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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Events Leading Up to Brody's Early Arrival

I woke up on the morning of August 25, which I was 28 weeks and 6 days, with large amounts of swelling to my hands, feet, and face. I got dressed and went on to work and called Dr. W's office. Nurse called me back and said to come on in. Dr. met me in the hall and checked my BP which was 150/90 and check my urine which showed large protein. I had just had a check up a week before and everything was great. We went into a room and he told me he was putting me in the hospital for eval and bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy... to make long story short, I went and stayed over night in WP, had ultrasound, blood work, 24 hour urine, and monitoring of Brody. Most everything was normal, my 24 hour urine showed 2.4 grams of protein, if it was over 4 then things would have been done different, but thankfully it was ok. US and everything with Brody looked good. I was given 2 steriod shots for Brody's lung development in case of an early arrival. Dr. W discharged me on Thursday with bedrest (NO WORK).

The last picture of me pregnant

Remind you, we had nursery furniture ordered, but that was it, didn't have room cleaned out, didn't have anything for Brody, basically, we had nothing nor had we done anything to prepare for Brody

I stayed on the couch and in the bed over the weekend. We had friends and family that came over and moved furniture out, cleaned house, painted the nursery, put in ceiling fan, put together furniture, mowed yard, and many other things. I did very well stayed put and not doing anything which was very hard not getting to do anything, but I knew we had to do what was best for Brody.

On Monday morning I had a follow up appt with Dr. W. I didn't sleep well on Sunday night and got up that morning feeling terrible. When I got to his office and my BP was checked it was high, Dr. came in and checked and got 190/130 so back to the hospital I go.

Just to keep this post from being any longer than it is going to be, I will summerize the next few weeks that went by.

We had 24 hour urine done which was normal and stayed normal for a few weeks. We did ultrasounds every few days which for the most part were normal, added on new BP meds which helped, and I was hooked up to monitor daily to check Brody. The first week or so in the hospital the monitor strips looked normal and wasn't much change with Brody.

We started having daily ultrasounds done to monitor the blood flow through cord, check the placenta, check blood flow through brain, and just to check on Brody's growth.

The last few days while in the hospital Brody started having some heart rate drops while on the monitor and was growing any.

September 15th started out as a normal morning, Jason left going to work and Mamaw came to sit with me. I felt good. The ultrasound tech got me for US and everything looked good there, mamaw left before lunch and nurse came into hook me up to monitor around 10:30. Well, 11:30 comes around and my lunch is waiting on me, the nurse would usually come and unhook me from the monitor for the day, well this day was different. Nurse came in and just turned the volume on the monitor down and told me to eat lunch then lay back down, at this point, I knew something was wrong. I tried not to worry b/c with worry came elevated blood pressure. I had noticed a few heart rate drops on the monitor, but didn't seem like anymore than what he had been having. Around 12:30 Dr. Whittle came in with nurse and sat down and looked very serious, he told me the baby was having too many heart rate drops and there had been some changes on my ultrasound that morning and my 24 hour urine the day prior was extremly high (13 grams) and that we just couldn't put this off any longer. Remind you, I am by myself getting this shock, Dr. W told me not to eat or drink anymore b/c I needed to be NPO for section. He left out of room to call Tueplo and get everything ready for my d/c from there and my transfer and admission to Tupelo (reason for going to Tupelo was b/c of NICU unit which Brody would have to be in).

I call Jason at school and he just happened to be passing by the office when I called. I explained to him what was happening and he said he would be right there. Other phone calls were made and next thing I know, my mom and Jason are there packing our stuff up, which was a lot d/t a 3 week stay. Within no time the ambulance was there to pick me up for the ride to Tupelo. Thankful for wonderful paramedic who talked and kept me entertained and kept my mind off what was about to happen. I was in total shock, wasn't able to cry or get excited, just mostly scared for my sons life.

Once arriving in Tupelo the admission stuff and pre-op stuff was started, including IV and the much dreaded CATHETER, this was the worse part of it all. I couldn't wait for my spinal so I didn't have to feel it. It was terrible and hurt SO BAD! Then Dr. P came in and went over Dr. W notes and introduced herself and said it was time. After being prepped I said goodbye to my family and was wheeled into the operation room.

Before heading to operating room

I was introduced to many nurses, anesthesiologists, the neonatologist and his staff. I was given the option to have a spinal or to be put to sleep and chose the spinal, was told as soon as it was ready that Jason would be brought in and the birth of our son would take place shortly after. I was in the OR at 5:00 exactly and was told we should be welcoming our son within 15 mins or so. Well things didn't go quite as planned. For some unknown reason, the anesthesiologist had problems getting my spinal to take, after 5 trys they told me one my try then I would have to be put to sleep, the Lord was with us and the 6th and final try worked!! Now it is about 5:45 and Jason comes in, I don't think I have ever been as happy to see him in all my life, and everything gets started and very quickly I might add. After just minutes I hear Dr. P say stand up dad and Jason stood just in time to see Brody being pulled out, and then the I heard the sweetest sound I had ever heard, Brody crying!! They took Brody to a little area next to where I was and was working on him and he was crying and was crying loudly and it was music to my ears!! The nurse then brought Brody over for me to see and he was just perfect. Then Jason left to go with the nurse and Brody and they finished with me and took me to recovery.

Brody James Junkin :
September 15, 2010 at 5:58pm at NMMC Tupelo Womens Hospital
3 lbs 3oz 16.75in
Born 9 weeks early at 31 weeks

I had been put on a magnesium IV when I first arrived in the hospital and it was stopped on the next morning. That stuff was awful and d/t to that along with my BP, I wasn't able to see Brody until the next afternoon. He was taken to the NICU shortly after delivery and was placed on CPAP to help keep his lungs open b/c lungs were a little sticky d/t early arrival. The CPAP only stayed on for about 24-48 hours before he was taken off and was on room air.

Seeing Brody for the first time. The sweet nurse took his CPAP off for a minute so I could see his face.

Over the next few weeks, we learned all about premature birth and the NICU. These are two things I wish I didn't know much about, but I do, and wouldn't change any of the above. I know the Lord Jesus brought us to this and brought us through this. Prayers were answered and on Oct. 10 we brought our little miracle home with us!

leaving the hospital