September 17, 2014 ~
Yesterday was the hardest day we have had on the journey so far.
David and I spent the entire day with the specialists at the Lois Hole Womens Clinic. The objective was to see how our little baby is doing and make some decisions. We needed to know exactly what was happening. Yesterday we received our diagnosis.
As soon as the ultrasound images popped up on the TV screen I could see that something was very wrong. Our baby's stomach was beside it's heart and everything looked wrong. The diagnosis was very clear. Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.
The simplified explanation is that as the baby grew the diaphragm did not develop properly on the left side. The diaphragm usually acts as a barrier between the organs in the chest and those in the belly. Because the barrier is not in tact the stomach, bowel, liver and intestines can move through the opening into the chest moving the heart over to the right side of the chest and compressing the lungs not allowing them to grow. This is what has happened to our little one. On it's own this is not a terminal diagnosis. Surgery has come a long way and it can be reversed once the baby is born with a success rate of about 70 percent. However, many CDH babies are have other issues to contend with. Each of these developmental and chromosomal issues take a away from the chance of survival.
Only testing and time will tell the fate of our baby and all we can do is wait and ask questions. In the end there will be an impossible decisions to be made... and I am desperately not looking forward to it.
Mrs. E
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