Friday, February 6, 2015

Last Two Weeks... Part two

When we arrived we were taken to L&D, since I was 39wks pregnant. I did the required pee test and the nurse mentioned I needed to drink more as urine color was way off. They hooked me up to the monitors again and the same doctor I saw that morning was on call. I sat perfectly still on the hospital bed at a recline that relieved the pain and we waited. The whole thing took a few hours but one of my OB's came in finally and thought it possible some muscles were pulled or even a rib cracked. There's no real solution or reason to test, especially being pregnant, so he prescribed a muscle relaxer and I assumed and hoped it would alleviate pain. 

At this point from sitting still, I could function to walk to the car and get in my bed as long as I didn't cough, breathe heavy, or move unexpectedly. We filled the script, got home late, and headed to bed. The night was rough but I didn't feel any more pain but it did stay consistent. The muscle relaxer didn't seem to do anything though so after Dr. Google was consulted I realized I should probably take an actual pain relief too so good ole barely effective acetaminophen came to the rescue. 

That next morning (Thursday 1/29) Tim handled the boys and together we took N to school then headed to get my liver bloodwork done. The day progressed with me mainly staying in bed or reclining on our couch. I went to bed that night trying to avoid the sore side (mainly left front lower ribs and across my back) and avoiding giant baby bump. 

In the middle of the night, I woke with a startle to the strongest pain I had ever had to date. Sadly that was the trend as this whole thing progressed.  Each time something new happened it was worse than I'd ever experienced. I gasped but it was so severe I was incapable of making noise and doubled over in pain only to quickly find that offered no release.  I couldn't find a single way to move or lay that offered relief. My body was spasming and like it was being attacked. It was stabbing pain that then shot from the front right lower rib are around to my back and then down my side and the new "fun" was seizing the area and extending out to my baby bump. Oliver for crazy active but the pain itself always stopped and didn't make my uterus itself hurt luckily. I did feel confident this was not fetal distress. The first attack lasted thirty minutes straight. Tim wasn't sure what to do and I got to the brink of saying yes call ambulance when the seize slowed. I sat still and upright then propped myself up. It took another two hours of constant pain but I fell asleep and only had a few more seizings during the night. In the morning I was in pain, couldn't turn or touch that side, and coughing made me gasp. I didn't talk and couldn't breathe more than shallow. 

After another call to the OB we all went back in. I was in a constant state of pain sort of out of it with tears and inability to do much or think much. I explained the issue to the nurses and new OB now on call and really tried to reiterate this was not normal pregnancy aches and something was really really wrong. I mentioned the Labwork and one of the two tests had come back. Doctor checked me and asked if I knew about back labor. I assured her this wasn't it and I was currently having contractions but they were a walk in the park compared to what I was going through with the other issues. She looked in my chart said "oh" and then it started. 

My liver values were very elevated. The exact bile numbers (test 2) weren't back and could take a week so not sure why they bothers ordering them in the first place. She stated I needed to be sent to L&D where they would do bloodwork and recheck I my cervix but I had Cholestasis of pregnancy. Basically my liver wasn't functioning right leading to the accumulation of bile. Eventually it gets to baby and can be harmful. We aren't sure how long I've been having issues but it explained the itching and dark urine I'd had. 

It was about 9:15am and C, Tim and I headed back to L&D which was connected to my OB office and just a wheelchair ride away. Once there I want in triage and back on the monitor after blood draws and urine samples. Again doctor commented on color and I assured them although I hadn't eaten I had drank plenty of water already this morning. I was 39w2d, more pregnant than I'd ever been. 

This started the wait. When it was time to pick N up from school at 11 Tim left and then took the boys home for lunch. While they were gone, my OB came back in and said second liver tests had showed my elevated liver levels had doubled again and baby needed to come out. The couple cervical checks I had been given had caused contractions at 10 min but I was in no way in labor yet and left alone likely wouldn't have been. They said they would get me checked in and induced. This was around 12:30. 

C was down for his nap so we got our labor plans for the boys in place and our friend came down so Tim could get back. He grabbed my go bags and while I waited and waited for my room he headed up. 

Eventually we got placed in our room and again hours of sitting still at an incline meant my pain was just moderate until I coughed or strained. The afternoon through evening was uneventful. Contractions coming and labor slowly building. They took a long time to start Pitocin but then got it going. They double the dose every 30min until you get to contractions 3-5min apart that are actually dilating you. After a few doublings of medicine I was at 3cm and contractions 5-7min apart. Doctor manually broke my water (and poked poor O's head) and baby was already really low but shifted a bit more down and we waited.

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