Mom is great, and I am very grateful for her getting that last post up for me, but we all know that she is not a detail/chatty/blogging kind of person. And today's bed-rest is happening at a friend's house, with internet access :) So I thought I would flesh things out a little for you all.
It's been a little over 2 weeks since the Saturday I started feeling a little uncomfortable in the late afternoon. I didn't think much of it at the time; uncomfortable comes with the territory when you are 3rd trimester pregnant. I thought it was gas or something, and tried to ignore it. It was around 7:30 or 8 when my left side started to hurt. Still thinking it was gas, I took some Tums and tried to change positions so things could calm down in there. By 8:30 I was in some serious pain, changing positions didn't help a thing, and I was beginning to realize that the pain got worse in waves, suspiciously like contractions. I told Herme to call the Dr, and in a matter of minutes we were on the way to her office.
By the time we got there, I was in so much pain that someone found me a wheelchair and they wheeled me in. The Dr was a little shocked by how severe it seemed when she saw me, like we hadn't explained to her just how bad it was. But I told her it hadn't been that bad, it was all happening very quickly and suddenly. She started examining me, quickly concluded that the contractions were not the primary issue, but rather had been provoked by the pain of whatever the real issue was (although obviously they were concerning, nonetheless). She checked the baby with her ultrasound and did a quick internal examine to make sure labor wasn't imminent, and then sent us off to the hospital.
Since we don't even have the government medical insurance right now, she first sent us to a government run hospital that accepts people without insurance. Her husband actually drove us over, because it was obvious that between worrying about me and having Katya still on his hands, Herme probably wasn't in much shape for driving. They ignored me for a good 10 minutes or so after I arrived in the maternity ward (I was sitting in a wheelchair in the hallway), then quickly examined me and apparently only paid attention to the early labor signs. By this time my in-laws had arrived for Katya and Herme made it up to where I was. They told him they could admit me, but that there was a good chance the baby was coming early and they didn't have any incubators free. So back out we went, and my in-laws drove us back over to the good private hospital in town (which happens to be where we started, cuz that's where the Dr's office is).
Our Dr met us at the hospital and now things got moving, much to my relief. Besides being in so much pain (let me just explain that I handled labor without hardly a peep, but many have described me as screaming/crying out in pain throughout this situation), I was frustrated at how long it was taking for someone to do something about the contractions. I was 28 weeks 5 days pregnant, and although I'd been told the baby was quite big for his age, that is still very early for him to be coming out.
They gave me anti-contraction meds and as much pain meds as they could give a pregnant woman, and started trying to figure out what the actual problem was. They were leaning towards kidney stones, but the ultrasound they did that night didn't show them anything. By this time it was after 1am, so they tried to give me enough meds to make me comfortable for the night, told me to get some rest, and we'd start again first thing in the morning.
Without giving a hour by hour play by play, the pain meds only sometimes helped, and then only partially. By 9 or 10 the next morning they weren't helping at all, and off we went for another ultrasound. They searched all up and down my left side without seeing anything useful, then took one x-ray in hopes of getting something that would help them. At this point the pain had moved down, which fit a kidney stone theory, and they saw some evidence on the x-ray that also pointed in that direction. So around noon they gave me an epidural and went up the ureather with a camera. They didn't find an actual stone, but they cleaned out all kinds of sediment and junk, and we all thought that would be the end of it.
But a few hours later the epidural wore off and I was in just as much pain as I ever had been in. Now the Dr started talking about surgery. They didn't actually know that the problem was, but they needed to find out what was causing me so much pain. Being pregnant was complicating things, because they couldn't run the full battery of tests, and those they could do (i.e. ultrasound) were limited by the position of the baby. They got some blood/urine test results back that showed high white blood cell counts, which suggested something being swollen. The surgical consult suggested going in with a camera first to see what they could find, then only opening me if truly necessary. So off I went to the operating room a 2nd time at about 6pm.
They discovered I have endometriosis (something that had been a question almost 15 years ago, but since it can only be diagnosed by surgery or these days with a camera, I never had an official diagnosis), which is the probable cause of the large ovarian cyst they found on the left side. Ovaries are usually the size of a walnut, but this one was now 4.3 in x 3in x 3in and weighed a little over 13oz. They had to open me up and take it out.
I must say that waking up from general anesthesia was one of the weirdest things I have ever experienced, especially since I somehow didn't realize ahead of time that they were going to put me out like that.
Things greatly improved after that...the only real pain being that of recovery from being opened up. However, contractions continued. This was complicated by the fac that I am apparently very sensitive to the anti-contraction medication (heart rate changes, blood pressure drops, etc). Thus the need for bed rest. The contractions seem to be calming down little by little as everything heals up, so at this point 16 days post-surgery, I am starting to hope that bed rest is not going to be necessary the whole rest of the pregnancy. But I obviously have lost a lot of strength and will need to be extra careful for the remainder of the pregnancy, which makes housekeeping and toddler care a bit tricky.
Oh, the cyst was definitely benign, that much we know from the pathology report. But unfortunately, our Dr was in a car accident shortly after the operation, so we have not had the rest of the report explained to us, and have not been able to ask about the extent of endometriosis (all we know is that the remaining ovary is covered in endometrial tissue). Today we found out she won't be back in the office until September. We'll probably head back the Dr that attended us with Katya, so that someone we trust is keeping an eye on things (we only didn't go back to him this time because he is now kind of far from us). Since there is info only the Dr who has been with us can give us, since she saw my insides and all, I don't know if our old Dr will be able to get the scoop for us from the other Dr or if we'll have to go back at some point.
I think that pretty much covers the whole story up till now. Hopefully I didn't get too carried away with this post; I promise I actually left lots of details out. But this post was as much for my good as it was for your reading pleasure :/
I think the one other detail you all might like to know is that the baby has been moving a lot all along, so that's a good sign.
Thank you so much to all who have been praying or have called, etc. It is much appreciated. I'll try to get on again soon after we've seen the Dr.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
this is Sheila's mom. I wanted to let you all know of recent events in sheila's life! July 24 she went into the hospital with pain in her left side and contractions. The short version is she had surgery to remove an ovary! She is home on bedrest now ,recovering from the surgery and trying to avoid premature labor. She would appreciate your prayers and I'll try to keep you updated.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Leaving home, Going home
So excited to see my husband (70 hours and counting) :)
So hard to say good-bye to my out of town siblings and their families last night :(
Looking forward to reuniting my daughter with her daddy and some of her favorite family members :)
Dreading the last good-byes to the rest of my family, especially knowing that Katya won't understand the permanency of these good-byes :(
There have been so many, what shall I call them?, mental conflicts?
Watching one of those remodeling shows and realizing that the amount of money they spent on the dining room would be enough for us to live on for almost 3 years.
Watching the way some people here use water (turning on the water before even putting the toothpaste on the brush...), knowing my husband barely had enough water to bathe, do laundry, etc.
Watching what people here consider to be 'in need' or on a tight budget, knowing the abundance they actually have in comparison with my situation or that of many I know.
Watching what some girls are comfortable wearing here these days, even to church, coming from a culture of knee length or longer.
Enjoying the comforts and comfort foods of home, yet simultaneously feeling a little out of place and looking forward to the simplicity and honestly healthier lifestyle of home.
Struggling with faith, knowing that it "is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen", and seeing the needs and unknowns of our life. (For example, we've been gifted with more than half of what we need for the birth in a private hospital - hooray! But of course, that means that a little less than half is still needed....My husband has a job, but 100% commissions do not add up to what we need, and no other job has opened up...)
Sorry to say that I am too tired to come up with a good ending to this, but at least I managed to get one more post in before I go, and included at least most of what has been rattling around in my brain of late...
So hard to say good-bye to my out of town siblings and their families last night :(
Looking forward to reuniting my daughter with her daddy and some of her favorite family members :)
Dreading the last good-byes to the rest of my family, especially knowing that Katya won't understand the permanency of these good-byes :(
There have been so many, what shall I call them?, mental conflicts?
Watching one of those remodeling shows and realizing that the amount of money they spent on the dining room would be enough for us to live on for almost 3 years.
Watching the way some people here use water (turning on the water before even putting the toothpaste on the brush...), knowing my husband barely had enough water to bathe, do laundry, etc.
Watching what people here consider to be 'in need' or on a tight budget, knowing the abundance they actually have in comparison with my situation or that of many I know.
Watching what some girls are comfortable wearing here these days, even to church, coming from a culture of knee length or longer.
Enjoying the comforts and comfort foods of home, yet simultaneously feeling a little out of place and looking forward to the simplicity and honestly healthier lifestyle of home.
Struggling with faith, knowing that it "is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen", and seeing the needs and unknowns of our life. (For example, we've been gifted with more than half of what we need for the birth in a private hospital - hooray! But of course, that means that a little less than half is still needed....My husband has a job, but 100% commissions do not add up to what we need, and no other job has opened up...)
Sorry to say that I am too tired to come up with a good ending to this, but at least I managed to get one more post in before I go, and included at least most of what has been rattling around in my brain of late...
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Feeling much better
First off, I feel like I should clarify a little: when I said that my neighborhood was one of the worst hit, I meant in our city, not anywhere. But I was tired and worried when I wrote that post, so sorry if it sounded worse than it was.
Anyways, I am happy to say that this morning I received a text from Herme saying that everyone was fine, there were just a lot of problems with phone and internet service, and that we would try to connect in the afternoon, which we did! :) The fact that we had planned to not talk for a couple of days due to busy schedules, and then couldn't talk due to the hurricane issues, I was really happy just to hear his voice, without considering my worries and whatnot.
But, apparently, both he and his family, as well as our houses, are all fine despite some serious flooding all around them. Interesting, since our house has a tendency to flood a little bit in just a regular rain storm. As Herme said, God had His hand on the family.
So, feeling much better today. So good to talk to my husband for a bit. So nice to know that there was no damage to our stuff. So good to talk to my husband for a bit :) (I know, I said that 2x, but it was really good)
Thanks for praying.
Anyways, I am happy to say that this morning I received a text from Herme saying that everyone was fine, there were just a lot of problems with phone and internet service, and that we would try to connect in the afternoon, which we did! :) The fact that we had planned to not talk for a couple of days due to busy schedules, and then couldn't talk due to the hurricane issues, I was really happy just to hear his voice, without considering my worries and whatnot.
But, apparently, both he and his family, as well as our houses, are all fine despite some serious flooding all around them. Interesting, since our house has a tendency to flood a little bit in just a regular rain storm. As Herme said, God had His hand on the family.
So, feeling much better today. So good to talk to my husband for a bit. So nice to know that there was no damage to our stuff. So good to talk to my husband for a bit :) (I know, I said that 2x, but it was really good)
Thanks for praying.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Hurricane Alex
I'll update when I know more, but I haven't been able to get a hold of my husband, and from what I can find online, our neighborhood was one of the worst hit by hurricane Alex, one of 6 receiving government assistance for flooding...
Appreciate your prayers...
Appreciate your prayers...
Monday, June 28, 2010
Feeling a little rusty
The thing about blogging is that if you are blogging consistently, you almost start to see all of life through the lens of the possible blog post. There are an endless supply of posts. But when you are NOT blogging consistently, it gets harder and harder to put together a good post. With such limited internet access the last year or so, I am definitely feeling rusty. But I can't let a whole month of unlimited internet access go by without posting at all, so here goes...
THE VISIT:
I am a pretty social person. But having relationships of varying degrees in more than one place, with the distance factor complicating things, causes me to literally want to avoid acquaintances. I just don't have the energy for them. I have a limited amount of time to see family and close friends, and that is emotionally draining (not to mention the emotional energy involved in missing my husband and everyone else back home). In large group settings I find myself cringing when I see certain people coming, or just sort of shutting down because I can't figure out who is important enough to invest in. It feels almost like a personality change. Then there are the people who I want to see but somehow we don't seem to connect - I can't always tell if I am just not enough of a priority for them, or...?
And speaking of back home, I have to just comment that it is so strange how your parents house is forever home (at least if they still live in your hometown). I had never even seen this house before this visit, but both in my own mind and in that of many others (strangers and friends alike), I was headed home. But of course, at the same time, Saltillo, my husband, etc...that is home.
And I am missing home. Big time. My husband and I were both of the feeling, when we talked yesterday, that a month may just be too long for solo visits. This has been a bit hard on both of us, and definitely harder on him than he expected. He had encouraged me to take advantage of the opportunity to come up; 4 weeks was his idea. But he is finding that he feels awfully lonely, that he now has double the missing to do (last time I came up alone, I was pregnant with Katya...he didn't miss her yet. Now he misses both of us), that hanging out with his family just isn't the same anymore after 2 1/2 years of living with our little family. And although I am enjoying seeing everyone up here, I miss my husband big time. And although I of course have lots of help from my family with Katya, I am finding it very draining to be the only one responsible for her ... the one to make all discipline decisions, always deal with all nap/bedtime fights, etc.
I must be a bit tired, or missing home right now, because so far this post sounds a bit depressing or negative. I AM truly enjoying all the time with my family, spending time with friends that I miss, seeing people at church, seeing all the GREEN here (Saltillo is pretty much a desert), going up to the lake, etc.
Speaking of the lake, I have to share that Katya just loved it! In Saltillo, a large puddle after a big thunderstorm is about as much water as we ever see, so Katya just kept looking around and saying every 15 seconds, "aqua!". Then she'd tell Gramma, then Papa, then an uncle..."aqua". Topped off with all the passing boats, ducks, and swans, and all and all it was a very exciting experience.
Katya has done great adjusting to being here. Within an hour of arriving, she was checking out the house on her own, interacting with everyone. To varying degrees and on different timelines, she has given everyone in the house names that she can say, let them carry her, etc. She even warms up pretty quickly to each new friend we visit. She's been learning new words almost everyday, most of them in English (strangely, since arriving here she learned 'hola' and 'bien').
I put that label of 'the visit' up there because I have at least one other topic I was going to hit as well, but I am thinking this post has gotten long enough and I will save that for another post in the next couple of days.
THE VISIT:
I am a pretty social person. But having relationships of varying degrees in more than one place, with the distance factor complicating things, causes me to literally want to avoid acquaintances. I just don't have the energy for them. I have a limited amount of time to see family and close friends, and that is emotionally draining (not to mention the emotional energy involved in missing my husband and everyone else back home). In large group settings I find myself cringing when I see certain people coming, or just sort of shutting down because I can't figure out who is important enough to invest in. It feels almost like a personality change. Then there are the people who I want to see but somehow we don't seem to connect - I can't always tell if I am just not enough of a priority for them, or...?
And speaking of back home, I have to just comment that it is so strange how your parents house is forever home (at least if they still live in your hometown). I had never even seen this house before this visit, but both in my own mind and in that of many others (strangers and friends alike), I was headed home. But of course, at the same time, Saltillo, my husband, etc...that is home.
And I am missing home. Big time. My husband and I were both of the feeling, when we talked yesterday, that a month may just be too long for solo visits. This has been a bit hard on both of us, and definitely harder on him than he expected. He had encouraged me to take advantage of the opportunity to come up; 4 weeks was his idea. But he is finding that he feels awfully lonely, that he now has double the missing to do (last time I came up alone, I was pregnant with Katya...he didn't miss her yet. Now he misses both of us), that hanging out with his family just isn't the same anymore after 2 1/2 years of living with our little family. And although I am enjoying seeing everyone up here, I miss my husband big time. And although I of course have lots of help from my family with Katya, I am finding it very draining to be the only one responsible for her ... the one to make all discipline decisions, always deal with all nap/bedtime fights, etc.
I must be a bit tired, or missing home right now, because so far this post sounds a bit depressing or negative. I AM truly enjoying all the time with my family, spending time with friends that I miss, seeing people at church, seeing all the GREEN here (Saltillo is pretty much a desert), going up to the lake, etc.
Speaking of the lake, I have to share that Katya just loved it! In Saltillo, a large puddle after a big thunderstorm is about as much water as we ever see, so Katya just kept looking around and saying every 15 seconds, "aqua!". Then she'd tell Gramma, then Papa, then an uncle..."aqua". Topped off with all the passing boats, ducks, and swans, and all and all it was a very exciting experience.
Katya has done great adjusting to being here. Within an hour of arriving, she was checking out the house on her own, interacting with everyone. To varying degrees and on different timelines, she has given everyone in the house names that she can say, let them carry her, etc. She even warms up pretty quickly to each new friend we visit. She's been learning new words almost everyday, most of them in English (strangely, since arriving here she learned 'hola' and 'bien').
I put that label of 'the visit' up there because I have at least one other topic I was going to hit as well, but I am thinking this post has gotten long enough and I will save that for another post in the next couple of days.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Traveling
Just thought I'd throw up a quick prayer request...
Traveling Thursday, June 10th....about 5 months pregnant, alone with a toddler.
Biggest worries are not losing her in the airports, especially when I have to pick up all my luggage to go thru immigration; and that she doesn't get too antsy on the flights (especially the 3hr flight mid-day).
Thanks :)
Traveling Thursday, June 10th....about 5 months pregnant, alone with a toddler.
Biggest worries are not losing her in the airports, especially when I have to pick up all my luggage to go thru immigration; and that she doesn't get too antsy on the flights (especially the 3hr flight mid-day).
Thanks :)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Quick pregnancy update
So, here you can see how the belly was growing last pregnancy.
This pregnancy, I was obviously showing by 2 months, and here is a picture shown today - about 4 months. I've gotten lots of comments about how I appear to be more like 6 months pregnant, and lots of people asking if I'm not having twins or something.
Considering I looked like this by the end of the last pregnancy, and considering that at 4 months I already look like I did around 6months last time, I'm a little nervous about what the last trimester will be like this time.
We did finally go in for a check-up a couple of weeks ago (insurance issues still haven't been resolved, so we shelled out money we didn't really have for a private exam with ultrasound). Thanks to the ultrasound, we are now sure that the larger belly is NOT due to multiple babies. There is only 1 in there. And the Dr seemed pretty sure that it is a boy, but we are trying not to get carried away until we get that confirmed at a later date. Interestingly, although my tummy is quickly growing, I have barely gained any weight - about 3 or 4 pounds in the 1st 14 weeks.
Here are a couple of other pictures for fun - Katya playing with her friend Clara, and one of the three (well, 4) of us.
Ok, I am on borrowed time. Looking forward to seeing lots of you soon :)
This pregnancy, I was obviously showing by 2 months, and here is a picture shown today - about 4 months. I've gotten lots of comments about how I appear to be more like 6 months pregnant, and lots of people asking if I'm not having twins or something.
Considering I looked like this by the end of the last pregnancy, and considering that at 4 months I already look like I did around 6months last time, I'm a little nervous about what the last trimester will be like this time.
We did finally go in for a check-up a couple of weeks ago (insurance issues still haven't been resolved, so we shelled out money we didn't really have for a private exam with ultrasound). Thanks to the ultrasound, we are now sure that the larger belly is NOT due to multiple babies. There is only 1 in there. And the Dr seemed pretty sure that it is a boy, but we are trying not to get carried away until we get that confirmed at a later date. Interestingly, although my tummy is quickly growing, I have barely gained any weight - about 3 or 4 pounds in the 1st 14 weeks.
Here are a couple of other pictures for fun - Katya playing with her friend Clara, and one of the three (well, 4) of us.
Ok, I am on borrowed time. Looking forward to seeing lots of you soon :)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Travel dates and other news
Time is limited because Katya should wake up any minute (at a friend's house, taking advantage of her internet)...
Wanted to at least let you all know that it looks like I will arrive in Rochester around June 10th (in time for my brother's HS graduation) and leave July 9th. I'm a little nervous about being away so long from my husband, and taking my little girl away from her daddy for so long, but excited about seeing everyone back home!!
And for those interested in such things, weaning has gone surprisingly well, steadily moving forward. Sure, I have to put up with a little extra crankiness sometimes, but that's understandable considering the major transition that it is for her and the fact that we are simultaneously getting her to sleep outside of our bed. We're down to a max of 3 feedings in a 24 hr period, and those are on one side only for only about 5 minutes. The other day, she nursed only once all day! Major improvement over the little girl who was nursing both sides every few hours night and day!
Pregnancy...I think all is well. We haven't actually been to a Dr yet...insurance issues with the new job. So, please continue to keep health care and labor options in your prayers.
On the job front, things have started to pick up lately. We are in god shape for the next couple of months. But the thing about 100% commissions is that there are never any guarantees for the future.
Ok, can't wait to see you all!
Wanted to at least let you all know that it looks like I will arrive in Rochester around June 10th (in time for my brother's HS graduation) and leave July 9th. I'm a little nervous about being away so long from my husband, and taking my little girl away from her daddy for so long, but excited about seeing everyone back home!!
And for those interested in such things, weaning has gone surprisingly well, steadily moving forward. Sure, I have to put up with a little extra crankiness sometimes, but that's understandable considering the major transition that it is for her and the fact that we are simultaneously getting her to sleep outside of our bed. We're down to a max of 3 feedings in a 24 hr period, and those are on one side only for only about 5 minutes. The other day, she nursed only once all day! Major improvement over the little girl who was nursing both sides every few hours night and day!
Pregnancy...I think all is well. We haven't actually been to a Dr yet...insurance issues with the new job. So, please continue to keep health care and labor options in your prayers.
On the job front, things have started to pick up lately. We are in god shape for the next couple of months. But the thing about 100% commissions is that there are never any guarantees for the future.
Ok, can't wait to see you all!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Big News!
Yes, I am actually online for the 2nd time in less than 2 months...shocking I know. But I had to share my big news with you all. I am excited to say that after many months of having no idea when I would be up to Rochester again, I can now say that Katya and I will be up sometime around June (give or take a month...plans are still very preliminary). We´ll probably be up for about 3 weeks or so, so hopefully there will be time to see you all :)
Why, you may ask, are we now making plans to visit? Well, because I am pregnant!! Yes, baby number 2 is now on the way, with a due date around October 11th, just 2 weeks after Katya turns 2. I guess my family has a thing about seeing me pregnant :) But anyways, we are very excited (Herme is very excited) and looking forward to meeting the newest member of the family.
I am, of course, in the midst of the fun of 1st trimester - nausea, tiredness, running often to the bathroom already...but doing well. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we make decisions about Drs and such. The budget is even tighter now that it was last prenancy. I would really love to have a home birth with a midwife, but that is virtually unheard of here. Unless someone knows a good midwife that wants a free place to stay for a few weeks in the fall here in Saltillo ;)
The other big prayer request is for grace in weaning Katya. Until a couple of weeks ago, breastmilk was still her food/drink of choice plus her favorite comforting device. WE´ve come a long way in a short time, but I am trying to balance her needs with mine and the new baby´s.
Anyways, thats my big news. Katya is now crying for me, so I think that´s my cue to finish up. As always, miss you all and will keep doing my best to update things here.
Why, you may ask, are we now making plans to visit? Well, because I am pregnant!! Yes, baby number 2 is now on the way, with a due date around October 11th, just 2 weeks after Katya turns 2. I guess my family has a thing about seeing me pregnant :) But anyways, we are very excited (Herme is very excited) and looking forward to meeting the newest member of the family.
I am, of course, in the midst of the fun of 1st trimester - nausea, tiredness, running often to the bathroom already...but doing well. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we make decisions about Drs and such. The budget is even tighter now that it was last prenancy. I would really love to have a home birth with a midwife, but that is virtually unheard of here. Unless someone knows a good midwife that wants a free place to stay for a few weeks in the fall here in Saltillo ;)
The other big prayer request is for grace in weaning Katya. Until a couple of weeks ago, breastmilk was still her food/drink of choice plus her favorite comforting device. WE´ve come a long way in a short time, but I am trying to balance her needs with mine and the new baby´s.
Anyways, thats my big news. Katya is now crying for me, so I think that´s my cue to finish up. As always, miss you all and will keep doing my best to update things here.
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