An outline of the past few days on how Elliot and I’s life has literally turned upside down.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Friday started as a normal school day for me with my monthly Dr. appointment, ultrasound, and glucose test right after school. I was looking forward to seeing the boys again on the ultrasound and having some pictures to show Elliot. Elliot had left for the NC Teacher’s of Mathematics conference in Greensboro on Wednesday, so I was looking forward to having him home after him being gone the past couple nights. He, another math teacher from his school and one of his school librarians were presenting at the conference together, so he kinda had to go. He had felt bad about having to go at this stage in my pregnancy, but I didn’t want him to miss out on this opportunity.
So I go into have the ultrasound and a few minutes into it I have to chug my glucose drink so they have enough time to draw my blood. Everyone had told me how bad the drink was, but I did not think it was that bad. Just drink it quickly and get it over with. The ultrasound shows the boys are measuring great at 2.5 pounds and 27.6 days and 2.6 pounds and 27.4 days growth. (I can’t remember who was what weight anymore though.) So yea they are measuring almost the same and growing a couple days ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, Baby A is now breech instead of head down and Baby B is still transverse at the top. Also, Baby B had basically folded himself in half; his feet were up at his head. No wonder I had felt SO much kicking at the top of my chest in the last few weeks! The tech then starts the vaginal ultrasound to see how my placenta was doing. At my last exam, it had not moved up much, you don’t want it low because it could be placenta previa where it covers the cervix and you can’t deliver. But with twins sometimes the weight of the uterus keeps the placenta lower and it takes its own sweet time moving. No big deal…just a check. So the tech is doing the exam, but not saying much. She keeps going over and over an area and staring at the screen. She takes off her gloves and picks up the phone and asks for a woman to call her back ASAP. I hear ASAP and are now worried and wondering what’s going on. A nurse calls and says to send me on up for my appointment. While I wait for the Dr., I have to leave to get my blood drawn, the first of many needles that day.
When Dr. Wright does finally see me, he begins by asking where Elliot was. I didn’t think this was odd; just that he was making conversation. I told him that he was at a conference, but on his way back. Dr. Wright then asks “is he close? Do you know how far away he is”. I said I was going to call him after the appointment to find out, but he was driving back this afternoon. Dr. Wright then proceeds to tell me that the ultrasound is showing my cervix has shortened and started to funnel. Your cervix’s job is to help hold up your uterus and stay tightly closed to hold in a baby. Due to my body and the weight of my uterus, my cervix was now shorter and funneling (opening) up. A big change from a month ago when my cervix was fine and dandy. Dr. Wright then tells me he wanted me to go home and pack a bag and go to the hospital for monitoring! With the appointment over, I go to the lobby and call Elliot to come get me. I was afraid to drive and that I may do something else to hurt the babies or be too emotional to drive. So I sit in the parking lot waiting on Elliot, knowing it will be awhile because of Friday 5pm traffic, and try to breathe and stop crying. I am the last patient of the day and notice the office staff leaving and try not to be too noticeable with my tears and red puffy face. Dr. Wright’s nurse notices me and runs over to comfort me and hand me tissues. Dr. Wright comes over and tells me I’m ok to drive home, but don’t stop for dinner, pack a bag and get to the hospital. So I call Elliot to go back home and to start gathering a few things for me and I drive home crying, because I can barely hold it together. I prayed the entire ride home not to hit anyone since I could barely see thru my tears.
I get home and try to explain to Elliot the situation the best I can, which is not much. We throw a few things into a bag, I pet the cats and we go to the hospital. Once there, I am shown into a room on the labor and delivery hall and told to change into a hospital gown. They hook me and the babies up to some fetal monitors to hear their heartbeats and monitor my uterus for contractions. Lots of contractions mean I’m going into labor and the babies are coming at 27 weeks! After 20 minutes of monitoring the babies’ heartbeats they check out ok, but I must continue on the uterus monitor the rest of the night. Sleeping is a little hard and anytime I have to pee I had to wake up Elliot so he can unhook me from the machine and help me to the bathroom without killing myself on the cords.
That evening they also gave me my first steroid shots. They are to help spur the babies’ lungs to develop faster in the event I deliver early. The shot was in my right thigh, and man did it hurt going in and minutes after! I also got my first IV line on my right hand; not very comfy either. We also met with the on call Dr., Dr. Simmons, and she explained the process for the next few days. Basically, bed rest, only getting up for the bathroom and just to monitor me and see what my body and the babies do. They would do another assessment of me on Tuesday or Wednesday once they had more data from monitoring me. I was also able to finally eat something from the cafeteria. I was starving since I had not eaten since 11ish that morning and it was now around 8:30pm.
Once we realized I would be in the hospital for several days, Elliot ran home to eat, shower, and grab a few things to spend the night with me. We each called our parents to let them know what was going on. I called Mom and Dad at Megan’s house because they had driven up for Megan’s bridal shower on Saturday. It was a call I did not want to make. I had to call Megan a week or so before and tell her I would not be able to attend the wedding and now the weekend of her bridal shower, I had to call about ME again. I feel and felt like she is not getting the full amount of specialness this time her life deserves and me the boys keep barging in. I only hope I deliver later in December, much after her wedding.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Saturday morning dawns with more time on the monitors for 20+ minutes. They need a 20 minute segment but due to the boys small size and wiggling they want to get away from the monitors prodding them. So they find one baby and then try to get the other and then try to get 20 minutes on each. This goes on for almost an hour! This is not exactly the most comfortable experience since because A is so low and B is at the top of my chest near my breasts, I have to lay pretty flat on my back with my uterus pressing down on me the entire time. The round monitors themselves are light weight, but they tie them on pretty good since the boys like to wiggle away. All in all, I can’t wait for it to be over. They do this 20+ minute monitoring in the morning and evenings in addition to all the other checks they have to do on me. Every shift change in nurses sees me getting blood pressure, temperature, IV flush and nine million of the same questions about bowel movements, discharge, fetal movements, contractions, pain, etc. Saturday evening brought another round of steroid shots, this time in my hip/buttocks area. It was a LOT less painful than the thigh!
Saturday morning, Mom and I talked on the phone before Megan’s bridal shower. Mom said they would be leaving Washington, D.C. after the show and try to get a little down the road to Asheville to come see me. I was grateful that they wanted to come see me, but I keep feeling like I’ve disrupted everyone’s specials events and travel plans.
Jan and Mark brought us dinner from Little Pigs BBQ. They also brought me some Sprite and a box of soft Kleenex that I had requested. They have facial tissue here for you, but it’s very rough and I wanted something soft for my face since I had been crying so much.
Saturday night we turned in early because the hospital was doing the monthly electrical shutdown for 12 hours. The only lights available were provided by the generators, so each room had at least one small light that could be turned on. That was fine except the bathroom which had NO lights! We were given a foot long glow stick like what you might see at a party or rave. Did nothing much at all to light something up. The other scary thing about being the hospital is the code blue announcements that are in all the hallways. Often they give the location of the code blue, but it was scary to know it was happening to someone on the maternity wing. I heard the call and started praying for the mother and baby. I wonder if the doctors and nurses pray when they hear code blue? Really hit home why I am here; if me or the babies have an issue, at least I am here.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday brought another new room on the maternal fetal monitoring unit, but next door to my previous room. It is slightly bigger because it does not have a big desk or cart that the baby would lie in after birth. This room also has 1 large window and 1 middle size window. I am on the 4th floor and my view is of brick walls. My windows face inward in a large rectangle that goes up 7 stories in total. If I look down, the view is of the 3rd floor roof; apparently only part of the building has floors 4-7. The effect is a closed in feeling for me with only a bit of sky at the top. I like that I can see daylight, but it makes me feel even more like a caged animal.
Around 10:45 Elliot left to attend morning worship at church. After church he grabbed some lunch and ran home to feed the cats, check on things and gather up some other items. He did not give me a lot of details about his time at home, but I hope he sat down and rested a bit. I know this is very stressful for him as well and he is trying to hold it all together for my sake, but a person can only take so much. Elliot is one of the things I worry most about this time.
Around the time Elliot came back the hospital, my parents also arrived at the hospital. We visited for a bit before Elliot and my parents we back to the house for the night. Mom and Dad stayed in the quite messy, I was still sorting it out guest room. Mom was great and did some cleaning around the house, mainly all the bathrooms from what she mentioned. I was planning to clean Elliot and I’s nasty bathroom this weekend, but that got very sidetracked of course. Elliot had been great at cleaning the toilets since I became pregnant, but I had not shown him how to do the tubs, floors etc. Friday night, when Elliot’s mom heard that I would be in the hospital, she wanted to help so she vacuumed the living room, did some dishes and swept and mopped the kitchen/dining room area. Every little bit helps get the house clean I guess. I don’t really like people cleaning my house for me or seeing my messy house, but I guess I have to learn to let things go during this difficult time.
So what’s the good news?
First, I guess, if the boys decide to make an early appearance, I am already here at the hospital and they can get me in quickly. I am also safe at the hospital during this crazy, windy, snowy weather. Hurricane Sandy is all on the news and Elliot and the nurses keep talking about how cold its getting. I wouldn’t know. I just hope Megan in Washington, D.C. will be ok.
Second, that the doctors found this problem early and I was not at school or work and the situation could have been dire. I’ve prayed to God for help with all of this and I know he is still looking out for us, even though it may not be how I would like it done. It’s not my will, but HIS.
Still praying for all of you! Let us know if you need anything!
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