The A-Team

Do you ever get the feeling that something just isn’t quite right? You know, that nagging, unable to put to words kind of feeling? Well Aaron and I have both been experiencing this feeling when it comes to Abilene’s condition and treatment. We have been pushed down this road of lung issues. We have been told it is DEFINITELY something in the lung tissue (since all of the other obvious things were negative). We have been told lung biopsy is the ONLY option left.

However…

Aaron and I just cannot consent to a lung biopsy. We have been having such a difficult and tormented time dealing with this. It isn’t so much that we don’t want her to have the procedure (which we don’t) but more or less that we don’t feel that is the right course of action. We aren’t doctors but something is telling us NOT to do it. That “something” I firmly believe is God speaking to us both. We have such a strong sense of wrong when it comes to signing the paperwork and even at her last appointment, she was BETTER! God healed her long enough for the doctor to see it and STOP proceeding with the lung biopsy.

We did ask for another echocardiogram to be done as we saw a “hole” in her heart on the last one and we want to see if that is healing. We were told that ASDs are very common and typically close on their own. Well, the test was done and I was able to read the report at her CT scan. Turns out her ASD is worse than originally seen and she is now showing signs of shunting (left to right) which is when the blood “leaks” back the other way. This isn’t necessarily life-threatening but it is cause for concern. After coming away from the CT scan (which she did great!), I decided to do more research on ASDs. Turns out that in some cases, infants do not tolerate these ASDs well especially when shunting is present and will show signs of TACHYPNEA and RETRACTIONS! Gee, that is EXACTLY what Abilene is suffering from! I think I may be on to something here. Now, in defense of the pulmonologist, many of the babies who suffer from untolerated ASDs typically do not thrive or meet milestones. This is NOT the case with Abilene. She is growing and advancing as she should (except for tummy time strengthening but that’s not all her fault). We will be seeing the pulomonologist on Thursday and we will discuss the results of her tests and determine a course of action. We are requesting consultation with Cardiology before we go any further down the road of lung biopsy.

In summary, please pray for wisdom for us and the doctors and that we will get to the bottom of this quickly so she can be treated (if needed) and live a full and unrestricted life! We love her so much and we just want her to be whole:)