Best and Worst Week Ever Part 2

I went to my appointment the next morning with a rash all over my face, arms, and it was spreading to my torso. I didn't itch...yet. The receptionist and I were talking and she said "Oh! Have you been tanning? You look great!" Ya no....its a rash.

My nurse came out to get me...and her jaw dropped. She recovered and was like..."Oh, um. How are you feeling??" Saw my doctor...her eyebrows raised. She did an examination of my infected area and then obviously focused on my rash. She brought in another doctor to look at me. It had spread since last night. she left with her colleague and came back, sat down, "Ya......I need to admit you." I love my doctor. She said it so awkward because she knew I'd be upset. It was kind of funny. 

Fuck. Parker had his class Halloween Party that day and I was really looking forward to taking him with my mom. So of course, I cried. I cried a lot during these 3 weeks. Luckily my mom was already there to take the boys, and my sister was available to go help my mom with said boys. My family is amazing.

I headed to Meriter calling Thane...crying. Called my mom..crying.

Got to Meriter, back up to the post-partum floor, stopped at the front desk and said "Hi...Checking in, Pam Sutter."

The guy looked at his paperwork, "Ok..um do you know what room she is in?"

I sighed, "no, I'm Pam. I've been readmitted." I guess they don't get many non-pregnant women on that floor. Weird.

So started the longest 2.5 days I've ever had.

It was super frustrating because I was missing 2 Halloween parties and I basically just sat in my room...with no medical treatment. I am not complaining about that, because I was there to be observed to make sure I didn't get worse. My white blood cell counts were pretty low, or high according to Julie, so they had to keep an eye on that and my fever. It's just frustrating because I felt like nothing was being done.

Infectious disease had to come see me. After the 3rd time of that phrase being thrown around I finally asked, "will he be coming in a hazmat suit?" Like wtf? Apparently not. They don't wear suits.

I honestly was looking forward to sleeping a full night sleep...which you don't get in the hospital. They have to come check your vitals every 4 hours. In my case, making sure my temperature didn't come back. Thankfully it didn't.

Day one was so irritating. My body was on fire. I couldn't help but itch. It looked like I had a bad sunburn. I wanted to take a warm shower because I was freezing, but then it would make the rash worse. So they brought me like 5 of those super thin hospital blankets...one of them being warm. That was awesome. 

Kristy came to see me after the party and brought me my computer so I'd have something to do and then sat there with me until Thane could come. Thane brought me shorts because my pants were irritating my legs. 

Day Two: I woke up optimistic. I wasn't itchy. I could go home!!

I flipped the covers off. My rash had spread. to start it was from my head to a few spots on my torso. Now it was all down my legs until my shins. It looked awful. My arms were fully covered, my face was better, but that was it. Almost every part of my body was covered..except my feet, but that was coming. 10 minutes later my body was on fire again.

They brought me some lotion to try and help. One lotion was a steroid so I could only use it sparingly on the worst parts...twice a day. Ya, try figuring out what part of your body itches the most...when the whole damn thing feels like you bathed in poison ivy. 

I showered...terrified. Once again, I wanted a warm shower but even warm water irritated my skin. Taking a semi-cold shower while in the hospital sucks. A lot. Add that shitty temperature to the anxiety that you're going to miss your doctor coming in..showers are really stressful. 

My sister came and hung out with me all day, which probably kept me sane. 

Thane brought the boys Friday night so I could see them and we watched a movie. 

Saturday I woke up...and I still wasn't better. It was totally gone from my face, and my chest was fading. I cried a lot on Saturday. I didn't think I'd be going home. It was Halloween..my favorite holiday. I wanted out. 

My nurse was amazing. She hugged me every time she came in...because I cried every time she came in. 

My infectious disease doctor came back and said my blood counts were much better, not good, but better. I shouldn't head to Freak Fest that night that is for sure. He said that like 5 times...in his dry humor. I was like "nope...just want to take my kids Trick or Treating!" He told me to stay away from large crowds because I could easily catch anything and get really sick. 

My doctor came in, chatted a bit, and said I could go home!!!

My rash was due to the fact that I am apparently allergic to Sulfa. So no more Bactrum antibiotic in my future. 

An hour late I busted out of there and *never* want to see a hospital again. 

I came home, in time for the tail end of Parker's nap and just in time to get ready to Trick or Treat. I was exhausted and didn't want to go. I think I snuck in a nap, which was great until I had to wake up. Shouldn't have napped. 

We went out and it was kinda crappy. Not as bad as last year, but when you don't feel well...if its not perfect weather anything feels crappy. We walked down my brother and sister in laws street and then down another. Ya, didn't realize the other street was a huge hill...and we'd have to go back up.

I felt horrible, and I finally understood why my doctor was all like "Don't stay out too long!!" I apparently was sick on top of the rash. Great. Thane pushed the stroller up the hill and I just focused on not passing out. We stopped at my in laws house and I tried to keep it together but I felt horrible. So I sat. 

We had to go to his parent's house, so we headed out there. We got inside and my body was done. I sat on the couch and didn't want to move. Thane's dad wasn't going to be in from the barn for another hour and a half and I almost cried. There was no way I'd make it that long. 

We ended up going home soon after that and I have no memory of what happened the rest of the night. I'm sure I got comfy on the couch and woke up 4 times to feed Jensen.

I had another appointment with my doctor about a week after and my rash was still there. Not as dark, but still there. She told me that if I still had it in a week that I'd need to come in again. Thankfully that didn't happen. 

We were talking and I told her some other things that were going on and she got a weird look on her face. "....I think you may have another infection. We need to do some tests."

You have got to be joking. 

Did some tests. Yup. Another infection. A crazy one that required me to be on an antibiotic for 10 days and take it 3 times a day. Do you know how hard it is to remember to take an antibiotic 3 times a day when I cant even remember if I brushed my teeth that day?

So when Jensen was 3 weeks oldish...I was finally fine. I felt human again. My incision still hurt and that was nerve wracking, but I had a few more doctor appointments and they kept a close eye on it. It sucks because that is 3 weeks I won't get back. They were pretty much wasted time on my leave. I could barely take care of myself let alone my kids. Thank god for my family..they all really stepped up. 

If you're pregnant and looking for a clinic. Madison Women's Health on Research Park. I love everyone there. 

Best and Worst 3 Weeks Ever.

So I could have literally been on an episode of House.

Or at least, that is how I felt during this time.

All I can say, is thank GOD for my mom. Without her help and magically being where we needed her to be at the right time. it would have been way harder and beyond stressful. More stressful than it already was.

Let's start with the shiver fits.

I thought they were semi normal because I had one with Parker. It was awful. I remember I sat in our leather recliner to feed Parker and my body went into shock. I had to give Parker to Thane because I was scared I was going to drop him I was shaking so bad. I crawled in bed, turned our electric blanket up on high, and cried because we had no idea what was going on. I'll never forget the look on Thane's face while he held Parker just staring at me...no idea what to do.

Luckily that one passed, and I didn't have any more.

Not so lucky this time. My shiver fits were way worse and way more common and would start for no reason. and if I got a slight chill...game over.

I walked around in tights, sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt, and my robe. Looking back, prooooobbaly should have gone to the doctor sooner. Maybe should have taken my temperature more? They got so bad that I could function but not without my body literally shaking as I made a bottle or my teeth chattering. I got lucky and about half the time they would happen when Thane was pulling in the driveway or someone was here.

It all came to a head when we got Parker's hair cut. Mom and I took the boys into town and we happened to pass Thane, who turned around and met us there.

I had been having some pain in my incision sight, on the left side, but nothing I couldn't handle and I thought it was normal because I was doing a little more than I probably should have. During the hair cut I wanted to stand next to P and help him out, but I had to sit down halfway through because I was too weak and didn't feel right.

We got home and I could barely get out of the car. I told mom and Thane I had to tap out. I turned the heat up and settled in on the couch with my heating blanket on high...and shivered so bad I was pretty much convulsing. I called to my mom and asked her to bring me a heavier blanket. She looked really confused and got me another one...and then I asked her to get me a thermometer. Clearly I wasn't right.

Yup. 103. or some crazy shit like that. Maybe even 104.

I called my doctor but since it was so close to their closing time, they told me to go to the ER. I sat up to get up...and could barely move. The pain that had been in my incision had now traveled up to the side of my stomach and it was awful. I'd like to say it was about the same level of pain as a contraction. I hobbled into Thane, who had fallen asleep in the chair, and asked him if he wanted to take me in or if my mom should.

He hopped up, we packed a bag, filled my mom in on how to ya know...feed my infant. It was so hard to leave knowing she hadn't fed him yet and he had this tongue thing going on that made it really hard to feed him. I barely made it to the car and we headed into the ER at like 4:30pm.

I swear Thane hit every bump on the way to the hospital. I just squeezed my eyes shut and tried to survive. We got to the ER, I could barely walk. They had to actually get me a wheel chair to get from the intake room to my exam room..which was like 20 feet away.  I'm pretty sure if we had waited about 30 more minutes to do something I would have had to call an ambulance. It was that bad.

So, got admitted and so started the longest afternoon into night of my life. We were there from 4:30 to midnight.

I had a doctor or 2 come in and both were puzzled. Usually when you have an infection in your incision area, its the whole thing...not just one side...and the pain doesn't travel up. I got a lot of "huh"s.

I ended up getting a CT Scan because they didn't know if it was a normal infection, a gigantic blood clot, or an abscess. Have you ever had a CT Scan? They make you drink some awful drink that they throw in some Crystal Light to mask the flavor..and it is SO bad. Within like 10 minutes your stomach is gurgling and you're worried you're going to pull a Bridesmaids moment. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

Headed up for the CT Scan...and started crying. I tried to keep it together, but my God it was stressful and scary. I wanted to be home with my babies. I wanted to be the one feeding Jensen his bottle. I wanted to know what the hell was wrong with me. I wanted to not be in pain. I wanted to not convulse. I wanted to know what the hell a CT Scan was.

I made it through the CT Scan. The person who was helping me was amazing. Put me at ease and was as sweet as can be. I was so thankful. After the scan we headed back to my room and got some more "huh"s and was put on some more IVs.

Finally around 11:30, they came in and told me its just an infection, put me on some antibiotics and started discharge papers.

I could walk much better when I left, but I still opted for the wheelchair,  and we both headed home exhausted.

Flash forward a week and a half..still having shiver fits but I could walk again. During one shiver fit I powered up my heated blanket and put it on my legs while I waited for it to pass. When it passed I was sweating. This had been going on a few times. Freezing...sweating...freezing..sweating. It was my new norm. Took my temp. 101. Then again 99. Then 103. Ugh.

I went to take a shower..took off my long sleeve shirt...........had a rash.

I called my mom just exasperated. Just done. Wtf...was it from my blanket?

I called my doctor and let them know what was going on. Since I had an appointment the next morning at 8am they told me to sit tight unless it got worse.

Ya, it got worse.