14 Years ago... I woke up early when the nurse came into my hospital room to start the drip again after the day before not having any serious induced labour. Yes I was one of those lucky few who had a baby that wanted to stay in the nice warm belly. As the day wore on and still the induced labour was not producing the required results, in marched the doctor and with a shock, ripped open some nasty thing and broke my water..... and with a disgusting flush that still startles me to this day, labour began in earnest.
Several hours later, and 3 cms of dilation, and a whole lot of pain, Daughter #1 was stuck. So with the whole hearted agreement of myself and Hubby, it was decided that an emergency C section should be done. By this time, it was about 9 p.m. and I was exhausted. I remember being rolled into the operating room where it was frigid and the nurses had removed my nightgown....I had a light sheet over me which was not the warmest thing in the world... I had eaten a light supper while waiting for the baby to arrive so the anesthesiologist, told me that they would have to perform some kind of throat thing when I was put to sleep....(I couldn't have an epidural because of the steel rod in my back). I waited a few minutes shivering in the cold while the rest of the operating staff gowned and washed..... they placed an oxygen mask over my face and I felt like was about to die..... I couldn't breath right.... wait a minute isn't oxygen supposed to help a person breath? For whatever reason, my body wasn't behaving normally so I indicated that I was having issues with breathing in a frantic hand signal..... the doctor at my head who was in the process of knocking me out with a very large needle told me to relax.... RELAX how are you supposed to relax when your breathing is nuts? At that point I just wanted to get knocked out..... the nurse tore off the sheet which was my only defence against the frigid air and the last thing I remember is one nurse holding down one hand another nurse holding down the other hand while my whole naked body was exposed in a way that I really don't care to think about, and the doctor at my head trying to strangle me..... (he wasn't really but he was trying to keep me from regurgitating the offending meal I had eaten earlier in the evening so that I wouldn't choke on my own vom.... well you get my drift). Suddenly there was bright light and a warm summer day and everyone was happy... the grass was soft under my feet and all was happy in the world..... then I woke up on the elevator with the oxygen mask threatening to knock me out again. I tried to take the damned thing off but the nurse who was bringing me to the ward told me to leave it..... so I left it..... except not quite on my face... it was only partially covering my mouth and so I was able to breath regular air.... which really helped my breathing a a lot.
I remember wondering if I had a girl or a boy and what was happening but I kept falling asleep I think... then there were two big doors and a Hubby on the other side of them with a bundle of white towels in his arms.... He spoke to me and I remember him saying we had a girl and he was trying to show the baby to me but my eyes wouldn't focus..... meanwhile I was being hauled down the hall to my room which as luck should have it had no one in it except me. They stripped me down again (what was with them did they want me to biver (that's a Newfy word meaning freeze, shiver) to death?). But then there were lovely warm wet cloths cleaning off antiseptic and Hubby was nowhere to be seen with the bundle of towels. I was re-dressed in a warm gown with warm blankets from the blanket warmer and the stupid oxygen mask was removed and once again I felt like I might survive after all.... That's when Hubby showed up less one bundle of towels.... we talked quietly for a little bit about my recovery with the nurses taking part.... they didn't have much to do since there were only four other mothers on the maternity ward. Then it finally dawned on me that somewhere I had a daughter and that I really didn't know anything about her. I asked to see her and Hubby disappeared for a few moments and came back from the nursery with...... my beautiful baby girl.
It is hard to believe that all happened 14 years ago.... it seems like only yesterday.
She's taller than me.....
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