5:15 PM: Kurt just called. Said not a whole lot of change. The baby is doing okay and is with them in their delivery room. They have changed the labs on Ang from every two hours to every six hours now since they weren't seeing much change and they didn't want to keep poking her. She is still kind of "floopy" due to the Percoset she is on. She's unable to take Motrin or anything like that because it "undoes" what they're trying to do with the other meds, so thus the floopiness with the Percoset. Not much else to update other than Kurt is trying to figure out what to do about his work (this was totally unexpected so everything at his office was just left in a big jumble of a mess). Jodi is doing a bunch of their laundry and Ang's mom is supposed to be coming to clean up the house because it was left in a shambles.
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2:45 PM: Haven't heard anything new since before church. The other three kids are staying with Kev and Jodi.
A little more detail on all of this...
Ang has had a rough time during this entire pregnancy. She has struggled with feeling well and has been tired the entire 9 months. She just hasn't felt well. On Friday, Kevin saw Ang and told her she was yellow - jaundiced. Her eyes were all yellow like Mom's were when she was so sick before her transplant. Ang then went to the hospital and the rest is history so far.
I looked up some info on AFLP to help understand all of this a little more...here are some Q&A:
What is acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP)?
- Acute fatty liver of pregnancy is a rare, but serious, condition of pregnancy in which there is an excessive accumulation of fat in the liver or liver cells. Fat normally accumulates in the liver in the form of triglycerides and fatty acids, but excessive fat can cause liver damage. AFLP is quite rare, however, it is a serious condition that cannot be predicted or prevented.
- The cause of AFLP is unknown. It is thought that hormones of pregnancy play a role in this condition, but there does not seem to be an increased risk for future pregnancies.
- Both mother and fetus are at extremely high risk if AFLP is not treated. Liver failure, hemorrhage, kidney failure, and severe infection can be life threatening for the mother and fetus. Fortunately, early diagnosis and treatment helps to improve outcomes.
- AFLP usually begins late in the third trimester of pregnancy. The following are the most common symptoms of AFLP. However, each woman may experience symptoms differently.
- nausea and vomiting
- abdominal pain, especially in the right upper side
- malaise (general discomfort)
- headache
- tiredness
- confusion
- jaundice (yellow coloring of skin, eyes, and mucous membranes)
Treatment for acute fatty liver of pregnancy:
- Once the condition is diagnosed, the baby is delivered as quickly as possible to minimize the risks to mother and baby. The mother may require intensive care for several days after delivery until her condition improves. In most cases, liver function returns to normal within a few weeks.
So, that's it for about now. I've left messages for Kurt and Kev to call me back with more info, but haven't heard from them yet.
3 comments:
Keep the updates coming. Thank you for keeping us posted on everything. This sounds pretty serious. I hope everything is going to be good. Our prayers and thoughts are with your family and also Kurt, his wife and their family. We love you guys!
It is still hard to believe this is really happening. I'm glad the baby can be with them, that is encouraging. We're waiting for more info. Keep it coming.
Thanks for keeping everyone updated. I kept thinking to do it, but it is just crazy with going to the hospital with the kids and just having 4 kids. These kids are the best and just love their new sister so much. They all start fighting as to who gets to hold her first and who get to feed her. We usually leave the hospital crying because they do not want to leave mom or the baby. What a great little family they are.
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