Liam passed his non-stress test uneventfully on Friday, and he passed his biophysical profile again on Monday. We go back to the OB on Thursday for another non-stress test, but provided all continues to go well, we are still on track for an August 9 C-section. It is expected that he will pass all these tests with flying colors, because Dr. Liske said his heart problems don't present a problem until he is born.
Lisa is doing well, but is tired because she's not sleeping well at night. Her last day at work is Friday, August 3. Friends and co-workers at her workplace have donated as much sick time to her as the university will allow her to receive, and you can't even imagine how blessed we feel at this turn of events. We were stunned at the outpouring of support within a mere 24 hours of making our need known.
This week's prayer requests:
1. PRAISE that we are having Liam at a time in medicine when so much is known about how to treat his problems.
2. PRAISE that Lisa's co-workers and friends have been so generous with their paid sick leave donations.
3. PRAISE for continued good health for Lisa during this pregnancy.
4. For complete healing for Liam during this pregnancy (we continue to ask for the moon since God made it anyway!).
5. For strength, guidance, and wisdom as we face treatment choices and decisions.
6. For good physical health and restful sleep for Bill and Lisa.
7. For God to show us the way financially so we can provide the best medical care for our son.
8. For the strength to let this child go home to God if it becomes obvious that this is God’s answer to our prayers.
9 days and counting,
Bill and Lisa
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Posting a little late this week!
Sorry I missed the Tuesday update. I wanted to wait and post today. Our OB ordered a biophysical profile yesterday to check on Liam because of that increased level of amniotic fluid they found last week, so I thought I'd wait and post after that. Liam had 30 minutes to do several things (they checked muscle tone, practice breathing, movement, and amniotic fluid level). He scored a perfect score (8 out of 8) in 8 minutes. What a guy! And the amniotic fluid level was back down to normal yesterday, too.
This week's prayer requests:
1. PRAISE that we are having Liam at a time in medicine when so much is known about how to treat his problems.
2. PRAISE that Liam cooperated and scored so well on his BPP!
3. PRAISE for continued good health for Lisa during this pregnancy.
4. For complete healing for Liam during this pregnancy (we continue to ask for the moon since God made it anyway!).
5. For strength, guidance, and wisdom as we face treatment choices and decisions.
6. For good physical health and restful sleep for Bill and Lisa.
7. For God to show us the way financially so we can provide the best medical care for our son.
8. For the strength to let this child go home to God if it becomes obvious that this is God’s answer to our prayers.
Take care,
Lisa
I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
(I should note that this is the goal I'm shooting for, not where I am!)
This week's prayer requests:
1. PRAISE that we are having Liam at a time in medicine when so much is known about how to treat his problems.
2. PRAISE that Liam cooperated and scored so well on his BPP!
3. PRAISE for continued good health for Lisa during this pregnancy.
4. For complete healing for Liam during this pregnancy (we continue to ask for the moon since God made it anyway!).
5. For strength, guidance, and wisdom as we face treatment choices and decisions.
6. For good physical health and restful sleep for Bill and Lisa.
7. For God to show us the way financially so we can provide the best medical care for our son.
8. For the strength to let this child go home to God if it becomes obvious that this is God’s answer to our prayers.
Take care,
Lisa
I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
(I should note that this is the goal I'm shooting for, not where I am!)
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Updates--sorry it's been so long!
Hi everyone! Sorry we missed updating last Tuesday. Last week, Bill was in Honduras on a mission trip, and Lisa came down with a really weird virus that made it difficult to type (or do anything else that required moving a muscle or joint!). Thankfully, Bill is back and Lisa is well again. We delayed posting because we knew we were doing that gestational age dating ultrasound yesterday and wanted to share those results with you.
Yesterday Lisa was 35 weeks and 6 days. The ultrasound measurements indicated Lisa was 35 weeks and 6 days. It doesn't get more perfect than that! Liam does have a head measurement in the 75-90th percentile range, but they don't get concerned that something is wrong with a baby's brain or head until the measurement falls over the 90th percentile. All other measurements she could get were right on target. Lisa has slightly more amniotic fluid than normal, but they said that is normal given the congenital heart defects, and it's so slightly elevated that it probably won't present any problems. It was ironic that she couldn't get heart measurements because of the way he was positioned. He was face down, so we didn't get a peek at his face, either, though she pointed out that there is hair growing off the back of his head. So, we guess he won't be born bald. ;) The routine OB visit went fine yesterday, as well, so we are still on target for an August 9 c-section date.
This week's prayer requests:
1. PRAISE that we are having Liam at a time in medicine when so much is known about how to treat his problems.
2. PRAISE that Liam cooperated and was in a good position for the ultrasound so the proper measurements could be taken.
3. PRAISE for continued good health for Lisa during this pregnancy.
4. For complete healing for Liam during this pregnancy (we continue to ask for the moon since God made it anyway!).
5. For strength, guidance, and wisdom as we face treatment choices and decisions.
6. For good physical health and restful sleep for Bill and Lisa.
7. For God to show us the way financially so we can provide the best medical care for our son.
8. For the strength to let this child go home to God if it becomes obvious that this is God’s answer to our prayers.
Take care,
Bill and Lisa
Yesterday Lisa was 35 weeks and 6 days. The ultrasound measurements indicated Lisa was 35 weeks and 6 days. It doesn't get more perfect than that! Liam does have a head measurement in the 75-90th percentile range, but they don't get concerned that something is wrong with a baby's brain or head until the measurement falls over the 90th percentile. All other measurements she could get were right on target. Lisa has slightly more amniotic fluid than normal, but they said that is normal given the congenital heart defects, and it's so slightly elevated that it probably won't present any problems. It was ironic that she couldn't get heart measurements because of the way he was positioned. He was face down, so we didn't get a peek at his face, either, though she pointed out that there is hair growing off the back of his head. So, we guess he won't be born bald. ;) The routine OB visit went fine yesterday, as well, so we are still on target for an August 9 c-section date.
This week's prayer requests:
1. PRAISE that we are having Liam at a time in medicine when so much is known about how to treat his problems.
2. PRAISE that Liam cooperated and was in a good position for the ultrasound so the proper measurements could be taken.
3. PRAISE for continued good health for Lisa during this pregnancy.
4. For complete healing for Liam during this pregnancy (we continue to ask for the moon since God made it anyway!).
5. For strength, guidance, and wisdom as we face treatment choices and decisions.
6. For good physical health and restful sleep for Bill and Lisa.
7. For God to show us the way financially so we can provide the best medical care for our son.
8. For the strength to let this child go home to God if it becomes obvious that this is God’s answer to our prayers.
Take care,
Bill and Lisa
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Weekly update
First of all, we want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who has called, posted a comment to the blog, or e-mailed with their prayers and support. You have no idea how much easier that makes it for us!
At the appointment last week with Dr. Liske, he came up with a gestational age that was 36 weeks rather than 33 weeks. He wasn't terribly concerned about it, in part because it is hard to determine a gestational age this late in a pregnancy, but wants to make sure we are dating this baby as accurately as possible. So, on July 18, we're doing an ultrasound to help clear up the confusion. Dr. Liske was only able to get a head measurement, and they usually use several body measurements when they determine gestational age. I am measuring right on target at the OB's office each visit, so I'm not overly concerned about this, but clearly if we're comparing Liam's heart measurements to the wrong chart, we need to know that. It would make a difference in terms of whether or not he has HLHS since he's borderline for it right now.
I need to clarify something from last Thursday's post: Shone's Syndrome is used to describe a series of problems with the LEFT side of a baby's heart. I didn't specify that it only affects the left side last week. A baby with Shone's doesn't face as severe a situation as a baby with HLHS, but the problems remain serious and similar in terms of the structures within the heart that are affected.
This week's prayer requests:
1. PRAISE that we are having Liam at a time in medicine when so much is known about how to treat his problems. Just a scant twenty years ago, Liam would have been released from the hospital with everyone thinking he was a healthy newborn and would have died within the first week or two of life, probably termed death by SIDS.
2. PRAISE that we are blessed with Dr. Spetalnick and Dr. Liske, who work well together as a team and are even willing to communicate between appointments via phone or e-mail to answer our 10,000 annoying questions.
3. PRAISE that Liam cooperated and was in a good position for Dr. Liske to see his heart clearly.
4. For complete healing for our son during this pregnancy (we continue to ask for the moon since God made it anyway!).
5. For strength, guidance, and wisdom as we face treatment choices and decisions.
6. For good physical health and restful sleep for Bill and Lisa.
7. For God to show us the way financially so we can provide the best medical care for our son.
8. For the strength to let this child go home to God if it becomes obvious that this is God’s answer to our prayers.
To our Maple Hill church family: You have blessed us tremendously with your constant outpouring of support and offers of help in the coming months. Words simply do not exist that would adequately allow us to express our thanks to each of you.
Lisa
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
At the appointment last week with Dr. Liske, he came up with a gestational age that was 36 weeks rather than 33 weeks. He wasn't terribly concerned about it, in part because it is hard to determine a gestational age this late in a pregnancy, but wants to make sure we are dating this baby as accurately as possible. So, on July 18, we're doing an ultrasound to help clear up the confusion. Dr. Liske was only able to get a head measurement, and they usually use several body measurements when they determine gestational age. I am measuring right on target at the OB's office each visit, so I'm not overly concerned about this, but clearly if we're comparing Liam's heart measurements to the wrong chart, we need to know that. It would make a difference in terms of whether or not he has HLHS since he's borderline for it right now.
I need to clarify something from last Thursday's post: Shone's Syndrome is used to describe a series of problems with the LEFT side of a baby's heart. I didn't specify that it only affects the left side last week. A baby with Shone's doesn't face as severe a situation as a baby with HLHS, but the problems remain serious and similar in terms of the structures within the heart that are affected.
This week's prayer requests:
1. PRAISE that we are having Liam at a time in medicine when so much is known about how to treat his problems. Just a scant twenty years ago, Liam would have been released from the hospital with everyone thinking he was a healthy newborn and would have died within the first week or two of life, probably termed death by SIDS.
2. PRAISE that we are blessed with Dr. Spetalnick and Dr. Liske, who work well together as a team and are even willing to communicate between appointments via phone or e-mail to answer our 10,000 annoying questions.
3. PRAISE that Liam cooperated and was in a good position for Dr. Liske to see his heart clearly.
4. For complete healing for our son during this pregnancy (we continue to ask for the moon since God made it anyway!).
5. For strength, guidance, and wisdom as we face treatment choices and decisions.
6. For good physical health and restful sleep for Bill and Lisa.
7. For God to show us the way financially so we can provide the best medical care for our son.
8. For the strength to let this child go home to God if it becomes obvious that this is God’s answer to our prayers.
To our Maple Hill church family: You have blessed us tremendously with your constant outpouring of support and offers of help in the coming months. Words simply do not exist that would adequately allow us to express our thanks to each of you.
Lisa
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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