Thursday July, 26th 2018
31 Weeks & 4 Days Pregnant
(continued)
I was just told I was being transported to another hospital…
After the doctor dropped a bomb on me, he informed me that the current hospital didn’t have a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) equipped enough to handle premature (preemie) babies born prior to 32 weeks gestation. He went on to say he needed to send in the order and left.
Why? What’s going on? What does this mean? Are they inducing me? What’s happening next? Is my daughter going to be ok? Am I going to be ok?
So many questions flooded my mind at the same time and I didn’t know how to react. Then my mind finally found one thought to focus on – Tell Sam.
Sam told me he was on his way back to me and I knew I would have more peace of mind once he was. It obviously didn’t take long for word to travel- while waiting for Sam to get back, his mom knocked on the door to join me. I was grateful to see a familiar face, but I wish the circumstances were different.
Shortly after, Sam joined me and I filled them both in on the events of the morning. Not much had happened since the doctor left, just more monitoring of the blood pressure. The doctor had been gone for a little while and when he returned, we were finally filled in on the next steps of the process.
The first step in the process before being transferred, dealt with my IV. I would be given a magnesium sulfate drip. Due to the preeclampsia, there was an increased risk of preterm birth. With my elevated blood pressure readings, the magnesium sulfate (mag for short) would help reduce the risk of seizures.
A nurse came in shortly afterwards to go over information on the mag drip with me. I was told that due to the type of medicine it was, she would be by my side the entire time it was being given to me. She began to go over how they would administer it – According to her I would get a large dose in a 10/15 minute window then the nurse would slow it down to an actual steady dripping dose. She went on to discuss the side effects. “I won’t lie, it’s going to make you feel really crappy. Many woman feel weak or lethargic, flushed with warm red cheeks, sweating, drowsiness, and headache.” I appreciated her honestly but I wasn’t excited about feeling any worse than I already did.
She instructed me to lay back on my bed as she unhooked the sodium chloride drip and hooked up the bag of magnesium sulfate. The large dose began to cycle through my IV, and to my surprise, it didn’t take long before I felt flushed, warm cheeks. Shortly after I could feel the weakness. My whole body felt heavy. It became difficult to lift my head or even my arms.
I tried to think about other things, anything besides the little one that was in my belly. Not knowing what would happen next, frightened me. I felt nervous and scared and this emotion took over. My entire body had this deep shaking feeling and I couldn’t control it. I found a spot on the wall and put all my focus on it. I pushed away any thought that tried to penetrate my mind and I focused solely on stopping the shaking feeling.
Sam grabbed my hand and looked at me. I could tell he felt me shaking, “I can’t stop it.” He replied, “it’s ok, you’re ok.”
A couple other nurses came in and out of the room to unhook me from machines as Sam and his mom packed up all our stuff in the room. Not long after, two paramedics came in with a bed right outside the room for me to transfer to so they could take me to the next hospital. “You’ll need to move to that bed. Are you ok to walk?”
“Yes I want to walk.” As I sat up, I felt as though I was going to collapse. The headache kicked in and it was all I could do to stop the shaking long enough to walk 5 feet. I had a small sign of relief when I laid down on the bed I would be transported on.
Sam and his mom planned to drive over separately since the nurse had to ride in the ambulance with me. It was my first time riding in an ambulance and I was less than thrilled. The bed was up so high that I could have touched the top of the cab and it was so hot I began to sweat (although that would have also been due to the magnesium). It was a short trip since the hospitals where in close proximity and once we arrived, they wheeled me through the back Labor & Delivery doors. I focused on getting the room number so I could text Sam where I was. L& D 10 I remember seeing as I was pushed into a new room.
They let me walk to move beds once we got into the new room. Once I was in the new bed, they began to hook me back up to the blood pressure and fetal monitors right away. Sam and his mom arrived shortly after and started to get comfortable. (at least someone was)
The nurse that escorted me over, left with the paramedics and I was left with a new nurse at Providence. The nurse brought me some ice and water then told me that I would need to decide between a bed pan and a catheter.
NO! I choose neither! None of the above! Plan C! Not happening! Nope!
“That’s not happening.” I finally told her. I refused to agree to either one of those. The nurse told me that if I was taken into an emergency c section that it would be required for me to have one. She left for a few minutes while I was left to think it over. Sam went over the differences with me and explained which would be better. I loathed the idea of either one, but when she re-entered the room, it was time to decide…
Since the rest of Sam’s family arrived, his mom went to wait outside with them. It didn’t take the nurse long to come back with the needed equipment for the catheter. She pulled my blanket down and Sam helped me pull my shorts and underwear off. She counted down from 3, (as if that makes it any better) and I felt this extremely uncomfortable pinch. It hurt but at the same time felt more awkward than anything. I started to cry out of embarrassment and exhaustion. They asked if I had eaten yet, “No, I’m not hungry.” Before she left, I was told I would have some doctors’ visit me later – one that is the head of the NICU to explain how care for my baby would go and one that handles patients that get transported from the hospital I was at previously.
Sam’s mom returned after a little bit and brought the rest of his family. My mom and brother showed up shortly afterwards. I was grateful the room was so large to accommodate everyone.
It wasn’t long before the NICU doctor came to visit. He started by explaining everything the NICU does for babies as well as the type of care they offer. He went on and on about different amenities and features about the NICU and what having a preemie baby meant, but I couldn’t follow along. My mind couldn’t focus long enough to grasp the concept that I was meeting my baby soon. She would be tiny and fragile and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. It wasn’t long before he was called away, and the second doctor came in.
The second doctor was the one that specifically handled patients transferred for the same reason I was. He was mostly evaluating the severity of my preeclampsia. The two doctors that were on duty in the labor & delivery department joined him to get caught up on where I was.
With the three of them together, I was finally given a plan of action – They planned to monitor me very carefully over the next few days and try to push the pregnancy out until Monday when I hit the 32 week mark. However, if my blood pressure shoots up again, they planned on doing an emergency C Section sooner. I wasn’t happy about it but I accepted my fate as long as my daughter would be ok.
The doctors left soon after leaving just me and my family. I could tell my mom didn’t understand what premature truly meant since she had some questions. As the family went back and forth in conversation, I found a spot on the wall to focus on. I was starting to shake again but I couldn’t let anyone see it.
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