I have to record this before I forget it.
Yesterday at work I had a hankering for something sweet. It was early afternoon, it could be passed for dessert after my lunch.
Anyway, so I grabbed $1 from my wallet and headed to the vending machine with the intent of getting a bag of peanut butter M&M's. I put my money in, entered the code, and watched as the bag moved forward, and got stuck.
STUCK.
My peanut butter and chocolate in a hard candy shell did not drop. I was ready to cry. I couldn't even shake the vending machine. I had to get help. I couldn't leave my sugary goodness hanging by the corner of the bag, waiting for someone else to come along and get it!
I went in search of help.
For those of you who may not know, I work at a company that manufactures custom windows and doors. The shop floor is 99% male. And half of them most likely don't speak English (not trying to be mean or racist, it's just the nature of the business I'm in). I was on a mission. I had to find someone who I knew would understand my plight and be willing to take a minute from their schedule to help a poor pregnant woman in need of a chocolate and peanut butter fix.
I found one such person. I love him.
Not like that! But he made my day so much better because he was able to shake the vending machine and retrieve my peanut butter M&M's. All was right in the world after that.
And that was my day.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
My First Hospital Stay
Well, what a week it's been!! I had an OB appointment last week and at the appointment I was told I had gained 5 pounds and was right on track. The babe's ultrasound 3 weeks previous looked good and she is growing as she should be. It was a good day!
Then came April Fool's Day. And what a not so funny trick my body played on me.
Most of the day on Monday I had been feeling pain in my lower abdomen, but nothing severe, just uncomfortable. I attributed it to growing pains as my lower back was aching too. By 4 am on Tuesday, I was in a world of hurt. I got up to use the restroom and while I'm doing my thing, my stomach decided that was a great time to empty itself as well. I'll spare you the details.
This continued for the next 5+ hours.
After texting with my sister-in-law who just had her baby and has become my go-to on all things pregnancy, I called up my OB's office and left a message for the doctor. At this point I couldn't even keep water down. I was in a world of hurt.
At 930 the doctor's medical assistant called me back and I explained to her what was going on. She told me that their protocol was for me to go to OB triage at the hospital to be seen there as it was looking more and more like I would need IV fluids. So Earl and I got dressed and he escorted me down the stairs and pulled the car up. It was only about a 15 minute car ride, but it felt a lot longer to me.
And wouldn't you know it, no sooner had he put the car in park to go find me a wheelchair, I got sick in front of the hospital. At least they are equipped to clean up such things.
So OB triage takes me and starts the registration process. I'm not seen by a nurse, and by the time I get my armband and sign the papers, they've changed their minds and I'm sent over to the ER. Guess they thought I was not an OB case.
I get wheeled over to the ER where I sign more papers and get a new wristband. And thank goodness there wasn't a wait. I went straight into a bed and within 10 minutes I had an IV and was receiving my first dose of Zofran, an anti-nausea medication.
Oh, back up a little bit. Remember those 5 pounds I put on over the course of 5 weeks? Yeah, gone. Well, mostly. I lost 4 lbs of fluid in the space of 6 hours. That's a lot!! Yeah, I was just a little dehydrated.
So back to the ER. Due to the dehydration, my stomach was cramping. Bad. I couldn't even stand up straight. So they added some morphine to my IV cocktail. The nurse did fetal heart tones to make sure the babe was doing okay. 160 bpm and strong.
Eventually the pain subsided, but the nausea didn't. They gave me another dose of Zofran with another big bag of fluid. A few hours later I was still nauseous and hadn't needed to use the bathroom. I sucked down 2 liters of IV fluid without needing to pee. Yeah, I needed those fluids.
They upped my anti-nausea meds to a drug called Phenergan. It's stronger than Zofran and became my new best friend. Then I got an ultrasound to confirm that the babe was safe and not in distress. She hadn't been moving a ton that morning, but I couldn't blame her. Results were finally relayed to me that yes, she was doing just fine.
There was still no way that I could go home. I hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours and I was still sucking down my IV. So the doc admitted me. (or so I thought-a post for another day) They took me up to my room which was a private room with a couch for Earl to sleep on and a big picture window facing the south. Once I was settled, Earl had to hurry home to shower and make it to work for a few hours.
I can't begin to express my gratitude to Earl for how wonderful he was on Tuesday and Wednesday. He usually doesn't do well with bodily functions/fluids and he was a trooper. He helped me before I could ask for help. Just perfect. I couldn't ask for better.
By the time morning rolled around I had gotten a few hours of sleep in between the vitals checks and a blood draw at 3 am. I'd gotten my dose of Phenergan and was feeling pretty good (I was on my 3rd bad of IV fluid) so I asked if I could eat a simple breakfast. I got the okay and was able to keep down a cheese omelet and half a bowl of cream of wheat. Cream of wheat isn't terrible, you just have to make sure to add a lot to it.
The next roller coaster ride was when the nurse told me my potassium level was low. Oh goody. So I got to take meds for that. By noon I still hadn't seen the doctor and I was starting to get anxious to leave. Finally he came in and checked me and we spoke briefly. He gave me the go ahead to go home and I was so excited! The discharge nurse came and took out my IV and I signed the paperwork and I went home!
So in my 30 years on the 3rd rock from the sun, this was my first overnight stay at the hospital. Guess it give me an idea of what things will be like in August. Even with the headache of insurance and waiting, always waiting, I can't wait to go back so that I can meet my little babe for the first time. I don't want her to come early, but I'm so excited to see her face, touch her cheeks, hold her hand, and kiss those little toes.
She is my world. The only reason I went to the hospital on Tuesday was for her. Had I not been pregnant, I would have toughed it out at home. She is the reason I get up in the morning, after all she is sitting on my bladder. But in all seriousness, she is the driving force behind everything I do now. I love her unconditionally and am excited to be her mother.
Then came April Fool's Day. And what a not so funny trick my body played on me.
Most of the day on Monday I had been feeling pain in my lower abdomen, but nothing severe, just uncomfortable. I attributed it to growing pains as my lower back was aching too. By 4 am on Tuesday, I was in a world of hurt. I got up to use the restroom and while I'm doing my thing, my stomach decided that was a great time to empty itself as well. I'll spare you the details.
This continued for the next 5+ hours.
After texting with my sister-in-law who just had her baby and has become my go-to on all things pregnancy, I called up my OB's office and left a message for the doctor. At this point I couldn't even keep water down. I was in a world of hurt.
At 930 the doctor's medical assistant called me back and I explained to her what was going on. She told me that their protocol was for me to go to OB triage at the hospital to be seen there as it was looking more and more like I would need IV fluids. So Earl and I got dressed and he escorted me down the stairs and pulled the car up. It was only about a 15 minute car ride, but it felt a lot longer to me.
And wouldn't you know it, no sooner had he put the car in park to go find me a wheelchair, I got sick in front of the hospital. At least they are equipped to clean up such things.
So OB triage takes me and starts the registration process. I'm not seen by a nurse, and by the time I get my armband and sign the papers, they've changed their minds and I'm sent over to the ER. Guess they thought I was not an OB case.
I get wheeled over to the ER where I sign more papers and get a new wristband. And thank goodness there wasn't a wait. I went straight into a bed and within 10 minutes I had an IV and was receiving my first dose of Zofran, an anti-nausea medication.
Oh, back up a little bit. Remember those 5 pounds I put on over the course of 5 weeks? Yeah, gone. Well, mostly. I lost 4 lbs of fluid in the space of 6 hours. That's a lot!! Yeah, I was just a little dehydrated.
So back to the ER. Due to the dehydration, my stomach was cramping. Bad. I couldn't even stand up straight. So they added some morphine to my IV cocktail. The nurse did fetal heart tones to make sure the babe was doing okay. 160 bpm and strong.
Eventually the pain subsided, but the nausea didn't. They gave me another dose of Zofran with another big bag of fluid. A few hours later I was still nauseous and hadn't needed to use the bathroom. I sucked down 2 liters of IV fluid without needing to pee. Yeah, I needed those fluids.
They upped my anti-nausea meds to a drug called Phenergan. It's stronger than Zofran and became my new best friend. Then I got an ultrasound to confirm that the babe was safe and not in distress. She hadn't been moving a ton that morning, but I couldn't blame her. Results were finally relayed to me that yes, she was doing just fine.
There was still no way that I could go home. I hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours and I was still sucking down my IV. So the doc admitted me. (or so I thought-a post for another day) They took me up to my room which was a private room with a couch for Earl to sleep on and a big picture window facing the south. Once I was settled, Earl had to hurry home to shower and make it to work for a few hours.
I can't begin to express my gratitude to Earl for how wonderful he was on Tuesday and Wednesday. He usually doesn't do well with bodily functions/fluids and he was a trooper. He helped me before I could ask for help. Just perfect. I couldn't ask for better.
By the time morning rolled around I had gotten a few hours of sleep in between the vitals checks and a blood draw at 3 am. I'd gotten my dose of Phenergan and was feeling pretty good (I was on my 3rd bad of IV fluid) so I asked if I could eat a simple breakfast. I got the okay and was able to keep down a cheese omelet and half a bowl of cream of wheat. Cream of wheat isn't terrible, you just have to make sure to add a lot to it.
The next roller coaster ride was when the nurse told me my potassium level was low. Oh goody. So I got to take meds for that. By noon I still hadn't seen the doctor and I was starting to get anxious to leave. Finally he came in and checked me and we spoke briefly. He gave me the go ahead to go home and I was so excited! The discharge nurse came and took out my IV and I signed the paperwork and I went home!
So in my 30 years on the 3rd rock from the sun, this was my first overnight stay at the hospital. Guess it give me an idea of what things will be like in August. Even with the headache of insurance and waiting, always waiting, I can't wait to go back so that I can meet my little babe for the first time. I don't want her to come early, but I'm so excited to see her face, touch her cheeks, hold her hand, and kiss those little toes.
She is my world. The only reason I went to the hospital on Tuesday was for her. Had I not been pregnant, I would have toughed it out at home. She is the reason I get up in the morning, after all she is sitting on my bladder. But in all seriousness, she is the driving force behind everything I do now. I love her unconditionally and am excited to be her mother.
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