some clarification is in order
- the protein situation i described is a blood protein; it's passed on genetically. it is not affected by nutrition. happily, the nutritional protein problem i developed after being really sick after i lost hans has been resolved and my nutritional state is in good order (or we wouldn't have pulled the goalie when we did).
- like the rh factor, if the father has the jk protein and passes the gene for it on to the child and the mother doesn't have it, the mother will develop an antibody to it. it won't affect that child, but if the next child also has the jk protein, it is at risk of being attacked by the mother's now pre-existing antibodies. most people have the jk protein; i just happen not to. it's a pretty minor factor that is less likely to be a problem than the rh factor. unlike rh factor, though, there is no injection therapy for the mother or the child with the antibody i have; the only therapy is an intrauterine blood transfusion, which carries a small risk of fatality for the child. if multiple transfusions are required, the risk increases somewhat. but i'm counting on not having any problems with it. :)
- why i am playing the numbers game today: despite the fact that i was on a regular cycle and knew EXACTLY when we conceived hans, his age was adjusted back at the first ultrasound because of those damn measurements. consequently, when he died he was really 41 weeks, not a few days shy of 40. of course, i will never know for sure what would have happened, and i can't change the past, but if i had spoken up about my concerns up front rather than saying little and worrying by myself, maybe he would have been induced before he died and maybe he would be alive now. i can't do anything about it, but i can work out my concerns now and speak up about them and advocate for this child and get some answers i can live with now rather than fretting about it for the next eight months. i am not trying to drive myself nuts; i'm trying to get me some sanity. lectures on this subject, even well-meaning ones, are just not helpful. i do not need to feel shame for trying to help myself and my child.
- i have daily chats with the tadpole (what we discuss is our business), and justin greets it daily by signing "hi" against my belly. we're connecting as much as we can with the tadpole.
- i am still confident that ultimately i will come home with a happy and healthy tadpole. i figure we all have it coming to us. :)
i've got some viral bug making me feel fluish, so i'm going to bed now, and my darling husband is going to walk home from the train so i can get the sleep i need. i'm so keeping him.
posted by laura at 7:43 PM
2 Comments:
I know people tell borderline scary chilbearers like ourselves NOT to obsess over numbers, use dopplers ETC.... BUT knowing the numbers, the terminology, the ranges of 'normal' and being able to speak confidently in the same language doctors use HELPS get a dialogue going that is generally more equal than patronising. How else can you advocate for your child? If your doc is patting you on the head and sending you off telling you it's all in your head as a matter of course, then it is worth learning the answers to the questions you have asked on here just to mark out the territory at the get go. But it sounds like you are in good hands in that respect and you are being taken seriously.
Sorry, getting a touch long winded there:) I hope you don't get a full blown flu. That'll be oh-so-nice on top of the nausea. Rest well:)
i'm glad you clarified...the well intentioned lecture (not meant to be a lecture at all) was just geared towards whatever enabled you to have the most peace of mind. i know not of what i speak, and too often speak without thinking. i hope it did not come across as shame inducing, what i should have simply said was i hope you are doing whatever you can to find the most peace you can. and you are; that was my only concern being a stranger out here in blogland who gives a hoot.
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