Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad
Friends:
As some of you know from Hivemind, my fiancee (her name is Melody) and I are having a baby, originally set with a due date of July 11. I thought, since I had brought our troubles out in the open on Hivemind (and found that helpful to talk about it with people), that I would post the followup here.
We found out recently from some test results that there might be a problem with the baby, and went in for further testing today in the form of a deep ultrasound.
Initially we found out the gender, and it is a girl. It is moving around a lot, and that was fascinating to see.
Unfortunately, the baby does in fact have a serious problem, though none of the ones we were expecting (we thought it was a neural tube defect, but it is not). It is a complex problem to explain, so I will do my best to nutshell it. The baby is not getting sufficient nutrition and oxygen. There are a number of potential reasons for this, and we are undergoing further testing to try and narrow down the cause.
The best case scenario seems to be that, if Melody had a viral infection of some kind recently, it may have caused this. That is something the baby has a decent chance of recovering from, and we are undergoing further testing on that issue.
The worst case scenario is a genetic problem like Downs Syndrome, though the doctor felt that was unlikely due to the fact that the baby's brain and heart are developing fine (though the rest of it is not, and is at a 14 week stage of growth while it should be at a 16 week stage of growth). We can get an amniocentesis to find out, but that should wait until after the initial tests.
In between is a problem I don't quite understand just yet, but it is bad as well, and relates to blood and feeding tubes I believe.
There is a significant chance the baby will not make it, and will die in utero. Obviously, this would be devastating for us. There is also a chance the baby can make it to the point that it can be removed and put in intensive care and make it that way, or not. That would be tough, since it is possible this would happen at a stage where the baby weighs only one pound, and if it makes it then it might have problems, and might not. And then there is a chance the problem will clear up.
Unfortunately there is pretty much no treatment, beyond the following: Melody is on total bed rest, and should not really leave the house (which means tshe has to leave her job - not good since she loves her job and I too remain unemployed). She has a restricted diet. And she will start baby aspirin in case of an infection or blood problems. That's about all she can do.
I appreciate the support I have found here at EnWorld during this time. I've been a member of EnWorld since nearly the beginning, and though I enjoy debating subjects with people here (sometimes heatedly), I have always found this group of folks to be genuinely decent and caring people.
If people want to offer help, the only think I can think of is help with finding me a job or any kind of job leads would be great, since these are going to be very difficult financial times for us as well. I am an attorney in Los Angeles, specializing in contracts, corporate law, employment law, and some intellectual property, all with a technology-bent. My most significant recent position was in-house counsel for an internet company (for 4 years, with various titles including General Counsel), and would love to be a general counsel or associate corporate counsel for a company again.
Also, if you believe in a god, gods, goddesses, deities, spirits, entities, states of being, luck, or any kind of otherworldly force, we appreciate any positive prayers and thoughts you send in that direction.
I also want to thank everyone for the support I know they will offer on hearing this news. You are a great group of people, and I enjoy hearing your thoughts every day on RPGs and life in general.
With Love,
Mark (aka Mistwell) and Melody
As some of you know from Hivemind, my fiancee (her name is Melody) and I are having a baby, originally set with a due date of July 11. I thought, since I had brought our troubles out in the open on Hivemind (and found that helpful to talk about it with people), that I would post the followup here.
We found out recently from some test results that there might be a problem with the baby, and went in for further testing today in the form of a deep ultrasound.
Initially we found out the gender, and it is a girl. It is moving around a lot, and that was fascinating to see.
Unfortunately, the baby does in fact have a serious problem, though none of the ones we were expecting (we thought it was a neural tube defect, but it is not). It is a complex problem to explain, so I will do my best to nutshell it. The baby is not getting sufficient nutrition and oxygen. There are a number of potential reasons for this, and we are undergoing further testing to try and narrow down the cause.
The best case scenario seems to be that, if Melody had a viral infection of some kind recently, it may have caused this. That is something the baby has a decent chance of recovering from, and we are undergoing further testing on that issue.
The worst case scenario is a genetic problem like Downs Syndrome, though the doctor felt that was unlikely due to the fact that the baby's brain and heart are developing fine (though the rest of it is not, and is at a 14 week stage of growth while it should be at a 16 week stage of growth). We can get an amniocentesis to find out, but that should wait until after the initial tests.
In between is a problem I don't quite understand just yet, but it is bad as well, and relates to blood and feeding tubes I believe.
There is a significant chance the baby will not make it, and will die in utero. Obviously, this would be devastating for us. There is also a chance the baby can make it to the point that it can be removed and put in intensive care and make it that way, or not. That would be tough, since it is possible this would happen at a stage where the baby weighs only one pound, and if it makes it then it might have problems, and might not. And then there is a chance the problem will clear up.
Unfortunately there is pretty much no treatment, beyond the following: Melody is on total bed rest, and should not really leave the house (which means tshe has to leave her job - not good since she loves her job and I too remain unemployed). She has a restricted diet. And she will start baby aspirin in case of an infection or blood problems. That's about all she can do.
I appreciate the support I have found here at EnWorld during this time. I've been a member of EnWorld since nearly the beginning, and though I enjoy debating subjects with people here (sometimes heatedly), I have always found this group of folks to be genuinely decent and caring people.
If people want to offer help, the only think I can think of is help with finding me a job or any kind of job leads would be great, since these are going to be very difficult financial times for us as well. I am an attorney in Los Angeles, specializing in contracts, corporate law, employment law, and some intellectual property, all with a technology-bent. My most significant recent position was in-house counsel for an internet company (for 4 years, with various titles including General Counsel), and would love to be a general counsel or associate corporate counsel for a company again.
Also, if you believe in a god, gods, goddesses, deities, spirits, entities, states of being, luck, or any kind of otherworldly force, we appreciate any positive prayers and thoughts you send in that direction.
I also want to thank everyone for the support I know they will offer on hearing this news. You are a great group of people, and I enjoy hearing your thoughts every day on RPGs and life in general.
With Love,
Mark (aka Mistwell) and Melody
