I never really thought I would be one of those women who have to make a premature trip to labor and delivery, so when my docor said I needed to go to the ER, I didn't know what to think.
It all started at about 8:45pm Tuesday morning. I had just eaten a bowl of cream of wheat and was drinking my morning cup of coffee. I was watching TV and just felt heavy and uncomfortable. I thought maybe it was the position I was in. My heart was racing and I could feel it beating throughout my body. This wasn't the first time my heart beat like this, and it would usually subside if I laid down. I went into the bedroom, arranged some pillows so I would be comfortable and hit the sheets. As I lay there, my body was being rocked by the intense beating of my heart and I fell asleep. An hour later, when I woke up, my heart was still racing. I decided to time it just out of curriosity. When I counted 144 beats per minute (after sleeping for an hour), I thought I better call the doctor. After explaining the situation, the nurse said to go to the ER. I called Josh and told him what was going on and I needed him to come home.
So many things were going through my mind....Should I bring my hospital bag, just incase? Are they going to check me internally cause I haven't showered or shaved my legs.....and I smell...let me at least brush my teeth. Josh helped me manueuver across the ice outside and into the truck. On the way to the ER I experienced some lower abdominal cramping and back pain. Nothing too serious or painful.
Something I learned about the ER that morning is that it's always best to go when you are 8 months pregnant, or bring an 8 month pregnant girl with you, because as soon as that belly is visible, people are tripping over each other to help you. I was immediately taken back to triage where my blood pressure (BP) was 167/94 and my heart rate (HR) was 141. Josh told me later that at that moment, he became worried because there was literally no-waiting....which meant.....emergency.
First I was admitted to the ER where they monitored my BP and HR, checked the baby's HR which was also elevated (182 BPM), did and EKG and took about six vials of blood. We were only in the ER for about an hour before they "discharged me" and the nurse brought in what looked like a jogging wheelchair (you know, like a jogging stroller). Me and Josh made some jokes about it, but little did we know, the nurse actually did jog to the elevator (with me in the jogging wheelchair) and I yelled "Honey, are you still back there?" and off we went to the Labor and Delivery floor.
They put me in a teeny-tiny room, hooked me up to some fetal monitors and brought me a menu. Let me just remind you, I love food. I'm not too predjudice about where it comes from, even if that place is a hospital. I ordered a chef salad, fries, a slice of cheesecake and a water, and let me just say, it was DELISH! I thought "Oh it's probably just because I'm STARVING". I was wrong....more on that later....
I was moved to an official delivery room, which is enormous! I have my own bathroom with a jacuzzi tub and Josh has a chair that folds out into a bed. It's not a bad set-up really, but as I'm writing this, I am on my 3rd night here and I'm getting pretty frustrated, impatient and ready to go home. So far each day they have said "maybe tomorrow" and each day passes with no discharge papers. The past 3 days have been a blur of blood pressure tests (which have ranged from 120/60 to 160/100 without any consistency), heart rates ranging from the 80's to 140's, fetal monitoring, EKG's, a 24-hour urine checking for preeclampsia and the HELLP syndrome (both negative), a CT scan of my chest with contrast (which I got to taste 2 more times when they flushed my hep-lock), a chest x-ray, an echocardiogram, more blood draws, an internal vaginal exam (my cervix was "high, closed and thick"), and a telemetry monitor which monitors my heart rate (and is supposed to determine whether or not I have supraventricular tachycardia) and that I've been wearing for over 24 hours now. I actually had to have a doctor's order to remove it so I could shower.
So I've been pretty patient, but last night I broke down and cried, all out of frustration. I had to pee. Josh was asleep on his fold out bed, I had a GAZILLION wires and monitors attached to me AND I couldn't leave my bed. I sat up, 5 of the leads on my 12-lead EKG thing came off and were tangled up in my telemetry monitor (which has 5 additional leads), there was aquasonic jelly (for the fetal heart monitor) all over my belly, the contraction monitor along with the fetal heart monitor were both tangled in my blood pressure cuff. Everytime my finger pulse monitor came off, an annoying alarm would sound. I had itchy stickers (for all the leads) attached to my chest and belly. There was dried milk everywhere from all the lactating and to make things even more awkward, my gown fell off my shoulders into a pile around my waist. So there I was, sitting on the edge of my bed, completely topless, looking like some kind of electrical switchboard with all my wires......sobbing and sweaty.
Josh woke up, got the nurse, who came in and unhooked me from everything (except my sidekick telemetry monitor) so I could go pee. I peeled off all my EKG stickers and laid on my bed with Josh rubbing my head, and I fell asleep. I haven't seen that nurse since and I'm convinced that the sight of me sitting on the bed like that, sent her straight to the psych ward.
There have been quite a few laughs so far though. Josh thinks it's hilarious that I LOVE the hospital food. It really is good-not just when I'm starving.
And we are still talking about the lady who did one of my EKG's and as she was leaving, said "Well I hope you make it". I said "Me too" and looked at Josh. She quickly back tracked and explained how it came out wrong and she meant that she hopes I make it to my due date. Josh and I just laughed and reassured her that we knew what she meant.
And my favorite part so far (besides the food and the jacuzzi tub) is hearing all the new babies crying as they are born. I'm not gonna lie, I'm super jealous that I'm not here for that reason, but 34 weeks is too early.
*Oh my gosh, my new night nurse just came in and her name is PIP! Doesn't the name Pip make you think of a tiny, little, elf-like lady? Well that's what she looks like.*
So my little girl has been perfectly healthy, strong and kicking like a mule throughout all this, thank God! Nothing is wrong with her and as I'm typing this, I am listening to her little heart beating 141 beats per minute.
I'm getting pretty sleepy right now so I'm going to cut this short and leave you with a few things too look forward to on the next post.....
1. How absolutely AMAZING my husband has been through all this.
2. My mother-in-law will be here tomorrow and I'm super excited.
3. And more on my first labor and delivery experience that is going to result in NO labor and NO baby coming home yet.
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