Saturday, August 13, 2011

2 hospitals in 2 weeks

At my 37 week check up, the doctor noticed that I had high blood pressure. Normally, my blood pressure was always really good, so it was kind of weird. But she said that a lot of times pregnant women experience slightly elevated blood pressure toward the end of pregnancy...so she said we would just monitor it at the following weekly visits.

Now, because of Joe's kidney and blood pressure issues in the past, we actually have a blood pressure monitor at home, so on a Saturday night, I decided to check my blood pressure to see how it was doing. It was wicked high, so I decided to rest and go to bed. Checked it again in the morning after a night's sleep. Still wicked high. Called the on call doctor since it was a Sunday, and here is a quick rundown of the next 5 days:
  • Sunday: On call doc said to go to the hospital right away. Hospital admitted me for high blood pressure. Said I probably wouldn't be leaving because doc wanted to induce labor. Put me on a medication to ripen my cervix (since baby wasn't ready to come yet).
  • Monday: By next morning, wasn't working. Rock hard cervix. Started a cook's balloon cervical ripening thingie (look it up!) to help with dilation. Started a little Pitocin. 12 hours later, still no dilation.
  • Tuesday: 24 hours later, cervix was only opened to 3cm. Doc called my cervix Fort Knox (not kidding). Took it out. Kicked up the Pitocin. Broke my water. Contractions started coming. Contractions caused more spikes in my blood pressure. Started an epidural to take away the pain...which would eliminate the high blood pressure from the contractions. It worked. Had Baby McG that night!
  • Wednesday: Still in hospital for high blood pressure. Put on meds. Boring. Wanted to go home.
  • Thursday: Still in hospital for high blood pressure. Slight decrease in high blood pressure. Released with prescription for blood pressure. So glad to go home. Really missed my beagle.
After 5 days in the hospital, I was so glad to be going home...especially so that I could hug our beagle and start playing with our little one. I was ready for the horror story of how people (and movies) portray being a new parent - screaming children, no sleep, endless fatigue. I will definitely say that it has been an adjustment on my body and schedule, and I have definitely felt fatigued...but our baby is so quiet and I literally need to wake him up in order to feed him. So he's been pretty low maintenance and it's been fairly easy to rest while he's resting.

Until this past Wednesday night.

Vincent. at some point on Wednesday, got so completed agitated that he cried almost nonstop (not kidding) from about 12:30 am to about 5:30 am. There were brief periods of calm, but it never lasted very long. And nothing was working. I know he was only 9 days old, but it was so completely polar opposite to what he had normally been like, so we called the pediatrician's office. The on call nurse suggested to go to the ER as he would really need to be evaluated to see what was going on.

I have been here with Vincent at Phoenix Children's Hospital ever since.

When we brought him in, they did a million tests to look for infections, abnormalities, etc. They tested for meningitis...which was negative. So that was a relief. They saw a slight bronchiolitic situation in an xray of his lungs, so decided they might put him on antibiotics for that (and to make sure any other infection is stopped). They also noticed that he was getting low oxygen...which could possibly be a result of pauses in breathing. He was admitted to the ICU.

His tests keep coming back normal...but they are still wanting to keep him on antibiotics a little longer and want to keep monitoring him for apnea. He didn't have any apnic episodes at all last night or the night before. So that's good! But they are sending us home with a monitor that will alarm whenever there is a cessation of breathing or a cessation of heartbeat.

How freakin' scary is that?!?!

I am seriously sick of hospitals. I am seriously sick of our son being hooked up to machines and IVs. I am seriously stressed about having to hook him up even MORE when we get home to monitor for apnea. I am just sick of it. I just want to be home and cuddling with Joe, my Lucy, and my little man. I just want to be a new mother in the peace and quiet of my own home. I am so sorry if this sounds like complaining, but I think that this is just not fair.

He's an angel. An adorable, smiling, blonde-haired, angelic little 11 day old boy. And 11 day old little angels do not deserve this.

3 comments:

Lindsay Teague Moreno | 5ive Photo said...

Oh, T, I so relate to your feelings. When Boston was in the NICU, I felt so bad for her and helpless as a mom. You're doing great. He'll be home with you soon.

Lindsay

Jenn said...

So sorry you are going through this! If there is anything I can do, please let me know. Know though you are all in my thoughts and prayers. xoxox

Colleen said...

He is soooooooooooo darling, and I can't wait to see more pictures. Sending lots and lots of prayers that you get to go home soon!

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