Good news!
I’m back home and trying to take it easy. I know Dan is not much of a dissembler of information so here’s what happened.
Friday I felt dizzy and achy but I thought it was just from being tired. I thought the aches were from my ligaments going back to normal (this happened after I had Jack) and the pains would only last a week or so. Then the fever kicked in. Again, I felt good other than being hot so I thought that was the normal purging of hormones that come after giving birth. I think I was hot every night for a month after I had Jack.
By morning, I felt worse and by afternoon the fever wouldn’t go away. My doctor told me to take Tylenol, put an ice pack on my chest and go to the hospital if my fever went over 102. About thirty minutes later my fever was up to 103.8 and I was hurting really badly. So, Dan packed up the kids and then took me to the emergency room. Of course, we didn’t want the kids around all the germs so I walked myself in there and checked in. By the time they took my temp again I was up to 104.8. Of course, this is not good so they rushed me back as soon as they could.
Now, as you all know, hospitals like to hurry up and wait so I waited and waited and waited until I called for a nurse because I felt like my head was going to explode. I started to think I was having a stroke and began to cry a lot but I think that was partly nerves and partly disorientation from the fever. They got me started on IV’s and pain medications (Vicodin didn’t work and neither did Morphine!) and began conducting tests. They took a chest x-ray, EKG, and CAT scan of my chest looking for possible blood clots. Then they did an ultrasound of my legs (also looking for blood clots) and took several blood samples.
Keep in mind the entire time I was there I was next to an older woman with a pain pill and methenphedamine addiction who forgot to take her pills that day. She was in withdralw and very unhappy. She screamed at the nurses because she thought they were laughing at her and ignoring her pain. She tried to take out her IV and go home, but when she demanded to be released they unhooked her and sent her packing. She was back 10 minutes later crying about how her daughter didn’t love her and wouldn’t come pick her up and how she needed something for the pain she had in her “gut”. All the while this was going on she was calling out to Jesus to “take her home” and “save” her. Then she would ask for forgiveness and two minutes later she was damning the nurses for not caring about her. Add that to the drunk tourist who passed out while trying to pee on the floor, and you have one interesting night!
After 9 hours I was moved to a room where they gave me Percoset. That finally killed the pain and I slept, but was sweaty and shaking the whole time. Yuck. It took two more days, lots of blood work, and two doctors to figure out what was wrong with me. Turns out I had a horrible urinary tract infection that the doctors were worried about. They thought it had spread to my kidneys and blood stream which can be very serious requiring time in ICU, but I was lucky it hadn’t gotten that far. I also had a small breast infection that needed to be taken care of.
That is another issue all together. I had to get an ultrasound of my breast tissue and they found some pockets of milk ducts that had been infected, but were too small to drain with a needle (ouch!!) so they were hoping the antibiotics they were pumping into my IV would clear it up. The pain is a lot less, but my milk supply is gone. I contacted a lactation consultant and she is trying to help me re-establish breast feeding but it is very hard and we are not sure yet if it will work. I have 48 more hours of trying the “frequency” technique before we give up. It’s tricky to explain, but it basically means I can’t go anywhere or do anything because I have to be working on getting Will to latch on every hour or so. He’s good at that part, so it’s up to my body to “meet his demands”.
I know this may all be a little more than anyone wanted to know about my body, but I figured too much information was better than not enough :)
If the breast feeding doesn’t work then I’m going to need some time to adjust. I had troubles breast feeding Jackson and I’m still not over it. There is something integral about being a mother and being able to provide for your child. Not having the ability to do that for Jack was pretty devastating for me and lead to a case of the “baby blues”. I am praying that all of this works and I can provide for Will, but I also need to pray for the strength to NOT blame myself or feel guilt if I can’t. It’s hard to explain, but it hurts me a great deal and while I know I have not failed my children I still feel like something is missing. I have Dan’s support no matter what happens and that is what is really important. He’s been a good man and father and I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Anyway, we are all finally home and I am very glad to be sleeping in my own bed. Hospital beds are awful! The food was even worse because they put me on a low sodium diet because I was so dehydrated. I am going to do everything the doctors told me to do so I don’t have to go back! I asked them how all this happened and they believe it’s most likely from sharing a bathroom with a messy man and a toddler who pees on everything. No, it’s not from going to work for three hours the week after William was born or from going grocery shopping four days after he was born. It’s not from keeping busy around the house when I got home, or lack of sleep, or eating poorly. One doctor even thinks I picked up the bugs when I was in the hospital having William and that I had been fighting it for a few days before I showed symptoms.
Well, that’s the scoop y’all! I expect to relax some time this week even though my brother arrived the day after I got home. He’s not here to be entertained and in fact, has a paper to work on for the last class he’s taking towards his Masters in Education. I’ve been trying to convince him to move to Las Vegas and while he likes it here he can’t see leaving our dad back in Washington. My dad will never, ever, EVER leave his house, so my brother will stay as long as my dad is still kickin’ around. I’ll be pretty busy hanging out with him and my boys this week, but I’ll find time to post more pictures as soon as I can. For now, here are some of ones from Dan’s camera!
Love,
Christine
I’m back home and trying to take it easy. I know Dan is not much of a dissembler of information so here’s what happened.
Friday I felt dizzy and achy but I thought it was just from being tired. I thought the aches were from my ligaments going back to normal (this happened after I had Jack) and the pains would only last a week or so. Then the fever kicked in. Again, I felt good other than being hot so I thought that was the normal purging of hormones that come after giving birth. I think I was hot every night for a month after I had Jack.
By morning, I felt worse and by afternoon the fever wouldn’t go away. My doctor told me to take Tylenol, put an ice pack on my chest and go to the hospital if my fever went over 102. About thirty minutes later my fever was up to 103.8 and I was hurting really badly. So, Dan packed up the kids and then took me to the emergency room. Of course, we didn’t want the kids around all the germs so I walked myself in there and checked in. By the time they took my temp again I was up to 104.8. Of course, this is not good so they rushed me back as soon as they could.
Now, as you all know, hospitals like to hurry up and wait so I waited and waited and waited until I called for a nurse because I felt like my head was going to explode. I started to think I was having a stroke and began to cry a lot but I think that was partly nerves and partly disorientation from the fever. They got me started on IV’s and pain medications (Vicodin didn’t work and neither did Morphine!) and began conducting tests. They took a chest x-ray, EKG, and CAT scan of my chest looking for possible blood clots. Then they did an ultrasound of my legs (also looking for blood clots) and took several blood samples.
Keep in mind the entire time I was there I was next to an older woman with a pain pill and methenphedamine addiction who forgot to take her pills that day. She was in withdralw and very unhappy. She screamed at the nurses because she thought they were laughing at her and ignoring her pain. She tried to take out her IV and go home, but when she demanded to be released they unhooked her and sent her packing. She was back 10 minutes later crying about how her daughter didn’t love her and wouldn’t come pick her up and how she needed something for the pain she had in her “gut”. All the while this was going on she was calling out to Jesus to “take her home” and “save” her. Then she would ask for forgiveness and two minutes later she was damning the nurses for not caring about her. Add that to the drunk tourist who passed out while trying to pee on the floor, and you have one interesting night!
After 9 hours I was moved to a room where they gave me Percoset. That finally killed the pain and I slept, but was sweaty and shaking the whole time. Yuck. It took two more days, lots of blood work, and two doctors to figure out what was wrong with me. Turns out I had a horrible urinary tract infection that the doctors were worried about. They thought it had spread to my kidneys and blood stream which can be very serious requiring time in ICU, but I was lucky it hadn’t gotten that far. I also had a small breast infection that needed to be taken care of.
That is another issue all together. I had to get an ultrasound of my breast tissue and they found some pockets of milk ducts that had been infected, but were too small to drain with a needle (ouch!!) so they were hoping the antibiotics they were pumping into my IV would clear it up. The pain is a lot less, but my milk supply is gone. I contacted a lactation consultant and she is trying to help me re-establish breast feeding but it is very hard and we are not sure yet if it will work. I have 48 more hours of trying the “frequency” technique before we give up. It’s tricky to explain, but it basically means I can’t go anywhere or do anything because I have to be working on getting Will to latch on every hour or so. He’s good at that part, so it’s up to my body to “meet his demands”.
I know this may all be a little more than anyone wanted to know about my body, but I figured too much information was better than not enough :)
If the breast feeding doesn’t work then I’m going to need some time to adjust. I had troubles breast feeding Jackson and I’m still not over it. There is something integral about being a mother and being able to provide for your child. Not having the ability to do that for Jack was pretty devastating for me and lead to a case of the “baby blues”. I am praying that all of this works and I can provide for Will, but I also need to pray for the strength to NOT blame myself or feel guilt if I can’t. It’s hard to explain, but it hurts me a great deal and while I know I have not failed my children I still feel like something is missing. I have Dan’s support no matter what happens and that is what is really important. He’s been a good man and father and I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Anyway, we are all finally home and I am very glad to be sleeping in my own bed. Hospital beds are awful! The food was even worse because they put me on a low sodium diet because I was so dehydrated. I am going to do everything the doctors told me to do so I don’t have to go back! I asked them how all this happened and they believe it’s most likely from sharing a bathroom with a messy man and a toddler who pees on everything. No, it’s not from going to work for three hours the week after William was born or from going grocery shopping four days after he was born. It’s not from keeping busy around the house when I got home, or lack of sleep, or eating poorly. One doctor even thinks I picked up the bugs when I was in the hospital having William and that I had been fighting it for a few days before I showed symptoms.
Well, that’s the scoop y’all! I expect to relax some time this week even though my brother arrived the day after I got home. He’s not here to be entertained and in fact, has a paper to work on for the last class he’s taking towards his Masters in Education. I’ve been trying to convince him to move to Las Vegas and while he likes it here he can’t see leaving our dad back in Washington. My dad will never, ever, EVER leave his house, so my brother will stay as long as my dad is still kickin’ around. I’ll be pretty busy hanging out with him and my boys this week, but I’ll find time to post more pictures as soon as I can. For now, here are some of ones from Dan’s camera!
Love,
Christine
Proud Papa!
Will the Burrito
They say it's gas, but I like to think it's a smile :)
Nothing like a little visual stimulation!
2 comments:
Crazy story!! I can't believe it! Those Vegas hospitals are a trip! I remember when Dan was in the emergency room from a really really bad flu. I was there most of the night and we saw some crazy stuff. I'm sorry you had to go through that and even more sorry that I don't live closer so I can help out. We can't wait to meet William some day!
Yes, those hospital trips can be an experience in the ER. I am glad that you are home and getting well!
Wow,Will looks like his daddy- But Im sure has his mom's heart!
Great pics and congrats!
Dont let those blues creep up on you- stay positive and be thankful you were able to conceive and deliver a healthy baby boy!
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