A LITTLE INFORMATION

Here's a little information for all my family and friends. As everyone knows CDH babies are given a 50% chance of survival after birth, but it's not just that easy. The 50% that do survive have to fight so hard for their lives. It is a huge struggle for these fragile little babies that are trying to survive. We are praying everyday and every night for our little Jackson to survive. We also have to remember that the journey to make it is going to be the hardest thing he will ever have to go through. I've read so much on what these babies have to go through and it is so scary. I can't imagine having to watch my baby fight for every breath, every movement,every single thing that a normal baby can just do without a fight. I Don't know how hard it's going to be watching our baby fighting for his life. The only thing i do know is he can't do it without God. These babies also endure alot of pain. To help them deal with this the doctors have them on high dosages of morphine. Alot of times they just keep them so sedated that they are constantly sleeping. The doctors do this because the little babies are wiggle worms. Lord knows mine is already a wiggle worm.

The remaining 50% that do survive could have to overcome very difficult medical complications. Many CDH babies have minor lasting health problems such as feeding aversions, asthma, scoliosis, or short-term oxygen dependency. A small number have major lasting health problems such as ventilator dependency, brain damage, or hearing problems. Many of these babies have no long-lasting medical problems at all. We pray that the only way you can tell that our little boy was ever born with CDH is the scar from the hernia repair. Every CDH baby is different, there is no way to predict the outcome of any baby. Some babies with no diaphragm and little lung growth have survived, while some babies with full lungs do not. These children are very different, requiring different treatments, and varying amounts of medical support. This is why i still worry so much. Our little Jacksons CDH isn't as bad as alot are and the doctors are so happy with him. I hear all this good news then i go back to the Internet and see that it really doesn't matter, if the child is diagnosed with CDH it is not good.

Thank you everyone for all your prayers and messages. We are anticipating the birth of our child but are so very nervous and have no idea what to expect, even with all the research i do. I'll update everyone after our next appointment on the 18th.