May 8th
The program at the Fetal Care Center is designed to put the patient in charge. They do all the testing and present you with more information than anyone could possibly process, especially in such an emotional situation. Dr. Livingston recognized that we were in Cincinnati because we wanted to save our babies, but he still presented us with the option to do nothing invasive, and to let nature take its course. However, he told us that they were rearranging their schedules, and trying to get operating room space for Friday morning. After meeting with him on Wednesday afternoon we left the hospital and were to call back with our decision about the surgery. We called back a few hours later and confirmed we wanted the surgery to take place.
The testing told them a lot about our babies and things that were going on, but there were still a lot of unknowns. They did not know how many vessels the babies shared, or how much of the placenta was nourishing each baby. They did not know if they would be able to see the vessels in the placenta, or if they would need to do something along the lines of a c-section, but put everything back in me when they were done. We had to take all of this into consideration and hope that after it was all done we would have at least one healthy baby. It was so scary, and so emotional, but we knew surgery was the best option for saving our babies.
The program at the Fetal Care Center is designed to put the patient in charge. They do all the testing and present you with more information than anyone could possibly process, especially in such an emotional situation. Dr. Livingston recognized that we were in Cincinnati because we wanted to save our babies, but he still presented us with the option to do nothing invasive, and to let nature take its course. However, he told us that they were rearranging their schedules, and trying to get operating room space for Friday morning. After meeting with him on Wednesday afternoon we left the hospital and were to call back with our decision about the surgery. We called back a few hours later and confirmed we wanted the surgery to take place.
The testing told them a lot about our babies and things that were going on, but there were still a lot of unknowns. They did not know how many vessels the babies shared, or how much of the placenta was nourishing each baby. They did not know if they would be able to see the vessels in the placenta, or if they would need to do something along the lines of a c-section, but put everything back in me when they were done. We had to take all of this into consideration and hope that after it was all done we would have at least one healthy baby. It was so scary, and so emotional, but we knew surgery was the best option for saving our babies.
A minor concern for us was the cost of the surgery. We went to Cincinnati having no idea how much the surgery would cost, or whether or not insurance would cover it. Obviously we would do what ever we needed to do to make things work out for all of us. Luckily, on Thursday we found out that the folks at the Fetal Care Center had contacted our insurance provider and it looked like everything would be covered. It was a relief to find this out, but we would have proceeded regardless. The center is so wonderful that they do not turn away any patients, even those who can not pay. If you are looking for a place to make a charitable contribution, please consider Cincinnati Children's hospital, and the Fetal Care Center specifically; we are so lucky they are there, and that Dr. Crombleholme has the Fetal Care program.
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/give/ways/default.htm
On Thursday we went back to the hospital for pre-op testing. They took blood, and did an EKG on me. Seemed easy enough, but nothing had been easy up to this point so why should this be? The tech who did the EKG thought it looked funny, and the nurses helping us had a very hard time getting a cardiologist to look at the print-out to give an OK for me to have surgery. We waited around for about four hours before getting the OK. Evidently I have a "different" heartbeat, or something like that. Things worked out, but after all that we had been through, we were not going to let some funny reading on an EKG prevent me from the surgery on Friday!
After such a crazy day, I needed a pedicure (plus the sand in Grand Cayman did a number on my toe polish!). The nurses suggested a great place to go; I had a wonderful pedicure, and Steve got a mini-massage. Perfect for the day before surgery!
On Thursday we went back to the hospital for pre-op testing. They took blood, and did an EKG on me. Seemed easy enough, but nothing had been easy up to this point so why should this be? The tech who did the EKG thought it looked funny, and the nurses helping us had a very hard time getting a cardiologist to look at the print-out to give an OK for me to have surgery. We waited around for about four hours before getting the OK. Evidently I have a "different" heartbeat, or something like that. Things worked out, but after all that we had been through, we were not going to let some funny reading on an EKG prevent me from the surgery on Friday!
After such a crazy day, I needed a pedicure (plus the sand in Grand Cayman did a number on my toe polish!). The nurses suggested a great place to go; I had a wonderful pedicure, and Steve got a mini-massage. Perfect for the day before surgery!
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