So today, at work, I get this random call. It's the referral office on base, and she says, "Mrs.N, I want you to know that your referral has been approved for specialist ob care. Please call Dr.T to schedule your appointment." I'm like, what referral? What are you talking about? She won't tell me ANYTHING.
So I google this doctor, and he's an ultrasound specialist in Pensacola, at the high risk clinic there. So I'm like, WTF?
Then I call the appointment line to leave a message with my MW (yes, military policy, I can't actually call her directly). She immediately calls me back, and says, "I'm sorry, but there's an abnormality with your ultrasound. I don't want to discuss it over the phone. I'll wait here if you can come over now."
Again, WTF. My u/s was Monday, and although the tech technically can't say anything diagnostic, everything looked great, measured currently for dates, etc. So I'm driving to the medical office and I am pretty much hysterical at this point.
Then I get to the clinic, and am *escorted* to her office. I'm thinking, wow, this must be really bad. I'm crying at this point.
Then my MW sits me down and tells me that the "abnormality" is that there is "shadowing"/"calcification" in some of the baby's heart tissue. The heart is formed correctly, but there's this dark area. There are no other abnormalities. She said that, "We're seeing a lot of these lately. Ultrasounds have gotten really good, and we're not sure if this is a true issue or just a phase of development we're just starting to identify." And apparently I'm going to have a Level 2 u/s with the specialist, and have it monitored, and hopefully it will go away.
I need to do more research, but she was confident that we were "just being careful." She also said it was fairly common. Do anyone have any experience with this???
I'm so mad I went through all that for something that was later deemed "minor." Way to give me a heart attack, lady. I was totally thinking fatal defect, trisomy, etc.
So I google this doctor, and he's an ultrasound specialist in Pensacola, at the high risk clinic there. So I'm like, WTF?
Then I call the appointment line to leave a message with my MW (yes, military policy, I can't actually call her directly). She immediately calls me back, and says, "I'm sorry, but there's an abnormality with your ultrasound. I don't want to discuss it over the phone. I'll wait here if you can come over now."
Again, WTF. My u/s was Monday, and although the tech technically can't say anything diagnostic, everything looked great, measured currently for dates, etc. So I'm driving to the medical office and I am pretty much hysterical at this point.
Then I get to the clinic, and am *escorted* to her office. I'm thinking, wow, this must be really bad. I'm crying at this point.
Then my MW sits me down and tells me that the "abnormality" is that there is "shadowing"/"calcification" in some of the baby's heart tissue. The heart is formed correctly, but there's this dark area. There are no other abnormalities. She said that, "We're seeing a lot of these lately. Ultrasounds have gotten really good, and we're not sure if this is a true issue or just a phase of development we're just starting to identify." And apparently I'm going to have a Level 2 u/s with the specialist, and have it monitored, and hopefully it will go away.
I need to do more research, but she was confident that we were "just being careful." She also said it was fairly common. Do anyone have any experience with this???
I'm so mad I went through all that for something that was later deemed "minor." Way to give me a heart attack, lady. I was totally thinking fatal defect, trisomy, etc.
) And since there WAS a problem with my son's heart (I hope it's just a false alarm with yours), I had to have a cardiologist lined up. IF you do, Dr. Mary Mehta practices at Nemour's Children's Clinic (at Sacred Heart) and she's so sweet and so awesome and explains everything in great detail. I'd highly recommend her if you need one. My experience at Sacred Heart was not good, though, I'll warn you. It's a teaching hospital and when they ask you if you allow an intern/resident to attend your birth, they don't mean "there to watch", they mean deliver your baby. This dude cut an episiotomy without my consent and then pulled out my placenta in shreds instead of letting me birth it. He pressured me to have a pitocin drip. He was wretched. So, if you give birth there, don't allow any interns or residents near your body or your baby. I was also unimpressed with the nursing staff. They weren't supportive of my birth plan, yelled at me for sucking on a lollipop during labor to keep my mouth moist, and wouldn't even change the pad under me after they broke my water because "it's just going to get soaked again"!!!! I went all nurse-ballistic on them at that point. They wouldn't let me get out of bed with the monitor on or anything. I'd highly recommend having a doula or a support person who's very well-versed in your birth plan and your wishes. I think it would have been a much better experience if someone had told me this stuff. If you have any questions at all, let me know!! 
Follow Mothering