ANNAlytical.com

Sunday Night

We left Nick’s parents’ house after our Easter celebration around 7 PM or so I believe. Nick and I had some additional things to get done – like I needed to finish my hospital bag. And we wanted to spend some quality time together before my hospital stay.

The night ended up being very surreal and sort of rushed. Maybe not “rushed” so much as very task oriented. Hmmm… I wonder who’s fault that is? I felt like if I sat down without a checklist or some sort of task that I would simply lose it. As it is I cried a couple of times missing Aidan and being nervous about the next day. We still managed to hang out though.

Monday Morning – pre op

We had to be at the hospital between 6:30 and 7 AM so we had to wake up pretty early. We each showered and got ready. I made sure to wear comfy clothes. I couldn’t eat anything and I kept having to remind myself not to eat or drink any water. I was so used to my little diabetic routine that it was actually a concious effort.

I got myself a “blankee” to use in the car because I needed to feel secure and I was super freezing. (In fact I have been cold constantly ever since then… it got worse after I had the baby).

We got in the car and we were running a tad late (but we still got to the hospital at about 7). I was getting really nervous in the car. Man I was so nervous this time. I remember being more calm last time. I guess sometimes the unknown is easier, eh?

When we got to the hospital I had Nick drop me at the front so I could get upstairs ASAP and he could park the car. I got my paper “I’m allowed in the hospital” purple wristband and hopped in the elevator. Yah, did NOT like the elevator ride… queezy, ugh.

I went to Labor & Delivery and got checked in. They had me get in my room and put on the ever so fashionable pink gown with the boob slits. I just left it open in the back – who’s gonna care at this point, right? I layed down and got monitored for a bit while the nurses changed shifts.

I was really uncomfortable after a while so they took me off the monitors. They said the baby was “perfect” so we were good with taking the monitors off.

Next I got my very UN-spa like shave. Yay – there’s “TMI” for ya.

Moving on…

Then all the scrubbing and the prepping and blah blah blah.

Then walked to the operating room. This was very different from last time because last time I got the epidural early in my L & D room and then did all my freaking out and puking and then got wheeled to the OR. So I walk in and the nurse has me face the lady prepping the tools for the epidural and the surgery. I knew enough to look down but I was thinking DUDE I should so be sitting on the other side of the operating table facing the DOOR not all the metal scary stuff! I decided to make a little joke like, “good thing I know to look down and not pay attention to what you’re doing” to the lady prepping and she was like, OMG turn her around and totally gave the nurse who brought me in a very WTF is wrong with you look.

So I got turned around, and I was fine really. I totally thought I was fine.

Monday Morning – the surgery

The anesthesiologist started her thing. I only had one local shot this time instead of 3 – cool. Then this time I had to say if I felt something on my right or left – didn’t have to do that last time either. In the middle of all this, all of a sudden I start down the road to passing out. I mean this was the most hardcore feeling ever. Now I REALLY know what “I feel like I’m going to pass out” means and feels like. I think I’ve passed out before but it was sudden. This was over 5 minutes of “stay with us Isabel, keep breathing, you’re doing GREAT, I need you to breathe Isabel… can you hear me, you’re doing fine, your blood pressure and oxygen are great, you can stay with us here…” BLAH! Sure there was that, but the same people were also breaking up those statements with the following SHOUTS down the hall, “we need help in here NOW, bring ammonia, I need more people to hold her (remember I was actually getting my epidural while this was happening), hurry up, where’s my help, I need ammonia NOW…” etc. In the midst of all that I’m having to stay with it enough to say, “I feel that on my left, I feel that on my right” for the anesthesiologist so I don’t end up all messed up from the epidural.

I will say this – the ammonia was AWESOME. Never has such a nasty smell been so welcome! It took like 10 waves throughout the ordeal to get me totally out of the passing out mode. By then my epidural was done and they were having me lay down.

Then came the familiar part – the 5 min or less or having the epidural and the puking began. I’d say about 8-10 times I threw up in the bucket thingie. I warned them ahead of time that I would probably get sick within a few minutes of getting the epidural, but they forgot, so I believe I nailed the anesthesiologist a bit the first time. Oops!

The anesthesiologist was super cool this time. It was also nice having a woman instead of a man do it. Not sure why, but it made be feel better. After the puking ended I was feeling just dandy. Really – it was cool, I was SO much more alert this time than last time. AND I could wiggle my toes the whole time during the surgery. I can’t tell you how comforting that was.

Then at the end I only needed a tad of the happy drugs – I think only 1 or 2 units. I felt it right away though and the anesthesiologist said, “wow, you were right, you really are sensitive to this stuff”… it was nice that she listened. I got less epidural medicine and less “drugs” and that let me have a much easier time of it all. I was totally alert when they put Scarlet next to me and I got to see them checking her out, and the whole nine yards. And I actually remember the recovery room and everything.

Monday Morning – post op

I was super happy in the recovery room because it was not too long after I was out of surgery that I could start to slide my legs back and forth a bit. A couple of the nurses thought it was funny that I was so happy about it, but I told them how I couldn’t move my legs for about a day and a 1/2 last time, and even after that it was slow going. Then they understood.

I actually got to have the baby near me the first day this time too. And though I was shaky in my arms so I couldn’t hold her yet, the nurses set me up with some pillows on the side, had me put my arm there, and then they set the baby down. The baby and I slept for about an hour that way. It was pure heaven. I think that was actually the next day (Tues) but it was still great.

My hospital stay

It was way better than last time. And I was a “VIP” (their words, not mine) with my own dietician who told me I didn’t have to eat what the food service people offered me. I got to find out what their “staple” items are that they always have and make my own meal selections and ignore their menu. So I had a hamburger w/lettuce and tomato almost every meal, hehe. Hey I needed the iron from the red meat and all the other options were not super balanced or appealing to me. I had broccoli, green beans and / or carrots with each meal too. Of course, the meals were after all the “liquids” for the first day or so. I didn’t eat liquids for a while either… I almost got sick off an ice chip, lol. So I had my IV in for a little while longer so I could have nutrition while not eating.

But I’ll tell ya, the first time I tasted that chicken broth after I was sure I could eat… it was so good, hehe.

The nurses were super awesome for the most part. So much so that when I went home I was sad and felt like I lost friends. You get attached to the people helping you and not caring that you are in no way, shape, or form dignified during such a time. hehe

The negatives…

I was anemic in my pregnancy – probably my fault because I didn’t take the prenatals or the iron supplement. I did for a week or so but it made me so sick. So I was really anemic before my surgery and I guess I lost a lot of blood so it was really bad after. They said people with that kind of anemia usually can barely talk, function, etc let alone be all fine like I was. I had no symptoms.

Well the doc filling in for my endocrinologist is known for being super micro managing of his patients’ care and runs a bazillion tests. So he orders all these tests and totally freaks out over the anemia. He had a hematologist consult with me and together the 2 of them scared the CRAP out of me. They had a new IV put in (a hep-lock) and did iron treatments and almost ordered a blood transfusion… WTF. And they were saying they wanted to make me stay in the hospital till “at least Saturday” to continue iron treatments, etc. And that the baby would probably go home before me!!!! Again WTF?! No way!

They said I’d have to have those out patient iron IV treatments each month and then eventually every few months most likely for life. Oh yah and this all got told to me during my only visit with Nick and Aidan and I was totally crying and Aidan was beginning to act up because the hematologist came in right when they got there and took up all of his “behaving in a boring place” time. By the time he left I had no visit left in me and Nick and Aidan had to leave. I felt very alone.

They were also drawing blood from me about 4 times a day. One lady came to draw blood while I was eating breakfast and I said she should come back in about 10 min so I could eat. I told her I just had an insulin shot (one time my sugar was up enough to need it on Tues) so I needed to eat right away or else I would be shaking and jacked up. She said she didn’t mean to push it but no she’s not coming back, the doc ordered these tests to be “stat” and to please hold out my arm. Again I said I need to eat. She said eat with the other hand (right hand) and give her my left arm. What a beeyotch.

The next day (Wed) my OB came to see me. She rocks. She was PISSED. She cancelled all the pending tests and said I could go home Thurs (which I guess was technically a day early for a c-section… I thought you only get 3 days, but I guess you get 4 – my insurance approval even came in for 4). She totally pulled rank with the other docs as my “primary care doc” for my prego related stuff. She told me that all the other docs had to do was look at my blood work from the beginning of my pregnancy and they would have seen I was not anemic then. In other words, the baby took all my iron stores and I did nothing to replenish them so I was anemic then. She wrote me a prescription for this special iron supplement that is easy on the tummy. She said just take that and the special prenatal for sensitive tummies and I’d bounce back.

I’ve been taking the iron each day, and began the prenatals a couple of days ago. I’ve been fine and less weak so I guess it’s working.

It was SO funny when the endocrinologist came in to see me later on. He said, “so I hear you’re getting sprung” … hahaha yah, bitter much? HA! That’s right I’m outta here doc! I wish my nurse practitioner endocrinologist could have been the one there. She knew my case better than anyone other than my OB. Maybe it’s a man thing – those jerks, LOL.

Homecoming

What a great day. Got my staples out, had a snack, got to leave.

Got home and felt a tinge of empty and loneliness. Attention withdrawls or something. Though I feel it was more the attachment and less the “attention”. I thrive with more people around than when I feel sort of “uncrowded” we’ll call it.

But I woke up the next day feeling fine about being home. Thank goodness.

Recovery so far…

Is okie dokie. Vicodin is nice.

Scarlet and I have a little cold right now. All went well at her 2 week wellness check on Monday and the doc said her congestion is only in her nose, so that’s good. The doc said Scarlet might have a common newborn thing with her hips occasionally dislocating. It’s due to a shallow hip joint. So I need to take to her a pediatric orthopedist to get checked out so my kiddo doesn’t have a limp her whole life. The doc said the hip thing would explain my concern about the baby screaming her head off when we change her diaper.

My 2 week wellness check with the OB is this afternoon. I am sure all is well.

I am tired – the baby has her days and nights mixed up. I am going to wake her up in the daytime though. Now that she’s past the 2 weeks I won’t feel so bad making her little butt get up!