27
1229 Words
"Okay, good news and bad news. What'll it be first?" Dr. Wells said as he scooted a chair over to me. His gray hair gave him a distinguished look. He had been doing this for over thirty years.
I bit the inside of my lip. I was going to believe whatever he was about to say. And I was terrified about what the bad news was.
James squeezed my hand.
"Let's just rip the Band-Aid off," I said.
"That's the spirit." Dr. Wells adjusted his glasses and looked down at his clipboard. "Your leak has progressed ever so slightly. Unnoticeable if it weren't for the echocardiogram. Despite your concerns, James, I truly believe that your OB-GYN wouldn't have been able to detect it with just a stethoscope."
"But shouldn't he have at least been a tiny bit alarmed?" James said. "Penny was having chest pains and he completely dismissed the possibility that something was actually wrong."
Dr. Wells nodded. "I understand. Us doctors all like to think we're right." He winked at me. "It is unusual to feel pain due to a murmur. It could have been a wide variety of things causing it. Your OB-GYN specializes in deliveries. I'm sure he's highly qualified in his profession."
I didn't care about Dr. Nelson right now and whether he was a good doctor. I wasn't even sure why we were discussing him. Dr. Wells had just said my leak had progressed and I really had no idea what that meant. "What do you mean that it progressed?"
Dr. Wells settled the notebook in his lap. "It's just a small amount, Penny. I'd probably classify the murmur as moderate to severe now. Somewhere in between the two classifications."
"That's bad, right?" Just talking about this made my chest hurt again.
"No, not necessarily. This baby is putting extra stress on your heart right now. I have every reason to believe the murmur will go back to being moderate after the birth."
"Before you said that it might go back to being mild after the delivery," James said.
Dr. Wells nodded and adjusted his glasses again. "This is something we're going to have to continue to monitor. But usually murmurs of this severity don't just disappear on their own. As long as you're not experiencing shortness of breath or any swelling in your legs and feet, your heart is working perfectly fine."
"When you say they don't disappear on their own, what do you mean by that?" James asked. "You mentioned before that if it got any worse she'd need surgical intervention."
"She'll live a long healthy life. Yes, a medical procedure may be in her future. But advancements in this area are astounding. By the time we need to surgically repair or replace the valve, we'll be looking at something a lot less invasive than open heart surgery."
For some reason my mind focused on the words, "open heart surgery." My mouth felt dry.
"The good news is, you're already on bed rest. So the odds of it progressing any further are very slim. I'd recommend staying off your feet as much as possible. We'll reevaluate your condition after your baby is born. Hopefully everything will go back to normal and you won't have to see my face anymore." He laughed at his own joke.
I didn't really know what to say. I placed my hand on my stomach. It's okay little guy. We're going to be okay.
"Should she be traveling at all?" James asked.
I glanced at him. He never let me fly when I was pregnant anyway. Did he suddenly have an urge to let me come to London with him?
"I'd recommend staying at home, Penny," Dr. Wells said. "The stress of travel isn't something I personally think is worth the risk."
James nodded his head. "And our incompetent OB-GYN said he may have prescribed bed rest too soon. Do you have names of any OB-GYN's that you'd recommend?"
"Why, certainly." He readjusted his glasses again. "My receptionist can give you a list of names. I've worked with all of them before. Top notch doctors."
"Thank you, Dr. Wells," James said.
"Did either of you have any other questions?"
"No, I think that about covers it." James stood up, put his hand out for me, and pulled me to my feet.
"Take it easy, Penny," Dr. Wells said. "And watch for any swelling or shortness of breath. You call me right away if you notice anything like that."
I nodded and let James escort me out of the doctor's office. His hand was gripping mine a little tighter than usual. And I couldn't help but think that it was because he thought I was slipping away.
Wednesday
"But I don't want to stay with Grandpa. I want to come with you." Scarlett pulled on the hem of my dress to get my attention.
I looked down at her cute little scowl. "I know, Scar. But Grandpa has all sorts of fun activities planned. You're going to have so much fun. Rumor has it he's taking you to the zoo." I reached down and picked up the sandals I had been searching everywhere for. Of course they were exactly where they should be in the closet. I had almost forgotten to pack them.
"Hmph." Scarlett crossed her arms. "I don't want to go to the zoo. I want to come with you, Mommy." She plopped down in the middle of the closet in protest.
"Scar, get up off the floor and we'll get your stuff ready to go to Grandpa's."
"Mommy, please let me come with you!" She flopped backwards and spread her arms and legs out like she was about to make snow angels. But she stayed perfectly still like the thought of not coming with us had killed her.
"What are you two doing?" James said. He was staring down at our daughter sprawled out on the floor.
Scarlett immediately got up. "I'm helping Mommy pack. She said if I was good I could come with you."
"Scarlett Hunter." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "What have we told you about lying?"
She gave me the most innocent look. "I don't remember. Daddy, please let me come!" She ran over to James and wrapped her arms around his leg.
"Pumpkin, why don't you go downstairs and help Ellen with dinner." He ruffled her hair.
"If I do will you let me come?"
"I'm going to give you to the count of ten to do as I asked," said James.
"You're a mean daddy!" She ran out the door and her little feet could be heard sprinting down the stairs.
James frowned and turned his attention back to me. At first I thought he was upset by what Scarlett had said. But he looked upset with me.
"What's wrong? I had already told her no. We really need to talk to her about lying again." I walked past him and back into our bedroom. I tossed my sandals on my suitcase.
"Penny, we discussed traveling with the doctor. I thought this was already settled. You're not going anywhere."
I turned back toward him. "What?"
"We're not going."
"James." I laughed, because he must have been kidding. "I thought you were talking about London. Driving a few hours to the beach is hardly traveling."
"We're. Not. Going."
- Writer
