Expecting a Boy

As you all know, there are happy periods when one wants to forget about VHL, sometimes easily, sometimes with difficulty.

I would like to share with you some hope and some moments of joy after certain battles have resulted in some great victories. Today I am happy to announce that I am expecting a little boy on the 23rd of January.

Now that I am nearly 40 years old, I am just now touching with the tips of my fingers the happiness that I have desired. VHL nearly made me give up. I was living in fear and anxiety from this disease.

I was not able to benefit from pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. Even though my request was initially accepted, they said that the waiting list was long and, since I was already 38 years old, the chances of success with IVF are greatest when you are under 25. I was disappointed at first that I was not in the percentage of the population more likely to succeed. It is hard to be just a number or a percentage.

Nonetheless, I did not give up in spite of the fear of having a child with VHL like myself. My grandmother who has VHL is still here, my mother also, and of course I myself am still here—why could he not also be okay with VHL? I still don’t know whether he has VHL. I had them do an amniocentesis test only for trisomy (Downs).

He will be tested in time, but for the moment I am enjoying this pregnancy.

As for me, like others, I know that I have spinal cord tumors. Three years ago I had surgery on a hemangioblastoma and a cyst in the cervical spine. I am doing quite well now.

Because of the spinal cord involvement, they will take extra care during the delivery. They tell me it is okay to do epidural anesthesia, but they don’t want me to push hard during delivery. It is better to do a Caesarean section.

Love and kisses to all.

P.S. Mireille had a beautiful little boy. Whether or not he has the altered VHL gene, she and her husband will work with him to keep him healthy.

As printed in the VHL Family Forum 19:1, January/February 2011. For permission to reprint, please contact VHL Family Alliance, editor@vhl.org. Further information is available from the VHL Family Alliance, info@vhl.org.