After being told that we probably wouldn’t get any news from the tests till Friday, I tried my very best to get on with things and fill my time up as best as possible so I went back to work yesterday which helped focus my mind a bit more. Frankie was kicking like mad all day really making his presence known, which I didn’t mind in the least after he didn’t move at all for seven and a half hours on Monday after the amniocentesis test.
I got home just gone 5pm, fed my dog and tried to distract myself by watching old Harry Hill episodes that were showing on the Gold channel on Sky. My husband had gone to see his Dad who is still in hospital so I knew he was going to be home later than normal. And then just before 7pm my mobile rang – and it was a Birmingham number.
It was a lady from Birmingham Women’s Hospital who said that she had some good news – the first batch of results from the amniocentesis test had just come in and Frankie does NOT have Downs Syndrome, Edwards Syndrome, Patau’s Syndrome, Turners Syndrome or anything else that can accompany cleft lip/palate. I kept saying to her are you sure, are you sure, and she assured me she was and I just burst into tears from the relief, I couldn’t help it. She said she was about to shut her computer down and go home for the day, but saw a couple more test result emails come through and ours happened to be one of them, so she thought she’d let us know straight away rather than waiting till the morning. I’m kicking myself now that I didn’t get her name, but I’m so grateful to her for ringing when she did, she could have easily have just gone sod it I’m going home and left it till today. I wish I could give her a big hug, and I’ll ring up Birmingham Women’s Hospital today to see if I can find her name out so I can pass on our huge thanks to her.
I was literally shaking and crying when I got off the phone and couldn’t get hold of my husband as he was in the hospital with his Dad. I texted him to ring me, and rang my parents – I think they were just as relieved as I was. Eventually my husband got home so I was able to tell him, and he also burst into tears. The relief was incredible.
I posted the news on my Facebook page and in the CLAPA support group on Facebook straight away as I, my husband and Frankie had had so many positive comments of support and love and I’m still totally overwhelmed at the amount of support we’ve all had. I’m going to print off all the lovely comments and threads on Facebook to put in the file I’ve started for him, and when he’s old enough I want him to see just how much love and support he had before he was even here. He’ll probably be all like, “Aww Mum you’re embarrassing me”, but I don’t care. He’s already got quite a following and been in the local press here, and hopefully he’s given hope and positivity to others who are also in the same situation as us.
Of course, I’m fully aware that some parents do not get the good news that we’ve had, and I feel so much for every single one of them. I know that no matter the outcome we would have handled it, even if it was hard, and while I am extremely relieved that what Frankie has can be fixed, that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about all those parents who have had bad news – I am.
We’ve overcome this latest hurdle, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be others ahead – I’m sure there will be. But for now we’re all back on track, and this weekend we’ll be finishing off Frankie’s room and getting a chest of drawers for all his clothes….just as we planned.
