Easton’s Story - Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)
I went into my 20-week ultrasound, excited to see my little boy, and see how well he was growing. We had a student tech that was new and taking forever, so we thought maybe she just didn't know what she was doing. She left the room to get another tech to assist her, and they told us that we need to talk to the doctor. We went into the room and waited for the doctor to come in. The doctor came in and told us that our "baby's stomach was up in the chest, and they believe it was a hernia." She then went on to tell us she was referring us to a specialist in Memphis. We went to that appointment, and they confirmed that the little boy we have waited so long for did, in fact, had CDH. I was terrified.
Then, we were referred to Lebonheur Children's in Memphis so that they could do further ultrasounds, an echo, and an MRI. We received good news at this appointment because they told us that our son's case was mild-moderate. We had to have weekly visits because he measured small. Luckily all of our weekly appointments went well. They planned to induce me at 39 weeks, but our boy had a different plan. He came at 37 weeks, weighing 4 lbs & 4 oz. We were told he wouldn't cry, but he started YELLING when he came out. He was immediately put on the vent and taken up to the NICU. Once he was stable, they brought him to my room so I could see him before transporting him across the street to the PICU at Lebonheur. I was discharged the next day and had the opportunity to be with my baby. At 2 days old, he underwent surgery. He did really well, and he didn't need ECMO, so they moved him to the NICU. While in the NICU after his surgery, they struggled to get his gases right, but they finally got them where they needed to be, and from then on, they were beautiful every time. He was on the vent for a week, then placed on bubble CPAP for a few days, then wall oxygen for a few days, and finally, the room air. Once he was off oxygen, they moved him to the 8th floor & started feeds, which took the longest for him. He wouldn't eat at first but finally got the hang of it. He was discharged from the hospital after 38 days.
Today, he is a happy, healthy 6-month old that loves to eat & loves to play. If you didn't know him, you would think he never went through any of it. His latest chest X-ray was GREAT, according to his surgeon, and everything else is going well. Don't give up hope; these babies are fighters.