The Next Day

Christina's Story - Most of you know this story already but I promised the Lord I would speak of His Work, His Words and His Glory.  Over the next several days I am going to share what has become Christina's Testimony.  Glory be to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The week before my August 17th sonogram my OB/GYN  did a routine blood test called an AFP Tetra Test - this test checks for Trisomy 18…which is an extra chromosome – Down Syndrome. With my age there is a 1 in 140 chance my child could have Down Syndrome.  Dr. Ashby told me the day of the test “if I did not hear from him it was good news but if he called it was going to be bad news”.

The day after I found out that I was probably having a girl I was sitting on the couch still having a “pity party for Tina”.   My eyes were swollen where I had cried so much the day before…I was going to do nothing that day except feel sorry for myself.

Then….the phone rang. 

Thank goodness Randy was sitting on the couch next to me…he was kissing me good-bye as he was on his way to work.

I looked at caller id and it was Dr. Ashby's office calling…I knew why he was calling…I remember his exact words - “if I did not hear from him it was good news but if he called it was going to be bad news”.

I made Randy answer the phone.

The first thing Randy told Dr. Ashby was that I didn’t want to talk to him…I wanted him to tell Randy the test results.

There were a lot of “yes’s…”, I understand...”, “uh-huh...’”, and “I agree”…then Randy hung up the phone.

This blood test was positive.....and revealed that there was now a 1 in 30 chance that our child would have Downs Syndrome.I was devastated to say the least...I went to the bathroom threw up and curled up in a ball on my bathroom floor.  How could this be?  I can’t have a child with Downs?!?  What the hell was I going to do?  How is this going to affect John?  How was I going to handle this?  The test was probably correct because I am the 1% that stuff happens too.

I was a mess.

However – Randy wasn’t.  He wasn’t even reacting to this news!!! He looked at me and said our girl is just fine – there is nothing wrong with her. She does not have Downs or any other problems.

At the time I didn’t think he thinking was helping me…I wanted him to be devastated like me…how could he did so sure??

Dr. Ashby told Randy that the AFP test is not 100% correct. In fact it is more wrong than it is right.  He also told Randy he gets at least 2 positive test results a month…he hates these test. 

  Dr. Ashby told Randy that we could do an Amniocenteses  This test is where they stick a huge needle through my belly into the sack holding the baby to retrieve fluid to do further testing.  Dr. Ashby does not recommend it because there is a high rate of infection or miscarriage but it was our decision and we only had a few days to decide what to do.

My wonderful doctor then finished the conversation with the following statement - “these tests are NOT God….I am NOT God….but we know who GOD is!”

From that moment on I wanted a little girl...or whatever the Lord was going to bless me with.  Nothing else mattered.

I cried out to my Lord Jesus Christ and begged Him for His forgiveness for my pride and my overwhelming selfishness.  I praised Him for my pregnancy and my precious little girl I was carrying.  He knows best.

I was sure I was going to have the Amniocenteses but Randy was 100% against it.  How was I going to survive the next five months and NOT know?!?!?