Three Years Ago

Three years ago today our son's life was saved.  Some may say that I am the hero in this story, but in our eyes, the true heroes are the doctors that performed this miraculous surgery.  We were only the 6th in the country and the 3rd in the Tri-State area to have this particular surgery done.  How's that for statistics?

I remember both vaguely and clearly how February 13, 2008 went.  Tim and I arrived early that Wednesday morning.  I got into my hospital gown and had my IV placed.  I sat on the bed in our room and waited.  Mine and Tim's parents arrived in the meantime and waited with us.  Before we went down to the OR waiting room the chaplain came in and said a prayer over myself and our unborn son.  We were then wheeled down to the holding area where I was prepped for surgery.  A nurse walked in and I couldn't place where I knew her from, but Tim knew right away.  Although I didn't know this particular person very well, it was comforting to know that a familiar face was going to be in the OR with me.   Anyway, they had me drink a shot of some very tart medication that helps with nausea.  Then they gave me some versed through my IV to help calm my nerves.  This medication makes you feel like you have a really, really good buzz (or at least that's what they told me since I don't drink). The rest was a blur, but I do remember getting into the OR, sitting on the table and leaning over a nurse while the anesthesiologist put in my epidural. Then I laid down and was told they were going to give me some oxygen.  Yeah, that oxygen had a little something in it because I don't remember anything else. 

I woke up in recovery and the first thing I remember was the nurses telling me how cute the baby's feet are.  I managed to tell them that it wasn't fair that they got to see him before me.  That's all I remember.

I was hooked up to several medications.  I was contracting so they had to do all that they could to keep me from going into labor so most of the medications were to stop that from happening.  They had me on Magnesium, which in my opinion, was created my the devil himself.  Some people this medication gives flu like symptoms to, but in my case it made me extremely HOT.  I wasn't allowed to have anything to drink so I had a major case of cotton mouth.  Tim had my room set to the coolest temperature the thermostat could go to and I was still burning up.  They gave Tim a bucket that he kept ice water in so that he could wrap my in cold wash clothes.  I remember sucking on the rag so that I could get the water and tiny ice cubes that were stuck to it.  Tim kept telling me that I was going to get in trouble, but I was on day 2 of not having anything to drink.  Anyone that came into the room wore twice as many clothes as they normally would because of how cold it was.  Tim would get excited when I woke him up in the middle of the night to see if he could get me some colder water for my rags.  It meant that he got to go out into the hallway where it was warm. For those wondering how long they made me suffer without anything to drink, it was on day 3 that I finally got the sprite that I was begging them for since I came out of surgery.  3 horrible days of nothing in my mouth, but I survived.

I was discharged 5 days later and spent the next 13 weeks on bedrest (7 at home and 6 in the hospital).

It was three years ago that I got the opportunity to save my son's life. I am not a hero. I am mother.

I am also...