Taking it from the top

My fiance and I had just finished a great winter break and we were geared up for the up coming semester. A few weeks in to the semester things began to slow down very quickly. My days began to feel long and sleepy. There were days when I didn't want to get out of bed. After a week or so of this extreme slow down curiosity began to creep into my fiance's head. He promptly one night proposed the possibility of pregnancy. Unable to get this out of my head we made a midnight trip to the local Wal-mart. Three positive tests later, we were on our way through an extravagant journey.

Next there came the joys of telling the grandparents, finding a doctor, and figuring out how the next few years were going to pan out. Luckily both my parents and my fiance's took it extremely well. The town we were in didn't have much selection when it came to doctors, but we found one that we came to love. Little did we know that later on in the pregnancy our baby's life would be in his hands.

Our first ultrasound was scheduled and things went extremely well. Or so we thought. We found out we were having a baby girl despite our assumption of a boy and we got to walk out with more than a handful of pictures. All seemed well. A few days later the nurse called with a seemingly innocent request for a follow up visit. The next Monday we went and received some horrible news. In the ultrasound the doctor could see that my cervix was shorter than usual. To fix this problem he wanted to do a common procedure called a cervical cerclage. This procedure involves placing a stitch in the cervix to keep it closed.

This surgery was to take place the next day. My emotions were going crazy. I had never had surgery before, and now, while I am pregnant with my first child, I had to have my first time. That night I did the surgery ritual of no food or drink and the next morning I had the pleasure of bathing in the packet of hospital issued soap and shampoo. Then bright and early we made our way to the hospital. I dressed myself in the hospital gown and watched nervously as the nurse placed the IV in my arm. A slew of nurses and doctors came in to tell me what was to happen next. Then before I knew it I was being wheeled down a freezing corridor to the surgery room with only a kiss from my fiance to comfort me.

As I was rolled into the room people were busselling all around me to prepare. I received the spinal block and things began. I was probably 10 minutes into the supposed 25 minute procedure when the doctor said the most horrifying words I have ever heard in my life. He uttered " Oh no, this is not good. This is not good at all." My legs in the air and nurses stroking my hair, my heart dropped so low in my chest I don't remember if I was breathing. He poceeded to explain after what seemed a century that I had dialated 1 1/2 inches further over night. Now that I was over 2 inches dialated I had something refered to as hour-glass membranes. This is when the embrionic sack begins to fall out of the uterous and it forms the shape of an hour-glass. This is extremely extrodinary, and from the facts I have heard it is very rare to have a baby survive when this occurs. Luckily my doctor was able to gingerly push the membranes back into my ueterous and get the stitch in.

The surgery was over, but the hospital stay was not. Over the next week we had some ups and downs. Underlying all of this stress was the worry of semester finals. Finally, I was able to go home but under strict orders to stay on bedrest. In the beginning this sounds amazing to people. To most it seems like a leisurely vacation from the world with the ability to stay in the comfort of your bed. This couldn't be farther from reality. Imagine laying in bed and only being able to get out of that bed to use the restroom or take a shower every other day. Now imagine having to repeat this for the next 5 months. At times I felt like I would go crazy if I spent another minute in that room. When this happend I delibrately rebelled against my doctor's orders and went for a drive around the city just to maintain my sanity.

Nearly two months later our lease on our apartment was coming to an end. Instead of staying in the small town we decided to move back home where we had the help and support of many family members and friends. Little did we know we were leaving our freedom behind and entering a world we thought we had left forever.


To Be Continued.....