I finally made it home after 8 days in the hospital. For those of you that don't know the story, I have been miserable for most of my pregnancy with non-stop vomiting and bloody diarrhea (I know... TMI). My doctor tried everything that he could think of, but nothing was working. I thought that it was just something that came along with pregnancy because I did not have any of these symptoms before.
The first week of July it seemed to be getting worse. On the night of July 4th I got a really funny sinking feeling that just didn't feel right. Since we have 2 little ones to think about we decided to go to the emergency room at 2:30 AM. I was severely dehydrated and anemic. They pumped me full of fluids and took a few "samples" to see what was going on. The doctor thought that I had a bacterial infection but it would take a few days for the culture to grow to know for sure.
By the next day, my blood count had gone from 7 to 6 (normal is 10-12) so they decided to give me a blood transfusion of 2 units of blood. The results of the culture came back the next day and no bacterial infection. The GI doctor came in for a consultation and decided that I needed a colonoscopy the next day at noon to know for sure what I have.
That night I had to do the prep for the colonoscopy which includes drinking 64 oz of Gatorade mixed with a laxative. I was on a clear liquid diet until midnight and was not allowed to have anything, including water, after midnight. I was starving and miserable. By 11 AM the next day, I was feeling awful and thought that I was having contractions. A labor and delivery nurse checked me out and sure enough, I was having regular contractions. The doctors decided to go ahead with the procedure but without any pain medication or anesthesia (it wasn't that bad). As soon as it was done, I got a shot to stop the contractions and 2 more units of blood.
It turns out that I have Ulcerative Colitis. The GI doctor decided to keep me in the hospital for 5 more days so that they could give me the medication through the IV. I started having contractions again after the first dose of medication so I had to move back to the labor and delivery unit and get another shot to stop the contractions.
The babies are doing great. They are measuring well for their age and moving and kicking up a storm. The boy is 1 lb 8 oz and the girl is 1 lb 11 oz. The medication that they are giving me is a steroid which will give the babies a jump start on their lung development if they happen to come a little early (hopefully, not too early).
It is a relief to finally be home and to know what it is that has been making me feel so sick and exhausted for so long. Maybe I can finally start to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy. At least I can eat a little better now.
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4 comments:
Welcome home, We are so glad you are feeling better.
I'm so glad you're finally home! There's nothing better than being at home. I'm glad everything is well and you're doing better!!! Since I couldn't brighten your hospital room, I'll come and brighten your house. :)
I AM SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT!! I am sure it was so frustrating when everyone kept saying, "it's ok, it will all be worth it in the end." We had no idea to what extent you were sick. I feel awful for you! I would love to help in any way possible, but being over 3 hours away, it is limited to what I can do. I CAN, however, help Mary orchestrate some scrumptious meals for you and Chris to eat! Trust me, those old Mormon ladies (and some young ones), live for these types of occasions! Don't hesitate to call for help! Mary really wants to help out, so just sit back and let others serve you for a while! You will be serving 2 precious children 24 hours a day for at least the next 18 years! :)
WOW that is pretty intense Erica! No pregnant woman should have to go through that. Hopefully you will start feeling better now!
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