," I said. "I have an appointment with a specialist on Thursday to check on my low amniotic fluid, and I am really hoping it has gone up. . . I have been eating, drinking, and resting well. Plus I've been going to the pool every day."
"Well, I think I have an ultrasound room open. Would you like to take a peek at the fluid?"- That was good decision number 1. Dr. Moeller took me to a small room where she squeezed the cool gel on my tummy and turned on the monitor. "Hmm," She said, "It's still very low- lower in fact. I am worried because you have been doing everything right. Let's do a non-stress test." That was good decision number 2. She helped me sit in a chair and hooked up a fetal heart monitor which spit out a long chart with little squiggly lines. Twenty minutes later she came in to check those squiggly lines: "Hmm. This looks OK, but baby isn't really moving too much. She even had on little drop in heart rate. . . I think we better play it safe and have you check in to the hospital for IV fluids, rest, and monitoring." There was good decision number three.
Two hours later I was hooked to an IV and getting a very thorough ultrasound by a radiologist. Kabir and my sister Val were watching the screen as intently as I was. Dr. Moeller and a colleague began explaining that there is a 10-point scale of fetal well-being, and Evie was at a 2: Low amniotic fluid was 2 points off; low movement was 2 points off; dropping heart rate from time to time was 2 points off, and her liver looked a little swollen which meant another 2 points off. At a 2 out of 10, it was time for Evie to be delivered.
"You will need a C-section as soon as possible," Dr. Moeller said. That was good decision number 4. These 4 decisions saved Evie's life.
Dear Vera,
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for these Four Decisions!