Hey Everyone-
Sorry for the two posts, I am trying to get some new stuff uploaded on here before we head east for Thanksgiving.
So, today is a bittersweet day in the Giles Family History...it was 2 years ago today that we found out that we were having a baby girl...and that she was going to have a heart condition. That one doctors appointment changed our lives forever...and in so many ways! When we left my OB's office, we were confused, scared, and uncertain. Today, we are hopeful, amazed, and so proud of our little girl. She has beaten the odds, and truly is our little miracle.
Here are some of the photos that were taken that day during the ultrasound...
Thumb's up!
(I still say this photo was her way of telling us that everything was going to be fine!)
Hello World!
Baby Feet
The Profile Shot
It's a Girl!!!
Here is a blog entry that I wrote shortly after we found out about Hannah's heart:
Written By: Sharon
Hello All-Sorry I haven’t written anything for a little while now. These past few weeks have been quite a roller coaster for Craig and I. As you are probably aware, we went for our ultrasound on the 21st. After begin told that everything looked great, the ultrasound tech told us that she had some concerns about Hannah’s heart. Well, to make a really long two weeks/story short, we recently found out that Hannah has what is called Double Outlet Right Ventricle. Essentially, she has both vessels (I think that’s what they are called) going to one ventricle of her heart, when each one should be going to a different side. We are waiting to see if the ventricle that is being bypassed grows, so that will allow for more surgery options once she is born.Some of the things that we do know at this point are that she is 100% fine inside of me. My blood is keeping her heart strong, and her heart rate is 100% normal. Also, all of her other organs appear to be all right. At this point, the doctors feel confident that this is an isolated problem, and not something more severe. We also know that she will need open heart surgery, and depending on how things grow over these next 19 or so weeks, she may need several operations.A big question that we keep getting from our family and friends is “what can we do to help?” Right now, just knowing that we have everyone’s support and prayers means so much! We have been in good spirits, and will continue to deal with what the good Lord hands to us. Craig and I feel confident that the Lord only gives us what he feels we can handle. Though neither of us ever thought we were strong enough to go through this, we have faith that this was all meant to be.From here, we will continue to have our regular visits to our OB/GYN, and frequent visits with our Fetal Specialist. In January, we will go back to the Pediatric Cardiologist to see if there have been any changes in Hannah’s growth. Today, we met with a Genetic Counselor, who helped us learn more about amnios and how one could be helpful to us right now. Our various doctors would like to rule out any chance of this being a bigger problem, and the amnio could tell us that. Naturally, we were concerned about having it done, and thankfully, we were given the option to either have it done today, or wait until around 36 weeks or so. Having it done today could have created more problems, as there are always risks involved with such a procedure. By waiting, we will still have the info in plenty of time to put a plan together before she is here, and if for some reason there were problems from the amnio, then Hannah would be mature enough to be delivered right away. We thought waiting was the better option, rather than taking our chances.Well, that’s all I have for updates right now. I promise to post more as we find out any new info. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about Hannah’s condition, there is a great site that explains things really well. It is http://heart.healthcentersonline.com/congenitalheartdisease/dorv.cfm Also, if anyone has any questions, please let me know!! Though this is something that Craig and I are going through, I want all of you to be comfortable with it, as I know we will be depending on many of you for strength.I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the holiday season, and I look forward to hearing from you all!God Bless,Sharon
Hello All-Sorry I haven’t written anything for a little while now. These past few weeks have been quite a roller coaster for Craig and I. As you are probably aware, we went for our ultrasound on the 21st. After begin told that everything looked great, the ultrasound tech told us that she had some concerns about Hannah’s heart. Well, to make a really long two weeks/story short, we recently found out that Hannah has what is called Double Outlet Right Ventricle. Essentially, she has both vessels (I think that’s what they are called) going to one ventricle of her heart, when each one should be going to a different side. We are waiting to see if the ventricle that is being bypassed grows, so that will allow for more surgery options once she is born.Some of the things that we do know at this point are that she is 100% fine inside of me. My blood is keeping her heart strong, and her heart rate is 100% normal. Also, all of her other organs appear to be all right. At this point, the doctors feel confident that this is an isolated problem, and not something more severe. We also know that she will need open heart surgery, and depending on how things grow over these next 19 or so weeks, she may need several operations.A big question that we keep getting from our family and friends is “what can we do to help?” Right now, just knowing that we have everyone’s support and prayers means so much! We have been in good spirits, and will continue to deal with what the good Lord hands to us. Craig and I feel confident that the Lord only gives us what he feels we can handle. Though neither of us ever thought we were strong enough to go through this, we have faith that this was all meant to be.From here, we will continue to have our regular visits to our OB/GYN, and frequent visits with our Fetal Specialist. In January, we will go back to the Pediatric Cardiologist to see if there have been any changes in Hannah’s growth. Today, we met with a Genetic Counselor, who helped us learn more about amnios and how one could be helpful to us right now. Our various doctors would like to rule out any chance of this being a bigger problem, and the amnio could tell us that. Naturally, we were concerned about having it done, and thankfully, we were given the option to either have it done today, or wait until around 36 weeks or so. Having it done today could have created more problems, as there are always risks involved with such a procedure. By waiting, we will still have the info in plenty of time to put a plan together before she is here, and if for some reason there were problems from the amnio, then Hannah would be mature enough to be delivered right away. We thought waiting was the better option, rather than taking our chances.Well, that’s all I have for updates right now. I promise to post more as we find out any new info. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about Hannah’s condition, there is a great site that explains things really well. It is http://heart.healthcentersonline.com/congenitalheartdisease/dorv.cfm Also, if anyone has any questions, please let me know!! Though this is something that Craig and I are going through, I want all of you to be comfortable with it, as I know we will be depending on many of you for strength.I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the holiday season, and I look forward to hearing from you all!God Bless,Sharon
Before I sign off, I just want to say THANK YOU to those of you who have been on this journey with us...and to those who we have met along the way. I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving next week...I know we sure have a whole lot to be thankful for!!!!
Love,
Sharon
1 comments:
Wow, you do have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! Happy Anniversary, Hannah- congratulations on getting to year two so healthy and strong! Two years ago, anxious ultrasound... this year, Calgary's Cutest Kid!
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