Good Evening Internet Friends!
Well, I woke up this morning with a low blood sugar which required a juice box ASAP. While I waited to get out of bed I thought about the fact that today was starting out similar to this exact same day 11 years ago (except that EMS did not have to respond today).
Eleven years ago today I was almost 34 weeks pregnant with my son. During my pregnancy I developed the inability to recognize hypoglycemic episodes and also became a very "brittle"( for lack of a better word) diabetic. I would take 1 unit of Humalog with a meal and 2 hours later find myself waking up in the Emergency with several intravenous lines hooked up to me. Eleven years ago today my grandmother called me in the morning as she usually did to check on me and when I did not answer the phone she called EMS for me (my grandmother lives 8 hours away). After being "revived" I spent most of the morning on the couch and eventually got ready to attend my weekly perinatal appointment at the High Risk Pregnancy clinic.
It was a very hot day, kind of like today except that there were ominous black clouds in the sky. I left my black lab at home watching some nature show on television (she liked that) and went to my appointment. It was a Friday and everything and everyone seemed slow. I almost left the appointment because it was just about 1600 hours and I wanted to go home and put my feet up as the clinic chairs were most uncomfortable.
I was seen before I could leave and as the perinatologist read my emergency report of that morning he decided that an emergency C-section needed to be done for my and baby's sake. My husband was out of town in a remote work camp. Thankfully, my NICU friend and neighbor was off that day and she came to the hospital to get my stuff, went home to let the dog out and returned to the hospital to be with me for what ever support I needed.
Since I was going to be alone for this C-section it was decided that I would get an epidural so that I could be conscious for baby's arrival. However, the years of being an RN had apparently played havoc with my back and the anesthesiologist with his student entourage watching was unable to advance the catheter. I was given general anesthetic which several years later my NICU friend told me of all the awful things I said and did to the nurses that day, some funny, others not so much ☺
I remember waking up in ICU with several IV's hooked up and the pediatrician that was covering for the pediatrician I had chosen for my son telling me and the team around me that my son would be discharged as soon as I was ready to go because she knew me from PICU and that I knew what to do with a premature baby!!!!!
What????!!!!
How does one deal with a 34 week babe at home without a ton of very expensive medical devices and round the clock staffing?
Well, 11 years later we have proof that it can be done. It was a LOT of work, but worth it ☺
My son thought that was a brilliant idea for his birthday and so last night I made Chocolate Zucchini cake for him for breakfast:
I added whole wheat flour and some flax seed to it, so along with the zucchini in it and a glass of milk I am going to say it was a "balanced" breakfast for today!
As far as crafting, I have accomplished none of that today.
Happy Birthday "Bug".
