Where's my ceiling?

(The story of Sams birth, continued.  Enter at your own risk)

(Continuation of previous blog post If I had 9 of my fingers missing, I wouldn't type any slower)Wee morning hours brought my room transfer.  Weak as I was, the pain was minimal.  For what I had been through -this was amazing!  I was lucky, more so, I was lucky to be walking (wheeled) out of that room with my uterus.  There were many things I learned after returning to my room from surgery.  It seems placenta accreta, many times, results in having to remove the uterus.  Remember how I said I was meant to be there that day, and have those nurses that day -this is an understatement.  If I had not been encouraged to stick with my plan to forego pain medicine, if I would have gotten that epidural I wasn't so sure I could do without.  It is almost certain I would not have made it.  You see, the pain medicine would have caused my blood to be thinner.  As much as I bled out- the thinned blood would have almost sealed the deal for this Mama.  I am alive, a little low on fuel, but alive fully intact and my angel came in the form of an OB Nurse!Morning!  The sun was up and we were OK!  I felt great.  The nurse came in and was shocked that I even turned down pain pills. I truly, honestly did not need it.  I was ready to have breakfast, get a shower and ride out that new  mommy glow.  Snuggling, nursing, sleeping and staring at that sweet face!  Who knew after everything we had overcome in the preceding 24 hours, there was more to come.  The next four days would be, interesting.I had my breakfast.  I had my shower.  I was ready to relax, let the new blood soak in.  But it wasn't long and I was hit with nausea.  It wasn't long, before I had absolutely no control.  Poo, was literally just running out.  It would happen before I would even know it.  Soon after this started I was met with vomiting.  What could be going on?  There were concerns with all the trauma to my body from the day before, or I could have been reacting to some of the medicine.  Or the possibility of infection.  There were a lot of hands on deck, and remember, fingernails...  The pooing was getting just horrible, so much it was just easier for my weaker than weak self to shower every time (which was often).  I took enough anti diarrhea medicine over the next couple of days to block a herd of elephants!  Lord knows I wish I was exaggerating!  Next up -three iv antibiotics, every 6 hours.  The two most amazing nurses from my labor and delivery had stopped by each time their shifts were ending, thankfully they did.  It was because of my L & D nurse that I was even on the antibiotics, that the doctor even knew I had a fever!  The nurse assigned to me the day after delivery had not checked my temp once, or my blood pressure.  Let's not forget I went in preeclamptic!  But I was not myself, not fully aware, able to stick up and say something isn't right here.  Thankfully my mom had come to visit and stayed to keep an eye on everything!  I barely remember the coming in of the New Year.  My mom was there, every day and every night, changing Sam for me and helping get him to and from the bassinet.  Changing my bed.  Staying by my side, never even leaving to eat.  Sticking up for me when some of the nurses were less than concerned with my symptoms and what I had been through.  Getting me popsicles, blankets, medicine when I would be forgotten.  If it weren't for her I hate to imagine how worse off I could have gotten.Add in, still waiting on my milk to come in, these circumstances were not helping.  Sam was loosing weight as babies do but I was not worried, I just knew it was all ok.  Coming to our last night there I got quite the pushy, less than understanding nurse who was insisting she was going to give my baby formula from a bottle.  When I refused she said she was calling the doctor -as if to say she was calling my Mom on me and I WOULD do as I was told.  I still put my foot down, come on, he is nursing like a champ for what little he must be getting it will all be ok.  By the grace of God that nurse was called away to another area and the next nurse thanked me for standing my ground.  She got me a supplemental nursing system, there is a bottle with tiny tubes -you put formula in the bottle but the tiny tube slides in their mouth while they nurse.  Baby gets an extra bit of food, while still stimulating Mommy's milk to come in.  This worked wonders, although I wanted nothing to do with the formula it was the best compromise and I only had to do this a couple times.Finally it is the day, fever free for 24 hours (fingers crossed) and Thursday, January 3rd we would be going home!  Five days later, we were finally going to go home!  Now this whole time my poor Clara was still sick herself, with a nasty cough.  We were able to get her antibiotics in the middle of all the fuss so that coming home we would feel basis were covered to help keep Baby Sam healthy.  My Clara, my sweet girl -this was the longest I had ever been away from her.  She had been by my side through thick and thin on this pregnancy.  Grabbing me crackers when I was sick, putting a band-aid on my hip after I finished my hormone injection.  She became more than my best friend, she looked forward to Number 5 like it was the most ultimate gift she could ever imagine.  (Although she wanted a sister)  And here we were, her unable to come see me, unable to see Sam and still yet to hold her new baby brother.  You want to add emotion to emotion, I needed to be home with all my babies!I never packed up so fast, so slowly.  It was cold snowy and we were on our way home!  Sam rode real well all snuggled with Uncle Andy's blankie who knew the day could get better.  We pulled up to my kids home and working away at cleaning up the house with my mom and dad, there again, saving the day.  Dad even went grocery shopping to fill the kitchen!  Home sweet home Sam, welcome home!