Sunday, October 11, 2009

Trash + Bug bite = Hospital??

Last night was definitely one of the weirdest nights of my life. 

After Edwin’s bath, the boys were playing in the living room while I cleaned up the dinner dishes in the kitchen.  The trash needed to go out, so I bagged it up, and headed outside.  After throwing it away, I remembered that I had two gallon jugs of water in the trunk of my car and went to grab them.  After popping the trunk, I felt something bite my right foot.  Thinking nothing of it, I tried to brush it off with my left foot, but that didn’t work.  I actually had to bend down and swipe it off my foot with my hand.  Looking back, I guess whatever kind of bug it was felt on the small side.

When I got back in the house my foot stung a little so I rubbed on some Cortisone cream and went back to the dishes.  A few minutes later, I noticed an itchy white spot on the pinky of my left hand.  Thinking “oh, I must have gotten a mosquito bite outside too,” I put on some more Cortisone cream and again went back to the dishes.  Less than 5 minutes later, I saw another spot appear on my left ring finger.  Then I looked down at my right foot and realized it was really red and starting to swell.  I asked Ed to come into the kitchen to take a look…I was starting to get a little freaked out.  While he looked in the medicine cabinet for some Benadryl, I called the nurseline (at his suggestion).  While I was on the phone with the nurse, things got progressively worse right before my eyes.  The spots were spreading across my left hand, my foot was getting huge, my heart was racing and it was getting hard to breathe (although at that time, I figured it was just anxiety).  She told me to go to urgent care or call the OB office.  I tried to call my doc but was put on hold by the answering service.  In just those two minutes, I developed a ton of spots all over my chest!   Ok, time for the hospital.

Ed changed his clothes (he was in pjs) and got Edwin’s shoes on.  The whole time we were running around the house, Edwin kept saying “mommy got bug bite?  Go see doctor?”  Oh yeah, time to see a doctor!   We jumped in the car and headed for Brunswick Community Hospital which is thankfully less than 5 minutes away.  It was getting really hard to breathe…and yes, I was getting really scared.  I just kept praying that God would keep me conscious until we got to the ER.   Having been to that ER in the past (always for Edwin or Ed), I knew they had a red phone at the triage window that you’re only supposed to use if you’re having chest pains or difficulty breathing.  I IMMEDIATELY headed for the phone, told them I was having an allergic reaction and could barely breathe.  Amazing how quickly that door opened!   My blood pressure suddenly dropped and I almost passed out just walking to the exam room. 

Once in the room, they hooked me up to the monitors, got an IV going (the guy starting the IV asked me if I had a sunburn because my chest was beet red.  Nope, all part of the allergic reaction)  and the doctor came right in.  Unfortunately, I still couldn’t breathe!!!  They gave me (by IV) Benadryl, Zantac, and Solu-medrol, a steroid.  The nurse said she could see my color getting better almost immediately.  I was still having trouble breathing, so someone from Respiratory came down and did an albuterol treatment which made a HUGE difference. 

I had called my parents on the way to the hospital to see if they could come get Edwin.  So while I was in the ER, mom popped in to see how I was doing.  Then she and dad took Edwin home and then Ed was finally able to come back.  I’m sure it was a strange site…he’s usually the one in the hospital bed, not me!  I also had an oxygen mask on…

Since I’m 34 weeks pregnant, they had someone from the maternity department come hook me up to a fetal monitor.  Lillian’s heartbeat was perfectly normal, but sure enough, I was having contractions.  At first they were mostly on the the top of my belly and felt more like Braxton-Hicks contractions.  But as time went on, they gradually got lower and lower, and felt more like the real thing.  I was contracting every 2 1/2 minutes.  The ER doc was in constant contact with my OB doc up in Wilmington and they decided to transfer me to New Hanover for additional monitoring. 

Did you know that once you’re at a hospital and they want to transfer you to another hospital you have to go via ambulance?  Yup.  My first ride in an ambulance was thankfully uneventful.  The crew was awesome – and since I could finally breathe again, I was in a much better mood!   They got me settled in triage at the new Women & Children’s hospital at New Hanover.  Not 5 minutes after I arrived, my friend Rebecca showed up.  She had just gotten off of work (also works at the hospital), so she kept me company until Ed could get there about 15-20 minutes later.

The nurse hooked me up to the monitors and we just hung out watching Grey’s Anatomy.  I was still having contractions every 2 minutes, but they weren’t as strong as they had been earlier.  I really don’t remember the timing of everything, but eventually on my doctor’s orders, they gave me Stadol (pain medicine) and Phenergan (in case I got nauseous), turned out the lights and had me rest…they were trying to see if this would stop the contractions.  They didn’t stop completely, but enough that we were released from the hospital around 2am. 

There you have it.  Lillian and I are doing just fine.  My fingers and toes are still really tingly this morning (I’m assuming a leftover reaction from all the meds they gave me?) and I’m a little “itchy” but other than that, I feel fine.  Edwin was a good boy and loved spending the night at Pappy’s house.  Ed is still sleeping – I’m sure the hospital chair wasn’t very comfortable, plus he had to drive us home (45 minute drive) at 2 in the morning.  I slept the whole way because that Stadol knocked me out!   I took a few pictures with my new camera when Ed first got to New Hanover hospital…I only wish I had had it in the ambulance! haha.  Thanks for all of the prayers.  I’m grateful that this crazy experience is over and thanking God that I’m still pregnant this morning!

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Lillian’s heart rate on the left (132) and the contraction number on the right (23). 

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Friday, October 9, 2009

JUST LET ME BE MAD!


This afternoon, I learned of the new policy at New Hanover Regional Medical Center regarding visitors. Because of the stupid H1N1 virus, nobody under the age of 18 is allowed to visit (see their press release here). This means that when I have Lillian in roughly six weeks, Edwin will not be able to visit his brand new baby sister in the hospital.

I am upset. I had visions of Edwin coming to the hospital, maybe having a present with him for the new baby, being a little bit shy at first (yes, it is possible for Edwin to be shy), and then meeting his Lillian. I wish you could hear the sweet way he says her name. I imagined him climbing into the hospital bed with me as I held both of my kids, amazed that I have been blessed with two precious miracles. Katie would get some wonderful pictures that we could share with all of our family and friends…

Now those visions have changed. Yes, I know it will still be special no matter where Edwin is when he meets Lillian for the first time. But I wanted it to be at the hospital!! (Imagine me throwing a mini-tantrum right now…) I also don’t want to go two days without seeing my son and having him wonder where the heck mommy is. Again, go ahead and argue the other side. He’s only 2 and a half – will he really care where mommy is? Will he really care that he’s not stuck in a small hospital room being told you can’t touch that, leave that alone? Probably not. But my very first memory EVER is when my dad brought Katie and I to the hospital to meet David…and I was only 2 ½. Now Edwin won’t have that chance.

So instead of offering me comments like “well, it’s a pandemic” or “it won’t really matter” just be mad with me for a second. Understand that I am having a little pity party and just want a little bit of company… Yes, I’ll get over this. Yes, most likely after Lillian is born I’ll post on here that it wasn’t a big deal to have Edwin meet her at Pappy’s house. But for now, please just let me be mad.

Monday, October 5, 2009

What a Sweet Face!











This morning I had another ultrasound to make sure my fluid levels are staying in the normal range and Auntie Katie got to tag along for the show. The fluid checked out perfect and Miss Lillian is looking mighty healthy. In fact, she's measuring just ahead of schedule and is already 5 1/2 pounds!!!! That puts her in the 70th percentile for growth. We sure make some hardy kids. Haha. Anyway, I wanted to share the pictures from the 3D portion of the scan...and I included one from the day Edwin was born. I think our children definitely share the same nose and lips. So cute!!!! At my appointment with the doctor, he said my belly is measuring 33cm (perfect for 33 weeks of pregnancy) and Lillian's heartrate was 148. I go back in two weeks for another ultrasound and appointment, so hopefully there will be a few more photos. I am so grateful for a healthy checkup!