After nine days in the hospital I was released to go home. I remember the first night that I was home how weak I felt even trying to walk around the house. We had some serious stress trying to fill my prescriptions the day I came home. It turns out that the prescription could not be easily filled, and Matt ran around town going through a big run around with doctors and pharmacies before he was finally able to get the main medicine filled. We were thankful to have his sister Amanda stay with us over the weekend. Our children love her, and I do not know what we would have done without her. She helped a lot with the children and with keeping the laundry going and a multitude of other things.
By that Sunday I felt like I wanted to make a quick run to Walmart. I had been in the hospital for nine days and then sitting around the house over the weekend. Amanda was able to stay with the children, and I was going to just pick up a few things. This was a huge mistake as I felt worn out by the time I got to the van. I also felt every bump of the ride as my incision was still so sore. Looking back I cannot believe I did that! I think when you have never been knocked down to such a broken state of health sometimes you don't realize how bad things really are. I thought I was capable of driving and picking up a few items, but I should not have gone. After picking up a few things I felt incredibly weak. It was like a physical weakness I was unfamiliar with. I really just had no idea what critical shape I was in. All I can say about that trip to Walmart is that it was a terrible mistake. Hopefully I have learned to judge my limitations through that experience.
Starting off the new week our friend Cecily came to stay with the children while Matt went back to work. Cecily came most of the week because our friends the Allisons sent her to us. She works for them as their Nanny, and out of love they sent her to us for that week! That is just one of many ways so many people showed incredible kindness to us through this time. I spent most of my time in the recliner, and Cecily took great care of me bringing me soup and fluids to drink. She really stayed on top of me making sure I was staying hydrated and also took excellent care of the children.
When we arrived at the ER Matt let me out while he parked the truck. I could not fit my swollen feet into my flip flops, and so I remember waddling in with my feet hanging off the backs of the flip flops. The nurse noticed me struggling to walk and asked if I needed to check in. To our dismay the ER was packed, and we found ourselves packed into a sick room with our brand new baby. Matt called my OB doctor, and thankfully she pulled some strings and was able to get me called back sooner.
When I was finally called back to a room a series of tests began. A doctor came in and told me that he wanted to readmit me. This is when I realized that the unthinkable was happening. Matt was going to have to take Ella Ruth back home. This was the beginning of another nine days without my baby girl. I tried to nurse her again before she left and then they were gone and I was left in the ER. Eventually I was wheeled to a regular hospital room and thus began another long hospital stay and some of the scariest days of our lives. To be continued..................
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned; and the flame shall not consume you." Isaiah 43:2
When Ruth checked in at the ER her blood pressure was around 50/85 and her heart rate was around 140 bpm. The nurses looked very concerned. I was silently pleading for God’s mercy. Ruth was absolutely miserable and we were in a crammed packed waiting room with our infant. I finally was able to get her OB to call us and begged her to do something. I was hoping they could take her back to labor and delivery where she had been the last 9 days. Thankfully it was only a little while after I spoke with the OB that they called us back. They immediately started an ultrasound of Ruth’s legs to check for blood clots. Thankfully there were no blood clots, but little did we know Ruth was headed to ICU.
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