In the Beginning

In the beginning, I was pregnant with twin baby girls. The news shocked and delighted both the family here in Germany and at home in the USA. Twins!! As the pregnancy moved along things were going well. I was happy but compared to the other pregnancies I had experienced, everything about this pregnancy was more extreme. Due to the higher level of hormones, I had stronger morning sickness, stronger cravings, stronger emotions...you name it. Around week 19, we developed a problem. I started to have contractions. They rushed me to the Medical School in Hannover (MHH) where I was booked into a lovely room to spend the rest of my pregnancy. I left at home a baby girl, Katja, who was only 10 months old herself. I was instructed to keep my butt up high and stay on my back. They did not do any surgical tightening of the cervix because I had an infection that would have made it worse. I reclined with my bottom in the air for about 10 weeks. Then the team of doctors decided on November 10, 2006 to deliver Kelly and Sabrina by C-Section. We were on week 29, day 5.
The girls were both delivered healthy with great APGAR scores. There was nothing wrong with either of them at that point, except they were preemies. Then the trouble began for Kelly. Both girls had underdeveloped lungs and were given oxygen through a mask. The doctor in charge of the girls suggested that it was better that both girls fight and learn to breathe, rather than risking the chance of damaging their fragile lungs with intubation. Sabrina was doing okay with the whole oxygen mask thing but Kelly was struggling. Her lungs filled with fluid and her oxygen saturation numbers were very dangerous for two days. This is when she experienced brain damage. On day three they went ahead and intubated her. She had fought well and after giving her another shot to help develop her lungs further, they put her on the machine. It was, however, to late to avoid brain damage. I look back and wonder, if I knew what it would be like today for Kelly, would I have made a different choice. We felt like we were making the right decision. The doctor said it was what he would have done if it were his child. Was it the right choice? I will never know.
What I do know is that Kelly experienced bi-lateral brain damage and something we call PVL. I now know that this brain damage is responsible for the new term in our family life, Cerebral Palsy. I also know that after watching Kelly over the last 21 months, that Cerebral Palsy will not beat her. Kelly will beat Cerebral Palsy. No, there is no cure. No, it will not go away. But Kelly is developing. Beating all the doctor's expectations. She is fighting to overcome her Spastic Quad. CP every day. We will keep fighting and we will beat this CP thing.
That is why I started this separate blog. I want a journal for Kelly alone. I invite you to read along. I invite you to cry with us, cheer with us, laugh with us and please pray with us.
Welcome.