When we found out we were pregnant again it was November 2010. We were very excited and hoping to add a little boy to our family of 2 gorgeous girls. Things started off ok, I was feeling pretty normal, just tired, and everything seemed ok for the first couple months. Then the morning sickness started, except it wasn't just in the morning, it was all day and I started losing weight really quickly. After one really bad weekend where I was unable to drink even water for 72 hours my Doctor recommended I have a PICC line placed so that I could give my self medication to help control the nausea. A PICC line is a tube that is placed through a vein the arm and is threaded into the chest. Here is some information if your interested.
http://piccexcellence.com/piccinfo/picc_info.php#whatpiccIt helped a lot! I gave myself medicine every 6 hours and hardly threw up at all, I was gaining weight and the baby looked good.
We had our gender ultrasound on Valentines Day and learned that we were having a little boy. We could not have been more excited as we called everyone and started planning to meet our little man.
The next couple months were pretty good, I continued to gain weight and baby Boy was thriving and healthy in my tummy. Everything changes just before Easter. I had complained to my OB a few days before that I felt like my kidneys were hurting and I just didn't feel right. She did a urinalysis and sent out for labs and said everything was fine with so sign of infection. So I went on with my normal day to day taking care of the kids and going to work. That weekend we went to an Easter egg hunt and I was having a hard time walking, my legs and back were really bothering me. I just brushed it off thinking it was just because I was progressing in my pregnancy and was going to be uncomfortbale.
After the hunt (which was on Saturday) I loaded up the girls and headed to my Moms house in Bellingham. I was very tired when we got there and had no appetite. I just figured I needed to rest, so I tried to go to bed. I was awake all night with horrible back pain, to the point where I could hardly walk to the restroom (which can become quite a problem when you are peeing every 10 minutes with a little man pushing on your bladder). I didn't sleep at all and was sweating, I had a fever. Sunday morning I was trying to rest on the couch but I could tell that things were getting worse, quickly. We decided that it was best not to take any chances and we headed off to the emergency room. Ken had been working the previous day but was headed up to spend the day with us and go to another Easter egg hunt at one of my best friends houses. He arrived just as we were leaving for the hospital and stayed to take care of the girls and take them to the Easter egg hunt.
When we arrived at the hospital they assumed I was in pre-term labor as I was in pain and was 26 weeks along. I was sent to the Childbirth Center and tests were ordered. They initially started me on fluids through and IV, which is a very common thing for them to do, that turned out to be the worst thing they could have done. My initial blood tests weren't revealing anything abnormal but I was needing strong pain medication and I was still very uncomfortable. After 24 hours some preliminary tests came back and showed growth. I had Sepsis, an infection in my blood which they determined must have come from my PICC line.
By the time this was realized I was already in respiratoty distress and had pneumonia from the amount of fuids that I had been given. All of this together led to a condition called ARDS. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a serious condition which often proves fatal, especially when combined with the sepsis that I had. Approximately one third of people with ARDS die.
http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-MADS00944/ARDS?q=ardsMy blood oxygen levels dropped dangerously low and I was transfered to the ICU where they attempted to use a positive end-expiratory pressure machine which is a heavy mask which is placed over the face and chest in an attempt to stimulate breathing and oxygen absorbtion. I was extremely agitated and had to be sedated. I only remember bits and pieces of my time in the ICU in Bellingham but I know that they inserted a central line into my neck, which was very painful, just before they completely sedated me and intubated. Here is some information about what a central line is:
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=14394I was completely dependent on a respirator at this point and was airlifted by helicopter to the University of Washington Medical Center where I spent 4 days unconscious and in Intensive Care. I was not able to breathe on my own at all and was not absorbing any oxygen on my own. They were incredibly worried about the baby and monitored him closely during this time. The University of Washington was chosen not only because they are the top hospital in the Seattle area but because they host a Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit. If the baby needed to be delivered this was where we wanted to be, he would have the best chance at survival.
When I arrived at the University my condition was critical and my "team" of doctors, which I later came to refer to them as, were preparing my family for the worst. They were unsure if I would recover at all and were fairly certain I would have some lasting health problems.
I spent 4 days in ICU completely sedated and intubated.
When I woke up I had no idea where I was and I remember being very confused with the tube in my throat. It was another very scary experience. That same day the breathing tube and feeding tubes were removed and I was transfered to the maternity medical ward with just nasal oxygen.
I spent the next week in that room, I was able to walk again after a few days and started eating, I had minimal pain and I was recovering well. I was constantly being told by Physicians and Nurses that they were amazed at my recovery.
I am very greatful for the care that I recieved while I was at the University of Washington, I had an amazing team of Doctors and Nurses and they are truly to be comended for all of their hard work. They brought me back from the edge and gave me the chance to raise my 3 children.
I am now happy and healthy with no long term damage to my heart or lungs. This experience was humbling in many ways and makes me realize just how fragile life really is. I will try in my everyday life to remember that I am lucky to be here and remind myself to take things as they come. God really does have a plan for every one of us and he was not ready to welcome me into His kingdom just yet.
Enjoy every day you are given and try to take it all in because "today's little moments become tomorrow's precious memories".
