Wednesday, April 9, 2008

3 Things to Worry Less About

We got the results back from our serial-sequential screening* last week:

Pre-testing, our risk of a neural tube defect was 1:900. Now it's 1:10000.
Pre-testing, our risk of Down Syndrome based on my age was 1:660. Now it's 1:3900.
Pre-testing, our risk of Trisomy 18 based on my age was 1:2600. Now it's 1:8600.

Of course, it's a screening, not a diagnostic test, so, as noted in the subject, all it really does is decrease the amount of worry about the aforementioned conditions. But decreased worry is something, no? Said worry would be further decreased if it were accompanied by some actual sensations of fetal movement. I heard the heartbeat a few days ago (thank God for the doppler) but find the lack of any clear** movement disconcerting. I keep having visions of some video or movie I saw years ago that scared the crap out of me, which P is sure, based on my vague description, is the video for Metallica's One, but the video didn't really look like what I was remembering, so I'm not convinced that was what I was thinking of, but it's been a while so it might have been. Regardless, I'm scared that the baby has no arms/legs or is paralyzed in utero or is just a vessel containing a beating heart (even though at 12 weeks we saw arms and stumps that we were told were legs and the baby did something that P still describes as sit-ups).

The Level II ultrasound is Monday (five more sleeps). The reality is that the closer we get to any appointment, the more paranoid I start to get, I think steeling myself for any potential bad news.

Monday is also the day after my original due date. I wish I could go to bed on Saturday and wake up Monday (or perhaps several months from now if the ultrasound doesn't go well), but that doesn't seem likely. Plus, I am having breakfast with the new minister at church on Sunday, then ushering at the 10am, so sleeping through the day would be a bit, well, rude. I ushered the Sunday that was 2 days after the D&E in September and cried silently through much of the service. I'm hoping I will get through Sunday in a more composed state, but I'm not holding my breath. Any prayers and/or positive thoughts heading into Sunday and Monday would be much appreciated.

* NT+1st trimester bloodwork+2nd trimester bloodwork with results only after all have been analyzed and integrated -- apprently it's newer, and not available everywhere, and more accurate than any of its constituent parts

** I feel things periodically that could be movement but they're extremely inconsistent (and infrequent) and could just as easily be minor spasms in or around my bladder.

10 comments:

HereWeGoAJen said...

Those are awesome screening results.

I vote that you are feeling movement.

I will be thinking about you on Sunday and Monday.

Sara said...

Hey, yay, those numbers are excellent! Good luck getting through these next few days.

maresi said...

I vote that you are feeling movement too. I noticed and was able to tell this time with my second much earlier than my first and it feels exactly like what you describe. And since we're at about the same GA, it sounds like you're doing just fine. I know it's hard to think positive when you're living with memories of not-so-long ago. Our sono is tomorrow (level 1) and hopefully monday will come before you know it.

Lisa said...

The screening results are great - less worry is good.
Sounds like what you are describing is movement - it should be very inconsistent at this point. A few more weeks and you'll start noticing more consistency to them.
I will be thinking of you on Sunday and Monday. Positive thoughts for a great appointment Monday.

Tamara said...

Congrats on the great results and lots of luck on Monday!

niobe said...

Thoughts and prayers for the next few days.

Laura said...

Great results! I will be thinking of you this weekend and can't wait to hear the results of the ultrasound!

Mara said...

Great results from the screening. I just came over from A Few Good Eggs...

Having just gone through something similar, with a non-viable pregnancy, and the call for the doctor during the first ultrasound, I feel for you with your miscarriage.

I'm so happy to read that you are currently pregnant, and will be checking back on Monday for that news as well!

Dr. Grumbles said...

I hope that is movement you are feeling, not just bladder action!

maresi said...

did you have your ultrasound monday? I'm praying everything was as gorgeous as you have been hoping.