Well, the new normal was just too boring apparently. Who wants to settle into a nice routine with two kids when we can have drama?!?! Hint: we actually
don't like drama ... boring works really well for us! So you can imagine how the events of the last few days have rocked our little world.
Disclaimer: Lots of gross medical details to follow. Don't read if you have a queasy stomach!
On Wednesday, I started not feeling great and felt a lot of pressure in my abdomen. I thought it was gas pain, so I asked Mike to get me some pills at the pharmacy. That seemed to help throughout the day, although I thought it was weird that my blood flow was increasing a little again. But I figured I would just slow down a little bit (and I did, I swear).
Thursday was mostly better - still weird pressure in my abdomen. We went for a walk after dinner around the neighborhood and by the time we got home, I was in a lot of pain. I pulled it together enough to get Fiona to bed. Then I headed downstairs to join Mike (who was in the middle of one of his fantasy football drafts). I started to feed Quinn and suddenly felt blood gushing out. I handed Q to Mike and went to the bathroom to check. Mike got worried when he saw a big line of blood on the couch where I had been sitting (thank goodness we scotchguarded!).
As I sat on our toilet with blood coming out (nursing Quinn - it's amazing what you will do as a mom), Mike called our neighbor (THANK YOU, MARY) to come stay with the girls. (and Brad to finish drafting his football team) So off we went to the ER. Long story and lots of tests and unpleasant examinations later, I was diagnosed with postpartum hemorrhage (duh!) and admitted. Mike went home to stay with the girls and I hung out overnight. We also discovered with this little experiment that Quinn takes a bottle like a champ (thank goodness). And I'm so glad I had stocked up the freezer with some breast milk (although not quite enough).
Friday morning saw Quinn heading back to our neighbors, Fiona going to day care, and Mike back here. The OB said that my uterus wasn't contracting like it should and was actually still filling with blood like it thought I was pregnant. So they wanted to do a D&C procedure to clean it out. We planned to do that at noon - with the hope to be home later that afternoon. Alas, everything to this point was the easy part. After the surgery (which they thought went well), I couldn't stop bleeding and I spiked a fever. By last night, I needed a blood transfusion. Thankfully, all the meds to slow the bleeding finally kicked in! So then, it was just the fever. They suspect somewhere in all this, my uterus also got an infection (why not!), so they started antibiotics last night.
Mike came and stayed with me last night while my mom tackled both girls on her own (THANK YOU, MOM!). I woke up this morning fever free, hungry, and anxious to go home. The OB, while happy to see that I looked like a human again - although a fairly pasty one (I may need to spray tan to cover up this anemia) - decided to err on the conservative side and keep me all day and one more night. He said nothing that had happened to me was normal and they just wanted to make sure I don't come back. I sure don't want to come back either, so here I sit. Since I'm feeling better, I'm totally bored in the hospital. But am grateful to feel well enough to be bored. I am feeling a bit sorry for myself as it is the big day care carnival this afternoon and I am missing it. But Fiona, Mike, Grandma, and Quinn are there and having a blast.
Mike and Quinn are going to come spend the night with me tonight. That way the little bug and Grandma can get some sleep too! And then hopefully home tomorrow with no more drama as we settle into our new family routine. Mommy's new family rule: no more hospitals for a LONG time!
Final note: If I hear that this happens because I am a redhead (and they are bleeders) one more time, I will show them why redheads are also known for their tempers.
