Jacob's Birth Continued

Where was I???

Okay, so I was being transferred to the cardiac unit on Friday afternoon/evening. But what about Jacob you ask? Wasn't he still in the nursery? Yes, he was. How was I to nurse him in the cardiac unit when he had one of those security bracelets on and wasn't allowed to leave the nursery? The cardiac unit was a good 10 minute walk from the maternity wing. OH POO! Well, the solution we came up with, with the help of the nurses was as follows. They could deactivate his security alarm for 90 minutes. He would have to have a nurse escort for the entire time he was out. They would also have to alert hospital security that there was an infant "on the loose." They would then bring him to me, I would nurse him, while the nurse escort waited, and then she would take him back. If he wasn't back in the maternity wing by the time the security system reactivated his bracelet then the alarms would go off and I guess all hell would break loose. That was a lot of pressure, honestly. Sometimes newborns take their time to eat. Most aren't known for their dine and dash abilities. Anywho...we only had hospital security bust into our room once. The nurses forgot to alert them and they saw him rolling by and got concerned.

So...the next morning, Saturday, I spoke with an electro-physio-cardiologist who had reviewed my readings from the monitors from the night before and decided that the heart condition I was experiencing had nothing to do with my previously diagnosed Mitral Valve Prolapse.

I have supraventricular tachycardia.

I will eventually have to have a heart cath done where they will locate the malfunctioning heart muscle and kill it to stop it from freaking out. It shouldn't be a bad procedure, but it does require going to the hospital for the day. They want me to be done nursing, so it won't be for a year or so. I will get a second opinion and possibly have them run more tests. So that's where we will leave this.

Now, back to the blood condition. I saw the hematologist last Wednesday and had more bloodwork drawn. The platelet count was at 69k. It was up 3k from when I was discharged. Not the result I was wanting. To be cleared from the hematologist's care I needed them to be at 150k. BOO!! The next step is to continue to wait. They really don't know why they are still so low. There are 100 different possible causes and cures. In 3 weeks I will have another count done (here's hoping for 150k) and then in about 3 months I will have a spleen ultrasound done. There is a chance that my spleen is overactive and is killing too many platelets. They could then look at doing a spleenectomy. I will consult with the hematologist after I have the ultrasound. All of this is of course complicated by the fact that I am nursing. I read everywhere that "Breast is Best", but the look of annoyance and frustration from doctors on having to find alternative solutions for my treatment is just getting old. LOOK PEOPLE....I PLAN TO NURSE UNTIL JACOB IS AT LEAST 1....DEAL WITH IT!!!

They decided to discharge me at about 5pm on Saturday evening. We were very happy to head home as a family of 4!



Okay, I feel better now.

Oh, and it's currently 9pm and both kids have been in bed since 8pm. YAY!!!

I will keep posted on any additional doctor visits. Thanks for reading.

Oh, and to answer the next question you want to ask.............................................................................

NO we are NOT having any more children!

Now...off to my wine...

Jacob's Birth Story

Friday 1:45pm-

I have been wanting to tell the story since I got home, but I haven't had a spare second as of yet. I will tell it as far as I can before Maggie wakes from her nap. I should be napping now, but otherwise this will never get recorded.

Monday April 27th started like any other. Grammy and Papdaddy had arrived the evening before and were all ready to take care of Maggie. I thought everything was going to go smooth as silk. As Dan said..."This should be a drive through delivery" Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy right? We checked into the hospital at 9 am and were scheduled for surgery at 11 am. They took me into a triage room and had me get into the gown and get ready to go. They took customary pre surgery bloodwork and told us that it wouldn't be much longer.

At 10:30 we got word that the OB was still in surgery and would be a little delayed but we were mostly on schedule. We could still have a baby by noon. Still waiting on the bloodwork to come back from the lab...but other than that...all clear.

At around 11:30 the anesthesiologist came in to ask if I had ever had a problem with my platelet counts. UH...What? No, I haven't ever had a problem with my platelet counts. Well, it appears that the average healthly adult has a platelet count in the range of 150k-450k or so per sample size and mine was currently at 43k. A little low you say...So maybe it was machine error. The Anesthesiologist suggested another blood sample and this time let's let a lab tech hand count the platelets and see what they say. *singing Jeopardy theme* The lab tech came back with the results....37k. Yep, they were lower than the machine count. So...with a platelet count this low there was no way they could administer the epidural or the spinal block for my c-section. Of course those are administered in your back and then you lay on your back for the procedure. If there is a problem with blood clotting and I start to bleed then they wouldn't know it and I could bleed out during the surgery. The solution...general anesthesia. You know, the one where they put you completely asleep for the procedure? BOO! I would be the last to know whether I had a boy or a girl, Dan wouldn't be able to be with me for the delivery, and it would be scary as hell. Well, they put me under. I was crying the whole time and according to the doctors, I really fought the anesthesia.

And now I will cut forward a few hours because I don't remember much...due to being asleep or due to being groggy and coming to. BUT...both Jacob and I came out of the procedure happy and healthy and we were headed up to our room in maternity.

The next few days were according to textbook. Jacob was a great nurser right off the bat. I was recovering nicely. My incision looked good...as much as a seam in your tummy can look. So let's cut forward to Friday (day 5 in the hospital...they kept me an extra day to watch my platelets). They wanted to do one more blood test...my platelets came back at 66! On the rise!! So...let's clean out the bassinet, take the diapers, take the formula (not that we need it, but you know, it's free) take it ALL!! Now lastly...take my blood pressure, take my temperature and put me in the car! While we are waiting for the tech to arrive with the blood pressure thingy and the temp taking device...PACK UP THE CAR DAN!

What's that you say...you thought I wasn't discharged until Saturday. Well, you are right. When they came to take my blood pressure it was 80/50 and my heartbeat was 175bpm. The alarms went off. The tech got freaked out. She ran to talk to the nurse...the nurse went to the resident..the resident went to OB...the OB called a cardiologist. I was then transferred to the cardiac unit.

Well...that's all for now...I will continue soon...I promise

he's here...

Jacob Thomas
10lbs. 3 oz.
21.75 inches
4/27/09
1:10pm