Thursday the 8th of October - continued....

Whilst talking to Lizzie, Tim got a call on his mobile. It was the cardiologist. "Change of plans, DO NOT let Cindy go home! She is to go to the admissions area and book in immediately". OH CRAP!!!!!!! I need my stuff, I have things to do!!! I was supposed to go to the hairdressers tonight and have my hair done and Deacon was supposed to have a haircut. My poor little shaggy sheep wont be able to see for the hair hanging in his eyes if he doesn’t get a haircut! Tim gave me a kiss and a hug, jumped in the car with a list from me of stuff to grab and things to do all in the space of a very short time. I said good bye to Lizzie, who was going to tie up a few loose ends and then head off to our house to sort some stuff for the kids and back to mum & dads to help look after Deacon and Isla.

Whilst Tim was gone, I had paper work to fill out and do in admissions, messages to send, appointments to cancel and other people to let know what was happening. I was then taken upstairs to the postnatal ward because that’s where I was going after I had the baby. Great!!! All I could see was happy mums, happy babys, flowers, pink stuff, blue stuff, it was everywhere....great! It was a busy place. My room wasn’t ready so I had to wait in the lounge room until it was ready. I waited and tried to shut my eyes to proud parents and screaming babys going past the door. A man walked in shook my hand and introduced himself and said “you must be Cindy”. He was the head neonatologist specialist Dr Anderson, the one we had previously met was currently away. He explained exactly what they would do when baby is delivered and explained that the baby would be very very sick. He said they would allow me a small amount of time with baby then whisk him over to a little area in the operating theatre and start work on him immediately. Words I distinctly remember hearing him say which sent me into shock was “I may not be able to resuscitate him, but be assured we will be doing our best and will pull out all stops to help him. We will be doing our best.” I had no doubt they would do their best but may not be able to resuscitate him???? I had never heard anyone say this before. I felt petrified for my little man.

A while after he left a midwife came and got me and walked me to my room. We had a chat and she settled me in, got a gown for me and did all the prep work, weighing, drugs, etc. Tim arrived with all our stuff, and we sorted out our cameras and away he started clicking…or should I say “photographically documenting” our journey.

I was supposed to be going in for my c-section at around 6pm, but 5:55pm we got a phone call from the Obstetrician to say that he was just leaving his office to come in and wouldn’t be long. When he arrived, he was all suited up ready for theatre and said that somebody had jumped the cue, apparently a women who was going in for an elective c-sect had been waiting since 2pm, poor love!!! And they decided to jump the cue and push our emergency aside leaving us with no theatre. My Ob was furious and said he was going down to join those in theatre and stitch the woman up and get her out asap and get us in there. I had never seen him so furious before, it was actually quite funny the thought of him going in there and interrupting their pleasant delivery and telling them to hurry up and get out!!! He told us he would see us in theatre soon.

Thursday 8th of October 2009

Today was to be the usual routine Thursday for us, but an early one. We were to drop the kids off to my parents and were running late as per usual. Getting a toddler and a preschooler ready as well as myself, is quite hard when your running on very little sleep and feeling unwell with the usual pregnancy aches and pains. Lunch was packed for us, for the kids, their clothes and I even had to add pyjamas for the kids which was a very good fore thought now thinking back on it! Our hot water system had blown up the night before so no hot water to bath the kids in!!!! Mum was going to do that for me and dress them in their PJs by time we were ready to pick them up. So we dropped the kids off, left some quick instructions – here’s Isla’s bottles, put her to bed for a nap after lunch, not too much chocolate or they will turn feral, keeping asking Deacon if he needs to do a wee, here’s some fruit for them, give Isla the bananas, Deacon hates them etc etc. Then we were off and out the door, in the car and on our way. We decided to park in the hospital car park and just forgo the expense. Who knows how long today was going to take.

First appointment
Our first appointment was the CTG down in Womens Assessment. I was quite excited that today was really the last time I’d be having a CTG as we were off to Melbourne in a weeks time. I told all the nurses and Drs down there that got to know us over the last 7 weeks and they all wished us all the best. The CTG was ok. The nurse had trouble finding and keeping the trace going so she stood there for the full 20 minutes to get the full trace. Results were no Tachycardia and faxed it off to my Obs office and rang him. He was happy with that, so off to Womens Ultrasound!

2nd & 3rd appointment - ultrasound and fetal echo
Our next two appointments really kind of blurred into one. We were to have a Fetal Echo with the cardiologist at 11am and then the Ultrasound at 12noon. They did the ultrasound first, and what they saw first was that the fluid in the abdomen had increased significantly. It was measuring 3.3mm last week and this week it was 1.19cm. I remember Tim telling me on the weekend after our last appointment that the fluid levels were considered mild from a paper he discovered on the net – 5mm and more is considered significant. She did a quick growth scan, but that feeling of the fetal hydrops had not left me at all!!!! The cardiologist came in and said before he had even finished coming in the door that the change was huge and the hydrops had developed significantly further than last week. He checked over the valves and everything else. I honestly cant say what else he looked at because my mind was still concerned about the fluid levels in baby. The cardiologist finished doing what he had to do, which seemed ever so quick, and then took us into another room to discuss todays findings. Basically the cardiologist said that the fetal hydrops (fluid) had increased dramatically since last weeks scan and that even though we saw it increasing last week, he believed last weeks was mild and it had increased but only a small amount at that point. So we knew it was increasing but at what rate we didn’t know. His recommendation was that we now did not have time to wait until 36 weeks and fly to Melbourne to deliver over there. We would almost certainly be delivering a dead baby. He also said that delivery would need to occur today, preferably within a few hours – later that afternoon or in the evening. Latest would be first thing in the morning. I distinctly remembering him say “we do not have till tomorrow afternoon”. That indicated to me it was very serious. We briefly discussed would it be natural or c-section and I expressed my concern about a natural, that I thought a c-sect would be best and he agreed with ut that it would be safest option too. He asked when I last ate which was in a hurry at 11am, one bite of my fresh homemade sandwich whilst waiting to be called into our ultrasound appt at 11am. “Ok” he said “well, your fasting from now on. Hang around the hospital, don’t leave. I will get back to you with in the hour. I need to consult with the cardiac surgeons and cardiologists in Melbourne, your Ob, the Intensive care team here and get organising.” WOW….it was happening!!! That’s too fast!!!! My head was spinning. What to do what to do? I have to go home!! I still have stuff to organise. A quick phone call to Mum to let her know to look after the kids, feed them and bath them and get in touch with Lizzie to let her know where we were at.
Off to the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat. Well for Tim to have a quick bite to eat anyway. Then down to see the social worker and let her know what was happening. When we got there she already knew and was there ready to support us. Whilst we were talking to her my mobile rang and it was our Cardiologist. He said he was organising it for this arvo and that if I wanted to go home grab a few things and do a couple of bits that I needed then he was ok with that and to do it right away. So we left our social worker and hurried off to the carpark. Tim had to organise a weekly parking ticket for the hospital and would meet me at the car. By time he got back which was just not long at all I was waiting at the car and he had found my sister Lizzie and brought her to the car. She was in a panic looking for us and wasn’t quite sure of what was happening and had spoken to mum who also seemed quite panicked. I hugged Lizzie and told her no need to panic, I’m just going in for an emergency c-section and they would get to work on the baby straight away, it was time for him to come out now. A little sooner than expected but not a complete surprise as we had prepared for this for weeks among other possible scenarios. No panic! Its all ok………..

ITS ALL ON!!!!!

We havent taken a lot of photos of the kids lately and we had some lovely sunny weather on the weekend so why not enjoy it! And the kids did, on my bike that I got for my 4th birthday. Its a whole **ahem** 30 years old and still in one piece. They absolutely love it!!!!









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These two photos, Tim thought I looked absolutely hilarious. I put on my last remaining pair of PJs all my good ones have been packed for hospital so I had nothing but these to wear. I dont normally walk around with my belly hanging out but, Tim just thought I looked hilarious and insisted I pose for some photos. NICE!!! Thanks, says the less than impressed mum looking and feeling HUGE!!!






I cant believe that in just 2 days we will be 35 weeks pregnant!!!! And today from lunch time the phone has been running hot till 5 o'clock. It started with a phone call from the Social Worker at the Royal Womens Hospital in Melbourne and she gave me all this info about which people in which Department will be looking after us when we get to Melbourne, she talked about the facilities, accomodation, gave me a list of phone numbers and contacts, but the scariest was when she mentioned that they have a pastoral team who can be at the birth to bless or Christen the baby. That really hit home, they think its going to die!!!! Argh!!! I hurried to write down all the information I could as I had a 3 year old running around the house with a bucket on his head screaming "who are you talking to mummy?", "I'm hungry mummy", "I'm a super hero!!!". Trying to listen, with a phone shoved in one ear, fingers in the other ear and write all that information down is such a skill, and not one I have perfected yet.
Then another phone call from the Family Accomodation Worker with the Royal Womens, and she also went through the accomodation, costs, rebates, locations, facilities, what we need to bring, what we dont need to bring, location and etc.
Then another phone call from the Social Worker here in Adelaide at the Womens and Childrens. She is wonderful!!! She let me know that we are flying out on the 15th and have all our appointments booked for the 16th. More tests!!! Hopefully no passing out this time. She is busy co-ordinating the flights and accomodation and has been liasing with the RWH Social Worker and the Family Accomodation worker. Its amazing how much work and co-ordination goes into all of this. If I had to do this all myself i would be lost. As it is there is so much information to take in, I dont think any of it is actually sinking in.
A few more phone calls and we now have a Fetal Echo scheduled for sometime this Thursday and another Cardiology appointment. Then there was more organising, getting the kids birth certificates ready for their travel, getting Isla's immunisations up-to-date and booking her in for her 18 month health check and organising the referrals for this weeks scans. Then also ringing family to let them know. I am positive I have forgotten something, I'm sure it will crop up later to bite me on the rear. They are still saying that we could be in Melbourne attending appointments and waiting for them to deliver the baby for up to 4 weeks. As we decided that we wont have the kids with us till its time to deliver the baby that means separation from our two babies for anywhere up to 4 weeks. The thought is just heartbreaking, but after much discussion everyone agrees its for the best. I know I am going to miss them terribly.