OK here we go... On January 9, 2006 I
had an amniocentesis due to maternal
age...38. Let me preface this by
saying I had had 2 other amnios with
other pregnancies, this being my 5th,
with no problem what so ever. That
being said. My regular Perinatologist
was not available so I opted for his
younger less experienced partner. I
knew as he was scraping back and forth
on the bag of waters to pierce it that
this was a bad idea.
He did get through, took the sample,
and removed the needle. Shortly after
that I began leaking. Now, he just
sent me home on bedrest for 2 days.
I still felt I was leaking so I went
to my regular OB. He had me use the
restroom clean up with a sanitary
moist wipe and then he took a sample
and .... suprise.... it was negative
for amniotic fluid.
Over the next few weeks I went to my
regular OB several times complaining
that I was leaking fluid. He would
pat me on the head, listen to the
baby's heart rate and send me packing
with the excuse that I must be wrong
and it must be urine.
Finally, on February 5 at 4am I
experienced a gush of fluid. I once
again called my doc and he told me to
go to bed until the next morning when
he would meet me at the office. Once
again, by the time I got off the phone
I felt guilty for making the
call.
The next morning I met him, first
thing, at his office. I told him that
he was going to have to convince me
that I was not leaking so he took me
to the sonogram room.
He laid the wand on my belly and
within seconds turned white as a
sheet. I said "Well!" and his reply
was "Give me a minute." Then he said
that I had been right all along and
had 0 fluid. That's right ZERO.
We had a long tearful conversation in
which he recommended immediate
termination of the pregnancy. I told
him I wanted another opinion. He sent
me directly to the Perinatologist I
had seen with my previous pregnancies
(due to age only).
This doc told my husband, who had
joined me, and I that his
recommendation also was termination.
He also came up with ZERO fluid. But
the heart was so strong I just couldnt
do it. My husband and I talked and
decided to leave it in GOD'S hands.
That didnt please the doc at all. He
then told my husband that if I went
home in this state that I would
develope an infection overnight and be
dead by morning. You can imagine my
husband's reaction. He was just
sick. I promised him that if I
started to get chills or fever or any
other symptom related to infection I
would go immediately to the hospital.
Again, this didnt please the doc so he
left the room and asked his nurse to
excuse us because he needed the room
for his other patients and we could
talk about this in the parking
lot.
So, back to my regular OB I went. He
put me in the hospital for "a couple
of days" to monitor for infection.
What this really turned out to be was
a couple of days to convice me to
terminate.
During the 1st and 2nd day in the
hospital my friends buried me in
literature about PPROM. I believed I
could follow all the guidelines and
asked my OB for a 3rd opinion from a
specialist at another hospital. She
came the next day.
I was lying in bed hooked to monitors
talking to my physician and the
Perinatologist (both trying to
convince me this was foolish) when in
walked Dr. Elizabeth Wickstrom. She
was followed by a group of students
and assistants. She firmly took
charge of the room and her assistant
began the sono. She found 3AFI and
asked me what I wanted to do. I told
her I wasnt ready to give up. She
said "Great, I dont think you
should." She asked my OB what
antibiotics he had me on. He
said "none" and asked her if she
wanted to take over my care. At that
moment my baby's future changed. She
started commanding the staff and they
were jumpin. She was a ROCK STAR!
I stayed in the hospital four more
days on IV antibiotics. Went home
with a RX for 10 more days worth.
Stayed home on bed rest until February
28th.
Now, this is not a decision to be
taken lightly. If you, like me, have
several other young children running
around then a few days on bedrest
sounds pretty wonderful. But at about
day 10, I had had all the wonderful I
could stand. And it was just
beginning.
My employer was gracious enough to set
me up to work from bed. My husband
footed the bill for a new laptop and
recliner that would nearly stand me on
my head.
During this time I also had the
opportunity to negotiate benefits with
my insurance carrier, who did not
participate with the hospital I would
be admitted to. That in it's self was
traumatic.
Once in the hospital, I had a
wonderful group of nurses that took
excellent care of me. The other
Pregnancy Complication Patients in the
same ward would visit almost daily and
again there was work.
My fluid levels went up and down.
Never getting above about a 6 for more
than a day or two. But the fact that
I had any fluid at all was
reassuring. I was fanatical about
cleanliness. I would bleach my
bathroom twice a day and every 3rd day
I would get a shower and would use
betadine from my knees to my belly
button. I never used "pads" but
instead used bleached white washcloths
to soak up any leaking fluid and
changed them often.
Also, I should say that during this
time I developed bleeding. Later we
learned that a portion of the placenta
had pulled away from the uterus due to
the lack of fluid pushing back on it.
It was rather frightening but my
doctors were reassuring and monitored
both the baby and I constantly.
Now, on April 26 early in the morning
I had a large rush of fluid and felt
things were different. The doctor
immediately took me down for a sono
and sure enough ZERO fluid. We also
could tell the cord wasnt looking
quite right. We couldnt follow it's
path with the doppler anymore. I
immediately requested deliver. At 32
weeks.
The resident tried to convince me
otherwise but I wasnt going to hear it
and asked for the Perinatologist in
charge. He came arrived and asked me
what I wanted to do and once again I
asked for delivery. He told me to get
my family there and we would deliver
in an hour.
My husband arrived as I was being
wheeled into pre-op. They put me on
the monitors and suprise
contractions. I was so freaked out I
hadnt noticed. The checked and I was
dilated to 5 so into delivery I went.
The doctor had convinced me to have a
c-section with a splinal block.
Something I had not had before and I
was terrified but I have to say it
wasnt bad at all.
My daughter was delivered with the
cord wrapped 2 times around her neck
and a 'TRUE KNOT' in the cord. It we
had waited any longer she would have
most likely died from a cord
accident. Follow your intuition.
She was 4lbs 14oz and did really well
for the first couple of hours then
began to deteriorate. By the time I
got back down to her room at 5am on
the 27th her oxygen saturation was
about 46. She was dying.
The staff was quick to act. They put
her on an oscillator, pic line in,
umbilical lines, and placed her in a
drug induced coma for the next 3
weeks. It was such a sad time for
us. But once again we placed the
outcome in GOD'S hands and
miraculously she began breathing on
her own.
Over the next 2 months we had to
overcome weaning from the oxygen,
infections, feeding issues, and GERD
but we came home from the hospital on
July 24th with a completely healthly
baby. No feeding tubes and no
oxygen.
Emily is now 10 months old. She has
been checked by the hospital premie
center, her pediatrician, and our
local PAT and she does everything a 12
month old can do. She eats regular
food, plays normally, talks, walks,
the whole nine yards.
This being said. I know in my heart
the path we chose is not for all. The
cost of our little miracle was about
2.4 million. After insurance it will
still be tens of thousands. I did end
up loosing my job when I was
transferred to labor and delivery.
So, my husband was left with the
bills. We sold our cars, boat,
anything that wasnt nailed down. My
children at home were without a Mom
for many months. I had to release the
running of my household to family
members and let them do it their way.
And most of all I fought against the
system - Physicians I trusted for many
years before.
But the rewards were infinite!!!!!!
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