The bad news.
Shortly after publishing the last blog post, my water broke. That night we went to bed still in awe of having gotten through another transfusion and somewhat lulled into dreaming it would all work out. Then I woke up to my water breaking and in an instant everything changed.
We flew to the hospital, trying hard to avoid the potholes along the way. Tom ran a red light. Our doctor quickly confirmed the diagnosis: pPROM (preterm premature rupture of membranes). Julia was 23 weeks 2 days gestation - a period of time where some hospitals wouldn’t even try to save her. Luckily, ours would. Even more luckily, they didn't have to.
I was immediately admitted, hooked up to IV, pumped with antibiotics, consulted by the NICU team (same NICU doctors as with William, can you believe it?), anesthesia consults, tons of MFMs, residents, fellows. We couldn’t think straight. We were told the odds of survival were not great, only ~20% of babies survive at that gestation, not to mention that our baby had an underlying disease. It’s impossible to really explain how it felt. We had come so far to protect her from the anemia and now we were faced with losing her to prematurity. Labor usually occurs within 24 hours of your water breaking. So we waited. I laid on my hospital bed and didn’t move.
I never went into labor.
I’ll spare you all the details - but things are looking much better than last week. I have been stable for the last 5 days. We are almost 25 weeks, where her chance at surviving birth has now jumped up to ~70%. With each day, she grows larger but she also grows more anemic. Our immediate concern is infection and premature birth. But she will need another transfusion in ~2 weeks, so that will be a huge hurdle.
One day at a time. We are trying to harness the power of positive thinking. We've done enough negative thinking and don't have the capacity for it anymore.
Please be thinking of Julia, she's so strong, more updates to come,
Liz and Tom
Praying that little Julia stays in there and does well with the next transfusion!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Christine
Thanks, Christine.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you, Baby Julia! Hang in there, Mama!
ReplyDeleteXO,
Jade
Lizzie, I am so sorry to hear about what you and Tom have been going through. What a terrifying experience that must have been. I am relieved that Julia is okay. We are praying for you all everyday. Thank you for posting and please continue to keep us updated. Love you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary. It all seems a blur now. We are looking ahead now and your prayers are carrying us there! xo
DeleteHi Liz and Tom! We miss you guys! As we grow older, we appreciate the genuine, great people who have been part of lives even more and you both are those people. Chuck just recently caught up with Tom and found out you guys were pregnant, which led us to your blog. Congratulations on your beloved Julia! We will continue to pray for her health and you both. I read your past blog posts following the year of William's passing to heaven, and they are truly touching and inspiring. You and Tom are such incredible people. We send you prayers and hugs!
ReplyDeleteAnna and Chuck
Thank you so much, Anna and Chuck. We love it when people congratulate us on our pregnancy with Julia. Sometimes it's easy to skip the congratulations and go straight to the condolences considering what we are dealing with. We are glad you've followed along. One day we will get back to VA and all get together. That would be something, wouldn't it? Much love, we are happy to have you in our lives as well. Liz and Tom
DeletePraying for you all! Xoxo love you!
ReplyDelete:) love you too, Alex
DeleteThank the Lord! Well done,Elizabeth,that's real faith in action! It's HARD to be still, and wait and watch, trust and hope. Many prayers accompany you on this long vigil. Julia has a very strong mommy and daddy! We're all loving you, little Julia. Praying that the next transfusion goes well.
ReplyDeleteLoving you,
Grandmommy Elaine
We are so thankful for all the prayers! xo
DeleteContinuing to pray for you and your sweet Julia every day. She is strong and brave just like you! I love her ultrasound pictures, she is so beautiful. Many Hugs!! Amy
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy. Our sonographers have taken quite a liking to our little girl :) We never refuse any photos! Hugs back, Liz
DeleteHi Liz,
ReplyDeleteIt was so nice to catch up with you the other day...you looked beautiful. Just wanted you to know that I overheard today Atticus say that he hopes you are doing well to Sage. Anyway, we are all thinking about you guys.
Big kiss for baby,
Jade
I can't tell you how much it meant for you to visit with your little ones. Made my day. And those tulips! They brought cheer not only to us but to all the nurses and doctors who stopped by. Thanks, friend :)
DeleteI feel so blessed to have been able to visit with you this week. Your faith and optimism are so inspiring and infectious. We keep Julia in our prayers every day. Thank you to continuing to share your journey. We are with you for all of the ups and downs, every step of the way.
ReplyDeleteOh, Danielle. It was so so nice to see you guys and to celebrate the birth of baby Ivy, our new edition to the family. I really will never forget this special time of expecting a baby along side two of my cousins and following their journeys. So many ups and downs. Maybe we will all look back to this time and smile one day. Much love to you and for all of your side of the clan :)
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