Last year, on December 21st, I was doing my normal thing...relaxing, sleeping, baking three little girls and celebrating finally being 32 WEEKS! What a wonderful milestone it was and I was so thankful I made it so far. I waited for Tim to arrive home and take me to my weekly perinatalogist appointment.
I brought all my Christmas cards with me to do in the waiting room because I always had to wait forever but on this day, the day I actually brought something to do and something that needed to get done, I was called back pretty quick.
I went about my usual routine at each appointment. Bathroom stop to leave a sample for the nurse, and sat in the chair to await my blood pressure to be taken, temperature and weight. The nurse put the little stick in the urine cup and started taking my blood pressure, which of course was through the roof. She took it three times, all three times it was super high. She walked back to the urine, pulled out the stick and turned her head and said, "did you bring your hospital bag this time?" I was stunned and said, "why?" She then said, "your protein levels are off the chart, which means you have very high pre-eclampsia, you're going to the hospital."
I knew I was on my way to the hospital soon, but I didn't think this appointment would be it. I was seen 4 days prior and had NO protein in my urine, even though my blood pressure was through the roof and the swelling of my body was unimaginable. I don't remember even thinking that it was 3 days until Christmas, honestly it never crossed my mind. My heart and my mind was wrapped around my babies health and what was to come.
I met with the doctor and he began to do all the paper work in his office to send us to Labor and Delivery with specific instructions for a 24 hour urine collection test. I don't remember being anxious or nervous or scared. Just comforted by my husband and our doctor. I asked him a million questions and he said most likely I would be delivering within 48 hours. I remember asking him if he could give me the "whatever I wanted to eat, whenever I wanted to eat it diet" (priorities I tell ya!) so I could get in as many calories as I could before these babies came! He, of course said that was fine and wrote me special orders!
It seemed so surreal to me. I don't even remember what I thought or felt. I knew my health was severely in danger. I was a blimp, so swollen and sore, so full of water, so tired and weak. My blood pressure was extrememly high, all the protien in my urine, not to mention the terbutaline pump in my leg, the fact that I could barley walk, was full of congestion in my lungs, on so much medications, IV's...the list went on and on.
We called our parents and went to Burger King. I wanted one last meal before going into Labor and Delivery.
We arrived at Labor and Delivery and since I was well known by many of the nurses, I got all my paper work filled out, all my hospital braclets on and off I went to my room. I honestly don't even remember walking into the room, or getting settled, or anything! All I remember is getting all those horrible monitors on me which made me itch so bad and then the stupid leg pumps, which made the swelling even worse. All the fluid that was in my lower legs were pumped up to my thighs.
My parent's came down and brought my stuff, my sister decided that she would stay the night since Tim had to work in the morning. We watched TV, ate dinner and I blogged. I did get this awesome list of food choices that I could have at anytime! It.was.awesome!!
The night was hard, I do remember that! I was very uncomfortable and I didn't get much sleep. I had to pee every five minutes from all the fluid in me, even though the fluid was getting worse. My blood pressure was horrible and the headaches were getting really bad by the morning!
And December 22nd was a whole new day of challenges and many emotions of what was to come!
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