My name is Ashly and here’s my
story:
One night around 16 weeks I woke up
thinking that I had wet myself in bed,
so, I went to the bathroom and
realized
that it was urine. The next day I went
to the doctor and he did a U/S and
didn’t tell me anything but “I need
you
to come back in 2 hours to see the
fetal/maternal specialist”…he said
nothing more. I called my husband,
crying, the doctor told me in a
serious
tone that it was very important that I
see this doctor. His name was Dr.
Fassett; really nice FMS…my husband
took
off work and came down with me to see
him. He first did a PAP smear and U/S.
He told us bad news…my water had broke
and that there was 0 cm of fluid
*normal
is usually about 5cm for 16 weeks and
25
cm max* and that it was a matter of
time
before I went into labor and had my
baby. I was so scared, my husband
comforted me. All I was told I could
do
was to take a leave at work and stay
on
strict bed rest with only shower and
restroom privileges. I started
contracting at 17 weeks, I was in
preterm labor but wasn’t dilating or
in
any pain. So, I was given hydration
pills since I had a really bad bladder
infection that may have been the
reason
why my water broke *this is the only
thing the doc’s could see as being a
possibility for my early rupture*. Dr.
Fassett told me that if I did make it
to
24 weeks where when the baby COULD be
viable, which was very slim chance
*about 1 percent*. I was still in
labor
but not dilating and finally made it
to
24 weeks. My AFI *amniotic fluid
index*
was as follows:
16…0 cm
17…0 cm
18…1cm
19…2 cm *I had an amnioinfusion at 19
weeks 1 day but leaked it all out the
next night*
20…0 cm
21…1 cm
22….1 cm
23…0 cm
24…1 cm
Finally, 24 weeks, I made it…being in
labor but not delivering yet. At 24wks
I
was put into the hospital to observe
me
for infection or signs of labor. The
NICU ended up having an infection that
was spreading around to other babies.
So
at 26 wks the doctor decided to send
me
to the Kaiser Hospital in Woodland
Hills
(in the LA area). So I left my husband
and was transported from Bakersfield
to
LA. I stayed there a week, doctors
told
me just to go back home b/c the baby's
chance of survival was 0% b/c of lack
of
fluid to help with lung development.
They said she wouldn't even make it to
the NICU. My husband came and picked
me
up from LA and brought me home. I went
into labor at 28wks 2days. My little
Amilliah was born via c-section and
weighed 2lbs 7oz and was 13 inches
long.
She made it to the NICU and proved
everybody wrong. Unfortunately I ended
up delivering at the hospital that had
the infection in the NICU (I have
Kaiser
and this was the hospital I was
preferred to go to). So 2 hours after
she was born she was send to a
hospital
across town so she wouldn't be exposed
to the infection. The NICU that she
was
transferred to took x-rays of her
lungs,
they couldn't see hardly any. The
neonatologist put her on a high
frequency oscillator to see if it
would
help open her lungs. The first couple
of
days were so stressful she had made it
but it was a matter of time to see if
she would survive. She did very well
on
the machine and the doctors said that
they thought she would be on it for at
least a month or two. Amilliah proved
them wrong again! At her being only 2
weeks she was winged off the machine
and
put onto a vapotherm. At 4 weeks she
was
put back onto a normal ventilator
because her CO2 level went up to 95.
At
6 weeks she was put onto a CPAP and
her
CO2’s were in the 60-70’s *normal
babies
are usually in the 20’s*. She has
chronic lung disease (CLD). She’s now
back on the ventilator but hopefully
will be coming off soon and goes back
to
the CPAP. I’ve only held her twice and
done kangaroo care with her once since
she was born (Nov. 14, 2005). The
doctor’s did an U/S before my c-
section
and saw no fluid and told me that she
would come out stillborn. But…when
they
did the c-section magically there was
some fluid that came out…how about
that!!! Machines aren’t God and can’t
make the rules and let you know
exactly
what’s going on. They’re not 100
percent
accurate so I have found out. I have
much more news, if you want to know
more
e-mail me!!! I had PROM at 16 weeks
and
have a surviving 28 weeker and had NO
FLUID AT ALL during the whole
pregnancy
and was in labor for 12 weeks. And now
I
am the one who had a miracle baby who
had "no chance of survival b/c of lung
development".
Update Feb 6, 2006
My little Amilliah Rae VanAlstein
passed
away Jan. 18, 2006 after 9 weeks of
fighting and showing everybody that
there is hope. She just got too big
for
her lungs and eventually got to the
point where she was reciving 100%
oxygen
and was turning blue from her lungs
not
being able to take it. So we decided
to
take her off the machines and let her
pass. She went into respritory arrest
and fought for an hour and a half and
her family all visited her and as soon
as she saw her grandpa *the last
person
to come and see her* she went into her
father's arms and passed away. We are
sad, but glad also that we got to
spend
the time that we did with her. Do not
give up hope and just know that each
minute is precious.
March 21, 2006
I am the spokesperson for the March of
Dimes for my work (Bank of the West in
Bakersfield, CA) and trying to raise
money for the March of Dimes. Please
help the March of Dimes by donating.
Please visit my page to see a picture
of my daughter who passed and to
sponser me in my Walk Across America
for the March of Dimes. Thank You.
Ashly. www.walkamerica.org/AVanAlstein
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