Sept 2006
Update on
our pregnancy: We are currently 22 weeks pg with a
healthy little boy named Isaac Thomas! Praise God!
Tom and Teresa Link
June 2006
We are
pregnant for the 3rd time since our reversal On December 3rd 2004.
So far so good. we are due January 11th.
Tom and Teresa Link
November
2005
Just wanted
to let you know we saw a heartbeat yesterday. Our EDD for this
pregnancy is 6/25/2006, our 23rd wedding anniversary.
Tom and Teresa Link
October 2005
Dr. Perez did our tubal
reversal in December. We lost a baby in June. We just
found out we are now expecting again. Please pray for a
healthy baby for us.
Tom and Teresa Link
June 2005
I had my
reversal Dec 04 and recently announced a pregnancy. We were told
yesterday that we will miscarry as there is no baby in a 7 week
gestational sac. Please pray for us.
April 2005
We wanted to
announce that we are pregnant after having our reversal with Dr.
Perez in December of 2004. We are thrilled and blessed.
I will update as we know the sex of the baby.
Thank you and God Bless Rio Bravo Reversals,
Tom and Teresa Link
December 2004
My name is Teresa Link and DH is Tom. I am not even going to promise
to keep this short because I know how much these testimonies have
meant to me while I waited for my reversal. We left St. Louis,
Missouri on a plane at 12:30 on Friday December 3rd, headed for
McAllen, Texas. We had a one hour layover in Dallas, Texas and
arrived in McAllen (which is a very small airport) at 5:35. We
bought a Spanish/English dictionary and I practiced the word for
pain. I was worried because I told Fanny I would be there at 5:30
and then she wasn't there when we got there. I called her and she
was on her way. Be sure to take her phone number with you! She
arrived a few minutes later while DH was getting my bag. We headed
across the border immediately. Before we even got to the border Dr.
Levi phoned Fanny to see if we were on the way and if I had eaten. I
had purposely not eaten so I could have the surgery that night if
there was time and the doctors were willing. So I knew I would get
my surgery that night and I was so excited and nervous. At the
airport I had watched (and smelled) DH eating McDonald's goodies.
Now it was worth it.
It took about 1/2 hour to get the clinic/hospital. It is in a very
nice neighborhood and while it doesn't smell like any hospital in
the US (you know, all sterile) it was VERY clean and neat and QUIET.
I was taken to a room to settle in. Dr. Levi came in to ask me a few
medical history questions and introduce himself. He was so nice and
friendly. The male nurse brought me a gown and I asked if I should
take a shower. Dr. Levi said I could if I wanted to so I took a
quick very cold shower. The hot water seemed not to work in the
first room I was in. It finally heated up toward the end of the
shower. I was told to remove all my jewelry which I thought I did.
Hubby kept my diamond earrings and wedding ring in his pocket along
with the cash for the procedure. Immediately after the shower, the
male nurse came in again to start the IV. Ok that hurt, but it was
only one stick and that was that. DH was given scrubs to wear so he
could watch the procedure.
Within minutes, a wheel chair was brought in and I was given my IV
bottle to hold on the short ride to the OR. I could have walked..lol.
Anyway, DH was ready with the camera and took a few pictures as I
directed. I told him to get as many pictures as he could to
commemorate the event, and video if possible. I was only at the
hospital for about 30 minutes and then I was headed to the OR.
So they wheeled me into the OR and I immediately turned to look for
the cross over the door and yup, there it was. I was helped onto the
operating table and immediately told to assume the fetal position. I
did and then I got scared of the epidural and I asked Dr. Moreno
about the sleepy juice because I was nervous. It was administered
immediately and I don't remember the epidural at all. I wasn't
sleeping, but I didn't care or feel a thing. DH was watching through
the OR doors. They didn't let him in for the epidural for some
reason but he could see a little and said the needle was LONG. I
never saw it. Soon I was on my back and they were cleaning my tummy
with Betadine and by this time DH was there. Then they noticed my
belly button ring which I had forgotten to remove. I never take it
out. I tried but couldn't get it. I don't know who finally got it
out. So remember to remove ALL jewelry. The catheter was inserted. I
saw them do it but felt nothing.
There is a lot of the 1 1/2 hour procedure I don't remember but that
is ok. DH was right there videotaping the whole thing. He got the
most awesome video of my tubes, the removal of the rings that were
on them, the repair and the closing of the incision. He did a
fantastic job of taping the whole event. He told me how Dr. Perez
was having trouble with his magnifying glasses and Dr. Levi fixed
them for him. He told how Dr. Perez prayed before the beginning of
the procedure. DH told me my tubes looked like fishing worms. I
remember him asking Dr. Levi during the procedure how the tubes
looked and he said long, 5 cm. DH knew I was concerned about the
damage to my tubes and I remember the elation and praising God in my
heart for that outcome. I remember the Dr.'s trading sides when one
tube was repaired and I remember when Dr. Perez left. I thanked him.
Dr. Levi and another practicing student closed my incision. Dr.
Moreno was right there by my side the entire time making sure I was
comfortable. I felt a little something (maybe the vibration from the
cautery?) and I told them and Dr. Moreno was right there
administering more medication into my epidural. Everyone was
concerned about my comfort and were very kind.
When the procedure was over I was transferred to a gurney to be
taken to my room. It was a helpless feeling because I was unable to
help them move me because of the epidural. I kept apologizing for
not being able to help and wishing I had lost 10 pounds before I
went for the reversal...LOL.
Then I was taken to a different room that the first one and settled
into my bed. I was freezing and asked for more blankets and told Dr.
Levi I wanted to eat. He said no because it might make me sick. They
did bring DH some supper. I was back in my room by 9 pm and at 12:30
I asked to watch the video DH took right away and he showed it to
me. AWESOME footage. The way the Dr's worked together to repair my
tubes was like a work of art.
I was awake almost all night with numb legs. That was the worst
part. The nurses didn't check in much and that was OK. DH was there.
I was so ready to get rid of the epidural and catheter. The nurses
gave me pain meds in my IV every 8 hours as well as antibiotics. I
stood up one time in the night after the epidural wore off and was
shaky. DH had to help me get back in bed. In the morning I stood up
again and it felt good. The binder they use over the incision helps
a lot but I always felt that it was too tight, causing gas to back
up into my stomach, so I took it off when I could. The only pain I
had afterwards was a slight burning at the incision site and
muscular pain when I tried to sit up, all of which was quite
tolerable. I got the catheter and epidural out at 3 pm the day after
my surgery. I was allowed to eat in the morning and the food was
wonderful and filling. My first shower was very refreshing because
after surgery I was VERY COLD and then got two more blankets to use.
Then I got so hot that I sweated profusely. The shower made me feel
like a new woman. We walked a bit in the halls and saw one baby in
the nursery.
Dr. Levi said we could leave Sunday morning if we felt ok with that
so we hung around the hospital all day Saturday and watched lots of
TV and just laid around. Sunday morning we had Dr. Levi call Fanny
for us and she took us to the airport where we rented a car for the
day. We went out to lunch and then got a motel for the night and
just laid around and watched TV again, went out for supper as well
and turned in for the night. It was great. We caught our plane at
12:30 in McAllen and headed home. I didn't feel all that great and
was kind of queasy most of the flight. It was good to get home. I
tried to go back to work on Tuesday, but I developed the WORST
headache I have ever had in my whole life. I stayed only an hour and
then when home. I was fine while lying down or standing but could
not sit. This lasted for 2.5 days. I was grateful when it finally
subsided.
Dr. Levi said we should abstain for 15 days, and that we would try
to conceive after 2 months. Also, he recommended an HSG after 2
months.
Last of all I want to give all the glory to God for the way he paved
the way for us to make this trip. For the past 5 years we have been
making the trip to McAllen every January to work with our church
group on different Mexico mission projects. Had it not been for our
experiences there, we would never have considered using Dr. Perez or
going to Mexico for any medical procedure. God was very gentle with
us in leading us where we would otherwise have never gone. He also
provided the funds, the time off and a perfect trip, procedure and
outcome. God is so good and we are so grateful for what He has done
for us. Even if we never have a child (but we believe we will!), we
know His hand was upon us.
Tom and Teresa Link
Tubal Reversal 12/3/04
5 cm on the left and right
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