Decided it was time for a short update. There isn't a whole lot to report. Gabrielle had her port and ureter stent removed yesterday. I know I am really hoping that this will be the last surgery that she will ever need. In the last two months, my sweet two year old daughter has gone through seven surgeries. Yes . . . .seven. Some large, some small, but seven, nonetheless. I am completely amazed by those last two months and they barely seem real.
I do have to say that I am so relieved to have those last two pieces of hardware out of her body. I feel like we can finally start to move on to a complete recovery. We are still watching HVA and VMA levels in her urine as they can indicate neuroblastoma cells. As of a week ago they were slightly elevated but so small that it could have been dietary. Bananas, peanut butter (which I wasn't aware of), anything vanilla, etc can cause a rise in these numbers as well. Our next check up is April 12th (yes, my due date) and we will once again get these numbers and see where they fall. I have a call into the oncology clinic to get a list of each urine draw and her numbers so that I can keep better track of them. I can tell you that with her tumor the numbers were in the 800s to 1000s, now we are talking under 20.
Baby boy is growing strong. He seems to be measuring large although trying to get fetal weight with ultrasound shows that he's still only about 6lb 5oz as of 37 weeks. My doctor doesn't quite trust that number though and neither do I. Gabrielle measured exactly on during my entire pregnancy and she was 8lb 1.9oz. My next appointment is next Thursday and I can only hope that he tells me that I am starting to progress. As of last Monday, he was nowhere near ready to make his appearance. Apparently he's balancing nicely on my pubic bone (lucky me) which is what seems to be causing my pain right now.
We now play the waiting game. Waiting for baby boy to arrive in the next few weeks, then waiting for the okay to take Gabs' brace off sometime in early May and of course always waiting for more lab work and/or scans to confirm no neuroblastoma currently in Gabrielle's body. Please continue to pray for us as the next month is only going to get crazier and I have already reached "crazier" as my hormones continue to run rampant from pregnancy and stress.
Love to all and a great big thanks for continued prayers!!
I do have to say that I am so relieved to have those last two pieces of hardware out of her body. I feel like we can finally start to move on to a complete recovery. We are still watching HVA and VMA levels in her urine as they can indicate neuroblastoma cells. As of a week ago they were slightly elevated but so small that it could have been dietary. Bananas, peanut butter (which I wasn't aware of), anything vanilla, etc can cause a rise in these numbers as well. Our next check up is April 12th (yes, my due date) and we will once again get these numbers and see where they fall. I have a call into the oncology clinic to get a list of each urine draw and her numbers so that I can keep better track of them. I can tell you that with her tumor the numbers were in the 800s to 1000s, now we are talking under 20.
Baby boy is growing strong. He seems to be measuring large although trying to get fetal weight with ultrasound shows that he's still only about 6lb 5oz as of 37 weeks. My doctor doesn't quite trust that number though and neither do I. Gabrielle measured exactly on during my entire pregnancy and she was 8lb 1.9oz. My next appointment is next Thursday and I can only hope that he tells me that I am starting to progress. As of last Monday, he was nowhere near ready to make his appearance. Apparently he's balancing nicely on my pubic bone (lucky me) which is what seems to be causing my pain right now.
We now play the waiting game. Waiting for baby boy to arrive in the next few weeks, then waiting for the okay to take Gabs' brace off sometime in early May and of course always waiting for more lab work and/or scans to confirm no neuroblastoma currently in Gabrielle's body. Please continue to pray for us as the next month is only going to get crazier and I have already reached "crazier" as my hormones continue to run rampant from pregnancy and stress.
Love to all and a great big thanks for continued prayers!!