Bethany was her nurse and pure angel through and through. She had mentioned in the labor room that she still had feeling on one side of her abdomen. After surgery started which is lightning fast, by the way, she began to feel the cutting. That was when me and another angel of a CRNA named Eric had to get in her ears and hold her down. She was in a whole 'nother world. They had to get Reaves out before they could put her under, and once the crying commenced she got more drugs push than Michael Jackson ever thought about. The staff had to tear me away from her to go check out that bawling squalling beautiful little girl named Elizabeth Reaves Parker She weighed 8 lb 2 oz at 20 1/4 inches long at 1045PM. The move to recovery was swift as well.
Reaves' daddy was there with us and we were all just stunned at the emotion and beauty of this new life. They did the skin-to-skin bonding for two hours and here we went to a post partum room where....guess what! Babies can't stay in the nursery unless they are sick. So. Here we are.....two exhausted women and a newborn learning to feed and diaper, all with a huge incision in Mom's belly. By the next morning her bilirubin ws 11.8 so she had to be put in the lit up box for phototherapy with a tiny mask that made her look like a ninja. That REALLY pissed her off. I came home for a few hours and went back early Saturday. The bili was down and Reaves was discharged. Lauren was having terrific spinal headaches which ran up her BP and the wonderfully wise doctor suggested checking her blood before she left. Ummm. Hgb 7.1 and Hct 20. Not good. She made the decision to leave on iron therapy and I packed the car up and pulled to the front. That's when I got a teary phone call telling me to come back up. One more night they said. Get the blood.
The headaches continued and there was a lot of massage therapy by Chelsea and me. Around 10 AM on Sunday she was deemed fit to leave so I loaded up again, little by little. She was finally discharged at 6PM by a doctor from a group that is overwhelmed with OB/GYN fires to put out. Dr. West is one who likes to actually SEE the patient before she leaves, but after 8 hours he just said "let her go." They will catch up in a couple of weeks for staple removal. Reaves had a weight check at the pediatrician today and Lauren couldn't do the ride so me and Holly took her. As it turns out, on the first visit the child must be brought by a parent. Live and learn. She goes back tomorrow with her Mama.
It's a miracle we made it to the apartment last night safely because I had the car seat base in backwards so it wouldn't lock. We just pulled the seatbelt over and prayed. Holly and I were still trying to figure it out this morning. They were drinking coffee when I left for home.
I go back to work tomorrow from my "vacation." I wouldn't trade anything on earth for the bond among the three Elizabeths in this story. It is more than just blood. I've seen the best come out in really good people when times were hard. And I solemnly swear never to eat Subway or Chick Fil A again, so help me God, The entire hospital smells like it.
They have a strict policy on picture taking with employees so they thoughtfully step away when somebody pulls out a phone Yesterday when we were about 6 hours into the wait to go, Lauren screamed out help just from frustration. No less than 10 employees came running. We apologized profusely and all had a good laugh. April was on discharge and was exceptional. So was the one who's been "servin' mamas and babies since 1973". On the white board....I swear.
My priorities are different now. A forty five minute drive to see my family on the ever evolving repaved 412 and a job where there is serious understaffing doesn't fit with what I want for my future. Time for Plan D. Thank you for all the prayers, concern and loving. We felt every bit of it and it was what kept faith constant.
Joy~
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