One Hundred Thirty Two: Boy Who Cried Wolf

It's official. Blake is definitely going to be the child that gives me grey hair before my time.
He just turned one month old and already he is responsible for three of the most stressful times of my life.

It all started in utero. When I went in for my very first appointment at nine weeks, the doctor ordered a routine ultrasound to determine the size and age of the baby. Technically I could have saved them the time because I know my body down to the minute, but I wanted to see my little peanut.

Anyway, during the ultrasound, the technician asked me about three different times if I was sure I was having no problems.

No bleeding?
No

Not even a little?
No

No cramping?
No

Hmmm. She said. With a tinge of surprise in her voice. She went on to explain to me what she was seeing was a subchorionic hemorrhage. It was "the most common sonographic abnormality" as if that was supposed to make me feel any better. She probably explained it pretty thoroughly, but unfortunately, when I got back to work I googled it and four links later had diagnosed myself with something much more severe.

Something I could fret about for the next 30 some-odd weeks. This fortunately turned out to be nothing. Praise God.

Fast forward to my 18 week ultrasound. I had already found out that Blake was a boy (shocker!) and so I was really expecting the appointment to be rather anti-climatic.

Which it was.

Until about 6 hours later when Dr. Boyd called to let me know they had found another "abnormality" in the ultrasound. There was a cyst on his brain. It could be nothing...it is very common even for adults to have cysts on their brains...or it could be a "marker" for something much more severe. She wanted to send me to a specialist for further testing.

I don't remember many more of the details but I know that I had a complete meltdown in the middle of Wendy's that night. I know that I couldn't take another bite of my spicy chicken sandwich. I remember trying to explain to Jeff everything she had told me. He was so confused. He had walked away from the table for two minutes to get the boys a Frosty and come back to a sobbing wife.

The boys were also confused. Jeff tried to explain to them that there might be something wrong with the baby. I remember Hayden looking back into my teary eyes with concern on his face, and in a very sympathetic tone said, Mom, is Blake really a girl? I guess that was the worst thing a six year old could imagine.

We had two high tech specialists appointments after that to determine if Blake showed any other signs of abnormalities. At both of those appointments they assured us that everything else looked fine, so he was *probably* okay. That word probably sat in the back of my mind for the next twenty weeks. This also turned out to be nothing. Praise God.

Then about two weeks ago, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Jeff and and the boys had just arrived back home from a bike ride. My phone was ringing as they walked in the door. I answered, and it was Blake's new pediatrician asking if we could come into the office immediately to discuss his newborn screen results. They had come back 'abnormal.'

We haven't ever loaded up the car and three kids as fast as we did that afternoon. We were to the office in less than ten minutes. Me, already in tears of course...and not even sure why...as I held what seemed to be a perfectly healthy baby boy.

When we walked in, we were ushered into one of the patient rooms and the doctor came in pretty soon afterward. She explained that Blake showed signs in the newborn screen that he may have a condition called MCAD, which is a completely treatable "disease." She went on to talk about what it is. Basically, MCAD deficiency prevents the body from processing certain fatty acids and in turn makes the sufferer become hypoglycemic. 

The doctor described it so casually and matter of factly that by the time she was done, tears were no longer falling from my eyes. Then she explained that she was going to send us to Children's Hospital that night for additional testing. Before she left the room, she gave me a very genuine hug and I felt almost at ease, until I read the one page MCAD handout she'd left that said if not treated could result in "sudden death".

And of course, the tears started again.

Let me just stop and say thank goodness that Jeff is level minded in times like this.

Anyway, longstoryshort, we went to Children's Hospital and got a blood and urine sample (do you know how hard it is to get a urine sample on a two week old?). Then we waited  a week to get the results. During that week, we were under the strict orders to NEVER LET HIM GO MORE THAN 4 HOURS WITHOUT EATING.

No pressure.

I am happy to report after many prayers from family and friends that once again it was a false positive. PRAISE GOD!!!

All that to say: if this boy keeps this up, he is really going to wear me out and I will be dying my hair in no time. The doctor assures me that he should be a perfect teenager since he is putting me through all the stresses now.

I am hoping she's right.

Hayden & Davis wait patiently

(and I use that term loosely)

as we get additional tests for Blake at Children's Hospital.