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Christopher Michael Dever's Birth Story By Rhonda |
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Birth Stories -
Complicated Birth Stories
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Monday, 24 November 2008 08:24 |
Christopher Michael Dever
December 3, 1996 at 3:03am
4lb 13oz
18 inches
I'm writing to tell you about my last birth (my 3rd). I feel every woman who gets pregnant should be told about H.E.L.L.P. syndrome. I learned about it the hard way.
Greg and I had been married for almost 8 years. We were told we would never be able to have children due to numerous cysts on my ovaries. But we proved them wrong 3 times.
I had problems with delivering Brittany (which is another story, my 1st) and Courtney (2nd) but nothing like the problems I had with Christopher (3rd). When I got pregnant with Christopher it was a big surprise because I got pregnant on the pill. But, of course, we were very excited! The pregnancy was going extremely well compared to my other two and I felt so good.
At my 7 month check-up, I had gained 14 lbs all of a sudden but my blood pressure was excellent and I felt great. I was having very strong Braxton-hicks so my doctor wanted rest. Sure, with a 4 and 2 year old, I'm going to bed.
Also, at this time, my 2 year old just got back results with indicated she had lead poisoning from lead dust in our home. So, to make a long story short, I had to get the house ready for the workers to come and replace all our windows in our home. My mother-in-law came out right away to help me. I wasn't able to rest like I should but I sat and cleaned and I didn't lift anything. Plus, I made sure I got 10 hrs of sleep every day and took 3 naps a day.
On November 24, we had to go to a hotel due to the lead removal. We were there until Wednesday the 27. I felt very tired and a little sick. On Thanksgiving, the next day, I really felt bad but I went with my family and in-laws (from Indiana) out to dinner. I didn't eat much and after we got home I became very ill. I was vomiting, had some abdominal pain and was very weak. On Friday (Nov.29), I told my husband to take me to the hospital. I started vomiting every hour, urinated very little and had extreme abdominal pain. My hospital was over 40 mins away but my husband made it in 25 mins. by the time he got me there I was doubled over in extreme pain. I really thought I was going to die. When I got to labor and delivery, they checked the baby and said he was fine. They did an ultrasound on my gallbladder and saw nothing. I was vomiting constantly and it was so painful. They ran a couple of blood test and said those were fine and my blood pressure was normal. They sent me home on Saturday morning, vomiting and very ill and told me I had the "FLU"!
On Sunday, Dec. 1, a home nurse came to give me fluids because I was so dehydrated. By this time I hadn't urinated since Friday. The nurse told the doctor she couldn't get a line because I was so dehydrated my veins were collapsing so she just took some blood. She told the doctor I looked very ill. I kept telling the doctors there is something very wrong but no one heard me. They told me to call my regular OB/GYN doctor Monday morning.
I called my OB/GYN Monday morning. I wanted to speak directly to my doctor but the nurse wouldn't let me. She told me and I Quote "Rhonda, you just have the flu so deal with it. I'm not going to bring you in and expose our healthy moms to your flu.". I was in tears. I told my husband I'm going to die that night. He called her back and demanded for an appointment. They of course argued about it but in the end my husband won, THANK GOD! She said I could come in at lunch time so there would not be any patients around and I wouldn't be "exposing" any healthy moms. When we got there my husband had to almost carry me to an examination room. My doctor came in very quickly and told us that I needed to go to the hospital right away because my Liver Enzymes were a little high and I needed fluids.
They had a room ready for me when I got to the hospital. They did a lot of STAT tests and within an hour my doctor told me I would be staying for a while. I was in such pain I asked for some pain killer (I can take a lot of pain but not that kind of pain). I felt like I was being cut in half with a saw. They really weren't telling us anything. We thought I was just dehydrate so my husband went home to get me a few things. They finally gave me some pain killers. But something worried me, they kept checking on me about every 10 mins. and residents were looking at my charts and talking to me, asking me questions that they didn't ask me at my other 2 births. The one they kept asking me was "Is your husband the real father of this child? and did you have these problems with the other children?" I told them if Greg's not the father, then the Lord is, and no problems with other children like this.
When my husband got to my room my doctor came in right away and told us I was going through H.E.L.L.P. syndrome. He said my kidney's were shutting down, my liver enzymes were dangerously high, my Platelets were very low and my blood pressure jumped from normal to 190 over 95. They needed to take the baby very fast. I thought I was going to have a C-sections but they said no. They had to ask my husband's permission to take the baby. By this time, they said I was to critical to answer. They told my husband if they didn't take the baby, I and the baby would die. Thank God, Greg and I had talked about this situation before, so he signed the paperwork.
They took me to Labor ICU, gave me pitocin, broke my water, put in a catheter, gave me fluids and magnesium (for convulsions) and said that when I dilated to 5 I would get an epidural. I hit 5 within 2 hrs. but by that time my Platelets dropped into the 20s and they told me I had to go natural (which I had already planned to do). Within an hour (December 3, 1996 at 3:03am) I delivered a 4lb 13oz and 18 inches long baby boy we had already named Christopher Michael (Christ bearing). They only let me hold him for a minute, then I passed out or something.
The doctors rushed him to NICU. I started hemorrhaging. I really thought and felt that would my last time I would see him, I thought I was going to die from the pain, not the labor pain, that was easy compared to the liver pain. I asked the lord to please take care of my family because I knew I was going to be with him in heaven soon.
Later that day, while I was still in delivery, they came into my room and told me they had to clean my uterus out again. It was so painful but nothing compaired to the liver pain. I was in ICU for 2 days. The nurses told me they were praying for my kidneys to start back up. My kidneys did started back up and my liver was starting to recover. My doctor, 5 days later, told me I really had him scared. They almost lost both of us. Christopher was in NICU for 15 days.
Christopher is 6 months old now and though he is very small (26ins, 15lbs 14ozs) and has Asthma, sleep apnea, reflux and infantile breathing, we are doing well. I just got my last liver results and they are finally back to normal. I have to be very careful with my kidneys. We were told not to have any more children because the next time I might not be as lucky. So my husband helped us out in that area.
I found out later that H.E.L.L.P. is normally in the first pregnancy and that is why they wanted to know about if my husband was the real father. I wish I could tell you more about H.E.L.L.P. but I'm still learning about it myself. I know now that if the hospital would have kept me the first time I was in the hospital and given me fluids and bed rest, I might not have gotten as sick as I did.
I feel that every women pregnant should know about this though because of the neglect you sometimes get at the doctors offices now days. If my husband didn't get me into the doctor's office I would not be here today.
I do want to get the word out about H.E.L.L.P. syndrome so women can be aware of it and I pray to God that no one has to go through the pain I had during the most wonderful moment of my life, a miracle being born.
NOTE: Christopher is a year old now. His sleep apnea is under control, the reflux is gone but his asthma had gotten worse. He gets 4 treatments a day now and sometimes at night. But even with all the problems I thank GOD for him everyday!
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Complicated Births 
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