It was supposed to be a routine check-up last Wednesday for Amanda's second pregnancy. We thought we could squeeze in an appointment with the doc before heading out that evening to Arizona for a wedding. Everything went well at the office and the doctor was able to get us an ultrasound that afternoon. She thought it would put us at ease since we have a history of miscarriage.
We went for the ultrasound and the technician found what she called a cyst on Amanda's ovary. She didn't make a big deal about it, but said we'd check things out again in a week. Later that afternoon, we took Amanda's dad out for a late Father's Day supper. While munching down at Texas Roadhouse, the doctor called Amanda. She told her that after looking at the reports, it appeared that Amanda had an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that forms anywhere other than the uterus. If the baby continues to grow, it could burst the tubes and Amanda could bleed to death. Because of this, she advised us not to go to Arizona.
We stayed put in Sioux Falls Wednesday night, had more tests done on Friday, then more tests in the morning on Sunday. The doctor admitted Amanda to the hospital Sunday afternoon for observation. Based on blood tests, the pregnancy failed, the baby was no longer alive, and the options at that point were to have surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy or to take medication for it. The pregnancy had already ended, we just needed to get it cleared up for Amanda's physical health. For various reasons, we opted for medication. Around 8 p.m. on Sunday, the doctor released us to go home.
Emotionally, we are doing well. Physically, Amanda still has some pain, but is slowly improving. Our biggest question is, "Why would God allow us to get pregnant, share the exciting news, have plans for Arizona, then end the pregnancy?" I think it's a question that we will never have the answer to...at least in this life. This is tough stuff, but we continue to put our hope in Jesus and know that God is in control.
On a brighter note, we were able to "see" via ultrasound yesterday the baby that's due in a few weeks. We saw the hands, feet, fingers, nose, mouth...but no gender. It's a beautiful baby and we cannot wait to bring it home. By the way, because of the birthmother's size, they are not going to let the baby grow larger than 7 pounds before delivering. The baby is now 5 pounds, 14 ounces. A baby grows 1/2 pound per week. This means the baby will be 7 pounds in two weeks. That's two weeks earlier than expected. It could come on July 16th, which is also our birthdays -- Amanda and I share a birthday. How cool would it be if our whole family had birthdays on July 16?
Thank you for the many prayers and overwhelming support during this time. We are so thankful!
