(To follow the whole story, begin here: Tuesday, November 19, Wednesday, November 20, Thursday, November 21)
Friday morning they did labs again, and found that while my liver enzymes were getting back to normal, my platelets still needed a little work, and, for no apparent reason, my hemoglobin had tanked. Dropped from 11 to 6.7. Disheartening to have yet another complication. Dr. Locke told me that they could - if need be - give me a unit or two of blood to help that number come up, but that the first thing to do was simply wait and see. As long as I was asymptomatic - not fainting or anything - there was no rush to do anything. He also told me that he was going to be out of town the rest of the day and most of the next day, which bummed me out more than it should have. Of course there were plenty of other doctors to take care of me, but I remember feeling a little anxious about his leaving.
At about 8:00 - 24 hours after Samuel's birth - they took me off the magnesium, gave me a big cup of water, and had me order breakfast. I was so loopy and groggy from the remainder of the magnesium, plus the vicodin, plus the low hemoglobin that I wasn't sure I was going to make it through breakfast without tipping over in bed. But the bagel and scrambled eggs and apple juice that I ordered tasted good, even if I was the slowest eater ever. Adrian and Jill came by, and I was so loopy but trying so hard to seem normal.
My head cleared some as the day went on. They had removed my catheter after they stopped the magnesium, so at some point that day, they got me up to use the bathroom. It was terrifying. My legs just didn't seem to work. A combination of the magnesium, which weakens you, and lying in bed for a couple days straight, and having been through the ordeal of preeclampsia and anesthesia and surgery.
They had me sit up in a chair for a few minutes, which took all the energy I could muster. They found me a fancy shower cap that shampooed my hair, and helped me clean my body with warm wipes, and gave me a new gown to wear, and helped me brush my teeth, which was so very humanizing. I returned to bed feeling tired but clean and human.
My family was around for Friday, in and out, and Friday night our friend Ben and his family came to visit. By the end of the evening, I was very tired. After everybody left I started to feel a little weak and tired again. Dr. Davis (surgeon) and Dr. Locke both were keeping tabs on my blood levels, and my hemoglobin still wasn't back to pre-baby levels, and as the evening went on, I started worrying about that more than I should have, and got in a weird anxious place. I committed to asking the nurses more questions about my care. That helped a TON. Just knowing that I wasn't being ignored or forgotten, and that everybody was still really watching over me, even though I was getting healthy enough to be beyond hourly vital checks or ongoing nurse intervention.
Of course, despite the discouragement over my body feeling so gross and slow and tired, there were plenty of Samuel snuggles throughout the day. It doesn't matter how bad my body felt, I couldn't feel anything but insanely, unbelievably happy every time I looked at Samuel or held him or nursed him. Because he was our beautiful baby boy, and that makes everything else matter so very much less.
Friday morning they did labs again, and found that while my liver enzymes were getting back to normal, my platelets still needed a little work, and, for no apparent reason, my hemoglobin had tanked. Dropped from 11 to 6.7. Disheartening to have yet another complication. Dr. Locke told me that they could - if need be - give me a unit or two of blood to help that number come up, but that the first thing to do was simply wait and see. As long as I was asymptomatic - not fainting or anything - there was no rush to do anything. He also told me that he was going to be out of town the rest of the day and most of the next day, which bummed me out more than it should have. Of course there were plenty of other doctors to take care of me, but I remember feeling a little anxious about his leaving.
At about 8:00 - 24 hours after Samuel's birth - they took me off the magnesium, gave me a big cup of water, and had me order breakfast. I was so loopy and groggy from the remainder of the magnesium, plus the vicodin, plus the low hemoglobin that I wasn't sure I was going to make it through breakfast without tipping over in bed. But the bagel and scrambled eggs and apple juice that I ordered tasted good, even if I was the slowest eater ever. Adrian and Jill came by, and I was so loopy but trying so hard to seem normal.
My head cleared some as the day went on. They had removed my catheter after they stopped the magnesium, so at some point that day, they got me up to use the bathroom. It was terrifying. My legs just didn't seem to work. A combination of the magnesium, which weakens you, and lying in bed for a couple days straight, and having been through the ordeal of preeclampsia and anesthesia and surgery.
They had me sit up in a chair for a few minutes, which took all the energy I could muster. They found me a fancy shower cap that shampooed my hair, and helped me clean my body with warm wipes, and gave me a new gown to wear, and helped me brush my teeth, which was so very humanizing. I returned to bed feeling tired but clean and human.
My family was around for Friday, in and out, and Friday night our friend Ben and his family came to visit. By the end of the evening, I was very tired. After everybody left I started to feel a little weak and tired again. Dr. Davis (surgeon) and Dr. Locke both were keeping tabs on my blood levels, and my hemoglobin still wasn't back to pre-baby levels, and as the evening went on, I started worrying about that more than I should have, and got in a weird anxious place. I committed to asking the nurses more questions about my care. That helped a TON. Just knowing that I wasn't being ignored or forgotten, and that everybody was still really watching over me, even though I was getting healthy enough to be beyond hourly vital checks or ongoing nurse intervention.
Of course, despite the discouragement over my body feeling so gross and slow and tired, there were plenty of Samuel snuggles throughout the day. It doesn't matter how bad my body felt, I couldn't feel anything but insanely, unbelievably happy every time I looked at Samuel or held him or nursed him. Because he was our beautiful baby boy, and that makes everything else matter so very much less.
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