3 words I had never heard until yesterday morning at 10:30.
3 words that pierced my heart & mind with worry.
3 words that I will not let define my emotions on this baby.
I will instead focus on......
And this.....
And this.....
And this.....
All of which were in my Facebook newsfeed this morning. Reminding me that no matter what happens in the upcoming weeks, God has this.
So what is CPC?
Basically it is a cyst that occurs in the middle of the fetal brain in the choroid plexus. The function of the choroid plexus is to produce cerebral spinal fluid. The fluid that protects & nourishes the brain and the spinal cord. They are commonly called "soft signs" or fetal "markers."
1 out of 100 parents share this frightening experience.
If a CPC is found then a level II ultrasound is recommended to look at other abnormalities like the heart, head, hands, feet, or stunted growth. We will be going next week (Monday at 0930) for ours. Your prayers are coveted and appreciated. It is important to have someone trained in looking for all abnormalities instead of a normal hospital ultrasound tech. (I am holding this close to my heart!!)
Once the other abnormalities have been ruled out, there are 2 things to do:
Watch and wait or have an amniocentesis (the only way to know for sure)
Most CPC's resolve by the 32nd week of pregnancy.
If they don't cause any damage, why worry about them?
CPC's have been associated with severe genetic disease called Trisomy 18. 50% of babies diagnosed with Trisomy 18 had a CPC on ultrasound. The risk of Trisomy 18 with a CPC goes from 1 in 3000 to 1 in 300. I refuse to dwell or go into what Trisomy 18 is right now because I am at the limit of my coping abilities.
A CPC diagnosis is scary. But I am choosing to believe our girl is going to be just fine.
Good no Great things in our favor:
1. I know the plans I have for you. To prosper not to harm you.....
2. Both my blood tests for genetic screening have been clear with no risks noted.
3. In the first ultrasound, everything looked normal for the baby except for the CPC.
4. Most CPC's resolve prior to birth
5. It is a unilateral not a bilateral CPC
6. If a CPC is found with no other warning signs, the outcome is virtually always positive.
What's not in our favor....
1. The presence of a CPC
2. My age
I debated in writing this post. I have been focusing (or trying to) on all of the positives and trying not to let the negative and what if's drag me down.
I do believe in the power of prayer and know that I feel better when I can pray for something specific so for those that know and love us...
Please pray that:
~ I don't let fear rule the rest of this pregnancy.
~ for a healthy ultrasound next week.
~ for Ben as he has to concentrate on schooling as all this is going on
~ for Kendall and Isaac as I am sure they know something is wrong because of my crying
~ for our little baby
Love from sunny California.
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