I was diagnosed with diabetes at 24 weeks after failing my glucose test. I had been feeling awful so it was no surprise. Every time I ate I would get all sweaty and faint feeling. The doctor tried having me control the symptoms with diet but it quickly became clear I would need insulin and lots of it. I do not like needles so the finger sticks were really horrible for me. I dreaded them and would have to work myself up to it. When I found out I needed insulin I really panicked. Insulin meant giving myself shots in the belly every day, my worst nightmare. Funny enough the shots were easier for me than the finger pokes. Even with the insulin I did not feel well. I was nauseated all the time and I had trouble keeping my meals down.
I woke up the morning of May 13 and went to my normal doctor appointment. I had to go every other day for fetal monitoring because of the diabetes. I guess on top of the physical ramifications for mom, diabetes is very dangerous for the baby. Still birth and SID's are not uncommon in babies with diabetic mothers. As I sat on the non-stress monitor that morning I realized it was measuring contractions. My doctor was off that day so his partner came in and checked me for dilation. I was not dilated so they sent me home to wait it out. I was fine with that because according to my dates I had at least 2 weeks to go. I went home and braced myself for a long night of contractions spaced about every 5 minutes.
The following morning was a school day for Jacob and Sarah so I got up and started getting ready to take them to school. I got in the shower and got hit with the worst chest pain. I can't explain how bad the pain was. I could not breathe. I fell on the shower floor and screamed for help. I was sure it was a heart attack and I was going to die. I screamed for help. The pain would subside and then hit again. I had gone through gall bladder problems with Robert a year ago so I figured that was what it was. We called a sitter, took the kids to school and went to E.R.
We got to E.R. and really long story shorter, I was diagnosed with lots of gall stones and a rupturing gall bladder. Our options were limited because as the day went on I got sicker and sicker. Finally our doctors decided they had to operate. I was going to have to be put under and have a c-section and then the doctors would remove the gall bladder laparoscopically. It was really emotional because Robert would not be allowed in the room and neither of us would see our precious daughter be born. I was also personally terrified of being put to sleep and intubated.
Going into surgery was the most embarrassing thing EVER! I had a all man team. Even my nurses were men. Nothing against men, but I am a bit modest and this was mortifying for me. If you have never had a c-section they strip you down and lay you out on a tiny narrow bed with your arms strapped to boards crucifixion style, I am pretty sure my boobs melted into my armpits. It's freezing in there and I was shaking and my gall bladder had me vomiting every few minutes. I doubt even a super model would look good in those circumstances, but I am pretty sure I was at my worst. My vanity aside, I started to have a panic attack as my doctor drew his incision lines on my belly and planned his attack, I begged to be put under.
The next thing I remember is screaming how bad it hurt. Lucky for me that was short lived. I have to say with all the surgery and how sick I really was I felt amazing really fast. Robert was playing super dad the whole time I was in surgery and recovery and spent that time bonding with Anna and making sure my wishes concerning feeding and vaccinations were respected. While I was still in recovery they brought Anna to me and held her to me to nurse. I have fuzzy memories of a nurse manually putting my niples into Anna's mouth, but by then all concern for modesty and vanity were long gone.
Anna Lynn came into the world on May 15th. She weighed 6 lbs 7.5 ounces and was 19.5inches long.
When we got settled and began enjoying our new baby We looked at the camera and saw that one of those men in that E.R. had taken the time to take about 100 picutres of the birth neither of us got to see. He even took a picture of the clock the minute she was born.
Robert and I spent the night loving on the baby and enjoying time together. Robert of course did his best to recruit Anna to the "daddy" team. In the morning he went home to get the whole brood to meet their new baby sister.
I was blessed enough to feel awesome and by day 3 I was ready to go home. I missed the kids and the farm and was so glad to get back to life as usual.
Welcome to the world my love.
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