Monday, June 15, 2009

Playing catch up...

I decided to create this blog to keep our family and friends up to date on Brooke and some of the problems we have been faced with.

Just to catch you all up... when I was about 7 months pregnant I had an ultrasound which revealed that Brooke had, what appeared to be a cyst. The Dr. told us not to worry too much, that these things usually were caused by the mother's hormones during pregnancy and once she was born- it would most likely go away on its own. I didn't pay much attention and assumed things would work themselves out. About a month later I had another ultrasound which showed the cyst had grown. It still appeared benign. The Dr. still assured me that things would be fine and she would have an ultrasound of her own after birth. Her pediatrician assured me as well that it would most likely go away and even if it did not, surgery would be more likely after she was six months old and better able to handle the procedure.

I was induced at 38 weeks due to her cyst and what we thought was her large size. Brooke was born on May 15, 2009 at 3:28pm, weighing in at 7 lbs. 10 ozs. She appeared perfectly healthy. The neonatoligist evaluated her and was unable to feel the cyst. She also assured us that she had never seen a baby in her case require surgery and it would...again...most likely clear up on its own. Brooke's ultrasound was scheduled for May 17, the day we would have been going home. My discharge was complete. I was packed, dressed, car seat ready, and waiting for Brooke's pediatrician, Dr. Q, to complete her discharge papers. Mike and the boys left the room to get some lunch. While they were out, her Dr. came in and sat down... I knew things could not be good. Dr. Q stated that the cyst was very large and she just could not discharge Brooke without follow up to learn more about it. She offered to send Brooke to either Jersey Shore Medical or Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). I asked Dr. Q where she recommended and she stated that CHOP was the best, so the decision was made. We waited all day to learn when and how Brooke would be transported (there was a chance they would take her by helicopter, simply due to the fact that this is a method of transport they often use). At 6 pm we found out that an ambulance would be leaving CHOP shortly to take Brooke to the NICU. She was hooked up to an IV and monitors, for the journey. I stayed with her until she was ready to go. My sister drove me to CHOP...about and hour and fifteen minutes. We got there about 11pm.

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