Worried, sick

This is a pretty tough post to write. To be honest, I'll probably not publish it until we know more about what is going on, but I still want to document what has happened in the past few days and how we're feeling about everything.

Last Thursday, I got a call at the office from Dr. Patterson. She called to tell me that, after reviewing the 18-week sonogram, they found a choroid plexus cyst on Reed's brain. The cyst is located on the lining of the brain that produces spinal fluid and does not affect the area of his brain that controls thinking.

However, it can be an indicator of a chromosomal abnormality associated with Trisomy 18. This condition means there is an extra 18th chromosome, which causes issues in major organs. Babies with Trisomy 18 cannot live very long, as I understand it.

From her tone and the conversation, Dr. Patterson did not seemed very concerned, just cautious. She said that one in 100 ultrasounds will show a CPC, and that without any other indications of defects, that they resolve themselves and don't result in any issues for the baby. She did recommend, though, that we see a maternal fetal specialist in Temple.

The news was hard to hear. No one wants to get a call from their doctor saying that something may be wrong with your baby. After getting off the phone with her, I closed my office door and called Erik. He was scared, too, of course - but he offered words of encouragement and told me we'd face whatever was ahead together.

He was right. No matter what the outcome, we love Reed. He is our son, and we will love him through whatever life brings.

The past several days have been scary, and I've done plenty of worrying. But, I also know that the odds are very slim, and it is very likely that Reed will be a perfectly healthy baby. And if something is abnormal, he was created by God, exactly how He wanted him, and we will walk through whatever He calls us to.

We are going to see the maternal fetal specialist for another ultrasound on Dec. 6. At that point, if the specialist does not find any abnormalities, we should be in the clear. In the meantime, we are praying for Reed, the doctors and our hearts, that we will be strong parents for him.

The second part of the title - Worried, sick - is I've had a pretty nasty cold this week. Between that and the constant worrying, this momma isn't getting much sleep these days. I'm ready for peace and clear lungs!

UPDATE: Erik and I went to Temple for our appointment with the specialist on Thursday, and Reed is perfectly healthy! The cyst is there, but it should dissolve in the next few weeks. As for the chromosomal defects, he has absolutely no signs of any abnormalities.

The specialist was great and showed us each and every healthy organ. He said Reed is perfect and should not have any effects from the cyst moving forward. Praise the Lord!