After finding out we were going to add a little boy to our family,( which may I remind you this is only the second boy and grandson on the Peterson side) we were still so excited. I was also still pretty sick. Living on that amazing drug Phenergan. my 21 week ultrasound was approaching and I was feeling anxious. This wasn't too out of the ordinary for me because anyone who knows me knows that I over analyze just about anything. I am always expecting the worst but hoping for the best. I'm definitely a pessimist. Matt had to work that day and I just wanted someone to be with me so I invited a very good friend of mine to come. I had several ultrasounds already because my doctors were amazing and if I was nervous about one thing I was in having an ultrasound. So needless to say I just wanted someone there just in case everything didn't look "normal" with our baby boy.
When we got into the ultrasound room things were looking great. My baby boy had all fingers and toes. All of his limbs and everything was measuring just right. One thing I had been told several times from the ultrasonographer was that my uterus was very tilted. This made it hard for him to see my little guy from the position that he was in. We ended up going over everything and doing his head last. With only the head left to measure things started to get quiet. I could tell something was off. The Dr. began to explain that my little mans head circumference was measuring bigger. Also that his ventricles looked enlarged and that he had a lemon shape in the front of his skull. First not really understanding I looked at him and said so this is not normal and something is wrong?? Yes something was definitely not right. This caused him to go back to the spine and while viewing it over and over again he was able to see an opening. I remember just laying there feeling peace and like this was all going to be ok. Looking back maybe I was just in shock. He then called my OB/GYN and I was to meet with him the following day. As soon as I had told my friend goodbye and thanked her for coming I fell apart. I climbed in my car and just sat there. So confused on what I was just told. How could this be?? Was something really wrong with this precious baby boy I was carrying? What was wrong? Did he have Downs? Would he be ok? How do I explain all of this to Matt and my family? What did our future hold and better yet was my baby going to live?
We had found out on a Wednesday evening and we had to wait until the following Tuesday to meet with a Perinatologist. Needless to say I believe this was the longest weekend of our lifes. Not knowing what condition our son had. So many crazy things played through our heads. After talking with my OB/GYN and doing a little bit of research on our own we had a pretty good idea that our little man had Spina Bifida. After meeting with our Perinatologist it was confirmed that our little man had Spina Bifida. He was diagnosed with Spina Bifida, Myelomeningocele, which was the worst case of SB. He had a Chiari Malformation that came along with the lemon shaped skull, enlarged ventricles, and the sac located on his spine opening at L4-S1. He didn't have clubbed feet and his heart was ever so strong. As heartbroken and scared as we were we knew we would do whatever it took to give this little guy the best chance at life possible!!!!
