February 13, 2015
All week my mom kept saying how she couldn't wait for Friday the 13th because she just knew there would be lots of crazy people at the hospital. I remember her saying, "I hope we go back downstairs to L&D on the 13th". I got mad at her for saying that because going back downstairs meant I could possibly be having a baby soon. I wanted to stay on the 2nd floor as long as possible! I kept telling my mom that she better not have jinxed me!
Friday that 13th came and my day seemed very normal. I actually blogged that morning and just hung out with my mom and Taylor. My friend, Heidi, came to visit me around 3:00 and we were just talking and visiting for awhile. I felt like I needed to go the bathroom so my mom unhooked my leg compression cuffs and I got up and walked a few steps to the bathroom. As I was walking, I felt a ton of liquid run down my legs. I kept walking the rest of the way to the toilet and when I turned around there was a huge trail of blood behind me. I sat down on the toilet and it just started pouring out of me. I immediately screamed for someone to help me. My mom came in and saw the blood and she told Taylor to call the nurse. My mom decided the nurse needed to come quicker so she ran out in the hallway to grab her. I was in shock... I was so scared and I didn't want to move so I just sat down on the bathroom floor. I was covered in blood. I had it all over my legs, arms, and even my hospital gown.
The nurse came in and told me that it didn't look like too much blood. I remember thinking "Are you kidding me? It looks like a murder scene in here lady!" The nurse told me to get back in bed and that she was going to go call the doctor. Thankfully Heidi stayed and talked for awhile longer (it helped me keep my mind off what was going on). My nurse came back in after 10 minutes and told me that she was taking me downstairs so they could monitor me. It looks like my mom's wish was coming true (haha)! I remember them wheeling me downstairs in a wheelchair and I was shaking and on the verge of tears. I was SO scared. I just knew all this bleeding wasn't normal.
They got me downstairs and hooked me up to the contraction monitor and fetal heart rate monitor. I could hear Denver's heart rate and I was so relieved! The contraction monitor started to pick up some contractions and I was starting to feel them. Taylor and my mom kept trying to talk to me and comfort me and I was just giving them the silent treatment. I was in shock and I was so scared that I just didn't want to talk to anyone. My nurse came in and told me that she talked to my doctor and they were going to give me some IV fluids and some Magnesium (to try and stop the contractions). This was the 3rd time they had given me Magnesium, so I wasn't too worried about it. Usually Magnesium gives you some really horrible side effects like hot flashes, flu symptoms, and just feeling crazy. Luckily I had never really experienced these side effects except getting a little hot.
Doctor Jensen (my favorite doctor just so happened to be on call) came in and talked to me about my bleeding. He told me that we would just kind of play it out and see what happened in the next few hours. They really wanted to keep my baby in as long as possible, but they didn't want to risk my life or babies life by keeping me pregnant. After he left I buzzed my nurse and told her I had to go pee SO bad. Taylor and the nurse walked me to the bathroom. I had just finished a HUGE bag of IV fluids so I knew my bladder was FULL. I needed to go so bad but when I sat down and tried to go nothing came out except blood! A whole lot of blood. Taylor went and got my nurse and told her that I couldn't pee and a ton of blood came out. The nurse made me get back in bed and I wanted to cry (I actually did cry). My stomach hurt from contractions and the fact that my bladder was about to BURST. I remember crying to Taylor and telling him I was scared and I just wanted to go home.
All of a sudden Doctor Jensen came in and told us he was thinking it was about time to go ahead and take the baby. He was worried that my bleeding wasn't stopping and it appeared to be getting worse. He walked out of the room for a minute and a nurse came running in and put one of those blue mesh caps on my head. I remember thinking what in the world is this lady doing? I asked her what was going on and she said, "I am preparing you for a C-section". Taylor, my mom, and I were all in shock. We had no idea that it was going to happen this fast! Denver's heart rate started to come off the monitor so the nurse was trying to get his heart rate back on. Doctor Jensen and Doctor Ball (he is a high risk- maternal fetal medicine doctor) came in and said "we are going to do a C-section within the hour". The nurse was still trying to find Denver's heart rate. She kept looking at the doctors saying, "I can't find it". I was trying to stay calm but I did not like that they couldn't find his heart rate! The nurse grabbed my wrist and felt my pulse. She turned and looked at the doctor's and said, "her heart rate is matching the babies heart rate and it's making me nervous". I think my heart rate was 135...obviously I was scared! The nurse finally found Denver's heart rate again.
Another nurse came in and said they needed to put a catheter in. My bladder was still full so as scared as I was to get a catheter I was relieved that my bladder was finally going to be emptied! The nurse put the catheter in and holy smokes did it hurt! The nurse looked at the catheter bag after she put it in and the bag was filling up with blood!! The nurse looked at me and said, "Are you peeing blood?" I seriously wanted to conk her on the head. I was in so much pain and my bladder still felt super full. Luckily my nurse went and got another nurse (one with more experience) and she showed her my catheter bag. The nurse with more experience looked at my nurse and said "um you didn't put that catheter in the right place." Obviously my nurse doesn't know her 3 holes very well. Because the catheter was in the wrong spot; they had to re-do it. As they were re-putting the catheter in the right place the anesthesiologist came in. I was screaming SO loud as they were putting the catheter in; and the anesthesiologist (bless his heart) was trying to go over everything that was going to happen. I was thinking, "seriously dude you can't wait until they get this catheter in to talk to me?". Finally they got that blessed thing in and what do you know? I filled up the whole bag! They said, "Wow you really did need to go, huh?" I tried to tell them!
My sweet husband, Taylor, knew I needed a blessing before they took me back for my C-section. Taylor looked at the nurse and said, "how much time do we have before they take her back?". The nurse looked at Taylor and without hesitation she said, "you want to give her a blessing don't you?". Taylor had called his cousin, Jarem, and asked him to come help administer the blessing. Jarem was driving to the hospital, but he wasn't going to get there quick enough unfortunately. The nurse told Taylor that she would be right back and she ran down the hallway. All of a sudden a random guy who I had never met or seen before came into my room holding some consecrated oil (what LDS priesthood holders use to administer blessings to the sick). I couldn't believe it! I have never been so grateful to live in Utah. The nurse knew there was an LDS couple a few doors down and she ran to get the guy so he could help Taylor give me a blessing. Taylor and this sweet random guy gave me a blessing of comfort and health. I was still nervous, but I was definitely comforted and feeling more at peace.
They came in right after the blessing was over to take me back for my C-section. They made Taylor wait outside of the O.R. until they had given me the spinal block. I was really sad that Taylor couldn't be there for the spinal block because I was scared it was going to hurt. The moment they rolled me into the O.R. they stuck an ultrasound probe on my stomach to watch the babies heartbeat. They held the ultrasound probe on me and continued to monitor the heart rate until they started the surgery. The spinal block wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I did make the nurse hold my hand (haha)! They had me sit on the side of the bed and lean over and try to hold as still as possible. Holding still was very hard because I was shaking so much from being scared and cold. The anesthesiologist told me that my legs would start to go numb after 30 seconds. After a few minutes I couldn't feel anything from my toes to my rib cage.
Even though I was feeling really numb I was still pretty nervous about feeling them cut me open. I am sure the doctors all thought I was a crazy lady because I kept asking them if I was going to be able to feel them cut me open. They pinched me a bunch of times with this little tool and I couldn't feel it so they assured me that I was completely numb and I wouldn't feel anything. Taylor finally came in... he was dressed in these blue mesh scrubs and he looked so cute! I was so happy to see him. He sat right next to my head and held my hand the whole time.
Doctor Jensen said, "incision" and then I knew that they had cut me open. I had to tell him to not give me a play by play of what was going on. A few minutes went by and I got super nauseous. I told Taylor I was going to throw up. The anesthesiologist handed Taylor a bag and I threw up. Do you realize how hard it is to thrown up when your stomach is numb? It was miserable, but I got through it. Taylor kept peeking over the curtain that they put up. I couldn't believe he was looking! Taylor does not like blood... He can't even watch me get a shot or get my blood drawn. I kept telling him to sit down because I didn't want him to pass out!
Taylor and I had gone my whole pregnancy without finding out the gender. We got SO many ultrasounds during our 3 week stay at the hospital and we never caved in and asked. We were dying to know if we were having a girl or a boy! Taylor and I were both convinced it was a girl. Doctor Jensen knew we were waiting to find out the gender. After about 10 minutes into the surgery he announced, "it's definitely a boy!". Taylor peeked his head over the curtain and looked at our little boy for the first time! There was a team of NICU nurses, NICU doctor, and a respiratory therapist waiting to take our little boy.
Taylor stayed by me for about 5 minutes and then decided to go check on our boy. The doctors took like 30-40 more minutes to stitch me up. They had to cut me vertically(up and down) because Denver was so small and it would be harder on him if they cut me horizontally. They told me that because they cut me vertically it would make it harder for me to have more babies. I didn't care though because I wanted them to do whatever they could to make it easier for Denver to come out.
After they got me stitched up they wheeled me back into my room. There were so many people waiting in my room. My mom, my aunt Jill, my in-laws, and my brother and sister-in-law. I was so overwhelmed and really emotional and I just started crying. I think everyone was a little worried and didn't know why I was crying. I was just happy to see everyone there, but I was also worried about my little baby. The nurse came in and told us that they weighed Denver in the NICU and he weighed 2lbs 4oz! We all gasped.. we were not expecting him to weigh that much!
The NICU doctor that was there to take Denver after he was born came into my room 1 hour later. Dr. Swentin told us that when Denver was born they had to resuscitate him because he stopped breathing. The doctor said that he was on the ventilator (the machine that breaths for him) and that he was doing a lot better. Taylor went and took pictures of him and came back and showed me. He was so TINY and CUTE. The nurse told me that I couldn't go see Denver until I could feel my legs. I was so determined to go see my baby. I kept telling everyone that I wanted to go. It took a few hours, but as soon as I felt my feet I got out of my bed and told Taylor I was ready to go!
It took us 2 days to name our little boy because we couldn't agree on a name. We finally named him and we think it fits him perfectly. Denver Taylor Myers has stolen our hearts!
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