I didn't sleep very well. The OB had said she would call, but that it could be early in the morning or late in the afternoon. I kept expecting the phone to ring any second. I knew that as soon as I finally fell asleep, I would get a phonecall. My phone alert went off at 6:30am. Momma had sent a text asking me to call her. I immediately called back, and she apologized for waking me. I told her that I had been up already, that I wasn't sure I had ever fallen asleep.
She told me that her and my dad had decided to make the trip back to Jacksonville and that they were going to get JJ and take him back to their house. I felt better that there was somewhat of a plan, and I told her that I would let the OB know as soon as she called, so we could make arrangements to go into the hospital.
Since I was already awake, I just went to the living room. I honestly don't remember exactly how long, but it wasn't much longer that JJ and Hubs were both awake. I think I fixed JJ a poptart; I know that I fixed myself one. I ate it slowly with a glass of milk, hoping that it would stay down. It did. I told JJ that Grammie and Poppy were on the way to get him, and that he would be staying at their house for a couple of days while I went to my dr appointment. He was a little sad, but he remembered Annabel, so that brightened him up. I packed his suitcase and had him get dressed; I wasn't sure how long my parents would be staying because I had no idea when we would receive word from the OB.
My parents arrived around 9:30am. I still hadn't heard from the OB. They came in (and had brought Annabel) so JJ was very pumped. He was ready to leave right then. Grammie told him that they were going to visit a little while first, so he started watching Inspector Gadget on Netflix.
I was glad to have both of my parents here. I was feeling very anxious about getting the phonecall. I still had no idea what to expect. Would I be in pain physically? Emotionally, I knew I was a mess. I also knew that our family and friends were praying for us through this difficult time.
We sat outside in the sunshine for a bit and watched JJ and Annabel run around the backyard. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. We decided to go to Bojangles for lunch. I had ordered chicken strips with dirty rice and a biscuit...sweet tea to drink. I ate the rice and half of the biscuit...I gave the other half to JJ. I drank my sweet tea, then felt guilty for drinking the caffeine. I had gotten a refill, and I gave it to Hubs. I didn't even try to eat the chicken. I was afraid the spicey would upset my stomach. JJ didn't eat his fries, so I wrapped them up along with my chicken strips in a napkin to take home. We sat a little while visiting; I don't think any of us really wanted to go back home to just sit and wait.
When we got home, everyone decided to go outside since it was so nice. I tried to get some rest on the couch since I hadn't slept very well the night before. I couldn't sleep though because I felt like as soon as I got comfy or fell asleep finally, the phone would ring. I finally got up and sat at the table to work on the puzzle I had started Thursday afternoon. Momma came back in and sat at the table with me, and we just worked on the puzzle. We talked a little bit, but mostly, we sat in silence. I told her I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel...that I kept hoping I would wake up and my real Friday would begin...that it all felt like a bad dream.
My parents stayed until 6pm, and the OB still hadn't called. I assured Momma that I would call as soon as we heard anything, we gave hugs and kisses to everyone, and they were headed home. Hubs and I decided to figure out what to do for dinner. I didn't feel like going anywhere, and he didn't want to leave to pick something up and the OB to finally call. We settled on pulling leftovers out. I ended up slicing some cheddar cheese and having 3 slices with a handful of crackers. I could barely finish; I felt so full.
I was just finishing my dinner when the phone rang. It was 7pm. It was the OB calling to figure out what we had decided and if my parents had been able to come to town for JJ. I told her that we decided to do the delivery instead of the D&C and that my parents had made the trip, picked up my son, visited the afternoon, and headed home about 6pm. She said we could come in that night (but she would call Labor & Delivery first to make sure there was a bed) or we could come in the next morning, whenever as convenient for us. We hung up for her to call the hospital, and when she called back, she said there hadn't been as many discharges as they had expected, so it would be best for us to come in the next morning. We hung up, and we both immediately called our parents. I told Momma that we would be going in at 8am to be admitted to Onslow Memorial and that once they administered the medication, it could take anywhere from 4-12 hours for me to deliver, depending on how long it took my body to complete the labor process. Around 9, the phone rang again, and it was the hospital letting me know that they were aware that I was to come in the next morning. The nurse told me "I come in at 8am; Wait for me to call you to make sure we have a private room ready for you before you get here. I will call before 9am." We decided not to call our parents again since we had already told them that we would be going in at 8am.
I checked my email to erase all of the Facebook notifications. I read through the messages and kind words that people had sent. I cried a bit. Hubs and I sat up talking in the living room. I told him that I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if they would try to let me hold the baby after I delivered; I didn't want to. I didn't want to know the sex. Since the dr on Friday had told us that it appeared to have been at least three weeks, I didn't know the state that the baby would be in. I did NOT want to remember our baby like that. I told him that I didn't want to know the sex because it we found out it was a girl, it would hurt because we already had a name picked out. And if we found out it was a boy, I didn't want us to have to pick a name under those circumstances.
I had sent a text to Julie because we hadn't heard from her in response to an email I had sent, and when she responded, I found out that they didn't have internet access at their new house. I ended up calling her and having a very emotional conversation. We talked a really long time about everything, her in shock as much as we were. We finally hung up, and she asked that Jon please send her updates to let them know what was happening the next day.
I had sent a text to my brother because I hadn't heard anything from him either. We had gone to bed, and I got a response about 11pm. I asked if I could call, and he said yes...and my stomach turned. I had been feeling a nervous stomach throughout the afternoon, but it finally hit at the thought that I would have to tell my brother everything. I finally called, and he told me that he had seen our Facebook message, but because it said not to call or text, he hadn't. I told him the latest update, and that Jon would be texting Mom, and he asked that once everything finished, for Jon to please call him and let him know.
I went to sleep shortly after. My alarm was set for 7:30am. All things considered, I slept really well that night. When we woke up the next morning, I got my shower and put back on my pajamas. I told Hubs that I didn't want to get dressed yet because all that fit me well were my maternity clothes, and I didn't want to sit there with my clothes mocking me all morning. I ate some cheese and crackers for breakfast; I wasn't sure if I was supposed to eat or not-the OB hadn't said. But I figured if I was going to have to go through labor, I needed to eat something.
The nurse called about 8:45am and told us the room number and where to go to get checked in. We were dressed and out of the house in less than 15 minutes. It was a nasty day-rainy, cold...gross. As we neared the hospital, I felt my stomach turning again. The thought of having to go to Onslow Memorial was really causing me problems. (I have major issues with this hospital, not because of anything they've done to me, but for how my Granddaddy was treated the last time that he was in that hospital. He didn't get very good care. He went in for a colon surgery and spent basically a month in the bed...no one worked with his legs or tried to get him up...and he never walked again. He had to have help doing anything and was confined to a wheelchair or a recliner for the rest of his days. I haven't forgiven Onslow Memorial for this.)
We went in through the ER as we were instructed. We were told that we were going to be in room 228 on the second floor, and that we needed to let the ER know, but we didn't need to be admitted through the ER. So, I went to the front desk, told them that I was supposed to be admitted, and told them exactly what I had been told over the phone. They had me go sit in the waiting room. I was there less than five minutes before they called me back, and I got in a wheelchair and was wheeled to a little room. The person in there took our information, and the guy that had wheeled me in told her that I was there for a labor check. When he left, I told the lady, no it wasn't a labor check, I was going in to deliver. I explained that we had our appointment on Friday, there was no heartbeat, and the OB had called us the night before to come in that day (Sunday). I told her that the hospital had called and asked me not to come in until we had received word from them that they had a private room and that we had been called at 8:45 and told that we were going to room 228. I don't really know what the problem was. The girl was either new or just not very smart. She kept calling around because she had no idea how to enter that info into the computer. She kept telling people that I was there for a labor check. She finally called someone to transport us. The paperwork said I was to go to Labor & Delivery for a labor check, but she had written room 228 down (because of what I had told her)...the poor lady that transported us got us to the second floor, and then told us that she had to call because the paperwork said two different things. She had asked when I was due, and I told her July 25th, but that the baby had no heartbeat, and that was why I was there...to deliver the baby. She made her phonecall, and then took us to room 228.
The nurse on duty was so nice. She got me a hospital gown, introduced herself, and told me the names of the other nurses that would be working with me. I got dressed, used the bathroom, had Hubs tie my gown, and I got in the bed. They came in to check my blood pressure, and it was a little high (but nothing like it had been)...140 something/93...They got me all settled in, and I had Hubs turn on the tv. By this time, it was after 10am. He sent my mom a text to let her know that we were all checked in. The different nurses bustled in and out. One came in to draw my blood (I let them know that I had low platelets with my first pregnancy, and I had let people know at every appointment except the last one. I had even brought in the prenatal paperwork that showed what my counts had gone down to and had the nurses at the Health Department make copies and send them to my OB in town.) Another came in to insert the IV. Yet another came back to check my blood pressure.
Hubs found Legally Blonde on ABC family. We started watching; we needed a silly movie to make us laugh. The lab person came back to draw blood again. She said that they had my platelets reading 23k, so they wanted to draw blood to check that number.
The nurse came back and apologized for the OB, but they had to get me down to radiology for another ultrasound. Somehow, the info that had been faxed from Wilmington could not be found (so not impressed by this)...So we went down, and the tech told us "I have to get some measurements, but you know that I can't tell you anything I find." After a few minutes, she asked when my last ultrasound had been, and I told her Friday, and she asked me to tell her about that appointment. I told her that we went in to find out the sex of the baby, and the tech there informed us that there was no heartbeat. She said "Ok, I was just making sure that was the reason you were here today." We were only down there for about 15 minutes, and then we were taken back to our room.
The nurses kept coming to check on me and make sure I wasn't in any pain. I still had no pain, no cramping, no bleeding. We watched the next movie: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. It gave us something to do. Around 1, they brought in some lunch. Hubs and I shared the plate; I couldn't eat the whole thing, and I knew my stomach would just be upset. We started watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
It was around 3pm or so when the OB finally made it in to talk with us. She informed us that my platelet count was at 34k. She wasn't comfortable beginning the labor there at Onslow Memorial because if I were to have a lot of bleeding, they didn't have the resources for a platelet transfusion. She said that they were contacting Wilmington and Greenville, and I would be transferred. She did an internal exam and told me that my cervix was still completely closed.
We continued to watch Harry Potter, and Hubs made the phonecalls to our parents to make them aware of the situation. About an hour later, the paramedics came in with a stretcher to transport me to the ambulance. We would be heading to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. They gave Hubs sketchy directions, and he said he would just follow the ambulance. I crawled over to the stretcher, and they began hooking me up to monitors and strapping me in. Up to this point, I hadn't felt like anything was wrong, but then I felt like I looked like I was dying. I had sensors on both legs, both arms, and both sides of my chest. I had an O2 reader on my finger and a blood pressure cuff on my arm. I had an IV of fluids and antibiotics (in case infection was trying to set in) on my left wrist (yes, wrist...it was in an awkward position). I had another IV inserted on my right arm, on the sensitive underside, in case they needed to do an emergency transfusion or anything. It was just the IV part, nothing was hooked to it yet.
We got downstairs, and it was COLD outside. This of course is the night that they were calling for flurries around the Eastern part of the state. They got me loaded in the ambulance, and Hubs told me that he would be there when they opened the ambulance doors in Wilmington and took off for the car (thankfully it wasn't far from where the ambulance was parked.) We took off, no lights...and the girl in the back with me told me that they could drive up to 10 mph over the speed limit if their lights weren't on. I was able to see the car behind us, and it was Hubs. It made me feel better, even though I hated he had to make the drive alone. The girl was chatty; my blood pressure was reading awesome. 128/73. I think knowing we were headed to another hospital relieved my anxiety a TON. The chorus to a Tim McGraw song kept playing through my head "Somebody must be praying for me. Somebody out there must be praying for me." Over and over, that played in my head. Loveys, I know you were all praying for us. We felt a calmness and peace surrounding us. I said the Lord's Prayer over and over in my head. I was ready to be out of the ambulance and with Hubs again.
When they opened the doors, there was Hubs, standing there just like he said he would be. They whisked us up to our room and got me settled into the new bed. When our new nurses came in, I asked if I could use the restroom. I had to hang my IV on a hook in the restroom. That was interesting.
The nurses drew more blood to check my platelet count and made sure that my IV was correct and my BP was getting checked. By this time, it was a bit after 6pm. Someone brought an ultrasound machine in and did a quick ultrasound. They came in and told me that my platelets were at 38k. They were going to contact the hemotologist on call to find out if they wanted to see me first or how they wanted to proceed. The nurse on duty introduced herself as Liz and said she would be with us til 7am. They came back in around 8:20pm and told me that they were going to draw more blood to check the platelet count, and if it was stable, they would administer the medication. I asked how long it would be before the results came back, and they told me it would take about an hour. I asked if Hubs could get something to eat since it had been since 1pm that we had shared lunch. They told him where to go, and he headed off to grab a quick bite and make phonecalls for updates. He hadn't been gone but maybe 20 minutes, when they came back in and told me that my platelets were at 35k, and that was considered stable. The OB had to insert the meds internally. I can't remember the name, but it was 4 little white pills. It was all done by 8:45pm. They told me the meds would be readministered in four hours. My next BP reading was high. Hubs came back about 9:15, and I told him that they had given me the medication about half an hour before. My cervix was still completely closed, and they would be back in four hours to check me.
Liz came in to talk with us. She wanted us to have a plan for after delivery. I told her that I didn't want to see the baby and didn't want to know the sex. She told me that her job was to get the baby, go to another room, clean the baby, get weight and length, and that someone would take pictures. They would put everything in a box for us, and it was up to us if we wanted the box or if we even wanted to look in the box. We felt very comfortable with the plan. We would have the option of viewing the body; I knew that I would not, but Hubs was struggling on what he would do.
I told Hubs we needed to rest while we could because we didn't know how long everything would take. We dozed through Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Several times he had to help me and my IV buddy to the bathroom, but mostly we just rested/catnapped. Liz came in one time to recheck my BP...it had read 114/55. It was a correct reading. We were just so calm and at peace, still surrounded by the prayers that everyone was lifting us up in...
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