get lei'd.: October 2008

“id rather that my placenta go to research than in a tub of face cream,” i said to joanne, a researcher at monash university, while signing the consent form. a weak stab at humour from a sick lady who just had a gruelling ordeal in two hospitals the previous night.
that was twenty-four days ago.

i have long since cleared my meagre shelf of the bouquets of flowers visitors have brought me. unlike me, they don’t have enough motivation to be steadfast and unwavering. after a brief display of colour and joy, they wilt and die. maybe that’s why not all flowers are mums. harhar. staying in hospital has turned my brain into the kind of bland mashed potato they keep feeding me day in and day out.

i shall narrate a story. of how i ended up almost chained to a mechanical bed, with bad tv and worse food, being a human pin cushion and drugged to the point of oblivion --- all of which are literally keeping me alive.

once upon a time, i fell in love. and following the natural course of things, got married, and fell pregnant. for the first time in my life, i followed everything by the book. soon as i found out that i was growing a baby, cell by cell, in my body. and for the first time in my life, i never had it this hard since day one.

during the first four months of pregnancy, i had very bad morning sickness to the point that i was unable to eat or drink anything. i got really acquainted with our bathroom sink, spending seven to ten times a day with my head buried down the drain. my specialist placed me on medication; phenergan suppositories stuck up my behind and maxolon to keep nausea at bay.
I started to enjoy food on the following month but towards the end of the fifth month, i had an ear, nose and throat infection. i lost my voice and couldn’t go to work; i was on medication again, alphamox, to which, i just found out, i was allergic, developing rashes all over my back. i recovered though, but not without sprouting another problem. my upper wisdom teeth started to become impacted and hurt really bad. at risk of developing a gum infection which can lead to further complications, my dentist recommended extraction, which cannot be performed because i couldn’t be xrayed. as a preventive cure for infection, i was put on antibiotics again. hello, rashes.

and on my seventh month, that fateful day, i got rushed to monash medical centre, a tertiary hospital. seigfred and i went shopping the whole day. we went to springvale for our usual Sunday market-ing and then to southland and rewarded ourselves with a nifty Nikon d90 and an asus m51va. went home, was really tired, but started tinkering with our new toys when i felt that i had to beg to be taken to the hospital.

next thing i know, i was strapped to a gurney, had an iv drip and another drug on my left arm and magnesium sulphate on my right, and was carted into an ambulance that took me from frankston hospital to monash medical centre at top notch speed, lights, sirens and all. kewl. if only i wasn’t feeling the slight tremors racking my body, and fearing for my baby’s life.
and now here i am, twenty-four days in. trying to be strong and resilient despite feeling bloated, crappy, achy and sluggish all day. still on medication: labetalol 200 mg four times a day, nifedipine] 30 slow release twice a day, novorapid six units pre-breakfast and two units pre-dinner and panadol 500mg as needed. my regimen consists of: 2-hourly blood pressure checks, daily blood tests (3 phials/test), twice weekly 12-hour urine collection, weekly growth scans for the baby, weekly placental fluid scan, daily CTGs and five times/day self-mutilation to check my blood sugar level. this is what keeps me busy.

but it’s not really as bad as it sounds. i have a good obstetrics team looking after me, and an endocrinologist comes in daily as well to keep track of my progress with my sugars. the nurses and midwives have been great, and ive made acquaintances as well. impossible though to harbour a real relationship with other patients, as they’re mostly transient. the neonatal team has also already spoken to me and we have been told that we were in the best hospital for my condition in melbourne.

what exactly is it im sick of? preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. my husband has diligently talked about it in his blog.

meanwhile, on the other side of town, the poor bloke does all the work. he makes the money, does the cooking, the laundry, the shopping, the taking care of me and endless hours of driving. home-work-hospital-home. mind you, we’re talking around 100kms of driving a day. we’re thankful though that this has happened; God has been really good to us.

we have been blessed with a little bundle of joy, still cooking in my belly; we have good jobs; a car; family and friends; much love and we’ve moved in to a new home! look:

.
in my previous entry, the doctors wanted us to go for 30 weeks. Tomorrow, we are turning 32 weeks. Thank you for all your prayers. Although my condition is progressing, we have come this far. The doctors are pleased and they are talking about probably delivering the baby in a matter of days. We are excited. And we are certain that even though the little diva is eight weeks early, she’s going to be okay.