Saturday, December 6, 2008

Finally...an update. (Kind of graphic...and VERY long)

Well... to say this past week has been difficult, would be the understatement of the year. I know that I have not responded to a lot of messages, or comments, and believe me, I wanted to. But a few things kept me from doing so.

First, I just didn't have the heart to respond. Everyone has been so sweet, and so heartfelt, and all I really wanted to do was lash out and yell at the nearest available person. No one deserved that, so I opted to simply keep my mouth shut.

Second, and this is the biggest reason...

As you all know, Wed, the night before Thanksgiving, is when we went to the ER, and found out we'd lost out baby. They'd sent us home, since my cervix was still completely closed, and the bleeding was mild, with the intent to let my body do what it needed to do. Barring any complications, my body would 'take care' of things naturally, and all would be well in 4-6 weeks.

Things did not go according to plan. Sunday, I woke up with the WORST cramps EVER. Every time I went to the bathroom, it felt like all of my insides were falling out. EACH time, it seemed I'd passed at least a gallon of blood (along with clots and tissue.) Well... by that afternoon, I was starting to pay close attention, and was starting to talk myself into going back to the ER. 4pm rolled around, and I thought a shower would help relax me, and maybe help ease the cramps. 15 minutes into the shower, I began to get dizzy, and very light headed. I quick grabbed my robe, and stumbled to the couch, where I laid down, and let the feelings pass. That was just before Mom called (I think she called, or maybe we called her.. I don't really remember much very clearly.) While talking to her, I do remember talking myself more and more into going to the ER, to the point that finally Matthew got up and just started getting everything ready. So, I hung up with Mom, and to the ER we went. At this point, I am now having to double up on pads, AND change them every 15 - 20 minutes. They got me into a private room right away. That's when things went downhill, FAST.

This is where my memory get's REALLY fuzzy, so please bear with me. I know my doctor did a cervical exam, and determined I was indeed miscarrying. They sent me to a more private room, to try to relax, and let my pain meds and nausea med take effect, before she would go in and try to remove some of the tissue. Her thought was, to let the meds take effect before she went in, to help make it less uncomfortable for me. God Bless her. A little while later, they took me back, so she could clear out the tissue. Unfortunately, she couldn't get it all. She commented that it was very soft, and kept pulling apart, so she was going to order a D&C. It would happen within the next couple of hours or so, and back to my private room I went. So... a little bit of time passed, maybe a half hour, and I had to go to the bathroom. Of course I did. So, the nurse helped me up, and I went to the bathroom. I made it just far enough from the emergency pull string, that I couldn't reach it, when the floor underneath me started to tilt. Then the world went topsy-turvy, and like tunnel vision, everything in my periphrial started to go black. My only thought was to get to the door. I managed to grab the handle, and open the door just enough, to call out, before I dropped to my knees. I remember hearing her yell out, "Oh honey...." before she helped pick me up, and get me back into my bed, where I remained, on my side. She took my blood pressure, which read at 81/47. That's when they started measuring my blood pressure every 15 minutes. Immediately, they called the OB on call, which just happened to be my doctor that delivered Malcolm. Within 15 minutes of that first reading, he was there. Another reading, and his expression told us all we needed to know. "Julie! What's going on!... You're so pale!...." Then some mumbling, and withing moments, I was signing permission slips for anestesia, and surgery. An emergency D&C was underway within 20 minutes. From the moment my second reading took, I remember a slew of people coming in and out, all in blue hair covers, saying hello, introducing themselves to me and Matthew, reassuring us I was going to be okay. I remember rolling into the operating room, and because of my IV, they needed to restrain my arm, so that it wouldn't pinch off. I remember them putting the board in place, and the anestesiologist saying, "You won't know anything, you won't feel anything, and you won't remember anything." He was right. Because that's the last thing I remember.

I woke up about an hour later, in recovery, very nauseous, and in some pain. The nurses there were wonderful, in that everytime I felt a pinch, they were there with a syringe for my IV. No pain for me. Finally, they released me, and I went to my permanent room, where I was monitored closely. Every hour, my vitals were taken. And every hour, the nurse would frown, and make a comment about needing to get my blood pressure up. By now, it was after 2am, and Matthew and Malcolm were in my room with me. They stayed til about 4am, when they were assured I would be okay. My nurse gave me a large dose of stadol and phenergan, and within minutes, I was asleep.

When I woke up again, it was time for breakfast. I was hungry, but very tired, so I nursed it for a bit, before falling back to sleep. It was 10 am again, before I woke up. My Dr was calling, and telling me his 'plans'. He was not comfortable with my blood pressure, and even though the surgery went very well, I had indeed lost a great deal of blood before hand. If my blood pressure didn't come up soon, I would require a transfusion. Sure enough, that afternoon, they started the first of two. My Dr. said he was not comfortable sending me home, and hoped I wouldn't be upset if I had to stay a day or two. Even that though, did not bring up my hemoglobin counts high enough though. They were expecting me to perk up, at least some, but I continued to remain tired, sleeping most of the day, and all of the night. I still had bouts of dizziness and light-headedness, and it wasn't until I was going into my third day, that my color finally returned. Two and a half days in the hospital, two pints of blood, emergency surgery, and I am now officially diagnosed with Iron Deficiancy Anemia, on top of everything else I've been through this week. I've been taking my iron now for three days, but I still tire very easily, and still experience moments of weakness, and dizziness. There is still so much healing that needs to happen, both physically and emotionally, and for the most part, everyone has been simply wonderful.

For everyone who sent and offered heartfelt wishes and prayers of well being, recovery, support and love. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul. Your words, no matter how eloquent, or simple, meant the world to me, and Matthew. So many of you, here, and elsewhere, lifted us up, when we were unable to do so for ourselves. Thank you for respecting our need to not answer the phone 100 times a day, and thank you, for now believing that it was the only thing we wished to talk about, when we did talk to you. Thank you for helping to, at least for a moment, pretend that life was 'normal', and for allowing us, and helping us, to find humor in something as simple as 'how to properly kill a bug', 'cooking a yummy turkey' or even watching a blood elf and a tauren arguing over 'her'. ::smiles:: Thank you EVERYONE, for those rare, and fleeting, but oh so precious moments of laughter, and normalcy.

2 comments:

BoysRuleMyLife said...

Julie,big hugs for you.I know it took alot to do what you did to inform us all who didn't know all the details.I didn't have to know it all to know that your world was turned upside down.Your a great friend and to see you hurt like this,tears me apart.You mean the world to alot of people including Malcolm,and even though he don't know it right now or you.It's him that's going to help you get through this.If you ever need anything,I'm right here for you.

Unknown said...

Julie sweetie,
I am so sorry that you went through all of that. Thank you for allowing us to try our best to understand what you went through, but the truth is none of us knows how that feels. All I want to do is cry for the thought that you have to feel this pain. You are such an amazing person with such a wonderful heart and it pains me to know that that heart is hurting so much. I love you from the deepest parts of my heart and I could not as for a more true friend. I will continue to pray for you and Matthew. Love Michelle

web counter

Studio 13

Swidget 1.0 3