From: sapphire@wings.micro.umn.edu (Theresa Jarosz Alberti)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: Update on my preterm labor: bed for the duration
Date: 23 Nov 92 14:43:11 GMT
Organization: Authors with Twins
X-Xxdate: Mon, 23 Nov 92 03:05:56 GMT
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d7

In article <4286@bcstec.ca.boeing.com> Pam Griffith,
griffith@bcstec.ca.boeing.com writes:
>In article <1ebcumINN1v3@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> larrabee@cse.ucsc.edu (Tracy
Larrabee) writes:
>>Well, I'm still in bed.  And the way it looks, I'll only get out of this
>>bed before Christmas if I do it to give birth.
>
>I know how you feel, I was in a similar situation not too
>long ago and I certainly sympathize with you.  I did not have preterm
>labor - my membranes ruptured at 16 weeks! (more on that later..)
>
>>I'm glad I have computer access...
>>...I almost let my fear of appearing
>>hysterical keep me from getting help, and that would have been very,
>>very bad.  
>
>I did the same thing, it was my first pregnancy, so I really didn't
>know much about anything, if I hadn't mentioned to the nurse by chance
>that I was dripping just a little bit, who knows what would've happened.
>I have since learned to tell my doctor every little detail and let him
>decide whether it is of any concern or not.
>
>>...  In any case, as
>>many of you have told me: six weeks will have been a very short time
>>to have invested in a healthy son. (If I just *knew* he would be OK, I
>>think it would make the whole thing quite a bit easier.)
>
>That is definitely true - as I said earlier, I ruptured at 16 weeks - so
>early that I wasn't even showing yet.  That was about Christmas last
>year.  My husband and I were planning on driving to the Bay Area to see
>our families at Christmas time, and so we went ahead and did that - this
>was with the doctors' blessings, I was to find out later that the doctors
>really didn't have much hope for my baby because I ruptured so early.
>I'm still really mad about this becaused I think I had the right to know
>no matter how bad it looked.
>
>Anyway, we DROVE to CA from Seattle, I kept leaking the whole time, and
>when we got back home, they did an ultrasound and found that my fluid
>level was unchanged.  We then got the bad news that I would most likely
>loose the baby.  They didn't offer us any thread of hope and said that
>even if I went on total bedrest, chances are not good at all.
>
>Well, I went on bedrest anyway, but like the doctors said, I kept on
>leaking...my husband also took over all the household duties and had
>to take care of me, it really is tough on the men too.  Anyway, after
>about 4 weeks in bed, I started to bleed at little bit, which really
>freaked me out.  We went to the hospital right away, and I was not
>allowed to leave - that was on Valentines Day.  I stayed in the hospital
>for 9 weeks, until I was 34 weeks along, the whole time all they
>did for me was put me on the fetal monitor several times a day, and
>check my temperature to make sure I don't get infected.
>
>I was so bored, and scared, and depressed, I'm amazed my husband lived
>through all the whining that I did.  Luckily, the hospital was right
>here in Seattle, so he could pretty much come see me everyday.  I met
>some women here on the "bedrest ward" are live farther away - one as
>far as Alaska!  I'm also lucky that this was my first pregnancy, so I
>don't have other kids at home to worry about.
>
>Anyway, my son was born at 34 weeks gestational age.  We had a real
>scare because he was born with pulmonary hypertension because his lungs
>just could not develop without the all important amniotic fluid.  There
>were about 7 days where they thought we would loose him, but he's such
>a tough kid - he had to be to make it this far, and I'm glad to say
>he got through that rough patch in record time too - he only had to
>stay in the hospital for 20 days! And he is perfectly normal now - except
>he has a really bad cold right now, but other than that, he's just
>beautiful!!
>
>Anyway, I didn't mean to drag on and on about this, I just wanted you
>to know about a case with a very happy ending.  We did have several
>rough patches, but in the end it all worked out.  I'm praying for a
>similar outcome for you.
>
>>You will probably hear from me again.  I hope I don't get too 
>>repetitive.
>
>Please do keep us posted on your condition.
>>--
>>Tracy Larrabee		larrabee@cse.ucsc.edu
>
>I hope this goes out OK, I've been lurking for a while, but I've never
>posted before.
>-- 
>Pam Griffith	Boeing Computer Services	ppg1998@bcstec.ca.boeing.com
Newsgroups: misc.kids