A year ago yesterday/today

Hard to believe, but a year ago last night on 10/15/11, at about 11:30pm, Adrian's water broke.  It was a Saturday, and Carlos and I spent the afternoon with our friend Roberto and his two kids.  We went to the Berwick House of Horrors and then to dinner at Chili's in West Bridgewater.  I had buffalo chicken fingers and fries.  I still remember a lot about that night...it seemed so normal at the time.

We got home and I went to bed at around 10pm.  I was SOUND asleep at 11:30 when all of a sudden I thought I had peed my pants. (TMI!)  I didn't think my bladder had gotten THAT weak, so I called the doctor.  Of course, she wanted me to go to the Brigham to get checked out.

So we went.  I brought nothing with me.  I still wasn't thinking that the boys were on their way.  We got there and waited a few minutes at the check in area.  They took us up to the Labor Floor to triage.  I waited what seemed like forever there.  It was probably half an hour.  Finally, I saw Dr. Pettyjohn.  She was on when I came in, and she happened to be the one that delivered the boys six weeks later.  Anyway, she came to see me in triage, and at first, we couldn't find Baby # 2 (Sebastian).  I remember thinking we'd lost him...I was scared.  They had to go get the portable ultrasound machine just to find him.  But there he was, hiding, as I would later find out was his M.O.  The doctor decided to check to see if my water was broken...it was.  That was when she told me I wasn't going home until I delivered.

I am not sure that sunk in right away.  I was only 26 weeks, so I knew I didn't want to have them that night, or anytime soon, for that matter.  But bedrest in the hospital for weeks???  I didn't think it was even possible.  But I didn't really have time to think.  I was whisked to a bed where they hooked me up to the non-stress test and monitored me for the next 48 hours non-stop.  I couldn't move or turn in bed because every time I tried, the monitor would slip off and they would lose a baby.  The bed was so uncomfortable when you can't change position!  I had to get a nurse to go to the bathroom so that they could disconnect and reconnect me.  They gave me the all-important steroid shots for the babies' lungs...they needed to stay in me 48 hours for the steroids to run their course and take full effect.  That was our first goal--48 hours without having the babies.  They sent experts into talk to us about the odds, about potential problems 26-week-old babies have...it was petrifying.  All you need to hear is cerebal palsy and brain bleed to realize now serious the problems can be.  I sent notice to work I wouldn't be back for a while...

And we waited.  They had me on magnesium for something--don't even remember what--and it made my hands and feet burn.  I had an IV and they also gave me antibiotics.  I honestly don't remember everything that was going on.  After 48 hours, there were still no babies.  That was amazing.  Eventually, they put me up on the 8th floor (the recovery floor) to wait it out.  The first week was scary, but they told me that if I made it a week, I could probably go a few more.  So we set weekly goals.

Looking back, no one told me how rare it was for someone PROM (premature rupturing of membranes) to go six weeks like I did.  It is almost unheard of.  People go on bedrest for longer than that, but usually not with the water broken because either the babies are born or the mom/baby get an infection.

Those were really nice days, at least the first month was.  After I started getting contractions all the time and the moment was getting closer, I started to be afraid to go to sleep (because that was when the pain started).  But overall, I found great comfort in my friends and family and in my nurses that attended to me so well.  It was a magical time for us.  Weird that I'd describe it as "magical" given the surround.  But it was.  It was a time of wonder, fear, excitement, amazement, love, hope, and expectation that I will never again experience.  Now that I know things turned out fine, I wouldn't have had things happen any other way.

I still remember my nurses clear as day, the sound of the cart as they wheeled in the blood pressure machine to test my vitals, and the whole entire hospital cafeteria menu.  (I think I could recite every single thing on it.) I haven't had orange juice since I was in the hospital because it reminds me of our daily "horse race" trying to get the boys to pass the non-stress test.  It feels like it all happened yesterday, but I have almost 11-month-old boys to remind me that it wasn't, and a lot has happened in a year.