Baby Austin

So this leads me to baby Austin.  I'm two days shy of being 24 weeks pregnant.  We are currently researching and meeting with different neuro surgeons.  My priority is finding a neuro surgeon, and figuring out what hospital I will need to deliver in (whether thats in NYC or not), then finding a high risk OB, etc, etc.  We will not continue much longer at the current hospital and facility we have been doing all of my ultrasounds at, because the main neuro surgeon there does not participate in my insurance plan and overall, I have not been too impressed with the treatment I have gotten there.  Everyone is very negative....and all we need are positive thoughts now.

As of our last ultrasound (two weeks ago), Austin's venticles were measuring 19 mm (normal is about 10mm).  His head circumference was measuring about two weeks ahead, which we anticipate as the fluid grows, the head circumference will continue to grow.  All in all, this may not be such a bad thing, as the growing head allows room for the excess fluid.  He has been diagnosed with aqueductal stenosis, which is the most common form of hydrocephalus and its not anticipated that this will heal itself. 

I went for a "routine" fetal echocardiogram on monday, just to make sure everything was ok with Austin's heart.  Well, they found a regurgitation in the right atrium to the right ventricle, so we have to go back in a month so they can monitor it. 

Yesterday, I got 5 viles of blood drawn....I figure there is going to be a lot more tests in the next few months.

Next week is full of appointments.  On tuesday, we are going to meet with yet another neuro surgeon-our third consultation.  Wednesday I have a regular OB visit (which is going to probably be pretty useless since I'll be changing OB's in the very near future), and then friday we go back for a follow up ultrasound.  This will be my seventh ultrasound.  I've started to have a lot of anxiety with these ultrasounds because we have continued to hear bad news and worse news at the past few.  But, I am looking forward to seeing if the ventricle dilations have gotten worse.  Hopefully they are still the same.

The support we have gotten since we started telling our family and friends is really over-whelming. While no one really knows what to say, we appreciate that everyone is keeping Austin and us in their daily prayers.  Prayers work, so keep them coming!!!  He is listening.....I just know it....