Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Prayers Please...Prematurity threatens to strike again***Edited***

My mom just called. My cousin's wife is pregnant via IVF with twin girls, Lily and Sophia. He quickly called my aunt from the California Marine base hospital and said that Amber is 4 centimeters dialated and leaking fluid. She is 25 weeks pregnant.
He told my aunt that they thought the babies would be born by the morning. I am assuming they are transfering her to a hospital with a NICU since the base hospital does not have one.
This is another nightmare that I am just not prepared for. I know if she does deliver anytime soon I will have the most information to help them through their NICU journey. I just hope by some miracle there is a way to stop her labor and the girls come closer to term. She was due right around my original due date, and here we are three days away from S&E's actual birthdate.
What the heck is going on?

***Edit*** I'm about to call my cousin at the hospital. They are at a hospital with a Level II NICU. It looks like Lily's foot is right there...just like Serena's was. She is in labor and although they are attempting to stop it, they said it looks like she will have the twins within the next 2 days. She is 25.2 weeks today.
Please pray for them. Please also pray for my kiddos. I just put a call into the pulmonologist on call.

Just talked to my cousin and his wife. An internal ultrasound on Mon was completely normal. This morning she awoke and went to the bathroom and was bleeding. She is 4 cm dialated and twin A's amniotic sac has a tear in it and she is slowly leaking amniotic fluid. Twin A is Lily and her foot is way down to where the Dr's can feel it.
They are at a Level II NICU and were told they can deal with the respiratory issues there. However, if the need for surgery arises (say a PDA ligation) they will have to go to San Diego, which is about an hour from their home. They also told them they send babies to San Diego who have brain bleeds. I didn't go into details asking if all IVHs go there or just IIIs and IVs.
It's so surreal explaining what I know to my cousin who seems to be headed onto the NICU roller coaster ride. I didn't even want to tell them any details. It's just too scary to articulate now. Amber has a son from a previous marriage who is like a son to my cousin. I think he is about 7. I hope the level II NICU is sufficient and the babies stay there. It would be so hard to travel an hour to see the babies when Dylan has school and needs to be cared for. There is no family there. My aunt lives in Maine and Amber's family is in Arkansas.
I just don't have words for this anymore. I didn't even know anyone who had had a preemie before me. And within a year look at what's happened. I think of all the families out there who are going through the NICU experience right now. My heart goes out to them all. I think I need to go to the NICU and volunteer to hold the babies who don't have frequent visitors. I feel like I need to do something...

2 comments:

Nathali said...

This is so weird!!! I wish you and your family all the best and we'll be praying for Lily and Sophia!!!

Lathan, Lauren, Logan, London said...

Lots of prayers for your family...

It just isn't fair.