When Nathanael was only 10 weeks old, we decided to perform an intravenous test as his Nachal translucency thickness was higher than normal. Gynae advised that we conduct a test to decide if we want to bring the baby to term. At that point it was not the practicality of her advise that struck me, but the fact that our baby may potentially be suffering from Down syndrome.. I was devastated. I cried a few days after knowing the options. And finally decided that regardless the outcome, I will keep him and love him. However, we must plan for him if it’s positive. I may have to change my job or quit altogether. It will be a tough journey ahead and I told myself I needed to know. I needed to plan ahead no matter what the future holds. And knowing and anticipating it early will help.
So we decided to go with the CVS test. It was an experience that I will never ever forget. The coldness of the examination table, the kindness of Dr Tony Tan who is an expert in this field and conducted this multiple times, the strength that I’ve mustered to hold myself together to overcome the fear of the long syringe that looks like double the length of long rulers combined. It was scary. The thought of doctor having to hold a ultrasound scanner to determine the position of the uterus, the foetus when it’s barely formed, all these contributed to my anxiety. I could feel my body trembling uncontrollably. We paused multiple times and I couldn’t control the tears that are welling up in my eyes and trickling down my face. Dr Tan wanted to reschedule even. I told myself to be resilient for the baby, controlled my body with my mind to stop myself from shaking. The procedure was perfectly performed. No implication. With God’s blessings, Nathanael turns out healthy and we got to know the gender of the baby in advance. Appending the procedure below as a reference.
For a transabdominal CVS procedure:
For an abdominal CVS, your abdomen will be cleansed with an antiseptic. You will be instructed not to touch the sterile area on your abdomen during the procedure.
The doctor may inject a local anesthetic to numb the skin. If a local anesthetic is used, you will feel a needle stick when the anesthetic is injected. This may cause a brief stinging sensation.
Ultrasound will be used to help guide a long, thin, hollow needle through your abdomen and into the uterus and placenta. This may be slightly painful, and you may feel a cramp as the needle enters the uterus.
Cells will be gently suctioned into a syringe. More than one sample may be needed to obtain enough tissue for testing.
The needle will then be removed. An adhesive bandage will be placed over the abdominal needle insertion site.
No comments:
Post a Comment