Maternity Pictures w/ Maria Sauserman (NILMDTS) 1/16/2008

Taken on January 16th, 2008 @ 29 weeks

Family Christmas Party 12/22/2007

Dominic, My Dad, Vinnie, Me (w/ Eva inside) and Mya

12/22/2007

Please lift up the prayers...

Please lift up the family of the sweet, miracle of God...Tristan Asher Hostetters' family tonight as he went home to be w/ Jesus at 4:40pm this afternoon. Most of you have been following Yvette's pregnancy, delivery and the 56 days of his life, others may not know who he is...but regardless this is hard for anyone to swallow as those who know he was doing so well.

Indeed this was God's plan but that doesn't mean we can't wonder why and it doesn't mean that we will ever understand. Please pray for Yvette, Trayc, Tanner and Tayden as well as the rest of their families. We all know that this journey is far from being over.

*****URGENT*****

I'm a little late at checking the blog world and email but never too late for prayers!

PLEASE join me tonight in praying for the family of sweet Maddox Stanfield, mom Kenzie, dad Dusty and big brother Deacon. Kenzie was scheduled to deliver Maddox on February 5th but God had a different plan as her contractions started today. Dusty was out of town on business and is working his way back to be w/ Kenzie. All other family members live out of the area so they are in the process of getting to the hospital as I type. Maddox should be here tonight or tomorrow. Please pray that he will be born alive, w/ minimal complications, and that the family will have precious time w/ him and full of memories. Maddox also has T18 as well as spina bifida but the Lord has it all under control. He is in control and all is in His hands.

Please check the Stanfield site for updates.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE STANFIELDS AS THE NIGHT GOES ON!

Ultrasound (AGH)

30 weeks

WAHOO! Another Answered Prayer!

I just got the call from the doctor’s office w/ the results from yesterday's glucose tolerance test.....NORMAL!!!

The results are NORMAL!!!!!

Some might think that I am slightly over reacting w/ this test because in "normal" pregnancies gestational diabetes is not a major issue...but when the pregnancy is nothing but "normal" everything is a little more complicated.

So, in receiving the good news I am ecstatic...not to mention super happy that I can continue my normal eating habits...which consists of lots and lots of pasta (we're an Italian family, what do you expect), breads and potatoes...and the wonderful creamy fudge ice cream cake, banana split and fried ice cream from the ever so famous King's Family Restaurant!

Can you tell the excitement???

I called Vinnie to tell him about the results. He missed my call (as he is the only one working these days) and called me back a few minutes later. I told him the results; he asked what that meant... (guys have no clue)... he said "Good, finally some good news!" I said "No, let’s call it an answered prayer!" And he agreed!

WE THANK YOU LORD!

One week down...(since the preterm scare)...praying for at least 9 more weeks!

I just wanted to give a quick update to those who have emailed, texted or called to see how things are going.

I have to say that having a week off of work has been such a blessing. I have gotten so much well needed rest that my body (and baby Eva) are very much appreciating it! I still get up and out a little to maintain my sanity...and my cravings but all in all I have been just taking it easy.

Since last Wednesday, the day I was discharged, my contractions have ceased tremendously! If I have any it might be less than 5 a day! PRAISE GOD!!! Wednesday I was still pretty uncomfortable, but by Thursday I felt 90% better. Overnight Thursday to Friday I was back to being uncomfortable but held me belly all night just praying at every contraction and every pain. I thought it was "time" but when I woke up Friday morning and realized that the night was "uneventful" I praised God for one more day and thanked him abundantly!

By Saturday the low back pain came back and has remained since but when brought to my doctors attention on Tuesday he seemed content that it is not joined by the continuous contractions like it was last week. AGAIN PRAISE GOD!

Besides losing 3 pounds in 10 days the appointment went well. I am now measuring 30 inches externally, so not too bad for being 29 weeks. I have an appointment w/ the high risk doctors on Monday as well as another ultrasound. Praying for continued growth for Eva as well as nothing "new" to be discovered.

I am to remain on bed rest until at least Tuesday, when I go back to my regular doctor. I don't want to say that I don't want to go back to work, not that I do, but I feel so much "safer" at home and being less active then rushing to get one child off to junior high, one to elementary and then get myself off to a bus stop, in the 17 degree weather, sit or stand on a crowded bus, run 3 blocks (cause chances are the bus was late and it's too cold to walk)...just to get to work to be uncomfortable for 8 hours...then reverse the trip flying to daycare by 6pm to get the children to come home and figure out what we are doing for dinner. So, on that note...no, I really do not want to go back to work in fear that it will cause Eva to be born too soon. But I trust God that if I am to go back than my doctor will release me to do so.

I always sit down here to type a "quick" note and it turns into a novel. I don't intend for that to happen, as I am the last one who likes to type but it never fails. I could go on and on but I am going to try to cut this off as I am a little tired today.

I went back to the lab this morning to have the 3 hour glucose tolerance test done. YUCK! The drink was double the grams as the first one meaning that the stuff was like syrup. Not to mention the four times blood needs to be drawn! Yes, FOUR times of feeling like a pin cushion! My poor arms! I may have gained 11 pounds during this pregnancy but I can assure you that not an ounce of that is in my arms! One stick when I got there, then every hour till I left! Praying that the results are negative so I can have one less thing to be concerned about for the rest of the pregnancy as well as for Eva after delivery.

Please continue to pray for the other families that I have mentioned below.

The Summons family as they are grieving the loss of Mary Grace Summons . I have to say that this was a hard one for me to swallow as I had so much hope for them. I try not to "compare" our T-18 situation to many as they ALL are so very unpredictable and each is different in many ways. But I have to say that out of the few moms that I have been following and in touch w/ that this one was the one that I was "comparing" ours to. As I mentioned in a previous post that it is hard for me to sit back and witness the other moms deliveries prior to my own. I will have already seen there heartache and felt their pain prior to my own. It is hard.

Please pray for Gwyneth Rose and Tricia! They are by far not out of the woods. Both girls are amazing and both need our prayers.

Please pray for Angie and Nathan Luce, the parents of (Poppy Joy Luce) as they are making the decisions to proceed w/ adoption. God has lead them thus far and we need to pray for God to continue to lead them in the right direction.

I will try to post an update after my appointments on Monday and Tuesday. Thank you for the continuous thoughts and prayers for me, Eva and our family!

Please Pray...

Please life up Mary Grace Summons and her family as mom Kim, dad Chris and her sisters Kailey and Allison anxiously await Mary's arrival. They are going in this evening to begin the induction process, Mary's birthday will be likely tomorrow. Please pray that Mary Grace will tolerate labor well and remain strong and be born into this world alive. Please pray that her family will have lots of time w/ their precious baby girl!

A HUGE THANK YOU and Answered Prayers...

I started to type this next paragraph at the bottom of this post then realized how important it was and moved it to the top.

I thank each and every one of you that have lifted me and Eva and my family up over the last 18 hours or so. The tears rolled down my cheeks as I read the posts and comments from those of you that I have never even met and may never do so until we get to Heaven. It means so much to know how much support I have all around the world, more support from perfect strangers than I have in my own backyard. That just goes to show the Lord God we serve and how he has brought us all together along this sad and unpredictable road.

I cherish each and every one of you. You each have touched my heart in ways that I never knew to be possible. Even those who post anonymously, it shows that you care! Please continue to pray for us in the days and weeks that lie ahead. As we all know that this journey will not end w/ delivery and it may never end but the support is evident and I couldn't have come along this far without it and the faith in my God! Thank you again!

Where do I start? It seems I have been posting more lately w/ the request to pray for others than I have for us. Needless to say, after yesterdays findings I now ask for our prayer "warriors" to lift our family up as well as the others that I have mentioned in previous posts.

I'll go back to 12/26/07 to the appointment w/ the pediatric cardiologist. All went very well, or should I say nothing was worse than it had been since our 11/26/07 appointment.

The 4-5mm VSD is still present and still not a major issue. The Mitral Valve Prolapse has been changed to Mitral valve regurgitation (or mitral regurgitation — is a condition in which your heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly, which allows blood to flow backward in your heart. Mitral valve regurgitation is also called mitral insufficiency, or mitral incompetence). This seemed to be of most concern to the Dr. but still does not change the way we will proceed and will be looked at closer at the time of delivery.

That same day we met w/ the neonatologist at the hospital where we are delivering. I have had a previous relationship w/ Dr. B as she was Dominic and Mya's pediatrician until shortly after Mya was born in 2000, this was right before she went on the neonatology. She was great in her explanations and got us better prepared w/ what can happen. It was at this time that I decided against a birth plan because she stressed the fact that I can express my wishes upon arriving at the hospital for delivery, as many things can change along the way. All in all the day went well but as every day that I have appointments I tend to get a little down as reality gets the best of me, or should I say satan.

For about 2 weeks prior to Christmas I have to say that I almost forgot that I was pregnant. Not completely but I had less time to "think" (in which I tend to do too much) and spent more time focusing on work and home to get prepared for the big day (Christmas Day, that is). It was at my regular prenatal appointment on the 12/21/07 and my 3D/4D ultrasound on the 22nd when I "remembered again" that I was (and still am) very much pregnant. Christmas went well and we enjoyed a nice 5 or so days w/ the normal - family and friends and lots and lots of food!

My next set of appointments was on 12/31/07. I had the glucose tolerance test done...or should I say attempted. I drank the gross stuff and proceeded up stairs to my ultrasound and ob check w/ the high risk doctors/perinatologists. I arrived about 10 minutes late (due to the delay in the lab) and they took me 25 minutes later. Those of you who don't know how this test works...it is drinking this high in sugar drink and then having blood drawn exactly 1 hour after checking the sugar levels, I think. I had the ultrasound first and then the Dr. came in for a consult (no ob check after all, and not by my choice). Again nothing more major was detected. I could see from the screen that Eva's head and limbs are still about 10-12 days behind and her abdomen appeared to be 17-19 days behind. Not too much extra fluid, some, but not tons. Maybe 2 weeks worth, as it has been, because I am still measuring to date externally (at least I was until yesterday where I now seem 1 week ahead) but the Dr. said that you can always give or take the measurement by 2. I was also advised on that 12/31/07 appointment Eva's weight appeared to be approx. 1 lb 9 oz (which I am hoping and praying that she will continue to grow as the more time she has inside).

I got out of the appointment 10 minutes late and back to the lab apprx. 15 minutes late to have my blood drawn. Therefore, the test was void and would need to be done again. I was emotional as it was and was not doing that again in the same day! I left and drove to the cemetery where Eva would be laid to rest if need be. This is the first time I have done this and took a lot to do it. I have been so strong up until now and like I said on days of appointments I tend to drop down so low. I took a picture of her grandma's stone which is already present at the site. I just wanted to have in mind where her name would go and how exactly we would go about that whole process (having her name added or even her own stone). After a day like this I have to say that bringing in the new year was I guess as good as it could be.

I had the glucose test done again on 1/2/08 w/ the results called to me from the Dr. on 1/3/08 to advise me that the level was slightly elevated. NICE! If it's not one thing...it's another! From my understanding I will not be proceeding w/ the actual diagnostic test (which is the same as the 1 hour one but it is 3 hours instead and drinking double the gross stuff). I will meet w/ the dietitian and have finger sticks at weekly appointments (given I make it beyond this week) and go from there. I know that one factor they watch for w/ moms that get the gestational diabetes is over-growth of the baby. Can I just say this? Any overgrowth w/ my trisomy 18 baby is an answered prayer if you ask me!!!

So, here we come to yesterdays, unexpected appointment. I had been in last Thursday 1/3/08 for a prenatal appointment w/ the Dr. whom I love. This is when I was measuring exactly where I should have been externally. I advised him of the cramps and contractions that I had been having but he didn't seem to be too alarmed. These cramps proceeded from Thursday thru Tuesday (yesterday) accompanied by low dull back pain, so I decided to call the office to just let them know. They asked me to come in, just in case, at 3pm. At the time of arrival the cramps seemed to be coming maybe 3-5 times an hour, so I was not too concerned. The Dr. examined me and advised that I was not dilated although my cervix was soft but still long. He did a test called Rapid FETAL FIBRONECTIN (a test that has been FDA approved since 1995. It is used by healthcare providers worldwide to identify women at risk for premature delivery. Fetal fibronectin is a protein, which is present at the interface between mother and fetus. When this interface is disrupted, fetal fibronectin is detected in vaginal secretions. A positive test acts as an early warning and helps identify women at risk for preterm delivery, while a negative test reassures the woman that it is highly unlikely delivery will occur in the next 7-14 days. A negative fetal fibronectin test will allow many women to be spared unnecessary treatment as a result of prolonged bedrest and limited mobility). The test can take over 20 minutes for the results to come back so I was sent over to the Labor & Delivery to be monitored in the meantime. Little did I know that I was there for the night!

The contractions were little ones but occurring every 7-10 minutes. The test came back positive which gives me a 50/50 chance of going into full labor w/in 7 days. PLEASE PRAY THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN! I was given an injection on Terbutaline (a drug that is used to suppress preterm labor) to allow my uterus to settle and possibly stop the contractions but if the labor was real this would not work. I was also given Betamethasone (a Steroid Injection for Fetal Lung Development. Injections of corticosteroids for fetal lung development has been praised as one of the best advances in fetal medicine in the 90s. Since 1994 the National Institutes for Health and other professional organizations have encouraged their use in promoting the development of fetal lung development in moms who were at risk for preterm labor or birth).

Here is to my answered prayers and with the help of all of you out there praying for us! The contractions have subsided, not ceased, but slowed down. They have not caused any changes to my cervix and I was discharged this morning. Now this does not mean that I am out of the woods and that I won't deliver w/in the next 7 days but it gives me more time to spend w/ Eva safely inside and allows her more time to grow, gain weight and for all of us, including her to get better prepared for the delivery that lies ahead.

I am not ready for this pregnancy to be over. Don't get me wrong, I want to meet this precious baby girl more than anything in the world but I am not ready to be separated from her, in more ways than one. I know that God knows her exact birthday and she will be born in His time. I just only wish I knew when that was. I wish He and I had the same plan!

I am now on bed rest for at least a week, returning to the doctors next Tuesday, if nothing occurs in the meantime...PLEASE PRAY THAT THE NEXT 6 DAYS ARE VERY UNEVENTFUL IN TERMS OF EVA BEING BORN TOO SOON!

I'll post as often as possible and try my best to keep y'all up to date.

URGENT - Tricia, Nathan and baby Gwyneth Rose...

Posted by Isaac Leino 's mom earlier today...
Nathan just called me this morning asking for as many people as possible to join in prayer for Tricia.

They have decided to go ahead with the C-section as soon as possible. Tricia has had increasing difficulty over the past few days & is to the point that she can no longer carry their little girl without causing both of their health to fail. She's had many problems with her heart & lungs over the past 48 hours. Since she is 24 weeks along, it is possible for their little girl to survive & continue growing outside of the womb with Neonatal Intensive Care. However, this will not be an easy procedure for Tricia as her body is already incredibly weak.

PLEASE PRAY! This is a scary time as it is very possible that neither Tricia nor their little girl will make it through the operation. Nathan will be posting updates to his blog throughout the day. CFHusband.Blogspot.Com

Here are the updated posts from Nathan...

Monday, January 7, 2008

New Plan
Tricia's medical team (all 30+ of them) met today at 1:30 and presented an alternate plan which we are going to go with. Tricia will be intubated and ventilated tomorrow morning at 10:30am. They will watch her for a few hours. If everything looks good, they'll give her a tracheotomy. They'll leave her on the ventilator for a few days, allowing her body to regain strength and her lungs to get cleaned out, and then will perform the c section on Friday.

If her body does not like the ventilator, they will perform an emergency c section then and there.

All of the prayer from the post below remains the same...only the timing has changed.We continue to be amazed at the number of people praying and the very cool stories coming our way. Thank you.

Nate
Posted by MilePost13 at 4:56 PM 53 comments Links to this post
Labels: CF, Family, Friends, God, Gwyneth Rose, Hospital, Prayer, Pregnancy, Tricia

And She Will Be Called...
Gwyneth Rose Lawrenson

Gwyneth - A Welsh name meaning, "Fortunate, Blessed" and/or "White, Fair"

Rose - An English name

Lawrenson - A strong English name meaning, "Son of Lawrence" and/or "Endowed with incredible intelligence and charm, flat-out good looking"

So, she will be a Blessed, White Rose in our lives.

With a little thinking, you can figure out how she is named after her mother.

Nate
(Be sure to read the Latest Update)
Posted by MilePost13 at 10:17 AM 65 comments Links to this post
Labels: Gwyneth Rose

The Time Has Come
Tricia made the decision this morning to go ahead with the C Section as early as possible. Her CO2 levels continue to rise, and her discomfort and lack of sleep is becoming almost unbearable. I'm amazed that she lasted this long, and we are not surprised that it has come so soon.

The doctors have told us that the surgery will take place either this afternoon or tomorrow, probably tomorrow. She will be Anesthetized, Intubated and Ventilated and then operated on. The C Section will take no more than a few minutes. She will be kept under for a few hours to allow her body to become accustom to the ventilator.

If her body does not accept the ventilation, she will be in serious trouble. If her body does accept, she will hopefully be weened off the ventilator until she can breathe appropriately on her own. (this will be important as we look ahead to the double lung transplant)

There are obviously many risks involved.

Several things we can pray for:
> Peace for Tricia and I about this decision. We are at peace now, and have been with every decision so far, and God has blessed each and every one.
> Peace for our family. Our parents will be here with us, as well as my grandparents and maybe a few others, but many of Tricia's family either can't be here or will not be here in time for the surgery. In some ways, it's easier to be in the situation than reading/hearing about it from a distance.
> CO2 levels to remain stable or drop. Every ultrasound has shown the baby to be perfectly healthy, which means nothing has affected her so far. That could change at any time.
> The doctors and staff have been incredibly supportive. This is not a delicate operation, but it does involve a lot of risks and there will be a massive amount of people involved. Everything needs to work exactly as planned.
> Without a miraculous recovery, Tricia's Lung Function will never become well enough for her to be placed on the Double Lung Transplant list. The pulmonary docs have told us that, if everything goes well, it will be a minimum of 2-3 months until she will be well enough for a transplant.
> That God will continue to make Himself known, especially to those on the staff here who does not know Him in a personal way. God has already used Tricia's Journey to do extraordinary things, and we have seen God do amazing things already with our story in the past few weeks and months. The stories that have been coming in are concrete proof to us that we have been in the center of God's will throughout this entire process. We want the entire world to know that.

Our family and friends, and the prayers of the thousands who have heard of us have been what God is using to sustain us and give us courage and strength. No matter what happens, we are eternally thankful for all that He has done.

Nate
Posted by MilePost13 at 9:35 AM 64 comments Links to this post
Labels: 65Roses4Pattysue, CF, Emotions, Family, Friends, God, Hospital, Organ Donation, Prayer, Pregnancy, Transplant, Tricia

3:45am
Got a call at 3:45 that Tricia needed me back at the hospital...she's doing better now that I'm here, and Agnes went home to get a few hours of sleep. I've got a recliner in here now, so maybe I can get a few hours myself.

Nate
Posted by MilePost13 at 4:59 AM 27 comments Links to this post
Labels: Hospital, Prayer, Tricia

More prayers needed...

The following is a post from Maddox Stanfield 's mom, Kenzie :

Please pray for my friend Christie and her husband James as they will be going to the hospital early tomorrow morning to begin her induction to meet their sweet little boy. She is pregnant with a baby who is also diagnosed with full Trisomy 18. I know that she greatly appreciates each prayer lifted up for their family (they also have a little boy, Wesley, at home) and I will be sure to update you as soon as I get any information.

Thank you for praying!

We all know that prayer can move mountains!

Please join in and help move the many mountains that lie ahead!

Update on Tricia, Nathan and their baby girl...And again requesting prayers...

Please pray for Nathan & Tricia Lawrenson!! Tricia's health is rapidly failing, greatly jeopardizing both her life & their unborn daughter as she is 23 weeks pregnant. Nathan has posted specific pray requests on his blog. PLEASE PRAY!

Here are her specific requests:

This is from Tricia's Blog, which she updated last night while Nathan was sleeping.
Prayer Requests:
1. My lungs are in such bad condition at this point that the doctors can’t be sure of what will happen next. Please pray for the antibiotics that I am on to begin working effectively. So far, they have not helped out with any kind of improvement. Each day counts.
2. Mucus is what traps infection and keeps my o2 levels low and me from functioning at my best. I have had a hard time coughing up the gross stuff which once I do, will help my lungs out a great deal. Pray that I cough lots of it out easily without too much damage to my lungs and airways.
3. I have not slept more than 3 hours each day in the past week and a half. I am use to a normal 12-16 hours a day sleep. This is greatly effecting my body’s ability to fight infection, regain strength, and help me to get better. Please pray that I begin to sleep better. I have been on sleeping meds which have yet to help since it is a breathing issue and not just a lack of sleep desire.
4. My lung capacity is very very low, please pray I remain stable until giving birth and then waiting for a transplant.
5. If I don’t get better, I could be too sick for a transplant. Please pray this does not happen.
6. Pray for my heart to stay in good shape. It is beating slightly to fast and has been doing this for quite some time. Pray that it comes down to a normal heart rhythm.
7. We don’t know yet about the details of having this baby but know it will be a complicated and risky procedure. The more time the better for the baby... a couple more weeks in my utero can make a huge difference when it comes to a good outcome for her. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and our family as we make these decisions.
8. Pray for the safety of the baby during all of this stress going on and for a safe delivery and recovery. She will most likely be rushed into NICU post birth.
9. That complications don’t arise from my feeding tube, port-o-cath, diabetes, or heart and non lung issues.
10. Pray for our peace of minds, and for our families. This has been a very stressful and scary situation for Nathan and I. Things are beginning to happen so quickly and so much is uncertain. Our faith is not shaken and we firmly believe in miracles and the power of prayer. Please be sending our prayer requests to your fellow friends and family!
Thank You
Tricia