Part 1 "I'm sorry, she does have it"

    I had been anxiously awaiting the results of my Amniocentesis all week. In a sheer terror I was in denial, I asked myself a million times, "how could my baby have Down syndrome? I'm only 28 years old!! No not me!" On June 11, 2010 I cheerfully answered my cell phone, all I could feel was complete relief as it was my genetic counselor on the other end and she was calling me to give me the news I was waiting for. You know... that my Amnio results showed my baby girl was "healthy" and the screening results were just a false positive that's all. Well that's what I dreamed would happen.
 
   Instead my genetic counselor who I will call Ms. K said "Chelo, is Ricky home with you?" Me>>"No, he's at work" Ms. K >>"I would prefer you were not alone" Me>> Please just tell me" Ms. K >>"The test results are in.....it's not what we were hoping for. I'm sorry, she does have it." Me>> "Oh....ok thank you" Ms. K "Chelo are you ok?" Me>> "ya" after that exchange Ms. K asked if my husband and I could come in to see her that afternoon because she had more info to discuss with us? I agreed we would meet her at her office later that day. Click, I hung up.
 
    What followed was a complete breakdown. I had just learned my baby girl had Down syndrome. All I could do was cry and scream "No! No! No! She's not right! My baby is not right! My poor baby!!!!!!!Why??? Why!!!!" My cries got the attention of my brother in law who at the time was in his early 20's and was staying with our family for a few days. He was sooo confused as we didn't tell him about the testing or even our other siblings, my husband and I only shared this information with our parents. We never expected to have the test show anything was "wrong". My BIL called my husband at work and told him to get home NOW! as per his wife. When my husband Ricky got home I just lost it all over again the pain in his eyes was so hard to face, he was putting on a brave face but his eyes said otherwise. We sent our then 4 year old daughter with my brother to get her out of the house, she was so frightened from all the commotion.

    My husband and I just cried and held each other close.... What were we gonna do?? We had to meet Ms. K to discuss some more information she had for us later that same day.