I am pretty excited and anxious to meet the little guy. I still feel like I have a ton to get and do before he can come, but we're slowly getting there.
Just to update everyone about our last round of appointments in Salt Lake: everything with his heart is looking the same which we are all quite happy about. We met with a different cardiologist this time, and just like the last one, we really like him and feel totally comfortable with him. Primary Children's really does have the best team! He was excited that the pulmonary artery is growing at the same rate as little peanut instead of stenosing (getting smaller). This means that our Goldilocks and the three heart options are "pretty much" down to two options. He wouldn't completely rule out needing the BT Shunt surgery but called it "definitely a minimal chance." So our options are either 1: monitoring his heart, lungs, and oxygenation for a bit and going home or 2: needing to do the pulmonary band surgery first before going home. I feel much better about those options. I am still learning to not plan all of this out so much, and how to give up some control so our gray area plan is still annoying and difficult for me (I'm more type A than I thought I was haha). The cardiologist basically told us that we will be in the hospital for 1-2 weeks with either option....or if things go really well maybe a few days....or if something else happens maybe a few more weeks. Yay for specific timelines
Primary's is amazing and it's never been just a meeting with a doctor; we meet with an entire team: the cardiologist, our social worker, our cardiac care manager, and one of the docs from the MFM group in Salt Lake. It's great to have all the resources and support in one place. I have also been impressed and so thankful to have them all there because they alleviate so much of what I thought I was going to have to take care of on my own. They've helped with insurance issues and questions, submitted all the paperwork to get the insurance company to approve things out of network, added us to support groups, connected us with others that have been in our situation before, given us resources and educational materials, and are arranging where we can stay while we're away from home (Ronald McDonald homes are such an unbelievable thing - wonderful charity if you need somewhere to donate or serve). After talking and planning things out with the cardiologist and our team, we went on a tour of Primary's with the care manager. I've been to Primary's my fair share, and even to the Cardiac ICU (CICU) a number of times, but when I go I always go through the back way since it's for work, so I was a bit turned around going through the main doors. The tour was super helpful and comforting to Jacob and I - I can't say it enough but Primary's is awesome!!!! It really is such a special place, and I know that we are in great hands! Walking through the CICU gave us each a better understanding of what to expect from the parent side of this journey, and we were able to see what our little peanut will have going on after his open heart surgeries (monitors, IVs, multiple IV pumps and medications, drains, and tubes, etc...) While I'm used to seeing those on patients I think it was eye opening, yet helpful for Jacob to actually put a picture to things we've talked about. I know it's going to be hard on both of us when it's our own kid. It just sucks to see such tiny humans have all of that attached to them, but so miraculous at the same time. After our tour of the CICU we toured the floor where he'll go when he's not as critical and doesn't need to be watched as closely, the Ronald McDonald rooms, the bridge between The U and Primary's, and pretty much the rest of the hospital. I'm sure I will get lost at least once
Later, that afternoon we had an appointment with the MFM clinic at Intermountain Medical Center to help establish the final details of delivery and our birth plan. We had already received the great (and relieving) news earlier that my insurance approved the delivery to be at The University of Utah Medical Center like we were hoping so that helped make the plan a ton easier! We went in to the appointment expecting it to go long, but after we went back we were probably only there for about 20-30 minutes. Basically we reviewed the echo notes from that morning and the doc said that he was pleased and felt that I was a lower risk pregnancy that just needed to be in Salt Lake for delivery because it is best for our baby. We were given permission to stay in St George and follow up with my regular OB and MFM doctors as scheduled. That was music to my ears!!! There was a discussion earlier about making/encouraging us to move up to Salt Lake at 36 weeks just so I was close by and I could do my appointments up there. I hated that idea for so many reasons!!! (i.e it's cold up there, the inversion and air sucks, I don't have my own place to stay and my own bed, I want to finish decorating the nursery, I don't want to take leave early from work, I would be bored and that causes trouble, etc.) I was prepared with a full debate about not moving, but didn't even need to bring it up.
Since that trip I have already had my first non-stress test that we will be having weekly until the little peanut comes. They let me relax in a big comfy recliner while they continuously monitor his heart rate watching for appropriate acceleration and deceleration as he moves around. It took a bit of extra sugar (apple juice) to get him to wake up and move around, but we passed with flying colors and he was dubbed as "non-stressful' haha.
All in all things are moving along well. I am one of those weirdos that's actually enjoyed most of being pregnant and am not wishing that I could just be done. He needs to cook more and I love just being able to sit and feel him move around and know that right now he is okay. It's such a comfort to have that. We continue to feel all of the extra love and prayers sent our way; they mean the world to us. Thank you!!!
