Update

Today we had our follow up visit at Lucille Packard to get more images of Brynn's heart. The fetal echo process is basically a very long sonogram that focuses on the heart. The process varies from uncomfortable to painful for me since the only way they can get good images of the heart is to dig the wand in to try and get the best angle. At least this time she was big enough that they didn't have to dig quite so much.

The technician was learning on a new machine which was frustrating but I think he felt bad that it was taking so long. At the end of the appointment he showed us some 3D images of her face and body which my Mom loved since she hasn't gotten to see her yet.

The doctor came in as they always do at the end for more pictures and to talk to us about what they saw. Our doctor reported that everything looks the same from the previous scan except that the ductus between her pulmonary artery and her aorta appears to be restricted. If this ductus should close all the way it would stop her flow of oxygen and result in death. Interestingly, the doctor reported that in her 17 years of practicing medicine she has never seen a restricted ductus before except in one other case which happened to be just earlier this week. For this reason, she isn't sure what caused it or what the chances are that it will close. All we can do is pray that it continues to stay open. When the doctor looked at the scans from four weeks ago she found that it was restricted at that time but went undetected by the doctors. We're not sure if that's because it is so rare and they just weren't looking for it, or if the heart was still too small at the time for it to be noticeable.

This adds another layer of anxiety and worry to the pregnancy. For the last month we have been thinking that at least while Brynn is still inside of me her heart is functioning normally and it is only after she is born that we will have to worry about repairs. Now, we have the realization that her heart might stop functioning properly before she is born. We will return in four weeks time for another scan. If the duct has become even more restricted the only option would be to deliver her early. However, a premature baby with a heart defect of this magnitude would most likely not result in a good outcome. Please pray that Brynn's heart ductus remains open enough that we can deliver her full term.

After our scan we met with the social worker and got to take a tour of the cardiovascular ICU. Although it was overwhelming and difficult to see all the little babies hooked up to machines and fighting for their lives it gave us some comfort to see so many other families coping so well. Now we have a clearer picture of what to expect and prepare for.

Please continue to pray for Brynn. She has been such a fighter so far and has brought us so much joy. We know her fate is in God's hands and that He has a plan for her. Thank you for all of your support and prayers over the last few months. It really gives us comfort to know that so many people are rooting for our baby girl.