Monday, July 21st
The basics.
Charlotte has a mild form of Gastroschisis. The ultrasounds have shown small loops of bowel, but the majority of her organs are inside her body. We attend bi-weekly visits to the hospital, which include a non-stress test, an ultrasound to measure fluid levels, a growth scan, and a meeting with a doctor. The growth scan happens every 3 weeks as Gastroschisis babies tend to be small and are in need of added attention to growth. The doctor's visit is typically every 2 to 3 weeks.
Duke University Hospital
The hospital.
The non-stress tests, or NST, are twice a week at Duke University Hospital. A trip to the hospital means meeting my wife there in the middle of the day after a 45-minute drive from work. I deal with traffic, parking, walkways, and elevators. I arrive early and wait. We walk down corridors and through doorways until we arrive at check-in. We sit in a cramped waiting room until it's our turn for the NST. She lies in a make-shift recliner while the technician hooks her up to the monitors. I sit in an armless chair near her feet while a technician pulls a privacy curtain around us all. They watch her for roughly 20 minutes while noting the babies heart rate and how much it varies. The more it varies - the more she's active. The more she's active - the better.
Lately we've had positive news. She has grown nearly a pound since the last growth scan to 2 lbs and 14 oz. The larger she gets, the better our chances. Our next growth scan is this Thursday at 230 pm EST. All we can do is hope.
I like to listen to music on my drive home from work. I did that tonight. I imagined bringing Charlotte home from the hospital. There were balloons and cake. Her name was hanging with streamers outside the front door. Everyone was happy to see her home. I was happy too.
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