It’s our turn. Induction planned!

When we went weekly control yesterday, Dr. Yanik informed us about a planned induction on Monday, July 3. This date is 37w+6d of gestation. That was very surprising for us. Because we were not expecting an early delivery. Everything was going normal. Dr. Yanik said that some reasons for this decision were convenience of NICU and being upon reguest by administrator of NICU because of his near vacation. We know that they had only one High Frequency Oscillation Ventilator and no ECMO (which is just nowhere in Turkey!) And dr. said one more baby has been diagnosed, coming from Konya (another big Anatolian city). The baby’s dad is a chemistry professor at Konya Selcuk University.

We have only 11 days! Getting more stressed. Yesterday evening we bought Medela breast pump. We want to have everything ready in the beginning for these tough days. Any idea or extreme reminder for us do you have? Please keep up your prayers for us and other families fighting CDH.

Love,
Aytekin.

A loss here

Yesterday was bad day. Because when I was at work, Emel called me and said that she heard Baby Kaya’s passing (who was operated right sided CDH baby at the Baskent Hospital)at the last week. Emel was in great curiosity about the situation of him. We had only GSM number I took from nurse at hospital and I couldn’t call, because of possibility of hearing bad news. But Emel called the baby's dad. We are sad and worried.I had seen Baby Kaya and he was so sweet. His image is still in front of my eyes, breathing fast and frequently. I shed tears for him. Maybe I will go to Baby Kaya's dad for condolence. And now we are waiting for coming Mert in a increasing anxiety. My God please help us. Nothing to do, but waiting and praying only. Please pray for us and the other CDH families.

Love,
Aytekin.

Tracking continues

I and Aytekin went to the hospital yesterday for weekly control. Everything was OK. Amniotic fluid amount was normal, urine test result was normal… As well ultrasound examination was short. Dr. Yanik said that the baby had made respiration exercises, so this was good. There isn’t any complaint for now, even so far but some little discomforts. If CDH is not exist, my pregnancy will be entirely good term of my life. But If Mert can overcome that, we will be happier in future. Below is Mert’s picture taken last week! Prayers for all CDH babies and families.

Emel.

Dawdling on the way

I continue to follow the blogs. Everyday Emel and I keep our prayers up for them. Because we feel close to their families. We believe that it is a seldom known and people are not aware of it. I will surely prepare web site in Turkish about CDH. Advances in medical sciences are getting more impressive everyday and Turkish doctors are being known by way of their success in the different areas as well. We must do some effective works to canalize the doctors –no matter what their nationality- for researching more about CDH.

We must be strong, positive. We are religious people who believe that we all are of God and will return to God. If we lose our baby, this will be tragedy but being prepared for all the results –include of having little angel in the Heaven- may give power how to handle.

Sofia’s being home gave us great hope. After knowing the little princess, I spelled her name together Mert in my prayers. It seemed that she got really big power to cope with CDH. Her grandparents, Beth, Yvonne have great hearts so that we feel their spiritual support behind us. Even Beth lighted a candle in the church for Mert. This means we get a lofty reach towards God by means of the different religional approachs. On Fridays -sacred day for us- we pray for all CDH babies and families.

Baby Jackson is on his great way of improvement! Adam and Kimberly are wonderful parents who have given a link from their blog to ours, we are grateful to them. It seems that tough part of the way was finished. They are in our thoughts and prayers.

The princess of Miller Family, Baby Audrey is going forward strongly step by step. Please pray for her and her family.

Baby Joseph’s mom, Carol’s support for us continues. We thank her a lot. Her baby and Baby Mert will fight on their own ways but side by side. Keep prayers up for them.

Emel asked me for saying that, Angel Avery’s mom Lauren and Angel Drew’s mom Jana were wonderful people and she regret for not knowing English to tell her feelings them on her own. For Angel Parker’s mom Jessica, she mentioned that she was great mom, because she supported with her messages and she is diligent about increasing awareness of CDH. I sometimes feel sorry and I say, I wish these wonderful women could be near to Emel, just in the same city!

We have listed supplies what we will need at the hospital and prepared a small bag. But nowadays Emel is so agitated unnecessarily that she read a list from a big hospital’s web site and she immediately wanted to find “footless” rompers. We searched stores in a panic and found them. Sometimes I can hardly understand my beloved wife.

Love,
Aytekin.

Going on

We went 34th week hospital visit to be controlled for changes and advances of the gestation yesterday. Nothing's new. Only some talking with our doctors was good. When Dr. Yanik examined Baby Mert, she made explanations to interns as well. So far, I thought that I began understanding medical matters but during the lesson on work I discerned that I was too far from this type of businesses! And I thought that engineering was more joyful for me! She said, everything seems normal except for CDH. It seems that the plan is to wait normal labor, I think. Then I asked our doctor about the last operated baby in the hospital. I learned that the baby had been noticed that he was with CDH after birth. Our doctor said, we could see the baby, if we go to Pediatric Surgery Department. We rushed to go there as soon as we are done with the doctor.

We came to main hospital building but security didn’t let us get in to department on the 3rd floor. I tried to explain our request but the situation was hopeless! Emel and I decided to wait for visit time which was 2 hours later. We were suggested that we should have made people at Information Desk announce baby’s family or his doctors. But we didn’t know any name, baby’s name or one’s of his family. At the moment Emel was in rest room, The Chairperson of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department noticed me waiting there nervously. She asked how it was going on. I told her why we were there. She took me directly up 3 floors through security but Emel stayed down unaware. After only a few minutes, I was in NICU just near the baby! His family were not there. Nurse gave me his father’s GSM number. She said that the baby was right sided CDH and post-surgery situation was good. Baby boy named Kaya (means rock) was very sweet. We had a little chat with the nurse who looks like a pleasant and skillful person. She said that baby’s mom didn’t know about surgey. It was interesting for me. As well, she said Emel’s existing in there was not suitable. So, I agreed. Furthermore, I hesitated to call baby Kaya’s father afterwards.

Some precious people who met via internet wanted us to put a picture of us. Here is a picture taken at this weekend.

Aytekin.

The next baby

Wednesday is appointment day again. The first days of the each week I become stressful increasingly. My younger sister returned to Kayseri. So after some cheerful days, I felt some discomfort. The last week we wondered upon Lauren’s question that whether Baskent Hospital has High Frequency Oscillation Ventilators or not. Our doctor posted a comment about existing HFOV and a baby in post-surgery phase on it. We are so excited to reading that. It seems that the hospital operated 14th baby with CDH so far in the last 2.5 years and perhaps Mert will be 15th. I wanted so much to see the baby and to meet parents of the baby. But will that be possible, I don’t know. Sure, each baby has different situation however person wants to be aware of the ones who have the similar fate. Please God let them and their families be okay.

Emel.

Angel Jolee

We're so sorry to hear Baby Jolee's passing today. We have followed how this little girl was doing since her birth and loved her as a fighter. However Jolee spent only 18 days with awesome parents. Pulmonary hypertension and edema (occurring when she was ECMO) were the reasons. Condolences to Scott Family. Please keep Angel Jolee's family in your prayers.

Emel and Aytekin.

Getting hotter and waiting...

This weekend I am happy of that my younger sister is here. She lives in Kayseri (another Mid-Anatolian city) where we were born and grew up. Mother-in-law and father-in-law also have been here since the starting of my pregnancy. Aytekin has driven us for a change. After nearly a month, I have bought again some lovely things for baby Mert. We all had lived a great madness of shopping after I got pregnant, formerly years of having 2 miscarriages. But CDH news stopped us all of a sudden! We gave up preparing a baby room, arranged only our bedroom for a crib. Maybe I felt need of remaining my baby close at hand. Or do I anticipate that I would become anxious and depressed dropping into a tearful and tragic state as looking at the baby room afterwards?

It’s very hot, 34 degrees (94 Fahrenheit) in Ankara. In July, it will get hotter, I wish Mert would be able to get curing fresh air to breath!
Thanks for your all prayers and messages.

Love,
Emel.

33rd week appointment

When searching the internet, I found an abstract written by our doctors. The link is http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1447-0756.2006.00357.x
I asked our OB Dr. F. Yanik about the case and she said that it was more different case. That baby’s condition was so bad that it couldn’t be possible saving her life. Something interesting for me that pulmonary artery size was being correlated to lung weight.

And another curiosity was that although when we were looking at Abdominal Circumference 2 weeks ago (at 31st week), we had seen AC measure was compatible with 26,5 week, but last week we saw that AC was being observed as compatible with 31 week on the screen. I have searched this subject, and not found too much. But I saw an abstract at this link.
Yesterday, we saw that AC is on measure of 31w,1d. I don’t understand in a certain. So far, I imagined that our baby’s belly would remain small! Maybe Lauren, Jana or other moms or dads had met this type of condition and they can know the actual reason.

Dr D. Eroglu (who had noticed the axial deviation of Mert’s hearth first) was there for examination. She hasn't seen any progress for almost a month. And she said that the condition was not so bad. Stomach was maybe positioning a little bit in a downward direction. Dr. Filiz Yanik and Dr. Derya Eroglu said that pulmonary tissue and artery (about 2.5 mm, on the right) was seen by them very clearly. Amniotic fluid is not too much and for now, there is no reason for an induction. Steroid named Celeston have been suggested to Emel, because it has been thought that steroid developes baby's lungs. They are very good and intelligent doctors who can understand patient psychology.

Lauren has asked me if Baskent Hospital has High Frequency Oscillation Ventilators. I asked this to Doctors, but they couldn’t give me a certain answer. Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology is at another building apart from the main hospital site. Pediatric Surgery is in the central site of hospital. They said that they would learn if there were HFOVs and inform us. I think, lacking of any HFOV besides ECMO is not acceptable for big, modern hospital like as Baskent Hospital! I hope, they have HFOV.

We gave them our weblog’s address, and they said that we were conscious patients. We talked about our new friends and supporters whom we gained by means of internet and CDH surely!

Sofia is on a good improvement way. I hope, she will turn normal life as a princess! Baby Jolee is in the phase of collecting big power that is supported by all us with our prayers. Baby Audrey’s news is wonderful. As if her glances in photos express her strength. I try to follow blogs of these all sweet babies.

And Lauren and Jana! They’re wonderful moms that supports us with their messages. They give precious informations. Thanks to all messagers! They made our eyes wet with tears. As for we are Turks, reading some English texts that have also contains complex, medical terms is hard indeed. Reading baby blogs is easier and more informative for me. Emel can’t speak or read English but I always continue to translate. She is in the most sensitive term of her life.

Please keep your prayers for Mert and all CDH babies.

Aytekin.