Birth Stories
The week after Christmas, my mom took Caroline back to Waller for a few days so that I could have a few days alone to get some things accomplished. Some highlights of my time off were getting a crown replaced (FUN!) and getting my 29 week 2-hour Glucose Test (even more FUN!) I did also squeeze in a Pregnancy Massage. It was the first and only pre-natal massage I would get this pregnancy! At my 29 week appt. on Wednesday, December 28th, my BloodPressure was high. Usually I can lay on my left side and it will go down, but that little trick wasn't working on Wednesday. My OB decided to put me on some BP meds. I developed High BP when I delivered Caroline 3 1/2 years ago. I was placed on BP meds for a month after her birth to get it back down and I responded really well to those meds. I have had the occasional high reading since then, but nothing long term. My OB said it would probably take a week or so for the meds to have a real effect on my BP. Just gave me some basic parameters and rules to follow. She DID approve for me to drive to Waller to pick up Caroline, as long as I wasn't making a round trip that day. I assured her that I would be spending two nights before coming back.
So, off I went. Stopped by Target to grab my BP meds and hit the road from Austin to Waller (2 1/2 hour drive). Before I even got out of town I got pulled over and got a ticket for going 66 in a 55 on Ben White. Really? The cop was in such a hurry that he didn't even notice that my Inspection Sticker has been out since September! The entire transaction played out while Creep (Radiohead) was on the radio. The song wasn't even over and I was back on the road. I'm sure that ticket was great for the BP, but at least the guy was in a hurry?
Anyway, I got to Waller without any further drama. My sister came with her 2 girls for a ilttle belated Christmas action. I spent the next day being shuttled around by my parents b/c they were paranoid about my BP. Mom even read the side-effects of the meds I was put on.
Labetalol: Common Side Effects: Dizziness, indigestion, lightheadedness, nausea, stuffy nose, tingling of the scalp, unusual tiredness.
Great. Those side effects along with typical 3rd Trimester life should be fun. So, I pretty much lounged around on the couch and in bed. Fortunately, Caroline and her cousins get along so well, it's like they weren't even there!
On Friday, it was time to head back to Austin. My goal was to be home by the time Jay got home from work, around 3:30pm. I knew that he was missing Caroline and needed to see her. This meant I should leave my parents house around 1pm at the LATEST. I also had a retirement party to attend that night for a former coworker. She was celebrating 41 years at the bank and I didn't want to miss it! Well, anyone that knows me well, knows that I don't really like to lounge around. I like to get up and go and do things. But on this day, I could NOT get off the couch. I just kept staring at the clock, watching it tick closer and closer to 1pm and sort of dreading leaving. I was also contemplating calling my coworkers to let the know that I really wasn't up to attending Audrey's party. I just felt crappy. I 100% attributed the way I was feeling to the BP medicine side-effects.
As the clock ticked closer to 1pm, I started feeling a little worse, but I still really wanted to hit the road. I briefly contemplated calling my OB. Are these Braxton Hicks contractions that I'm feeling getting stronger? I'm not sure, but they don't hurt, so I blow it off. My dad and sister pack my car for me and I go out and turn my car on in the driveway. I also plug my phone in the car charger b/c it's dead. I go back in the house to pee (one MORE time) and get Caroline, who is still happily playing with her cousins.
This is where it starts to get graphic. I'll try to inject humor in where I can. What else can you do but laugh and Thank God that things turned out okay?
I can't stop peeing. But when I finally try to wipe, I realize that it's not pee, but blood coming out. Lots of it. I yell for my mom. Yell for my sister. I don't want to freak any of the kids out, but I'm scared. Oddly enough, my Dad is the one that hears me and he usually can't hear much. He gets my mom. She and my sister run into he bathroom and my mom tells my sister to call 911. I beg my mom to rip my fake Uggs off and my pants. I am HOT and feel like I'm gonna pass out. I ask my mom for a towel and she comes up with a washrag. Um...I need more than that. She then grabs a very VINTAGE Coca-Cola beach towel that my brother, sister and I joke is older than we are. Whatever. I used it and I somehow make it to my parents bed. Thank goodness there was an old shower curtain liner nearby that they use as a waterproof mattress pad when my daughter sleeps over. Otherwise, my parents would be buying a new mattress. I lay on that. I also beg my mom not to have a heart attack. Then I cry because I am scared. At some point I realize that I am naked from the waist down and there are EMT guys coming in. I secretly hope that I didn't go to high school with any of them, as we are in Waller and it's a very small town. Whew...I don't recognize any of them. But my mom does. And asks one of them who his parents are. Great. He's looking at my naked rear end. Fortunately, he's not who she thinks he is. There are 3 EMS guys. Kevin, this younger guy who I learn is in training. He's nice and tells me I'm not bleeding that much when I tell him I can feel it coming out. I think he's lying to me, though. There is Royce, an older guy. He keeps cracking cheesy jokes. Which I'll appreciate later. And the driver who my mom thinks she knows, something Arnold (?).
My sister is calling Jay (who is in Austin at work) and my OB (who is closed for the weekend).
The EMTs ask us which hospital we want to go to. I can't remember exactly, but they offered Brenham, which is closer to Austin, but about 30 minutes away. Tomball, which is still about 30 minutes, but in the wrong direction. Something else? And Katy, still 30ish minutes away, and closer to Houston where all the good baby hospitals are. I said, 'Which one is best?' I knew this was NOT a good situation. They said, 'Katy.' And I said, 'Let's go'.
They got the stretcher as close to my parents room as them could and somehow, I got on it. Still no pants. Remember how your mom tells you to wear clean underwear in case you're in a wreck? Well, I'm strolling up in the hospital naked from the waist down. Good times. Yay for sheets.
We get in the ambulance and the last thing I see is my Dad waving goodbye. He's getting left behind with the kids. My mom is going to follow in her truck. Again, maybe someone should be watching her so she doesn't have a heart attack or stroke?
I know these back roads of my hometown like the back of my hand. I can tell that they turn the ambulance towards 362 and they aren't going through the rice fields (which my dad will argue is closer). I inquire about this and say something like, 'Oh, you're not gonna take the bumpy roads?' Either Royce or Kevin is like, 'Ma'am, this is Waller County. ALL the roads are bumpy.' This I know. I hear Royce telling the ambulance driver not to stop for anything and asks for an ETA to Katy. 25 minutes. Then the IV. POOR Kevin. They said, 'Ma'am, have you ever had an IV?' 'Yes, when my daughter was born. And the crappy nurse took like 4 tries to get it in.' Yeah, Sorry Kevin. Poor guy tried a BUNCH of times to get it in and it didn't work. All while going over some very bumpy roads at high speed. I think eventually Royce put the IV in and apologized that Kevin was having a little trouble with his IVs that day. Yeah. I probably scared the poor guy to death. At some point during the ambulance ride, I started having painful contractions. Royce would get quiet between jokes. I would tell them every time I had a contraction, even though I wasn't sure anyone was listening (they were). I heard Royce ask for ETAs a few more times form the driver. We get to the hospital. A blur of actions occur. And things start moving REALLY. FAST.
Pause for a minute here.
Monday evening my sister gets a call from Royce, the EMT. He has called the hospital looking for an update on me and the baby, but I've already been discharged. Somehow he tracks down my sister's cell number (she's in San Antonio) and calls her to check one me. This alone, floors me. He gives her his cell number and tells me to call if I want to. I call him on Tuesday evening. Royce says that he's been an EMT for 29 years (? He did NOT look this old) and that my situation really got to him. He said he was cracking cheesy jokes b/c he was really scared and trying not to let it show. If I scared a guy who's been doing this for 29 years, I may have scared Kevin into rethinking his career choice. He said he was very relieved to know that Denver even survived because he wasn't so sure that he would. He said that he had instructed the ambulance driver not to stop AT ALL on the way to the hospital. 'Run over as many people as you need to. We'll go back and pick them up later. If there's a train, go over it. I don't want to feel this ambulance stop. Just get there.' Royce said that it takes a lot to impress him after all these years and he's writing a letter the the hospital administration of Katy Herman Memorial to commend them on the speed of care I received. My mom and I plan on writing a letter to the Waller Volunteer EMS to commend HIM on the care I received. Royce also said that he's shocked I didn't have a stroke on the way to the hospital because my BP was so high. Wow.
So, we are at the hospital. By my calculations, it's 1:52pm. Remember that I was running in to pee before getting in my car to drive back to Austin at 1pm. Just 50-ish minutes ago, when this all began. They get me out of the ambulance, into the ER and people start RUNNING. Oh ***. Am I on Grey's Anatomy? Running=Not Good. I hear Royce yelling to someone that my contractions are 3 minutes apart. So, see? They were listening. A lady appears at my side, running along side the stretcher/gurney and asks if I'm alone. Yes, I'm alone. I think my mom is on her way. She said 'I'll be your person.' And she held my hand as they ran me through the halls. I'm bawling and really scared at this point. I imagine I traumatized a few more people at this point. People standing in the halls with baskets of flowers, coming to visit new babies. Happiness all around. Then here I come, flying through, people scattering, doctors, nurses and EMTs yelling. And I have no pants. I remember thinking this in the midst of everything.
Ya know...I just remembered something. At SOME point, them got me off the stretcher and onto a hospital gurney. See? I'm glad I'm writing this. Little bits and pieces come back.
We get to the OR. All of the sudden I am SURROUNDED by people. Just like in the movies. 'Did you receive pre-natal care?' 'Are there any abnormalities with your baby?' A slew of questions were hurled at me.
Dr. Tiffany Mullin, who was getting off her shift as we were headed to the hospital appeared, and says, 'I'm Dr Mullin and I know you weren't planning on it, but you are going to have a baby today.' I learned later that she was walking out the door and someone caught her and said that I was coming in and could she stay a minute 'just in case'. I've been told by several nurses and doctors that 10 minutes could have made a huge difference in the outcome here and that I was VERY fortunate that Dr Mullin was there.
Then a lady comes at me with a very large electric razor. Um, I know it's been a while, but I'm not a Sasquatch. This thought comes to mind because my 8yr old niece had been making me watch Finding Bigfoot for 24 hours straight. Anyway, she shaves what feels like my whole torso. If she'd have hit up my legs, we could have been friends.
My person asked for phone numbers of who she could call. I gave her my mom's number and Jay's. Thank goodness I have a few numbers memorized. But she wrote them on her hand with a pen. Clearly, they were not prepared for this situation. Are you supposed to write on your hand? She called my mom.
Another lady comes at me with a shot glass of something and tells me to drink up (while laying flat on my back). She pours it in my mouth. Fortunately, I have some experience in this arena or things could have turned out differently. It was some nasty stuff, though. I think that they gave me to shot to try and distract me while they simultaneously put and IV in my OTHER arm and shoved in a catheter. Good times.
Then, the anesthesiologist shows up. And he's Asian. Why are they all Asian? Not that I don't love my Asians (I have a quarter Asian nephew), but seriously? He was straight out of Knocked Up. I couldn't understand a word he said and he was talking very loudly while leaning directly over my head. He kept saying, "I put you to sleep. You not be awake for this." I didn't argue. I kind of wanted to go to sleep to make all the scary go away. It was like a complete out of body experience. Like I was being punked.
Then 'my person' leaned very close to my head, still holding my hand very tightly and began to pray. And cry. THIS. FREAKED ME OUT! I completely appreciate the prayers, but crying? OMG. THIS. Is bad. I must be dying. She prayed for me and the baby. I told her to quit crying. And said that I didn't want to die.
'My Person' would come to my hospital bed the next day and say, 'Do you remember me?'. I didn't. She said, I'm the one who you told to quit crying. Ah yes. I remember you now. Thank you for holding my hand. And praying. And even for crying.
Then I heard my Asian friend say, "Is she asleep?' 'I'm NOT asleep!' Then they told me to count backward. I think I got to 8. Praying that I would wake up.
Denver was born at 2:04pm. 12 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. One hour and 4 minutes after I had planned to drive away from my parents house for a 2 1/2 hour drive with my 3 year old. I had developed Pre-Eclampsia (pregnancy induced High Blood pressure) and Placental Abruption (where the placenta becomes detached from the uterus and deprives the baby of nutrients and oxygen...and makes you bleed...a lot). He weighed 2lbs 3ozs and was 15 inches long.
I did wake up. It's all very blurry for a while after this. I remember my mom and sister and Ashley being there. Thankfully, Ashley lives right down the street. She says I was very doped up. Morphine and Magnesium (to prevent seizures). That stuff will make you see things. I had some fun hallucinations about Troy from Swamp People. (My BP did not every really go down and I actually had to be RE-ADMITTED a week after delivery for more magnesium. Not fun).
They had my mom in a room by herself once she got to the hospital and she was, of course, freaking out. But the EMT's that took me to the hospital kept coming to check on her and several other ER folks did, too, so they could make sure she kept breathing!
Mom said that they kept asking about the baby and they kept saying 'We're working on him'. It was quite a while I guess before they came to let us know that he was stable and they were going to transport him to the NICU at Memorial City Hospital (where I was born, incidentally). However, when I was born, there was not a spaceship on top of the building.
Jay showed up around 5pm. He only found out half way through his trip from Austin to Katy that we were even alive. He just knew that there was a lot of blood, I went by ambulance to the hospital and that we were having an emergency cesarian.
Shirra and Stacy show up from Austin shortly after Jay (I think). Not sure what they did with their babies! I'll have to ask. They wheel Denver in at some point and let us see and touch him before they take him to Memorial City. Due to major abdominal surgery, 2 IVs and lots of other tubes, I can barely move, but I did touch his little hand. Darci showed up a little later. Can I tell you how special I felt at such a scary time to be surrounded by, not only my family, but best friends from so many parts of my life?
At times I wish I could take a Mind Eraser shot to make all the scary memories go away, but at the same time, I want to remember every detail.
That's not the end of the story, of course. We'll be here at the hospital for a long time until Denver is big enough to come home. In the meantime, we are at least hoping for a transfer to a hospital in Austin. Fingers crossed. Updated to add, Denver is now 4 weeks old today. He had gained one pound, so he's 3lb, 3ozs. He's breathing room air and has a nasal canula. He's tolerating his feeding (expressed breast milk) well, through his feeding tube and hopefully we can try bottle feeding next week when he hits 34 weeks. We are still stuck in Houston, though. Insurance won't cover his transport to Austin b/c it's not 'medically necessary'.
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Rather traumatic preemie birth story; Very detailed.
This is my birth story that I wrote for our CaringBridge page to share with friends and family. As a bit of background, I have a 3 1/2 yr old daughter that had a completely boring/normal pregnancy and delivery with. She was 8lbs and 11.5 ozs and delivered at 40 weeks. This was MUCH different!
Here is the whole, long story. Parts of it, I have no recollection of, but thanks to everyone involved, I've been able to piece it together. Parts will be graphic, but I feel like it's important for me to write it all down so that I don't forget!
The week after Christmas, my mom took Caroline back to Waller for a few days so that I could have a few days alone to get some things accomplished. Some highlights of my time off were getting a crown replaced (FUN!) and getting my 29 week 2-hour Glucose Test (even more FUN!) I did also squeeze in a Pregnancy Massage. It was the first and only pre-natal massage I would get this pregnancy! At my 29 week appt. on Wednesday, December 28th, my BloodPressure was high. Usually I can lay on my left side and it will go down, but that little trick wasn't working on Wednesday. My OB decided to put me on some BP meds. I developed High BP when I delivered Caroline 3 1/2 years ago. I was placed on BP meds for a month after her birth to get it back down and I responded really well to those meds. I have had the occasional high reading since then, but nothing long term. My OB said it would probably take a week or so for the meds to have a real effect on my BP. Just gave me some basic parameters and rules to follow. She DID approve for me to drive to Waller to pick up Caroline, as long as I wasn't making a round trip that day. I assured her that I would be spending two nights before coming back.
So, off I went. Stopped by Target to grab my BP meds and hit the road from Austin to Waller (2 1/2 hour drive). Before I even got out of town I got pulled over and got a ticket for going 66 in a 55 on Ben White. Really? The cop was in such a hurry that he didn't even notice that my Inspection Sticker has been out since September! The entire transaction played out while Creep (Radiohead) was on the radio. The song wasn't even over and I was back on the road. I'm sure that ticket was great for the BP, but at least the guy was in a hurry?
Anyway, I got to Waller without any further drama. My sister came with her 2 girls for a ilttle belated Christmas action. I spent the next day being shuttled around by my parents b/c they were paranoid about my BP. Mom even read the side-effects of the meds I was put on.
Labetalol: Common Side Effects: Dizziness, indigestion, lightheadedness, nausea, stuffy nose, tingling of the scalp, unusual tiredness.
Great. Those side effects along with typical 3rd Trimester life should be fun. So, I pretty much lounged around on the couch and in bed. Fortunately, Caroline and her cousins get along so well, it's like they weren't even there!
On Friday, it was time to head back to Austin. My goal was to be home by the time Jay got home from work, around 3:30pm. I knew that he was missing Caroline and needed to see her. This meant I should leave my parents house around 1pm at the LATEST. I also had a retirement party to attend that night for a former coworker. She was celebrating 41 years at the bank and I didn't want to miss it! Well, anyone that knows me well, knows that I don't really like to lounge around. I like to get up and go and do things. But on this day, I could NOT get off the couch. I just kept staring at the clock, watching it tick closer and closer to 1pm and sort of dreading leaving. I was also contemplating calling my coworkers to let the know that I really wasn't up to attending Audrey's party. I just felt crappy. I 100% attributed the way I was feeling to the BP medicine side-effects.
As the clock ticked closer to 1pm, I started feeling a little worse, but I still really wanted to hit the road. I briefly contemplated calling my OB. Are these Braxton Hicks contractions that I'm feeling getting stronger? I'm not sure, but they don't hurt, so I blow it off. My dad and sister pack my car for me and I go out and turn my car on in the driveway. I also plug my phone in the car charger b/c it's dead. I go back in the house to pee (one MORE time) and get Caroline, who is still happily playing with her cousins.
This is where it starts to get graphic. I'll try to inject humor in where I can. What else can you do but laugh and Thank God that things turned out okay?
I can't stop peeing. But when I finally try to wipe, I realize that it's not pee, but blood coming out. Lots of it. I yell for my mom. Yell for my sister. I don't want to freak any of the kids out, but I'm scared. Oddly enough, my Dad is the one that hears me and he usually can't hear much. He gets my mom. She and my sister run into he bathroom and my mom tells my sister to call 911. I beg my mom to rip my fake Uggs off and my pants. I am HOT and feel like I'm gonna pass out. I ask my mom for a towel and she comes up with a washrag. Um...I need more than that. She then grabs a very VINTAGE Coca-Cola beach towel that my brother, sister and I joke is older than we are. Whatever. I used it and I somehow make it to my parents bed. Thank goodness there was an old shower curtain liner nearby that they use as a waterproof mattress pad when my daughter sleeps over. Otherwise, my parents would be buying a new mattress. I lay on that. I also beg my mom not to have a heart attack. Then I cry because I am scared. At some point I realize that I am naked from the waist down and there are EMT guys coming in. I secretly hope that I didn't go to high school with any of them, as we are in Waller and it's a very small town. Whew...I don't recognize any of them. But my mom does. And asks one of them who his parents are. Great. He's looking at my naked rear end. Fortunately, he's not who she thinks he is. There are 3 EMS guys. Kevin, this younger guy who I learn is in training. He's nice and tells me I'm not bleeding that much when I tell him I can feel it coming out. I think he's lying to me, though. There is Royce, an older guy. He keeps cracking cheesy jokes. Which I'll appreciate later. And the driver who my mom thinks she knows, something Arnold (?).
My sister is calling Jay (who is in Austin at work) and my OB (who is closed for the weekend).
The EMTs ask us which hospital we want to go to. I can't remember exactly, but they offered Brenham, which is closer to Austin, but about 30 minutes away. Tomball, which is still about 30 minutes, but in the wrong direction. Something else? And Katy, still 30ish minutes away, and closer to Houston where all the good baby hospitals are. I said, 'Which one is best?' I knew this was NOT a good situation. They said, 'Katy.' And I said, 'Let's go'.
They got the stretcher as close to my parents room as them could and somehow, I got on it. Still no pants. Remember how your mom tells you to wear clean underwear in case you're in a wreck? Well, I'm strolling up in the hospital naked from the waist down. Good times. Yay for sheets.
We get in the ambulance and the last thing I see is my Dad waving goodbye. He's getting left behind with the kids. My mom is going to follow in her truck. Again, maybe someone should be watching her so she doesn't have a heart attack or stroke?
I know these back roads of my hometown like the back of my hand. I can tell that they turn the ambulance towards 362 and they aren't going through the rice fields (which my dad will argue is closer). I inquire about this and say something like, 'Oh, you're not gonna take the bumpy roads?' Either Royce or Kevin is like, 'Ma'am, this is Waller County. ALL the roads are bumpy.' This I know. I hear Royce telling the ambulance driver not to stop for anything and asks for an ETA to Katy. 25 minutes. Then the IV. POOR Kevin. They said, 'Ma'am, have you ever had an IV?' 'Yes, when my daughter was born. And the crappy nurse took like 4 tries to get it in.' Yeah, Sorry Kevin. Poor guy tried a BUNCH of times to get it in and it didn't work. All while going over some very bumpy roads at high speed. I think eventually Royce put the IV in and apologized that Kevin was having a little trouble with his IVs that day. Yeah. I probably scared the poor guy to death. At some point during the ambulance ride, I started having painful contractions. Royce would get quiet between jokes. I would tell them every time I had a contraction, even though I wasn't sure anyone was listening (they were). I heard Royce ask for ETAs a few more times form the driver. We get to the hospital. A blur of actions occur. And things start moving REALLY. FAST.
Pause for a minute here.
Monday evening my sister gets a call from Royce, the EMT. He has called the hospital looking for an update on me and the baby, but I've already been discharged. Somehow he tracks down my sister's cell number (she's in San Antonio) and calls her to check one me. This alone, floors me. He gives her his cell number and tells me to call if I want to. I call him on Tuesday evening. Royce says that he's been an EMT for 29 years (? He did NOT look this old) and that my situation really got to him. He said he was cracking cheesy jokes b/c he was really scared and trying not to let it show. If I scared a guy who's been doing this for 29 years, I may have scared Kevin into rethinking his career choice. He said he was very relieved to know that Denver even survived because he wasn't so sure that he would. He said that he had instructed the ambulance driver not to stop AT ALL on the way to the hospital. 'Run over as many people as you need to. We'll go back and pick them up later. If there's a train, go over it. I don't want to feel this ambulance stop. Just get there.' Royce said that it takes a lot to impress him after all these years and he's writing a letter the the hospital administration of Katy Herman Memorial to commend them on the speed of care I received. My mom and I plan on writing a letter to the Waller Volunteer EMS to commend HIM on the care I received. Royce also said that he's shocked I didn't have a stroke on the way to the hospital because my BP was so high. Wow.
So, we are at the hospital. By my calculations, it's 1:52pm. Remember that I was running in to pee before getting in my car to drive back to Austin at 1pm. Just 50-ish minutes ago, when this all began. They get me out of the ambulance, into the ER and people start RUNNING. Oh ***. Am I on Grey's Anatomy? Running=Not Good. I hear Royce yelling to someone that my contractions are 3 minutes apart. So, see? They were listening. A lady appears at my side, running along side the stretcher/gurney and asks if I'm alone. Yes, I'm alone. I think my mom is on her way. She said 'I'll be your person.' And she held my hand as they ran me through the halls. I'm bawling and really scared at this point. I imagine I traumatized a few more people at this point. People standing in the halls with baskets of flowers, coming to visit new babies. Happiness all around. Then here I come, flying through, people scattering, doctors, nurses and EMTs yelling. And I have no pants. I remember thinking this in the midst of everything.
Ya know...I just remembered something. At SOME point, them got me off the stretcher and onto a hospital gurney. See? I'm glad I'm writing this. Little bits and pieces come back.
We get to the OR. All of the sudden I am SURROUNDED by people. Just like in the movies. 'Did you receive pre-natal care?' 'Are there any abnormalities with your baby?' A slew of questions were hurled at me.
Dr. Tiffany Mullin, who was getting off her shift as we were headed to the hospital appeared, and says, 'I'm Dr Mullin and I know you weren't planning on it, but you are going to have a baby today.' I learned later that she was walking out the door and someone caught her and said that I was coming in and could she stay a minute 'just in case'. I've been told by several nurses and doctors that 10 minutes could have made a huge difference in the outcome here and that I was VERY fortunate that Dr Mullin was there.
Then a lady comes at me with a very large electric razor. Um, I know it's been a while, but I'm not a Sasquatch. This thought comes to mind because my 8yr old niece had been making me watch Finding Bigfoot for 24 hours straight. Anyway, she shaves what feels like my whole torso. If she'd have hit up my legs, we could have been friends.
My person asked for phone numbers of who she could call. I gave her my mom's number and Jay's. Thank goodness I have a few numbers memorized. But she wrote them on her hand with a pen. Clearly, they were not prepared for this situation. Are you supposed to write on your hand? She called my mom.
Another lady comes at me with a shot glass of something and tells me to drink up (while laying flat on my back). She pours it in my mouth. Fortunately, I have some experience in this arena or things could have turned out differently. It was some nasty stuff, though. I think that they gave me to shot to try and distract me while they simultaneously put and IV in my OTHER arm and shoved in a catheter. Good times.
Then, the anesthesiologist shows up. And he's Asian. Why are they all Asian? Not that I don't love my Asians (I have a quarter Asian nephew), but seriously? He was straight out of Knocked Up. I couldn't understand a word he said and he was talking very loudly while leaning directly over my head. He kept saying, "I put you to sleep. You not be awake for this." I didn't argue. I kind of wanted to go to sleep to make all the scary go away. It was like a complete out of body experience. Like I was being punked.
Then 'my person' leaned very close to my head, still holding my hand very tightly and began to pray. And cry. THIS. FREAKED ME OUT! I completely appreciate the prayers, but crying? OMG. THIS. Is bad. I must be dying. She prayed for me and the baby. I told her to quit crying. And said that I didn't want to die.
'My Person' would come to my hospital bed the next day and say, 'Do you remember me?'. I didn't. She said, I'm the one who you told to quit crying. Ah yes. I remember you now. Thank you for holding my hand. And praying. And even for crying.
Then I heard my Asian friend say, "Is she asleep?' 'I'm NOT asleep!' Then they told me to count backward. I think I got to 8. Praying that I would wake up.
Denver was born at 2:04pm. 12 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. One hour and 4 minutes after I had planned to drive away from my parents house for a 2 1/2 hour drive with my 3 year old. I had developed Pre-Eclampsia (pregnancy induced High Blood pressure) and Placental Abruption (where the placenta becomes detached from the uterus and deprives the baby of nutrients and oxygen...and makes you bleed...a lot). He weighed 2lbs 3ozs and was 15 inches long.
I did wake up. It's all very blurry for a while after this. I remember my mom and sister and Ashley being there. Thankfully, Ashley lives right down the street. She says I was very doped up. Morphine and Magnesium (to prevent seizures). That stuff will make you see things. I had some fun hallucinations about Troy from Swamp People. (My BP did not every really go down and I actually had to be RE-ADMITTED a week after delivery for more magnesium. Not fun).
They had my mom in a room by herself once she got to the hospital and she was, of course, freaking out. But the EMT's that took me to the hospital kept coming to check on her and several other ER folks did, too, so they could make sure she kept breathing!
Mom said that they kept asking about the baby and they kept saying 'We're working on him'. It was quite a while I guess before they came to let us know that he was stable and they were going to transport him to the NICU at Memorial City Hospital (where I was born, incidentally). However, when I was born, there was not a spaceship on top of the building.
Jay showed up around 5pm. He only found out half way through his trip from Austin to Katy that we were even alive. He just knew that there was a lot of blood, I went by ambulance to the hospital and that we were having an emergency cesarian.
Shirra and Stacy show up from Austin shortly after Jay (I think). Not sure what they did with their babies! I'll have to ask. They wheel Denver in at some point and let us see and touch him before they take him to Memorial City. Due to major abdominal surgery, 2 IVs and lots of other tubes, I can barely move, but I did touch his little hand. Darci showed up a little later. Can I tell you how special I felt at such a scary time to be surrounded by, not only my family, but best friends from so many parts of my life?
At times I wish I could take a Mind Eraser shot to make all the scary memories go away, but at the same time, I want to remember every detail.
That's not the end of the story, of course. We'll be here at the hospital for a long time until Denver is big enough to come home. In the meantime, we are at least hoping for a transfer to a hospital in Austin. Fingers crossed. Updated to add, Denver is now 4 weeks old today. He had gained one pound, so he's 3lb, 3ozs. He's breathing room air and has a nasal canula. He's tolerating his feeding (expressed breast milk) well, through his feeding tube and hopefully we can try bottle feeding next week when he hits 34 weeks. We are still stuck in Houston, though. Insurance won't cover his transport to Austin b/c it's not 'medically necessary'.
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Re: Rather traumatic preemie birth story; Very detailed.
Totally made me cry, stupid pregnancy hormones
So glad that you are both doing well and I hope Denver gets to come home soon!
Married July 21, 2007
Wow! I had to fight back tears since I am in the car and dh has no idea what I am looking at on my phone. He might think I'm crazy. Thank god you weren't on the road yet! I am so glad to read that your both ok!