A Walk Down MayneStreet: January 2013... Better late than never?

To ring in the New Year I was camped out in the Robbins Pavilion at the Lois Hole Women's Hospital at the Royal Alex Hospital. Paul hung out with me and we visited with my hospital buddy Shazin and her hubby, James. It was pretty low-key. No nice outfits, no music or dancing or fancy lights. The most quiet New Year's Eve in my memory. For the New Year's Day meals, instead of getting the standard issue white paper serviette/napkin, it was a green one. Quite festive, I know. But seriously, although I mock, I did appreciate the attention to detail the food staff exercised when providing. It was only a green napkin but there was also a turkey supper that night. (It was no where near as yummy as I had hoped, but I will not be discussing hospital food here).

So, I was admitted on 12 December 2012-20 December 2012. Then I had an ultrasound on the 27 December, which I knew might cause me to land back in the hospital. And, I was right. My doctor was gone that week, so I was in the hospital to hang out there under observation as I was having the signs and symptoms of potentially developing HELLP syndrome again. And that is no good. The plan was to wait until 3 January when I was 36 weeks, have an amniocentesis and then, if all was well with the amnio, they would deliver the baby that day. So, the amniocentesis. Not really as big of a deal as they make it sound. It was my second, as I had one with Youngest, as well. I asked to see the amniotic fluid, since I will never know what my 'waters' look like (even though I know what it should look like- it can't be that different than a bovine's, can it)? So, I saw it in the syringe. And yes it is a big needle--well, no. It is a long one. They are way less scary than a big-in-diameter one).

We were looking to at a test they call the FLM or fetal lung maturity. The number they wanted to see was 44. And the test results came back at 4. Immature lungs. Big time. So although we didn't know if lung matured in a linear or exponential way, we were prepared to deal with the NICU and respiratory distress if they were not mature at birth. So, long story short, there was no caesarean that day. The next day I asked to be discharged and since I wasn't getting any worse, and the fact that I was being visited by a nurse in my home daily (BP, NST and blood work every day) they consented. I had a doctor's appointment on 7 January where Dr. Hajira Danial suggested that we book a caesarean for the 14 January and call the pregnancy over then. My due date by ultrasound was the 31 of January, so delivery would make the baby 37-4 weeks gestation.

It sounded good to me.

And, I made it to the 14 January 2013, even though the team of doctor's didn't believe I would!

So, we were at the hospital by 06:00 for a 08:30 surgery time. Thank goodness it was early as I knew I would get hungry!

I was admitted in a private room (wahooo!) at the end of the hall and then I got an IV and had to drink some stuff to calm my stomach and then wait. And wait.

Me waiting. We sent this picture to the girls at home.

I was all ready to go at the correct time, and Paul was all dolled up in green scrubs. They wheeled me off and told Paul they'd come get him once I was prepped (the spinal, catheter and all that stuff taken care of). But guess what? The spinal didn't work. It sort of did, but not enough for them to cut me open. They put my feet up and head down and tilted the bed to the side, but when they asked me to move my feet, my right one would always move, in fact, I could even lift it up! So, they had to put me to sleep and Paul couldn't come in. I remember seeing the clock at 09:25 and by 09:37 our baby was born.

See. Dolled up.

I have no memory of the recovery room. I remember someone saying I needed more pain medication, but that is all. I have no memory of being brought back to my room on the third floor. It is all so foggy. At about 15:30 I remember Paul being there, but that is about all until he asked if I wanted the girls to come and visit.

We had a baby boy. He was 51 cm long, 3450 grams and had a head circumference of 30 cm. And, he was in respiratory distress. Sounds frightening, but I never saw it. He was 'grunty.' This meant he needed to breathe with the aid of a CPAP. But he only needed it that day (Monday), Tuesday and then Wednesday they took it out and he didn't even need to go on the oxygen prongs, he was breathing room air! Well done, son! I went to see him in the NICU on 15 January and got to hold him. Paul had taken a picture of him for me and I thought he looked huge! (A big turkey)! When I saw him for real though, he wasn't nearly as big as the picture made him look.