WOW! It’s been 2 years already! It doesn’t seem like it at all!!
Friday 2/16 was their actual birthday! We headed up to my parent’s house in the afternoon. Stopped by my old place of work (not sure why I feel the need to do that at times…there’s only a handful of people that I like to see and only 1 that I actually stay in contact with and she wasn’t there!). Then we met mom at her work. We then followed her to the nursing home to see my grandmother. She was so surprised and happy to see me and the boys! Although Michael complained of the smell and Daniel & Andrew were running all over the place! The good thing is her room is right outside this big area that they play bingo and eat at, so we sat outside her room at the tables. Daniel & Andrew loved running around the tables and Michael & Noah played checkers. My grandmother was so happy.
Saturday, we had a birthday party at my mom’s house for the Daniel & Andrew. They got a lot of toys! Almost everyone showed up…well except for my grandmother who is in the nursing home and Kevin’s grandmother whose knee was acting up. Everyone else RSVP’d (except Kevin’s one brother and his family…but that’s a whole other story, and I don’t want to get into it right now).
Well…since it has been 2 years, let me just go over Daniel & Andrew’s birth story…
2/14/05:
I had my regular OB appointment today. My BP was high again. They admitted me to the hospital for what I was told was going to be observation. After being there and them running tests, I was told that I had what was called HELLP Syndrome (Hemolysis Elevated Liver, Low Platelet Syndrome), so they had to transport me to a Level 3 hospital since I only had a short amount of time before I have to deliver my boys. HELLP Syndrome is basically my liver wasn’t functioning properly.
Technical defination of HELLP Syndrome: Blood vessels start to act like a muscle relaxing and contracting. As blood is passed through these relaxing and contracting veins, it causes damage to a special lining that is found in the veins. As this damage occurs to your red blood cells, your platelets come to the rescue to try and heal the damage. In the process, they create clots over the damages. These clots get bigger and bigger and begin to stress your body as it tries to push the blood past this damage.
Your body tries to make up for the damaged red blood cells, which causes your veins to become “leaky” by increasing your body’s water volume. Your kidneys start to hold on to more water resulting in low urine output. Swelling comes from those “leaky” veins. The decreased blood flow only adds further strain to your heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, and liver.
In HELLP, the liver is mainly affected. It is deprived of oxygen because of the clots. It begins to die. This begins the rise in liver enxymes or the pain that is often misdiagnosed heartburn or feeling “flu-y”
Of course these vasospasm that cause damage also cause damage to the vessels in and out of the placenta. The stress causes IURG (Intautrine Growth Restriction). These all result in the HELLP Syndrome.
2/15/05:
After being transported to the Level 3 hospital, the doctors explained to me that they only had a few days (3 MAX) that they could leave D & A inside of me. I’m only 31 weeks. Basically, my body is starting to shut down and the only way to correct this HELLP Syndrome is to deliver the babies. At this point, both babies are fine, but if left in too much longer, they would start to distress and then both my life and the lives of these babies would be at risk. So I will be delivering them tomorrow! I’m very nervous…especially since my due date is April 18th, but I don’t want to risk the lives of all 3 of us. They started yesterday giving me shots for their lungs…and more today. They want to be sure their lungs are developed. As of right now, as long as baby “A” is head down (which they keep switching positions, I will be having an U/S soon), I can have them vaginally…but if they aren’t, I will have to have a c-section. Oh and the best part (hear my sarcasm)…Kevin has the flu, so he’s not allowed in the hospital! It’s a good thing my mom is around!
2/16/05:
Daniel & Andrew arrived today via c-section. My mom was there with me since Kevin has the flu. I feel awful! They have me on Magnesium Sulfate for my blood pressure…YUCK!
Daniel was born at 1:23 pm (he was baby “B” through out my pregnancy, but decided he wanted the “A” position today). He was 2 pounds 15 ounces and 15 1/4 inches long. He is in the NICU and breathing on his own.
Andrew was born at 1:25 pm (he was always known as baby “A”…hence the reason his name begins with A. He was transverse so it’s a good thing we had a c-sect.). He was 2 pounds 12 1/2 ounces and 15 1/2 inches long. He had a little trouble at first breathing, but is in the NICU and breathing on his own.
I have been unable to see them since I’m not allowed out of bed. Mom has been down there a couple times and has brought pictures up that the nurses had taken of them. They are so tiny! I’m not feeling the best at the moment. I’m hungry and tired…but add on top of my c-sect (with staples) a cough/cold…not fun! I can’t wait to get off the Mag. Sulfate and the cath. out!
Those were posts taken from my journal back when they were born. They were in the NICU for 4 weeks, basically they needed to learn to eat and gain some weight before they could come home. I have been so blessed…they are 2 healthy, rambunctious boys!
A poem I had written on 2/21/05:
No One Told Me…
by mommy
No one told me how this could be…
No one told me that I would get pregnant with twins.
No one told me that you’d come early…
No one told me that walking into the NICU could be so emotional.
No one told me that you could be so little, yet thrive.
No one told me that when you look at me I’d melt.
No one told me that I could love you the way I do.
No one told me that love coudl double the way it has.
No one told me that the blessings would be this great!
I’ve been in prayer about those things and with God’s help, I’ll change! I’ve also realized, I can’t change others like I want to.
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