We’re Finally Home!

I am finally home from the hospital after a very lonnnnnngggg week so I thought I’d update everyone on what’s been up for the past week.

Last Tuesday (10/9), I was in so much pain (chest…back…dizziness…nausea…headache…etc.) that I couldn’t do anything…but I didn’t want to go to the hospital because I thought it was just the same pain I went there for before and they didn’t fix it then so…I didn’t see the point. Eventually, Jim talked me into going to the hospital and so…we went. I don’t really remember much about what happened between then and Wednesday (10/10) night because I was a little out of it so some of this is just what I’ve heard from Jim. I spent 3 hours in the ER while they repeated the tests that they did last time (they couldn’t figure out what was wrong)…my blood pressure was a whopping 220/132 (the highest the nurses there had seen)…my EKG was normal though…Iain was fine the whole time. Anyway…after 3 hours or so…they did a urine test and found that I had protein in it and that my liver wasn’t working correctly. My doctor had the nurses tell me that they were going to keep me over night to monitor me. I went upstairs to the maternity ward and when I got to the room, my doctor was there and told me everything that was wrong…I don’t remember everything (like I said…I was extremely out of it)…the only thing I remember is him saying that I had a type of severe pre-eclampsia called HELLP Syndrome. Anyway…the only way to “cure” it is to get the baby and the placenta out and at that point, if they didn’t “cure” it quickly, I would die (and so would Iain). My doctor said I would have to have an emergency c-section. From then on, it was all a blur…they prepped me for the c-section quickly…everything was very serious…I guess having a blood pressure of 220/132 that’s not going down…is pretty serious stuff…on top of everything else. All I remember is being brought into the operating room with my eyes closed…having to move my magnesium-sulfated self onto a too-small-for-me bed…having my arms pinned down…having something that really stung put all over my stomach…and someone saying “you’re going to go to sleep now.” About a second later (my time) I woke up and it was all over. My blood pressure was back to somewhat normal (160/something…not great but…definitely better) and all of the pain was gone (and hasn’t come back). Iain James was “born” on Oct. 10th at 4:22 am and was 5lbs 10ounces and 18.5 inches long (he’s currently 5lbs 5ounces)…he’s very little! I heard later that it took them 2.5 minutes to get him to breath…I’m glad I wasn’t awake for that! The rest of Wednesday was a blur…pretty much the only reason I even remember them bringing Iain in for me to see is because I have a picture of me looking at him and such…I was extremely out of it from the morphine (I don’t think it was a good idea to give me a button to control the med.)…after everything I went through…I didn’t want to feel anything. Eventually…they told me not to use the button anymore…so I stopped…and then…the pain came. Guess what? C-sections aren’t comfortable things to recover from…I’m still in a lot of pain. The only cool thing is that I got dissolvable staples…pretty cool. Iain was in the NICU for an hour or something on Wednesday and then was brought to the newborn nursery because I couldn’t take care of him…for obvious reasons.

Thursday morning, I was woken up early and told that I had to get up. After being on magnesium-sulfate for over a day (which makes you feel about 2-billion pounds) and not moving at all…it was EXTREMELY difficult to move…it took me forever just to get my legs moving…eventually I did get up…everything hurt! It wasn’t fun at all. Thursday was an insane day…the whole day was spent trying to get Iain to eat. Turns out that the Nov. 6th due date was accurate and he was 4 weeks early…not too bad…barely a premie. Thursday was a LONG day. We could have kept Iain with us in the room that night but…after an episode of high pulse and blood pressure on my part…it was recommended that I actually take care of myself and that I let the nursery take care of Iain…I hadn’t been taking care of myself at all because I am obsessed with Iain.

Friday, the nurse who was watching Iain came in and told us that he needed to stay in the nursery because he was jaundice…not surprising…quite normal for even full-term babies but a little more serious because he wasn’t eating…and hadn’t gone to the bathroom in a while. I don’t really remember much about Friday except that Rachel and my mother came and spent the day with me which was great (my mother came on Thursday too because Jim needed to work and I needed someone with me). Oh…and…every time Iain needed to eat we had to pick him up from the nursery…the nurses were supposed to bring him to me so that I could rest but they kept forgetting to bring him so…I ended up having to get him with Rachel’s help.

Saturday morning, the nurse came in and explained to us that the reason Iain was having trouble eating was because he had apnea that only came when he was eating. He would get so ravenous that he would just keep eating and forget to breath…he’d turn blue…and his heart rate would go wayyy down…not a good thing. Anyway…he was brought to NICU where they could watch him closer because of the patient to nurse ratio. I was discharged on Monday…after many days of high blood pressure that wouldn’t go down…it was finally somewhat better (132/something). Iain was kept till today so Jim and I stayed in one of the parent rooms for the NICU last night with him in the room with us. It was a loooong night. Iain was really well-behaved but he was hooked up to a monitor that kept beeping because he would kick the little thing off his foot. Highly annoying. It was really nice this morning for him to finally be off the monitor…’tisn’t too easy to change a baby when they have two-billion wires hooked to them.

We came home today…which was really nice…beyond nice. I am exhausted…I have a huge headache and my blood pressure is still bad but…I guess it’s supposed to go down after 6 weeks or so…I’m on blood pressure medicine for now. It’s so weird…I have been doing so much research on everything…induction…meds for labor…etc. and none of it mattered in the end. It was really weird…on Saturday…the doctor finally got around to telling us what actually happened on Wednesday…I’m not going to repeat it because I don’t like thinking about how close to not being around anymore I came (that’s a good way to put it) but…like the doctors and nurses said…if Jim hadn’t talked me into going to the hospital that night…Iain and I wouldn’t be sitting here now. Ok…enough depressing stuff…don’t like thinking about that stuff…all the nurses were calling Iain a miracle baby though…and that it’s a miracle I’m still here. Like one of the nurses there said…the angels were looking out for both of us that night. I guess if I’d waited any longer than I had……..

Anyway…it’s really great to be home. Jim’s parents are out visiting from Ohio to meet Iain and such which is nice…they are taking care of a lot while I am unable to…making meals…etc. Due to the whole c-section thing…I can’t pick up anything heavier than Iain….which…considering his weight…includes quite a bit.

Iain is the best, most beautiful baby ever…I know…all mothers say that but…oh well…doesn’t make it any less true. He’s really well-behaved. Sleeps between feedings and everything. He is finally pacing himself while eating and remembering to breathe so…he doesn’t pass out…still have to watch him to make sure he doesn’t turn blue but…he’s doing much better. I can’t believe how much I love him! I will be posting pictures really soon so…stay tuned 🙂

Sorry if some of this post is rambley…I am exhausted!

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