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Preemie Books
The
Preemie Parents Companion: The Essential Guide to Caring for Your Premature Baby
in the Hospital, at Home, and Through the First Years by Susan L Madden M.S,
William Sears MD, Jane E Stewart MD
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Marissa's Story When I was 6 months pregnant I started feeling miserable. When I went to my OB appointments I would tell her my aches and pains. I was having severe backaches and mind splitting migraines. My OB would explain to me that this was typical during pregnancy. I accepted her answer and went about my day. As the weeks wore on I was getting worse and worse and thought to myself this is not normal and if it were, women would not be having babies. My doctor constantly told me that it was normal and to just take it easy. I was directed to take warm relaxing baths, lay on a heating pad, and take naps. I followed her orders and still no relief. I was starting to get real frustrated. One night at about 11:00 p.m. I was in such excruciating pain I decided to go to the ER. As I walked into the birthing center everyone was real polite. I was given a full exam and hooked up to a fetal monitor. I was a little nervous and in a lot of pain. I gave a urine sample and thought that maybe they could make things better. At about 2:30 a.m. the doctor came in and prescribed a pain reliever to me. I thought to myself it's about time we start taking action, little did I know it had all just begun. After a week I had run out of medication and was still in pain, it had not made any difference. I made an appointment with my OB. While I was there I was given the normal exam and same story of aches and pains. My OB signed me up for physical therapy for pregnant women. I asked if this was normal, and she replied, "yes the reason for the back pain is, your back is not used to supporting all the weight of the baby." I accepted her answer and thought to myself that this isn't right, something is wrong and no one is listening to me. I told her this and the reply I got might as well have been shut up you wimp. I was fed up, even my fiancée, Les, was beginning to think that I was a wimp and that I was over exaggerating things. As I was riding the bus home from the clinic, things took a turn for the worse. I was in pain, a lot of pain. I felt like I was going into labor. When I walked into my house I fell on the couch bawling, I knew something was wrong. I felt alone and that was scary. My fiancée Les brought me into the bedroom and calmed me down. At about 5:30 p.m. my cousin came to visit. She gave me a great back massage and the pain went away. I laid down and took a nap. When I woke up the pain was back. Les asked me if I wanted to take a bath and I told him no I was too sore to move. He then asked me if I wanted to take another nap and see how I felt later. I told him no I need to go now. Les called his mom and had her give me a ride to the hospital. Les stayed home because we were through this almost a week ago and he had to work at 5:30 in the morning. As I walked into the birthing center the staff was looking at me like oh great here comes the wimp. I was infuriated. They did the same procedure as the last time; took a urine sample, hooked me up to the fetal monitor and took my blood pressure. After they gave me another exam things got weird. They came in and took some blood for a test. I thought nothing of this. Then I noticed that the doctors and nurses had sweat on their brow and were kind of frantic. I was given no answers, no one would tell me anything. I was beginning to get stressed out. When the nurses came in to hook me up to an IV I knew something was going on. It took them 5 or 6 tries to get the IV in my arm. Then the nurse told me to call Les. I told her I can tell him everything when I get home. Then she looked at me and rudely said, "Call him now you're going to have the baby." I kept saying over and over it's to early, I'm not due yet. I called Les and told him to get to the hospital we are having the baby. As I said this I started bawling. I was so frustrated because all this time I knew something was wrong and nobody would listen to me. When Les got there things got even worse. He was sitting next to me trying to calm me down. I suddenly was feeling nauseas. I told this to the nurse and she handed me a puke pan, and I set it aside. I felt like this my whole pregnancy, and I never threw up. All of a sudden I started vomiting, and it was bad. It was shooting straight out. Sorry. Gruesome I know. The nurses suddenly pushed Les aside and next thing I know I am in a surgery room, still having no clue what's going on. At 12:16 a.m. July 14, 2000, I gave birth by c-section to a petite daughter. I named her Marissa Kym Styles. She weighed 2lbs. 5oz. She was 15 inches long. I was only 28 weeks' when Marissa was born. She was immediately taken to the NICU. After the surgery I was given 1 blood transfusion and 2 platelet transfusions. It turns out I almost died. My OB said if I would have laid back down and took another nap, I probably would not be here today. I was told my body had shut down, that's why I was vomiting and incoherent. I was told it was very rare for a person my age (18 at the time) to be diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome. Marissa was released to Les and I September 9, 2000. She was brought home on a monitor. I was scared. Today she is a healthy one-year-old and the most beautiful child I have ever seen. Out of my experience through this I have learned two things: 1. Always trust your instinct no matter what anyone says. 2. I truly do have a miracle baby, a real gift from God.
Thank You, |
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