Third Time's a Charm?

Went back for our weekly check with Dr. G. this morning.

Fluid is back on the right lung.  Not significantly, but not near as good as last week. 

Swelling has increased around the head.

The thing is this: the shunt is still in, but it's just not in a good place.  It's sort of absorbed itself into the skin, laying in Micah's body, sort of on top of the diaphram.  I asked what that means for when he's born, and the answer was that it will have to come out.  I assume surgically, but I also know that's sort of the least of their concerns at the time he's born, so we don't sweat the small stuff.

Dr. G wants to try it one more time.  And he really wants to get a good placement this time.

Which means he wants to do something that initially scared the MESS out of me.

He wants to paralyze the baby. 

It's a short acting paralytic used very frequently in most fetal procedures.  In fact, acccording to Dr. Gonzales (and also my daddo), it's actually used for almost every intra-uterine procedure.  My doctor just happens to only prefer to use it in cases he feels like it's absolutely necessary.

And this baby is a MOVER.  He moves non-stop.  Wiggles.  Jerks.  Flips.  Kicks.  Throws punches.

You name it, he does it.

Which means it makes it very difficult for him to get a proper placement. 

And since this is really probably the last time we're going to try to get a good shunt in, he wants it to count.

So we're reading into the drug, and spending some time tonight talking about it, thinking about it, and praying about it, but so far, right now, we're leading towards thinking it's the right thing to do.

So I go in AGAIN, in the morning at 8:45.  First is a forty-five minute to an hour long targeted ultrasound.  Where we get lots of measurements, and spend a whole lot of time looking at individual organs and more.  Then after that ultrasound, we'll do shunt placement number three. 

So I'll be working from home tomorrow afternoon. 
Have I mentioned how completely thankful I am for my job? 
I really do work at a place filled with some of the most salt of the earth people you can imagine.
Makes me proud to be a part of it, even though most days I feel like they feed me way more than I feed them.

So that's tomorrow.
Then, we watch.  AGAIN.
And wait.  AGAIN.

I think I'm getting pretty good at this watching and waiting thing :-)

I think our goal now is to get him to 30 weeks.  If we can do that, we'll feel good.  And if we can keep him in longer than that, even better.

But for now, I'm 24 weeks tomorrow.
"They" say that makes Micah viable.

But just on the verge of it.
So continued prayers are appreciated, for him to keep healing, and to keep cooking.

And for today, as it's a one day at a time kind of life, we've got grilled chicken on the menu.

God, grant me the serenity.
AGAIN.

Amen.