Update on Lucy's birth day (it's not scary part two)

I visited my surgeon a couple of weeks ago and he did one of those things that doctors sometimes do where he told me something that was supposed to make me feel better but really just served to make me uneasy. He revealed that no one has really done this...had a baby after having such a large portion of the abdominal wall replaced...or at least no one in any obtainable medical journals. Additionally, no one seems to have had a baby after receiving the Allomax transplant. If you are interested in learning about Allomax, this pamphlet makes it look really fun and exciting.

I have to admit, it is kind of cool that someone who has ceased to exist is still living...sort of...in my belly. Totally freaky and futuristic, but cool.

Anyway, the research people at the hospital seemed very excited to meet me. Eerily excited, perhaps?

But overall, the news was very good. I was suspicious that everything was holding up well because although I have had low-level chronic pain since the surgery, it hasn't really increased significantly through my pregnancy (having already very gradually decreased over the past two years or so). There was an increase in pain in the first trimester, but then it leveled out. All of this is indicative of the pain being caused by nerve damage more so than scar tissue.

Most importantly, the tissue's elasticity is holding up very well for my pregnancy. All my fears that my abdominal wall would just split open again are pretty much gone. The very good news is that a whole team of people are watching my progress and will be present at the c-section, including the infectious disease doctor and the surgeon.

I feel really good about this--less nervous than ever as the day draws closer. In the meantime, I have set my mind to the idea that I can plan my recovery in detail, making a schedule of people to help with the baby, cooking ahead of time. It is kind of heartbreaking that I don't have the option of vaginal birth with Lucy, but the good side is that I don't have to suffer a long labor and then recovery from surgery, and that I will know exactly what to expect when going in.