The Twin Birth Story part 6

If you're just joining us for the Twin Birth Story, start with part 1 here. 

August 23rd I was discharged from the hospital with Baby B. Baby A was being kept for observation to make sure he gained weight adequately.

I was feeling weak and in pain. But my fever had dropped and I was approved for discharge.  They did not remove my staples from the C-section.  I was so swollen (read:  hippo retaining water) that the doctor feared the incision would bust open if she removed the staples already.  She said to give it a couple more days and have my local OB take them out.

Upon discharge, I was given a breathing thingamajig to help strengthen my lung capacity and prescribed four medications:  800 mg Motrin for pain, Lortab for mega-pain, an antibiotic for the "raging infection somewhere in [my] body" and iron for the crazy severe anemia.  It was Sunday afternoon.  By the time I was back in the small town near our base, Wal-Mart's pharmacy was closed.  We called the hospital to have them call it in somewhere else.  Walgreens was closed.  The base pharmacy was closed.  When we located a pharmacy in a larger town 30 minutes from base, they couldn't call it in because there were already prescriptions called in to Wal-Mart that couldn't be cancelled because remember:  it was closed.  And when you prescribe Lortab to someone it is not good medical practice to call it in to multiple pharmacies.  I went home drugless.  I did have iron pills at home and Tylenol.  I also had a small bottle of 100 mg Motrin.  That was going to have to get me through the night until the base pharmacy was opened in the morning.

When I arrived home I was so freezing cold walking in (remember I don't live in North Dakota anymore and this was August on the West Coast) that I didn't realize how hard I was clenching my fists until I burst a blood vessel in my right hand. 

I shivered on the couch under my yellow blanket.  I finally asked Danny for the thermometer figuring I probably had a fever.  It was 103.5.  That is stinking high for an adult (you know, in case you're from Mars and don't know that kind of thing).  We called one of our home teachers and Danny and he administered a priesthood blessing.

I retired to my bedroom for the evening.  I was so excited to be sleeping in my own bed again.  For several weeks before hospitalization I had to sleep in the recliner.  I layed down on the bed and immediately was in immense pain and couldn't breathe.  Luckily Danny was in there with me to help me sit back up.  I was upset. 

"This is so unfair!  These stupid ginormous ovaries are preventing me from laying down in my own bed!  I just want to sleep in bed with you and now I have to sleep in that chair.  AGAIN!"

Danny was brave and tried to use his calming influence on me.  And then the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my entire life, and that's including the c-section, happened.  The "major hormone changes" kicked in.

to

be

continued . . . 



What?  You missed part 5?  Click here.
Go to part 7 here.