Here is the story of how Wesley Jameson came into the world...
I woke up on 8/21 for my scheduled c-section at 6am. I needed to get myself ready and pack my hospital bag and make sure the house was somewhat clean, not to mention I also wanted to spend a little time with Cailin before leaving for the hospital. Everything went very smoothly that morning, I got up, showered, packed my bag, put on makeup and did my hair, and was done in under an hour. Apparently I can get ready quickly when I'm excited. Dan got up around 6:30 and did the dishes that were around and also got ready. Around 7 I woke Cailin up and sat her on my lap and cuddled her while she drank her morning sippy of milk. Dan's mom soon arrived and played with Cailin while we tied up the loose ends around the house. We were ready to go at 7:50. I had to be at the hospital at 8:30 for my 10:30 scheduled c section and we had to drop my car off at the dealership to get serviced on the way. It sounds crazy but I thought it would be a good time since I wouldnt be needing my car for a couple weeks. Luckily everything went smoothly at the dealer and we were on our way.
We got to the hospital a few minutes early so Dan and I stopped in the cafe so he could have a coffee. I was super jealous because I desperately wanted a coffee but wasn't allow to eat or drink since midnight. When it was time we nervously walked up to Labor and Delivery where we were greeted with smiles and a very nice nurse, Stacy, showed us to our room. She had me test my sugar and drew some blood and started an IV in my right hand. Right when we arrived they said they were very behind schedule because their OR for c-sections was under construction and they were given one OR on the main floor, but they usually had 2. She also said they had several c-sections ahead of me and they had a few emergencies as well.
Soon after Dr. MacDonald came in and talked to me for a while. It was reassuring since I was starting to get butterflies in my stomach. She asked me to start testing my blood sugar hourly and report it to Stacy so she could monitor it. They hooked up some fluids to my IV and then we waited.
I think Dan was more nervous than me at that point. We both hate waiting but he is especially bad at it. Sorry Dan, but you are... He evntually entertained me by playing some really annoying 90's music.
I walked into the OR and sat on the table and they immediately came over and prepped my back for the spinal. Thanks for the warning. The anesthesiologist was a little annoying but Stacy reassured me that everything was fine. I started crying because it was super uncomfortable and I was getting nervous. Dr. MacDonald came over and rubbed my shoulders and stayed with me while they did the spinal. Immediately I felt it take affect and my legs were going numb. Not only that but they also became paralyzed. Normal.
Once I laid down everyone was asking me questions and I started crying again because my legs were really uncomfortable and there was a lot of hustle and bustle in the room. Dan still was outside and they were getting ready to start. At this point once they were setting up I was beyond nervous. It was full blown panic attack time and there was no calming me down. My breathing started getting weird and my blood pressure was getting high. The anesthesiologist had to give me something because it was getting hard to breathe. She injected my IV with a few drugs to calm me down, which halfway worked. Dan came in and they gave me more meds. I had a clear mind but was drunk as hell. I couldn't string together a sentence even though everything made sense in my mind. My legs were so numb and felt like I didnt have any circulation and not being able to wiggle my legs or toes was really bothering me. I kept thinking of my Uncle John and got really sad about how he was paralyzed. If this was the sensation he has in his legs 24/7 I couldnt even imagine. I was beyond uncomfortable.
Once Dan came in maybe two minutes passed and suddenly I heard a loud cry. Wesley Jameson was born at 1:12pm. Dr.MacDonald must have held him over the curtain but I was still hysterical and missed it. I heard him cry for maybe a minute and kept asking for him and if he was ok. I wasn't making sense because of the drugs and eventually Dr. MacDonald understood that I was asking to see him. I was so nervous something was wrong since they didn't show him to me. He was perfect. Dr.MacDonald had the nurse pick him up and bring him over for a quick second and Dan got to go over and cut his cord. They swaddled him in a blanket and brought him over to me. Dan got to sit with me and hold him next to me for a while. A nurse came and held him on me so I could hold him too.
After 15 minutes or so Dan went with a nurse and took Wesley upstairs to labor and delivery to be weighed and get his first shots. They would meet me in recovery. It took another half hour to stitch me up and move me downstairs. I was so drugged up! They gave me several injections of anti anxiety meds plus some Zofran for nausea.
The ride in the elevator seemed like forever. When I got into recovery Dan came in with the baby in tow. He weighed 9lbs 9.2oz and was 21.5 inches long. He was a little chunk! A nurse came in and gave my some percocet, advil, tylenol, and oxycontin; all in pills. My spinal was wearing off and I started getting the feeling back in my lower body. I was having some pretty bad cramps but they were normal. Eventually I got this sharp constant pain that was beginning to be unbearable so I asked for something strong to help the pain until the pills started. Dr. MacDonald gave me Dilauded and that worked instantly. I felt warm all over and really drugged but I wasn't in any pain. I stayed in recovery for an hour or so and they moved me over to our room. I was really sore but was ok if I just laid still. My nurse came in and I immediately recognized her from when Cailin was born. She was my favorite nurse so I was super happy she was there. Andrea was so nice and reassuring when I had concerns when Cailin was born, it was nice to have her again. As soon as I told her Cailins name she remembered her, and asked if she had tons of hair. Cailin was famous in the postpartum wing. Even the nurse assistant remembered her and so did the other nurses later on.
Roberta brought Cailin over to meet Wes. Cailin hugged him and gave him kisses but she was really nervous around me. I still had and IV and a catheter and looked like a disaster and she was scared. They stayed for a little while then went home.
Everything I heard from my friends nd online said that walking was good and I should start asap. Andrea came in and I didn't think I could walk but I wanted to just stand. It was painful. She helped me back into bed and I decided that I would keep the catheter until tomorrow morning but would try walking to the bathroom later in the evening. My dad came a little later and stayed for a couple hours. Wes was so good. He hardly cried and ate really well. Once my dad left Andrea came back in and helped me walk to the bathroom and back. It was maybe 10 feet from my bed but it felt like a marathon. Getting out of bed and standing hurt but walking was ok once I was upright. Dan stayed with me in the hospital until around 10 then went home to check on Cailin and feed the cats.
10:15 rolled around and I started feeling lots of pain. I had just had meds less than an hour ago so I decided to wait a little bit and see if they kicked in. They didn't. 11pm came and I was in so much pain my teeth were chattering and I could barely see. I called in my nurse and she said they couldnt give me anything. Five minutes later I buzzed for her again and she couldsee that I was in extreme pain. I was crying hysterically and shaking. She checked my incision and felt my belly because she thought I might have something wrong. She called in a doctor immediately and they examined me. Nothing was wrong but the pain meds were not working. They gave me a ton of Dilauded again and some benedryl to calm me down and help me sleep. Since getting all the pain meds at once wasn't working they changed my drug schedule so I would be getting somthing every 3 hours. Since I was in terrible pain I sent Wesley to the nursery so I could rest an asked that they bring him back only to be fed. Come morning I felt a lot better. I was sore but the terrible pain was gone and the drugs I was supposed to be getting all along were working well. Wes only woke up at 2 and 5 that night and stayed with me from that time.
Dan came back first thing in the am. I was walking to the bathroom with the assistance of a nurse, so I got my catheter removed. Luckily halfway through the day I was able to slowly get up on my own and walk around. Later that night I felt great and started cutting down on the pain meds.
To be continued....
