Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Setting up Stones (Continued)

If you haven't read the beginning of this post you may want to go back and read the earlier one from last week....or this probably won't make any sense at all. Thank you for letting me share Samuel story in it's entirety. I have had the opportunity to share my testimony a few times since having him..but there is no way or enough time that I'd try to share all these "specifics" in a short testimony! I feel like God did some big things in answering my prayers through this difficult time and I am happy to be able to share with you. When I was pregnant with Samuel and unsure of what the future would hold I searched the Internet pretty much daily for information on Kidney problems in babies and for anyone who might had walked this path previously. I think this was kinda the pre-blogging area and there really wasn't much personal info out there. My hope is that this may encourage or help someone facing a difficult terminal pregnancy!


Stone #9- So after thinking that I was beginning to go into labor I called the new doctors practice on that Friday (I hadn't been seen by them yet but my records had been sent). Every time I called any doctor I always had to give my spill...my baby has a fatal kidney problem...etc (not fun!) The new practice said that since they hadn't seen me if anything happened over the weekend I'd have to call my old practice! This stressed me out because I wasn't supposed to deliver at the hospital that my practice only could deliver at. Needless to say this was frustrating and stressful and I really felt like I was getting the run around! Now looking back I can see God's hand! Things did happen and by Sunday night I was contracting quite frequently. I called my old practice and the doc. on call said for me to come on to the hospital (the one I wasn't supposed to be delivering at). Let me just fill you in on my feelings about hospitals...I am scared to death of them. I was scared of laying in that bed..ewwww! Scared of putting on that robe(I mean who had worn it and what had happened in it...glad I don't know) Scared of an elevator opening seeing something scary on the other side(am I the only one who has this fear.) Very scared of emergency rooms (scared of seeing someone from a bad accident!) Scared...scared...scared out of my wits of needles, epidurals and all things painful! (Did I ever mention I was a nursing major for all of one semester...but the first clinical came and I thought it would be a good time to change my major!) But I was contracting and scared and needed someone to tell me what was going on. We arrived at the beautiful hospital..which looks more like a Hilton and went straight to the maternity wing (avoiding all things creepy and scary!) We were welcomed by friendly nurses who were awaiting our arrival and took me straight to my room. I managed to get on the yucky robe and get settled in the scary bed for sick people. I got hooked up to the monitors and heard my little ones heart beating nice and strong! AHHH he was still there! I'll never forget the wonderful doctor that was on call that night! He came in, pulled up the rocking chair...sat down and just talked. He wanted to hear our story..what was wrong and why we were choosing to trust God with our child! He came up with a plan of what we wanted to happen if they couldn't get my contractions to stop! (Samuel was breech and we made the plan for him to do a C-section if needed that night.) They gave me and IV and several shots throughout the night which stalled my labor and the contractions. We went home the next morning as I thought I had an appointment with the new practice at 11:00 Monday. I look back at that Sunday night as God's way of preparing me! I seemed to feel more confident about being in the hospital....not quite as freaked out! I wasn't quite as scared of the needles! I knew more of what to expect..good thing because I'd be back for the real deal the next night.


Stone #10- So I was supposed to have an appointment with the new practice that Monday morning. I called first thing hoping to get my appointment moved up if possible. Once again going through the whole spill to a few different people before I finally was told that my appointment wasn't that day but the next Monday! AHHH can't anything be simple! I explained once again that we were working with a genetics counselor at their hospital and needed to be seen so we could be delivered there...really getting the run around! Finally they said if I was contracting two minutes apart to just go to the hospital. Really they didn't want to see me (the doctor who delivered me did apologize about this and he said I really should have been seen.) Once the meds from the previous day had worn off I began contracting again but only 8-10 minutes apart and not super consistent! This continued all day! My sweet cousin Anna is a practicing mid-wife and she drove about 2 hours that night to come and be with me. She monitored my progress and around 9pm she said it could be soon or it could still be several days. We all agreed to try to get some rest! About 10 minutes after I laid down my labor really got going. I remember Kevin was dozing off and I remember saying I am having another and it hurts so so bad. One after another they were coming and the were hard and strong...unlike any pain I'd ever experienced. I managed to make it into my parents room (we were staying with them..there is no place like home when you're scared!) I remember crawling on the floor saying...please take me to the hospital! (Jess-and anyone else don't let this scare you) My labor with Samuel was horrible. My labor with ella was so so much more bearable! I have since learned that when you don't have amniotic fluid it causes labor to be much more intense and is called a "dry birth"(thankful I didn't know that at the time.) (This is also why when they break you bag of fluids it tends to get labor going and stronger! We arrived at the hospital and I thought I was dying. Unlike the night before the nurses seemed busy and unapproachable. Unlike being sent to a room they sent us to the waiting room. There were several pregnant girls waiting in there. I was trying to breath through each contraction that were consistently 2 min. apart. We had to wait until they called us. I prayed again as I had many time before for the right nurses and doctors. You see I needed someone who was going to see me through the darkest and most difficult night of my life. I needed someone who would be compassionate to me and my dying child. Someone who could handle being a part of a not so normal delivery. God answered this prayer in the form of the two sweetest and most caring nurses this side of heaven. They were wonderful to us and to Samuel! I still thank God for the care they gave me that night!

I am sorry this is such a long story! There is still a little more I want to share but I will save it for later. Once again I hope you are encouraged that even in the darkest place God's love shines through! His mercies are new every day! I am so thankful for a Savior that was with me that night...right there in the room...filling it with His presence and peace!

1 comment:

Crystal said...

Thank you so much for sharing your heart Julie - I can't wait to read what else you have to say.