Tuesday, January 08, 2008

And so the story continues...


Jacob's Story Part 4: Adam and I got up Wednesday morning early. Maybe around 530am or 6am. We both didn't sleep too well and were awake. My medicine had really kicked in and I don't remember too much from that day - it was kind of a blur. Stacy was working in labor and delivery and came in to check on me around 7am.

Side note - Stacy has 2 wonderful boys (Noah is 3 and Logan is almost 2) and I was there in the room for both of her deliveries. The plan was for her to be there for mine as well. We had talked and she was telling me that if she was working when I went into labor that she was going to "clock out". You see, they would let her have me as one of her patients, but if she had a more complicated patient she would have to spend the entire day with that mommy instead of me. So, God in all His wisdom, had her working that day, I was assigned to her as her patient and I was her most complicated case so she got to spend the day with me!


Right before Stacy came in, Adam and I had been talking about breakfast and I was excited about getting to eat the pancakes (they are really good!). Then came the bad news. The doctor and Stacy came in and told me I couldn't eat and I just could have ice chips. Oh the agony! The doctor also told me that my blood pressure hadn't gotten any better and I was getting worse. I had moved from mild to sever preclampsia. That put me and Jacob in danger and they were going to do the c-section about 3pm that day. At that moment I was still stuck on no breakfast and yet again just had a peace about everything that was going on. So, Adam got breakfast and I had my ice chips.


Adam started calling everyone and telling them the plan. We asked that no one come before 11am just so that we could have a slow morning and try and rest some. Stacy started to get me prepped for surgery (I'll spare you those details) and we were have a pretty good morning. I couldn't see the monitor so I couldn't see really how I was doing. They kept telling me I was really sick and I could see the worry on everyone's face, but besides feeling out of it from the medicine, I felt fine.


Sorry for the details, but this is what happened. Maybe around 11am Stacy started to put my catheter in (let me tell you how much fun that was) and as she was doing it she was watching mine and Jacob's monitors to see how we were doing. At that moment, all I knew is that something wasn't right with Jacob and Stacy and Adam were really nervous - you could see it all over their face. I just kept quiet and didn't ask what was going on. Stacy then finished putting my catheter in REALLY fast (which hurt REALLY bad, but was over quickly because she was going REALLY fast!). At that point, I kind of jumped off the bed in pain and my heart rate went up and so did Jacobs. What Adam and Stacy were watching was Jacob's heart rate dip down to 60 (they want it between 140 & 160) and that was dangerously low. Stacy went out of the room to talk with the doctor who then came in and talked to me. Jacob wasn't handling the medicine and I was getting worse and they were going to take me back for the c-section in 30min.


From that point on everything happened so fast. Adam got on the phone calling our family so that they could get there in time. I was able to stay awake for the c-section so because of that my family (or whomever I wanted) could watch through a window (which I was glad for). They put a fun hat on my head and got Adam in whatever he wore (I think it was a gown over his head and a hat - I don't know if they made him put on booties). Stacy was ready and they wheeled me out. My family got there just in time (Juli and Thomas literally got there right before they pushed me in the operating room and were able to see me briefly before I went back).


I'm trying not to make you sit at your computer and read for an hour so I'll stop here. Here are some pictures of me before I was taken back for the surgery. You can see how swollen I was. (Believe or not, I got worse and looked even more like a beached whale!)

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