It is a fast disclaimer – Earlier than you learn this, please perceive that there are some areas that some could think about graphic. The squeamish may recognize the warning. My private story beneath is meant for informational functions solely.
“What does not kill you makes you stronger.” That is the thought that stored going by my thoughts as I lay on an emergency room gurney simply days after giving start to my daughter. That, and how and why is that this taking place?
I’m getting forward of myself. Let me begin over…
The day I came upon that I was pregnant, it was 2008 and I was preparing to go to work. I keep in mind that I was carrying a vibrant yellow and white floral gown topped with a white cropped cardigan. After work, I was going to see the brand new Intercourse and the Metropolis film with my girlfriends. Understanding that there would in all probability be a Cosmo or two in my future, I added, “take a being pregnant check” to my morning routine. I needed to verify that it will be protected to drink an grownup beverage. Name it instinct. (I’m a Charlotte, by the way in which.)
As quickly as I see that pink plus signal, I jumped on my sleeping husband waving across the pee stick and screaming, “I’m pregnant!” We had formally began attempting for a child six months prior and I figured that after years of contraception tablets it will have taken longer than it did, however there we have been, pregnant. I was going to be ingesting water on the films.
My being pregnant was uneventful, save for the truth that I developed gestational diabetes. I just about figured that this could be the case due to many elements, my age, weight, and genetics. I ended up being prescribed remedy to assist management that side.
I was 35 when I was going to ship. As a result of I was thought of a high-risk being pregnant, my physician scheduled a time for me to are available in to induce labor with Pitocin.
On Friday, January 30, 2009, I spent the day going by labor. The physician got here in periodically to verify how far alongside I was. Close to the tip of the day, the physician defined that my child was “sunny aspect up” in any other case identified medically as occiput posterior or OP place. She tried reaching in and manipulating the place, however my cussed child was not having it, and her heartrate would drop.
After discussing with my physician, I opted for a caesarian part to keep away from stressing the newborn out any greater than was crucial. After a fast prep for surgical procedure, I was whisked away to give start. It appeared prefer it took just a few minutes and earlier than I knew it, my daughter, Olivia, was born at 8:50pm.
I could not maintain her as my arms have been strapped down, which I guess is widespread apply throughout surgical procedure – no flailing about and holding a sterile setting. I had to look ahead to the physician to shut me up. As soon as I was again to my room, I held her for the primary time. It was superb and she was probably the most lovely woman on this planet. My household surrounded us and it’s one thing I’ll at all times treasure, holding her for the primary time.
As a result of I had the C-section, I was within the hospital for 4 days and Olivia had jaundice and spent nearly all of her days within the NICU (New child Intensive Care Unit) getting phototherapy. We have been each biding our time till we received house. Whereas on the hospital, I discovered it onerous to get snug. I was having ache above my left breast, beneath my shoulder. Nurses instructed me that it was fuel due to the remedy and that it will cross. I finally requested for an antacid because the ache persevered. I figured finally, I would cross fuel and I would lastly be accomplished with the ache.
As soon as the newborn and I received our clear payments of well being, we set off for house. Forgive my bluntness when I say that I nonetheless had not “tooted”. Ultimately the ache was so dangerous that I had to sleep sitting up as mendacity down made it worse. Bizarre, I thought, however did not suppose any extra about it.
After being house for a day, my husband and I took Olivia to her first pediatrician appointment. On the way in which house, I talked about to my husband that this fuel, or the shortage of passing it, was actually beginning to take its toll. I known as my OBGYN to see if she might prescribe a extra highly effective antacid because the over-the-counters weren’t chopping it.
In talking with the receptionist and explaining my points, she put me on maintain to communicate with the physician. Once more, I thought, bizarre. Why does the physician have to discuss to me about passing fuel?
My physician received on the road and requested me a sequence of questions – The place is your ache? Are you able to lie down? Are you having hassle respiration? I reply with, above my left breast, no – mendacity down is simply too painful, as a result of when I do, I am having hassle respiration.
She stated that I want to get to the emergency room and that she goes to name the hospital relating to my arrival. I’m sorry, what? I was surprised. And sure, in any case this, I’m nonetheless pondering, “all this for fuel?”
She stated, “You might have a attainable pulmonary embolism and I need you to go to the ER to rule it out.”
Considering again on this dialog, I have to say, I had no concept what she was speaking about on the time. Nonetheless, I relayed the data to my husband and we went to see my mom. I instructed her that I had to go to the hospital per my physician’s orders. My mother took the newborn and I kissed Olivia telling her that I can be proper again. Little did I know that I simply lied to my daughter.
By now, the ache was getting extra extreme. I checked into the ER and seen that I was taken proper again, regardless of the opposite sufferers within the ready room. They began checking my vitals – blood stress, oxygen consumption, listening to my coronary heart – all the conventional stuff you see on tv.
Nurses had put these stickers with snaps on them and I was being connected to a machine. The nurse requested me to lie down. Then it hits me, I could not lie down as a result of I could not breathe. It damage – my chest was hurting. Tears began to type and I was pondering that I was having a coronary heart assault. I was gasping out, “I cannot breathe! I cannot breathe!”
I checked out my husband and I thought, “I’m sorry however you is perhaps a single father as a result of I am dying”. Up till this level in my life, I had by no means damaged a bone, by no means had a hospital keep and now I actually thought that I was dying.
They sat me again up and that was higher. I was nonetheless having ache however I might breathe little gasps of breath. The ER physician stated that he was going to ship me for a CT scan. He thought that I had a blood clot in my lungs. A blood clot. In my lungs. What? How? Why?
The ER physician confirmed after the CT scan that I did in actual fact have a blood clot in my lungs and I was admitted to the hospital. I began to cry, I simply had a child, checked out of the hospital a few days in the past and now I was again.
Useless to say, I was mentally exhausted, bodily weak and severely depressed. I continued to pump for breast milk whereas within the hospital. My husband would take the milk again to Olivia every single day. She would not take to method and I felt it was my obligation to give her what I might. I felt responsible for being away from her and it’s nonetheless one thing that haunts me to this present day.
Let me simply say that my mom was our lifesaver. I was, and proceed to be, so grateful to my mom for caring for Olivia whereas I was in and out of the hospital. My mother and father even moved to Pennsylvania from Texas and discovered a home solely a few blocks from ours.
I was placed on blood-thinners and was instructed that I can be on them for up to six months, possibly extra. I spent one other 5 days within the hospital whereas attempting to get better from the blood clot. I was instructed later {that a} blood clot might have killed me and I cried some extra.
Leaving the hospital did not imply that I was out of the woods. I was arrange with a nurse who would come to our home each day to verify on me and take blood work. I spent a majority of the night time and a great portion of the day sleeping. When I wasn’t sleeping, I was pumping. Due to my absence, Olivia did not take to breastfeeding and in all probability bonded to my mom extra so than she had with me. Nonetheless, I pumped. In my thoughts, it was the one factor that linked us as mom and daughter and it was the very least I might do.
About six weeks after having had the newborn, I seen that my C-section scar was tender, extra so than normal. In some spots, it appeared that puss was forming. I introduced this up to the physician and as a result of I was on blood thinners, it was again to the ER.
Seems, my C-section had gotten contaminated. Spots alongside the scar appeared barely inexperienced even. The physician was in a position to draw on my stomach an overview the place the an infection appeared, like a map of a rustic. I’m instructed that they’re going to deal with me as if I have MRSA.
In accordance to WebMD, “Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA ) is a bacterium that causes infections in several elements of the physique. It’s more durable to deal with than most strains of staphylococcus aureus – or staph – as a result of it is resistant to some generally used antibiotics.”
The blood thinner that I was being handled with in tablet type, was now going to be in injection type. Apparently, if the necessity for surgical procedure have been to come up, the reversal of the results of the blood thinner works faster if administered by way of injection.
I’m usually a glass half-full particular person however on that day, I could not assist however suppose that the world was in opposition to me. I was again within the hospital, away from my new child daughter, affected by blood clot ache and now my C-section incision was contaminated and I had to get injections each 12 hours. Oh and these injections got in my intestine. Sure, my abdomen. That is the positioning the place you get these injections. I was feeling fairly defeated.
I was admitted again into the hospital however I felt like I was beneath remark, as if the medical doctors have been ready for one thing to occur. I was getting my twice-daily injections for my blood thinners, I was pumping each couple of hours and binging on America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin.
My incision appeared to have grown a boil on it, however nonetheless nothing actually occurs. Then on my second, or was it my third day on the hospital, I received up from a nap. My husband was additionally napping within the chair subsequent to my mattress.
I received up to use the bathroom and I was dragging alongside my displays and no matter different gadgets to which I was connected. I lifted my robe and lowered my underwear when I heard a moist slapping sound. I seemed down and I was bleeding. I was bleeding from my C-section incision. The boil had damaged and puss and blood have been dripping onto the tiled ground of the toilet.
You understand that “pull in case of emergency string” that each one hospital bogs have? I pulled it however nothing occurred. I thought that somebody would spring into motion and an announcement can be on the audio system, “code (no matter coloration) in room 324”. I waited a great 5 seconds, nothing.
By now, I was panicked and known as out to my sleeping husband, “ERIC!!” Subsequent factor I know he had raced over to discover me within the rest room and I was simply standing there with blood and goop dripping from my physique. And I can inform by the look on his face, he’s the one pondering, “I’m about to change into a single father as a result of my spouse is dying.”
He bumped into the corridor and yelled for assist and a nurse got here in. She had me sit on the bathroom, because it was the closest factor to a chair. Then it dawned on me, I did not really feel any ache so I figured I was in shock and additionally, I by no means peed so I proceed to achieve this as my husband and a nurse held me. Modesty was undoubtedly out the window.
As soon as that was accomplished, I was moved to the hospital mattress. One of many nurses cleaned me up and then a barrage of medical doctors rotated into my room – pulmonologist, OBGYN, hematologist, and wound care.
The wound care physician defined that he was going to verify the wound. My C-section scar was now being referred to as a wound. The wound care physician lifted up the mattress so I was a minimum of 4 toes from the ground. He takes a kind of long-handled swabs and inserts it into my C-section incision. He’s in a position to push it in over two inches. The considered that made me need to vomit.
My wound was unable to shut due to the blood thinners. Discuss a catch-22. I had a blood clot so I wanted the blood thinners however due to the blood thinners, my C-section was not therapeutic.
The subsequent few days have been a blur of being poked and prodded by the nurses and medical doctors. I nonetheless received my twice-daily blood thinner injections. My blood was drawn every single day. Now wound tape – medicated strips of a gauze-like materials – received packed into my wound. This was as terrible because it sounds. Apparently, the wound packing materials allowed the wound to heal from the within out and it was an extended course of.
Ultimately, I was discharged from the hospital. In 2009 I spent a complete of 17 days within the hospital. I was once more arrange with a nurse who got here to my home to change my wound dressing. Ultimately, I ran out of visits in accordance to my insurance coverage firm and the nurse gave my mother and my husband “classes” on how to deal with my wounds. They each grew to become consultants on doing this, as my wound would take over 4 months being handled with wound tape.
A pair months later in Could 2009, I visited my OBGYN. I nonetheless had weekly visits along with her to verify the therapeutic course of. I instructed her that the wound feels tender I confirmed her the place the scar was therapeutic irregularly. She known as to one in all her nurses to come into the room. She requested the nurse to maintain my fingers, saying that this may damage a bit.
I had suffered chest ache from a blood clot, each day abdomen injections and wound tape packing for just a few months. I figured my ache tolerance was higher than most. Then, she did one thing that I will always remember. She took a kind of long-ended swabs and she was in a position to bypass my pores and skin with little effort on the website of my wound. She proceeded to open the wound by dragging the swab down the size of my C-section, as if she was opening an envelope.
I bear in mind crying out. I heard the nurse say to me that she has arthritis and not to squeeze her fingers too tight. Severely?! I was being reduce open like a Thanksgiving Day turkey and I could not squeeze your fingers? Nonetheless, I felt badly for the nurse and I gritted my tooth and held her fingers as delicately as I might whereas being shived with a cotton swab. The physician was in a position to go many of the size of my C-section with a swab inserted nearly an inch deep in some spots.
I felt like I was beginning over. The weeks went on and I continued with my blood thinning injections and wound packing routine.
All of the whereas, I stored a breast-pumping spreadsheet to maintain me on schedule. Wanting again, I’m undecided why I did it however I would time my pumping’s each 4 or so hours and measure how a lot I was producing. I suppose that it made me really feel like I was doing one thing vital for my daughter that nobody else might, regardless of all the problems I was battling. It was proof that I was in some way caring for my daughter.
Ultimately, I noticed my wound care physician in his workplace when the wound grew to become shallow sufficient that it might now not be packed. He cauterized the wound with silver nitrate and I finally received higher. I had completed taking my blood thinner remedy. My wound lastly closed. I was even in a position to return to work.
Considering again on this expertise introduced up some painful recollections. Not simply the recollection of bodily ache, however the ache felt by my household. My mother and father who simply had a granddaughter however at the opportunity of the lack of their daughter. My husband who had change into so depressed however so trusted. My sister who I burdened with my medical points whereas she was working in direction of her profession in legislation enforcement.
I was stronger due to what occurred. I even pursued a profession within the medical area and labored on the hospital the place this complete factor happened. All through this ordeal, I bear in mind pondering that God would by no means give me something that I could not deal with. In the long run, I guess He did not.
At this time, my daughter Olivia is a cheerful and wholesome eight-year outdated. She and her sister, Emma, are the sunshine in my life. Sure, I did have one other youngster and that being pregnant was fastidiously orchestrated by my OBGYN and there have been no points to communicate of with that start. I gave start in one of many working rooms vs. the maternity ward, in case the necessity for surgical procedure got here up. I even had a plastic surgeon do the “shut” of the C-section.
I selected having a tubal ligation after the start of my second daughter – no regrets. I attempt to suppose what I might have accomplished otherwise throughout my first being pregnant however it seems that after doing intensive analysis and a number of physician’s visits of every kind of specialties, it was a fluke. That blood clot was random. It can generally be onerous to settle for – attempting to discover blame and arising quick. However that is the way in which it’s generally, no rhyme or purpose. The power of my household and buddies received me by the toughest time of my life. And I for one, am grateful for it.
