A very scary weekend....

Last weekend and this past week have been CRAZY! Last Friday, actually 1:00 am Saturday morning, I started to have some painful contractions.

I had started having Braxton hicks contractions very early in my pregnancy, and my doctor just suggested that I remember to take it easy and to drink plenty of water. Last Friday, I came home and told Joseph that I must have been doing too much that day because my "contractions" had picked up. They don't hurt by any means, but I know that you shouldn't have more than 6 in an hour or to call the doctor if they become painful.

Anyway, in the middle of the night, I started having "real" contractions-the kind that I knew were not normal at 25 weeks. Then, within 20 minutes, I had excruciating pain on my lower right side, my back, and down my right leg. It wasn't 15 minutes later, that we got in the car and headed to the ER. After I checked in, gave a urine sample, and started vomiting from the pain, we were pretty certain that it was my appendix. Unfortunately, I could not get any pain meds until we monitored the baby and my contractions first. So, after a few HOURS went by, I got some pain meds and they went to do an ultrasound on me to check the baby, and my kidneys.

They could not check my appendix, because they would have to do a CT scan, which is a no no during pregnancy. They said that I was showing all the signs of appendicitis, except for the fact that my white blood count came back normal. (If I had appendicitis, the levels would have been high). However, I had just finished an antibiotic for a sinus infection I had that week, so they assumed that was the causing the white blood count to be normal.

The obgyn and general surgeon came in and told us they had gotten results back from the ultrasound, and that I had a cyst rupture on my ovary, and I had a few more remaining. My right kidney was also enlarged, and the combination of these things were putting me into pre-term labor.

They came to a decision to proceed with an appendectomy to remove my appendix, regardless of how it was, and to check my ovary and remove the other cysts. My regular ob doctor, from a different hospital, happened to be on call there that weekend. Joseph texted her and told her what was going on, and she came over and stepped in on the surgery. How awesome is she!?!? I'm SO grateful for her!

This was all around Saturday morning at 9ish. My parents, in laws, best friend Laura, and my sister all came in town to be with us.

The real problems had only begun.....the doctors came in and started talking about the possibility of having to deliver Asa in case they couldn't get my contractions to stop, or things went differently during surgery. I just remember crying....and that's all I could do at that point with the amount of pain meeds I had in me. Joseph was extremely worried, so much so, that he had made himself sick. :(. Bless his heart! I knew that if he came, he could survive, but he would be flown down to UAMS in little rock, and kept for a long time. "Scary" was an understatement.

By noon, they removed my appendix, which i was told was the longest that he had seen in 30 years! Wow! And...that it was perfectly normal. The ovary was not, but was cleaned and all cysts were removed. They started me on magnesium for the pre-term labor, and monitored me until Monday. Oh, did I mention the catheter?? Ouch!! I never want to experience that again!!

I stayed that night, Sunday, and then was able to go home on Monday. I had constant care from my incredible husband, mom, and mother in law.

So, Asa decided to stay in there and my contractions stopped. I have a new lovely incision across the right side of my ever stretching belly, and I'm interested to see how it grows along with my belly. Gross! Asa is more active than ever. He got some steroids to help his lungs in case he were to be delivered early, so he is now ahead of the game! However, he does like to ball up and give me a good kick underneath my incision-it doesn't feel good, but I'm thankful for his life-so he can do whatever he wants to! :). Joseph has been more than amazing! He is extremely protective of me and Asa, and has been there non stop for anything that I need. I am so grateful for my friends who have brought meals, visited, or texted to see how we are doing. Glo is being taken care of, and I feel very blessed by all of that!

That's my crazy story! I have bump and incision pictures to follow!

Please pray for me and Asa, and that he would stay in there until he is healthy and big enough to come out. Please pray for my health and recovery. I am having a hard time with being down, and want to be normal again so badly. I know that if i don't take it slow, it could put me down for the rest of the time-so pray for patience for me and allowing myself not to get too busy.

Thank you!