Parvo virus

AKA: slapped cheek disease, or fifth's disease….

I don't love parvo virus, I really, really don't. Too bad for me, because somehow, I wasn't immune to it, and somehow… I got it.

I diagnoses a couple patients with it, plus it's going around like crazy and I work in the clinic and ER seeing a million kids with the runny noses and fevers… you know, a cold, or the symptoms of parvo when most infectious. Once they actually get the rash they aren't infectious anymore.

So what does it mean?? Well if you aren't pregnant, it means nothing. If you are pregnant, there is a very small percentage of babies (about 1/100) that will develop fetal anemia. If left untreated that would be bad, really really bad. (I can't go there, but you can figure it out) Yesterday we went for an ultrasound to make sure the baby isn't showing any signs of anemia, and praise God, everything looked perfect!!! Unfortunately, parvo can cause anemia in the baby for up to 12 weeks post exposure. So, the plan is to do an ultrasound in the city with my dr every week for an additional 8 weeks. We will be skipping next week because I am 16 weeks, and the treatment for anemia, which is in utero blood transfusions to the umbilical vein, can't be done until 18 weeks, so if there was anemia… there would be nothing to be done. Frightening thought. Praying we never need to go that route and that we never, ever see anything but a healthy baby… I know God is in control. It's still scary. I would appreciate prayers for peace and for the baby's health.

So friends and family who live in the city… get ready for weekly visits for the next 8 weeks!

Here are some photos from yesterday's good news scan

Hand and arm

profile looking down

Both baby's feet! You can count all 10 toes!

16 week belly photo coming up!