At 27 weeks I went to the OB's office for a regular check up. She noticed that I was having some high blood pressues and that I was spilling protine in my urine. She sent me to the hospital to be checked out. They kept me for 3 days and I did a 24 hour urine test to see what my protine count was. It was 666 when I left the hospital that Wednesday. I left the hospital with a follow up appointment at my OB's office and an appontment with a high risk neonatolagist after being diagnosed with mild toximia.
The next Monday (after being on BP meds for a week) I went to the OB's office and I was still having high BP's and protine. On Tuesday we went to the neonatologist office and he sent me back to the hospital for observation. I was addmited that day again. They started another 24 hour protein test and when it came back it was about 1500 and they said I had to stay. I knew then I would not be leaving the hospital till I had the baby. I was getting ultrasounds everyday to monitor the baby's growth and the amniotic fluid. I was being put on a baby monitor at least once a shift to watch the baby's heartbeat and movement. I got a round of steroids to help the baby's lungs and waited. They had decided to do another 24 hour protine on the following Monday. On Saturday night my BP skyrocketed and they took me down to labor and delivery for continuous observation. My BP went down and the baby's stats looked fine so they sent me back upstairs.
They started another 24 hour urine test on Saturday night. When I got the results on Monday morning it showed that my protein level had increased to over 8000. Protine levels at 5000 are concidered sevier! So my OB came in on Monday and said we are going to have this baby sooner rather than later. I was scared and called Rick and my family to come. They all came right away and they took me down to L&D again, this time to prep for a c-section. They hooked me up to an IV with magnesium sulfate (gross!) and they told Rick, "If her BP goes over 200/100 we are going in right away so please watch it." They planned the c-section for 8:00 pm. By 7:30ish they said we are going, my BP was up to about 210/100. They pushed me back to the OR and did the prep for the c-section. By 7:53 they had the baby out. Eli weighed 2 lbs. 11 ozs and was 15 1/2 inches long. I had to ask what the sex was! lol. They said it's a boy! I got to see Eli for about 20 seconds before they rushed him to the NICU. But I did get to hear him cry... That made me feel like things would be ok.
(FYI: I felt fine the whole time! I didn't have any other symptoms!!!)
They took me to recovery where I spent the next few hours. I asked to go see Eli before we went to the room. They pushed me (gurny and all) into the NICU and I got to see him for another 5 minutes before we went to the room. I was bed bound on the mag sulfate for another 24 hours after the birth. It was not a plesant experience... I was seeing double, really hot (they had the room set at 65 degrees!) and couldn't have a coherent conversation. Yech! At the end of the 24 hours I got out of bed (OH THE PAIN!) and was wheeled over to the NICU to see Eli. That was when I first really understood how little he was. I still didn't understand how sick he was.
Things went smoothly for the next few days. He was on CPAP for his breathing and an IV for nutrients. On day 3 things went south. Eli had something called "stiff lungs" which was basically an air bubble popping outside of his lungs and moving things. He had to be put on a vent and have a chest tube inserted. It was the hardest day ever to see my baby hooked up to all sorts of machines to help him live. I will never forget it. After 48 hours he came off the vent, and after 4 days he got the chest tube out. After that we had to deal with the tummy isses. He was not pooping spontaniously. After many enemas, they gave him a upper and lower GI to check and make sure things were ok. They were and soon after that he began to poop on his own. Eli also had a heart and brain ultrasound and things looked fine on both of those.
About a week after he was born I finally got to hold Eli. It was a wonderful day. Eli was on the CPAP for about 2 1/2 weeks and the IV for about 3 1/2 weeks. He was on a NG tube (for feeding) till about Dec. 31st. He had some temperature issues and went from the iscolete to the open crib back to the iscolete back to the open crib. He failed the carseat test 2X and finally passed on the 3rd try. We were supposed to bring Eli home on Jan 2, but we did not get to bring him home till Wednesday Jan. 13, 2010. He came home at 7 weeks 2 days old after spending 51 days in the NICU. When Eli came home he weighed 4 lbs 15 ozs and was 17 inches long. We are so proud of our little NICU graduate!!
We are so thankful for the support and prayers that were said for Eli and our family during this hard time. We are looking forward to everyone meeting our little one!!
#1 is Rick's wedding ring around Eli's arm.
#2 is the first time mama and Eli got to cuddle.
#3 is Daddy and Eli on New Year's Eve 2010!
#4 is Eli is a NICU grad!
#5 is our last family pic in the NICU!
#6 is Eli's first car ride... 51 days old!
#7 is Eli's first time in his very own crib!