We arrived and things moved FAST! The nurse quickly asked me questions, hooked me up to monitors to watch contractions and the babies' heart beats. She said things looked okay. About 10 minutes later, she came rushing in my room with a hand full of stuff. She said I was contracting every 2-4 minutes! IVs started going in, cathera, they checked me. Thank God I was only dilated a fingertip. All of this was very overwhelming. I couldn't be strong any longer. I started crying. Walter looked very worried. We didn't know what was going on or what to expect. We knew if our babies were born, their chances were not good at all. The pill they had given me did not work, an IV of magnesium was started. We will refer to this drug as the devil drug from now on.
The magnesium made me feel drugged and drunk or maybe the day after doing drugs and drinking. The inside of my face was on extremely hot, I looked like I was sunburned, I couldn't see straight, and I was weak. I couldn't even see who people were without closing one of my eyes. When the tv was on, I would close my eyes and just listen. David came to visit and I will never forget the look on his face. He looked at me with such concern and fear. The way I looked and all the IVs in me... he knew. I stayed on the devil drug for 2 or 3 days. They started lowering the dose to see how my body reacted. Eventually the IVs were gone. The total hospital stay was 6 days. The day I came home was joyous, even though I would be on bed rest from here to the end.
I came home and we set up everything for me in the living room around the recliner. I was to lay unless I got up to go to the bathroom, shower, or get some lunch. My family, friends, and church family took action immediately. The started bringing dinner almost every night. That was wonderful . It was one less thing Walter had to do after coming home. He already had to get David to my dad's or Walter's parents each morning, work all day, pick David up, feed us and the goat, clean the kitchen, get David clean, and put him to bed. This killed me. My summer days were always for me and David to hang out, go shopping, to the park, Pump It Up, swimming, to the beach. We spent each day on a different adventure. His adventures would now be with his grandparents. Thinking about this was one of the only things that made me cry. How does he feel? Does he understand? I found ways to spend time with him in the afternoons and weekends. We played board games (I'm the Queen of Uno Attack), read books online, snuggled, and watched movies together. Eventually, I could go outside late in the evenings and watch him play for short periods of time.
Three weeks after coming home, at 26 weeks, labor was on again. To the hospital we went. Same events over. Nurses rushing in, IVs, cathera, devil drug, and this time steroids. I was contracting every two minutes, so they were in a hurry. Steroid shot in the hip; I screamed! It was very painful ( found out the nurse was in such a hurry that she didn't swap the "mixing" needle to the one that goes in the skin). Walter decided to say a joke at this moment about David getting his dramatic behavior from his mama. At this time, words I am not proud of came spilling out. I glared at him, gritted my teeth, and yelled "I will kick you in the _____!" The room went silent.
This trip went the way the first trip did except it only lasted 3 days this time. Back home we went for more bed rest. It didn't end here.
About 4 weeks later, I was having some contractions, itching on my palms, bottom of my feet, all around, and some pain in my right side. This time we were sent to TRIOG. I told them I thought I had something called cholestasis, which is uncommon. Of course, the doctor on call, Dr. Williams, did not listen. He was actually rude and told me he's been doing this for a long time and to trust him. Famous last words... Anyway ultrasound showed my right kidney was completely closed off. Admitted again. The next morning, dye was injected, xray taken. Blocked, but didn't know why. Baby A's head blocked the bottom of the urethra. Two hours later, same thing. I was finally allowed to eat around 2:00. At 5:00, another xray. Walter came to visit and Dr. Butha showed up at my door. He came all the way back to the hospital to tell me I would have no stint, Baby A had moved, and that was what had blocked the kidney. That was music to our ears! Another praise. He even got Dr. Martin to come and sign discharge papers for me to leave that night! Awesome.
I have been home ever since. I monitor myself for contractions with a machine twice a day and send it to a nurse. She calls me and tells me what she sees. That gives me a peace of mind. I am now 34.5 weeks and have been told they will not stop labor this time. I can't believe this journey is almost over and another beginning. I am determined to do what it takes to keep my babies healthy. Me being miserable is worth our sons being as healthy as possible. Walter has been great, David has been great, and so has everyone else around us. The support amazes me. Right now, both babies weigh over 5 pounds according to the ultrasound. I want them to be over 6, but I will be happy with healthy. Only 2.5 weeks left, at the most. I can't wait!
For the record, I contemplated putting these pictures on here. Belly pictures are not the most attractive thing in the world to me.
About 8/9 weeks
About 16 weeks
About 26 weeks
About 32 weeks
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