Thursday, February 29, 1996 Leap Year
"Unto them A son was born"
Chris requested a male heir and being the submissive and obedient wife I provided. (Ha Ha.. if only) I felt very sure it was a boy as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Once I was farther along everytime I looked at baby stuff, of course you go toward the frilly pink girl stuff, but then the baby would kick, as to say, you aren't putting me in that girl stuff. Also, I was really sick, morning, noon, afternoon, night I could barely eat and then keeping it was another story. And that is supposed to be a sign it is a boy. But the really sign was when we were trying to finalize our names, I found a receipt with the name Charles Wiggins on it, which was a typing error, but that was Chris's grandfathers name who had passed away 2 weeks after we started dating in 1988. Chris's family had a tradition of naming the new arrivals after people in the family that had passed away and they did not like naming a child directly after a parent or making jr or Sr's. So I felt like that was a sign. And we began calling him Charles Leonard from that point on. We prayed for everything to go smoothly and it did, despite my being green for 9 months. I worked the day of birth, until about 2:00, I would have called in sick but, we had alot going on at the office, and I missed a lot of work, so I went in got stuff done and then told the doctor I worked for that I was not feeling well, I "thought I might have a high trickle break and my doctor's office told me to come over the hospital and get checked out" . I went over to the hospital I had it all planned out, I would go over make sure everything was okay, it should be since I felt it come on a day and 1/2 ago, but Chris came home from work with Food Poisioning and was not feeling good at all, I left him at home sick when I went to work. I signed in and was taken back, the doctor on call checked, looked at me and said "you know this is dangerous, you should have come in when you first felt bad", well you will be having a baby tonight. He then left, so I got ready and got ready to leave so I could go get Chris, and my "hospital bag and stuff that we had gathered after our Lamaze class" I started toward the elevator and heard the doctor yelling "where do you think you are going???" I informed him of my interary, looked at my watch and said "I should be back in about and hour or two" He snorted and laughed (which made me really mad) and told me I could not leave, he just admitted me and they were going to induce me. I was hysterical, you can't do that, "I have it planned out, I need to get a few things and my husband I will be back" I blubbered. He explained that was not a good idea, and I needed to call someone to go get my husband and prepare to have my baby in a few hours. I was crushed, I was scared, I was mad!!! This is not how I planned my delivery, I thought at least this part would go easy and follow the plan. (As if I were in control )(Wrong, again). I called my parents, they went by and picked Chris up and brought him to the hospital, I was already in labor, but it took awhile. And nothing from this point went easy, or as planned, and I was miserable. I had an allergic reaction, broke out in hives had trouble breathing, I was burning up and of course uncomfortable. They had given me pitocin, which I did not really want but they insisted and they did this alot more than me so I took it, (BIG MISTAKE) after they started the second IV they informed me I could not walk, as I had been promised I could since we took lamaze. Well, if you have read other posts, you can predict what happen next. Yeap!!! I was highly upset, nothing was going right, I wanted this over, well the increased the pitocin (ANOTHER HUGE MISTAKE) and labor was over, I was delivering my son, I was not the most pleasant patient and they asked if I wanted something for the pain. I barked, "WHAT DO YOU THINK?? I want something and I want it strong and NOW!!! they gave me the shot and before the nurse could cap the needle, viola... It's a Boy.. The doctor announced. I was relieved at least something went the way it was supposed to, I thought if she announces it is a girl I will jump off this bed and scream. Well, the baby was fine, despite the pain medicine and they held him up to me, (this was my first baby and no one told me the baby would be PURPLE, I was prepared for a little bluish coloring, but I am talking PURPLE like a grape, I paniced, and plucked him in his cute little chubby cheeks, he wailed and I was so relieved. (this part of the story is Charles favorite, he always makes sure, we tell everyone that mommy slapped him until he cried). All was well, at least with the baby.
Chris was over at the table with the baby. They were working on me, and then mayhem broke out. I could feel something was wrong (working in doctor's offices, I knew this was not good). I was hemmoraging and they were rushing me into surgery to replace my uterus, on the way out the door all they told Chris was "we will do what we can, but if it is not successful we will try to save her". He was not sure what that meant, really did not know what had happened and everyone was left in the birthing room. Prayers were going up big time.. Surgery went well. Went I came to I was so confused, I was out before we left the birthing room. The first person that came in was our Pastor, I thought this can not be a good sign, I looked around and thought am I dying ???or has something happened to the baby.(emotions were raging) In my still cheerful tone, I looked at him and said.. "If it is bad I do not want to hear it, just let me go to sleep and wake up in heaven". He chuckled and said, he had seen the baby and he was great, but he did have bad news, "I would not be going just yet, I was going to be fine to" We prayed and thanked God that everything went well. This kind of caught the doctors by surprise, this is a rare thing to happen.
We were kind of bewildered for a month or more, very thankful, but recovery was rough. I looked like I had been beaten and felt like I was run over and beaten. But, luckly I was able to go back to work in 8 weeks. My heart was broken though because I could not breast feed, another plan shattered. I had a huge pitty party for months but finally pulled out of it. (post partum depression, we have now figured out but at the time, it was "just her way of processing it") I think this and my experience with depression makes me such an advocate for treatment and watching women who have delivered a baby for signs and making sure they have someone to talk to.
God so worked in, several great things, and worked so perfectly. A midwive had started the delivery, but my pregnancy was such a journey my doctor came in to deliver the baby, she wanted to be there to calm my fears that something was wrong (I kept telling her at the last few visits that I was really worried something was wrong with the baby, I had really weird cramps/pains in the middle of my stomach). If the midwive, who I am sure was capable of delivering the baby under normal circumstances, had been there by herself, I would have been in much worse shape, she was not prepared for this situation and did not realize what was happening. It just so happened the surgeon on call who was a doctor who had a case like mine and knew exactly how to replace the uterus without too much surgery, encase we wanted to have more children and to not put me through any more trauma.
Both of our parents were there and the Pastor was called and came right up. Prayers were flowing the whole time I was in surgery. Verses that I think of related to this situation of course, Romans 8:28-29, but this one touches me a bit more; Psalms 94:17-19
Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soom have dwelt in the silence of death.
When I said, "My foot is slipping" your love, O Lord supported me, When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Even the most upsetting, disappointing, heartbreaking event can hold praises, and all things are used for good for those who love the Lord. Praises are like buried treasure, you have to digg for them but, Oh, how worth it when you find them they are Absolutely Priceless. And the best part is it's never to late to find the treasure! Seek and you will find.
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