I was beginning to feel left out. Everyone else has their special issues: There's Julie and Charlie keeping us in suspense and educating us about the life of a premature infant, as well as numerous other pregnancy complications; There's Tertia, describing the ins-and-outs of bearing twins through bedrest damn near to term; There's Grrl and Sarah giving us all a raging case of tennis elbow from refreshing her site and keeping tabs on her two babies; and the list goes on.
As I mentioned a few posts back, by comparison, I was looking like one plain-jane wonderbread pregnant chick.
Notice I used the past tense.
There is accreta.
I don't know anything further because the goddamned report still hasn't come in. But my specialist spoke with the radiologist and he said there is accreta. He will call me as soon as he has the report. He'll be working in tandem with my OB to map out the safest course to, well, to keep me alive and if at all possible, save my uterus.
I know that sounds like melodrama - and trust me, I wish it were - but this is not a situation to be taken lightly.
"In Placenta Accreta, the abnormally firm attachment of the placenta to the uterine wall prevents the placenta from separating normally after the delivery. The retained placenta interferes with uterine contraction that is necessary to control bleeding after delivery. Severe bleeding and surgical attempts to control bleeding are the major sources of maternal morbidity and mortality in cases of Placenta Accreta. Blood transfusions are required in more than 50% of patients with Placenta Accreta."
and...
"Unfortunately, most cases of Accreta are encountered without warning in women who are not prepared for the possibility of hysterectomy. Control of potentially life-threatening haemorrhage is the first priority, however, the patients desire for future fertility must be taken into consideration. Historically, control of bleeding has been achieved by hysterectomy. However, 10 recent reports include 31 cases of Placenta Accreta being managed without hysterectomy, there were no maternal deaths, and subsequent fertility did not appear to be impaired.
Initial approaches to conservative management of Placenta Accreta may include curettage and/or oversewing of the placenta bed and occluding the blood vessels that supply the pelvis. Reported success rates of these manoeuvres vary widely.
There are several case reports of Placenta Accreta in which all or part of the placenta was left inside the uterus and managed expectantly. This is possible only in patients who are stable. It should be considered in those who understand and accept the risks of delayed bleeding and infection.
Conservative options may provide alternatives to hysterectomy in carefully selected patients. In the majority of cases however, hysterectomy remains the procedure of choice."
I'll most definitely be in my cave. I'll emerge to give you any more information as I receive it... and to accept any tips you may have on keeping myself occupied and, um, sane.