If you ever wonder if miracles happen..

If you ever wonder if miracles happen...

Let me assure you, they do!

Just as the reality of being pregnant with baby# 4 was sinking in, I was rushed to the E.R. and told they were going to perform surgery to remove an ectopic pregnancy. I hadn't planned on getting pregnant, but I was already madly in love with this baby. I have never been so scared in my life. (Well, ok, I was just as scared twice before, but that is a whole other story.)

My husband and I immediately began praying. I prayed that God would cover my baby with the veil of protection, that something would happen and I would be able to keep my baby, that He give my doctors wisdom in treating me.

It was the E.R. doctor who said I had an ectopic pregnancy and he was sending me to surgery. I called 911 after collapsing from an unbelievable pain in my lower left pelvic region. I was home alone with my three children, then ages 2, 5, and 8 years. The pain was so bad that I literally could not get off the floor. I had suspected it was an ectopic pregnancy. The paramedics suspected it was an ectopic pregnancy. But hearing those words was still shocking.

An ultrasound technician came in and did an ultrasound on me. After that, the OB/GYN that was to perform my surgery came in to talk to us. In speaking with him, I said that the ultrasound tech had mentioned seeing "something" in my uterus in addition to the "pregnancy" on my fallopian tube. I know techs aren't supposed to say anything to the patient about what they see, but I praise God that this tech slipped up! 

After taking a second look himself, the OB/GYN said I had "something" in my uterus and "something" on my fallopian tube, but because my pregnancy was so new it was impossible to say with certainty which one was the embryo. In fact, there was even a chance that it was twins that has attached in two different locations. 

If they operated and I had a viable pregnancy in my uterus, it was likely that the pregnancy would be disrupted and would not survive. It was also possible that my fallopian tube would no longer work. Not that we were planning on having any more children, but I still did not like the sound of that. However, if they did not operate and it was an ectopic pregnancy, it could burst and also cost me my tube if not my life. Those were the options.

I praise God for sending Dr. Bynum to care for me that day. I had never met Dr. Bynum before that day. As it turns out, he is the business partner of the new OB/GYN I had an appt with the following week. Dr. Bynum saw how much we wanted to give this pregnancy ever chance to survive so he agreed to not operate if I would remain in the hospital under observation. They would check my blood for hCG levels and perform another ultrasound each day to see which "something" started developing.

The very next day the doctor could see the beginning of a placenta and embryo in my uterus. I had ultrasounds done every other day for two weeks - what an amazing experience to watch my child develop from the earliest visually detectable stages!

EIght months later, Nicholas James was born!

 For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. 
 - Psalm 139:13-16: