CHD Awareness Week

Once again it is Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Week!  I have been a bit distracted but I didn't want to let the week pass without making some mention of it.  

Last year I wrote about Allyson's CHD from diagnosis to surgery, you can read the posts here Part 1 Allyson's Diagnosis, Part 2 Doctor's Visits, Part 3 Surgery.  I am so glad I finally wrote down the details of our experience, even if it was two years after the fact at least now I have it.

After our experience with Allyson and her CHD I had some concerns with this pregnancy.  CHD's are thought to be some combination of genetic defects (mutations, genetic deletions, genetic additions, etc) and environmental factors.   While they don't really understand exactly what causes each CHD there is a chance I could have another child with a CHD.  Shortly after Allyson's surgery I had asked her cardiologist the chances of having another child with a CHD, and while there is a greater chance it is very slight.  Still it was something I thought (and worried) about in the back of my mind.  

As I neared the 20 week mark of my pregnancy my Doctor recommended having a Level II ultra sound and a fetal echo-cardiogram to get detailed information on our baby's heart.  There were no signs of any problems, but based on Allyson's history he wanted to go into the delivery as prepared as possible.  I wholeheartedly agreed it would be better to know ahead of time to be as prepared as possible.  Unfortunately the scheduling of the tests and waiting for the tests brought back way too many memories.  I really started worrying that our baby might have a defect, the fear grew and became constant presence.  

As the day of the testing approached I was very emotional, I was terrified of what we might find out.  I definitely wanted to know, but the thought of starting the long journey of having a child with a CHD scared me.  We drove down to San Francisco to Marshall's house with me fighting back tears.  He had agreed to watch Allyson during the tests and also to give us a ride to the hospital so we wouldn't have to pay the ridiculous SF parking fees.  It was a huge help to have those things taken care of.  Less for Steve and I to worry about.

While we were waiting for the fetal echo at UCSF I went into the bathroom.  The smell of the soap in the bathroom took me right back to the NICU in Napa, bringing back a flood of memories and feelings.  I pictured myself standing back at the wash station in the NICU washing up to see Allyson in her isolette. Weird how a smell can transport you back in time (I am sure the setting of being on the pediatric floor of a major hospital attributed to that as well).  Even though we were at a completely different hospital so many things reminded me of our time at Oakland Children's, it was an interesting mix of emotions that day (supplemented by pregnancy hormones of course!).

All went well with the tests, though it made for a LONG day.  Everything looked great on the fetal echo and on the ultra sound.  Even though there is still a chance there could be some defect that wasn't caught it is reassuring to know that her heart is functioning just as it is supposed to.  We witnessed that ourselves as we got to watch her heart pump for over an hour during the fetal echo, as well as the Cardiologists verdict of everything looking normal.  We are going into this delivery as prepared as we possibly can be, and that is all we can do.