The night before, which was Thursday the 11th of April, We celebrated Hyrum's 5th birthday. He was such a trooper. I used a pen, lined notebook paper, some green eyeshadow and nursing tape to make him a banner that said happy birthday, and I put it up in my room, along with a couple drawings of angry bird PIGS. I then Saved him the piece of chocolate cake that came with my lunch tray. He was so happy. We played UNO and read from Farmer Boy. Mom and Dad came to the hospital as well, and we opened up presents. He got a scooter, and rode it back and forth across my room. He didn't mind at all that his birthday party had no kids and that it was in the hosptial. In fact, I think he found it to be cool.
The next morning was to be Zion's birthday! I woke up with the line from Finding Nemo in my head, "Todays the day! The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we are getting out of here!" I actually put a link to that scene on facebook because it totally summed up my feelings that morning (and I think it's a pretty funny scene).
I got some homework done and turned it in while I was waiting for c-section time. The c-section got pushed back to 2:15pm. The anasteisiologist, Dr. Moore finally came in to give me the epidural. He had to try two times to get it in. I cried. Not gonna lie. It sucked.
Dr Harter came in and asked if I needed anything before we went in. I was starting to feel really scared, so I asked him to assist Isaac in giving me a blessing. He smiled and told me that his next question was going to be whether or not I had gotton one. So he and Isaac gave me a blessing, and then I was wheeled over to the main OR. Dr. Brewer, the gynocologist-oncologist was there to take over if something went wrong. The perinates were trying to get Dr. Speirtos to assist with the surgery, but he was too busy. I guess most of the time, when they call the oncologist to come in and assist, nothing happens and they don't end up needing the oncologist's help. Dr. Spiertos said to just keep him on-call, and he would come in IF they needed him. Well, that wasn't good enough for Dr. Harter. So, he got Dr. Brewer to come in. It is SUCH a good thing that he did too. Because I was a worse case senario. The placenta had grown THROUGH the uterus, and into the bladder. And when the placenta came off, it took the uterus and the bladder with it. I was hemoraging, and they had to do an emergency histerectomy and bladder surgery. They had to cut through the placenta to get Zion out, so he lost blood too. His lungs weren't completely developed like we thought they would be, so he was rushed over to the nicu (he spent 2 weeks in the NICU).
The epidural wasn't working in one area, over by my right ovary. I could feel pain. I kept asking for something, and Dr. Moore told me they were going to give me something to sedate me. That wasn't really what I wanted. I was then totally loopy, going in and out of sleep, but I could still feel the pain. But I kept hearing him yell out, "BLOOD! She needs more Blood! Get it over here!" I was bleeding pretty badly. Dr. Harter said that they were finally able at one point to give me something to help me clot, and he said it was as if Someone on the other side took over at that point. All of a sudden, all the bleed just...stopped. I stablized and the Drs. were able to do the surgery. I got 6 units of blood and plasma during surgery, two more in post-op, and two more in post partum.
I didn't get to see Zion at all untill a couple of days later. When they pulled him out, he was surrounded by Drs and Nurses, so I couldnt even see him. Part of me really wanted to see him, but part of me was so stressed out, tired, drugged etc, that I didn't strain myself to get a glimpse. I figured they would show me the baby before they sent him down to the NICU. It was around this time that I had been given the stuff to sedate me, and Isaac thought I was already out, so he told the nurses to just go ahead and bring Zion to the NICU. Okay. Major miscommunication there, but oh well.
I was vaguely aware of what was going on in the OR. I knew that they were doing a hysterectomy. I didn't know that it had gone into my bladder until later on in Post-op. I remember being wheeled out of the room, but I don't remember going into post-op. I remember trying to talk to my mom, but I couldn't get out much more than a whisper. She told me that the baby was 6lbs 15oz, 21 inches long, and in the NICU, and that I had a hysterectomy and bladder surgery. Then the male nurse I had told her that she had to leave. Neither of us were very happy about that. Isaac was there next, and I asked him what time it was. He said 8:30. 8:30?! I went in the OR at 2:15!!! He told me that the surgery was 3 1/2 hours long. I thought I had been awake for all of it, but CLEARLY I had not been. Good ol meds.
Isaac was kicked out too, and I saw my Father-in-Law. I have no Idea what he said to me, I was too druged at that point, and I kept going in and out of sleep.
I woke up around Midnight, in pain. The nurses in post-op wouldn't give me anything for it, claiming they didn't have an order for pain meds. They kept telling me, "we're going to call Dr. Brewer." I was thinking, "well, why aren't you calling her then?!" It took them 45 mins to call Dr. Brewer, and another 15 mins to give me the medication. Laying in a bed for over an hour right after MAJOR surgery, with NO pain medication..... I mean, don't tell me that you are GOING to call the doctor. ACTUALLY CALL THE DOCTOR! I could barely talk, and there was no family there with me to advocate for me. The lady in the bed next to me was the one hounding on the nurses to actually help me. Let me just say that it was THE WORST night of my LIFE!
They finally wheeled me over to Intermediate Care, and I spent the next two days there. Mom and Dad and Isaac were there with me. I spend a lot of time going in and out of sleep. I was soooo weak. One of my antepartum/postpartum nurses from downstairs, a beautiful lady named Silve, came up to see me. She was trying really hard to get me back down to postpartum so that she and the other nurses who had been taking care of me for the past month could continue to take care of me. Things weren't going so well for me in IMC, and I wanted to go back down to post partum so badly. The nurses had become my friends, I loved them and I knew I could trust them. Once I was off of oxygen I was allowed to go back down to post partum.
The post partum nurses all cheered for me when I was brought back down. The night shift nurses came in and asked for the details on the birth. I felt like I was back home, surrounded by those who I knew would care for me the best. I also got to be wheeled over to the NICU to see Zion. He was in an incubator, but having been through all this with Enoch, it didn't really bother me. I knew he'd be fine.
After about 5 days of post partum, they sent me home. It was rather weird for me. I felt fine for the first 5 weeks of being in the hospital, but I had to stay because of the possibility of bleeding out (and turns out, I probably would have ruptured had I stayed home/gone to school/church etc.) Now that I was done with surgery, and feeling horrible, I get to go home. It just felt so backwards. But I wasn't in any danger anymore, so home I went. I spent the next two weeks going back and forth between the house and the NICU so that I could breast feed Zion. He had a couple breathing issues and wasn't gaining weight, but finally was able to come home as well.
I got to come home with a catheter, which is NOT FUN! Isaac tried to make me feel better by telling me that I now know what it is like to be a guy, since I had to stand up to go pee. It was pretty funny. Except that because of the catheter I got an infection. One that I am still trying to fight off 5 1/2 weeks later. I am still having follow up appointments with Dr. Harter and Dr. Brewer. For the most part though I am doing well. I still have dizzy spells when I stand up, it still hurts to pee, and I am tired all the time. But I am driving and cleaning again, and enjoying time with my kids.
Zion is beautiful and healthy. He's pretty gassy, and he has a heat rash right now, so He tends to be a bit fussy, But we sure do enjoy him. All three boys like to hold him.
It's been rough getting him here, but here he is and we are so happy. I am happy to be here also. I am happy to have the priesthood in my life that help to save me while in surgery. I am so thankful for all the help that everyone has given me. God is good. Life is good. Sleep is good.....I think I will take a nap now. ;)
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