When I knew that I was 6 weeks pregnant, I quit on my job since I was diagnosed to have sub chorionic hemorrhage. I was very ill, and my OB Gyne instructed me to have a complete bed for the entire 1st trimester of my pregnancy. But until on my 4th month, I was still on bed rest, for the rest of my pregnancy I was advised to be extra vigilant with the baby inside and my body as well.
On my 22 weeks of pregnancy, ultrasound had shown that the left lung of my baby, has CCAM, Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) is a rare abnormality of lung development on his left lung and his heart shifted to the right. So, every month I have a regular check up with ultrasound on my OB Gyne. She advised me to have a fetal echo to the other hospital to ensure that the heart of my baby is normal.
The fetal echo was successful, normal heart but still shifted to the right as they said, CCAM was still there and I’ll have to be back on my 32nd week of pregnancy. On my 32 weeks of pregnancy, we repeated the ultrasound, the CCAM was not shown already and the heart is in place. We are very happy of the good news.
Then on my 39th week of pregnancy, July 1, 2014, I have delivered Gervace Emmanuel on 3.03kg in Oligohydramnios a condition in pregnancy characterized by a deficiency of amniotic fluid, coil cord on his extremities, and on emergency caesarian operation. All is well since his first day when his pediatric doctor told us that he was born to be normal.
We really thought that any congenital malformations had been disappeared….
On his second day, we are shocked when he had a 38.8 fever and the doctors asked us to have his blood extracted for blood culture since he may have infection since I have a few amount of amniotic fluid when I delivered him. Then, 4 hours later the doctors from the nursery advised us that he has to be placed in the ICU for he can barely breathe. He had diagnosed to have pneumonia on the upper lobe of his lungs. While he was in the NICU, CT scans and x-rays had been made because of the history that he has CCAM. Only then we knew that it was not CCAM, but Broncho pulmonary Sequestration.
We stayed in the hospital for 12 days. Since I breastfeed, every 4 hours, I always went to NICU for 3 to 4 days until we transferred to another room in the pediatric ward, when his oxygen and has been up for a hundred percent. Then, the remaining days we have to stay in the hospital for his antibiotics.
The thoracic surgeon who had been asked for advised for the condition of our son said that we have to wait for our baby to weigh up to 10kg for the operation. He needed the operation because the lower lobe of his left lung had developed a lung tissue wherein it produces its own blood supply and phlegm which causes pneumonia and infections and is not connected to the primary normal lung. It is like an accessory lung. So, we are not prepared financially that we have to seek financial assistance due to high bill charges.
All is well after 12 days; we’ve been discharged in the hospital. God is so good.
Since then, we have regular checkups and immunizations in the health center. He had some coughs and colds, but as advised by the pediatricians, is normal and can be treated immediately. Extra care and precautions were needed for our baby so that he will not be caught by pneumonia or any other diseases that may lead him to illness. On his 5th month, his pediatrician started to nebulize him because he always had dry cough and colds, until on his 7th month. Now he is turning 9months (April1), and the Thoracic surgeon advised us that on his 10th month (May1) is the best age he could be operated.
The operation would be Posterolateral Thoracotomy- is an incision through an intercostal space on the back, and is often widened with rib spreaders. It is a very common approach for operations on the lung or posterior mediastinum, including the esophagus, otherwise Lobectomy–a surgical procedure performed to remove one of the lobes of the lungs. The procedure may be performed when an abnormality has been detected in a specific part of the lung. When only the affected lobe of the lung is removed, the remaining healthy tissue is spared to maintain adequate lung function, for baby, his left lower lobe.