March 30, 2006, Part II

(I ran out of battery power in the car, didn't have time on our trip to write more, so now we are back at home, and I continue the saga)

No--
I could not fly. I think the doctors laughed at me when I mentioned getting to Sacramento by Saturday. I could not even go home.

They admitted me to the hospital and continued to monitor the boys. I was put on a Magnesium Sulfate drip to stop the contractions, (and all ability to think coherently) they gave me steroid shots to help the boys lungs develop in case they were born early, I was also given antibiotics in case infection had started this pre-term labor, and they started running tests.

I was told that if all went well, I could potentially be released from the hospital to remain on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. I went upstairs to settle in for what I thought was a day or two.

Then the other shoe fell, and it was a steel toed boot.

There was protein in my urine. What is this significance you ask?

PREECLAMPSIA

More tests, a 24 hour urine collection, lots and lots of blood pressure readings, and more Magnesium Sulfate.

24 hours later, I was told the bad news.

I was not leaving the hospital until the babies were born, and we all hoped that would make for a very long hospital stay for me.

The gravity of the situation had not settled in yet, I kept thinking, oh no, how am I going to spend 10, 15 weeks in the hospital???? I don't do relax and do nothing well. I don't do confinement to bed well. I have SO much left to do before the babies are born, I have three baby showers and one wedding shower to go to!

Honestly, that tells you a little bit about my personality. I was SURE I was going to be in the hospital for a VERY, VERY long time. I was SURE the doctors were wrong, there was no way I had preeclampsia, my blood pressure was only elevated because I was aggravated by the constant blood pressure taking! I was sure I was going to keep those babies inside until at least 35 weeks.

(A funny little aside: While I was in a deep Mag Sulfate induced stupor, I lay in my hospital bed trying to focus on the TV. On came a promo for the Amazing Race, my favorite reality show, and the only one I really want to be on, during this short 30 second promo, there was a short clip of Canoe Polo. What is Canoe Polo? Well, it is the totally obscure sport that I played obsessively pre-twins. I thought I was totally hallucinating. I called Scott on his way home from the hospital and told him he had to watch Survivor on Tivo because he had to watch to see if the Amazing Racers were indeed playing Canoe Polo. Turns out I wasn't that drugged up after all. I just kept trying to figure out how to leverage this into some publicity for our local club.)