Prayer is a powerful thing. I have been mocked before when sharing the good things that have happened in my heart and my life due to prayer, but until you can completely hand over your life and everything in it to God, you may not fully understand the power of prayer. My personality is the type to worry and try to control, but a few years ago I finally handed every last bit of control I was holding on to over to the Lord. It is the trials in life like this where, when we hand over everything to God and trust Him to take care of us regardless of the outcome, we see miracles performed and prayers answered. We have received hundreds of messages just letting us know that there are so many people praying for us. God heard every single one of our prayers and is continuing to answer them!
We went to see Dr. Haeri today, and he said Emma is looking as good as can be! The shunts are still in place, and we could barely see any fluid left in her belly. Her lungs have fully expanded, and her heart is still beating strong! The doctor believes it will turn out to be an issue with the lungs that was causing the hydrops, and that there shouldn't be any issues with the lungs after Emma is born. We just need to pray that the shunts stay in place for the next few weeks, because this is the most important time for lung development.
When I am 24 weeks along (after April 6), Dr. Haeri will inject me with steroids to speed up Emma's lung, brain, and intestine development. At this time, we will also meet with the head of the NICU at North Austin Medical Center so we can learn more and understand what to expect when Emma is born. Her delivery will be a scheduled C-Section around 36 weeks, because we want to make sure all of the doctors are there that need to be, and we don't want to risk me going into labor in the middle of the night.
Not only am I thankful for this miraculous turn of events, but I am also very thankful that God is continuing to carry us through this journey. Since Justin has been off work this week taking care of Laney and me, we have had some great quality time together. Also, right when our medical bills are starting to pile up, Justin was offered a better job with a pay increase. God knows exactly what is going on and what will happen in the future, and we have complete faith that He will continue to provide.
We appreciate your continued prayers for the shunts to stay in place and for Emma to stay put until she is strong enough to come out and meet us!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Home!
Emma Grace has proven she is a little fighter, and she is doing great! The nurse came in every few hours overnight to listen to her little heart beating strong! Dr. Haeri came in this morning to do an ultrasound, to make sure Emma's shunts are still in place, and to refresh my memory on the procedure last night.
Before the procedure, one nurse after another shared comments such as "You're in great hands! Dr. Haeri is the best there is." The ultrasound before the procedure showed that Emma's swallowing was being hindered by the extra fluid, so it became even more evident that we needed to do this now! We have received much confirmation that this was the right thing to do, and this was the doctor to do it.
When they got me into the operating room and looked at Emma on the ultrasound, she was in the perfect position, so the anesthesiologist quickly "drugged me" and I went right to sleep. As previously posted, it was most important to put the shunt in Emma's left side first, so it could drain the fluid from around her heart and lungs. Dr. Haeri said he was about a millimeter away from her heart (during which time everyone in the OR was holding their breaths), so once the shunt was in place he got out of there quickly and wasn't able to draw any fluid for testing. We would much rather him be safe than take an unnecessary risk. After the left shunt was in place he had to roll Emma over to do the right shunt. She is already proving to be a stubborn second born (just like her mommy!), because she didn't make it easy on the doctor, but he managed to roll her over and get the shunt in place. The next 15 minutes following the procedure were the most important, because they would be able to tell if her heart is staying strong enough and if the shunts are working and the fluid is draining properly. I was woken up with the most wonderful news: the fluid around Emma's lungs had drained, her lungs had already expanded, and her perfect little heart had moved to the correct spot. PRAISE GOD! I just laid there and wept tears of joy. Our God is SO mighty and powerful, and I am so grateful that He answered our prayers for Emma Grace. There is still fluid in her belly, but that should go away on its own, or if not, it can easily be drained after she is born. It is not anything to worry about now. We will continue to see Dr. Haeri weekly to check on Emma and to make sure she has not pulled out the shunts. By doing this procedure to insert the shunts, Emma's chances of surviving went from 15% to 70%. That is priceless!
Your continued prayers are much appreciated, as there are still complications that could arise. God has proven over and over again that He is in control, that He guided the doctor during the procedure, and that He is holding Emma in His mighty hands!
Before the procedure, one nurse after another shared comments such as "You're in great hands! Dr. Haeri is the best there is." The ultrasound before the procedure showed that Emma's swallowing was being hindered by the extra fluid, so it became even more evident that we needed to do this now! We have received much confirmation that this was the right thing to do, and this was the doctor to do it.
When they got me into the operating room and looked at Emma on the ultrasound, she was in the perfect position, so the anesthesiologist quickly "drugged me" and I went right to sleep. As previously posted, it was most important to put the shunt in Emma's left side first, so it could drain the fluid from around her heart and lungs. Dr. Haeri said he was about a millimeter away from her heart (during which time everyone in the OR was holding their breaths), so once the shunt was in place he got out of there quickly and wasn't able to draw any fluid for testing. We would much rather him be safe than take an unnecessary risk. After the left shunt was in place he had to roll Emma over to do the right shunt. She is already proving to be a stubborn second born (just like her mommy!), because she didn't make it easy on the doctor, but he managed to roll her over and get the shunt in place. The next 15 minutes following the procedure were the most important, because they would be able to tell if her heart is staying strong enough and if the shunts are working and the fluid is draining properly. I was woken up with the most wonderful news: the fluid around Emma's lungs had drained, her lungs had already expanded, and her perfect little heart had moved to the correct spot. PRAISE GOD! I just laid there and wept tears of joy. Our God is SO mighty and powerful, and I am so grateful that He answered our prayers for Emma Grace. There is still fluid in her belly, but that should go away on its own, or if not, it can easily be drained after she is born. It is not anything to worry about now. We will continue to see Dr. Haeri weekly to check on Emma and to make sure she has not pulled out the shunts. By doing this procedure to insert the shunts, Emma's chances of surviving went from 15% to 70%. That is priceless!
Your continued prayers are much appreciated, as there are still complications that could arise. God has proven over and over again that He is in control, that He guided the doctor during the procedure, and that He is holding Emma in His mighty hands!
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Emma's Procedure
PRAISE GOD! He is so faithful.
The procedure went great! Emma was in the perfect position so the doctor was able to put a shunt in both sides of her rib cage. The most important one was the left side, so the fluid could drain from around her heart. Before going to the operating room, the doctor and ultrasound technician told me they had been praying for me last night, how encouraging! After the procedure, the doctor told us that it went as well as it could have and that the fluid is already draining! He showed Justin on the ultrasound and he could tell that her belly is already smaller. They will continue to monitor Emma through the night and in the morning and if everything looks good we will go home Friday morning.
We have been overwhelmed by all of the encouraging messages and prayers. Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts, for storming heaven's gates with prayers for our family!
The procedure went great! Emma was in the perfect position so the doctor was able to put a shunt in both sides of her rib cage. The most important one was the left side, so the fluid could drain from around her heart. Before going to the operating room, the doctor and ultrasound technician told me they had been praying for me last night, how encouraging! After the procedure, the doctor told us that it went as well as it could have and that the fluid is already draining! He showed Justin on the ultrasound and he could tell that her belly is already smaller. They will continue to monitor Emma through the night and in the morning and if everything looks good we will go home Friday morning.
We have been overwhelmed by all of the encouraging messages and prayers. Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts, for storming heaven's gates with prayers for our family!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Our Next Step
We saw the doctor today and Emma's fluid levels are continuing to increase, so Justin and I have decided to move forward and have a shunt put in Emma to drain the fluid. Our doctor feels that it is better to do sooner rather than later, because this is a crucial time for Emma's lungs to form, and right now they are unable to grow because of all the fluid around the lungs. This procedure is scheduled for Thursday at 5:00 p.m. There is an overall 30% chance of something going wrong, such as breaking my water or this adding stress to Emma's heart causing her to pass away, but as parents, we want to do anything that can help give Emma a stronger chance of surviving. If I had to deliver Emma without having a shunt put in prior, she would not survive because her lungs have not formed. The risks to me are very minimal, but they would still like to keep me in the hospital overnight to monitor me and Emma. I will also need to be on bed rest for a week after the procedure, so Justin will stay home with me and take care of Laney.
There are many hopeful things that can come from this procedure. While putting the shunt in, the doctor will also draw fluid from Emma to have tested. If any of the tests come back positive, we are closer to determining the cause to her hydrops, which means we could possibly treat her in other ways. As always, we are praying for a miracle, but if that is not in God's plan, we are praying that something would be revealed and we could find a way to treat Emma. This case is one of the most difficult for doctors, because they are unable to provide answers, but I know our answers come from God, so our job is to be patient and put all of our faith and trust in Him.
Justin and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful family, church family, and friends supporting us and praying for Emma. Our community group from Northpoint Church came to our house for 15 minutes Friday night just to lay hands on us and pray over us. These authentic relationships we have formed in the last few years have blessed our lives in so many ways, and we know God was present during that prayer time. I was also blessed this weekend to have my sister Lyndsey and one of my best friends Ashley drive down from Dallas just to be by my side and love on me during this difficult time. Justin has been such a rock for me to lean on, and I am so thankful to have such a loving and caring husband in good times and bad. God has been so faithful in our lives so trusting in Him to carry us through this comes as an easy task for us.
There are many hopeful things that can come from this procedure. While putting the shunt in, the doctor will also draw fluid from Emma to have tested. If any of the tests come back positive, we are closer to determining the cause to her hydrops, which means we could possibly treat her in other ways. As always, we are praying for a miracle, but if that is not in God's plan, we are praying that something would be revealed and we could find a way to treat Emma. This case is one of the most difficult for doctors, because they are unable to provide answers, but I know our answers come from God, so our job is to be patient and put all of our faith and trust in Him.
Justin and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful family, church family, and friends supporting us and praying for Emma. Our community group from Northpoint Church came to our house for 15 minutes Friday night just to lay hands on us and pray over us. These authentic relationships we have formed in the last few years have blessed our lives in so many ways, and we know God was present during that prayer time. I was also blessed this weekend to have my sister Lyndsey and one of my best friends Ashley drive down from Dallas just to be by my side and love on me during this difficult time. Justin has been such a rock for me to lean on, and I am so thankful to have such a loving and caring husband in good times and bad. God has been so faithful in our lives so trusting in Him to carry us through this comes as an easy task for us.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
A Day in Houston
The day started off with Justin and I sitting down for
breakfast, reading my daily devotional, and prayer time together. It is amazing how many
times and places God is speaking to us right now. The last 8 words of the
devotional said exactly what we needed to hear; “Be still, and know that I am
God.” Psalm 46:10
When we got to the Texas Children’s Fetal Center Austin
Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers, and
encouraging messages. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and
friends to support us, and even all of the strangers who have read this blog
and committed to pray. We know God has Emma in His hands, and He is so much bigger
than any problems that come our way. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
and keep praying!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Emma's Story
As many of you know, God is blessing us with another little girl, Emma Grace. I have created this page to keep all of our friends and family updated in one place. Here is her story.
On February 25th, the same day we found out we are having a girl, we also found out there is some extra fluid in Emma, and my doctor suggested we go to a specialist.
March 1st, we visited the specialist and they did a 45-minute ultrasound to determine what exactly was going on with Emma. The good news is, that all of her organs are working perfectly. However, the doctor found that there is extra fluid in Emma's lungs, stomach, and face, causing swelling. This is called Hydrops Fetalis. This can be very dangerous, so Justin and I decided to have an amniocentesis done to try and determine the cause. An amniocentesis is when the doctor puts a needle through my stomach to draw out some amniotic fluid, and it would determine whether it is a genetic disorder or an infection causing the hydrops. He used an ultrasound to watch Emma so he would not accidentally poke her with the needle, and she has already proved to be a fighter by kicking the needle that was invading her little home! It would take about a week to get the results back from the amniocentesis, but the doctor told us that her case was mild at this point, and gave her a 95% chance of surviving.
March 5th, the doctor wanted to do another ultrasound to see how Emma was doing, and to see if the fluid build up had progressed. The swelling in her face had gone down, but there was more fluid around her lungs, which moved her case from mild to moderate. We received the preliminary results from the chromosome test, which meant that there were no initial signs of a chromosomal disorder, such as Down Syndrome. We were still waiting on the infectious disease results from the amniocentesis, but we were hopeful to find the cause of the hydrops, and that it would be something that could be treated.
March 11th, we got the final results from the amniocentesis, and unfortunately everything came back negative. This means there is no way to determine the cause of the hydrops, and therefore no way to fix it. There are two types of hydrops, immune and non-immune, and since there is no identifiable cause, Emma was diagnosed with non-immune hydrops. The doctor informed us that because there is no way to fix the fluid build up, the chance of Emma surviving is 10%-15%. He gave a few options that may be able to help, but not fix. He suggested that we have a Fetal MRI done, because they can see 20%-30% more than an ultrasound, and might be able to determine the cause of the hydrops. Austin does not have a specialist that does Fetal MRIs, so we will be traveling to Houston this Thursday, March 14, to have this done. If there is still no cause found, the doctor suggested that he put a chest tube in Emma. He would give me anesthesia, go in through my stomach, give Emma a shot in her arm to numb her, then insert a tube about the size of a straw between her ribs to drain the fluid. This would not fix the fluid problem, because Emma's body would still create more fluid, but it would keep draining the fluid that her body creates. The reason this would help, is that if the fluid around her lungs increases too much, it could start pressing on her heart and cause stress. It is also important because when she is born, there needs to be space for her lungs to expand so she can breathe. Another option the doctor gave, was that if her condition worsens, anytime after 24 weeks, he would admit me to the hospital and put me under intense monitoring, and when it was safe, he would deliver Emma early by C-section.
As you can imagine, our hearts are breaking. Receiving news like this is something we never expected. We walked to the car after the appointment and just sat and cried together. No words can take away the pain, but that is okay because neither of us could even find words to speak. I cannot imagine going through this without God, Justin, and our families and friends. Thankfully, God has given us both an overwhelming sense of peace. We are so incredibly blessed that we can completely rely on God to carry us through this journey. If I had to carry this heavy burden myself, I don't think I could even get out of bed every morning. I believe one of the most difficult things about being a parent is not being able to take away your child's pain, or take their place. There isn't anything we wouldn't do to heal Emma, but right now all we can do is pray and trust that God is holding our little girl in His mighty hands. Every time I have driven to and from the doctor, the song "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)" by Chris Tomlin has been on the radio. I have no doubt that God is using that song to constantly reassure me that He is by my side.
Our God is a big and powerful God. We know that regardless of the outcome, He will never leave our sides. We hope that you will join us in praying for a miracle for Emma Grace.
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)
by: Chris Tomlin
You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light
Whom shall I fear
You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my Sword and Shield
Though trouble lingers still
Whom shall I fear
I know Who goes before me
I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a Friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding onto Your promises
You are faithful
Nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding onto Your promises
You are faithful
On February 25th, the same day we found out we are having a girl, we also found out there is some extra fluid in Emma, and my doctor suggested we go to a specialist.
March 1st, we visited the specialist and they did a 45-minute ultrasound to determine what exactly was going on with Emma. The good news is, that all of her organs are working perfectly. However, the doctor found that there is extra fluid in Emma's lungs, stomach, and face, causing swelling. This is called Hydrops Fetalis. This can be very dangerous, so Justin and I decided to have an amniocentesis done to try and determine the cause. An amniocentesis is when the doctor puts a needle through my stomach to draw out some amniotic fluid, and it would determine whether it is a genetic disorder or an infection causing the hydrops. He used an ultrasound to watch Emma so he would not accidentally poke her with the needle, and she has already proved to be a fighter by kicking the needle that was invading her little home! It would take about a week to get the results back from the amniocentesis, but the doctor told us that her case was mild at this point, and gave her a 95% chance of surviving.
March 5th, the doctor wanted to do another ultrasound to see how Emma was doing, and to see if the fluid build up had progressed. The swelling in her face had gone down, but there was more fluid around her lungs, which moved her case from mild to moderate. We received the preliminary results from the chromosome test, which meant that there were no initial signs of a chromosomal disorder, such as Down Syndrome. We were still waiting on the infectious disease results from the amniocentesis, but we were hopeful to find the cause of the hydrops, and that it would be something that could be treated.
March 11th, we got the final results from the amniocentesis, and unfortunately everything came back negative. This means there is no way to determine the cause of the hydrops, and therefore no way to fix it. There are two types of hydrops, immune and non-immune, and since there is no identifiable cause, Emma was diagnosed with non-immune hydrops. The doctor informed us that because there is no way to fix the fluid build up, the chance of Emma surviving is 10%-15%. He gave a few options that may be able to help, but not fix. He suggested that we have a Fetal MRI done, because they can see 20%-30% more than an ultrasound, and might be able to determine the cause of the hydrops. Austin does not have a specialist that does Fetal MRIs, so we will be traveling to Houston this Thursday, March 14, to have this done. If there is still no cause found, the doctor suggested that he put a chest tube in Emma. He would give me anesthesia, go in through my stomach, give Emma a shot in her arm to numb her, then insert a tube about the size of a straw between her ribs to drain the fluid. This would not fix the fluid problem, because Emma's body would still create more fluid, but it would keep draining the fluid that her body creates. The reason this would help, is that if the fluid around her lungs increases too much, it could start pressing on her heart and cause stress. It is also important because when she is born, there needs to be space for her lungs to expand so she can breathe. Another option the doctor gave, was that if her condition worsens, anytime after 24 weeks, he would admit me to the hospital and put me under intense monitoring, and when it was safe, he would deliver Emma early by C-section.
As you can imagine, our hearts are breaking. Receiving news like this is something we never expected. We walked to the car after the appointment and just sat and cried together. No words can take away the pain, but that is okay because neither of us could even find words to speak. I cannot imagine going through this without God, Justin, and our families and friends. Thankfully, God has given us both an overwhelming sense of peace. We are so incredibly blessed that we can completely rely on God to carry us through this journey. If I had to carry this heavy burden myself, I don't think I could even get out of bed every morning. I believe one of the most difficult things about being a parent is not being able to take away your child's pain, or take their place. There isn't anything we wouldn't do to heal Emma, but right now all we can do is pray and trust that God is holding our little girl in His mighty hands. Every time I have driven to and from the doctor, the song "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)" by Chris Tomlin has been on the radio. I have no doubt that God is using that song to constantly reassure me that He is by my side.
Our God is a big and powerful God. We know that regardless of the outcome, He will never leave our sides. We hope that you will join us in praying for a miracle for Emma Grace.
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)
by: Chris Tomlin
You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light
Whom shall I fear
You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my Sword and Shield
Though trouble lingers still
Whom shall I fear
I know Who goes before me
I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a Friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding onto Your promises
You are faithful
Nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding onto Your promises
You are faithful
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