The amniocentesis confirmed the diagnosis that our baby had Trisomy 18. The doctor went over the numbers with us: 80% chance of still birth, 90% chance he would die before first birthday.
We were steered in the direction of terminating the pregnancy. We explained that this was not an option. We were told to call our OB in the morning.
We cried all night long.
The next morning, we called our OB. She told us that our little Jordan was a nonviable fetus and there was no reason to continue pregnancy especially considering the hyperemesis that Jen was experiencing.
We were outraged. Our doctor had called the pregnancy 'pointless'. She refused to see us in the office until mid January and indicated that follow up appointments were not necessary. She advised us to terminate the pregnancy.
We were devastated and felt alone. We had been abandoned by our doctor.
To add insult to injury, our OB refused to authorize Zofran and told Jen she was no longer eligible for disability.
Fortunately, they were able to find a new doctor who helped them to hold on until Jordan suffered a crisis requiring immediately delivery if they were to ever see him alive. They had 32 precious hours with their baby, to surround him with family and love. Just because his life was short doesn't mean it wasn't worth living.
As Sojourner Truth said, "If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yourn holds a quart, wouldn't ye be mean not to let me have my little halfmeasure full?"
HT: Ashli
Whatever happened to the "right to choose?" There is no only one right choice in the difficult case of a poor prenatal diagnosis. In this case, the parents choose to carry their son to term and ethically the doctor should of referred them to a specialist or another doctor if he felt he was unable to provide further care.
ReplyDeletetlaloc,
ReplyDeleteit's a shame about you.
next time a woman chooses to take that magic little pill that prevents implantation and/or kills the living human being gestating inside of her... and her physician refuses to prescribe it because that physician disagrees with abortion... make sure you "have no problem with that" so as not to look like a flaming liberal who is not afraid to contradict him/herself to sell his/her poison.