Written February 24, 2020 REPOST
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Luke and I were discharged Thursday afternoon. The cramping was still prevalent but did not seem to concern anyone I spoke to. As the nurse was going through the routine papers, she had reminded us not to be worried if I were to experience any flu like symptoms when the milk officially came in. This was not something we had heard in the past, but we didn’t think too much about it. Completing all the final paperwork, we bundled our new little man and headed for home with a prescription for the ibuprofen and instructions to continue taking it around the clock as needed.
The truth is friends, I don’t remember our homecoming. There were only a few hours of being home from the hospital before symptoms started happening-although at the time, they were not alarming to us.
I remember feeling so exhausted and worn down which I contributed to the overnight labor and the joys of sleepless nights with a newborn already starting. I continued to take the Ibuprofen-a decision I still struggle with. Adam and the kids allowed me to lay on the couch for much of the day-excited to be doing their part to help me out; loving their new baby brother and each one cleaning the house for me as I rested. The cramping turned into a dull ache-something I contributed to sore muscles after labor and delivery.
As bedtime came, all I could tell Adam was, “I don’t feel very good.” And decided to lay down. Adam tucked the kids in bed, Luke was out in the living room with me and I suddenly found myself very cold so I piled blankets on top of me and closed my eyes. Minutes later, my body was experiencing intense chills. For what felt like forever, I was uncontrollably shaking and two blankets and a space heater later, I finally stilled-even more exhausted then before but like nothing ever happened. We remembered what the nurse had said and thought perhaps it was just my milk coming in combined with the overall exhaustion from the last few days. It felt like everything was finally catching up to me. I fell asleep that night tired, and achy but nothing more...
Friday, June 7, 2019
Friday morning, I woke up with a pain stretching from side to side across my lower abdomen. I was still taking the ibuprofen every six hours and by early afternoon, I was barely able to make it through the pain to the sixth hour. Moving around began to get harder-if I was laying down the pain wasn’t quite as intense but by later afternoon, I could no longer straighten myself up to walk. Hunched over, I would take one sloth like step at a time when I absolutely had to. It was time to call my doctor.
I spoke to the nurse practitioner who took my call. For nearly 20 minutes I explained in detail the chills I had the night before. I explained how the pain I was experiencing was completely different than the cramping I was having earlier. I told her that the pain was constant and was preventing me from moving around normally or walking straight. I also reminded her that I was still taking the Ibuprofen as recommended by Dr. B in the hospital. She relayed my information to the doctor doctor who was in the office that day, ( Dr. P) When she returned from having me on hold, she confirmed that Dr. P believed it to be "normal fresh from delivery stuff." They also told me "it could be a tendon" and to "wait out the weekend" And by this doctor’s suggestion, I was to continue taking the Ibuprofen every six hours for the pain.
As the evening came to a close, Adam was tucking the kids in bed while I was laying on the couch. I could hear my oldest daughter start to get upset as Adam told her I wouldn’t be able to make it back to the room to tuck her in. Her and I have our very own routine that she counts on every single night. She climbs in bed, I climb up her ladder pull the blankets on top of her and she kisses my head goodnight. After Adam came back out of their room, I could hear my oldest baby start to quietly cry-she knew I wasn’t feeling good and I could tell she was trying to stifle her tears. In my heart I knew I had to….I slowly peeled myself up off the couch-breathing heavily, I inched my way back to her room, braced myself for the first step of the ladder. -CREEK- the ladder hinted under my weight. Next step. “God help me.” I pleaded. And one last step brought me high enough to pull her blankets on top of her and wait for her sweet kiss. She smiled. “I love you my sweet girl” I smiled back. And slowly I made my way back down the ladder and to the couch….
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