Specialist Appointment In Phoenix Wednesday February 25, 2009

So we had to be in Phoenix by 8:15 am for my initial paperwork, and then my ultrasounds at 8:45 and my consultation at 10:30 am. The drive is about 3.5 hours so needless to say we were up at the crack of dawn headed to Phoenix. Me, Mark and Burgandy and Eme. Kayla had school so she wasnt able to go with us. What a day... A day filled with doctors and tired, anstsy kids wanting to just get out of there. A very time consuming process, of waiting and more waiting.........And at the end of the day we learned some news that would change our lives forever......

I am 25 weeks today! They did ultrasounds to determine how bad my condition of Complete Placenta Previa was and to see how the baby was doing and measurements and just an overall thourough check to see where my body was standing at this point in my pregnancy...They learned that along with my condition of Complete Placenta Previa from this I have acquired what they call Placenta Accreta it is a side effect that can occur with the previa. More bad news.......it just seems to keep coming. At this point I was very unfamiliar with the Accreta so I am attaching some info about this as well......

Placenta accreta is a severe obstetric complication involving an abnormal superficial attachment of the placenta to the myometrium (the middle layer of the uterine wall). There are three forms of placenta accreta, distinguishable by the depth of penetration.
The placenta usually detaches from the uterine wall relatively easily, but women who encounter placenta accreta during childbirth are at great risk of haemorrhage during its removal. This commonly requires surgery to stem the bleeding and fully remove the placenta, and in severe forms can often lead to a hysterectomy or be fatal.
Placenta accreta affects approximately 1 in 2,500 pregnancies.

I am now a statistic!

The most common form of placenta accreta is an invasion of the myometrium which does not penetrate the entire thickness of the muscle. This form of the condition accounts for around 75-78% of all cases, and has no name other than placenta accreta.
There are two further variants of the condition that are known by specific names and are defined by the depth of their attachment to uterine wall. Placenta increta occurs when the placenta further extends into the myometrium and happens in around 17% of all cases. Placenta percreta, the worst form of the condition and occurring in 5-7% of cases, is when the placenta penetrates the entire myometrium to the uterine serosa (invades through entire uterine wall). This variant can lead to the placenta attaching to other organs such as the rectum or bladder[1].

Again I have to have the worst possible case of the Placenta Accreta, the percreta that only occurs in 5-7% of cases.

What a day! during my consultation they informed us that she wanted to admit me to the hospital immediately for the remainder of my pregnancy. I am only 25 weeks that is forever....But she wasnt giving us an option at this point for my health and the health of the baby it is what had to be done. So she at least let us go home which was against her wishes as long as we promised to be back immediately the next morning to be admitted at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center here in Phoenix.. So much to do and think about....And such a long drive home.. so quiet, confused, and unsure of how we were going to pull this one off, with me being placed in the hospital for the remainder of my time..So little time to prepare things and get some stuff in order and together to be right back in Phoenix by 9 am.