Sunday, March 1, 2009

January 26

I was at the hospital last night to be monitored for preterm labor again. Having about 3-4 contractions per hour even on terbutaline at home, then I couldn't take my next terb dose on time since my heart rate was too fast. By the time doc got back to us my heart rate had slowed down to barely safe. Over 120 I can't take it, it was 130 or so, then slowed to about 116 but that's still cutting it close and I was having a few strong contractions so they had me go in. I was having them every 10-20 minutes on the monitor. No progress, not dilating any more, fetal fibernectin test came back negative (which is good that means she probably won't be born in the next 2 weeks but I'm good at being the tiny percentage things don't go according to plan for). I got a shot of terbutaline there and the first steroid injection to help speed her lung development just in case. I have to go back tonight at bedtime for the 2nd steroid injection. If I have to go back for preterm labor again we'll probably move up to magnesium sulfate to stop it, the last ditch medicine we used when Will was born. That makes me very sick and probably won't stop it but may buy us more time again, or if we're very lucky could stop it and flush out the terbutaline so it starts working again.

What all this means is that I'm probably becoming saturated with terbutaline and it probably will not work much longer. Could be days, could be weeks, but we're probably not going to make it till my scheduled date March 8. I'm 32 weeks along, 8 months. If she's born now she'll do NICU time, probably have trouble breathing, feeding, maintaining her temp and have jaundice but should avoid life threatening or long term problems. I also really have to start enforcing more bedrest if I'm going to keep buying time, so that means I have to have help with Will. I can't be hopping up every 10 minutes to get him out of trouble all day, lifting and taking care of him as much as I am now, it increases the contractions and pressure and all it will take is doing too much once to escalate what I have into unstoppable. If anyone is available to help, it's needed. The social worker through the hospital is looking for help for me, a local church contacted us and is going to try to find volunteers but it may take a few days or a few weeks and that might be too late. Justin is off Thursdays and Sundays, all other days I need help. Will is awake roughly 7:30 AM - 11:30, then 1-4:30. I can handle up till about 8:30 or 9 Justin is here early then it's breakfast time and he's calm a while after, but the playtime after that and his afternoon playtime are when I most need help. All I really need is someone to play with him and get him down when he climbs on things or gets into things he can get hurt on, feed him at meal time (I can tell you what), diapers or at least lift him to the table for me, maybe take him outside to walk around the poor kid is bored stiff with me laying around and that makes him act up. Even an hour visit is appreciated, that means that much less time I have to be on my feet. If anyone can help, please let me know, Jeannie comes most afternoons but I realize she has other things going on too and can't be here all the time that I need.

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