My pregnancy had honestly not been a bad one. I was thrilled to be pregnant after years of trying - I made it a personal goal to not complain too much about the aches & pains that pregnancy can bring on. Maybe that was part of the problem. I knew that I had been having some pretty major swelling & some headaches, but I get migraines anyway, & I always thought the swelling was normal for pregnant women.
*If you are pregnant & are having major swelling, migraines, black floaties in your vision, trouble breathing, or aren't feeling your baby move, CALL YOUR DOCTOR! It may be nothing, but those were all signs of pre-eclampsia that I ignored because I didn't know what to look for. Don't mess around - just call!
I was admitted to the hospital in Davenport on October 1st & was transferred to the University of Iowa Hospital in the evening of October 2nd. The NICU in Davenport cannot handle babies born before 30 weeks & I was only at 26 weeks. Following the first round of a steroids shot to speed up the development of our baby's lungs, I was loaded onto a gurney & hauled off to an ambulance. I was devastated to find out that Derrick was not going to be allowed to ride with me to UIHC, but that he would have to follow in our car. Since I was rear facing in the ambulance, I was able to watch him follow us, which brought me some comfort. The ambulance ride was really the first indication that there was something really wrong with me - especially when the EMT commented that "I must be still doing okay because they didn't start an IV at the hospital. Hopefully I don't have to do one on the ride up." I told him I hoped he didn't have to either!
Upon arriving in Iowa City, we went in through the emergency entrance & made our way through the maze of halls. I had never been to the hospital in Iowa City before, so it was completely new for me. I had no idea that I would become a pro at navigating those halls. We eventually made it to the Labor & Delivery department. I was taken to a triage room. Not because I was actually considered a triage case, but because L&D was completely full. I spent a terrible night in a tiny room with no windows & an awful bed. Derrick slept in a weird chair, hardly leaving my side. I had the most fantastic nurse though - Shelia - she was a blessing! One of those nurses who knows how to follow protocol, but could also take her cues from the patient. She understood that I felt terrible chained down to my bed with IVs & wires & allowed me to sit up in a chair (as long as someone was with me). She continued to be my nurse for several days of my stay & was always such an encouragement to me.
Finally, after about 24 hours in the triage room, I was moved to a BEAUTIFUL L&D room. Huge room - not really sure how I scored it. I can only assume it is because that was the first room that opened up to get me out of that crazy triage room. Throughout the next few days I bounced back & forth between L&D & the Mother-Baby unit 7 times (Mother-Baby is where you go after your baby is born...or where you go to be on bedrest). I spent time in L&D until they got my blood pressure stabilized then they bumped me over to Mother-Baby. I would get settled in Mother-Baby & then they would check my blood pressure & find that it was extremely elevated, so I'd get bumped back to L&D. We get it straightened out & back I'd head to Mother-Baby. I moved so much that my mom took to calling us when they got to the unit so they knew which room we were in at that particular time.
Sunday, October 5th, 2008 was a great day for me. I felt pretty good, my blood pressure looked good, & I was allowed to go on a wheelchair ride around the hospital. Derrick took me all over. We looked around in the library, we looked at some artwork, we found out there were church services offered. I still remember telling Derrick, "I wish we had known that! We'll have to go next Sunday." Derrick was preparing to head back to work early Monday morning, so we were just enjoying the time we had left before he went back. Writing that, it doesn't make much sense that he would wait until early Monday morning to head back, but I am glad he did.
Sometime in the middle of the night on the 5th, I started having a lot of trouble breathing. Tests revealed that I had fluid gathering in my lungs. As we made another trek from Mother-Baby to L&D (still in the middle of the night), I told Derrick, "You can't go back to work tomorrow."
Early the next morning we met with the doctors on my case. My pre-eclampsia was getting worse & the decision was to deliver the baby. It wasn't going to be an emergency delivery, but they wanted us to start prepping for a c-section. We called our family. Sometime during all of this I was started on magnesium sulfate to prevent a seizure. The mag makes you feel terrible. Hot, tired, foggy. Things are pretty cloudy for me from then on until right before the delivery.
I was taken into the delivery room to be prepped while Derrick gowned up to join me. A guy we call "Medical Student Joe" assisted with my spinal block. He had been on rotation in the unit when I came in & could have passed for a doctor. He was professional, kind, honest & so, so nice. We have such great memories of him! I was thrilled to know that he was there to help with the delivery. It was nice to have a familiar face in the room full of people I had didn't know. I had met a few of them before, but he had connected with both Derrick & I & I know we both felt good knowing he was there.
Derrick joined me just as they were making the first incision. There was lots of pushing & pulling, I threw up, Derrick took pictures, & within minutes, Dylan Jay Sindt was born. All 2 lbs, 3 oz, 14.5 inches of him. He came out limp & didn't cry. It is absolutely terrifying to deliver a baby & not have him cry when he should. Eventually he did make a little noise. As they were stitching me back up, someone brought Dylan over for me to see. He was so fragile that we couldn't even touch him. Derrick took a few pictures & then Dylan was whisked off to the NICU. I was stitched up, cleaned up, & taken back to my room (which was now full of visitors). That entire night is kind of a blur. I know I kept crying & asking about "the baby." Derrick was finally able to see him about 3 hours after his birth. I was cleared to go see him about 24 hours after his birth. I was overwhelmed by how tiny he was. That was a feeling that didn't leave for several weeks. Writing this entry has been hard for me. Emotionally draining. Frustrating because it is hard to find the right words. Why? I don't know. I think it's because of what I do know. We could have a child with physical handicaps. We don't. Dylan could have brain damage from his early birth. He doesn't. Instead, we have a completely on target, smart, funny, wonderful, precious boy. I told someone this week, "I am a proud Mama. Dylan could have so many problems, so every time I see him keeping up with kids his age, I am so thankful." I think that's where the struggle in writing this post comes from. I am thankful - for his craziness, his constant chattering, his spirit that shines through. He is amazing & I need to remember to thank God for him more often.
On top of all of that, I wonder where the time went. How is he three already? When did he grow up? I need to remember to cherish these times, because there is no slowing them down!
Wow, Renee! What a beautiful story! Thanks for sharing!
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