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As predicted, I learned nothing during the ultrasound today and I haven't heard anything about the blood tests yet.
When I first lay down onto the ultrasound table, I tried to watch the screen and figure out for myself what the thing was. I soon realized that I had no idea how to read an ultrasound. I knew one side of my neck would look different than the other side. Duh. I have a lump. Watching the ultrasound would give me no more insight into what the lump is. So, I just closed my eyes and waited.
For a brief moment, I thought I might cry. It hit me that in my world, ultrasounds are meant for babies. Not necks. I was actually relieved the ultrasound tech asked only if I'd ever had an ultrasound on my neck, not whether I'd ever had an ultrasound for a baby.
Update: Still no news. I called the doctor's office and left a message, but I didn't get a return call. Perhaps tomorrow.
I began the layout for this blog in April 2008. I planned on blogging about life as an educated, intentionally unemployed stay-at-home mom. I never wrote a word. In November 2008, my fourth child was born still. Because I lost my precious baby girl, my blog specifically evolved into: life after losing a child to stillbirth. P.S. Four months later, add cancer to the subject matter.
About Me
- Mommy (You can call me OM)
- Stay-at-Home Mommy; Wife; Attachment Parenting Follower; Animal Lover; Daughter; Sister; Catholic; Yogi; Lawyer (according to the Bar Examiners, anyhow!); Perfectionist who can't even come up with a satisfactory description because it just MIGHT have an error
Life Events
Feb 1973
My mother gave birth to me
March 1996
Adopted our "first baby" - our dog, H
Jan 1998
My husband and I married
Jan 2002
I gave birth to my first child, L
July 2003
Adopted our cats, S & L2
Mar 2004
I gave birth to my second child, O
Sept 2006
I gave birth to my third child, N
Dec 2007
Our "first baby" - our dog, H, died
Oct 2008
Adopted our dog, C
Nov 2008
I gave birth to my fourth child, E, born still
March 2009
I was diagnosed with th.y.r.oid ca.nc.er
My mother gave birth to me
March 1996
Adopted our "first baby" - our dog, H
Jan 1998
My husband and I married
Jan 2002
I gave birth to my first child, L
July 2003
Adopted our cats, S & L2
Mar 2004
I gave birth to my second child, O
Sept 2006
I gave birth to my third child, N
Dec 2007
Our "first baby" - our dog, H, died
Oct 2008
Adopted our dog, C
Nov 2008
I gave birth to my fourth child, E, born still
March 2009
I was diagnosed with th.y.r.oid ca.nc.er
My Blog List
Blog Archive
A Small Victory
Please click to help bereaved parents
Have you lost a child to stillbirth?
Helpful Links & Advocacy
- A Small Victory
- Butterfly Haven
- First Candle
- Glow in the Woods
- International Stillbirth Alliance - Research
- Light a Candle
- Lost and Found
- March of Dimes
- My Forever Child
- Office for Prevention of Prematurity and Stillbirths
- SANDS - PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSS AWARENESS & SUPPORT
- SHARE - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Group
- Silent Grief
- Stepping Stones
- Still No More - News Articles
- Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network
- String of Pearls
- Sue-Ella Signatures
- Sufficient Grace Ministries
- Thomas's Story
- Tommy's
- UK SANDS
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13 comments:
What a strange feeling that must have been! I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this on top of everything else. Any idea how soon you'll get the results?
I am so sorry!! I wish I had something profound and helpful to say. I got nothin'. Just more well wishes, thoughts, and prayers.
Love and peace to you!
I probably would have cried, I agree u/s are for babies not anything else. It is something how small victories like the tech not asking you about u/s in general can be so important.
I am so rooy that you are having to deal with this, I hope that the results come soon and you can be at ease.
Thank you for you post, and yes the days leading up to the actual EDD are a little more difficult than the actual day, at least for me. The anticipation for me is always the worst.
I have been able to find some peace today, I will post about it tomorrow.
Sending you a big hug and the hopes that you will soon know what's going on.
Keeping you in my thoughts. What a scary time for you right now.
strangely enough, I just had an ultrasound done on my legs, actually an arterial doppler study but I had the same thought though that u/s are for when you are pregnant. . .
I'm so sorry about this experience for you. I am thinking of you as the doctors try to determine what the heck is wrong. Also, commiserating with you that the steps in your diagnosis include an ultrasound.
Thinking of you. How scary to not have answers yet. I am hoping that it turns out to be nothing.
Just catching up...
--Don't worry about the Halloween decor. If it is helping you cope with the loss of your sweet E, who cares what the neighbors think?
--Sorry you still don't have answers regarding your neck.
--Happy that you and DH are able to find humor: "goiter" and "adam's apple" while you wait it out.
Hope you get answers soon!
Thinking about you and hoping for an answer soon! Hang in there.
Make sure you also read the ultrasound report:
The “heterogeneous echo texture” is the sign of past or present inflammatory process {thyroididitis];
In advanced case it looks like “Swiss cheese”;
The cyst is a colloid or blood filled blister; can be drained, and if reoccurs treated with PEI or surgery.
Solid nodules or lumps in excess of 1 cm in size are subject to biopsy.
Microcalcification in ill-defined nodules with increased blood flow should be considered suspicious.
O.T. - Thanks! I'll be sure to bring your advice with me when I see the doctor on Thursday.
Do you know if what I've described could cause stillbirth? I also had a ridiculous number of migraines while pregnant with E. Do you know if these symptoms are in any way related?
Hirch (2008) lists the factors that could contribute to a miscarriage include:
• abnormal hormone levels in the mother, such as thyroid hormone
• uncontrolled diabetes
• exposure to environmental and workplace hazards, such as radiation or toxic agents
• certain infections
• uterine abnormalities
• incompetent cervix, or when the cervix begins to open (dilate) and thin (efface) before the pregnancy has reached term
• certain medications, such as the acne drug Accutane
(http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/sexual/miscarriage.html).
There is definite connection between abnormal hormone levels and stillbirth. Although now your levels are normal, there is still possible that they were off or fluctuating during pregnancy.
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