a CVS story
Posted on December 7th, 2012 by Tracey
on the lead up to yesterday’s big appointment (our 11 week ultrasound and CVS), i had really started to work myself up. very nervous, anxious and a little bit scared. you can read hundreds of experiences, but it’s often never the same as the person before you. to calm my nerves, i took to twitter and facebook, but eventually felt calm when i was talking to people about it at the hospital.
first things first, what is a CVS and why did I get one?
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a prenatal test that detects chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, as well as a host of other genetic disorders. The doctor takes cells from tiny fingerlike projections on the placenta called the chorionic villi and sends them to a lab for genetic analysis. from Baby Center
after Jovie’s Rett Syndrome diagnosis, our family’s health and wellbeing has never been more important. to know of any conditions early on would help us prepare for the future. we didn’t get the RS diagnosis until Jovie was just over 3 years old, that’s at least 2 years of confusion as to what was happening with our daughter. the CVS will check for the major disorders aswell as Rett Syndrome (because we requested it) way ahead of that schedule.
back to yesterday, i’m glad to say that the appointment ran on time (even though I was 45 minutes early, just in case). i was met by a familiar face, our genetic counsellor who has seen us through everything with Jovie. Regan couldn’t get time off work, and my parents were taking care of Jovie for me, and I’m usually fine on my own anyway.
they confirm my details, asked my due date and up on the bed I popped. the huge television screen infront and above of me comes on as the ultrasound wand swishes over the gel on my belly. and there my baby is …
my dad (who has over 30 years of medical training, says ‘so which part is the tail?’ lol.
the ultrasound tech turns on the sound and the room is filled with the familiar swooshing of a strong heartbeart. i can see the little pulsing heart, and see it’s little arms moving around, and it’s legs kicking. i am INSTANTLY relieved, because for a while there i thought the extra kilo’s and belly i have was 100% pizza.
if you don’t want to know the details of a CVS procedure, then just enjoy looking at the picture above and i’ll see you later 🙂 otherwise click to continue ..
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