It is March 9th 2011.
A month has gone by since my last blog. Being a military wife and getting my orders to fly to Anchorage is a process aparently. Normally when I dont get a phone call when they say I am going to, I call them and call them ANNNND CALL THEM. But since my husband was in California for training I was going to wait for them to call me and not push the whole "going alone" thing bc it is important to both me and my husband for him to be there.
Yesterday I had my checkup. I told the doctor Mike was in NTC last appointment when the other doctor went over my Ultra sound findings and asked her to catch him up on everything.
 She started by asking " What is your understanding on what a thickened neck means?"  At this point I felt like I was at school as she looked at me and waited for my answer. I told her it was a major sign of down syndrome. She said I was correct. haha If she only knew the hours I spent researching Downs, reading blogs about parents who have kids with Downs and the many questions I have asked my prior doctor she would probably feel silly.
My last doctor went over the jist of everything and didnt give me a whole lot of details. She said he showed 3 major signs of Downs and she wanted me to get an amino done with in the next week or so. 
This doctor was open to all our questions, told us a few stories, went over my ultra sound results word for word, and gave us facts about Downs.  Everything she said was still very concerning but somehow I felt at ease. I didnt know if it was bc I had my husband there holding my hand and I wasnt alone, or how comforting the doctor was or if I was over the shock of hearing the possibilities and ready to face the music.
      She told us Masons thicknesss was measured at 8.5mm and normal is up to 3.0mm and pushing it but still acceptable is 3.5mm. She told us his measurements were very abnormal and concerning. She also informed us that Masons nose appears normal. Not your typical downsyndrome nose, but at the end of that sentence she said not all Down syndrome babies have a small button nose, it would be normal to have a normal nose. She told us Mason was in the lower 30 percent for his Height and Weight. He was measuring small. We have a 5 yr old and he always measured very big. Being born at 9lbs 3 oz and 21 and half inches long, so it was definately something new to hear.
       She continued to read there was no signs of Heart defects but not always can they be found so early. I asked her by looking at all the information if she was concerned about a high chance of downsyndrome. She said yes. she said the ultra sound tech who read my ultrasound is good at his job and has not been wrong. When he thinks it is down syndrome it has turned out he was right. Mike asked since the thickness of the neck was the only Major concern is there anyway that Mason could be normal. The doctor took a breath and said " no"  The measurment for the neck is so high and abnormal there is something not right.
We talked about the things the doctor in Anchorage would look at. He would look at the feet, hands, ears, eyes, heart, liver, and brain as they would show more pointing to Down syndrome. As of now Mason is small but healthy.But the heart would be looked at more in a bigger better picture. As 50 percent of Downs babies have a heart defect. The only way to be diagnosed for Downs is to have an amino done. Which is still up in the air. Mike says " umm no" and Im okay with it as I think it would help me get prepared.
We heard Masons heart, and left the doctors office. On the car ride home we talked about our conversation with the doctor. We were relieved to hear medically, so far Mason is okay and that was the only Major concern we as parents had. The doctor called Anchorage and they should be calling me to set up an appointment by tomorrow. Mike will be able to go with me and I am sooooo Thankful as he makes me feel comfort and strong.
The night before a doctors appointment and the night of, I cant ever sleep I practically live on the computer doing research, and reading blogs and praying for strength and comfort. I accept what the good lord gives me but I certainly feel the lord and I are on different pages of what I can handle. lol