You need to contact your husband now. -- Part II

It was 11 p.m. and I headed into the bathroom immediately only to discover my britches covered in blood.  I passed a clot the size of a golf ball.  I briefly wondered if it was my mucous plug-- thinking I've never seen one before and thinking it didn't actually look mucousy.

I was shaking as I unplugged my phone from the charger and called my friend Jeannie.  No answer.  I should probably call the doctor.  I'm sure he'll tell me to go in.  I called the doctor's office.  There was some strange recording that kept cycling and not ever getting to an answering service.  I remembered that I had the doctor's cell phone number.  I called it as blood was pouring down my legs.

The doctor said, "Everything will be alright.  Go to the hospital and they will call me."

"What do I do with my kids?"  I asked.

"Call a neighbor," he suggested.

I couldn't call Angela; her hubby was out of town.

I tried Jeannie's cell again.  No answer.  I tried Jeannie's husband.  No answer.

I called my friend Crystal who lives just up the street.  I was shaking with fear at that point.

"Crystal," I said shaking, "I uh..."

"I'll be right there," she said and hung up. 

I went back to the bathroom again looking for some clean undies and a pad.

I had no idea Squdge was awake until he was standing in front of me staring at all the blood. 

"Mommy?"  Squdge said with wide worried eyes.

"Mommy's okay!"  I lied.  "See all done!"  I quickly stood up and hid my blood-drenched undergarments.

Crystal was at the door.  It must've taken her a full minute to get to my house.  I explained to her what was happening and that I needed her to watch the kids so I could go to the hospital. 

"Who's taking you to the hospital?" she asked. 

"Me," I started to respond.

"No you're not," Crystal interrupted, "I can call my husband and have him watch the kids and I'll drive you."

"I'll try to call Sarah," I replied.  I didn't want Crystal to have to wake her children.

I called my friend Sarah from a couple streets over, "Sarah, this is Nikki.  I need you to take me to the hospital," I said weakly.  I was sure it was fright that caused me to get weaker.

Sarah said, "Okay Nikki."  And then she was silent for a moment.

"Your hubby's not home, is he?" I asked. 

"No, he's not," she replied.  "But I'll get Jacqui to come."

I sat on the couch with Crystal while I waited for Sarah or Jacqui.  I wasn't sure which one was coming.  I felt kind of silly asking someone to take me since I wasn't in any pain. 

Squdge peeked at Crystal and me from around the corner.  He looked worried and tired.  I wondered if he understood what he saw in the bathroom-- all the blood.

Sarah came prepared with a towel for my seat, in case my water broke on the way to the hospital.  She drove us the way the ambulance goes.  It was new to me and made more sense.  As we drove, we debated on all the reasons I could be bleeding and what the clot was from. 

I was worried for the baby.  She was still moving though.  And I still wasn't experiencing any pain other than the random contraction.

When we got to the hospital and checked in, a nurse quickly appeared and escorted me to Labor & Delivery.  I thought it strange that she didn't wheel me there in a wheelchair.

As we walked she asked me to tell her when it all started and to describe the color and amount.  Then she asked me if I had Placenta Previa. 

"YES!"  I replied excitedly.  There was a perfectly good reason for the bleeding!  I was so relieved thinking we'd solved it.  That was it.  They'd stop it and all would be well.

After being hooked up to the monitors for a few minutes and having my vitals taken, the nurse said,

"Well, the baby looks good.  You have a good-looking baby there.  We'll monitor you for probably an hour and if everything continues to look good, we'll send you home."

Umm, NO?!  Someone is going to explain the bleeding to me.  I messaged to Sarah with my brain-waves.  She understood clearly what I was not saying.

I said a prayer, "Please let them know fully what is going on and that everything will be taken care of before I go home.  Please protect my baby."

And the next part was a blur.  I don't remember how fast it happened.  I do remember the head nurse putting an IV in my left arm.  I remember Sarah holding my hand as I got a really hard contraction.  Sarah was so calm.  She had a very convincing demeanor. 

Then I thought I peed the bed.  I felt a gushing of warmth.  Then came a little trickle.  Then I felt another big gush of fluid leave my body.

"Oh my goodness!  I'm so sorry!  I think I peed the bed!"  I said in one breath.  "Or my water broke!  Oh my goodness!  Did my water break?!"

Sandy, my very calm nurse lifted the sheet to look.

"Umm... no.  It's not your water.  It's blood.  I'll be right back."  She ran out of the room to get pads.

I turned to Sarah, "I know you've seen it all by now.  Would you mind looking to see if it's blood AND my water.  See if it looks diluted, you know?"

Sarah lifted the sheet.  "No, it definitely looks like blood.  A lot of it."

And if I thought the first part was a blur, the next part definitely was.  I'm still recalling parts that I had forgotten.

There were just the two nurses in the room, and someone else popping in to give messages.  Someone from lab came to draw my blood.  There were lots of questions.  Lots of talking.  My body was shaking and I couldn't stop it.

"The pediatrician is on the way."
"The O.R. is prepped."
"What's your blood-type?"
"Dr. So-and-so is here."
"Dr. H is on the way."
"Anesthesiologist is here."
"Have you ever had a blood-transfusion?"
"Have you ever had a reaction to a blood-transfusion?"
"We're going to insert a catheter now."
"I don't want a catheter without an epidural first."
"A catheter is the least of your worries, honey."
"Do you have a living will?"
"Does anyone have power of attorney for you?"
"You need to contact your husband now."

"But why?  My husband is deployed in --------.  He can't come home anyway."

Sarah squeezed my hand, "Nikki, you need to call Danny."

to be continued...