there's no place like home

After ten days in the hospital, and to the obvious surprise of my OB, a resident, and a perinatal expert, I am home...without the aid of ruby red slippers, heel clicking, or the premature delivery of Maggie. Evidently, my doctors do not know the power of prayer. Thank you ALL for knowing it, believing in its power and doing it!!

Even though I am home, I am not out of the woods. I am still on complete bed rest--which means my activities are limited to going to the bathroom, showering, and travelling to Salina for daily doctor's appointments--at least i am home. The downside is that from what the doctors tell us, the situation can change dramatically and quickly, and Maggie still needs to hang out for at least a couple more weeks. The upside is that those same doctors thought Maggie would have been born already.

The remainder of this particular blog is a lot of details, so please do not feel obligated to read on. However, we believe (I think it is safe for me to speak for Nick in this case) GOD is in these details. Medically, there is no reason for me to be home or for Maggie to still be sittin' up in my womb (for those of you who enjoy '90s R&B, i was singing Brandy as I typed that). We have to praise God, because it is so obviously His work.

from about 20 weeks, Dr. Knox, my ObGyn, has described toxemia/preeclampsia/PIH as "a pathway." The two primary indicators of the condition are high blood pressure and protein output in the urine. Although my blood pressure had been high throughout the pregnancy, the protein had not been an issue until a severe and persistent headache combined with elevated blood pressure landed me in the hospital. ANYWAY, Dr. Knox used the pathway metaphor ad nauseam (I think just to be sure we understood), and added that typically, once you are on the pathway, the only way off it is to deliver the baby. He told us not only was there no way to determine when I would enter the pathway, but also that, once on the pathway, there was no way to determine how quickly the severity of condition would progress. i will tell you that today at my first follow up with him since my release from the hospital yesterday, he and his staff were very surprised and pleased to see us. God is so good!!

i was admitted to the hospital on april 4 (at 28 weeks pregnant), for observation. the first urine test and all of the preliminary blood work came back fine, but my blood pressures were all over the place (p.s. there has still been no explanation of that, and although my pressures are high, they are managed and within the range the doctors consider safe). dr. knox ordered my first of four 24-hour urines. this is when he became particularly concerned. The level of protein required to diagnose me with preeclampsyia is 300 mg (severely preeclamptic is 5 grams, so there was a long way to go); my level was mild at nearly 400. because of that result, it was determined i had officially entered the pathway, and because of Maggie's impending premature delivery, I was immediately transferred to Wesley Medical Center by ambulance. all of my doctors said i would reside in there until Maggie was born. AND because they figured she would be born within a week to ten days, they ordered i receive a steroid shot (no fun) to help develop her lungs. in addition, i remained in the hospital, under a watchful eye, and on bedrest for the last 10 days.

SIDEBAR: I had to have both an IV and a catheter for the ambulance ride. NO FUN. the IV was for magnesium sulfate which prevents seizures--a concern due to my elevated pressures. all i have to say about that is YUCK. although i am sure there are far yuckier things to come, i did not enjoy the side effects of that medicine AT ALL. basically it caused me to have severe muscle spasms in the left side of my body. they started in my leg and progressed to my arm. the worst part was i could feel the spasm coming on, but had NO CONTROL to stop it. it was horrible.

as soon as i got to Wesley on Monday, April 6, they ordered another 24-hour urine, blood work, and a 2nd IV site--in case I needed a c-section, they could use it for anesthesia--, and a sonogram. all of the tests produced favorable results. on Tuesday I was moved from labor and delivery to the women's health floor. Basically, i chilled there in bed, getting up only to bathe or potty, while nurses brought me meals, snacks, beverages and medicine, took my vitals and listened to the baby's heartrate three times a day, and that was it until Easter Sunday. (P.S. we received visits and information from drs, specialists, a care coordinator and toured the NICU. all of which was incredibly helpful and reassuring)

in a blog on Sunday, Nick reported i would undergo a variety of tests in the next couple of days. I ended up having twice as many as originally ordered. The first was a 24-urine which came back with reading so low that they assumed the test was invalid and ordered another immediately. The bloodwork all came back fine. The other was a one-hour blood glucose test, which most pregnant women have at around 28 weeks; it tests for gestational diabetes. i failed -- evidently miserably, so they ordered the three-hour blood glucose test for the next morning. i figured this was it. now, not only would i be on bed rest, but also on a restricted diet...boohiss! Did i mention the three-hour requires FOUR blood draws?...boohiss again! (The upside is that Panera is across the street, so Nick treated me to a huge comfort food dinner for what i assumed would be my last supper) Anyway, all of this to say the second urine and glucose screens I passed with flying colors! In fact, the level of protein actually DROPPED to below 300 mg (to 260 mg), making me no longer diagnostically preeclamptic. YAHOO! yesterday afternoon I called Nick to come get me.

I have to admit, we are a little nervous to be home without the constant monitoring of trained professionals, but we know this is God's will. His is the only hand that could have caused the u-turn on the toxemia pathway. so anyway, sorry for all of the details, but the contradictions in thier results are miraculous. Thanks again for the prayers, and please keep 'em coming!!!

We will keep you posted.