crazy day...crazy few weeks...

I'm doing alright people. That is the bottom line. Just for the sake of keeping a record here is the story as far as I can tell it. 


I had a miscarriage in January and felt like I knew I would be able to get pregnant again soon. I found out April 5 that I was 5 1/2 weeks pregnant and was ecstatic! It didn't feel like the last time. I felt like this pregnancy was going to be ok. On Saturday April 9 I started to have the all-too-familiar bleeding (red and heavy) and I was just sure I miscarried again. Well, the following Sunday and Monday I took a home pregnancy test and they both showed up as pregnant. I called my doctor immediately Monday morning and he had me come in on Tuesday to have an ultrasound and blood test done to check my HCG (pregnancy hormone) levels. So after the ultrasound my doctor confirmed the pregnancy was no longer "viable" (so....I miscarried....again). 


Or so they thought.


I went in again on Thursday to do a follow up blood test. Friday noon I had some weird sharp pains in the middle of my lower abdomen- not bad enough to lay me out- but they hurt pretty bad. It only lasted for about 5 minutes, then went away. Friday afternoon I get a call back from my Dr. to tell me the results of the blood tests. 


Tuesdays HCG levels- 530. Thursdays HCG levels- 890. WHAT THE HECK? (when you aren't pregnant your HCG should be less than 3!!!)


For someone who didn't have a baby in my uterus those levels are VERY HIGH!! Well, Dr Huish says..."it looks like you are still pregnant, but usually we like to see the 2nd HCG number double from the 1st HCG number, and since it didn't quite double we want you to come back in on Tuesday for another ultrasound and blood test." 


Holy roller coaster of emotions!!! pregnant...Not Pregnant....PREGNANT!!! (In the mean time- I've been playing hostess while my parents have been in town with some of their friends, having swimming parties, celebrating Blake's 30th Birthday and having bbq's at our house! Also, Sunday my dad left to go back to Colorado, and Monday Blake, Scott, Chelsea and Shauna left for Orlando FL for a business meeting of a marketing company that they would have on Wednesday morning. 


Ok- so Tuesday I went in for the ultrasound and blood test. I didn't have a consultation with the doctor scheduled after my ultrasound, so the tech said my dr would call me back by Wednesday afternoon with the results. On Tuesday afternoon I reluctantly said goodbye to my mom as she flew back to Colorado that night! 


Wednesday morning 4:00 am April 20, 2011: Jovie starts crying so I bring her into my room and lay her in the bed next to me, since Blake isn't here. As I lay in bed I start getting a horrible dull pain again in my lower abdomen. At this point I am now 7 1/2 weeks pregnant. I get intermittent sleep between 4 and 7am and then Jovie wakes up. I still have a horrible pain in my stomach and when I go to use the restroom I could barely get out 5 drops of urine and when I wipe I notice bright red blood. That's when my body started tingling from head to toe. It was a horrible sensation. Fear just came over me and I thought I was gonna pass out so I layed on the floor for a minute or two. By then, Jovie came into the bathroom and saw me on the floor- I tried to calmly ask her to go get my phone on my nightstand- but I think me completely pale, lying on the floor kinda freaked her out and she just paced around me trying to pull me off the floor. I knew something was severely wrong with me at this point because my body was still tingling and I was feeling horribly faint. I decided to run and leap onto my bed to get to my phone. I called 911- CALL FAILED!! I thought to myself....I'm gonna die right here in my room and Jovie is going to be the only one here watching her mama die!!! I finally got through to a dispatcher who stayed on the phone with me while I crawled down the stairs and dragged myself to the front door to unlock it so the paramedics could get inside. An ambulance came and took me to the hospital. Luckily my bishop who lives across the street saw the ambulance and came over to check on things so he was able to take Jovie until Blake's sister could come pick her up. Thank heavens for good people- especially being there at the right time!

So once I got to the hospital they ran a bunch of tests and did an ultrasound. Thankfully my sis-in-law Jaime was able to come sit with me in the ER- it was so comforting having her there with me! By about 10:30 am (PST) Blake and the rest of the family were able to switch their flights and come home early and be home by 5:30 pm (PST). At about 11:15 am my doctor, the radiologist and the ER doctor determined I had an ectopic pregnancy (baby implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus). I basically could have died if I would have waited any longer to go to the hospital. My tube could have burst and I would have bled internally. Very scary stuff!!!

So at noon my brother Eli and Bro-in-law Rajiv came to give me a blessing before my surgery at 12:30 pm. Blake had no idea that I was even having surgery since he was in the air before I got the news. So he found out on his layover in Kansas City that I was mid surgery. I felt so horrible because I know that must have totally freaked him out! By 2:00 pm the surgery was over and I was in recovery until about 4:00 pm waking up to see a good friend Barb- Nielson (from Blake's home ward/book club) who works at the hospital pass by my bed and recognize me!! So we talked for a bit and then Jaime and Kayleen came in to check in with me! It was so nice to see faces of my loved ones!

So surgery went as well as it could have. They did a laparoscopy- which is just 2 small incisions in my abdomen and 1 incision in my belly button. They ended up needing to remove my right fallopian tube and the baby as it was too damaged to save. But I will still have two good ovaries and my left tube so I should still be able to bear more children. Hopefully.

I was able to go home at 4:30 pm which I was just happy to be in the comfort of my own home at this point!! Hospital beds can be so uncomfortable! Thankfully I had Jaime, Jason and Rajiv here to help out with Jovie and drive me from the hospital. Blake got home at 6 pm with everyone and I was feeling very grateful to see him and everyone else. I'm gonna be down recovering for a few days but overall I'm feeling pretty good and am in good spirits!

Thanks for your love, concern, prayers, etc. I've got great friends and neighbors who have shown the true spirit of Christ-like love and charity. Thank you for everything. You don't know how much this all means to me. 

Photoing...March...

"Almost"

A drive out near Red Mountain produced this pic. Isn't is so sad? This ancient saguaro cactus is just hanging on LITERALLY by a limb.

"Almost"

This poor little dove egg...almost made it.

"Lightning"

I had written down "lighting" but then read the blog and it said "lightning" (I guess after all that is was actually lighting)... so I had to cheat as AZ doesn't exactly produce lightning storms in March. So here is an old pic from the Coachella Music Fest from 2004 I believe- it was a cool lightning display.

"Sick"

Poor little Jovie has had to be on breathing treatments since being sick in December...

continuing until she gets all better. 

"Wings"

Went on a train ride on the Verde Canyon Rail Road and saw many birds- including this hawk. 

"Wings"

Also taken on my train ride- saw several bald eagles fairly close. So magnificent!

April Photo Club topics: hoof, everybody, occupation, winning