Day One

Twenty four hours ago Mike and I arrived on the Labor and Delivery floor at our hospital in Santa Monica. While it was just supposed to be a precautionary visit, Mike and I both had a feeling it was going to be the beginning of a long stay. I'd had flu symptoms for about 48 hours, but when my temperature started to rise, my doctor wanted me to be observed. We arrived at the hospital and laughed at our only overnight parking option - $12 valet parking. We had to wander around for a bit before we finally arrived on the right floor. One of the nurses admonished me for not waiting for the wheelchair they'd sent down to the valet for me. Sorry! We didn't know they were sending one down. It felt good to walk around...I wish I'd enjoyed it more!

We were put in a room right away. The rooms here are great. Huge, private, with big windows and large flat screen televisions. I was attached to monitors that watched the baby's heart rate and checked me for contractions. I was also hooked up to a killer IV that is on my outside of my left forearm. I didnt know IVs could be anywhere but your wrist or inner elbow. I learned something new! This IV is so intense that I had to be numbed on my arm before the nurse inserted it. It is now taped down a million ways but it still makes its presence known constantly. The IV allowed the nurse to take an initial amount of blood to check for an elevated white blood cell count, and then they started giving me cool fluids to help hydrate me and lower my blood pressure. After what felt like a million years, Mike and I were finally left alone to sleep, at about 12:45 am.

At 3:45 I went to the bathroom and started to feel a little stomach tightness. Worried I might be having contractions, I called my nurse, who came back in and hooked me back up to the monitors. While she was here, it was FINALLY positively determined that my membranes had prematurely ruptured. Without getting into the dirty details, I have periods of amniotic leakage at different points throughout the day. Despite the 10 previous appointments I'd had since this whole thing started almost nine weeks ago, I hadn't had an episode when a doctor was present - until I was in the hospital. It's confusing because while the doctors had assumed all along this was the problem but had never been able to positively diagnose the condition. Once the PPROM was officially diagnosed (Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes), all hell broke loose!! I was then officially admitted for the duration of my pregnancy. My doctor was called at home, and I was suddenly getting IV antibiotics and a HUGE shot of steroids (in the same place Bonds and McGwire got theirs). The steroids shot is administered to help speed up the baby's lung maturation in the event that I go into labor in the next week or two and it can't be stopped. I'm getting another shot in the morning around 5:30...gee, can't wait!!!

The rest of the day was a huge parade of nurses and doctors coming in to meet me and examine me and bring me my meals. Mike went home for a bit after my regular OB made a visit. He was able to get some sleep (although he has a nice "daddy den" here in the room that he has made somewhat comfy and cozy) and get a bunch of stuff for me. The nurses encouraged us to bring whatever we wanted to make the room "home." Mike brought some pictures, my computer, and a bunch of other things. Some how, he's going to have to figure out a way to bring in Rigby!!! It's not home without my puppy. I was presented with a menu to pick my meals for the day. Lots of fancy-sounding options. I soon learned that even though it was better than I expected, it's still hospital food. I tried to make the best of it!!! I was surprised with visits from Brianne, Colin, Leah, and Nora & Andrew.

So, here I am in bed in the hospital...my home for who knows how long!!!



HOSPITAL FOOD
Breakfast: Corn Flakes, breakfast quiche, decalf coffee, orange juice
Lunch: Chicken and Vegetable Soup, bread roll, baked custard
Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie, mashed potatoes and gravy
OUTSIDE FOOD
Apple Pie